TEXT: ™
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section00: TABLE OF CONTENTS
  THE DEVELOPER’S SAY 
  4
  SHADOWS OF FAITH 
  6
  INTRODUCTION 
  16
  How to Use This Book 
  17
  AND IT CAME TO PASS 
  18
  War Engulfs Inner Sphere 
  19
  Decade of Tumult 
  19
  Opening Shots 
  23
  FILTHY MONEY 
  27
  War Strikes Mercenaries! 
  28
  The Gathering Storm 
  28
  Where the Money Trail Ends 
  29
  Northwind Highlanders Returning Home 
  29
  Death of a Legend 
  30
  Harlech City Under Siege! 
  31
  Counterstrike 
  31
  Dragoons Break Contract 
  31
  Northwind Blockade 
  33
  Mars: What Happened? 
  34
  Fall of Outreach 
  35
  Mercenary Treachery 
  35
  Outreach Bombarded! 
  35
  Outreach: A Survivor’s Account 
  36
  Legacy of Distrust 
  37
  “Divine Retribution!” 
  37
  Mercenaries Under Fire 
  38
  Running the Blockade 
  38
  BURNING FIST 
  39
  Tharkad Burns 
  41
  Star League Disbanded! 
  42
  Horror Unleashed 
  43
  Chaos and Confusion 
  44
  The Archon Dead? 
  44
  The Greater War 
  45
  Skye Assaulted! 
  45
  Long Odds for Duke Robert 
  47
  Wave Two? 
  47
  An Appeal for Unity 
  48
  Skye-League War Forces Archon’s Hand 
  49
  Alliance Under Siege—Day 115 
  50
  BROKEN SWORDS 
  52
  Sunset Over the Sword 
  54
  Who Is In Charge? 
  54
  Marshal of the Armies Speaks 
  55
  The Forgotten Fronts 
  56
  The Pleiades Question 
  56
  Lest We Forget 
  58
  The Taurian Problem 
  58
  Marches at War 
  58
  Operation Sovereign Justice Underway 
  58
  Sovereign Justice Strikes Deep 
  60
  TEARS OF THE DRAGON 
  62
  Dreams Torn Asunder 
  63
  Leaders Gather for Whitting 3067 
  63
  Star League Disbands 
  64
  The Dragon Speaks 
  65
  Black Dragon Rising 
  66
  Uprising on Luthien! 
  66
  Betrayal at the Dragon’s Heart 
  66
  “Cowardice!” 
  67
  Doctors: Coordinator Ill, Recovering 
  67
  “Who Among Us Shall Rule?” 
  68
  The Widening Conﬂ icts 
  68
  Dieron Under Quarantine 
  70
  Death to Mercenaries! 
  70
  Borders on Alert 
  71
  THE EAGLE SCREAMS 
  72
  Winds of Change 
  73
  The Star League Failure: What Happened? 
  73
  Mercenary Assault on Mars Fails! 
  74
  Tharkad: Was It or Wasn’t It? 
  74
  Assassins Gun Down Head of Sirian Concordance 
  75
  Outreach Nuked! 
  75
  Day of the Hawk 
  76
  War! 
  76
  Bolan Declares War 
  77
  Captain-General Condemns “Lyran Aggression” 
  77
  Steiners Launch Second Wave 
  78
  The Quagmire of the Alliance 
  80
  At Last! 
  81
  Jeremy Brett: Usurper in a Hero’s Clothing? 
  82
  Knights Recalled 
  82
  ENEMY BROTHERS 
  83
  Tumbling Downward 
  84
  Word of Blake Declares War as Star League Dies 
  84
  Heretics and Traitors! 
  84
  Slaughter! 
  85
  Com Guards Shattered 
  86
  Tide of Fire 
  87
  Tukayyid Hit, Heavy Casualties Reported 
  87
  Dow Vows “Swift Retribution” 
  88
  Case White 
  88
  Precentor Martial Victor Steiner-Davion Speaks 
  88
  Case White Underway! 
  89
  “Devastation” 
  91
  Mopping Up 
  92
  “The Bringers of Truth” 
  92
  The Holy Light of Blake Comes to Demeter 
  93
  TRIALS OF VICTORY 
  94
  Silent Runnings 
  95
  Whispers and Rumors I 
  95
  Whispers and Rumors II 
  97
  Awaiting Orders 
  98
  Borrowed Time 
  99
  On the Precipice 
  99
  Whispers and Rumors III 
  101
  Time of Deliberation 
  101
  Whispers and Rumors IV 
  102
  Outreach Survivors? 
  102
  Guarding the Flank 
  103
  Righteous Rage 
  104
  Showing Restraint 
  104
  Watching and Waiting 
  104
  Cry Havoc 
  105
  CELESTIAL CRISES 
  106
  Gathering Shadows 
  107
  Celestial Wisdom Dedicates Memorial 
  107
  Blake’s Wrath Targets Capellan People 
  108
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/00: TABLE OF CONTENTS 
   
  002 / 003
  St. Ives Struck 
  108
  Royal Family Kidnapping! 
  109
  Flashing Swords 
  110
  Capellans, Unite! 
  110
  Luck or Foresight? 
  111
  Reclaim Your Destiny 
  111
  Victorious They Vanquish! 
  112
  Fortress of Determination 
  112
  Davions Sue for Peace 
  113
  Falling Skies 
  113
  Sian Struck! 
  113
  Not Again! 
  114
  Union of Sword and Spirit 
  115
  Too Far! 
  115
  AFTERSHOCKS 
  117
  CHAOS UNBOUND 
  132
  Chaos Unbound: Dawn of the Jihad 
  133
  How to Use This Section 
  134
  Tracks 
  134
  Campaign Special Rules 
  135
  Warchest Point System 
  136
  Getting Started 
  136
  Warchest Points Between Tracks 
  137
  Skill Advancement 
  138
  Ending the Campaign 
  138
  Chaos Unbound: The Setup 
  138
  Look Who’s Coming to Dinner 
  139
  Another Day, Another C-bill 
  140
  FUBAR! 
  142
  Payback 
  144
  Vacationing in the Wasteland 
  146
  The Skye Is Falling! 
  148
  Running From the Devil 
  150
  Game On! 
  152
  Golden Goose 
  153
  Full Metal Press 
  155
  Falcon Ptomaine 
  157
  Final Curtain? 
  159
  Writing
   
  Herbert A. Beas II
  Randall N. Bills
  Loren L. Coleman
   
  Warner Doles
  Chris Hartford
   
  Ken Horner
  Kevin Killiany
  Nick “Gunslinger” Marsala
  David L. McCulloch
  Ben Rome
  Paul Sjardijn
  Christoﬀ er “Bones” Trossen
  Øystein Tvedten
  Phaedra Weldon
  Shadows of Faith
  Loren L. Coleman
  Chaos Unbound
  Ben Rome
  Paul Sjardijn
  Product Development
  Herbert A. Beas II
  Randall N. Bills
  Product Editing
  Diane Piron-Gelman
  BattleTech Line Developer
  Randall N. Bills
  Production Staﬀ 
  Art Direction
  Randall N. Bills
  Cover Art
  Klaus Scherwinski
  Cover Design
  Jason Vargas
  Header Design
  Jim Nelson
  Layout
  David M. Stansel-Garner
  Illustrations
  Gerhard Mozsi
  Additional Graphic Elements
  Chris Lewis
  Special Thanks
  To…Everyone!
  Playtesters and Fact-Checkers
  Raymond Arrastia, Daniel M. Ball, Ron “Steel Hawke” 
  Barter, Charles Borner, Paul “Blackhorse” Bowman, Rich 
  Cencarik, John Danovich, Brent Dill, Tim DuPertuis, John “Quentil” 
  Dzieniszewski, David Fanjoy, Bruce Ford, Jon Frideres, Aaron 
  Gregory, Anthony “Shadhawk” Hardenburgh, Ross Hines, Glenn 
  Hopkins, Peter La Casse, Rodney Klatt, Camille Klien, Edward 
  “TenakaFurey” Laﬀ erty, Edward Lott, Mike Miller, Jeﬀ  “Highlander” 
  Morgan, Darrell “Flailing Death” Myers, Louis “Nukeloader” Myers, 
  Michael Nelson, Andrew T. Norris, Keith “Vang” Oberschulte, 
  Nathaniel Olsen, Aaron Pollyea, “Medron Pryde”, Rick Raisley, 
  Rick Remer, Christopher K. Searls, Chris “Chunga(lomeningitis!)” 
  Smith, Joel Steverson, Rob Strathmann, Geoﬀ  Swift, Scott “Clutch” 
  Taylor, Roland “Ruger” Thigpen, Todd Thrash, Jason “Panzerfaust 
  150” Weiser, Chris “Chinless” Wheeler, Aaron Williams, Charles 
  Wilson, Andreas Zuber.
  Proofcheckers
   
  Mike Miller and Peter LaCasse
  ©2005 WizKids, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Dawn of the Jihad, 
  Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, ’Mech, BattleMech, MechWarrior, 
  Classic BattleTech RPG, AeroTech 2, and WK Games are registered 
  trademarks and/or trademarks of WizKids, Inc. in the United States 
  and/or other countries. No part of this work may be reproduced, 
  stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any 
  means, without the prior permission in writing of the Copyright 
  Owner, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in 
  which it is published. Printed in the USA.
  Version 1.0 (June 2005)
  Published by FanPro LLC 
  1608 N. Milwaukee • Suite 1005 • Chicago, IL 60647 
  Find us online:
  Precentor_martial@classicbattletech.com 
  (e-mail address for any Classic BattleTech questions)
  http://www.classicbattletech.com 
  (oﬃ  cial Classic BattleTech web pages)
  http://www.fanprogames.com 
  (FanPro web pages)
  http://www.mwdarkage.com 
  (oﬃ  cial MechWarrior: Dark Age web pages)
  http://www.wizkidsgames.com 
  (WizKids web pages)
  http://www.studio2publishing.com 
  (online ordering, sales and distribution)
  http://www.battlecorps.com
  (oﬃ  cial Classic BattleTech ﬁ ction)
  CREDITS
  i
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  i
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section02: THE DEVELOPER'S SAY
   
  The Word of Blake ﬁ rst appeared in 1992 with the publication 
  of the ComStar sourcebook, a direct result of events from the novel 
  Lost Destiny by Michael Stackpole. As with any major schism within 
  a ﬁ ctional setting—especially one revolving around a pseudo-re-
  ligious order—the plan from inception was to ultimately stage an 
  apocalyptic future battle between the sundered halves of ComStar. 
  However, as with so many plot threads weaving through the Bat-
  tleTech universe, at that point in time the unfolding of events was 
  nebulous at best.
   
  In 1994, FASA held its ﬁ rst ﬁ ction summit concerning the Bat-
  tleTech universe. At each of these large-scale summits—which 
  have occurred every two or three years for the past decade—the 
  BattleTech developers and editors, the president of the company, 
  game creator Jordan Weisman and the primary authors of Bat-
  tleTech sourcebooks and novels met to develop the next several 
  years’ worth of plot threads, which they could then weave into 
  novels and sourcebooks. At the 1996 meeting, participants began 
  to ﬁ rm up the nebulous plan, using the word “Jihad” for the ﬁ rst 
  time to describe the coming battle. However, the major events of 
  the Twilight of the Clans and the FedCom Civil War still needed to 
  be developed and published, making any jihad many years distant. 
  At the next ﬁ ction summit in 1998, the Jihad received a little more 
  meat on its bones, though the meeting participants spent most of 
  that time spelling out the details of the huge FedCom Civil War.
   
  The summit in late 2000 saw serious eﬀ ort to develop the Jihad 
  event. Authors and developers ﬁ nally put on paper a series of novel 
  ideas and concepts (along with rough sketches for accompanying 
  sourcebooks) to begin what would become the Word of Blake’s cru-
  sade… and then everything came crashing down. FASA closed its 
  doors in January 2001, and it appeared BattleTech might die.
   
  Fortunately, the BattleTech community refused to let that happen. 
   
  WizKids, Inc. purchased the BattleTech Intellectual property and 
  went on to publish MechWarrior: Dark Age (the collectible miniatures 
  game set 65 years in BattleTech’s future). Meanwhile, FanPro licensed 
  the rights to continue publishing BattleTech sourcebooks and rule-
  books. Since that day, FanPro has published a new base box set and 
  more than twenty new sourcebooks and rulebooks, while getting 
  additional products back into print as well. 
   
  However, a key element temporarily went missing. From the 
  beginning, BattleTech has been a living universe, growing and mov-
  ing forward, its characters, nations and people constantly evolv-
  ing. After the FedCom Civil War plot line ended in 2001 and 2002, 
  the BattleTech universe went into hibernation of sorts—stuck in 
  3067. This hiatus allowed us to explore numerous facets of the uni-
  verse never before fully developed (such as publishing construc-
  tion rules for battle armor and support vehicles, generating badly 
  needed revisions of such books as AeroTech 2 and Technical Read-
  outs: 3026 and 3057, delving into some of the “supposed” powers 
  behind the Clans and Houses in Interstellar Players, launching the 
  Historical and Handbook series, and so on), but the lack of forward 
  progress in the timeline made itself felt.
   
  The hiatus took place for numerous reasons. It allowed FanPro 
  to ﬁ rmly establish its ability to produce quality products (includ-
  ing the creation of a fact-checking group of fans to help maintain 
  continuity/quality), and enabled WizKids to ﬁ rmly cement its own 
  timeline and game before starting to close the gap. The decision to 
  “pause” the BattleTech universe was not made lightly. In 2003, I pro-
  posed that by 2005, all other criteria should be met and we could 
  ﬁ nally delve into the Jihad.
   
  We soon realized that the framework for how the Jihad would 
  take place and develop had changed almost beyond recognition 
  since 2000. Instead of presenting to the community a largely un-
  expected event (beyond foreshadowing laid down across the past 
  decade), as FASA had done with the Fourth Succession War and 
  the Clan invasion, the history of the MechWarrior: Dark Age time-
  line spelled out in some detail the events of the Jihad, including 
  its ending. We also did not have the primary venue for conveying 
  such a mammoth storyline; no novels about it had been written. 
  (WizKids did launch a new and successful line of MechWarrior: Dark 
  Age novels, continuing to ﬂ esh out a new and exciting universe 
  and characters, but these books don’t provide the support needed 
  for Classic BattleTech ﬁ ction.)
   
  So when we convened another summit at the end of 2002, we 
  quickly realized we had to think outside the box across the board. 
  The standard, all-inclusive, mostly straightforward style of source-
  books published for BattleTech over the past twenty years simply 
  would not cut it. Instead, writers needed to generate a completely 
  new style that would put the players directly into the events of the 
  Jihad, unfolding them as time and sourcebooks progressed. 
   
  We also had to deal with continuity as never before—not only 
  to tie in and develop the past ten years and more of plot threads 
  across dozens of FASA/FanPro published products and novels, but 
  also to work in the numerous threads leading back from MechWar-
  rior: Dark Age. We needed to develop these plot threads through 
  the Jihad to create the “next era” for Classic BattleTech stories and 
  sourcebooks in the Jihad’s aftermath, and also to lay the founda-
  tion for events planned for the future of MechWarrior: Dark Age 
  (game and novels). All this while attempting to provide action-
  packed storytelling rife with suspense and surprises to shock and 
  entertain; not just to keep the community coming back for more, 
  but to generate new excitement for the BattleTech universe. 
   
  To achieve that goal, more front-end work has gone into this 
  product than any of the roughly ﬁ fty others I’ve worked on. We 
  spent half a year alone kicking ideas around and ﬂ eshing out a pro-
  posed style of presentation that all Jihad sourcebooks will follow, 
  its outline and the accompanying timeline: a ten-thousand word 
  proposal. Because this project would start to move into MechWar-
  rior: Dark Age territory, more so than any other BattleTech product 
  published by FanPro to date, it would require WizKids’ approval to 
  move forward. I consider it a testament to the work all the vari-
  ous authors put forth that WizKids approved it without a single 
  requested revision.
  THE DEVELOPER'S SAY
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/02: THE DEVELOPER'S SAY 
   
  004 / 005
   
  Based on the proposal, detailed writing assignments were 
  generated. Once written sections came in, they were handed oﬀ  
  to the fact-checking team, which—combined with the playtesters 
  and authors—generated more than two-thousand e-mails in the 
  weeks (and months) of review and counter-review. Outside of the 
  fantastic work they’ve done in making the Handbooks a quality 
  line, they earned their keep and then some with the mammoth 
  eﬀ ort they’ve poured into helping make this product and the Jihad 
  as a whole all it can be. 
   
  Overall, we’ve done more front-end and back-end work than 
  for any previous product I can think of…and all for a product that 
  covers only the ﬁ rst year of the Jihad!
   
  As you dive into Dawn of the Jihad, you will notice that the 
  short ﬁ ction piece at the front not only ends in a cliﬀ -hanger, but 
  that the continuing story will not be published in future source-
  books. Instead, it will continue at www.battlecorps.com (the oﬃ  -
  cial online source for canon Classic BattleTech ﬁ ction). 
   
  I made this decision for several reasons. 
   
  First, the cliﬀ -hanger aspect of the ﬁ ction piece ﬁ ts Dawn of 
  the Jihad as a whole; this is only the ﬁ rst year of the Jihad and the 
  whole product ends on a cliﬀ -hanger, waiting for the story to con-
  tinue in Jihad Hot Spots: 3070.
   
  Second, while the BattleTech sourcebooks have always been 
  entertaining in their own right, players would have missed the full 
  experience of any major BattleTech event (from the Fourth Succes-
  sion War to the Clan Invasion, Twilight of the Clans, the FedCom 
  Civil War and so on) without the accompanying novels. I believe 
  BattleTech has survived for more than twenty years because of 
  those novels and the dynamic storytelling format that began in 
  1986 with the publication of the ﬁ rst BattleTech novel, Decision at 
  Thunder Rift.  
   
  As FanPro has grown over the past three years and increased 
  the quality, size and scope of its products in preparation for fully 
  accepting the BattleTech mantle and moving the timeline forward 
  once more, BattleCorps has grown as well. While able to explore 
  numerous aspects of the BattleTech universe—including historical 
  ﬁ ction—I believe BattleCorps’ true contribution to the BattleTech 
  property and more importantly to the community will be felt dur-
  ing the Jihad. In what has already generated a huge buzz of online 
  excitement, “Shadows of Faith”—the ﬁ rst of many stories support-
  ing, ﬂ eshing out and weaving through the various future FanPro 
  Jihad sourcebooks—appears at the front of this product. 
   
  I have always contended that every license, from the million-
  selling computer games and novels, to decals and miniatures, to 
  the Heavy Metal software line, all provide essential support for the 
  BattleTech universe. BattleCorps is no diﬀ erent. Even though so 
  many people have poured so much time and eﬀ ort into the Dawn 
  of the Jihad sourcebook to make it as exciting and dynamic as pos-
  sible, BattleTech fans will miss the full experience of the Jihad with-
  out the ﬁ ction BattleCorps provides. 
   
  So now comes the test. 
   
  You hold in your hands the culmination of nine years and 
  thousands—if not millions—of man-hours, the beginning of 
  what I hope will be a fantastic and enjoyable ride for several years 
  (and numerous sourcebooks) to come. 
   
  In the end, none of this would be possible without the Bat-
  tleTech community. Though it is my sincerest hope that this prod-
  uct will generate the excitement needed to spark interest among 
  a new generation of players, while bringing back those who have 
  parted ways, this book is dedicated to those fans who have stayed 
  the course with BattleTech through thick and thin. It is because of 
  you that BattleTech still exists and because of you that we’ve dedi-
  cated so much eﬀ ort to making the Jihad the most enjoyable event 
  yet in BattleTech’s long, illustrious history. 
   
  Only you can judge whether or not we succeeded.
   
  Thank you.
  Randall N. Bills
  Classic BattleTech Line Developer
  [Assistant Developer’s Addendum: There’s really nothing I can add to 
  the above except a heartfelt dedication of this product to the fans at 
  large. Thank you all for your stalwart support and love of the game, 
  even in our lean years. Starting now, I hope, we can repay your pa-
  tience and devotion in full.
  Herbert A. Beas II
  Classic BattleTech Assistant Line Developer]
  THE DEVELOPER'S SAY
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section02: SHADOWS OF FAITH  PROLOGUE
  World Cathedral
  Hilton Head, Terra
  12 September 3067
  “Something must be done!”
  Cameron St. Jamais smiled, hearing the strong voice of 
  Alexander Kernoﬀ  rise above the din of the arguments. He hid 
  his grin behind a hand, smoothing down his thin, dark goatee as 
  Kernoﬀ ’s powerful command swept through the dimly-lit Spire 
  reverberating in power not wholly natural. Its sheer volume shook 
  the ﬁ ve crystalline podiums growing up out of a translucent ﬂ oor, 
  but an undercurrent of angelic harpsichord and some time-delay 
  echo gave Kernoﬀ ’s voice its real strength of conviction and god-
  like authority.
  Precentor ROM had broken the safeguards restricting use of be-
  havior modiﬁ cation synthesizers within the Spire. Again. Or he’d 
  subverted the latest True Believer tasked with maintaining those 
  encryption algorithms. 
  Either way, Cameron counted it another victory for the Toyama.
  Someone, after all, must bring order. Especially as this latest 
  gathering of the Ruling Conclave had gone the way of so many 
  before it. A tug-of-war between Word of Blake’s two strongest 
  factions. Power brokering. Agendas to promote. Plans laid against 
  the future. And, always, a wealth of resources to divide.
  Hilton Head Island was no stranger to such activity, of course, 
  having been so long under the aegis of ComStar. And here as well 
  was where Word of Blake chose to return their own seat of power, 
  constructing their World Cathedral over the ruins which had once 
  housed the First Circuit. A grand ediﬁ ce, unlike anything conceived 
  or built by Terra’s former tenants, the cathedral was a perfect wed-
  ding of state and church, historical tribute and technological ad-
  vancement. Brilliant, white marble façade set over strengthened 
  ferrocrete and coated with a laser-refracting glaze. Wide, columned 
  portico, its thick pillars cored with electronic countermeasures. And 
  a functional space-defense system—capital class lasers and parti-
  cle cannon—hidden within several tall spires along the roof. 
  Inside, such devotion to “militant aestheticism” was just as com-
  plete. Walls of the nave and chancel paneled with holographic 
  plates, able to dissolve into the illusion of a woodland setting, a 
  star-lit spacescape, or battle-scarred plains (among many other 
  choices) at a command from any one of the Conclave leaders. An 
  eight-bay transept, each station fully shielded and capable of as-
  suming full local control over Terra’s hyperpulse generators and—
  with careful coordination—the HPGs of several neighboring star 
  systems as well.
  And atop the Genius Loci Tower, the presiding spirit of the ca-
  thedral, was the main Spire where only a member of the Ruling 
  Conclave could be admitted.
  A domed observatory with full holographic control of its envi-
  ronment, currently the ﬁ ve senior precentors manned their indi-
  vidual stations beneath a nighttime sky ﬁ lled with bright, bright 
  stars. Arranged equally around the circular arena, each crystalline 
  podium was alive with a soft, golden glow radiating from deep 
  within. And as the three men and two woman traded glances with 
  each other following Kernoﬀ ’s excited (and excitable) outburst, a 
  backwash of light splashed up against expressions of annoyance, 
  and concern, and not a little anger. 
  The bickering faded. Though more, Cameron suspected, as the 
  others quickly readjusted their own ﬁ lters to prevent Precentor 
  ROM from wielding undue inﬂ uence. 
  As he himself did, sliding his ﬁ ngers across the holographic con-
  trols displayed above his podium’s glowing, faceted surface. The 
  dim light played little against his dark skin, and the gold striations 
  radiating at the heart of his podium—“god stars” Precentor Willis 
  had once called them—dimmed even further beneath a strong, 
  blood-red tint. A not-so-subtle hint at the processing power be-
  ing used by the Precentor Martial. More than any others among 
  the Conclave.
  “Something is being done, Alex.” Precentor William Blane ﬁ nally 
  answered Kernoﬀ ’s demand. “The Allied Mercenary Command is 
  being slowly marginalized.”
  Precentor Blane stood to Cameron’s left. Leader of the True 
  Believers faction and a friend of Captain-General Marik, Blane was 
  often the public face of Word of Blake. As usual, he leaned lightest 
  on his podium’s resources. His “heart” was pure and golden. The 
  backwash of light turned his white, brocaded robes a soft, buttery 
  gold. His eyes looked like sunken pits, however. His face drawn 
  and haggard.
  Too many days spent fasting? Or too little sleep?
  Blane passed a shaky hand over his podium, activating a preset 
  program. Overhead, the holographic representation of a Milky 
  Way spacescape faded down to black, to be replaced by a much 
  more basic map of the Inner Sphere. The ﬁ ve Great Houses. The 
  minor powers, including what was left of Rasalhague. The Clan 
  holdings. Thousands of star systems representing billions upon 
  billions of lives, all paying homage to their petty, nationalistic 
  governments. 
  Two systems in that backdrop glowed unnaturally bright. Terra. 
  Birthplace of humanity and seat of power for Word of Blake. 
  And Tharkad.
  SHADOWS OF FAITH  PROLOGUE
  i
  A people always ends by resembling its shadow.
  ~Rudyard Kipling
  The truest light often casts the darkest shadows behind men. 
  The power of true faith is never to be taken lightly.
  ~Jerome Blake
  NOTES
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/02: SHADOWS OF FAITH  PROLOGUE 
   
  006 / 007
  “It is a time to tread cautiously,” Blane said. “The third transfer 
  of power is upon us. In just over two months, the Star League 
  convenes its fourth triennial conference. The ﬁ rst order of busi-
  ness will be a motion to elevate Word of Blake from probationary 
  status within the new Star League to active membership with full 
  voting rights.” He looked about. “We do not want to tip our hand 
  ahead of time.”
  “Nothing is more important,” said Precentor Laura Chang on 
  Cameron’s right. A tall, slender woman with military bearing, tow-
  ering above her podium, and another True Believer if only by de-
  fault. One of few Expatriate leaders to survive the last two years 
  of purges, she kept a strong core of her followers under Blane’s 
  guidance to help balance out power within Word of Blake.
  “Of course you would agree with Precentor Blane.” Dampening 
  ﬁ elds dropped Kernoﬀ ’s voice to an acceptable level, though a 
  slight, oﬀ -focus timber had Cameron wondering if Word of Blake’s 
  spymaster still slipped behavior modiﬁ cation undercurrents into 
  his tone. “It took Victor Davion’s ascension as ComStar’s Precentor 
  Martial to open your eyes to the light.”
  Chang leaned away from St. Jamais, toward Kernoﬀ  on her oth-
  er side. “My eyes have remained always open, Precentor ROM.”
  Still, Cameron did not miss the shadow which drifted across her 
  face. Similar to the one which darkened the “god star” shining in 
  the heart of his podium. Again, Cameron stroked the thin goatee 
  shading his chin.
  What was Chang hiding?
  Not her aversion to Alexander Kernoﬀ , or the Toyama faction, 
  that much was certain.
  Cameron lowered his hood, laying it back across his shoulders, 
  then returned his hands aside the podium to grip the cool, fac-
  eted edges. “Precentors,” he said. “We’ve no time to quarrel.”
  He let a soft touch to his voice carry where shouting might 
  have been ignored. As the man who commanded Word of Blake’s 
  military arm, he had no need to run roughshod over the Conclave. 
  No one could aﬀ ord him as their enemy. There were still whispers 
  about Willima Willis. “God stars” indeed.
  “If Precentor Blane has new concerns about the Star League 
  summit,” he said, “I would like to hear them. Perhaps the ComStar 
  audit has been more successful than he let on?”
  An attack, but a subtle one. And not without merit, his concern. 
  The resurrection of the Star League in 3058 was, by one way of 
  thinking, mankind’s ﬁ rst enlightened step in over three centuries. 
  Three hundred years of deprivation and depredation—as the 
  Blessed Founder, Jerome Blake, had forewarned. Now, possibly, 
  on the verge of recovery. At the last conference, Blane working 
  closely with the Free Worlds League’s Captain-General, Word of 
  Blake had been admitted to the august body as a probationary 
  member. But there had been…concerns. Mainly that the Free 
  Worlds League enjoyed undue inﬂ uence over Word of Blake due 
  to their close political and economic ties. ComStar had been 
  charged with the investigation.
  If the light which ﬂ ickered so uncertainly on Tharkad (host to 
  this year’s conference) was indeed Blake’s promised beacon, it 
  would not do to be caught unawares. 
  Especially by the heretics.
  “No,” Blane said. He waved a thin hand. “Nothing so terrible. 
  ComStar’s lack of faith makes it easier to blind them to the truth. 
  They could never believe a pack of ‘zealots and misguided faithful’ 
  could possibly hide anything from their ‘all-seeing’ eyes.” 
  Which summed up the diﬀ erence between Word of Blake and 
  their false brothers quite well. Both believed in the safeguarding 
  of technology, though for the Blakists it was a divine charge. And 
  both organizations still oversaw portions of the vast interstellar 
  communications network which tied together the systems and 
  worlds of the Inner Sphere. But just as ComStar’s secular changes 
  under the Mori Heresy, led by the devil Anastasius Focht, caused 
  an irreparable schism, they’d also wrapped the heretics in self-
  righteous agnosticism and logic. 
  They’d forgotten the strength of true faith. 
  They’d forgotten how to keep the real secrets.
  “A copy of ComStar’s audit has been forwarded to your personal 
  attention,” Blane promised. “They found no more than point-eight 
  percent discrepancy against our original declarations.”
  “We could have done better.” 
  This last was from Precentor Anuska Brezhnic, the ﬁ fth of the 
  Ruling Conclave’s ﬁ ve precentors. She sat on the far side of Blane 
  in her powered chair, shattered legs bumped right up against her 
  shortened podium. Once a part of the Counter-Reformists, small-
  est of the ruling factions within Word of Blake, she now led them 
  in place of the late Willima Willis as a splinter-group of the Toyama; 
  in the same way Cameron St. Jamais led the revolutionary 6th of 
  June and Alexander Kernoﬀ  the growing One Voice movement. 
  She rarely spoke unless asked a question of and even more rare-
  ly voted, preferring to abstain. It was how the Toyama and True 
  Believers kept the peace now that they had split the Conclave be-
  tween themselves.
  “I say we could have done better!” When she did voice an opin-
  ion, Anuska Brezhnic would not be gainsaid, or ignored.
  “We could have,” Blane ﬁ nally said. “But anything less would 
  have looked suspicious in the absence of corruption. Even one full 
  percent in graft, kickbacks and payoﬀ s would be considered light 
  by way of the Successor Houses.”
  She pounded a ﬁ st against the arm of her powered chair. “We 
  are not a Successor House.” Cameron nearly smiled again, thank-
  ing her for the continued attention leveraged at Blane, but did not. 
  “We are Blake’s shepherds. Though we may not always know his 
  will, we continue his work.”
  “We all continue the Blessed Blake’s work,” Kernoﬀ  said, care-
  ful not to patronize her, “in whatever way we must.” A pause. His 
  bright blue eyes found each precentor in turn. “And I still argue 
  that we must not let a pack of ﬁ lthy mercenaries challenge our 
  divine cause.”
  SHADOWS OF FAITH  PROLOGUE
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section02: SHADOWS OF FAITH  PROLOGUE
  Back to Wolf’s Dragoons and their Allied Mercenary Command. 
  It put Cameron in a diﬃ  cult position, with Kernoﬀ  leading the 
  Toyama these days and the fact that he shared the other man’s 
  frustrations with the meddling mercs. In the last year, especially, 
  the Dragoons and their allies had thwarted military operations 
  on Hall, on Helios, and made diﬃ  cult further undertakings on 
  another half dozen worlds surrounding Terra. Undertakings 
  aimed at the establishment of a new Terran Hegemony. It had 
  taken Precentor Blane’s chief political handler sent to Hall to res-
  cue that situation. 
  But by making it an issue among the Conclave, Kernoﬀ  opened 
  the door to an internal investigation of the Precentor Martial’s 
  methods. His eﬀ ectiveness. Precentor Blane had opened too 
  many such doors himself in the last few years; it didn’t do to give 
  him a standing invitation. 
  “Outreach,” Cameron said, naming the Dragoons’ world. Turning 
  it into a sneer of distaste. 
  A few quick-keyed commands made the system glow brighter 
  on the overhead star map as well, ﬂ ashing a dangerous, glaring 
  red. Only two jumps from Terra. The world responsible for over 
  sixty percent of all mercenary hiring within the Inner Sphere. Seat 
  of the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission. 
  “Our on-planet agents make a convincing case for a preemptive 
  move.” Were incredibly strident on the subject, in fact. “Maybe it is 
  time to…review…our failsafe position.” Said in such a manner to 
  promote action, not more administration.
  And as he’d suspected, Blane wanted no motion brought for-
  ward to actually do anything. Not so close to the third transfer of 
  power. Not when everything they’d waited for all seemed ready 
  to land in the lap of Word of Blake.
  “We can entertain that at our next meeting,” Blane said. “Perhaps. 
  Any application of hidden assets, do not forget, will set oﬀ  a ﬂ ag 
  against ComStar’s completed audit.” 
  Stressing once more the value of fast-approaching Star League 
  summit. 
  Oh yes, Blane had his own agenda to promote. Or, more to the 
  point perhaps, he had Captain-General Marik’s agenda to pro-
  mote. The ruler of the Free Worlds League would likely be the 
  next First Lord of the Inner Sphere. He and Precentor Blane relied 
  much on each other, and no doubt Blane saw their alliance giving 
  him power to break the Conclave and assert himself—ﬁ nally—as 
  Primus. Formal director over Word of Blake.
  Was that blood Cameron smelled? A vulnerability?
  “A wise decision.” He folded arms across his chest. His dark, volu-
  minous robes draped easily along his lean frame. “I should, natu-
  rally, undertake a personal review of all contingency plans before 
  making any recommendation. And any course of action would be 
  precipitous, considering our lack of strong intelligence concern-
  ing the Dragoons’ movements.”
  He would seem to be capitulating to Blane, and scoring fresh 
  blood against the leader of his own faction at the same time. But 
  if the True Believers’ leader saw it coming, he had the sudden steel 
  to not let it show on his face.
  “Of course, I would then submit that Precentor ROM be given 
  access to further resources. In order to investigate any possibility 
  of threat from a mercenary action.”
  Kernoﬀ  did not bother to hide his smile. Even went so far as 
  to nod his encouragement to St. Jamais. “Did not Blake once say, 
  ‘information is ammunition?’”
  Blane hesitated, then nodded.  “And whose resources do you pro-
  pose we gift Precentor ROM?” the precentor asked. He shrugged, as 
  if the question hardly concerned him. No doubt girding up for a 
  battle over shared resources between True Believers and Toyama.
  Blood. Oh, yes. Salty and warm. “We still have unallocated forc-
  es and material resources stemming from last week’s decision to 
  pull our support from Sian. Sun-Tzu’s decision will not to be with-
  out repercussions, after all.” 
  There were several thin smiles. Even Chang, though likely every-
  one in the room knew very well Blane had already marked those 
  “freed and unallocated” resources for his continuing eﬀ orts within 
  the Free Worlds League. Not that he could admit to it. 
  “It is a simple shift to task those resources to support our eﬀ orts 
  in the Chaos March and against Outreach,” Kernoﬀ  said, assuming 
  there would be no objections.
  There would not be. Precentor Blane was cagey enough to poll 
  the room on his own, see that there were three obvious votes in 
  favor, and even Chang would have trouble arguing against the 
  allocation. Cameron watched the argument play out over Blane’s 
  face. Saw him nod. “Very well. Shall we meet again to discuss what 
  these resources have purchased us? In…one week?”
  “I shall need at least three to begin new operations.”
  “We seem to have settled on two.”
   Two weeks. The outside limit before Cameron and Blane had to 
  leave for Tharkad. For the summit. As it was, they would rely on a 
  partial command circuit of JumpShips, relaying from one star sys-
  tem to the next, before splitting up to join their WarShip escorts 
  already en route.
  Which meant any oversight of Kernoﬀ ’s actions would be slight, 
  at best.
  It worked nicely.
  “Blessed be those who walk along Blake’s shining path,” Blane 
  said, oﬀ ering a quick prayer for the end of the council, and their 
  continuing eﬀ orts to prepare. “May they avoid the shadows of 
  desolation, and be ever ready for the darkness ahead.”
  “Blessed be,” the others said. Including Cameron. 
  And then he was rudely disconnected from the Spire’s interface.
  To others in the room, physically there, he knew his body had 
  slowly faded away before their eyes. But for him the Spire sud-
  denly blinked out of existence, to be replaced by a swimming 
  feeling of vertigo as the neurofeedback loop which had kept 
  him connected between Mars and Terra suﬀ ered complete de-
  generative failure. 
  SHADOWS OF FAITH  PROLOGUE
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/02: SHADOWS OF FAITH  PROLOGUE 
   
  008 / 009
  Darkness. 
  Falling. 
  A cold, metallic taste at the back of his throat. 
  And then the world came crashing down on him from all sides 
  in a riot of color and sound and labored breathing. A world turned 
  one hundred eighty degrees from what he had believed only sec-
  onds before.
  In theory, it was an elegant solution for when Cameron or 
  Kernoﬀ  visited the Mars Research Station. Point the MRS hyper-
  pulse generator at one of the Terran stations and create a real-time 
  link. No appreciable time delay. Devote high bandwidth to carry 
  a full-sensory virtual reality signal, and link his podium within the 
  Spire to the replica built here within the simulation chamber.
  In fact, the local technology was so very similar to what Cameron 
  had once used in MechWarrior training, though advanced far be-
  yond a simple combat simulation. 
  The ultimate in telecommuting.
  But while his consciousness had never been truly transferred 
  earth-side, the illusion had built up momentum. Similar to the way 
  a man on a treadmill, running in place for any length of time, can  
  step oﬀ  the track and then suddenly reel back as his mind was 
  torn between the idea of running without moving, and then not 
  moving without running. 
  Here, his reality had been stretched for so long within the illu-
  sion, it truly felt like a rubber band, snapping back into form, or 
  nearly so.
  Cameron St. Jamais sagged to his knees. Pounded a ﬁ st against 
  the side of his leg, using the pain to help focus his thoughts. 
  With care he stripped the sim-gear away: a cloth cap wired 
  with electrodes which had ﬁ t snugly over his head, and the wired 
  gloves. Then he laughed, dry and brittle, and slowly hauled him-
  self back up the podium. 
  Gone was the darkened arena of the Spire. The simulation 
  chamber had reverted back to simply displaying the MRS lab, rely-
  ing on the same image-transference technology used in the mi-
  metic armor of a Puriﬁ er battlesuit. Not quite perfect. A watery 
  distortion blurred his surroundings. 
  He ignored this and checked the logs still displayed on the po-
  dium’s holographic screen, conﬁ rming his suspicions.
  Then he cracked the seal on his chamber, and stepped out into 
  the real lab with its stainless steel ﬁ xtures and white porcelain 
  countertops. A static charge in the air made the short hairs on his 
  arms and the back of his neck immediately stand up, bristling. The 
  ozone scent of warm electronics left an acrid taste in his mouth. 
  Reels of ﬁ ber optic micro-cable lay strewn about the room, along 
  the walls and spooling over the ﬂ oors, connecting the large com-
  puter core resting within one workstation bay to various stations 
  ﬁ lled with diagnostic equipment. 
  CSDI-2103 was stenciled on the block-shaped core. 
  Two doors led from this room. A double-wide sliding door of 
  brushed steel. And a much smaller personnel access hatch re-
  cessed in the back wall of the lab. Not secret, the smaller hatch, 
  but deﬁ nitely not for just anyone’s use. Cameron paused near 
  the hatch, and thumbed his DNA onto the small control panel. 
  The hatch irised open and he activated the communications cir-
  cuit as well. 
  “Lab A-14, cleared for use,” he said. The technicians could return 
  now, and complete their latest analysis.
  Then he stepped through the hatch, which whispered shut be-
  hind him.
  Cameron stood in a long corridor hewn through solid rock, 
  fused and polished until the walls gave back a dark reﬂ ection. 
  Glowing runners along the ﬂ oor and ceiling provided enough 
  light to see by, just. 
  He turned to his left and pushed oﬀ  in a gliding walk, perfectly 
  at ease in Mars’s point-three-eight gravity. His boots scuﬀ ed the 
  ﬂ oor between long, casual strides. His formal robes would have 
  been impractical, and so had also been a construct within the vir-
  tual reality illusion. Instead he wore a uniform jumpsuit of light 
  gray, with a high, dark collar, and a simple cloak weighted at the 
  hem to ﬂ ow more naturally in the light gravity environment.
  “There was a problem?” 
  The voice whispered through the corridor, pushed through hid-
  den speakers. It had a scratchy sound to it, as if it had been poorly 
  scrubbed by ﬁ lters to prevent identiﬁ cation. Though Cameron 
  knew such was not the case here.
  “Nothing but a small demonstration of ability,” he said. 
  He directed his comment in no particular direction. The corri-
  dor—the entire research station—was wired with thousands of 
  omnidirectional mics for sound pickup. He knew this as well. 
  “Precentor Blane has broken our safeguard locks on the 
  Cathedral’s priority override system.” He anticipated the next 
  question. “It would be a waste of resources to try and rebuild 
  them. If he’s willing to let us know his progress, it is because he’s 
  sure of himself.”
  “Circles within circles,” the bodiless voice said. 
  More like boxes within boxes. Blane had yet to ﬁ gure out that 
  he was hardly tunneling through security walls. No doubt the 
  True Believer thought himself digging deeper into the mysteries 
  of Word of Blake. Certainly he still believed himself in a position 
  of true power.
  The truth would be made clear to him, to them all, very soon now.
  A four-way junction. Cameron caught himself at a handhold, 
  looked left and right, out of habit. He saw one of the trusted ad-
  epts hauling a large sled of components down the right-hand cor-
  ridor. Ahead, he knew, the corridor bent around toward an under-
  ground hangar bay. He turned left again.
  “And Kernoﬀ ?” asked the voice.
  “Is frustrated by the Dragoons’ eﬀ orts to camouﬂ age their next 
  move. The mercenaries are shuﬄ  ing around their regiments and 
  independent battalions. Two of them, he is certain, are registered 
  incorrectly with the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission. 
  SHADOWS OF FAITH  PROLOGUE
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section02: SHADOWS OF FAITH  PROLOGUE
  They will claim it was an oversight, and pay a small ﬁ ne. But now 
  that the Northwind Highlanders have activated escape clauses in 
  their current contracts to head home…it is suggestive.”
  “Or it may be nothing but shadows,” the whispers said, chasing 
  him along the corridor. “To err is not merely human, Cameron. It is 
  often an imperative of the species. In the absence of knowledge, 
  or faith, ignorance rears a dark and terrible head. But who errs? Is 
  it Kernoﬀ ? Or do the mercenaries truly tempt our wrath so close to 
  the third transfer of power? The agents of chaos and subversion, 
  challenging Blake’s light?”
  Cameron recognized the rhetorical questions. Knew the way 
  his master often thought out loud, even in the abstract. He came 
  to another hatch. One of several along the corridors, and no diﬀ er-
  ent than any of the others. Not at a glance.
  But it was diﬀ erent. Oh yes.
  Beyond this hatch the mysteries of the universe were often 
  challenged, wrestled with, and thrown down. It was where Blake’s 
  shining path truly began.
  He placed his thumb against the control panel, and waited 
  while a DNA sample was checked against the security clearances, 
  the time, and the whims of the man who was the true strength 
  behind Word of Blake.
  It irised open, and Cameron slipped into the large underground 
  workshop. Dropped immediately to one knee. His cloak billowed 
  behind him as if stirred in a breeze. 
  He kept his head bowed, though his gaze was up and searching 
  the shadows. There was the computer center rotunda at which 
  he’d already logged thousands of hours, combing through rosters 
  and force strength estimates and countless communication logs. 
  And the holographic imaging table, capable of working with new 
  technology simulations or battleﬁ eld displays or anything in be-
  tween and of a combination.
  The sensory deprivation tank, now wheeled back against the near-
  by wall, lid standing open as if waiting for its next victim. Perhaps an 
  Inner Sphere leader next time. Perhaps St. Jamais. Again.
  There were the sounds of motion far back in the dimly-lit space. 
  Cameron had no way of knowing if the sounds came from Him, 
  His automatons, or His protégé.
  No way to detect his master’s presence at all, until the shadows 
  parted and a man shuﬄ  ed forward. Not a giant of a man. Not even 
  a great deal of physical strength in the way he moved, or stood, 
  or occasionally shifted from side to side as if he might change his 
  mind at any moment to return to his all-encompassing work.
  But power—true power—was rarely measured in such small-
  minded details. This had been the greatest lesson to learn of them 
  all. Strength of will. Strength of thought. Strength of faith. These 
  were what mattered. These were the blades capable of slicing 
  clean through those knots tied into the fabric of the universe by 
  the actions of unenlightened men.
  Someone, after all, must bring order.
  “We have many plans to set in motion,” that same voice 
  whispered.
  And raising his head, Cameron St. Jamais smiled.
  SHADOWS OF FAITH  PROLOGUE
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/02: SHADOWS OF FAITH  CHAPTER 1 
   
  0010 / 0011
  Harlech
  Outreach
  18 October 3067
  “Gray One to all Dragoons. Wolf Actual…down! Wolf Actual is 
  down!” A crackle of static. Then, “Set Condition Feral.”
  Wide swaths of Harlech still burned. Entire city blocks lay in 
  ﬂ ame and ruin, and dark, roiling smoke scorched the sky, blotting 
  out the sun for the third straight day. Fires baked the air so dry it 
  stole the moisture from a man’s body the moment he cracked his 
  cockpit hatch. As if Hell itself had come visiting.
  Yet Captain Jason Williamson of the Dragoons’ 
  Home Guard felt ice spike into his gut at the 
  transmission. A thick, frozen blade dig-
  ging around inside him, then ripping 
  its way up his spine. For an instant—
  one incredibly long and painful 
  heartbeat which thundered 
  in his ears—he was back on 
  the high, frozen plateau of 
  Jolo Island, on the world 
  of Elgin, listening to his 
  comms sergeant relay 
  another damning mes-
  sage. Another defeat.
  Another commander 
  lost.
  A single heartbeat was 
  all the time he had. The 
  rogues 
  weren’t 
  above 
  striking while his guard was 
  down. Caught in a crossﬁ re 
  between an ancient –3U Clint 
  and a fresh-from-the-factory 
  Earthwerks Thunderbolt, his own 
  Gallowglas shook desperately as the 
  Clint’s particle cannon carved into one 
  side and the T-Bolt’s light Gauss hammered 
  a hard-edged blow on the right. Ruby lances and 
  emerald darts slashed in behind, the lasers scarring and 
  scoring deep, deep into his BattleMech’s armor.
  The Gallowglas stumbled backward, out of the intersection 
  Jason had been holding. Thin-poured concrete on the street’s 
  sidewalks cracked and caved in beneath his feet. 
  It took him out from under the T-Bolt’s crosshairs—not a small 
  favor—and all that prevented the seventy-ton machine from going 
  down was the ﬁ ve-level parking garage he fell against. He caught at 
  one of the metal guardrails with his BattleMech’s left hand, tearing 
  the steel rail half out of its concrete foundation, twisting it into a ruin.
  Leaning forward, putting his own balance to the test, Jason 
  dug in with throttle and foot pedals to lever his ‘Glas back into 
  the ﬁ ght. Large hands wrenched at the BattleMech’s control sticks. 
  Already his ﬁ nger tightened down on the main trigger. 
  Dragging his targeting crosshairs up and over, he found the Clint 
  advancing at a run, coming right at him down the double-wide 
  street, and centered the target right dead-center across the other 
  BattleMech’s square-bodied torso. In a crackling, violent discharge, 
  the PPC on the Gallowglas’s right arm struck at the Clint with a twist 
  of hellish, blue-white energies. It cored through all that was left of 
  already too-thin armor. Burning. Gouging. Then Jason thumbed 
  the ﬁ ring stud mounted on the upper ridge of his control stick and 
  added both lasers from his right-side chest to the injury. 
  One sliced deep into and through the Clint’s 
  right arm, dropping a severed hand to the 
  ground. 
  His second laser punched a bright-
  red lance into the gaping wound 
  already burned through the 
  ’Mech’s chest. Through the 
  Clint’s gyroscopic stabilizer. 
  And right out the back.
  Forty tons of upright, 
  walking 
  war 
  machine 
  relied on many critical 
  systems, not the least 
  of which was a highly 
  skilled, highly trained 
  pilot. But a MechWarrior 
  was more than a simple 
  throttle jockey. Through 
  the heavy neurohelmet 
  all MechWarriors wore, his 
  sense of balance—his “in-
  ner ear”—was translated into 
  a regenerative feedback signal 
  which worked with the gyros, fed 
  it information, and strained against 
  gravity.
  Jason had just cut that particular cord.
  The Clint staggered and sprawled out across 
  the street, grinding sparks beneath it as it slid across the 
  intersection. It ground to a halt not ten meters in front of Jason’s 
  Gallowglas. Struggled to right itself.
  Sweat burned in Jason’s blue eyes and his breathing came in 
  careful, shallow gasps as the waste heat from the ’Mech’s fusion re-
  actor bled up through the cockpit deck. His temperature gauges, 
  never good to begin with as he fought his way through the burning 
  city, spiked hard through the yellow and edged into the red. 
  Condition Feral.
  Elgin.
  Jason chopped back on his throttle, and sidestepped his ma-
  chine toward the Clint’s head. He brought one large foot up, and 
  SHADOWS OF FAITH  CHAPTER 1
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section02: SHADOWS OF FAITH  CHAPTER 1
  then crashed it down once…twice against the side of the angular 
  “face.” 
  After the second stomp, there wasn’t much left but a tangle of 
  metal and ferroglass and (somewhere inside) mangled ﬂ esh.
  “On your right, Captain!” 
  The warning very nearly came too late. As it was, it barely gave 
  Jason a second to think before the warning screams of a missile 
  lock pierced through the cockpit’s tight conﬁ nes. But a lot could 
  be done in a second. 
  Enough time for a glance at his heads up display, to see the 
  golden icon of friendly forces moving up behind and that bright, 
  burning red of an enemy target as the Thunderbolt cleared the 
  corner and took the intersection. 
  More than enough to shove down hard against his foot pedals, 
  cutting in his jump jets. 
  The thrusters lifted his Gallowglas on ﬁ ery jets of plasma, rock-
  eting up, up over the street as the T-Bolt’s missiles slammed into 
  the ferrocrete street and blew a few extra holes in the corpse of 
  the hapless Clint. The light Gauss slammed out with another of its 
  nickel-ferrous slugs, taking down a street lamp and bowling over 
  a parked car stranded curbside.
  Committed, there wasn’t much the Thunderbolt could do ex-
  cept throttle back and try to make Jason’s jump a hard reach. But 
  too late. City ﬁ ghting favored close-in scraps and brawling tactics, 
  and the rogue mercenary had been too eager for the kill.
  Leaning to one side, working his own sense of balance against 
  the already-overtaxed gyros, Jason turned the ‘Glas though an 
  almost-graceful jumping spin. Timing the short “ﬂ ight,” he feath-
  ered back on his thrusters to dip low as if ready to crush the T-
  Bolt beneath two shovel-bladed feet in much the same treatment 
  he’d spent on the Clint. One last goose on the jets, though, and he 
  cleared the wide-shouldered BattleMech with a half dozen meters 
  to spare and then cut the burn completely to drop in a bone-jar-
  ring crouch just behind the sixty-ﬁ ve ton enemy machine.
  Speared his targeting reticle dead-on over the T-Bolt’s wide 
  back.
  Wolf Actual is down! 
  Saw the crosshairs burn with a deep golden tone.
  Set Condition Feral.
  Tied every weapon into his master circuit with a quick toggle 
  and a yell of blinding rage. Yanked back on the trigger. Again. And 
  again.
  Elgin.
  And again.
  His particle cannon worked the most devastating damage against 
  the stricken Thunderbolt, ﬂ ailing at the other ’Mech with a scourge 
  of manmade lightning. Deep, raw-edged rents carved down the 
  back of the machine’s powerful outline. Shards and splatters of 
  molten composite rained down over the street’s black ferrocrete. 
  He had little but a guess that his ﬁ rst PPC blast might have cut 
  into some of the struts which helped support the Thunderbolt’s 
  massive gyro. He knew that his ﬁ rst combination of scarlet lances 
  and ﬂ urry of emerald darts cooked away at least a ton…ton and a 
  half of armor spread all across the back and legs of the T-Bolt. 
  The impact. The armor loss. Before Jason’s second furious salvo 
  the machine already staggered forward, dropping to its knees then 
  sprawling full length to pile up against the already dead Clint. 
  His second blistering assault carved away more armor, and 
  chewed in behind a knee to ruin the joint. Power spikes put a 
  strain on the reactor, and his temperature gauge pushed heavy 
  into the red. Jason slapped at the shutdown override.
  His third salvo (maybe) was the one that put a laser beam into 
  the back of the T-Bolt’s head. His fourth certainly found the am-
  munition bin caved in the  struggling ’Mech’s right side. It erupted 
  in a tall gout of ﬁ re and smoke and debris, blowing out through 
  special blast-directed chambers to preserve the BattleMech and 
  the MechWarrior’s life. Whatever was left of either.
  Not a great deal. From further down the street, an assault-class 
  Annihilator stalked forward leading a short column of armored vehi-
  cles and tanks, including a pair of Badger tracked transport vehicles. 
  As Jason beat against his overrides, preventing a heat-induced 
  shutdown, the Annihilator raised one double-barreled arm and 
  blasted all that was left of the Thunderbolt’s head clean away.
  An abrupt lull after several frantic moments. Jason stared down 
  at the two dead machines, at mostly his own handiwork, and 
  found he did not have a great deal of pity left to spend on these 
  rogue mercenaries. Not after three days of slaughter and setbacks 
  and non-stop battle. He barely remembered the three hours of 
  sleep he’d been forced to take before he was back in the cockpit 
  again. Nor would he accept another forced rest period. He might 
  be a battleﬁ eld orphan, adopted by Wolf’s Dragoons after his 
  abandonment in the Chaos March, but Outreach was his home as 
  much as he had one. And that home was in danger.
  It no longer mattered to him who the attackers were, even. 
  He knew the Fifty-ﬁ rst Dark Panzers were in on it. Some said 
  Smithson’s Chinese Bandits as well. Everyone talked about Colonel 
  Waco: his BattleMaster had been caught on battle ROM footage 
  leading the charge from TempTown. And many suspected Word 
  of Blake. Especially after one of their Bloody Hand creations had 
  been hauled out of the rubble at the power generator station.
  But these two? The Clint and the Thunderbolt? They were sim-
  ply his enemies. Same as the ones who had detonated fuel-air 
  explosives in the Home Guard barracks three days before. Same 
  as those who led the ﬁ rst assault, or the second, or the third. Just 
  the same.
  Jason was past putting a name to the machines. No member of 
  Wolf’s Dragoons had that luxury today. Not now. 
  Not anymore.
  He stepped back from the wreckage, panting heavily as he 
  sucked at the scorched air in his cockpit. Every breath pulled 
  white-hot coals down into his lungs. Sweat burned with a salty 
  taste on his upper lip. Stung at his eyes. 
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  Blinking to clear his vision, he surveyed the approaching forces. 
  The information on his HUD tagged them as Home Guard, as did 
  the insignia on the Annihilator and both Badgers. But the way the 
  ’Mech had moved, and continued to move, said something else 
  entirely. As did the casual skill with which the other MechWarrior 
  had decapitated the T-Bolt. 
  Targeting systems could line up such a shot. But it took a natural 
  touch to handle a one-hundred ton monster that way.
  Then one of the Badgers rolled up ahead of the Annihilator, and 
  Jason saw that some soldier had slashed red paint across the nose 
  in a blood-red “Z.” And Jason knew.
  Zeta Battalion! In whatever machines they could salvage or 
  scrounge, nothing kept them from the battle.
  “We’re stuck near Gateway Bridge and the spaceport is still a 
  loss,” said a female voice. The same one which had warned him 
  earlier. “But we’ve got a thin line held against the rogues boiling 
  up out of TempTown. Go, Captain! We have your back.”
  No matter the hand on the stick, an Annihilator was never go-
  ing to set records at a top speed of thirty-odd kilometers per hour. 
  Jason’s Gallowglas might double that, though not at the moment 
  as gray smoke seeped from every joint and the heat-stricken 
  ’Mech could barely turn in place without its actuators locking up.
  The lead Badger rolled to a stop and deployed a light star 
  of Elemental infantry. The Annihilator never slowed. And the 
  MechWarrior inside, whatever her rank, was not one to let a heart-
  beat be wasted.
  “It might be a mistake!” she warned. Jason heard the plea in her 
  voice, even over the static of transmission and however much she 
  might prefer to hide it. Or not. Her please great father let this be a 
  mistake. “Get to Wolf! Go, go, go!”
   His ﬁ rst step was shaky, with the Gallowglas’s heat-addled con-
  trol circuitry having trouble. He swallowed dryly. Painful. And for a 
  moment his vision swam again. If not for his cooling vest working to 
  keep his body’s core temperature down, he would likely have passed 
  out somewhere between his third and fourth salvo, no doubt.
  But he hadn’t, and his commander might need him. The 
  Dragoons certainly needed him somewhere. Citizens in Harlech—
  those who were left alive—needed them all.
  His second step was stronger, and came with greater speed. He 
  slammed his throttle against the forward stop, watching his in-
  dicators climb past twenty kilometers per hour. Then thirty, and 
  forty. 
  Breathing became easier as he pushed up again near his maxi-
  mum speed of sixty-ﬁ ve kph. By the end of the next block he had 
  blinked his vision clear. Another block, he saw that the sweat was 
  already starting to dry into a white scale on his forearms. 
  Another block. Then another. Always heading toward the city’s 
  center. 
  Heading there, and not wanting to look.
  At least Jason had company. A lance of Kestrel attack VTOL’s 
  which had taken up station above and to his left. Then a pair 
  of struggling Partisans. A lone War Dog limped along with Beta 
  Regiment’s insignia still visible on the left shoulder.
  The wolf’s head crest of the Dragoons had been burned away. 
  Along with most of its armor.
  A Vulture. A Highlander IIC. 
  Only two rogues made the mistake of crossing paths with the 
  scattered Dragoons. A Phoenix Hawk and a Caesar, bursting out of 
  concealment from within a large commercial oﬃ  ce building. They 
  shouldered their way through a wall of steel girders and concrete 
  to challenge the Vulture. It was the last mistake of their lives as six 
  Dragoon BattleMechs, as many tanks and the four attack VTOLs 
  suddenly fell on them like a starving pack. Lasers slashed and 
  stabbed, and cannon ﬁ re thundered across the cityscape in a new 
  storm of destruction.
  There was no call for mercy.
  No thought of giving quarter.
  Condition Feral was a code all Dragoons knew, though no 
  one had ever thought to hear. Certainly not at the heart of the 
  Dragoon home. Even Jason, an adopted orphan, was well drilled 
  in its execution. 
  To meet all resistance with overwhelming and deadly force. 
  To treat as the enemy any military force not showing Dragoon 
  codes or colors. Even “friendly” units from within the Allied 
  Mercenary Command were to be given one warning, and one 
  only, to stand down. Or they would be put down with extreme 
  prejudice. Hard lessons learned on New Delos, on Hephaestus.
  Simply: if it moved, and could even remotely be a threat, it died.
  The ‘Hawk and the Caesar died. The Dragoons rolled over them 
  as if they were little more than an annoyance as all able machines 
  streamed in toward city center. Converging on the great hole in 
  the skyline where six (six!) twenty-story buildings had once stood. 
  A wound nothing could heal, and a battle that simply could not 
  be won no matter how fast the Dragoons moved, how accurately 
  they shot, or how bravely they stood their ground. 
  Hiring Hall. Jason did not even need to close his eyes to picture 
  it as it had been. The well-kept grounds. A ten-story dome sur-
  rounded by the tallest buildings of Harlech. It was the entire rea-
  son for Outreach. Pride of Wolf’s Dragoons, in a way. The center for 
  most mercenary hiring throughout the entire Inner Sphere and 
  once the brilliant jewel in Harlech’s crown. 
  It was gone.
  And as Jason worked his Gallowglas around a corner, breaking 
  into the open, he saw as well that there was nothing more to be 
  done here.
  The Wolf Spider battalion—what was left of them—had cor-
  doned oﬀ  the area with lances stationed at the four cardinal points 
  and patrols of two ’Mechs each walking a wide perimeter. They al-
  lowed no one to approach. Not even other Dragoon ’Mechs. 
  All they had left to watch over, however, was a graveyard. 
  Huge piles of rubble several stories high loomed over a terrible 
  battleﬁ eld. The debris continued to smolder. Ash and dust lay in 
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  0014 / 0015
  a thick cover over everything, including the killing ﬁ elds where BattleMechs lay strewn about like fallen soldiers at a massacre, the ac-
  cumulation of three days ﬁ ghting. 
  Pieces and parts. Some near whole. Others blasted into scrap by an artillery strike, or even a fusion reactor letting loose in a small but 
  powerful explosion. Those areas were more obvious, as the ground would be blacked and cleared for several dozen meters to any side, 
  where a blast had swept everything clear.
  Jason saw the BattleMaster, as well. 
  Collapsed over two other ’Mechs. Forward-most among many--so many!--recent kills which still burned or smoked or smoldered on 
  the corpse-riddled grounds. The dun color. Rust red accents. The red and blue star painted on the outside shoulder, still visible, with the 
  white “W” emblazoned over it. Waco’s Rangers. Seeing Colonel Waco’s BattleMech there, among the fallen honored, was hard. Even for 
  Jason who knew the stories second and even third-hand.
  But the worse was still not over. Not for the Dragoons.
  That came with the ’Mech which waited alone on the battleﬁ eld; the last machine left standing. An old design and a true veteran of 
  many wars. Blocky shoulders which housed its twin LRM launchers. The forward-thrust cockpit—now smashed and breached in a half 
  dozen places at least. 
  The classic Archer proﬁ le. 
  Still painted with the blue and gold scheme he had made famous—or infamous—throughout the Inner Sphere. 
  For just that moment, Jason hoped. The Archer still stood, after all. The only machine left on its feet. He could be wounded. Unconscious. 
  Many things, in fact. Then he saw it. The only body the Wolf Spiders had bothered to remove from any of the destroyed machines. 
  Resting between the Archer’s feet, covered in a ﬂ ag bearing the Dragoons’ crest. His crest.
  And there was now a wound torn through Harlech, and Outreach, worse than the loss of the Hiring Hall. Knowingly or not someone, 
  somewhere, had made a very, very terrible error.
  Because it was true. And no mistake.
  Jaime Wolf was dead.
  SHADOWS OF FAITH  CHAPTER 1
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  Shadows of Faith is continued on:
  WWW.BATTLECORPS.COM
  ii
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section03: INTRODUCTION
   
  One year.
   
  In the grand scheme, a single year is less than a pebble in the 
  bed of a stream on a single world in a single galaxy. 
   
  And yet the past twelve months have been so very much 
  more. They are the pebble that started the avalanche that de-
  stroyed the city that unleashed a plague unlike any ever seen 
  before, one more than capable of ridding this galaxy of the blight 
  of humanity.
   
  We have, of course, seen devastation not unlike this strike all too 
  often before. And should we survive it this time, it will strike again. 
   
  Of that I have no doubt.
   
  As I sit here in my oﬃ  ce, I cannot help but think that the signs 
  pointing to the coming of this devastation were clearly visible for 
  all to see. Yet I know that feeling is merely emotion trumpeting 
  over reason, a fanciful wish that we somehow could have avoided 
  the suﬀ ering that plagues us. Hindsight is crystal clear, whereas 
  foresight is at best murky, wrought with multiple interpretations.
   
  No, logic dictates that we could not have prevented this 
  storm from breaking upon us. Even if some of us had recognized 
  the signs, it would not have helped. Those who obviously could 
  not or would not listen to reason had set themselves on a collision 
  course with fate. And fate, cruel as she is, could not suﬀ er another 
  such collision. 
   
  But what is the use of prattling on about what might have 
  been? It is too late for the past. We must focus on the future, on 
  mitigating the horrors visited upon all of humanity and ﬁ nding a 
  way out of the darkness thrust upon us.
   
  That, at least, is something I can help to do.
   
  As I and my colleagues sit here, behind our desks and work-
  stations, watching and listening to and reading about the chaos 
  and destruction sweeping through the so-called Human Sphere, 
  we cannot help but be aﬀ ected, cannot help but feel the pain suf-
  fered by so many innocents across the stars. Yet as diﬃ  cult as that 
  is to bear, we continue on. Some because they know no other life 
  and some, like me, who believe we can make a diﬀ erence and help 
  to end this before it destroys us all.
   
  Working for a news agency like INN provides access to an 
  unending stream of information. Some of that information is ac-
  curate, some worthless. Most of it falls somewhere in between. 
  Unfortunately, we cannot know just how accurate each piece of in-
  formation is when we ﬁ rst see it. One piece that seems completely 
  trustworthy may turn out to be a complete fabrication, while the 
  bits dismissed as ludicrous may be the keys to the whole puzzle. 
   
  As the staﬀ  assigned to this relatively minor oﬃ  ce began 
  sorting through the constant information ﬂ ow, we began to ar-
  chive key reports and background information, as I am sure many 
  others in our profession did. As the days and weeks passed, it be-
  came clear that even though the keys to deciphering what was 
  truly happening were contained in that unending data stream, 
  the sheer volume of information hid the truth of it. 
   
  That is why we launched this project.
   
  The average person in the Inner Sphere or Periphery only 
  knows that he or she is at war, but not why. Or possibly even 
  against whom. At times, it seems as if the leaders of nations and 
  militaries ﬁ ghting this war don’t know who the true enemy is or 
  what their own goals are.
   
  This project exists to give at least some answers to those vital 
  questions.
   
  If you are reading this, then you have as complete an account-
  ing of the past twelve months as we can provide. We do not presume 
  to tell you who your enemies are or why they are acting as they do; 
  you must decide those things for yourself. Instead, we hope to give 
  you the information you need to make those decisions.
   
  This compendium represents a distillation of thousands of 
  hours of tri-vid and audio reports and countless pages of written 
  material. We have chosen to include a representative selection 
  that we believe is as impartial and objective as we can ﬁ nd, or is 
  clearly biased but contains important kernels of truth and is bal-
  anced by similar oﬀ erings from diﬀ ering viewpoints.
   
  This darkness, this war, this Jihad, is clearly far from over. We can 
  surmount the challenges and survive its horrors, but we must be able 
  to see past the misinformation. Information is the ammunition we 
  will use to ﬁ ght this war, and hope is the armor that will protect us. 
  Perhaps this compendium will help you to stockpile both.
   
  The human spirit can be suppressed, but as long as one per-
  son ﬁ ghts back against the darkness, it cannot be destroyed. We 
  are human. We cannot be oppressed if we choose not to be. This 
  is who we are.
   
  —Michael Bosworth, INN Special Correspondent, Orestes, 
  Free Rasalhague Republic, 5 November 3068
  INTRODUCTION
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/03: INTRODUCTION 
   
  0016 / 0017
   
  Readers should note that, even though Dawn of the Jihad borrows from the same journalistic style as Interstellar Players, the reports 
  included in this sourcebook cover events from the mainstream professional media rather than from the tabloids and rumor mills that 
  produced Interstellar Players. Each entry therefore sums up the facts, propaganda, advice and warnings of each critical step in the early 
  months of the Jihad, all with as much accuracy as characters living in the universe can attain. (This is not to say that every scrap of infor-
  mation provided is entirely true at any given point, merely that it is “as true as possible” considering local sources and circumstances.) 
  Arranged in roughly chronological order, these reports demonstrate the scope of understanding experienced by the “mainstream” popu-
  lation of each faction during the Jihad.
   
  Following the sourcebook section, Chaos Unbound provides players and gamemasters a guide for using the Jihad as the basis for cam-
  paigns set in the BattleTech universe, using a unique open-ended campaign system designed to work with the game rules for Classic BattleTech 
  and the Classic BattleTech RPG game. Through the Chaos Unbound campaign, players can undergo the events of the Jihad as it happens, which 
  will tie into follow-up campaign supplements as further Jihad sourcebooks are released.
   
  In addition to the Classic BattleTech Master Rules, Revised (if playing BattleTech) or Classic BattleTech RPG (if roleplaying), players 
  and gamemasters will ﬁ nd the following rules expansions helpful when using the Chaos Unbound material: AeroTech 2, Revised, Classic 
  BattleTech Companion, Combat Operations, Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised (and its various Supplements) and Combat Equipment.
  INTRODUCTION
  i
  INN NEWSBURST
  i
  i
  HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
  Dawn of the Jihad is a sourcebook for Classic BattleTech
  that provides players and gamemasters a ﬁ rsthand look at the 
  events leading up to (and into) the ﬁ rst actions of the Word of 
  Blake Jihad. To best reﬂ ect the chaos and uncertainty of these 
  historic months, much of the material presented in this source-
  book comes in the form of news articles, interviews, intercept-
  ed communications transcripts and similar material. This infor-
  mation, in turn compiled by various “in-character” journalists, is 
  divided among the major factions of the Classic BattleTech uni-
  verse aﬀ ected by the opening months of the Blakist holy war, to 
  show how each major power interpreted and reacted to events, 
  from the point of view of the citizens and reporting agencies 
  who lived and died through them. 
  INTRODUCTION
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section04: AND IT CAME TO PASS
  AND IT CAME TO PASS
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  018 / 019
  WAR ENGULFS 
  INNER SPHERE
   
  This report is a draft we received from a sister news outlet on 
  New Earth. Embedded in the article are comments from the writ-
  er’s editor. Though the majority of these comments may demon-
  strate certain biases, both by the editor and the reporter, the bulk 
  of the piece provides a solid overview of the events leading up to 
  the Jihad as well as its ﬁ rst chaotic month.
   
  We have also interspersed a number of related articles, hope-
  fully giving you a better understanding of what was happening in 
  each Inner Sphere nation at the time the Jihad struck.
   
  —Michael Bosworth, INN Special Correspondent
  DECADE OF TUMULT 
   
  While true peace and quiet have rarely prevailed throughout 
  the Inner Sphere within the memory of anyone still living, or even 
  within the past three centuries, humanity has had respites, if brief 
  ones, between the wars that have engulfed us. 
   
  In fact, as the 3050s came to a close, it seemed a new era of 
  peace might dawn in the Inner Sphere. The Clans had been defeated 
  twice, once on Tukayyid and once on Coventry, and even though 
  the Federated Commonwealth had torn itself apart in a brief spasm 
  that undid most of the impressive territorial gains of the Fourth 
  Succession War, the nations of the Inner Sphere had united—for the 
  ﬁ rst time since the Amaris Coup—to destroy an entire Clan and to 
  once and for all end the threat of the Clan invasion.
  [You gloss over ComStar’s defeat of the Clans entirely. Play up that fact 
  more, as well as ComStar’s participation in the campaign to destroy 
  the Smoke Jaguars and subsequent action in Clan Space. Also, you 
  need to do a better job of emphasizing that the FedCom Civil War was 
  ﬁ nally the end of the FedCom and its reign of terror over the IS. –Ed]
   
  Unfortunately, the promise of peace and prosperity under a re-
  newed Star League was soon betrayed, plunging the Inner Sphere 
  and the Periphery into a series of pointless bush wars, all while the 
  various leaders claimed to be uniting in the name of peace.
  First Lord Betrays Star League
   
  Throughout the Inner Sphere, people hailed the rebirth of the 
  Star League as the act that would save humankind, or that would 
  usher in a thousand years of peace (or even the Apocalypse, as 
  a handful of religious groups and cults tried to make everyone 
  believe). Sadly, as its ﬁ rst leader quickly proved, the Star League 
  was little more than a shell. Sun-Tzu Liao used his position as 
  First Lord to further his own interests and those of his Capellan 
  Confederation. Even before the SLDF returned from its campaign 
  to ﬁ ght the Clans on their own homeworlds, he precipitated a war 
  with another Star League member-state—the St. Ives Compact—
  using additional Star League units he had dragooned from other 
  member-states as de facto occupation forces under the guise of 
  peacekeepers. 
   
  Though he ultimately withdrew those units and replaced them 
  with his own forces, he further misused his position as First Lord to 
  inﬂ uence the Magistracy of Canopus and the Taurian Concordat 
  to enter an alliance with the Capellan Confederation—an alliance 
  that provided him the troops he needed to conquer the St. Ives 
  Compact.
   
  The St. Ives conﬂ ict lasted two and a half years. On one side 
  were House Liao and the nations of the Trinity Alliance, waging a 
  war they called an “internal matter” and a “rightful police action 
  to reunite a rogue Capellan prefecture with its motherland.” On 
  the other side was the tiny St. Ives Compact, supported only by 
  whatever under-the-table assistance it could negotiate from its 
  so-called allies. Ultimately, the Capellan juggernaut, no longer 
  the joke it had been less than a decade earlier in comparison to 
  St. Ives’ meager defenses, triumphed. Or, more appropriately, the 
  Compact’s leader acquiesced rather than allow Sun-Tzu Liao to 
  devastate her small realm.
  AND IT CAME TO PASS
  i
  (21 November 3058)
   
  Tharkad [ALLIANCE PRESS] – Marking the end of the Whitting 
  Conference, today witnessed the restoration of the Star League. 
   
  As she signed the Star League Constitution, Archon Katrina 
  Steiner-Davion (wearing a stunning outﬁ t in white brocade) 
  proclaimed, “No matter how long I live, or whatever I do, providing 
  the venue and framework that accomplished this great work will be 
  the pinnacle of my career.”
   
  Precentor Martial Anastasias Focht hailed the reformation of 
  the League as “the ﬁ rst step in the future of the Inner Sphere.”
   
  Captain-General Thomas Marik and Coordinator Theodore 
  Kurita pledged to throw the full weight of their realms behind the 
  endeavor.
   
  Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao declared, “[The First Star League’s] 
  destruction was our destruction, and its rebirth is our rebirth.” Elected 
  to the post of First Lord for a three-year term, Chancellor Liao swore, 
  “This oﬃ  ce is not, to me, a ceremonial one. It represents a sacred trust 
  that I will guard to the best of my abilities.”
   
  FedCom Prince Victor Davion voiced the thoughts of many: “The 
  recreation of the Star League puts an end to the internecine ﬁ ghting 
  that has plagued us for centuries. Now, united, of like mind and spirit, 
  we will turn our attention to the Clans and ending the threat they 
  pose to us all.”
   
  Davion then stunned the Inner Sphere by announcing his 
  intention to travel to Luthien at the invitation of the Draconis 
  Combine’s Coordinator, adding, “From there I will greet the new year, 
  with my friends and allies, and welcome a new era for humanity.” 
  STAR LEAGUE REBORN
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section04: AND IT CAME TO PASS
   
  Of course, this war had far greater repercussions that con-
  tinue to echo today. Sun-Tzu Liao did not merely conquer terri-
  tory; he conquered a Star League member-nation, permanently 
  altering its makeup and ridding it of a potentially adversarial 
  vote in the Star League Council. At the same time, he pushed 
  his own agenda within the League, one that would ultimately 
  secure him a voting bloc made up of the nations of the Trinity 
  Alliance.
  [Careful with your tone here. You twist the facts to suit the story, turn-
  ing it decidedly anti-Capellan. Balance that tone more in your clean-
  up. –Ed]
  Destined Since Birth
   
  The end of 3062 signaled the ﬁ nal death throes of the 
  Federated Commonwealth after just over thirty years of ﬁ tful 
  unity. Opponents of the alliance had appeared almost as soon as 
  the initial treaty was signed in 3022. In fact, except for the short-
  lived Fourth Succession War, during and after which the incredible 
  gains enjoyed by the nations of the Federated Commonwealth 
  suppressed all but the most vocal internal dissent, that opposition 
  steadily grew, burning brighter and brighter throughout the 3040s 
  until the Clans invaded.
   
  When that happened, all hell broke loose.
   
  When the Clans struck the Lyran state, both halves of the 
  Federated Commonwealth erupted—the Federated Suns because 
  Prince Hanse Davion denuded it of its defenses and the Lyran 
  Commonwealth because its military defenses crumbled, ceding 
  huge regions of space to the invaders. Refugees from the Tamar 
  Pact—the Lyran province directly in the invasion path—ﬂ ood-
  ed the rest of the Commonwealth, and when troops from the 
  Federated Suns began to take up station, some Lyran groups 
  cried foul, complaining that Davion soldiers were “taking over 
  [their] worlds” or that their own soldiers were dying while “Prince 
  Davion’s military [was] sitting idly by.” Only the personal and fre-
  quent exhortations of Archon Melissa Steiner-Davion kept the op-
  position from gaining enough ground to immediately sunder the 
  Federated Commonwealth.
   
  Nevertheless, the damage was done. Prince Hanse Davion 
  died as the war came to an end, and Archon Melissa Steiner-
  Davion was assassinated—through a conspiracy led by her own 
  daughter, as it turns out—three years later. Bereft of the leaders 
  that had kept the alliance together seemingly by sheer force of 
  will, the Federated Commonwealth fractured in 3057 when the 
  Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation invaded the 
  FedCom’s Sarna March.
  AND IT CAME TO PASS
  i
  (7 October 3062)
   
  Atreus [GLOBE PRESS] – The horrifying events of May last year 
  have ﬁ nally been brought to a close. Chaired by Naomi Centrella, 
  the special Star League tribunal found Kali Liao guilty of crimes 
  against humanity for her part in the infamous “Black May” attacks. 
  However, in passing judgment, the tribunal noted that psychological 
  examinations proved Kali Liao clinically insane, and the death penalty 
  has been commuted to life imprisonment. Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao 
  has been charged with conﬁ ning his sister, and has chosen the world 
  of Highspire as the locale for her incarceration.
   
  Last year, a group of Kali Liao’s fanatical Thuggee followers 
  unleashed a wave of nerve gas attacks across the St. Ives Compact. 
  More than ﬁ fty thousand perished, including Mandrinn Tormano Liao 
  and Leftenant General Simone Davion. The nerve gas was allegedly 
  recovered from an ancient Star League-era weapons storehouse on 
  Wei by the local militia, and was employed against the Nightriders 
  regiment of McCarron’s Armored Cavalry. Several canisters fell 
  into the hands of Kali Liao’s followers, not all of which have been 
  accounted for.
   
  First Lord Theodore Kurita has directed SLDF Intelligence to 
  deploy several Fury Teams to secure and destroy any remaining stocks 
  of the Wei nerve gas, and to seek out more so-called “cemetery” sites 
  where the original SLDF may have stored other weapons of mass 
  destruction ages ago.
  CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
  i
  (12 November 3062)
   
  Tharkad [TBC] – It promised to be the wedding of the decade, 
  an event to rival the famous (or infamous) ceremony on Terra in 3028. 
  But now the prolonged betrothal of Isis Marik to Chancellor Sun-Tzu 
  Liao is over.
   
  Oﬃ  cial press releases from Sian and Atreus have cited 
  “irreconcilable diﬀ erences” between the couple. Just what those 
  diﬀ erences might be remained a mystery until October of this year. 
  Everybody expected Isis Marik to return to her father and the Free 
  Worlds League, but instead she traveled with all haste into the 
  Lyran Alliance, to Mogyrod.
   
  Yes, Mogyrod! The same world Precentor Martial Victor 
  Steiner-Davion is visiting as part of his so-called “Com Guard tour of 
  inspection”!
   
  Victor and Isis ﬁ rst met on Outreach in 3051, and clearly the 
  dashing image of the “victorious warrior-prince” turned the head of 
  the young Marik noblewoman. They met again at the ﬁ rst Whitting 
  Conference in 3058, where Victor demonstrated cunning to rival his 
  famous father, fooling the media into linking him with (of all people) 
  Omi Kurita. Clearly, Chancellor Sun-Tzu ﬁ nally discovered where his 
  betrothed’s true aﬀ ections lie, and took the understandable step of 
  ending his engagement.
   
  Both the Precentor Martial and the onetime Marik heiress have 
  refused to comment on their relationship.
  THE WEDDING IS OFF
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/04: AND IT CAME TO PASS 
   
  020 / 021
   
  Though that split fueled the ﬁ res of nationalism and prejudice 
  in the Federated Suns and the newly named Lyran Alliance, both 
  nations were home to signiﬁ cant populations of citizens and sol-
  diers hailing from the other, which led to continued unrest. Five 
  years later, civil war engulfed both nations.
   
  Thankfully, on most worlds, the war consisted of nothing more 
  than unruly mobs sparring on and oﬀ  for the duration while local 
  police and militia tried in vain to keep the peace. True war did visit 
  its wrath upon several hundred worlds, however, as military units 
  that remained loyal to Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion resisted 
  the allied forces commanded by her brother, Victor Steiner-Davion, 
  whose goals were to remove her from power and see her punished 
  for murdering their mother. While conventional forces fought most 
  of those engagements, the BattleMech armies of both realms be-
  came deeply involved as well, raining death and destruction on 
  scores of planets. Even nuclear, biological and chemical weapons 
  once more found their way back into the arsenals of destruction.
   
  After ﬁ ve years and millions of casualties, the war ground to 
  a halt with bloody ﬁ nal stands on the capital worlds of both na-
  tions—battles that unseated the Archon from her power bases, but 
  also ground the militaries and economies of the former Federated 
  Commonwealth to a pulp. The war has oﬃ  cially been over for less 
  than a year, but the ultimate costs have yet to be computed and 
  will likely never truly be known. Indeed, we still hear reports of 
  scattered ﬁ ghting on remote worlds between citizens and soldiers 
  claiming loyalty to one or other of the two sides.
   
  At the very least, the so-called FedCom Civil War left its two 
  combatant nations bereft of much of their senior military and 
  political leadership and placed two relatively inexperienced indi-
  viduals on their respective thrones—Archon Peter Steiner-Davion 
  in the Lyran Alliance and Regent Duchess Yvonne Steiner-Davion 
  in the Federated Suns. The conﬂ ict also left the militaries of both 
  nations battered and understrength, and so unable to respond to 
  the new warfare that has now engulfed the entire Inner Sphere. 
  Had they not fought their civil war, the two halves of the Federated 
  Commonwealth might well have been our saviors. 
  [Your article is exceedingly generous to the Federated Commonwealth 
  and anything but objective. You gloss over the wars perpetrated by its 
  leaders, and implicitly condemn the FWL and Confederation for their 
  AND IT CAME TO PASS
  i
  (24 April 3067)
   
  New Avalon [NANS] – New Avalon has been liberated by 
  Victor Steiner-Davion’s allied forces. With the collapse of the loyalist 
  defenders on Tharkad in early April, the bitter ﬁ ghting that rocked 
  the Federated Commonwealth and Lyran Alliance for ﬁ ve years is 
  ﬁ nally over.
   
  Fighting for New Avalon began in earnest almost a year ago 
  with the initial attack by Tancred Sandoval’s battle group. The arrival 
  of allied reinforcements under Ardan Sortek enabled the bridgehead 
  to hold (despite intervention by supposedly neutral Com Guard 
  forces) until Victor Steiner-Davion’s troops ﬁ nally landed to tip the 
  balance against Archon Katherine.
   
  Katherine Steiner-Davion has unconditionally surrendered on 
  behalf of all loyalist forces.
   
  Addressing the public for the ﬁ rst time since the cessation of 
  hostilities, Victor Steiner-Davion stunned everyone by not resuming 
  control of a reunited Federated Commonwealth.
   
  “It was never my intention to reclaim the throne for myself. 
  That I could have done seven years ago, after Katherine usurped 
  the Federated Suns throne from my regent and sister, Yvonne. Now, 
  with peace again taking a ﬁ rm grip on our nations, I hope to retire 
  and surrender forevermore any claim to rule the Lyran Alliance or 
  the Federated Suns. These I abrogate with fullest conﬁ dence into 
  the care of my brother, Peter Steiner-Davion, and my sister Yvonne 
  Steiner-Davion. May they rule wisely, and with the greatest love for 
  our people, as our parents would have desired.”
  CIVIL WAR ENDS
  i
  (30 August 3067)
   
  Tharkad [TBC] – Almost ﬁ ve months after the FedCom Civil War 
  oﬃ  cially ended, the Lyran Alliance still ﬁ nds itself engulfed in conﬂ ict. 
  Fortunately, it has involved relatively little violence to date. The 
  discord stems from the continuing low level of public approval that 
  Peter Steiner-Davion has inspired among his people. In fact, his most 
  recent elevation of Adam Steiner to General of the Armies seems to 
  have fueled the ﬁ res. 
   
  Ever since Peter Steiner-Davion’s installation as Archon, 
  Margrave Caesar Steiner of Furillo has found himself receiving 
  increased attention from many who claim to prefer a “pure” Steiner 
  on the Tharkan throne. Though the margrave claims the attention 
  is unwanted, this groundswell of support can be felt far and wide, 
  though Adam Steiner’s elevation has redirected some of this public 
  sentiment away from Margrave Caesar and onto the new General of 
  the Armies. Adam Steiner himself has also denied aspirations toward 
  the Lyran throne; as he put it in a recent quote, “I’ve got quite enough 
  headaches right now, thanks.” Several other names have been 
  proposed as “suitable replacements” for Archon Peter Steiner-Davion, 
  including the children of Nondi Steiner, such as general Ivan Steiner, 
  and relatives such as Roman Steiner.
   
  Another source of instability stems from Skye, longtime source 
  of dissent against the central government on Tharkad. Robert Kelswa-
  Steiner, Duke of Porrima and Skye—who publicly renounced the 
  attacks on Hesperus II, Freedom and Skye by his own “renegade” Free 
  Skye “General of the Armies” during the civil war—has since publicly 
  shifted his agenda toward increased autonomy for Skye, an eﬀ ort 
  allegedly inspired by the Arc-Royal Accords, which acknowledged 
  the limited sovereignty of the exiled Wolf Clan along the Alliance’s 
  Jade Falcon border region.
  ALLIANCE IN TURMOIL
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section04: AND IT CAME TO PASS
  action to reclaim worlds lost in those prior wars. You do not even men-
  tion the war the Federated Suns waged against the Combine during 
  the FedCom civil conﬂ ict, or the rebellious lords (Sandoval, Hasek and 
  Kelswa-Steiner) that tried to use the civil war to their advantage—or, 
  for that matter, the treason Victor Davion committed against ComStar 
  and the Star League in order to illegally remove his sister from pow-
  er. Instead, strangely, you choose to focus on the alleged crimes of 
  Katrina Steiner-Davion to the exclusion of all others. Do you work for 
  the Davionista propagandists, or INN? –Ed]
  Resting Dragon Threatened
   
  For its part, the Draconis Combine could have emerged from 
  the past decade as a military powerhouse, having gained the most 
  in materiel and territory from the fall of the Jaguar Clan. However, 
  as with the FedCom states, a series of costly conﬂ icts intervened. 
  The ﬁ rst of these was the Combine’s invasion of Clan Ghost Bear’s 
  occupation zone, an action wholly unauthorized and unsupported 
  by Coordinator Theodore Kurita. Renegade oﬃ  cers of the Alshain 
  Avengers, a Combine military organization originally native to a 
  region of space conquered by the Clans more than a decade earlier, 
  led an assault on their Ghost Bear-occupied homeworld of Alshain. 
  While these oﬃ  cers fully expected to commit the entire Combine 
  in a war with that Clan, their intelligence reports failed to tell them 
  that Alshain had become the capital of the Bears’ occupation zone 
  and likewise that Clan’s military hub. 
   
  The Alshain Avengers were destroyed, but that did not sate 
  the Bears’ taste for vengeance. The sleeping giant awoke with a 
  fury unlike any the Bears had shown, even during the initial Clan 
  invasion. Striking deep into the Combine, the Ghost Bears over-
  whelmed the unprepared Dragon and seemed poised to strike 
  Black Luthien before they had satisﬁ ed their taste for Combine 
  blood. At nearly the same time, a rogue invasion from the civil 
  war-embroiled Federated Suns struck the Combine, threatening 
  to break its back even as the Bears ripped it apart from inside. 
   
  With signiﬁ cant threats on both borders, the Combine faced 
  the prospect of total annihilation as only a samurai could—head-on. 
  With the bulk of its mustered soldiery already committed to facing 
  the Ghost Bears, the nation implored its citizens to take up arms 
  against the Davion invasion, hoping that would be enough to at 
  least slow the incursion. Of course, honor demanded nothing less 
  than retribution, turning the ﬁ ghting along the Combine-Federated 
  Suns border into the bloodiest seen for almost four decades. 
   
  Losses on both fronts were heinous, but the Ghost Bears 
  soon faced a new threat from Clan Hell’s Horses, leading them to 
  abandon their assault into the Combine. That freed House Kurita 
  to face the Federated Suns. Combine forces pushed the invad-
  ing FedSuns units back across their borders and then pursued 
  them into FedSuns space. Only the Coordinator’s direct orders 
  prevented his samurai from completing the destruction of their 
  ancient enemies.
  [Again you gloss over the FedSuns’ naked aggression, as well as 
  Coordinator Kurita’s unexplained support for Victor Steiner-Davion. 
  That he paid for that support with the lives of his wife and daughter 
  doesn’t matter. The nature of the FedSuns/Combine war does matter, 
  as do the political realities that prevented the Combine from ﬁ nishing 
  the job. Again we see the subversive nature of the Davions—if they 
  can infect even the Kuritas, then who knows what happens next? I’m 
  also seeing no acknowledgment of the Ghost Bears’ eﬀ orts to inte-
  grate their captured population, creating their “Dominion” to replace 
  the “occupation zones” the other Clans favor. Is that deliberate? –Ed]
  And All the Rest
   
  In that same short span of time, the rest of the Inner Sphere and 
  even the Periphery experienced serious upheavals unlike almost 
  any others this century. No less important than the other wars, these 
  minor conﬂ icts and rebellions left those regions ill prepared for the 
  war that continues to rage throughout human-occupied space.
   
  In January of 3063, Julius O’Reilly, son of the Marian 
  Hegemony’s Caesar, led an unauthorized and successful invasion 
  of the Illyrian Palatinate. This feat secured him fame and general 
  support throughout the Hegemony, which he used to return to its 
  capital and depose his father. Three years later, still commanding 
  the respect and support of his nation, the new Caesar turned his 
  sights on the Circinus Federation. Unfortunately for him, the pirate 
  Federation had secured Word of Blake assistance. After a short and 
  bloody war, the Circinians ultimately repulsed the Hegemony’s in-
  vasion of their capital world and forced a cease-ﬁ re.
   
  In May of 3064, Clan Jade Falcon surged across its occupation-
  zone border into the Lyran Alliance, looking to “blood” newer war-
  riors while seizing territory from an adversary embroiled in a civil 
  war. The Falcons made great strides into Lyran space, inﬂ icting sig-
  niﬁ cant defeats on an adversary that could ill aﬀ ord those losses. It 
  took the Lyrans nearly half a year to organize a response, and an-
  other ten months of prosecuting a “system-hopping” campaign, to 
  end the Jade Falcon incursion—decidedly in the invaders’ favor.
   
  September of 3066 brought with it more civil unrest and re-
  volt, this time within the Taurian Concordat. After years of ﬁ ght-
  ing for independence, the inhabitants of the New Colony Region, 
  jointly controlled by the Concordat and the Magistracy of Canopus, 
  ﬁ nally succeeded in forming the Fronc Reaches. That was the last 
  straw for Concordat Marshal Baron Cham Kithrong and his sup-
  porters. Having watched their nation send its sons and daughters 
  to die in a war that beneﬁ ted only the Chancellor of the Capellan 
  Confederation in exchange for what amounted to baubles—access 
  to some advanced technology and the promise of membership 
  in the Star League—Kithrong and his allies took the only action 
  they deemed honorable, inspired by the Fronc Reaches’ achieve-
  ment. Their years of vocal opposition to Taurian Protector Grover 
  Shraplen led them to take control of six Taurian worlds, with the 
  help of Kithrong’s VI Corps. They then declared their intent to re-
  unite with the Concordat only after Erik Martens-Calderon (the 
  AND IT CAME TO PASS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/04: AND IT CAME TO PASS 
   
  022 / 023
  bastard son of Protector Jeﬀ rey Calderon, slain ﬁ ve years earlier in 
  a New Colony Region rebellion) was named Protector. 
   
  The Concordat attempted to end the secession of this Calderon 
  Protectorate militarily, but found it could not overcome Kithrong’s 
  forces and prosecute an invasion of the Federated Suns at the same 
  time. Conditioned by centuries-old anti-Davion paranoia, they in-
  terpreted as an invasion the unexpected arrival of the mercenary 
  Fighting Urukhai, which had ﬂ ed the Federated Suns after a civil war-
  related contract dispute and chose to pursue a contract on Taurus. 
  After destroying the mercenary unit, the Concordat launched its 
  own invasion of the Federated Suns. Though ultimately repulsed, 
  the Concordat nevertheless continued to keep its military poised for 
  a renewed excursion against its old adversary.
  [For the most part good, though I notice you’re again taking it easy 
  on the FedSuns. At least this time you’re being a little more objective 
  with the Lyrans. As to the Taurian-FedSuns war, you’re stating as a 
  fact that the Urukhai weren’t the vanguard of a FedSuns invasion. If 
  the FedSuns could attack the Draconis Combine at the height of their 
  own civil war, don’t you think Hasek-Davion could have had the same 
  idea in mind, especially considering the strength of the mercenary 
  army he’d amassed within his Capellan March? And you discount the 
  wealth of sources that still place Taurian forces in the FedSuns. –Ed]
  OPENING SHOTS
   
  With the Inner Sphere and most of the Periphery already en-
  gulfed in war or its immediate after-eﬀ ects, humanity was look-
  ing for someone or something to end the strife and once again 
  bring peace and prosperity. The devoutly cult-like Word of Blake, 
  with Jerome Blake as their supreme prophet and questionable in-
  dividuals like Conrad Toyama and Myndo Waterly as “saints,” saw 
  themselves as that savior. Indeed, they believed that the so-called 
  prophesies of Blake had foretold their ascent to power throughout 
  the Inner Sphere, and saw the Star League Conference of 3067 as 
  the time and place of that occurrence.
   
  When the Star League Conference broke up almost before 
  it began, however, preventing an allegedly prophesied “Third 
  Transfer” from coming to fruition, the Word of Blake lashed out. 
  Whether they are bent on punishing those they blame for the Star 
  League’s collapse or uniting the Inner Sphere under their banner 
  through total war has yet to be determined.
  Prelude to Destiny
   
  The Word of Blake is the ComStar splinter group that formed 
  in the wake of the Clan invasion. Objecting to ComStar’s reforms 
  that de-emphasized the order’s quasi-religious trappings in favor 
  of a more secular approach—one that would freely share the tech-
  nologies ComStar had jealously hoarded from the rest of the Inner 
  Sphere since its formation in the days following General Kerensky’s 
  Exodus—those that could not or would not give up the cult of 
  Blake split from the organization. 
  AND IT CAME TO PASS
  i
  (2 September 3067)
   
  Irian [ATREAN BUSINESS JOURNAL] – For the sixteenth year 
  in a row, proﬁ ts and stocks have continued to climb in the defense 
  industry. Meanwhile, unemployment rates have remained stable 
  for the past three years. Demands for defensive assets remains high, 
  especially now that the Steiner-Davion civil war is coming to an end, 
  and both realms are scrambling to rebuild their militaries through 
  local production and imported materiel. Analysts continue to predict 
  brisk sales as companies in the League compete with each other over 
  market shares. 
   
  More alarming are the increased pirate raids on manufacturing 
  sites, convoys and supply dumps.  Experts presume that this uptick 
  in pirate activity is the direct result of our economy’s continued 
  strength and viability, and calls for a more League-wide response 
  to this threat are growing more frequent. Analysts predict, however, 
  that the recently reactivated debate over Resolution 288 will prevent 
  such a League-wide response within the foreseeable future, and they 
  have linked the ﬁ rst noticeable slump in stock growth to this event.
  PROFITS SOARING IN DEFENSE SECTOR
  i
  (20 November 3067)
   
  Zi-jin Cheng, Sian [CBC] – Fellow Citizens! Our glorious rebirth 
  continues under the perfect leadership of the most sacred and 
  formidable Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao, the Celestial Wisdom!
   
  Prosperity and harmony keeps improving for our beloved 
  brothers and sisters in the St. Ives Commonality. While the ravages 
  of war inﬂ icted upon them by their evil Davion oppressors are severe, 
  the Capellan spirit is strong! The aid provided by the Celestial Wisdom 
  has done much to repair that which the Davion war criminals have 
  destroyed. 
   
  Likewise, the Capellan struggle against the lawlessness and 
  terrorism perpetrated by the Davion warmongers in the Chaos March 
  proceeds well. The tyrants continue to ship criminals and mercenary 
  scum to the besieged Capellan worlds in an eﬀ ort to destroy our 
  resolve, but they are constantly thwarted by our determination to 
  provide the protection and prosperity of Xin Sheng to all!
   
  In related news, the war criminals of the so-called “Free Capella” 
  terrorist organization have been evicted from their Davion holdings. 
  Clearly, these scum of the earth are too vile and repulsive for even 
  the Davion desecrators to tolerate. The terrorists maraud through 
  space like the pirates they are, in search of the defenseless on whom 
  they prey. The valiant defenders of the Confederation are in pursuit, 
  and expect to capture the renegades soon. Citizens are reminded of 
  their duty to report any information leading to the capture of the 
  terrorists.
  XIN SHENG! XIN SHENG! XIN SHENG!
  XIN SHENG: UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section04: AND IT CAME TO PASS
   
  A surprising percentage of ComStar’s manpower chose to follow 
  Precentor William Blane into exile in the Free Worlds League, a nation 
  whose leader had once been part of the mystical ComStar Order. They 
  swiftly formed their own version of the organization they had left, 
  calling themselves the Word of Blake. Made up of true believers, the 
  indiﬀ erent and those that simply objected to ComStar’s reforms, the 
  Word of Blake settled into what outsiders saw as an uneasy coalition 
  of factions, each with a diﬀ erent take on Jerome Blake and his works.
   
  Initially, the schism was relatively peaceful, if strained. ComStar 
  allowed any that wanted to leave its ranks to join the Word of Blake, 
  though the denuding of the Com Guards led to some tense stand-
  oﬀ s later on as troops attempted to leave with their equipment. 
  Quite a few entire units left the Com Guards, giving the Word of 
  Blake an impressive military arm. 
   
  The two organizations lived in relative peace for several years, 
  but that calm exterior belied a secret war behind the scenes as 
  ComStar and the Word of Blake fought for control of the HPG net-
  works as well as for personnel and resources. Additionally, the 
  Blakists battled each other as rival factions fought for predominance 
  within the organization. Those internal squabbles ended as the 
  Blakists “cleaned house” in preparation for a bold and daring action.
   
  In the wake of the Capellan-Free Worlds League invasion of the 
  FedCom’s Sarna March, and as Clan Jade Falcon streamed across the 
  Lyran border, the Word of Blake launched an invasion of Terra. The 
  ﬁ rst such attempt in almost three centuries, this invasion ended al-
  most before it began. Having inﬁ ltrated agents and military forces 
  onto humanity’s birthworld, the Blakists quickly and decisively de-
  feated Terra’s ComStar defenders. This victory not only gave them 
  control of humanity’s birthplace, a moral victory for the devout fol-
  lowers of Blake, but also access to the most advanced technologies 
  and industry in the Inner Sphere, allowing them to increase their 
  military to a size far greater than any could have imagined.
   
  Once again, the Blakists sat dormant rather than continu-
  ing with their aggression, lulling the Inner Sphere into a sense of 
  security before launching another attack—this time aimed at the 
  systems surrounding Terra. Obviously looking to rebuild the Terran 
  Hegemony, the Blakists began to expand their sphere of inﬂ uence 
  into the so-called Chaos March. Opposed by a mercenary alliance 
  headed by Wolf’s Dragoons, the campaign proved slow and costly.
   
  Before the Blakists could complete their plans, Fate intervened. 
  [You ignore the threats ComStar faced when the Blakists launched 
  their unprovoked sneak attack on Terra, as well as the crimes they 
  committed in order to inﬁ ltrate troops onto that world. You also mar-
  ginalize ComStar’s overall eﬀ orts to neutralize the Blakist threat, while 
  over-inﬂ ating the Dragoons and their ilk. –Ed]
  AND IT CAME TO PASS
  i
  (18 February 3066)
   
  Terra [VOICE OF BLAKE] – The worlds of Caph, Keid, New Home, 
  Bryant and Epsilon Eridani have requested military aid from the Word 
  of Blake, citing the continuing instability of the Chaos March and the 
  predations of nearby worlds.
   
  Precentor William Blane, nominated spokesman for the Word 
  of Blake’s Ruling Conclave, announced that “this was the ﬁ rst step 
  in demonstrating to every citizen and noble of the Inner Sphere 
  that, unlike ComStar, the Word of Blake does indeed stand apart as a 
  neutral party to whom all may come for succor.”
   
  For years, the Chaos March has provided steady employment to 
  many mercenaries, and it has become increasingly obvious that certain 
  members of the mercenary community oppose a peaceful resolution 
  to the problems facing the region. Those with the most to lose have 
  also been the most vocal opponents of Word of Blake attempts to 
  bring humanitarian aid to the area. Obviously, the opposition of Wolf’s 
  Dragoons to the Word of Blake is driven by the loss of income that a 
  downturn in mercenary hiring will bring to Harlech.
   
  Worse than that, Jaime Wolf—now free from the restraints 
  of his Clan masters—is clearly planning to establish his own 
  private kingdom by absorbing neighboring worlds. Indeed, this 
  would already have happened were it not for the valiant eﬀ orts 
  of his grandson, Alpin Wolf. Regretfully, young Alpin fell in battle 
  attempting to save the Inner Sphere and the Dragoons themselves 
  from his grandfather’s ambition.
  WORD OF BLAKE PROTECTORATE
  i
  (7 March 3066)
   
  Outreach [MERCNET] – Commander Jaime Wolf announced 
  today that Wolf’s Dragoons, supported by several other prominent 
  mercenary commands, will form a new alliance dubbed the Allied 
  Mercenary Command (AMC). In Commander Wolf’s own words, the 
  AMC “will make its services available to any and all local parties who 
  require [them] in the name of maintaining freedom and stability in 
  these uncertain times.”
   
  Just weeks after the announcement that Caph, Keid, New Home, 
  Bryant and Epsilon Eridani have joined what many have dubbed 
  the “Word of Blake Protectorate,” this proclamation is bound to be 
  seen as a controversial move despite Commander Wolf’s assertion 
  that “this is not a declaration of war.” Commander Wolf concluded 
  his announcement by saying, “Neither we Dragoons nor other AMC 
  member units will act to seize and hold territory. All operations we 
  undertake will consist of defensive actions only, and only on behalf of 
  those neighbors who contract for our services. We act in defense, for 
  our neighbors and our own sovereignty, in the face of uncertainty.”
   
  Among the forces operating under the AMC banner are Lindon’s 
  Battalion and the famed Northwind Highlanders. Other mercenary 
  commands remain noncommittal, though Colonel Wayne Waco has 
  vehemently denounced the Dragoons’ actions.
  DRAGOONS FORM AMC
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/04: AND IT CAME TO PASS 
   
  024 / 025
  Fall of the Star League
   
  In November of 3067, the leaders of the Inner Sphere gath-
  ered in the Tharkad system in preparation for the Fourth Star 
  League Conference. When they met, however, it was clear to those 
  who made the trek that the reborn experiment would not last 
  much longer. Indeed, two of the leaders of the Trinity Alliance na-
  tions—Capellan Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao and Canopian Magestrix 
  Emma Centrella—did not even show up. Instead, Chancellor Liao 
  sent a recorded message via courier, denouncing the Star League 
  as nothing more than a hollow alliance of convenience that had 
  already outlasted its usefulness.
   
  As if to back up Liao’s claims, the leaders of the Lyran Alliance 
  and the Federated Suns declared their intention to pull their na-
  tions out of the Star League, citing the need to focus their people’s 
  energies on rebuilding after the devastating FedCom Civil War. 
  Even the hasty incorporation of the Star League’s two provisional 
  members—the Word of Blake and the Taurian Concordat—could 
  not overrule the vote of no conﬁ dence eﬀ ectively passed against 
  the League by the three leaders whose realms encompass roughly 
  half the Inner Sphere. 
   
  Despite intense debate and desperate pleas by Star League 
  supporters, events soon left no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Star 
  League was doomed. In a ﬁ nal vote that failed to carry the two-thirds 
  majority to sustain the alliance, the Star League was disbanded.  Yet 
  even as the delegates left Tharkad and returned to their JumpShips, 
  the repercussions of their decision took a horriﬁ c form.
  [Again you fail to mention ComStar’s eﬀ orts to maintain interstellar 
  peace via the Star League. You also completely ignore the treasonous 
  Nova Cats and their utter repudiation of their promises to defend the 
  Inner Sphere against “all enemies, foreign and domestic.” –Ed]
  Words of God, Swords of Providence
   
  “Traitors to peace and prosperity, you will pay for your trans-
  gressions unless you immediately reconvene the Star League 
  Council, as was foretold by the Blessed Blake.”
   
  Blakist WarShips transmitted that message before they 
  moved into orbit around Tharkad and New Avalon, seemingly 
  from nowhere, preceding their orbital strikes against Tharkad City 
  and Avalon City. Presumably meant to cow the leaders of the Lyran 
  Alliance and the Federated Suns into accepting Blakist control of 
  the Star League, or even their own nations, those strikes instead 
  galvanized public reaction across the Inner Sphere solidly against 
  the Word of Blake and its goals.
   
  News of the Tharkad attack was the ﬁ rst to achieve widespread 
  coverage, and was certainly more than enough to drive public de-
  nunciations of the Blakists and their methods. Details are sketchy 
  even now, a month after the tragic ﬁ rst strikes, but it appears the 
  Word of Blake ships used a combination of directed energy weap-
  ons, conventional missiles and one or more nuclear warheads to 
  annihilate the Tharkad planetary capital. Ever since the Blakist ﬂ eet 
  appeared, no direct communication with Tharkad has been pos-
  sible. Military and civilian expeditions describe a complete Blakist 
  blockade of the system. Unconﬁ rmed reports also indicate that 
  no survivors have made it oﬀ  the Lyran capital world and that the 
  Blakists continue to rain additional attacks on the planet.
   
  In the New Avalon system, the Blakists likewise struck the 
  Federated Suns’ capital with orbital bombardment, though with-
  out resorting to nuclear weapons, and contending with a stronger 
  local defense that included a brief naval engagement between 
  FedSuns WarShips and their Blakist counterparts. The Word of Blake 
  followed up those strikes with a ground assault intended to crush 
  the Davion homeworld’s last remaining defenses. Still rebuilding 
  from the yearlong civil war battle fought on New Avalon, critical 
  pieces of infrastructure across the planet failed. Reports from the 
  beleaguered world are sketchy at best, but it appears New Avalon’s 
  citizens are ﬁ ghting alongside what remains of their defensive gar-
  rison to combat the Blakist invasion even as the Armed Forces of 
  the Federated Suns ﬁ ghts to break the WarShip blockade.
   
  At nearly the same time, the Allied Mercenary Command led 
  by Wolf’s Dragoons struck out on its own to try to end the Blakist 
  AND IT CAME TO PASS
  i
  (1 November 3067)
   
  Stuttgart, Terra [TNN] – Only four weeks separate us from the 
  start of the Fourth Whitting Conference. This time, so shortly after 
  the horrible civil war that ravaged the nations of Houses Steiner and 
  Davion, the topic of the conference will not be war. No Clans require 
  destruction, and the Houses are once again at relative peace with 
  each other. This time, the topic can be peace.
   
  The Second Star League (much like the ﬁ rst, some say) was 
  created to wage a war, a war long since over. Sadly, humanity’s 
  tendency to corrupt has rarely failed to turn a defensive weapon into 
  a tool of conquest. Twice already, an elected First Lord used his oﬃ  ce 
  to further his own gains.  The Steiner-Davions are little better when it 
  comes to placing the needs of the people before their own. Waging 
  a power struggle based on lies, their once proud nations now lie in 
  ruins.
   
  These reminders serve to ensure that you are all aware of our 
  neighbors. They have proved, with the spent lives of thousands who 
  followed them, that they represent a disruptive and destabilizing 
  force, likely to continue to use the Star League as a tool for even 
  greater abuses of power.
   
  Fortunately, there is hope. Now, at last, the Word of Blake stands 
  a chance to enter the Star league Council. The stabilizing force that 
  has brought peace to many nearby worlds, as well as our own, can 
  now be expected to do the same on a grander scale. Together with 
  the inﬂ uences of Captain-General Thomas Marik, we can for the ﬁ rst 
  time expect the Star League to serve as a tool of peace and prosperity, 
  rather than one of warfare and conquest.
  OPTIMISM AND DREAD
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section04: AND IT CAME TO PASS
  threat. Having put down a Word of Blake-supported uprising on 
  Outreach that killed the legendary Dragoons commander, Jaime 
  Wolf, the mercenaries called together what forces they could and 
  immediately set out for the Terran system, intending to crush the 
  Word of Blake on their own planet. Supported by the Dragoons’ 
  WarShip squadron, the invasion ﬂ eet entered the Terran system 
  just days after the strikes on Tharkad and New Avalon. Despite the 
  massive force assembled, the invasion ﬂ eet has not been heard 
  from since.
  [I’ve seen credible reports that say the Dragoon assault force on Terra 
  was wiped out to the man. And now there are reports that the rest of 
  the Dragoons have ﬁ nally been destroyed on Outreach. –Ed]
  Dawn of the Jihad
   
  Barely more than a month has passed since the opening 
  strikes of this terrible war, and in that time the Blakist response 
  has been overwhelming. Interstellar ﬁ ghting unmatched since the 
  early Succession Wars has engulfed the Inner Sphere. News of at-
  tacks across the stars is pouring in, as are reports of terror attacks 
  such as the use of chemical weapons on Styk and even a massive 
  nuclear retaliation against Outreach. 
   
  Why is the Word of Blake bringing war and death to the Inner 
  Sphere on a scale unlike anything seen in centuries? No one knows. 
  Whatever the motive, the “Blessed Blake” has brought a holy war—
  a jihad—down upon us all. Our only hope is that the Blakists can-
  not sustain this much longer, because we know we no longer have 
  the myth of Aleksandr Kerensky to save us from the unthinkable.
  AND IT CAME TO PASS
  i
  (7 November 3067)
   
  New Syrtis [FSNS] – Addressing the press, Duke George Hasek 
  commented on the recent absorption of Acamar, Genoa and Arboris 
  into the Capellan March, as well as the blockade of Tikonov:
   
  “Welcome, and thank you for coming. For too long now, we 
  have stood by and watched as Sun-Tzu Liao attacked, conquered 
  and subjugated world after world in the Sarna March. He claims he’s 
  doing this to stop lawlessness and chaos in the region, conveniently 
  neglecting to mention that this lawlessness did not start until he 
  invaded with his terrorists and armed bandits. 
   
  “Oﬃ  cially, we stand by the wayside because we respect the 
  right of self-determination. But is it self-determination when 
  Capellan ‘Mech regiments invade? Do we really do them a favor by 
  letting these worlds stand free, but without the protection they need 
  from the Capellan Confederation? Of course not!
   
  “And where do you think these invading regiments will look 
  next when they run out of Sarna March worlds to overrun? Here, 
  to the Capellan March, where they have looked ever since our two 
  realms ﬁ rst came into existence! 
   
  “Rather than let the Capellans grow strong while we do nothing, 
  we must continue to resist their aggression. We must take the ﬁ ght 
  to them and defeat them, rather than stand by the sidelines until all 
  the Sarna March worlds become Capellan and Liao ‘Mechs drop onto 
  New Syrtis!
   
  “I extend an invitation to any and all worlds seeking protection 
  from Capellan invaders. You have an alternative. We will stand 
  together against Liao aggression!”
  HASEK: CAPELLAN MARCH THREATENED
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/05: FILTHY MONEY 
   
  026 / 027
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section10: ENEMY BROTHERS
  (14 March 3068)
   
  Terra [VOICE OF BLAKE] – “It was the great-
  est ﬂ eet of WarShips assembled for an assault 
  since General Kerensky jumped to Terra to de-
  feat Amaris. As evening broke on 12 March of 
  this year, the scene from three centuries ago 
  was repeated over Terra. Ship after ship of the 
  ComStar ﬂ eet appeared and slid into formation 
  as the invasion ﬂ otilla known as Case White 
  went into action. Twenty-one WarShips and 
  enough DropShips and JumpShips to cloud the 
  heavens...”
  <<Voiceover begins>>
  [Terra Space Control]: “What the… We have unannounced 
  incoming jump signatures! Building near L2 on the far side 
  of Luna. Counting… sixteen signatures and rising! Condition 
  Red! First ships are appearing… Lola IIIs, Essexes… Do we 
  have any IDs?”
  [Tactical]: “Working on it. First ones are in. Lolas are Divine 
  Wisdom, Holy Martyrdom, Ranger and Strength Through 
  Adversity. Holy Blake, those are Com Guards ships! They’ve 
  got the whole damn ﬂ eet with them, even the Vision of Truth, 
  fully loaded!
  [Terra Space Control]: “Central Command, this is TSC. We have 
  a full Heretic invasion ﬂ eet incoming! Two score WarShips and 
  a dozen jumpers. First and Second squadrons are burning for 
  them at max G. Request Third Squadron also be released...”
  <<Voiceover fades out>>>
   
  “Facing 
  them, 
  prepared 
  by 
  divine 
  Providence, were the heroes of the Word of 
  Blake Navy, veterans of the unwarranted mer-
  cenary assault on Mars, defending the heart of 
  humankind against those who wished it harm. 
  The stalwart defenders launched their vessels 
  and prepared to ﬁ ght—and die, if necessary—
  to protect their home.
   
  “At 1500 hours [TST] on 13 March, the 
  ﬂ eets met above the blue jewel of Terra. Battle 
  was barely joined when the True Believers of 
  Blake rose up to strike their ﬁ rst blows against 
  the Heretics.”
  <<Voiceover begins>>
  [Righteous Fury]: “What in Blake’s name! Fleet Command! 
  This is Righteous Fury! The Swift Justice just ﬁ red a broad-
  side into the Vision of Truth! She’s preparing to ﬁ re again! 
  Permission to engage the Justice?”
  [Blake’s Strength]: “Righteous Fury, permission granted. 
  Protect those droppers!”
  [Righteous Fury]: “Command, Justice has just suﬀ ered three 
  large onboard explosions. Her engines appear to be down and 
  she’s stopped ﬁ ring, not responding to hails. We still have a 
  solution on her…”
  [Blake’s Strength]: “Send a detachment of marines over 
  to investigate. What? Damn them all to hell! Attention all 
  captains! Deathblow and Ranger both report explosions on-
  board. Sabotage!”
  [Defender of Versailles]: “Say again, Command? I thought 
  ROM vetted all the crews?”
  [Blake’s Strength]: “Hang ROM, and don’t speculate, 
  Defender. Command to all vessels, prepare to engage enemy 
  forces.”
  <<Voiceover fades out>>
   
  “Even the late arrival of the Heretics’ 
  Precentor Martial and his ﬂ agship, the Invisible 
  Truth, could not stem the battle as it turned 
  against ComStar…”
  <<Voiceover resumes>>
  [Truth Bridge Crewman]: “Admiral, the Strength is lost, sus-
  taining heavy damage on her port side.”
  [Crewman]: “So many ships… The scouts didn’t mention any 
  of this!”
  [Admiral Beresick]: “Forget the scouts! Roll 180 degrees and 
  disengage at full thrust. Starboard batteries, focus on that 
  Aegis! Get us clear!”
  [Crewman]: “Hull breach! Both left PPC batteries are out of 
  action!”
  [Beresick]: “Helm, get us out of here now!”
  [Loud alarms sound]
  [Crewman]: “Brace for impact, brace for impact. Collision 
  alert, collision alert!”
  <<Voiceover fades out again>>
   
  “…In the end, twelve Heretic WarShips were 
  destroyed, while the remaining ten were disabled 
  or surrendered, but not without grave cost. The 
  heroic crews of six Word of Blake vessels paid the 
  ultimate price in defending Blessed Terra. 
   
  “Unfortunately, not even their sacriﬁ ce 
  could keep all the Heretics from slipping past 
  the lines. Roughly three Com Guards divisions 
  managed to make landfall, immediately going 
  to ground in nearby cities. In the ensuing strug-
  gle, the Heretics proved why they are no longer 
  ﬁ t to rule Terra as they fought to their bloody, 
  bitter end in some of Terra’s most ancient civil-
  ian population centers. Rather than accept de-
  feat, one division even detonated several tacti-
  cal nuclear devices in the ancient city of Riga, 
  killing tens of thousands of innocents to thwart 
  the defensive eﬀ orts of two valiant Level IIIs of 
  Militia and TerraSec troops.
   
  “But in the end, even the underhanded 
  tactics of the corrupt Heretics could not stand 
  against the fury of Blake’s justice. To all true 
  believers in the Word of Blake, let this victory 
  be a sign! The time to turn your backs on the 
  Heretics has come! The time for Blake’s Vision 
  has ﬁ nally arrived, and we are its harbingers!
   
  “The peace of Blake be with you all.”
  CRADLE OF HUMANKIND DEFENDED!
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section05: FILTHY MONEY
  WAR STRIKES MERCENARIES!
  MERCENARIES TARGETED BY COMRADES IN OPENING 
  WAVES
  (5 April 3068)
   
  Galatea [DBC] —The past several months have seen some 
  spectacular victories and defeats for numerous mercenary units 
  across the known universe. But unlike days past, where mercenary 
  forces typically fought against the military might of a Great House 
  or some other major power, today mercenaries are ﬁ ghting one 
  another with only one goal in mind—total destruction.
   
  To call this uncommon is an understatement. Throughout 
  modern human history, the soldier of fortune has occupied a nec-
  essary, if often misunderstood and disliked, role. In general adher-
  ing to a strict code of honor, the mercenary supplements a nation’s 
  armed forces with the same level of loyalty as that nation’s own 
  troops, or ﬁ ghts as a proxy in a war that regular soldiers cannot 
  ﬁ ght, or provides security to private individuals who need it. 
   
  The common man, however, has a far diﬀ erent view of the 
  mercenary soldier. Average people see a mercenary as loyal only 
  to the paycheck, someone who will gladly break his word if it 
  means more money. Sadly, a very few mercenaries throughout his-
  tory have indeed betrayed the principles and ideals of their calling, 
  and thereby given rise to this ugly stereotype. 
   
  Then this most recent crisis struck, dragging the entire Inner 
  Sphere into yet another self-destructive war. Except this one bears 
  little resemblance to the massive wars of succession and rebellion 
  fought since humanity’s journey to the stars.
   
  Many hoped the end of the FedCom Civil War would usher in 
  a new era of respect for the mercenary. Already a signiﬁ cant force 
  in interstellar politics, especially after so many mercenary units 
  played such a pivotal role in that conﬂ ict, a number of high-proﬁ le 
  units banded together to blunt the expansion of the Word of Blake 
  in the Chaos March. Given the Word of Blake’s response to that 
  alliance, many believe the mercenaries of the Allied Mercenary 
  Command eﬀ ectively contributed to the start of this new war.
   
  In September of 3067, following the deaths of several rank-
  ing members, the Northwind Highlanders abruptly terminated all 
  their contracts with the Draconis Combine and returned to their 
  homeworld, ostensibly to grieve. Taken alone, this event—though 
  unusual—was not signiﬁ cant, but many believe it may have been 
  the ﬁ rst in a series of unfortunate occurrences. In October, a sec-
  ond and more dramatic incident erupted not far away on Outreach, 
  the home of the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission 
  as well as Wolf’s Dragoons. As ever, many transient mercenaries 
  and mercenary units were on the world, awaiting employment. A 
  group of these supposedly unemployed units, many now known 
  or believed to have been under direct or indirect contract with the 
  Word of Blake, launched an unprovoked surprise assault on the 
  Dragoons and any units that came to their aid, devastating the city 
  of Harlech and causing incalculable damage and loss of life before 
  falling prey to the Dragoons’ fury.
   
  With the December attacks on Tharkad and New Avalon, 
  many now consider the Outreach assault as the ﬁ rst move in the 
  Word of Blake’s “holy war” against much of the Inner Sphere, a war 
  in which mercenaries are playing a much larger role than anyone 
  could ever have imagined. Within months of the ﬁ rst Outreach at-
  tack, a series of deadly maneuvers saw the Word of Blake return 
  to scour the planet with WarShips and strategic weapons after a 
  Dragoons task force, dispatched to strike at Terra, went missing 
  and was proclaimed destroyed over Mars.
   
  Those tragedies were just the beginning. The Word of Blake 
  has apparently directed its assault against all of humanity, suppos-
  edly to punish humankind for the dissolution of the second Star 
  League. Many mercenaries now ﬁ ght on the Blakist side, whether 
  because the Blakists bought their services or because they are 
  simply taking advantage of the chaos of the war. Worse still, some 
  units, like the Northwind Highlanders—which in the past vocally 
  opposed the Blakists—have gone silent, refusing to take part in 
  counterstrikes against Blake’s followers.
   
  Though many mercenaries are ﬁ ghting against the Blakists, 
  the damage by those often believed to have precipitated this 
  conﬂ ict has already been done. Many who once praised merce-
  nary commands for defending them now call for their destruction. 
  Takashi Kurita’s infamous “Death to Mercenaries” order has found 
  renewed echoes, not just in the Combine but elsewhere across the 
  Inner Sphere. As chaos spreads and nations self-destruct amid the 
  ﬁ res consuming their capitals, the tragedy deepens. 
   
  How or when this war will end, or how many will survive, no 
  one knows. It is all too clear, however, that there will be no win-
  ners. Worse still, it seems the society of professional warriors who 
  honorably stood guard over the Inner Sphere for centuries has be-
  come the ﬁ rst casualty of this conﬂ ict.
   
  With DBC news on Galatea, I’m Angelica Rabin.
  THE GATHERING STORM
   
  Even before the ﬁ rst shells landed on Outreach, before the 
  ﬁ ghting in the streets of Harlech, or even the bombing of Tharkad, 
  the mercenary profession—at its heartland in the Chaos March—
  had already begun to feel the turbulence of the coming storm. 
  From the Allied Mercenary Command’s failed bid to prevent a 
  March world’s defection to the Free Worlds banner, to the tragic 
  loss of four Northwind Highlander elders in apparent accidents, 
  the shockwaves of multiple crises reverberated throughout the 
  industry. Even taken separately, these warning signs pointed to a 
  danger far closer than any could imagine.
   
  —Michael Bosworth, INN Special Correspondent
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/05: FILTHY MONEY 
   
  028 / 029
  WHERE THE MONEY TRAIL ENDS
  (14 October 3067)
   
  Harlech, Outreach [INN] – Following a money trail is diﬃ  cult, 
  doubly so if someone wants it hidden. Tied up with a fanatical 
  group like the Word of Blake, it becomes an almost impossible task. 
  However, working with leads unearthed by Sandra Raines revealed 
  a starting point for my investigation.
   
  My searches led to Demeter, home of Vicore Interstellar. Vicore 
  was not the focus of my research, but the companies involved in 
  distributing Vicore’s product were. Under normal scrutiny, these 
  businesses held up. However, when I looked deeper, the façade of 
  legitimacy quickly crumbled. 
   
  Two operations I found suspect—Grantham Distributing and 
  Xanadu Import and Exports—proved to be mere front compa-
  nies. Neither provided a physical address, only a post oﬃ  ce box. 
  Looking at the Ministry of Commerce turned up the two compa-
  nies’ registered tax IDs. Both shared the same number, and had 
  been registered by yet another company, Jamaison Interstellar.
   
  After obtaining ﬁ nancial transaction records for Grantham, 
  Xanadu and Jamaison, I traced the money trail to a ComStar hold-
  ing account. From there, the funds passed through three other ac-
  counts, held in the names of owners of each of the three companies 
  in question. The funds went to two destinations. The ﬁ rst, located 
  on Outreach, is Western Receiving and Shipping, whose regis-
  tered owner is a John Wayco. The second destination was Gibson 
  Transports, Ltd., located on Gibson in the Free Worlds League.
   
  My investigation hit a brick wall when I tried to look deeper 
  into the Gibson-based company’s registered owner, but a hunch is 
  a hunch. Is the Word of Blake involved in behind-the-scenes arms 
  dealing on Outreach? And if so, why?
   
  For INN here on Outreach, I’m Emilio Sanchez.
  NORTHWIND HIGHLANDERS RETURNING HOME
  (8 September 3067)
   
  Northwind [MERCNET] — For the third time this year, trag-
  edy struck on Northwind with the untimely demise of Clan Elder 
  Patrick Duﬀ y. With the unexpected deaths of Simon McDonald in 
  July, and Henry Gordon and Fiona McBride just three weeks ago, 
  the Highlanders have lost their four most senior Clan Elders.
   
  Invoking escape clauses in their contracts, the First Kearny and 
  MacLeod’s Regiment have terminated their service with the Draconis 
  Combine and are headed home. Similarly, the Northwind Hussars 
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  [Tamblyn]: I’m Amy Tamblyn here with Lieutenant Maribel DeYoung 
  of Baranov’s Guard, the defenders of Hall. How are you tonight, 
  Lieutenant?
  [DeYoung]: Good, thank you, Amy.
  [Tamblyn]: So, can you give us any information on the recent ﬁ ghting 
  near South Harney?
  [DeYoung]: I’d be glad to. The people of Hall deserve to know what’s 
  going on near their homes. I’m happy to report that the AMC forces 
  that invaded our world have been driven back into the Margaard 
  Highlands, away from the capital city and its surrounding villages. 
  We’ve broken the mercenaries’ back and expect they’ll be pulling 
  back to their DropShips and leaving soon.
  [Tamblyn]: How has the death of Emperor Baranov aﬀ ected your 
  unit’s morale?
  [DeYoung]: The Emperor is not dead. He suﬀ ered bodily injury during 
  a freak ammo explosion.
  [Tamblyn]: Then can we talk to him?
  [DeYoung]: No, I’m afraid not.
  [Tamblyn]: Where is he being treated?
  [DeYoung]: At a base camp not far from here.
  [Tamblyn]: What is the extent of his—
  [DeYoung]: Amy, when the Emperor is available for comment, we’ll 
  let you know. Now can we change the subject?
  [Tamblyn]: Sure, Lieutenant. Um, what about the reports of attacks 
  on some of the mercenaries’ dependents?
  [DeYoung]: The claims by the Third Disinherited about shooting their 
  transports and civilian DropShips? False. The Fourth Oriente Hussars 
  had no such orders and I can personally vouch for their commander. 
  The guncam footage being bandied about by the press has been 
  doctored to support false claims.
  [Tamblyn]: Really? We’ve not heard...
  [DeYoung]: I can put you in contact with the Hall Intelligence Division. 
  They’ll verify that for you.
  [Tamblyn]: Ok, we’ll do that. So what are your plans now?
  HALL JOINS FREE WORLDS LEAGUE
  i
  [DeYoung]: I’ll be addressing the planetary Senate tomorrow about 
  some things, then I expect to make a major announcement that will 
  protect Hall further from AMC predation.
  [Tamblyn]: You heard it here, folks. Any hints, Lieutenant?
  (DeYoung smiles)
  [Tamblyn]: (giggles) Well, we tried. So will the mercenaries be allowed 
  to leave Hall now?
  [DeYoung]: Maybe. It depends on whether they release Force 
  Commander Bobum from their custody. Otherwise, I’m sure the 
  Hussars will pursue the AMC units to free their commander.
  [Tamblyn]: So you won’t vouch for their safe retreat?
  [DeYoung]: Absolutely not. You’ve seen the carnage the AMC inﬂ icted 
  on the farms and villages in South Harney.
  [Tamblyn]: Yes, we have.
  [DeYoung]: Then you know we must either capture them and bring 
  them to justice, or eliminate the problem.
  [Tamblyn]: Eliminate?
  [DeYoung]: No more questions. All will be explained tomorrow at the 
  Senate building. This interview is over.
   
  —From the Hall Evening News, Harney Broadcasting and 
  Publishing Co., 10 October 3067
  HALL JOINS FREE WORLDS LEAGUE - CONT.
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section05: FILTHY MONEY
  serving the Star League and Stirling’s Fusiliers (operating as part of 
  the Allied Mercenary Command in the Chaos March) will join the 
  Second Kearny Highlanders already on Northwind. Once there, the 
  Highlanders will select successors to the mantles of the fallen Elders.
   
  Friction has ﬂ ared up recently between the Clan Elders and 
  the Highlanders’ senior oﬃ  cers, especially over the decision to join 
  the Allied Mercenary Command created by Wolf’s Dragoons. With 
  so many of the Elders now dead, the Highlanders have an opportu-
  nity to shift the political balance in their council by pressing for new 
  members who will be more sympathetic to their views. 
   
  One man who believes he knows what’s going on is Major 
  Cullen Craig. Now serving with Swann’s Cavaliers, Craig was once a 
  battalion commander in Stirling’s Fusiliers. “It’s all the doing of that 
  Capellan lapdog, Jaﬀ ray! He wormed his way into the Highlanders, 
  and now he’s eliminating everyone who could stop him taking the 
  Highlanders back into bondage. Mark my words! Once a Death 
  Commando, always a Death Commando.”
   
  With several regiments withdrawing from their stations, the 
  MRBC projects that choice contracts will be in the oﬀ ering to any 
  reputable command with a B rating or higher.
  DEATH OF A LEGEND
   
  The storm of war ﬁ nally struck in the urban sprawl of Harlech 
  City, undisputed capital of the mercenary profession, on 15 
  October 3067. On that fateful day, a long-standing feud ﬁ nally 
  reached its tragic conclusion, and a chain reaction of events be-
  gan whose repercussions would stretch across the Inner Sphere 
  and beyond.
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  (1 September 3067)
   
  Tara, Northwind [NORTHWIND NEWS NETWORK] – All of 
  Northwind mourns this week along with the Northwind Highlanders, 
  who recently learned that missing clan leader Patrick Duﬀ y was 
  killed in the deadly gale that struck the coastal town of Arden earlier 
  last week. Duﬀ y’s body was found washed ashore six kilometers from 
  the wreck of the Misty Bay, a ten-meter caravel that Duﬀ y owned and 
  used frequently on his visits to his family’s winter estate nearby.
   
  The coroner’s oﬃ  ce oﬃ  cially listed the cause of death as 
  drowning, but sources inside the Arden police department indicate 
  that the investigation is still open, leading many to believe Duﬀ y 
  was murdered. Local law enforcement has refused to comment on 
  the case.
   
  Duﬀ y was an inﬂ uential clan leader for more than thirty 
  years, helping the Highlanders transition during the move from 
  Confederation space to Northwind. His policies were instrumental in 
  restoring the Fortress and its surrounding infrastructure in the post-
  Capellan era, creating thousands of new jobs across the region and 
  revitalizing the stagnant planetary economy. He was a co-creator of 
  the landmark Wayne-Duﬀ y Bill, which abolished the old feudal tax 
  structure and created the current ﬂ at-tax system.
   
  Elder Duﬀ y’s death comes at a critical time for the Highlanders, 
  with the recent deaths of three other prominent members of the 
  clan council, two in the tragic Tara Suborbital Port accident only two 
  weeks ago and a third in a climbing accident in July. Investigations 
  into both incidents are ongoing.
   
  Patrick Duﬀ y is survived by his daughter, Rebecca, and three 
  grandchildren: Marwynn, Richard and Lorelei. Public services will 
  be held at noon this Friday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Tara, with a 
  private service at an undisclosed location. The body will be cremated 
  according to family tradition.
   
  Donations may be made to the Duﬀ y Cancer Foundation in Tara.
  HIGHLANDER ACCIDENT
  i
  (16 October 3067)
   
  Outreach [INN] – Yesterday, explosions and sonic booms broke 
  the early morning calm above Harlech City as aerospace ﬁ ghters 
  reportedly belonging to Smithson’s Chinese Bandits made a high-
  speed run over the Harlech Interplanetary DropPort. A simple training 
  ﬂ ight suddenly became dangerously real when the mercenary craft 
  strafed the DropPort, damaging or destroying as many as two wings 
  of grounded Dragoons ﬁ ghters, according to unconﬁ rmed reports.
   
  Their control of the sky temporarily uncontested, the Bandits’ 
  ﬁ ghters overﬂ ew the Dragoons Housing Center, releasing a deadly 
  rain of cluster and inferno bombs on the barracks housing the warriors 
  and families of nearly every Dragoons force currently on-planet. The 
  damage added to the devastating eﬀ ects of several massive car 
  bombs that reportedly went oﬀ  in that same area as Dragoon forces 
  gathered in response to an unspeciﬁ ed security call. Casualty ﬁ gures 
  remain unknown, but with the Shostakovich Building still in ﬂ ames, 
  it is feared that many of the Home Guard’s MechWarriors and their 
  families have perished.
   
  In what was clearly a carefully coordinated move, a motley 
  collection of rogue mercenary forces headed by elements of Waco’s 
  Rangers and Smithson’s Chinese Bandits came boiling out of 
  TempTown, overrunning Harlech Penitentiary and the ‘Mech holding 
  pens. Meanwhile, the Tiger Sharks—a mercenary battalion returning 
  from night exercises on the practice ﬁ elds—overpowered their 
  escorts after bypassing their training inhibitors, and made a drive 
  for Harlech Interplanetary DropPort. As chaos reigned in the streets 
  and civilians sought to ﬂ ee what had suddenly became a battleﬁ eld, 
  the 51st Dark Panzer Jaegers joined with the renegades, driving up 
  Herrera Street toward the Hiring Hall.
   
  Though badly shaken by these cowardly attacks, the surviving 
  elements of the Home Guard reacted swiftly. Even severely 
  outnumbered, they managed to buy enough time for survivors 
  FIGHTING IN THE STREETS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/05: FILTHY MONEY 
   
  030 / 031
  HARLECH CITY UNDER SIEGE!
  (20 October 3067)
   
  Harlech, Outreach [INN] – On October 15 at 3:30 AM, forces 
  commanded by Colonel Wayne Waco, formerly of the Waco 
  Rangers, launched an assault on Harlech City. This reporter had the 
  unfortunate opportunity to witness ﬁ rsthand the brutal holocaust 
  unleashed on the capital of Outreach.
   
  In a pre-dawn attack, a massive explosion destroyed the Home 
  Guard compound, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Guard 
  personnel, many of whom had reportedly been mustered there 
  in response to an unspeciﬁ ed security alert. Meanwhile, renegade 
  ﬁ ghters bombed Dragoons assets undergoing routine maintenance 
  at Harlech DropPort, and followed up these strikes with additional 
  attacks on the Guard compounds. Following these initial assaults, a 
  rogue force roughly four BattleMech regiments strong emerged from 
  TempTown and converged on Harlech proper. Supported by armor 
  and infantry, these forces cut a swath of destruction across the city.
   
  The Dragoons command and control center and the Mercenary 
  Hiring Hall have both been attacked, the Hall itself completely de-
  stroyed. Estimates of the dead, both civilian and mercenary, con-
  tinue to rise at both sites, with no immediate end in site. Harlech 
  was set ablaze in several areas, with many of the renegade merce-
  naries gunning down civilians as they ﬂ ed. 
   
  Only the timely intervention of the Dragoons’ Zeta Battalion 
  stopped the rampant killing. The Wolf Spiders and Zeta Battalion 
  fought the attackers and brieﬂ y secured the DropPort. Commander 
  Jaime Wolf, coordinating operations from multiple command cen-
  ters—including the cockpit of his famous Archer—launched a 
  counter-assault in conjunction with elements of Beta and Epsilon 
  regiments recalled from Remus, to ﬁ nally contain the renegade 
  threat.
   
  Converging from three directions, the Dragoons caught most 
  of Waco’s forces in a classic encirclement. Each side fought ﬁ ercely, 
  with quarter neither asked nor given. In a climatic battle, Waco led 
  a company of ‘Mechs against Wolf’s lance in the shadow of the de-
  stroyed Hiring Hall. In the end, Commander Wolf and his lance de-
  stroyed a full company of enemy ’Mechs, ﬁ ghting the renegades to 
  the death. Wolf himself apparently ﬁ nished the battle on his own, 
  bringing down Waco’s command even while dying from mortal 
  wounds. Wolf’s Archer, battle-ravaged and surrounded by a ﬁ eld 
  of destroyed ’Mechs, was still on its feet when allied forces ﬁ nally 
  made it to the scene, the ruins of Colonel Waco’s BattleMaster—and 
  Waco himself—sprawled before it.
   
  Commander Wolf’s death seemed to galvanize the Dragoons, 
  whose counteroﬀ ensive gained the strength and character of 
  a controlled berserker fury—a bloody, no-mercy policy that 
  Dragoons oﬃ  cials identiﬁ ed as “Condition Feral.” In less than a day, 
  the Dragoons swept Harlech clean of the last renegade forces in a 
  brutal action reminiscent of a Clan Trial of Annihilation. No further 
  renegade activity has been reported since then, and even the loot-
  ing one might expect after such devastation has been minimal in 
  the past 48 hours. 
   
  When asked, Dragoons commanders refused comment about 
  further reprisals. Thousands of lives lost, a city devastated and the 
  Dragoons decimated—the events of the past few days are still 
  sinking in. It is a sad moment in time, for the Dragoons and their 
  civilians.
   
  For INN here on Outreach, I’m Emilio Sanchez.
  COUNTERSTRIKE
   
  Few realized at the time that the Dragoons’ righteous fury 
  would provoke a disaster unprecedented since the rise of Amaris 
  and the fall of the original Star League. Though events soon to 
  come on Tharkad would briefly overshadow them, many—both 
  within and outside the mercenary profession—may come to 
  see these actions as the true start of the Blakists’ holy war on 
  humankind.
  DRAGOONS BREAK CONTRACT
  (23 November 3067)
   
  Outreach [MERCNET] – A month ago, General Maeve Wolf 
  informed Coordinator Theodore Kurita that she was exercising an 
  emergency escape clause in Alpha Regiment’s contract, though 
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  of Beta and Epsilon regiments to get to their weapons, while 
  elements of both regiments stationed on the continent of Remus 
  have reportedly been called in to support a counteroﬀ ensive led 
  by Jaime Wolf. These forces will augment those of the Home Guard, 
  Zeta Battalion, and the Wolf Spiders, which have already gathered at 
  Commander Wolf’s order, as well as allied forces such as Battle Magic, 
  which is still engaged with renegade forces near the DropPort.
   
  The past twenty-four hours have seen entire swathes of Harlech 
  devastated in vicious street-to-street ﬁ ghting. Both sides have 
  suﬀ ered heavy casualties, and the civilian body count is feared even 
  higher. Commander Jaime Wolf has stabilized the Dragoons’ position 
  on the north bank of the Garrett River, but renegade mercenary 
  forces (presumably under the command of Colonel Wayne Waco) 
  have made several probing air and ’Mech attacks in the direction of 
  Wolf Hall and the Hiring Hall.
   
  The battle for control of the skies over Harlech remains a 
  stalemate. The Dragoons’ superior numbers are undercut by their 
  need to travel to and from distant airﬁ elds or orbit, as well as an 
  eﬀ ort to avoid endangering more lives on the ground by engaging 
  enemy air forces over the city proper. The renegades are operating 
  from the local Harlech DropPort, some using captured Dragoons 
  ﬁ ghters spared in their initial attacks.
   
  The Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission has oﬃ  cially 
  branded Waco’s Rangers, Smithson’s Chinese Bandits, the Tiger 
  Sharks and the 51st Dark Panzer Jaegers as renegade commands.
  FIGHTING IN THE STREETS CONT.
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section05: FILTHY MONEY
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, this is Gray One. We’re two blocks from the Hiring 
  Hall compound. Have you received anything from Wolf Actual?”
  [Clavell]: “Negative, Cameron. Last report was Waco and his boys 
  charging into Complex Alpha, where Actual and a Home Guard lance 
  were located.”
  [Shadd]: “Complex Alpha? That is the guest housing for visiting dignitaries 
  and their staﬀ .” 
  [Cameron]: “Any other Home Guard units around? I’m getting no signal, 
  magres is too cluttered.”
  [Spider Two]: “All bands quiet; nothing registering.” 
  [Spider Three]: “Spider Three here. Currently at Jacoby Way and Rain 
  Street. I show three of Waco’s people here.”
  [Clavell]: “Status, Pollack?”
  [Spider Three]: “One Crusader’s missing its head, Stealth is prone and 
  cold, and I can’t even ID this last guy—there’re parts everywhere. The 
  Smithton Street Grill got ﬂ attened, too.”
  [Spider Four]: “Bastards.”
  [Clavell]: “Quiet, Ahmed.”
  [Cameron]: “Approaching the Hall’s main gate…holy hell.”
  [Clavell]: “What do you see, Gray One?”
  [Cameron]: “Can’t describe it, Johnny. ‘Mech parts everywhere. Like ﬁ re 
  came from heaven and dropped them where they stood.” 
  [Gray Two]: “Sir, the archway—I see something…”
  [Gray Three]: “I’ll cover you, Two.”
  [Cameron]: “Shadd, ride up with Two and see what’s beyond that archway. 
  I’m showing a faint reactor signal.”
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, status? Come on, Brian, clue me in! I’m only four 
  blocks back. Can you wait?”
  [Cameron]: “Neg, Spider One.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point, detach and spread out.”
  [Cameron]: “Four, do you have a count yet for this area?”
  [Gray Four]: “Seven Waco ‘Mechs, two Home Guard so far... Looks like 
  Perry and Gieber bought it here.”
  [Spider Three]: “Damn. There goes my ten C-bills.”
  [Clavell]: “Liam, shut the chatter. Angle up Roberts Avenue and watch for 
  booby traps.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir, we have located Actual.”
  [Cameron]: “Report.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir… you better come up and see for yourself.”
  [Clavell]: “Dammit, man, spill! What the hell’s going on?”
  [Shadd]: “Actual’s ‘Mech is operational, Spider One. His foot is entangled 
  in the wreckage of Waco’s BattleMaster. It is not going anywhere.”
  [Clavell]: “That badly damaged? Is Actual’s radio out?”
  [Cameron]: “I don’t think so, Johnny. Shadd? Can you get a man up there to 
  check the Archer’s cockpit?”
  [Shadd]: “Point Two! Ascertain pilot condition in the Archer! Open the 
  cockpit if you have to.”
  [Silence for several minutes]
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, Spider Command has reached the Hall.”
  [Growler Two]: “Sir, it appears the pilot is unresponsive.”
  [Shadd]: “Unresponsive?”
  [Cameron]: “Life signs, Trooper?”
  [Growler Two]: “He is dead, sir. There are wounds in his thigh and torso, 
  and a large amount of blood on the ﬂ oor. My guess is he died about 
  thirty minutes ago.”
  [Cameron]: “Gray One to all Dragoons. Wolf Actual is down. I say again, Wolf 
  Actual is down. Go to Condition Feral. Say again, set Condition Feral.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point! Fan out and check these other ‘Mechs for 
  survivors! Take out any hostiles.”
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, Zeta’s reporting heavy ﬁ ghting near Gateway 
  Bridge. Redirect there to assist. Gray Command, dismount and sweep 
  the area for any non-combatants, move them to the secure bunkers.” 
  [Clavell]: “Roger that, Gray One.” [pause] “Brian, you know we need to 
  notify Maeve.”
  [Cameron]: [pause] “All in good time, Johnny. Let’s ﬁ nish cleaning up our 
  own house ﬁ rst.”
  [Clavell]: “Roger that. Spiders! Move out to nav point Tango. Let’s get us 
  some payback!”
   
  —Excerpted Wolf’s Dragoons transmissions, Outreach, 18 October 3067
  A LEGEND FALLS
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, this is Gray One. We’re two blocks from the Hiring 
  Hall compound. Have you received anything from Wolf Actual?”
  [Clavell]: “Negative, Cameron. Last report was Waco and his boys 
  charging into Complex Alpha, where Actual and a Home Guard lance 
  were located.”
  [Shadd]: “Complex Alpha? That is the guest housing for visiting dignitaries 
  and their staﬀ .” 
  [Cameron]: “Any other Home Guard units around? I’m getting no signal, 
  magres is too cluttered.”
  [Spider Two]: “All bands quiet; nothing registering.” 
  [Spider Three]: “Spider Three here. Currently at Jacoby Way and Rain 
  Street. I show three of Waco’s people here.”
  [Clavell]: “Status, Pollack?”
  [Spider Three]: “One Crusader’s missing its head, Stealth is prone and 
  cold, and I can’t even ID this last guy—there’re parts everywhere. The 
  Smithton Street Grill got ﬂ attened, too.”
  [Spider Four]: “Bastards.”
  [Clavell]: “Quiet, Ahmed.”
  [Cameron]: “Approaching the Hall’s main gate…holy hell.”
  [Clavell]: “What do you see, Gray One?”
  [Cameron]: “Can’t describe it, Johnny. ‘Mech parts everywhere. Like ﬁ re 
  came from heaven and dropped them where they stood.” 
  [Gray Two]: “Sir, the archway—I see something…”
  [Gray Three]: “I’ll cover you, Two.”
  [Cameron]: “Shadd, ride up with Two and see what’s beyond that archway. 
  I’m showing a faint reactor signal.”
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, status? Come on, Brian, clue me in! I’m only four 
  blocks back. Can you wait?”
  [Cameron]: “Neg, Spider One.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point, detach and spread out.”
  [Cameron]: “Four, do you have a count yet for this area?”
  [Gray Four]: “Seven Waco ‘Mechs, two Home Guard so far... Looks like 
  Perry and Gieber bought it here.”
  [Spider Three]: “Damn. There goes my ten C-bills.”
  [Clavell]: “Liam, shut the chatter. Angle up Roberts Avenue and watch for 
  booby traps.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir, we have located Actual.”
  [Cameron]: “Report.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir… you better come up and see for yourself.”
  [Clavell]: “Dammit, man, spill! What the hell’s going on?”
  [Shadd]: “Actual’s ‘Mech is operational, Spider One. His foot is entangled 
  in the wreckage of Waco’s BattleMaster. It is not going anywhere.”
  [Clavell]: “That badly damaged? Is Actual’s radio out?”
  [Cameron]: “I don’t think so, Johnny. Shadd? Can you get a man up there 
  to check the Archer’s cockpit?”
  [Shadd]: “Point Two! Ascertain pilot condition in the Archer! Open the 
  cockpit if you have to.”
  [Silence for several minutes]
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, Spider Command has reached the Hall.”
  [Growler Two]: “Sir, it appears the pilot is unresponsive.”
  [Shadd]: “Unresponsive?”
  [Cameron]: “Life signs, Trooper?”
  [Growler Two]: “He is dead, sir. There are wounds in his thigh and torso, 
  and a large amount of blood on the ﬂ oor. My guess is he died about 
  thirty minutes ago.”
  [Cameron]: “Gray One to all Dragoons. Wolf Actual is down. I say again, Wolf 
  Actual is down. Go to Condition Feral. Say again, set Condition Feral.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point! Fan out and check these other ‘Mechs for 
  survivors! Take out any hostiles.”
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, Zeta’s reporting heavy ﬁ ghting near Gateway 
  Bridge. Redirect there to assist. Gray Command, dismount and sweep 
  the area for any non-combatants, move them to the secure bunkers.” 
  [Clavell]: “Roger that, Gray One.” [pause] “Brian, you know we need to 
  notify Maeve.”
  [Cameron]: [pause] “All in good time, Johnny. Let’s ﬁ nish cleaning up our 
  own house ﬁ rst.”
  [Clavell]: “Roger that. Spiders! Move out to nav point Tango. Let’s get us 
  some payback!”
   
  —Excerpted Wolf’s Dragoons transmissions, Outreach, 18 October 3067
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/05: FILTHY MONEY 
   
  032 / 033
  the mercenaries’ Delta Regiment remains in position on the Ghost 
  Bear border world of Keisen. Three days ago, General Wolf similarly 
  informed Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao of her intent to pull Colonel 
  Irwin Tyrell’s Gamma Regiment from Tikonov.
   
  Ominously, the Dragoons have previously broken contracts 
  on only two occasions: just prior to the Clan invasion and during 
  the Dragoons Civil War. The Dragoons are concentrating their forc-
  es, and may even call on other AMC members, perhaps to strike in 
  retribution for the death of Jaime Wolf and the destruction visited 
  on Harlech.
   
  Speculation is ﬁ erce over who was responsible for the Harlech 
  attack. The simple answer is to blame Colonel Wayne Waco. Colonel 
  Waco’s famous feud with Wolf’s Dragoons dates back to 3008, 
  when his only son died ﬁ ghting Zeta Battalion on New Aragon. The 
  colonel also held the Dragoons responsible for the near-total an-
  nihilation of Waco’s Rangers on Coventry, though no evidence ex-
  ists to support Waco’s claims that Colonel Brubaker abandoned his 
  troops to the Jade Falcons. But even though the late Colonel Waco 
  had a motive, it seems improbable that he could have funded the 
  operation alone.
   
  Even removing Colonel Waco, the list of suspects remains 
  long. Hard-line elements in the Draconis Combine remember 
  the Dragoons’ role in humiliating the DCMS during the Fourth 
  Succession War. The mercenaries’ involvement in the 3014-15 
  Marik Civil War also made enemies. One should not dismiss either 
  ComStar or the Word of Blake, given that both organizations have 
  clashed overtly and covertly with the Dragoons. Finally, there is the 
  incredible possibility that the one or more of the Clans funded the 
  operation.
   
  Whoever the guilty party is, the Dragoons are gearing up to 
  strike back.
  NORTHWIND BLOCKADE
  (23 December 3067)
   
  Galatea [MERCNET] – As of December 15, Word of Blake na-
  val forces have blockaded the Northwind system. An unconﬁ rmed 
  number of WarShips (one of which has been identiﬁ ed as the WBS 
  Hidden Meaning) supported by assault DropShips and aerospace 
  assets has interdicted both of the system’s primary jump points, 
  and at least one WarShip is said to be in close proximity to the 
  planet Northwind to intercept any vessels that might arrive via 
  non-standard points.
   
  While the Word of Blake is allowing JumpShip traﬃ  c to re-
  charge, vessels can expect to be boarded and searched, possibly 
  even seized. DropShips may not travel in-system and heavy jam-
  ming has rendered conventional communications with Northwind 
  impossible. ComStar reports that traﬃ  c from the planet’s A-class 
  station has dropped to a bare minimum, supporting the theory 
  that control of the local HPG has fallen to the Word of Blake and 
  that communications are being ﬁ ltered before transmission. The 
  status of the Highlander JumpShip ﬂ eet remains unknown.
   
  All of the Northwind Highlander regiments recently returned 
  to their homeworld following the untimely deaths of several Clan 
  Elders. So far, no one has managed to establish the mercenaries’ 
  status, but merchant traﬃ  c passing through the system reports no 
  sign of assault troops approaching the world. With no overt indica-
  tions of ongoing conﬂ ict, some speculate that the Word of Blake 
  and the Northwind Highlanders have reached, or are working to-
  ward, some kind of accommodation. Word of Blake representatives 
  have declined to comment on the events unfolding at Northwind.
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  (18 November 3067)
   
  Galatea City, Galatea [INN] – At the urging of acting Dragoons 
  commander, Brian Cameron, I returned to Galatea soon after the 
  initial wave of attacks ended. Upon my arrival, reporters and military 
  oﬃ  cers besieged me with questions about the holocaust on Outreach. 
  I did my best to answer them all, and played the recordings I’d made 
  of those horriﬁ c events—and of the death of Jaime Wolf—to the 
  stunned disbelief and open weeping of many. As I relived the events 
  in those recordings, I wept along with them.
   
  En route home, I received a supplemental report from 
  the Dragoons’ Colonel Jamison on Outreach. The casualties are 
  staggering. Estimates of civilian dead are roughly a quarter of a 
  million, with three to four times as many wounded. Harlech City’s 
  infrastructure, power and water services are badly damaged, and 
  there have been reports of bodies burned in the streets to prevent 
  the outbreak of disease.
   
  The Dragoons suﬀ ered egregious losses. Epsilon Regiment 
  is eﬀ ectively destroyed, its survivors folded into Beta, which itself 
  suﬀ ered an estimated thirty-ﬁ ve percent casualty rate. The Home 
  Guard ground forces have ceased to exist, and Zeta and Wolf Spider 
  battalions have suﬀ ered thirty-ﬁ ve and ﬁ fty percent casualties 
  respectively. Of the AMC units involved, the Battle Magic mercenary 
  command died to the man in the heavy ﬁ ghting.
   
  Of the estimated four BattleMech regiments and an almost 
  equal number of armor and infantry forces commanded by Wayne 
  Waco, none of the rogue mercenaries that fought against the 
  Dragoons and their allies survived, including the 51st Dark Panzer 
  Jaegers, Smithson’s Chinese Bandits and the Tiger Sharks.
   
  The report also stated that General Maeve Wolf and Alpha 
  Regiment are due on Outreach sometime in December, while the 
  Second Dismal Disinherited and Gamma Brigade, recalled from other 
  postings, are now on-planet aiding in recovery operations.
   
  For INN here on Galatea, I’m Emilio Sanchez.
  HARLECH CITY UNDER SIEGE, SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section05: FILTHY MONEY
  MARS: WHAT HAPPENED?
  (15 December 3067)
   
  Galatea City, Galatea [INN] – I just received a special report 
  from a source on Outreach of a disaster occurring in the Terran sys-
  tem. Apparently, Dragoons forces supported by a number of Allied 
  Mercenary Command members allegedly launched a reprisal at-
  tack against Word of Blake bases on Mars, after connecting the re-
  cent ﬁ ghting on Outreach to the work of Blakist agents in league 
  with the late Colonel Wayne Waco. Reports from other sources of-
  fer little information. Requests for veriﬁ cation from Blake represen-
  tatives have so far proved fruitless.
   
  Here are the facts I have. Two Dragoons WarShips, the Beowulf 
  (Congress-class frigate) and the Athena (Sovetskii Soyuz-class heavy 
  cruiser) protected a task force consisting of the Dragoons’ Beta 
  Regiment and Zeta Battalion. The First Dismal Disinherited and 
  Lindon’s Battalion joined up from Liberty en route to Mars. 
   
  Allegedly, the reprisal attack—meant to signal the Blakists 
  that the Dragoons also can strike their enemies close to home—
  went horribly wrong. Dragoons command on Outreach stated 
  that they do not know what happened. They received the follow-
  ing HPG transmission from the Beowulf: “Beowulf to all Dragoons 
  forces. Task Force Vengeance under massive attack. Athena lost, tak-
  ing heavy damage, trying to disengage from the—”
   
  Experts here on Galatea speculated that the Blakists used pre-
  viously unknown naval assets—possibly reactivated from moth-
  balls in the Terran system or elsewhere—or a reactivated Reagan 
  Space Defense System. Other theories posit nuclear mines and 
  missiles launched from hidden installations, while a naval war-
  fare expert suggests that the Blakists used suicide ﬁ ghters and 
  DropShips loaded with explosives to ram the defenseless AMC 
  JumpShips after taking out their WarShips.
   
  Rumors continue to run rampant, with many speculating that 
  a major war is on the horizon for the Chaos March. Already, reports 
  are coming in of refugees ﬂ eeing those worlds not already under 
  Blakist control. More to come as information is available.
   
  Reporting for INN here on Galatea, I’m Emilio Sanchez.
  FALL OF OUTREACH
   
  The fall of Outreach was Wolf’s Dragoons’ ﬁ nest hour and their 
  lowest ebb. After a bloody, seven-day campaign in space and on 
  the planet, launched after the Dragoons’ ill-fated attack on Mars, 
  Word of Blake forces—including their turncoat mercenary al-
  lies—faced a near-defeat at the hands of the fanatical defending 
  Dragoons. In desperation, and without regard for human life, the 
  Blakist ﬂ eet commanders played a gruesome game of scorched 
  earth, unleashing a nuclear hell against Outreach on a scale not 
  seen since the days of the First Succession War.
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  >>WolfNet Transmission 671208: Status TF Vengeance<<
  >>Decrypt Cypher 4-A-rr-2<<
  Colonel Shadd:
   
  I have worked to gather this scattered intel as quickly as I can to 
  inform you of the disaster that occurred only hours ago in the Terran 
  system.
   
  Apparently the Athena and Beowulf jumped in near the Mars 
  orbital track and were immediately set upon by a massive naval 
  force located nearby. Though the DropShips carrying the Dismal 
  Disinherited and Zeta Battalion made it to the surface of Mars, the 
  vessels carrying Beta Regiment, Lindon’s Battalion and several Home 
  Guard aerospace units were destroyed before they even hit the upper 
  atmosphere.
   
  From the transmissions I’ve managed to gather through multiple 
  HPG bursts from the Beowulf, the task force was almost immediately 
  overwhelmed by enemy ﬁ ghters, DropShips and apparently at least 
  six diﬀ erent WarShips—including at least one ancient Naga—though 
  this is diﬃ  cult to verify because of some extraordinarily bizarre ECM 
  that corrupted quite a bit of the packet data.
   
  Attached to this report is the last audio sequence transmitted 
  before we lost all contact. I thought it best if you heard it rather than 
  trying to relay it.
   
  Major Benjiro Dixon, AMC, Keid
  >>ﬁ le opened<<
  “….get over to that Merlin and destroy it! Osiris! Take the remains of 
  Savage Cluster and escort the Grant’s Tomb down—I do not want a 
  repeat of Beta!”
  “…Shivas and Thunderbirds on your nine o’clock, angle three-ﬁ ve! 
  Missile away! Evasive action!”
  “…incoming ﬁ re!” [explosion] “…lost decks three through eight! 
  Rolling to compensate!”
  “…hena, we’ve taken heavy damage to our K-F core, we’re going in 
  to cover Zeta.”
  “…enemy converging on Athena! Full broadsi…she’s gone dark, the 
  Athena’s out of contro…”
  “…speed ahead, break that Naga’s spine!...”
  “…like damn demons from Hades…”
  “…severe damage, auxiliary backup online. Open HPG net, message 
  is: Beowulf to all Dragoon forces. Task Force Vengeance under massive 
  attack. Athena lost, taking heavy damage, trying to disengage from 
  the—” 
  >>File ends<<
  DEBACLE OVER MARS
  i
  
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  034 / 035
  MERCENARY TREACHERY
  (2 January 3068)
   
  Outreach [INN] – It seems that for every mercenary command 
  of sterling character (such as Wolf’s Dragoons, the Kell Hounds or 
  the Twelfth Vegan Rangers), there is one for whom money is the 
  only thing that matters. The Word of Blake highlighted this with 
  deadly clarity when they bought Waco’s Rangers, Smithson’s 
  Chinese Bandits, the Tiger Sharks and the 51st Dark Panzer Jaegers 
  and unleashed them on Harlech. Now to this roll of dishonor must 
  be added the Broadsword Legion. Hired by Wolf’s Dragoons in 
  their moment of need, the Legion turned on their employers as 
  the Dragoons battled to defend their homes from the onslaught 
  of the Blakists’ Sixth and Tenth Divisions.
   
  At the height of this second battle of Outreach, just as it ap-
  peared the defenders were gaining the upper hand, the Broadsword 
  Legion launched a furious assault on the rear of the Dragoons’ Wolf 
  Spiders Battalion. Pinned between the Legion and the Blakist 
  Diplomacy of Force III-Alpha, the Wolf Spiders (proud holders of 
  the Black Widow Battalion legacy) were almost annihilated before 
  they could rally. That costly act of treachery further weakened the 
  Dragoons. In an apparent eﬀ ort to ﬁ nish oﬀ  the famed mercenaries 
  once and for all, the Blakists reportedly launched devastating strate-
  gic attacks against the planet from orbit.
   
  Across the Inner Sphere, the same question is being asked: 
  Who will next turn their coat? Which mercenary command will 
  turn on its employers and do the evil bidding of the Word of Blake? 
  This fear has already led to tragedy on Epsilon Indi, where the Com 
  Guards Second Division launched an unprovoked attack on the 
  Tooth of Ymir. Reportedly, relations between the Com Guards and 
  the mercenaries had been strained ever since the mercenary unit 
  arrived on-world.
   
  Faced with overwhelming odds, Colonel Shadwell wisely or-
  dered the battered Tooth to surrender. Following an exhaustive 
  investigation, Precentor Regis Grandi has reluctantly been forced 
  to concede that no tangible proof exists linking the Tooth with the 
  Word of Blake. The Tooth of Ymir, now under the minimum strength 
  stipulated by their contract, is reportedly headed for Arc-Royal to 
  rebuild. In the meantime, many mercenary commanders are left 
  nervously wondering how long it will be before their equally ner-
  vous employers turn on them.
  OUTREACH BOMBARDED!
  (31 December 3067)
   
  The following is an unedited version of a report by Shandra 
  Esteban, one of our MercNet reporters on Outreach:
   
  Remus, Outreach [MERCNET] – I have lived on Outreach for 
  four years now. I’ve been with each of the Dragoons regiments. 
  I’ve been to many of the Home Guard bases. I’ve spoken with 
  those who traveled here because of the freedom, or because it 
  was a true mercenary’s Mecca, a place to recuperate, a place to 
  trade, a place for business.
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  [Newman]: “…camera on and patch it NOW.” [A dark-haired 
  man, slightly out of breath, turns to face the camera] “This is Wayne 
  Newman, Harlech News Network. I’m here on the Mercutio, the 
  polar-orbit Dragoons station above Outreach, where station sensors 
  have detected a large unidentiﬁ ed ﬂ otilla in a high-speed approach 
  toward the planet. “
  [Camera switches to tri-holo view; lower corner states “LIVE MERCUTIO 
  BATTLEFEED”]
  [Newman]: “Sensors can make out a Black Lion, an Aegis, two Essex 
  and two Lola III WarShips bearing down on an attack vector…”
  [Voice oﬀ -camera mumbles urgently.]
  [Newman]: “I’m being told now that half of that force is coming 
  this way; the other half is vectoring in on the Horatio. We’ve lost all 
  contact with the Darius, one of the Dragoons’ Lola III-class WarShips, 
  which was located near the pirate point from which these unknown 
  ships apparently arrived. We’re being told to move to our berths 
  and—” [siren wails in background] “—there’s the call for battle 
  stations. However, we’re going to stay right here and transmit these 
  images to you.”
  [Close-up of oncoming force, Black Lion leading, as it deploys a 
  screening force. View pulls back to reveal several swarms of Dragoons 
  ﬁ ghters on intercept course. Missile ﬂ ashes between the two groups are 
  barely visible.]
  [Newman]: “It looks as if the Dragoons response will blunt the attack. 
  The Nelson is on a high-G burn around the night side of Outreach 
  even now…”
  [Flashes are seen from the Lion’s prow and the station shudders. The 
  holo-feed momentarily turns to snow. Fighters clash in a series of high-
  speed runs as the Aegis and an Essex open up on the few incoming 
  Dragoons DropShips. The camera snaps back to the reporter, who has 
  a hand to his ear.]
  [Newman]: ”It’s being conﬁ rmed now…the ﬁ ghters have Word 
  of Blake symbols on them… the WarShips are not broadcasting 
  transponders…”
  [Station quakes at another blast. Tendrils of smoke appear around the 
  reporter, who glances backward frantically.]
  [Newman]: “Oh, my—Rob, grab the equipment, head for the 
  lifeboats—there’s a ﬁ re....” [sirens wail]
  [The camera shakes as the room spins. The view whirls to show a 
  Dragoons oﬃ  cer, who snarls and shoves past, vanishing. Visible down 
  the corridor is a ﬂ ash, and then a hurricane-like whooshing sound as 
  debris and the camera are blown out into space. The last transmitted 
  shot shows the station venting air through a large gash in the lower 
  decks, people and equipment hurtling into orbit. A blinding ﬂ ash near 
  the aft end appears before a large wooden desk smashes into the 
  camera frame, turning the feed to snow.]
   
  —Final transmission from Harlech News Network reporters on 
  Dragoons station Mercutio, 20 December 3067
  FIRE IN THE VOID
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section05: FILTHY MONEY
   
  All that is over now. 
   
  But I do know the damned Word of Blake has won. They 
  crushed us! We were winning, and for that those damn bastards 
  dropped nukes on us, on our bases, on our homes. They couldn’t 
  win an honest battle, so they killed everyone! Not since the 
  Succession Wars has anyone done anything this horrible. I don’t 
  care about the Fifth FedCom! The bastards used megaton devices 
  on the Keep, damn them! There’s nothing left!
   
  Objectivity be damned! Curse the Word of Blake! No mercy for 
  the merciless! We must destroy them, or they will destroy us!
  OUTREACH: A SURVIVOR’S ACCOUNT
  (31 January 3068)
   
  Galatea City, Galatea [INN] – Millions died last month when 
  Outreach suﬀ ered catastrophic damage by nuclear and orbital 
  bombardment perpetrated by Word of Blake naval and ground 
  forces. In an interview I conducted with Lieutenant Alvin Salazar, 
  a Dragoons survivor, I learned the horrors of the attack ﬁ rsthand, 
  along with the ﬁ nal days of Outreach’s defenses against the 
  Blakist assault.
   
  When I left Salazar, he seemed upbeat and confident after 
  the defeat of Wayne Waco’s mercenaries in Harlech. The 
  man I met with a few hours ago did not even resemble 
  the one I last saw in late October. His eyes were sunken 
  and his face gaunt, classic signs of mild radiation sick-
  ness. Salazar also suffered from extreme exhaustion and 
  battle fatigue. I offered him a chance to rest before we 
  talked, but he refused.
   
  Salazar described in detail how Gamma Regiment’s 
  Colonel Irwin Tyrell, newly arrived from Tikonov, assumed 
  command of the Outreach defenses and organized them for 
  a possible Blakist counterattack, ordering oﬀ -world all units 
  that did not belong to the AMC or that refused to defend 
  the planet. This left the Second Dismal Disinherited, the 
  Wolf Spiders, Gamma Brigade and the Broadsword Legion 
  to protect Outreach, supported by a scattering of smaller 
  commands and lone wolf warriors.
   
  General Maeve Wolf and Alpha Regiment were due any 
  day, but the Blakists arrived ﬁ rst on December 20, launch-
  ing a blitzkrieg attack against the orbital defense stations 
  and the two defending Lola III WarShips, using nuclear and 
  naval-class weapons to quickly secure space superiority.
   
  The Blakist ground force landed on Outreach with an 
  estimated two full divisions and immediately attacked sites 
  in and around Harlech. Gamma Brigade and the Dismal 
  Disinherited stopped them cold, while the Wolf Spider 
  Battalion and the Broadsword Legion attacked in the rear. 
  The attack went oﬀ  as planned, until the Legion turned on the 
  Wolf Spiders and nearly destroyed them. The Broadswords 
  then joined up with the Blakist forces, but their attack stalled 
  in the face of a determined Dragoons defense.
   
  Alpha Brigade ﬁ nally arrived when the Alexander, General 
  Maeve Wolf’s Aegis-class cruiser, appeared in-system and brieﬂ y 
  penetrated the Blakist blockade. As General Wolf’s forces landed 
  to break the planetside stalemate, the Alexander fought a brief en-
  gagement with the Blakist ﬂ eet, destroying a number of assault 
  DropShips and damaging two WarShips before retreating.
   
  Apparently sensing imminent defeat, the Blakist ﬂ eet com-
  mander ordered an orbital bombardment in and around Harlech 
  after nearly a week of ﬁ ghting. Simultaneously, the Blakists steril-
  ized the entire Remus continent using strategic nuclear weapons. 
  On December 28, this bloody tactic paid oﬀ . General Wolf ordered 
  a general retreat, though portions of Gamma Regiment reportedly 
  stayed behind to wage a guerrilla campaign against the Blakist oc-
  cupation. Covering this retreat, at the cost of its life, was the badly 
  damaged Alexander.
   
  The surviving Dragoons warriors and families will make their 
  way to Arc-Royal, where the Kell Hounds and Clan Wolf-in-Exile 
  have oﬀ ered refuge and aid. In the coming days, this reporter will 
  join them, to bring you more information as it becomes available.
   
  Reporting for INN here on Galatea, I’m Emilio Sanchez.
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  (31 March 3068)
  Galatea City [MERCNET] – The following units are listed as Wanted/
  Rogue. 
   
  Regarding rewards for information leading to the capture of these units, 
  or members of these units, or concerning bounties for the capture or killing of 
  these units, or members of these units, please request a Rewards and Bounties 
  Fact Sheet free of charge from your nearest MercNet outlet, or follow the link 
  at the end of this article.
  Broadsword Legion
   
  Initially employed by the AMC, the Broadsword Legion, a collection of 
  defectors from the ComStar Com Guards, turned on their employers during 
  the recent ﬁ ghting on Outreach and are thought to be under contract to the 
  Word of Blake. Still operating on Outreach as part of Blakist occupation forces, 
  they are heavily damaged.
   
  Wanted dead or alive for: crimes against humanity, war crimes, severe 
  breach of faith
   
  Last known whereabouts: Outreach
  Bronson’s Horde
   
  While employed by the Marian Hegemony, Bronson’s Horde defected to 
  the Circinus Federation and turned against their employers. They are currently 
  working for the Word of Blake, and mounting numbers of claims of criminal 
  activity perpetrated by the Horde have been reported.
   
  Wanted dead or alive for: war crimes, acts of fraud/piracy, attacks on 
  civilian targets
   
  Last known whereabouts: Epsilon Eridani
  MRBC ADVISORY: UPDATES TO ROGUE/WANTED LIST
  i
  
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  036 / 037
  LEGACY OF DISTRUST
   
  In the aftermath of Outreach, the Northwind blockade and the 
  sudden surge in turncoat mercenaries across the Inner Sphere, almost 
  overnight the standards and honor of the professional soldier were 
  called into question by their employers and their potential opponents. 
  A new wave of anti-merc paranoia swept the Inner Sphere, forcing 
  leaders to rethink their strategic plans with an eye toward potential 
  treachery. Mercenary hires dropped even more than the loss of the 
  Outreach oﬃ  ces could account for. In one fell swoop, centuries of 
  progress perished in the ﬁ res of the new face of war.
  “DIVINE RETRIBUTION!”
  (6 January 3068)
   
  Terra [VOICE OF TRUTH] – Wolf’s Dragoons’ propaganda di-
  vision wants everyone to believe their spin on events. But their 
  biased reports cannot hide the truth! As the Blessed Blake said, 
  “There are two sides to every story.” Judge for yourself which is true, 
  and learn why the Dragoons and their haven on Outreach were a 
  threat to all humankind.
   
  The mercenary business is in decline. It has been for decades. 
  Anti-mercenary sentiment growing all over the Inner Sphere—not 
  just in the Free Worlds League and the Draconis Combine—stems 
  from decades of mercenary excesses. Accounts of mercenaries 
  going rogue are legion, and the suﬀ ering inﬂ icted by these hired 
  pirates on the people is substantial. Indeed, the formation of the 
  Star League and the Citizens Honored—the franchising of several 
  mercenary units within the Capellan Confederation—would have 
  spelled the end of the independent mercenary unit, had Wolf’s 
  Dragoons not made such strenuous eﬀ orts to save their question-
  able business.
   
  The Allied Mercenary Command is nothing more than a tool 
  to propagate the wars and death that ravage the so-called Chaos 
  March. Many mercenary units employed by the Capellan and 
  Free Worlds governments failed to complete their objectives dur-
  ing Operation Guerrero, leaving entire worlds defenseless and in 
  turmoil. Ever since, that troubled region has been a fertile market 
  for these same self-serving mercenaries. The stability and peace 
  brought by the Word of Blake to these beleaguered worlds there-
  fore posed a threat to the Dragoons and all those lucre-loving war-
  riors who fear the loss of yet another source of income. They do not 
  care that their enrichment requires the pain and suﬀ ering of the 
  very people they vow to protect.
   
  The Dragoons have long made billions through the mercenary 
  trade, and they do not wish this income to dry up. They have let their 
  world, given to them by the Federated Suns, become a breeding 
  ground for mercenary commands large and small, all of question-
  able caliber. This practice backﬁ red on them in October of last year 
  when a veritable civil war broke out on Outreach between the es-
  tablished elite and the “have-nots” of the trade. The Dragoons, eager 
  to shift blame away from themselves for this disaster, placed it on us 
  and struck out against the Terran system in retribution.
   
  Naturally, the Word of Blake seeks to keep safe all those who 
  rely on us for protection. The rogue attack by AMC elements cost 
  thousands of innocent lives, and could not go unpunished. We 
  have dismantled the mercenary haven that Outreach once was, 
  along with all mercenary assets that opposed the Will of Blake. It 
  should come as no surprise that the Dragoons, through their pro-
  paganda outlet and front organization, the MRBC, immediately at-
  tempted to smear our victory by claiming our forces committed 
  atrocities. Do not be fooled! These allegations are a feeble attempt 
  to tarnish the public image of an organization that seeks only sta-
  bility and peace for the entire Inner Sphere. 
   
  Are all mercenary units evil? Of course not! But thoughtful 
  people will not rely on the reports of the MRBC, which has long 
  demonstrated its corruption and bias in favor of the Dragoons and 
  their money-grubbing allies. Do not rely on their reports concern-
  ing which units are rogue and which are trustworthy. Examine 
  their listing of rogue units. How many are employed by the Word 
  of Blake, whom they call their enemy?
   
  The mercenary trade is changing. The Inner Sphere will be a 
  better place without Wolf’s Dragoons inﬂ uencing the business for 
  the worse.
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  (7 January 3068)
   
  Arc-Royal [INN] – Escaping the destruction on Tharkad, Grand 
  Duke Morgan Kell has returned to Arc-Royal. Today Duke Kell issued 
  the following statement:
   
  “These are dark days for the Inner Sphere.
   
  “For centuries humankind has fought wars, and always 
  mercenaries have played their part. But what is a mercenary? To 
  the public, a mercenary is a warrior—sometimes romanticized, 
  often reviled—who ﬁ ghts for money. To a military commander, a 
  mercenary is an asset to be used, just like any other weapon. To a 
  politician, a mercenary is a necessary evil, an expense that must be 
  accepted to achieve a desired goal.
   
  “The one thing everyone expects from a mercenary is integrity.
   
  “Not loyalty. Not high morals, not even bravery. Integrity.
   
  “Some consider the mercenary trade to be the second-oldest 
  profession (or perhaps the third, after politics), but integrity is the 
  foundation on which the whole ediﬁ ce is built. The Mercenary 
  Review and Bonding Commission was created to guarantee that 
  integrity, from mercenaries and those who hire them.
   
  “The deaths of my good friend, Jaime Wolf, and of so many 
  Dragoons can be laid at the door of renegades who chose to sell their 
  integrity, the one thing most important to a mercenary.
   
  “I say now to all mercenary commands, this madness must stop. 
  No more! No matter the fee, no matter the coin, selling our souls—
  our honor—is a transaction we cannot aﬀ ord!”
  MORGAN KELL SPEAKS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section05: FILTHY MONEY
  MERCENARIES UNDER FIRE
  (20 January 3068)
  Galatea City [MERCNET] – In the wake of the destruction of 
  Outreach and the elimination of so many mercenary commands 
  congregated there, many now question to what extent they can 
  trust the various merc units in their employ, and the accuracy of 
  MRBC reliability ratings.
   
  A main reason for this appears to be the independent be-
  havior of many mercenary units. First is the Allied Mercenary 
  Command, a coalition led by Wolf’s Dragoons, including such units 
  as the Dismal Disinherited and Lindon’s Battalion. The AMC has 
  executed several missions under its own authority, most recently 
  the actions on Hall and the recent attack on Mars. The Mars attack 
  was a retaliatory strike after a large number of mercenary units on 
  Outreach suddenly assaulted numerous Dragoons positions, razed 
  Harlech and destroyed the Hiring Hall towers. 
   
  Another unpredicted defection occurred when the Word of 
  Blake retaliated in turn for the attack on Mars by razing Outreach. The 
  Broadsword Legion, a group of Com Guard defectors, turned on their 
  Dragoons employers, inﬂ icting serious damage to the Wolf Spider 
  Battalion before joining up with Word of Blake ground forces.
   
  In light of these shocking events, many have come to view 
  the Northwind Highlanders’ seclusion on Northwind months ago 
  with suspicion. Exercising the emergency escape clauses in their 
  contracts with the Draconis Combine, McLeod’s Regiment and the 
  First Kearny Highlanders left their stations in September of 3067, 
  with a promise to return soon. This action infuriated many in the 
  DCMS and worried several neighboring states, especially since at-
  tempts to contact the Highlanders, or anyone on Northwind, have 
  failed ever since Word of Blake forces arrived in the Northwind 
  system. While many fear the Blakists have assaulted Northwind 
  as they did Outreach—given that the Northwind Highlanders are 
  prominent founding members of the AMC—so far no evidence of 
  such an attack exists. To some, this lack of evidence suggests com-
  plicity between the Highlanders and the Blakists.
   
  More troublesome is the Combine’s response to the departure 
  of the two Highlanders and one Dragoons regiment. With more 
  than half its major contracted mercenaries departing to deal with 
  their own problems, many in the DCMS are openly questioning 
  the reliability of those units still employed. They are particularly 
  critical of Narhal’s Raiders, a unit known to be pro-Federated Suns. 
  The incursions into Combine space during the FedCom Civil War 
  have rekindled old hatreds, and the gradually increasing hostility 
  from locals on Fellanin II may cause predictions of the Raiders’ im-
  pending defection to the Federated Suns to become a self-fulﬁ ll-
  ing prophecy. This public sentiment against mercenaries seems 
  to be propagating across the Combine. Things are looking espe-
  cially grim on worlds such as Kiesen, present base for the Dragon’s 
  Breath and Wolf’s Dragoons’ Delta Regiment, and on Hachiman 
  and Wapakoneta, respective bases for Camacho’s Caballeros and 
  the Crater Cobras mercenary commands.
   
  Meanwhile, public opinion is also turning against mercenary 
  units in the Free Worlds League. The defection of several units in the 
  wake of Operation Guerrero, as well as the League’s military growth 
  and success, have prompted many to argue against “draining na-
  tional resources” to hire mercenaries that are no longer necessary.
   
  With the severe scaling down of Explorer Corps operations 
  and the gradual decline in mercenary employment by major 
  states such as the Capellan Confederation, Free Worlds League and 
  Outworlds Alliance, the mercenary profession is at its lowest ebb 
  in centuries. The recent razing of the mercenary capital and the 
  sharp decline in perceptions of professional soldiers’ reliability and 
  honor paints a bleak picture for the future of the industry.
  RUNNING THE BLOCKADE
  (23 March 3068)
   
  Outreach System [INN] – I am reporting to you from Clan Wolf-
  in-Exile’s ﬂ agship, Werewolf. We are outbound, heading away from 
  Outreach after successfully extracting two companies of survivors 
  from Wolf’s Dragoons’ Gamma Regiment, plus a few allied soldiers, 
  and a large number of civilians and warriors held for months in 
  bases on Romulus. 
   
  This rescue mission became reality in part through intelli-
  gence obtained by the Seventh Kommandos, aided by an indepen-
  dent covert ops team, which indicated that less than a battalion of 
  Dragoons remained on Outreach. Guerrilla operations proved in-
  eﬀ ective, and the surviving Dragoons requested extraction. Khan 
  Phelan Kell and General Wolf agreed to send a joint task force 
  to Outreach to retrieve these personnel. Kell assigned the First 
  Wolf Striker Grenadier Cluster, commanded by Star Colonel Chas 
  Kerensky, to operate with Alpha Regiment, while General Wolf 
  commanded the task force. Bidding for the honor to attack was set 
  aside in the face of the holocaust engulﬁ ng the Inner Sphere.
   
  We departed Arc-Royal on February 1 and arrived eight weeks 
  later on March 20, at a pirate point one day out from Outreach. 
  Fortunately, our close proximity shortened ﬂ ight time and allowed 
  us to slip past the Blakist blockade without suﬀ ering major losses.
   
  Our forces grounded and made contact with Blakist units an 
  hour after landing. The First Wolf Striker held the center while Alpha 
  pushed back the wings, establishing a defensive zone. Meanwhile, 
  the Werewolf and her ﬁ ghters held back the Blakist blockade, clear-
  ing the skies and tying up an unidentiﬁ ed Essex-class destroyer and 
  a Black Lion. Gamma’s survivors and allies arrived for extraction 
  while a ﬁ nal sweep along Romulus’ western district located the ci-
  vilian conﬁ nement camps described by the Seventh Kommandos. 
  Twenty-four hours later, with holds crammed full of survivors and 
  precious little materiel, we lifted aboard a squadron of shuttles 
  and DropShips, to rejoin the Werewolf. With any luck, these peo-
  ple—who saw the horrors of the Jihad ﬁ rst and worst—will ﬁ nally 
  know peace far from the combat zone.
   
  Reporting for INN, outbound from Outreach, I’m Emilio 
  Sanchez.
  FILTHY MONEY
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/06: BURNING FIST 
   
  038 / 039
  BURNING FIST
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section06: BURNING FIST
   
  For the people of the Lyran Alliance, 3067 may well go 
  down in history as the Year of Endings, the year when every-
  thing they had worked, lived and died for came crashing down 
  in fire and chaos. 
   
  In that year, the FedCom Civil War ended, marking the last 
  act of a drama two generations in the making. In that year the 
  reign of Katherine Steiner-Davion came to a close, and with it 
  a shadow war against personal and political freedoms that few 
  were aware had been waged. And in that year the Second Star 
  League ended, killing a noble, hard-fought eﬀ ort to end the 
  threat of wars between the Inner Sphere and the Clans—per-
  haps forever.
   
  In 3067, the last lingering shreds of Lyran innocence died. 
  That year, we went on the attack, with no one to blame for the 
  outcomes but ourselves. That year, the greed for which so many 
  others know us so well became our collective noose. That year, 
  we came close to losing everything that made us a people, a na-
  tion, a force—right down to our very souls.
   
  Indeed, for the people of the Lyran state—once a mighty 
  Commonwealth until civil war and failed ambitions reduced it to 
  a parody of its former self, comically dubbed an Alliance—3067 
  may go down in history as not merely the Year of Endings, but 
  as the beginning of the end of civilization. For us, 3067 was the 
  Year of Götterdämmerung. Never before—save possibly during 
  our nation’s infancy and the Age of War—have the Lyran people 
  stood so close to the abyss as we do today.
   
  And it would be only too easy to step oﬀ  the precipice.
   
  On the day the Jihad came to Tharkad, it seemed as though 
  the entire universe stood still. With a ﬂ ash of light and a cloud of 
  ﬁ re, an unseasonably mild December day became a horror that 
  left tens of thousands dead in minutes. The shockwaves of that 
  attack rippled beyond the capital world, shaking up the entire uni-
  verse and rattling the Lyran political and military leadership to its 
  foundations. The Alliance became a rudderless ship, lost at sea in 
  a tempest, its crew clinging for dear life to the handrails. United 
  in our shock, we could only remember that we were still Lyrans, 
  that we had been hurt as a people, and that what came to Tharkad 
  could just as easily have come to any other Alliance world.
   
  Before long, exactly that happened.
   
  Donegal, Skye, Coventry, Hesperus II, Alarion, Solaris VII—
  the list of major worlds on which the Jihad has already rained its 
  “righteous ﬁ re” is impressive. After a mere twelve months of ﬁ ght-
  ing, few among us have not lost friends or family, or do not know 
  someone else who has, to this new war or the sideline battles it 
  has spawned.
   
  Many of those same survivors often ask if somehow all of 
  this could have been prevented. If our leaders had retained the 
  Second Star League, would the Word of Blake have come to us as 
  allies, presenting the long-lost Invincible as a gift rather than an 
  instrument of mass destruction? Would a few more years in an 
  alliance with ancient enemies—at the expense of our precious na-
  tional resources in the wake of a destructive civil war—have been 
  worth seeing Blake’s “divine light” guarding our planets with the 
  ferocity of the zealot?
   
  Or could we have taken the switch on the tracks sooner? If 
  only we had not formed the Second Star League to begin with, 
  would we now face the wrath of those who placed so much value 
  BURNING FIST
  i
  (27 November 3067)
   
  Tharkad City, Tharkad [SBC] – I’m Juanita Rivera, here at the 
  Whitting Conference, presenting the “Who’s Who” of the Inner Sphere 
  as they show up for this grand event.
   
  Arriving ﬁ rst is Christian Månsdottir, current First Lord, wearing 
  a custom-tailored suit by Tiana Showers. At his side is the artist Emily 
  Parker, in a stunning gown by Kobayashi that changes colors as she 
  moves. Oh, the other ladies will have a tough time matching this 
  stunning look.
   
  Coming up next is none other than Coordinator Theodore 
  Kurita, wearing the majestic mantle of the Combine’s highest oﬃ  ce 
  over his traditional military dress. Accompanying him, his son and 
  heir-apparent, Hohiro Kurita, looks almost identical in his own crisp 
  dress whites, ﬁ tting attire for the standing Commanding General of 
  the SLDF.
   
  I’d try to get closer, but Yvonne Steiner-Davion and Tancred 
  Sandoval have just shown up. The Duke of Robinson has also opted 
  to wear military dress for this event; his choice complements the First 
  Princess’ FuRrOr red satin dress nicely, making for a very attractive 
  couple on the carpet as they wave to the crowds.
   
  And here we have ComStar’s First Precentor Gavin Dow, 
  preceding Precentor Martial Victor Steiner-Davion and Duchess Isis 
  Marik by more than a few steps. The duchess’ green Trellheime dress 
  shows oﬀ  what Chancellor Liao foolishly passed up, though Victor 
  looks a tad unbecoming in his ComStar hooded cape.
   
  Following them is Protector Grover Shraplen of the Taurian 
  Concordat, a hopeful new member for this year’s events, dressed 
  in a conservative yet timeless navy blue jacket and sash. He is 
  unaccompanied, but keeps looking over his shoulder. 
   
  Now we have a lull as a businessman approaches. Oh my! It’s 
  the Word of Blake’s Cameron St. Jamais, wearing something that 
  looks like it came oﬀ  the rack at MeijerMart. Have Terran fashions 
  really fallen so low? Oh, wait, trailing a little behind we see Precentor 
  William Blane of Gibson, dressed in the splendid robes of his Order, 
  working the crowd with a winning smile.
   
  Ah, and here comes Captain-General Thomas Marik and his wife, 
  Sherryl Halas, in a matching ensemble of royal purple and gold trim 
  from Pierre Calderon.
   
  What’s this? Peter Steiner? But the host should appear last! 
  Where are the rest of the delegates? Have the Capellans and 
  Canopians actually snubbed this year’s Star League Conference? 
  ON THE RED CARPET
  i
  
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  040 / 041
  on their ascension into it? If only the Federated Commonwealth 
  had not dissolved, would the weakening of bonds have occurred 
  that precipitated the Star League’s collapse? If only the Clans had 
  never come, would we have needed a new Star League, or even 
  had a Word of Blake splinter group to worry about? The questions 
  will go on forever, suggesting alternatives that could have saved 
  us “if only.” In the end, we will still be here, struggling to survive 
  the outcome of our choices as a nation.
   
  And we must survive them. There is no other alternative.
   
  —Bertram R. Habeas, Acting Editor-in-Chief, (former) 
  Chekswa School of Literature, 20 October 3068
  THARKAD BURNS
   
  Maybe it was a lack of commitment among the individuals in-
  volved. Could the vote to dissolve the Star League have gone anoth-
  er way—averting the holocaust to come—if someone more forceful 
  than Christian Månsdottir had held the oﬃ  ce of First Lord? Could 
  the stern wisdom of Theodore Kurita, the passionate pleas of Victor 
  Steiner-Davion or even the digniﬁ ed words of Thomas Marik have 
  convinced the others to stay the course for one more term despite 
  the venom of Sun-Tzu Liao and his Capellan representative, and 
  the apathy of the rulers of the former FedCom? If they had known 
  what was coming, would they have cast their votes any diﬀ erently? 
  Perhaps. But how long can an alliance of convenience stand when 
  [Yellow Dream]: “Roger, Control, moving to alternate glide path. Any idea 
  where those WarShips came from?”
  [Aurora Wing Leader]: “You’ll know as soon as we do, Yellow Dream. Just 
  concentrate on your orbital path and let us handle that old battle rig.” 
  [Yellow Dream]: “Battle rig? [Censored], Flyboy! You aren’t kidding! That’s 
  a Tharkad-class as sure as I’m standing here! Whoa, wait! I have a visual 
  of the nameplate from here... Odin’s eye, you have to be kidding me! That 
  can’t really be the Invincible, can it? And in Star League colors? You gotta 
  be [censored] me!”
  [Aurora Leader]: “Say again, Dream?”
  [Yellow Dream]: “I just got a close-up scan, Flyboy, and I’m telling you, if 
  she ain’t the real thing, then these guys whipped up one hell of a rep-
  lica… Hey, wait up. Those escorts are Blake ships! I’m staring right at 
  the freakin’ broadsword painted on that McKenna’s nose! You mean… 
  Where the hell did they get the Invincible?”
  [Aurora Leader]: “Calm down, Dream. Just calm down. Now, last time. 
  Alter to Bravo-four and clear the lines… Command, Aurora Flight con-
  ﬁ rms lead vessel is Tharkad-class with Blake capital escort assets. Vessels 
  not responding to tight-beam hails. Please advise.”
  [Alliance Naval Command]: “Stand by, Aurora Flight. Attention, Word of 
  Blake vessels, this is Alliance Naval Command. You are in violation of 
  Tharkad airspace regulations. Please acknowledge this hail and veer oﬀ  
  now, or we will be forced to consider your actions hostile and take ap-
  propriate defensive action.”
  [Yellow Dream]: “Screw this, Flyboy! I’m sitting here staring down the 
  damn guns of a monstrosity brought back from the dead, and you’re 
  telling me to shut the hell up? What the—? Now the damn thing’s got 
  me lit up with targeting computers!”
  [Aurora Leader]: “Say again, Dream?”
  [Yellow Dream]: “You heard me, damn it! That McKenna’s taking a combat 
  stance—I’ve ﬂ own the space lanes long enough to recognize a god-
  damn combat posture! Oh, hell….”
  [Alliance Naval Command]: “Damn it, Blake McKenna! Please disengage 
  your targeting systems and stand down now! …Dream, this is Alliance 
  Naval Command. Give those ships a wide berth. Change your vector by 
  three-ﬁ ve degrees starboard, by—”
  [Yellow Dream]: [panicked] “Control! That bugger’s scanning me like 
  a Canopian whore. I’m lighting out of here…” [Heard in background] 
  “Redirect burn to outbound ninety-mark-zero; I ain’t staying here to be 
  some Blakie’s sim target!”
  [Alliance Naval Command]: “Stay with me, Dream. She’s toying with you. It’s 
  a bluﬀ . There’s no way the Word of Blake is coming here to start a war.” 
  [Yellow Dream]: “R-roger, control. Continuing on course. I’m just not lik-
  ing being so damn close to that monster, Lyran or Blake.” 
  [Aurora Leader]: “Aurora Flight, this is Aurora Lead. Enough’s enough; 
  they’re not backing down. Let’s light these Arschlochs up. Go to active 
  targeting now. On my mark, I want a full warning spread across that 
  McKenna’s bow…”
  [Aurora Two]: “Wait, Aurora Lead! I’m getting a signal here…”
  [Aurora Two]: “Jesus Christ almighty!”
  [Yellow Dream]: [shout from the background] “Scheisse! She just opened 
  up! That Tharkad just—”
  [Control]: “What’s that, Drea— Oh my Go—“
  [Aurora Leader]: “Conﬁ rming orbital ﬁ re on Tharkad. What the hell—!”
  [Yellow Dream]: “—ired on the planet! By Buddha’s hairless head! She 
  JUST FREAKING FIRED ON THARKAD!“
  [Aurora Leader]: “—mmand! Requesting full support! There’s no way we 
  can take these things—“
  [Alliance Naval Command]: “ABORT! ABORT! ALL TRAFF—“ 
  [hissssssssssssssssss]
  [Yellow Dream]: [several voices in the background] “Fighters launching!…
  she’s opening up… Contact! Contact! DropShip burning on atta…kad 
  City! Look at that ﬁ re…registering a massive thermal spike on Thark…
  oming! Fire all anti-missile spre—“ [loud explosion, squeal, silence]
   
  —Intercepted space traﬃ  c transmissions over Tharkad, 
  5 December 3067
  BURNING FIST
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  its own members see it as a sham? Of course, not everyone saw the 
  new Star League as a sham. Within a few terrible days, we learned 
  how far some would go to protect their dreams of the future.
  STAR LEAGUE DISBANDS!
  (30 November 3067)
   
  Tharkad [DBC] —Duke Anatoly Serfass of Alarion gave the fol-
  lowing statement to the pressroom:
   
  “Ladies and gentlemen of the press. I bring shocking news. The 
  second Star League has disbanded today, at this, the fourth—and ﬁ -
  nal—Whitting Conference. Proclaiming their unwillingness to contin-
  ue as a member of the League, the Capellan delegation was the ﬁ rst 
  to withdraw all political and military support for the alliance. In light 
  of ongoing domestic crises in their respective realms, the Federated 
  Suns and the Lyran Alliance both found support for the Star League at 
  this time to be ﬁ nancially, politically and militarily prohibitive.
   
  “The withdrawal of these three states from the League came 
  amid protests from representatives of the Draconis Combine, Free 
  Worlds League, Rasalhague Republic, ComStar, the Word of Blake 
  and the Taurian Concordat, all of whom pressed for a vote of no 
  conﬁ dence in the Star League. The Word of Blake and the Concordat 
  were inducted into the League to participate in this vote, hoping 
  to counterbalance the Capellan, FedSuns and Lyran decisions to 
  vote against the Star League. The resulting 6-to-3 vote in favor of 
  the League’s continuance did not carry the required three-fourths 
  majority to sustain the alliance, much less force its withdrawing 
  members to continue their support for it. You will recall, of course, 
  that the withdrawing realms represent the combined populations 
  of more than half the Inner Sphere.
   
  “The standing First Lord, Christian Månsdottir, acknowledged 
  the vote and formally dissolved the second Star League on the 
  grounds of insuﬃ  cient support from her member-states.
   
  “Ladies and gentlemen, with a heavy heart I say that we all 
  stand witness to the end of an era. I can only pray that humanity 
  truly has no more need for the Star League.”
   
  Continuing our coverage of the tragic events unfolding on Tharkad, 
  SBC recently received this short vid-clip from an aﬃ  liated transport 
  passing through the system. Before we air this, we remind viewers at 
  home that parental discretion is advised. The following material may be 
  unsuitable for some viewers.
  <<<Transmission Begins>>>
  [SBC ﬁ eld reporter Frank Ferranno appears before the Estates General 
  building in the Triad. Behind him, a chanting and jeering mob has gathered, 
  rallied by the muﬄ  ed words of a speaker in noble attire.]
  [Ferranno]: “Are we on? How’s my hair? Go? Hello, this is Frank Ferranno, 
  live from the Triad, where just ﬁ ve days ago the Whitting Conference 
  came to a sudden end as the gathered leaders voted to disband the 
  alliance that helped defeat the Clans once and for all. Reports are 
  sketchy, but we’ve been told that the Word of Blake representative, 
  Cameron St. Jamais, issued a thinly veiled ultimatum to the departing 
  leaders to change their minds and re-form the League ‘or else.’ The threat 
  apparently fell on deaf ears—”
  [Behind Ferranno, the crowd roars in response to something the speaker says.]
  [Ferranno]: “Since then, tensions on Tharkad have remained high. As you 
  can see behind me, in the midst of this chaos, members of the Lyran 
  nobility have been meeting to protest the Archon’s call to the Estates 
  General for a vote on another anti-‘Social General’ bill, which many feel 
  is a smokescreen to deter criticism of his role in the new Star League’s 
  demise. The crowd is growing volatile and the Royal Guard is—”
  <<<Transmission Interrupted>>>
  Inﬁ dels! For the cowardly actions of your so-called leaders in dissolving 
  the Star League and denying the Third Transfer, you shall all feel the divine 
  wrath of the Blessed Blake! May others witness this as a symbol of our 
  righteousness, so that all may know Blake’s purifying light! 
  <<<Interruption Ends>>>
  [Ferranno]: “What the hell was tha—?”
  [Flashes of light cause the crowd to yell in surprise. A few moments later, 
  thunderous explosions somewhere beyond the ﬁ eld of vision accompany a 
  violent shudder. Ferranno spins around and nearly tumbles, trying to see, as 
  the camera shakes violently and loses focus.]
  [Ferranno]: “What the hell was that? The earth is shaking, and there’s 
  been some kind of… some kind of explosion to the north—”
  [Another ﬂ ash, followed moments later by another rumble and distant 
  explosions. The crowd is in a panic, with hysterical screaming and people 
  running everywhere.]
  [Ferranno]: “It—It’s like artillery or something, I think. Someone’s saying 
  there’ve been explosions to the north, but we—“
  [Another ﬂ ash, brighter and far closer than the ﬁ rst, nearly washes out 
  the entire scene for a moment. Ferranno throws his arm across his face, 
  shielding his eyes from the oﬀ -camera light blast.]
  [Ferranno]: “Mother of God! Behind you!” 
  [The camera starts to turn, but the picture is lost in tumbling images and 
  static as a loud boom and a chorus of screams overloads the mike. The 
  camera crashes to the ground, hiding the city from sight, as a thin-stalked 
  mushroom cloud rises above the valley. The view ripples, then goes black.]
  <<<Transmission Ends>>>
   
  Still no word on the number of dead in Tharkad City tonight, or of the 
  fate of the Archon and the Estates General, who were in session at the time. 
  SBC News will continue our coverage of the disaster on Tharkad after this 
  break. Our prayers and hopes go out to the people of Tharkad this evening.
   
  —From SBC News Extra, Solaris Broadcasting Company, Solaris, 
  10 December 3067
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  HORROR UNLEASHED
   
  Tharkad Broadcasting Company aired the following live-feed 
  news broadcast on the morning of 5 December 3067:
  [TBC Anchor]: “…We go live to Derek Majors, onboard the Invisible 
  Truth.”
  <<uplink connected>>
  [Camera snap-fades up]
  [Majors]: [hesitates for a few seconds] “Thanks, Mark. Hello everyone, 
  I’m Derek Majors, reporting to you live from the ready room outside 
  the bridge here on the ComStar WarShip Invisible Truth, known to 
  many in the Alliance as the vessel that spearheaded the attack on 
  Clan Smoke Jaguar’s fortress world of Huntress. We are currently 
  outbound from the recent Star League Conference, where the his-
  toric Second League disbanded less than a week ago. We will be 
  riding along with the Precentor Martial as he escorts the  Princess 
  Regent back to New Avalon. Precentor Martial Davion is planning 
  a tour of ComStar facilities near the Free Worlds League and has 
  graciously allowed us access to parts of his itinerary, in hopes of 
  strengthening the relationship between the secular Order and the 
  Great Houses.
   
  “Currently, we’ve been told that a mystery of sorts has devel-
  oped in orbit around Tharkad. Approximately ninety minutes ago, 
  a small force of WarShips was detected on a fast inbound vector 
  to the planet. These vessels, apparently Word of Blake in origin, 
  had been holding station at an in-system point several hours out 
  from Tharkad, in accordance with local orbital control protocols es-
  tablished for all vessels brought in by the gathering council lords 
  prior to the conference. In a surprise turn of events, however, the 
  vessels were detected a short time ago on a fast approach toward 
  the planet. Sensors conﬁ rmed that the central vessel is the LCS 
  Invincible, the ancient Tharkad-class battlecruiser thought lost cen-
  turies ago after her defense of Hesperus II. Incredibly, this amazing 
  ship—a symbol of Lyran pride and victory over one of the most 
  heroic naval actions in post-Star League history—is now being es-
  corted to Tharkad by a group of Word of Blake WarShips. How they 
  obtained her is anybody’s guess, as well as why the Blakists have 
  chosen to mask her identity on IFFs and radar by running in such 
  a tight formation. It seems they plan to keep us guessing a while 
  longer, having refused all hails since sensors ﬁ rst spotted them on 
  their orbital approach.
   
  “We’re not sure of the Blakists’ intentions, though some have 
  suggested they may have been attempting a rare ‘slingshot’ ma-
  neuver, an eﬀ ort to use Tharkad’s gravity to boost their accelera-
  tion toward the nearest jump point, for which they failed to attain 
  the proper angles and are now decelerating in the hopes of mak-
  ing a second attempt. As a precaution, we’re told that orbital ﬂ ight 
  controllers are diverting all traﬃ  c away from the Blakist formation 
  and military vessels are on standby alert, with at least one ﬁ ght-
  er squadron scrambled in an eﬀ ort to warn oﬀ  the approaching 
  BURNING FIST
  i
  To: Illya Yanilos
  Director of Operations
  Olympia Regional Medical Center
  Olympia, Tharkad
  6 December 3067
  Dear Illya,
   
  The devastation of Tharkad City is numbing. I won’t diminish 
  it with numbers; you can read the attached reports as well as I. Nor 
  will I trivialize it with hollow comparisons. “Not as bad as...”; “Worse 
  than...”; “Much the same as...” What meaning can such phrases have 
  in the face of suﬀ ering? As though a mother grieving her lost child 
  would be comforted to hear another had lost two children or a third 
  had lost none.
   
  I’m sorry, Illya, that last was not directed at you. A foolish 
  reporter asked me to “characterize the situation.” He stood in our 
  triage tent, the moans of the suﬀ ering all around him, and leaned 
  across a sobbing woman who had lost nearly a quarter of her ﬂ esh 
  in a spray of molten glass to shove his recorder in my face. Merciful 
  Allah gave me the strength not to throttle him, but I doubt many 
  news services will carry my response.
   
  Perhaps of use to you—and this is in the reports—in determining 
  the composition and distribution of the second wave of relief (a third 
  and fourth wave would not be too much, if you can ﬁ nd the resources): 
  There was one nuclear explosion, a massive detonation in the industrial 
  district. (A military oﬃ  cer—I could not tell of what service, as he was 
  covered with dirt and blood from digging through the rubble for 
  survivors—said this was inconsistent with the barrage of conventional 
  weapons that had deluged the city and the surrounding countryside.) 
  If you could dispatch radiation teams directly to the heavily populated 
  region west and north of the industrial district, where the prevailing 
  winds have carried most of the fallout, it would save what’s left of the 
  Tharkad City Emergency Response Administration precious hours and 
  eﬀ ort sorting resources at this end.
   
  Beyond the pragmatic, and perhaps all the more signiﬁ cant 
  because it is not coldly empirical: The spirit of the people of Tharkad 
  City is unbowed. Though the bombardment from above has stopped, 
  no one believes it is over. Yet even with the knowledge that the 
  ordeal will continue, the innocent civilians who have borne the brunt 
  of this vicious onslaught do not despair. Rather, the knowledge that 
  they must endure the coming trial has imbued the common man 
  with the determination to persevere.
   
  Where there is tragedy, there is hope. Send what aid you can, 
  dear Illya, and we, as Allah gives us strength, will carry on.
   
  All my love,
  Fatima Yanilos
  Disaster Response Team Leader
  Olympia Regional Medical Center Emergency Services
  SUCCOR
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section06: BURNING FIST
  ships. Most are simply as awestruck as we are, to see the famed 
  Invincible—or at least a craft of the same class and bearing the 
  same name—in service again…
   
  “Wait—I’m getting a signal from my producer… My God! 
  Chuck, turn the camera to the viewscreen!”
  [Camera rotates to a large vidscreen showing the blue-white arc of 
  Tharkad’s sunlit side. A huge, dark and blocky shape hovers in the cen-
  ter of the scene, ﬂ anked by three others.]
  [Majors]: “This is a live feed of what the Truth is seeing on the bridge. 
  The central ship you see, that giant shape there, is the Invincible, 
  with her escorts fanning out to her fore and aft…. My—hey, zoom 
  in on the nose, Chuck, if you can….”
  [Camera zooms in, the picture deteriorating as the image enlarges.]
  [Majors]: [continuing in a rush as the image struggles to refocus]: “I apolo-
  gize for the graininess; we haven’t been able to complete our network 
  patch-ins. Apparently, there have—Wait! There it is again….”
  [The image of the Invincible’s bow shows several winking lights. 
  Agitated voices can be heard in background. The camera snaps back 
  to Majors, his face ashen as he listens intently to an earphone.]
  [Majors]: “No! This can’t be happening! They can’t be doing this! 
  Tharkad’s been bombed…Uh, ladies and gentlemen, apparently 
  a large explosion has been spot—Wait, that can’t be right. Are you 
  sure? Oh, no! Tharkad City has been hit by a powerful blast, appar-
  ently centered near the Palace. We are hearing reports of heavy 
  radiation at or near the blast area....”
  [Camera quickly swings back to the vidscreen, now showing several 
  explosions surrounding the WarShips.]
  [Majors]: “Gott in Himmel! The Archon! He’s still th—”
  <<uplink disconnected>>
  CHAOS AND CONFUSION
   
  The following are real-time civilian communication logs from 
  in and around the West Alistair Pines District in Tharkad City, 5 
  December 3067:
   
  [09:30] David? This is Phaedra. Call me as soon as you get this.
   
  [09:30] Tommy? This is Mommy. Call me as soon as you get this.
   
  [09:30] Louisa? This is Phae. Call me soonest.
   
  [09:31] Mom? Has something happened with the phones? I 
  can’t get up with anyone. Call me.
   
  [09:31] Dad? Pick up. This is Phae. Nobody’s answering their 
  phones. Call me.
   
  [09:32] This is a Civil Authority Override of commercial broad-
  casting. A Class One Traﬃ  c Advisory is now in eﬀ ect. In compliance 
  with the Civil Defense Emergency Evacuation Plan, all inbound 
  lanes of Interstates Four, Seven, Sixteen and Twenty-three are 
  hereby designated outbound. Say again: All lanes of all interstate 
  highways are cleared for evacuation only. No inbound traﬃ  c on 
  any interstate highways. All inbound traﬃ  c must turn around. 
  Tune to Civil Emergency Channel for further instructions. Inbound 
  emergency personnel use established alternate routes. Repeat: 
  This is a Civil Authority Override–
   
  [09:32] Attention! Avalanche drill procedures in eﬀ ect imme-
  diately. All students, leave all materials and personal belongings 
  at your station. All teachers, bring only your attendance rosters. 
  All classes line up in hallways. Follow ﬂ oor marshals to lowest 
  level. Avoid all windows and exterior doors. Keep to designated 
  secure areas.
   
  [09:33] Phoenix four-niner-seven, this is Tharkad City Air 
  Control. Wave away; repeat: wave away. Field is closed. Unsafe. 
  Reverse course immediately; maintain altitude. Beaumont three-
  three-six-four, this is Tharkad City Air Control. Wave away; repeat: 
  wave away. Field is unsafe for landing. Switch heading three-
  zero-four; altitude one-four thousand meters. You are cleared for 
  Olympia ﬁ eld. Avatar six-four-one, this is Tharkad City—
   
  [09:34] David? There’s smoke over the city. I can see it over the 
  hills. Call me.
   
  [09:34] Mom? I can’t get David or Tommy. Can you see the 
  city? What’s happening? Call me.
   
  [09:35] This is your automated recall. All oﬀ -duty Trauma 
  Center personnel are to report to the Trauma Center immediately. 
  There is a Class Four emergency. All Trauma Center personnel are to 
  report to the Trauma Center immediately. This is your automated 
  recall. All—
   
  [09:36] Attention, shoppers. There is no cause for alarm. Civil 
  Defense has declared a state of emergency. Please proceed to the 
  nearest emergency shelter entrance, marked by the ﬂ ashing red 
  lights. We apologize for the inconvenience. Once you are safely in 
  the shelter, customer service personnel at each shelter entrance 
  will distribute coupons good for twenty percent oﬀ  your total 
  shopping experience today. One coupon per family. Please pro-
  ceed quickly to the nearest emergency shelter entrance. There is 
  no cause for alarm.
   
  [09:36] David? Everything’s shaking. The smoke—Pick up the 
  phone, dammit! What’s happening?!
  THE ARCHON DEAD?
  (6 December 3067)
   
  We interrupt this broadcast for this emergency report from 
  SBC’s aﬃ  liate on Gallery.
   
  According to sources on Tharkad, Archon Peter Steiner has 
  been killed. Initial reports claim that Capellan forces, having 
  snubbed the Whitting Conference, attacked Tharkad in concert 
  with Word of Blake WarShips, hoping to kill the leaders of the 
  Inner Sphere. It is not certain whether any of the other delegates 
  survived, but a shuttle believed to be carrying the Archon and his 
  brother, ComStar Precentor Martial Victor Steiner-Davion, was dis-
  abled by Capellan ﬁ ghters and then destroyed by a full salvo from 
  a Blakist battlecruiser. 
   
  We at SBC all grieve for the realm’s loss. From what we have 
  been able to piece together, nuclear and orbital weapons were 
  used on Tharkad, leveling Tharkad City and most of the surround-
  ing countryside. This type of action is not atypical of the tyrannical 
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  044 / 045
  Liaos, who used chemical attacks on innocent civilians in the St. 
  Ives Compact during their war against that realm. 
   
  Authorities are requesting that everyone remain calm and 
  that local law enforcement detain individuals of Confederation ori-
  gin for their safety. Lyran armed forces are on red alert throughout 
  the realm, and will be making every eﬀ ort to ensure the safety of 
  the nation and to explore possible responses to this attack on our 
  sovereignty.
   
  For SBC News, Gallery, this is Bill Fundy. Now back to your pro-
  gram already in progress.
  THE GREATER WAR
   
  From the moment the ﬁ rst shells landed on the Triad, the 
  Lyran Alliance was thrown into chaos. In less than a day, all sem-
  blance of political and military authority seemed to evaporate. But 
  the apparent loss of our Archon was only the beginning. Soon the 
  bombing of Tharkad City would prove to be just the ﬁ rst boulder 
  of the coming avalanche.
  SKYE ASSAULTED!
  (6 February 3068)
   
  New Glasgow, Skye [SKYE NEWSNET] —There is not a soul 
  alive who hasn’t heard about the bombing of Tharkad. Our own 
  proud and ancient city has now suﬀ ered a similar indignity. 
   
  Two days ago, a vessel positively identiﬁ ed by the LAS Katrina 
  Steiner as the FWLS Percival, an Eagle-class WarShip, jumped in 
  to the Skye-Luna L5 LaGrange point with a small taskforce of 
  DropShips and ﬁ ghters. Refusing to answer hails, the DropShips 
  BURNING FIST
  i
  <<TBC broadcast ﬁ le report 30671231>>
  [Majors]: “I’m here on the grounds of the former Precentor Martial 
  Anastasius Focht’s winter home, located in the Free Rasalhague 
  Republic on the planet Orestes. We arrived in-system only a day ago 
  and were met by the Combine delegation, which had arrived only a 
  few hours before us. With Precentor Martial Victor Steiner-Davion, his 
  sister—and FedSuns regent—Yvonne Steiner-Davion, Duke Tancred 
  Sandoval of the Draconis March, and now the Coordinator of the 
  Draconis Combine and his heir, nearly all the leaders who gathered 
  for the fateful Whitting Conference last month are now gathering for 
  a new summit.
   
  “It is New Year’s Eve here on Orestes, but as we speak, the mood 
  is anything but festive. In the house behind me, one can only imagine 
  the weight of the conversation, as the rulers of half the Inner Sphere 
  discuss recent developments on Tharkad and beyond.”
  [Camera moves to the left and zooms in on a mansion half-hidden 
  behind large cypress trees and a Partisan AA tank. Majors continues in 
  voice-over.]
  [Majors]: “Communications with several worlds in the Chaos March 
  have been lost. Of greater concern, in addition to the continued loss 
  of contact with the Lyran capital and our leadership, are the scattered 
  reports of civil unrest on Luthien.”
  [Camera pans back to Majors.]
  [Majors]: “So the question on everyone’s mind is, are these events 
  isolated incidents? Or part of a grand conspiracy to neutralize the 
  Great Houses? Is the Captain-General involved in some way? We 
  know he met with Victor and the others on the Invisible Truth behind 
  closed doors just before they left the Tharkad system, but he did 
  not accompany them here to Orestes. While they deliberate, we 
  wait. Hopefully they can make sense of the rumors and reports and 
  help the citizens of the Inner Sphere sleep better at night with their 
  actions and decisions.
   
  “This is Derek Majors, reporting from Orestes for TBC News, 31 
  December, 3067.”
  <<Xsys:peak:transmitAA:dest.TBC:Muphrid:transmitAA:dest.TBC:Skye:
  completion:full.decrypt>>
  “SUMMIT OF LIGHT”
  i
  <<ﬁ le.30680112.text.encryptionkey.rho.iota.alpha>>
  To: Denise Heinrich, producer / TBC:Donegal
  Date: 12 January 3068
  Denise,
   
  I’m two weeks out from the Orestes Summit and I’ve ﬁ nally 
  ﬁ gured out that the Invisible Truth is on her way to the Terran 
  Corridor on what is commonly called in military circles a “recon in 
  force.” Apparently, the summit participants decided they need more 
  information in order to coordinate responses from the Alliance, the 
  Suns and the Combine. This vessel will be coordinating intelligence 
  from the Terran Corridor and I hope to bring you more information 
  regarding aﬀ airs in the Chaos March and maybe even from the 
  Confederation, since our sources there have gone silent. The FedSuns’ 
  Regent is still currently aboard, so we’ll be making a slight detour in 
  the next few days in order to hand her oﬀ  to a waiting Federated 
  Suns transport.
   
  While I still don’t know our ultimate destination, I have managed 
  to determine that we’ll be passing near the Nusakan system, so I’ll 
  send our report uplinks to the TBC aﬃ  liate there. My next report 
  will be ﬁ led in four days, after the transfer; ComStar has ordered a 
  general communications blackout after this last batch is sent.
   
  On a personal note, have you heard from my wife yet? I know 
  limited communications have been established with Tharkad and 
  I’m hoping she got a message out.
   
  Danke!
   
  Derek Majors
  <<Xsys:peak:transmitB:dest.TBC:Nusakan:incomplete:intercept.full.decrypt.
  rompriority.omega.omega.beta>> 
  RACING TO THE SOURCE
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section06: BURNING FIST
  detached and burned toward Skye under the Percival’s escort. The 
  raiders were intercepted minutes from planetfall by aerospace 
  ﬁ ghters and DropShips drawn from several of Skye’s defending 
  regiments, led by Kommandant Joseph Zemetica of the First Skye 
  Jaegers Air Wing. Using the Leaguers’ deceleration vector against 
  them, Zemetica coasted inert until the Percival and most of her 
  ﬂ otilla had passed before engaging at point-blank range with a 
  number of troop carriers and ﬁ ghters. Reportedly, an Excalibur-
  class DropShip, two Triumphs and a Union-class vessel were among 
  the League casualties before the Percival and her attendant vessels 
  could respond, all but decimating our valiant defenders. 
   
  Thwarted, the Mariks turned to desperation tactics. The 
  Percival took up station above our world and launched a devastat-
  ing orbital bombardment against New Glasgow and the positions 
  of the Fourth Skye Rangers, one of the largest defending forma-
  tions on the planet. The assault inﬂ icted massive damage, leveling 
  the New Rouken Glen Park, the CI-119 APC plant due south of that, 
  and most of the suburbs in between.
   
  League forces then set down due north of New Glasgow and 
  engaged the remnants of the Fourth before being boxed in be-
  tween the Skye Guards and the First Skye Jaegers. The attackers’ red 
  and green ’Mechs, believed to belong to the Second Sirian Lancers, 
  engaged Skye forces in the foothills southeast of New Glasgow for 
  BURNING FIST
  i
  <<<signal uplink:established>>>
   
  “This is Colin Thurston of TBC Fourteen. To all citizens of Tharkad! 
  Arise!
   
  “The past month has been hell for all of us ever since the 
  devastating strike that took our capital and nearly killed our Archon. 
  In the past few weeks we have endured nuclear holocaust, poison 
  clouds and ﬁ ery infernos. We have lost many of our beloved leaders, 
  our Estates General and our spaceports. We are alone. But we are 
  not forgotten! We know what these monsters have done. We know 
  what they continue to do—poison our food, burn our cities, kill our 
  husbands, our wives, our children.
   
  “But there is hope. That hope is you. As long as the Lyran spirit 
  lives in the hearts of her people, Tharkad will survive!
   
  “Even now, collection points are being established planet-wide 
  to receive food, medicine and clothing for those in need. Rally points 
  are also being set up for those with medical, technical, military and 
  emergency response skills. For the love of the Alliance, we ask that all 
  citizens who can assist in any way report to these rally points. More 
  information can be found on the global network at ‘LAT.relief.emergency.
  fourteen’.
   
  “Even now more Blakist DropShips are burning toward our home 
  soil. Even now they still attempt to crush our pride, our heritage and 
  our spirit. But we will not surrender! Tharkad will not fall! We will 
  ﬁ ght on!
   
  “As long as TBC can remain on the network, we will continue 
  to provide you updates and information on this vicious attack on 
  our capital. For now, this is Colin Thurston, TBC Fourteen. For the 
  Archon!”
  <<<signal uplink:terminated>>>
   
  —Pirate transmission issued by TBC aﬃ  liates among the 
  Tharkan Resistance, circa 7 January 3068
  “WE WILL FIGHT ON!”
  i
  <<system recording: tempﬁ le.30680220>>
  [Majors]: “Right now I’m standing in the officers’ ready room on 
  the Truth…”
  [Muﬄ  ed explosion in background]
  [Majors]: “…and we are currently under attack. I’m told a hostile 
  WarShip opened ﬁ re on the Truth when we emerged from hyperspace 
  only moments ago. I am now going to enter the bridge to see if we 
  can learn any more about our situation.”
  [A sealed pressure door opens as camera approaches]
  [Majors]: “Admiral! Precentor Martial! Can you tell us what’s going on?”
  [Admiral Alain Beresick and Precentor Martial Victor Steiner Davion 
  turn toward the camera]
  [Beresick]: “Majors! GET THE HELL OFF MY BRI—“
  [A loud explosion is heard; the lights dim slightly. Multiple voices shout out.]
  [Crewmen]: “Sir! Forward PPC batteries destroyed!” “…I’ve lost signal 
  with Central Life Support…” “…Severe damage reported in aft 
  starboard thruster group…”
  [A hand covers the camera lens]
  [Victor Steiner-Davion]: “Look, Majors, I’m going to level with you. 
  We’re in bad sha—“
  [Muﬄ  ed explosion heard]
  [Crewman]: “Alternate generator online….”
  [Beresick]: “Victor? Strap him and yourself into that couch. NOW! Tell 
  Precentor Garibaldi that his marines better be ready. Have them 
  report outside Nose Bay Three.”
  [Shuﬄ  ing noises, sound of snaps being engaged]
  [Crewman]: “Sir! Enemy vessel has lost maneuvering thrusters on her 
  port side!” 
  [Hand slips, revealing part of viewport and a large gray-black shape 
  ahead]
  [Beresick]: “Give us 1.5 Gs, vector oh-oh-two, prepare for collision.”
  [Crewmen]: “One point ﬁ ve G, oh-oh-two. Distance to target, twenty 
  and closing.” “…Enemy vessel attempting to evade…”
  [Beresick] “All hands! Brace for impact!”
  [Alarm klaxons. Tremendous explosion. Loud banging. Shattering glass. 
  High pitched squeal.]
  <<tempsave:terminated at source>>
   
  —From conﬁ scated footage taken by TBC reporter Derek Majors, 
  ﬁ lmed 20 February 3068
  “HOSTILE INTERCEPT”
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/06: BURNING FIST 
   
  046 / 047
  the better part of a day before the arrival today of the Seventeenth 
  and Twenty-second Skye Rangers—coupled with a sortie by the 
  Katrina Steiner that reportedly damaged the Percival—forced the 
  enemy into a general retreat.
   
  Even as the Marik forces withdraw, Duke Robert Kelswa-
  Steiner has assured the people that Skye will not fall the way 
  Tharkad did. Issuing an oﬃ  cial declaration of war against the Free 
  Worlds League on his authority as Provincial Lord, Kelswa-Steiner 
  has called on all true sons and daughters of Skye to join in repel-
  ling the Marik threat.
   
  “Skye will not go quietly into the darkness of night, but will 
  instead cast her shadow into the hearts of her enemies,” a deter-
  mined Duke Robert told reporters today in a mid-morning press 
  conference. “Today, we have driven these invaders from our world. 
  Tomorrow—when the time is right—we will take the ﬁ ght right 
  back to the Captain-General’s door.”
  LONG ODDS FOR DUKE ROBERT
  [Jenny]: “…And that’s why I’d go two to one for the Blue Fists. Next 
  caller… go ahead, Tim from Montenegro.”
  [“Tim”]: “Hi, long-time listener, ﬁ rst-time caller.”
  [Altsoba]: “Thanks, Tim. What’s your question?”
  [“Tim”]: “Yeah, I was wondering what odds would you guys put on 
  Duke Robert being able to win?”
  [Altsoba]: “Heheh… well we wouldn’t put anything up for beating 
  the Free Worlds League, but we are working on some numbers for 
  his survival as a military leader.”
  [Jenny]: “Now, Alt, the duke has a few things going for him. First, he 
  has the momentum. He started his attacks after the assault by the 
  Sirian Lancers, so he can pick his targets until the League starts hit-
  ting back. He also has a technological edge with Lyran ’Mechs, and 
  don’t forget an edge in leadership.”
  [Altsoba]: “What? We’re talking about Lyrans! “Social Generals,” 
  anyone?”
  [Jenny]: “Well, that’s a bit overstated. The Archon passed over many 
  political appointees for oﬃ  cers with battleﬁ eld success, and at all 
  levels the Lyrans have more seasoning and experience.”
  [Altsoba]: “Of course, Robert has to face the fact that he’s hopelessly 
  outnumbered. Nor does he have the logistics chain. I’m going nine 
  to two that he surrenders in the ﬁ rst three months. Jenny?”
  [Jenny]: “Five to two he pulls oﬀ  six months before winning a cease-
  ﬁ re, Alt.”
   
  —Excerpted from The Altsoba and Jenny Show, Solaris 
  Broadcasting Company, Solaris VII, 11 March 3068
  WAVE TWO?
   [Josh Greene, a ﬁ eld reporter for Lyran Issues, stands before a back-
  drop of urban destruction. Rescue workers and ﬁ reﬁ ghters can be 
  seen behind, searching the rubble and tending to wounded men and 
  women, many in tattered and soiled business attire.]
  [Greene]: “… Reports of damage inﬂ icted by the Blakist WarShip—
  tentatively identiﬁ ed as the Blake’s Redemption, a Vincent-class cor-
  vette—continue to come in as we speak, Janice. I’m standing here 
  at the site of what used to be the Donegal Stock Exchange. You can 
  see behind me as Marsdenville ﬁ reﬁ ghters, paramedics and police 
  continue to search the rubble for survivors.
   
  “We have also conﬁ rmed that orbital ﬁ re collapsed the Nashan 
  Pharmaceuticals site downtown, making it the second of Nashan 
  Diversiﬁ ed’s four main complexes here on Donegal to be struck by 
  the Blakist attacks, which began barely thirty-six hours ago. Still 
  no word on the fate of Nashan CEO Duchess Margaret Doons, who 
  was believed to be in her Willington’s Eyrie headquarters when the 
  bombing started.
   
  “Likewise, the Mauser & Gray complex near Horrelsburg was 
  struck by naval autocannon ﬁ re. Casualty estimates have been 
  low for that attack so far, as the site apparently began evacuating 
  when the ﬁ rst bombardments started.
   
  “According to—” 
  BURNING FIST
  i
   
  This is Edgar Phoebus Jr. for SBC News.
   
  SBC News prides itself on reporting the truth and we investigate 
  all of our stories to the fullest. However, last week a report about the 
  initial attacks on Tharkad was sent out under the SBC name that 
  was not the work of SBC. While SBC did not authorize this report it 
  was sent out over out network and we take responsibility for the 
  misinformation that was transmitted. 
   
  Tharkad was bombarded by WarShips belonging to the Word 
  of Blake. While the Capellan and Canopian delegates were not there, 
  there also is no proof of their collaboration. As you have no doubt 
  heard in earlier reports, the Archon and his siblings were not killed 
  in the attack but managed to escape harm. The Archon’s precise 
  whereabouts remain unknown but we suspect he is still on Tharkad, 
  his brother Victor escaping with his ComStar troops. 
   
  We regret the inconvenience this may have caused and we will 
  work hard to ferret out the source of this unscrup—
  <<<Transmission Interrupted>>>
   
  Attention Lyrans! We know you. We know you have no wish 
  to disrupt the highest standard of living in the Inner Sphere that you 
  currently enjoy. Compliance with the Master’s plans will leave your 
  realm unscathed. Resistance will leave you crippled to a point that will 
  make living in the Periphery look enticing. Do not interfere with the 
  Master! He has the power to unleash all your enemies upon you!
  <<<Interruption Ends>>>
   
  —it! What the fu—we’re back on air? I’m sorry, ladies and 
  gentlemen; we’re having technical diﬃ  culties. We will now switch 
  you to a classic episode of The Steinhearts until we can ensure a 
  secure broadcast.
   
  —From SBC News Extra, Solaris Broadcasting Company, Solaris, 
  1 March 3068
  RETRACTION
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section06: BURNING FIST
  [An explosion erupts behind Greene. People scatter and the camera 
  spins, losing focus. The image whirls, then comes to a sudden stop as 
  the camera falls. Suddenly all is snow.]
  [Janice Kreitzer]: “Josh? Josh? Can you hear me? … I’m being in-
  formed that our reporter and crew are ﬁ ne, but that their equip-
  ment is no longer functional. Josh will be back with us later today.
   
  “Meanwhile, it has been reported that naval weapons ﬁ re 
  damaged the main Lockheed/CBM manufacturing facility. There 
  are no estimates on casualties yet, but a spokesperson for the First 
  Donegal Jaegers indicated that the area was completely destroyed, 
  and the city of Sethensgard apparently suﬀ ered substantial dam-
  age as well. Casualties there could climb into the thousands.
   
  “The Jaegers’ initial attack against the Redemption failed to 
  penetrate its ﬁ ghter screen, though reportedly the Redemption’s 
  defenses were substantially weakened in the attempt. Since then, 
  the regiment has tried to make use of any ﬁ ghters available at the 
  Lockheed complex for a second assault. With the damage done to 
  those facilities, however, Jaegers commander Colonel Amy Smith 
  admits that dislodging the Blakist vessel will be diﬃ  cult. Colonel 
  Smith is recommending that everyone seek shelter away from ma-
  jor population areas or other potential Blakist targets.
   
  “Combined with the nuclear attacks that occurred a hundred 
  kilometers oﬀ  the shores of Marsdenville earlier today, the devasta-
  tion planet-wide is enormous. We continue to receive reports of 
  heavy damage to the capital city of Marsdenville. While it appears that 
  the Blakist vessel targeted speciﬁ c sites, such as the Donegal Stock 
  Exchange, their weapons ﬁ re has caused a lot of collateral damage. 
  There are reports of ﬁ res in almost every part of the city, and—”
  [Kreitzer holds a hand up to her ear, listening.]
  [Kreitzer]: “We’ve just been informed that the Ohav Shalom com-
  plex has been hit by capital class missiles. We also no longer have 
  any contact with any of our reporters on the Tin Cans.
   
  “At this time, ladies and gentlemen, HPG reports from our af-
  ﬁ liates on Coventry and Hesperus II have conﬁ rmed Word of Blake 
  attacks there as well. Though this aﬃ  liate remains undamaged for 
  the time being, the fact remains that nobody knows where the 
  next bombs or shells will fall. We will continue to cover these hor-
  riﬁ c events as they unfold, and pray for a miracle.”
   
  —Excerpt from Lyran Issues, a DBC holovid news magazine 
  based on Donegal, 17 March 3068
  AN APPEAL FOR UNITY
   
  The following priority relay HPG transmission to all Alliance 
  worlds originated from Maria’s Elegy on Hesperus II on 17 March 
  3068:
   
  My friends, we are facing our darkest hour.
   
  On one side, enemies we have known only for decades seek 
  to carve deeper into our heartland. On another, those who were 
  our countrymen, however brieﬂ y, maneuver for advantage. Old 
  foes who have vied with us for centuries stir across our border 
  and make rogue raids against our worlds. And a new enemy that 
  clothes itself in righteousness strikes from cover of darkness.
   
  Fourteen weeks ago, Tharkad City, our capital and a beacon 
  of peace and civilization for all the nations of the Inner Sphere, 
  was destroyed in a nuclear holocaust. Whether by accident or 
  design, the spark that ignited that ﬁ re was struck by terrorists who 
  BURNING FIST
  i
  Mom–-
   
  Forgive the unorthodox routing, but if I’d sent this through 
  channels you never would have seen it. I don’t know what the oﬃ  cial 
  story on Coventry is, but the short form is: We’re still here.
   
  Damnedest thing. Don’t know who hit us. Had to be Blakists or 
  FWL, maybe both. But we never saw one insignia, never heard one 
  call sign that gave a clue. They weren’t Clan—they fought in lances, 
  not Stars—but that’s the only thing we can say for sure.
   
  WarShip bombardment and hot-dropped ‘Mechs. They meant 
  to roll right over us. We made it a bumpy ride.
   
  Kids at the Academy fought like hell, but you’d expect that. Held 
  on and held out and more of them than should have made it through.
   
  But Mom, the militia. I’ve complained about being here, what? 
  Three months working on reﬁ t and retrain for the CPM? I knew they 
  had potential. But I didn’t expect them to deliver.
   
  What did that ass Walker call the CPM? Sunday soldiers? Well, 
  it’s been a month of Sundays ever since the hostiles hit. Discipline 
  under ﬁ re you wouldn’t believe. When they took hits, and they took 
  a hell of a beating, they regrouped on the ﬂ y and never lost cohesion. 
  Fought like—Well, we’re still here and the other guys aren’t.
   
  They’ll be back. But we’re ready. 
   
  Tell Gloria and the kids I’m ﬁ ne. I’ll see you all when this is over.
   
  —Letter sent by Hauptmann Larry Schuester (on temporary 
  detached duty from the 24th Lyran Guard), Coventry, 18 March 3068
  VOICE FROM THE DARKNESS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/06: BURNING FIST 
   
  048 / 049
  cloak their crimes in robes of sanctity, who brought the symbols of 
  our ﬁ nest hours out of shadowy closets to rain death and destruc-
  tion in what they doubtless consider poetic justice.
   
  What, then, are we to do when our nation, our heritage, is sur-
  rounded by war and anarchy? 
   
  We have lost our capital city. But we have not lost our heart. 
  We have not lost that which makes us Lyran. Our nobility, our fo-
  cus, our determination to go on. The provincial capitals remain 
  strong. Skye, lightly wounded, is bloodied but unbowed. Alarion, 
  Bolan, Coventry and Donegal—all hit—remain secure. We are, as a 
  people, equally secure in our resolve to stand fast.
   
  Though we face the darkness, we are the light.
   
  Together, united in loyalty to each other and to our liege, we 
  as Lyrans are proof against any trial, test or treachery that may 
  come against us. We are the Lyran Alliance, an alliance of the Lyran 
  people, and we will endure.
  (signed)
  Duke Daniel Brewer of Hesperus II
  CEO Deﬁ ance Industries
  17 March 3068
  SKYELEAGUE WAR FORCES ARCHON’S HAND
  (20 March 3068)
   
  Europa, Melissia [DBC] – Margrave and General of the Armies 
  Adam Steiner released a statement today decrying the “rogue 
  activities” of Duke Kelswa-Steiner, whom he blames entirely for 
  the recent incursion into the Free Worlds League (locally dubbed 
  Operation Überschatten). The attacks, which struck worlds rim-
  ward of Bolan Province, were sanctioned by Duke Kelswa-Steiner, 
  who did not receive prior approval from the Archon for his action.
   
  Margrave Steiner, concerned that his kinsman lacks enough 
  troops to safeguard the Skye and Bolan Province borders “while 
  pursuing his own private war,” has announced the redeployment 
  of several LAAF units, stressing that these troops will move only to 
  defend the realm and not take part in Skye’s “adventurism.” Steiner 
  further indicated that this strategic relocation was made possible 
  by the Arc-Royal Accords, and has expressed his conﬁ dence that 
  the Exiled Wolf Clan can safeguard the Arc-Royal Theater without 
  the assistance of the Lyran units being redeployed. 
   
  General Thamon Hammerskjold has gone on record protest-
  ing the Margrave’s decision, which will send multiple units from the 
  Melissia and Arc-Royal theaters either to the Free Worlds League 
  border or to the interior to free up units in Coventry and Donegal 
  provinces from traveling to the front, or to break the Blakist block-
  ades on Coventry, Donegal and Hesperus II. 
   
  With these decisions, Margrave Steiner has taken decisive ac-
  tion to confront the many threats that face our nation. Indeed, the 
  Lyran state owes much to its General of the Armies, who seems to 
  have acted before the Archon even announced his oﬃ  cial position 
  on the Bolan/Skye invasion. We can rest easy with such competent 
  hands at the helm of our nation’s military.
   [Louis Ahinga (Editor, Skye Free Press)]: “How they can continue to feign 
  complete ignorance—?”
  [Wesley Smith (Editor, Donegal Observer)]: “They may not be feigning 
  anything. We’ve all seen copies of the Captain-General’s news advisory 
  after Tharkad—“
  [Annie Reed (Editor, Coventry Clarion)]: “Civic Advisory!”
  [Smith]: “Absurd as it sounded, it carried the force of law. Nothing has been 
  done to rescind it. If they—and by ‘they’ I mean the Free Worlds League 
  news media and regional governments—believe that any information 
  not vetted by the Captain-General or the Ministry of Information is in 
  fact disinformation, they have no choice but to disregard any reports 
  coming directly from us. Particularly since it seems evident their Ministry 
  of Information is heavily compromised by the Word of Blake—“
  [Reed]: “In other words, Marik is not only aiding and abetting the Blakists, 
  he’s requiring his news media to do the same!”
  [Smith]: “He is only aiding and abetting if he knows the truth. He may be 
  as misled as the rest of his government. Or governments.”
  [Ahinga]: “If any of them are in fact misled.”
  [Smith]: “Oh, yes. There’s probably huge disagreement over what should 
  be done, which you’d expect from such a coalition. But none of them 
  allegedly question that the ‘root problem’ is our nation’s coming apart for 
  no apparent reason and launching ‘unprovoked’ attacks against them? 
  Sorry, a conspiracy among aggregate demi-nations simply would not 
  have that uniformity. There’s got to be dissent.”
  [Reed]: “They’re uniform enough in their opportunism and greed. The 
  League knows we’re pressed by the Clans; it knows we’re still rebuilding 
  from the war; it knows we’ve been attacked by the Blakists. The League 
  sees us bloodied and thinks us weak.”
  [Ahinga]: “When one of their own dictators got gunned down, they 
  pretended to blame us as a pretext for invasion.”
  [Smith]: “Now—“
  [Reed]: “Our punitive response was wrong only because it was not swift 
  or decisive enough. The Leaguers are taking advantage of our restraint, 
  calling it an invasion as a pretext for a massive world-grab. There’s no 
  evidence of confusion. They’re Word of Blake up to their damn eyeballs 
  and there will be no lasting peace until they’ve been blasted back to 
  their ‘blessed maker.’”
   
  —From Weekend Update (Lyran Interstellar News), 7 March 3068
  BURNING FIST
  i
  THE FREE WORLDS LEAGUE: UNHOLY ALLIANCE OR UNWITTING PATSIES?
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section06: BURNING FIST
  ALLIANCE UNDER SIEGEDAY 115
  (30 March 3068) 
   
  Bolan [SBC] – Duke Robert Kelswa-Steiner announced in a 
  brief press conference today the start of the second wave of at-
  tacks against the Free Worlds League. Four more worlds of the 
  treacherous League became targets in what Duke Robert calls “a 
  lesson in retribution to our ignorant neighbors along our border.” 
  The statement and brief Q&A session came after the formal me-
  morial service for the assassinated Caesar Steiner that concluded 
  earlier today in Tsalagi Park.
   
  Citing the unprovoked attack against Skye taken by Sirian 
  Lancer units from the Free Worlds League this past February, 
  Duke Robert conﬁ rmed that the current assault, joined by leaders 
  from the Alliance’s Bolan Province, is intended as a show of might 
  against the new enemy of peace. “Because the League took advan-
  tage of the horror visited on Tharkad City by attacking Skye and her 
  people, as well as assassinating Caesar Steiner on Bolan, the Lyran 
  people must stand up and show these Free Worlders the true price 
  of treachery. Today we launch our second wave of attacks on the 
  border worlds of the League, to rescue citizens held hostage by 
  their terrorist government and protect them from their ignorant 
  leaders and barbaric generals. Even as I address you, Lyran forces 
  are burning toward Colfax, Sheridan, Thermopolis and Pingree, to 
  save those worlds’ innocent civilians from the murderous intent of 
  the Captain-General and his Word of Blake allies.”
   
  During the brief question-and-answer session, the duke once 
  again reassured everyone that he had total authority to carry out 
  this assault, citing the announcement from Bolan Province’s mem-
  bers of the Estates General that eﬀ ectively declared war on the 
  League on the ﬁ rst of March. That announcement followed less 
  than a month after Skye’s own declaration of war. He also admit-
  ted that he had not been in contact with Tharkad since the system 
  was attacked with a nuclear weapon, but stated he was within his 
  rights as the duke of Skye to safeguard his citizens and those of his 
  liege “regardless of our Archon’s status.”
   
  Information also released today from the Skye Ministry of War 
  showed the occupation and surrender of Togwotee and Cascade—
  both targets of the ﬁ rst wave of Operation Überschatten back in 
  the second week of March. Ministry oﬃ  cials mentioned the nu-
  merous victory celebrations by the local populations, additional 
  evidence to prove that Duke Robert’s actions were correct.
   
  When asked about the recent ﬁ ghting on Coventry, Donegal 
  and Hesperus II, the duke stated only that ﬁ ghting was ongoing 
  and that “the Alliance has gained the upper hand against the Word 
  of Blake and its League patsies.” Loss of any of these systems would 
  be a hard blow to the increased military production of the Lyran 
  Alliance’s three super-industrial provinces.
   
  Duke Robert was also asked if Operation Überschatten would 
  last longer than the second wave. He responded, “As long as 
  League worlds cry out for Alliance protection, we will help liberate 
  them.”
   
  Before the duke left the podium, he called on all Alliance 
  citizens to remember the lives lost in the attacks on Tharkad and 
  Skye. “To paraphrase a Terran leader of long ago, December the 
  ﬁ fth, 3067 will be ‘a day that will live in Infamy.’”
   
  Tharkad in ruins! Donegal, Coventry and Hesperus bombarded and 
  blockaded by Word of Blake forces! Skye, Wyatt, Phecda, Alchiba, Milton, 
  Loric, Ford, Giausar, Timbiqui and Poulsbo, all invaded by the Free Worlds 
  League! 
   
  My friends, the utter incompetence of Peter Steiner-Davion can no 
  longer be hidden; it is made manifest by our horriﬁ c losses, and threatens 
  the total destruction of our proud Lyran state! We are assailed from all 
  sides, and it will only be a matter of time before the opportunistic Jade 
  Falcons again descend on us in our weakness. The Dracs would be over 
  the border as well to do some more “peacekeeping,” if they could only 
  ﬁ gure out who runs their show.
   
  How much longer must we tolerate the inept reign of Peter the 
  Worthless? He has accomplished nothing, and has only aggravated 
  the problems we face daily. Now that such grave threats loom before 
  us, we must act with strength and determination, not indecision and 
  confusion! 
   
  Clearly, far more capable individuals exist to lead us than the 
  ﬂ edgling Peter, who lacks any meaningful military experience. A 
  mediocre MechWarrior, he is an even more incompetent leader. And 
  though we mourn the loss of a man of such stature and ability as Caesar 
  Steiner, it is good to see that the Steiner blood runs true and strong 
  today in Adam Steiner. He achieved impressive feats in the Jade Vulture 
  Incursion of 3064, and his more recent actions demonstrate his vision. 
  Clearly the right man to serve as General of the Armies, he would also 
  make an Archon far superior to Peter Steiner-Davion. 
   
  The noble Steiner blood runs thin indeed in our Archon. Time for 
  some true and more capable blood to replace him!
   
  —Pamphlet issued by Brotherhood Press, Cincinnatus Publishing, 
  6 May 3068
  BURNING FIST
  i
  THE ARCHON HAS FAILED US!
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/06: BURNING FIST 
   
  050 / 051
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, this is Gray One. We’re two blocks from the Hiring 
  Hall compound. Have you received anything from Wolf Actual?”
  [Clavell]: “Negative, Cameron. Last report was Waco and his boys 
  charging into Complex Alpha, where Actual and a Home Guard lance 
  were located.”
  [Shadd]: “Complex Alpha? That is the guest housing for visiting dignitaries 
  and their staﬀ .” 
  [Cameron]: “Any other Home Guard units around? I’m getting no signal, 
  magres is too cluttered.”
  [Spider Two]: “All bands quiet; nothing registering.” 
  [Spider Three]: “Spider Three here. Currently at Jacoby Way and Rain 
  Street. I show three of Waco’s people here.”
  [Clavell]: “Status, Pollack?”
  [Spider Three]: “One Crusader’s missing its head, Stealth is prone and 
  cold, and I can’t even ID this last guy—there’re parts everywhere. The 
  Smithton Street Grill got ﬂ attened, too.”
  [Spider Four]: “Bastards.”
  [Clavell]: “Quiet, Ahmed.”
  [Cameron]: “Approaching the Hall’s main gate…holy hell.”
  [Clavell]: “What do you see, Gray One?”
  [Cameron]: “Can’t describe it, Johnny. ‘Mech parts everywhere. Like ﬁ re 
  came from heaven and dropped them where they stood.” 
  [Gray Two]: “Sir, the archway—I see something…”
  [Gray Three]: “I’ll cover you, Two.”
  [Cameron]: “Shadd, ride up with Two and see what’s beyond that archway. 
  I’m showing a faint reactor signal.”
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, status? Come on, Brian, clue me in! I’m only four 
  blocks back. Can you wait?”
  [Cameron]: “Neg, Spider One.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point, detach and spread out.”
  [Cameron]: “Four, do you have a count yet for this area?”
  [Gray Four]: “Seven Waco ‘Mechs, two Home Guard so far... Looks like 
  Perry and Gieber bought it here.”
  [Spider Three]: “Damn. There goes my ten C-bills.”
  [Clavell]: “Liam, shut the chatter. Angle up Roberts Avenue and watch for 
  booby traps.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir, we have located Actual.”
  [Cameron]: “Report.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir… you better come up and see for yourself.”
  [Clavell]: “Dammit, man, spill! What the hell’s going on?”
  [Shadd]: “Actual’s ‘Mech is operational, Spider One. His foot is entangled 
  in the wreckage of Waco’s BattleMaster. It is not going anywhere.”
  [Clavell]: “That badly damaged? Is Actual’s radio out?”
  [Cameron]: “I don’t think so, Johnny. Shadd? Can you get a man up there to 
  check the Archer’s cockpit?”
  [Shadd]: “Point Two! Ascertain pilot condition in the Archer! Open the 
  cockpit if you have to.”
  [Silence for several minutes]
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, Spider Command has reached the Hall.”
  [Growler Two]: “Sir, it appears the pilot is unresponsive.”
  [Shadd]: “Unresponsive?”
  [Cameron]: “Life signs, Trooper?”
  [Growler Two]: “He is dead, sir. There are wounds in his thigh and torso, 
  and a large amount of blood on the ﬂ oor. My guess is he died about 
  thirty minutes ago.”
  [Cameron]: “Gray One to all Dragoons. Wolf Actual is down. I say again, Wolf 
  Actual is down. Go to Condition Feral. Say again, set Condition Feral.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point! Fan out and check these other ‘Mechs for 
  survivors! Take out any hostiles.”
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, Zeta’s reporting heavy ﬁ ghting near Gateway 
  Bridge. Redirect there to assist. Gray Command, dismount and sweep 
  the area for any non-combatants, move them to the secure bunkers.” 
  [Clavell]: “Roger that, Gray One.” [pause] “Brian, you know we need to 
  notify Maeve.”
  [Cameron]: [pause] “All in good time, Johnny. Let’s ﬁ nish cleaning up our 
  own house ﬁ rst.”
  [Clavell]: “Roger that. Spiders! Move out to nav point Tango. Let’s get us 
  some payback!”
   
  —Excerpted Wolf’s Dragoons transmissions, Outreach, 18 October 3067
   
  We go now to Kiva Cooper, SBC’s own Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, covering events currently unfolding in Solaris City. 
  [Kiva appears before the camera, apparently reporting from a rooftop. Behind her is the vast urban expanse of Solaris City’s International Zone, with the massive 
  metallic bubbles of DropShips in Solaris Spaceport plainly visible. Thin ribbons of smoke rise from several unseen ﬁ res, curling up into the gray sky.]
  [Kiva]: “Are you getting this, Jamie? This is Kiva Cooper, reporting live from the rooftop of the SBC Broadcasting Center in the International Zone as 
  unknown forces continue their attack on Solaris VII. We’ve seen bone-white BattleMechs of vintage and recent manufacture, dropping in and around 
  the city outskirts, and from here we can see movement in the spaceport as security forces clash with the unidentiﬁ ed attackers.“
  [Camera zooms in, catching a glimpse of roughly a company of Lyran ’Mechs using the spaceport buildings and grounded DropShips as cover. Weapons 
  ﬁ re from a branch of the complex, the “Concourse E” label clearly visible, shows the approach of more than a dozen white ’Mechs, led by an Awesome. The 
  white ’Mechs tear into the buildings as well, obliterating that section of the spaceport in a hail of PPC and laser ﬁ re.]
  [Kiva]: “The security forces are overwhelmed. There are too many attackers, a full battalion or more sweeping the spaceport alone. The city is in chaos. 
  Over to the west, we can see ’Mechs in Starlight and Zelazni colors ﬁ ghting each other in the streets, the cause of their recent clash unknown. The 
  Pop TV building just collapsed under Mandole Mgwane’s Jinggau.”
  [Camera swings around and brieﬂ y highlights two ’Mechs dueling in the street, sweeping over a demolished building and scurrying bystanders running for 
  cover, and eventually settling on a lone dark blue Banshee squaring oﬀ  against two lighter white BattleMechs.]
  [Kiva]: “We do see some resistance from the stables here. There, on Paris Street, it looks like a Banshee from a minor stable is dueling with two of the 
  invaders. Get a close-up of the invader BattleMaster, Jamie. Wait, that triple-diamond insignia! That’s Paul Diamond, a contender who left to join the 
  Word of Blake. Is this a Blakist attack? The Banshee pilot has put the Blake Wolverine between him and Diamond. Wait, there’s a man running out on 
  foot, with some sort of satchel. Oh my!”
  [Camera attempts to focus on a satchel-armed man who rushes at the Banshee, only to vanish in a ﬂ ash of light meters away from the ’Mech when the 
  pack explodes prematurely.]
  [Kiva]: “Oﬀ  in the distance, we can see other parts of the city in ﬂ ames. Columns of smoke are visible from various parts of Kobe, the Black Hills. 
  Reports tell of Lyran defenders dying in all parts of the city, refusing to abandon even the non-Steiner sectors. Even now we’re hearing of ﬁ ghting as 
  far out as the Reach—”
  [A tremendous explosion shakes the camera and Kiva instinctively ducks. Camera swings around, catching glimpses of ﬁ res all along the skyline. A roar of 
  ﬁ ghter engines momentarily washes out all sound.]
  [Kiva]: “Over there! It’s the Star League Dome!” 
  [The camera pans northward to the massive dome of the almost-completed Star League Stadium on the banks of the Solaris River. Flames engulf the ruined 
  dome, blackening the Davion sword-and-sun logo as a secondary blast rips through the structure.]
  [Kiva]: “My God, who are these people?”
   
  —From SBC News Special Report, Solaris Broadcasting, 16 June 3068
  BURNING FIST
  i
  SOLARIS ATTACKED!
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section07: BROKEN SWORDS
  BROKEN SWORDS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/07: BROKEN SWORDS  
  052 / 053
  To all members of the Orestes AFFS military attaché oﬃ  ce: 
   
  We received this yesterday. This conﬁ rms much of the infor-
  mation we have been hearing for the past several months and lays 
  to rest some of the worst of the rumors. I will post more informa-
  tion as soon as I receive it. In the meantime, I am authorizing dis-
  semination of this document to the FSNS aﬃ  liate here on Orestes, 
  pursuant to Item 8 of this message.
   
  —Colonel Persephone Conrad, AFFS Commander
  SECURE/SENSITIVE/HIGHEST PRIORITY
  182321TOCT3068
  FROM: HQ AFFS/MARSHAL OF THE ARMIES
  TO: ALL AFFS COMBATANT COMMANDERS & LIAISONS
  INFO: HQ AFFS/HIGH COMMAND & STAFF
  SUBJECT: STATE OF THE AFFS
  ROUTING: [CENSORED] AND HAND DELIVERY ONLY; 
  DISSEMINATE AS NEEDED
  1. THE EVENTS OF THE PAST YEAR HAVE LEFT 
  TRADITIONAL INTERNAL LINES OF COMMUNICATION 
  UNRELIABLE AND GIVEN RISE TO GENERAL PANIC 
  THAT IS PREVENTING THE AFFS FROM EFFECTIVELY 
  RESPONDING TO THE CRISIS. THIS COMMUNICATION 
  WILL ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT COMMANDERS ARE 
  UNDOUBTEDLY FACING THROUGHOUT THE FEDERATED 
  SUNS.
  2. THE STATE COMMAND AUTHORITY (SCA) IS 
  FUNCTIONING. THE PRINCESS REGENT IS ALIVE 
  AND SAFE AND IS DIRECTING THE MARSHAL OF 
  THE ARMIES AND THE HIGH COMMAND AS THEY 
  COORDINATE THE DEFENSE OF THE FEDERATED SUNS. 
  HPG COMMUNICATIONS WITH NEW AVALON ARE NOT 
  RELIABLE AT THIS TIME AND THE PRESENCE OF WORD 
  OF BLAKE SPACE COMBAT ASSETS IN THE SYSTEM 
  MAY RESULT IN THE INTERDICTION OF TRADITIONAL 
  COURIERS. [CENSORED] COMMUNICATIONS WITH NEW 
  AVALON ARE STILL FULLY OPERATIONAL. AT THIS 
  TIME FULL COMMUNICATIONS ARE STILL POSSIBLE 
  WITH REGIONAL COMMAND CENTERS.
  3. THE FEDERATED SUNS IS AT WAR WITH THE WORD 
  OF BLAKE. 
  4. NEW AVALON HAS BEEN ATTACKED BY WORD OF 
  BLAKE SPACE AND GROUND FORCES. THOSE FORCES 
  HAVE USED ORBITAL BOMBARDMENT AND PRECISION 
  AEROSPACE STRIKES AGAINST NUMEROUS TARGETS BUT 
  TO DATE HAVE NOT USED NUCLEAR, BIOLOGICAL OR 
  CHEMICAL (NBC) WEAPONS. TWO WAVES OF GROUND 
  FORCES HAVE LANDED BUT HAVE NOT GAINED MORE 
  THAN LOCAL GROUND SUPERIORITY. CURRENT AFFS 
  AND OTHER MILITARY FORCES IN-SYSTEM ARE DEEMED 
  ADEQUATE TO DEAL WITH THE WORD OF BLAKE THREAT 
  TO NEW AVALON. DO NOT SEND COMBAT FORCES TO NEW 
  AVALON UNLESS DIRECTED BY THE SCA.
  5. THE WORD OF BLAKE HAS STRUCK OTHER NATIONAL 
  CAPITALS AS WELL AS SOME CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE 
  WORLDS WITH NBC WEAPONS AS WELL AS WITH ORBITAL 
  STRIKES. THARKAD, LUTHIEN, DIERON, TUKAYYID, 
  SIAN AND OUTREACH HAVE ALL BEEN SO ATTACKED. 
  THE WORD OF BLAKE HAS ALSO STRUCK NUMEROUS 
  OTHER WORLDS WITH GROUND FORCES. MOST OF THESE 
  GROUND STRIKES WERE DESIGNED TO DISRUPT COMMAND 
  AND CONTROL (C2) AND LOGISTICS FUNCTIONS. 
  SIGNIFICANT WORD OF BLAKE SPACE AND GROUND FORCES 
  ARE LIKELY STILL OPERATING IN THE FEDERATED 
  SUNS. THESE FORCES MAY DISGUISE THEMSELVES TO 
  INCITE INTERNAL UNREST OR PRECIPITATE CONFLICTS 
  WITH OTHER POWERS. COMMANDERS ARE URGED TO 
  EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION IN RESPONDING TO 
  ATTACKS WITHOUT CONFIRMED INTELLIGENCE.
  6. AT THIS TIME THE CAPELLAN CONFEDERATION 
  AND THE DRACONIS COMBINE ARE IN A DE FACTO 
  STATE OF WAR WITH THE FEDERATED SUNS. ALL AFFS 
  FORCES ARE ORDERED TO DISCONTINUE OFFENSIVE 
  OPERATIONS AGAINST THE CONFEDERATION AND THE 
  COMBINE AND THEIR ALLIED FORCES. COMMANDERS 
  MAY STILL EXECUTE ANY COMBAT OPERATIONS DEEMED 
  NECESSARY FOR FORCE PROTECTION AND NATIONAL 
  DEFENSE. 
  7. THE CAPELLAN CHANCELLOR IS MISSING AND 
  PRESUMED DEAD FOLLOWING THE STRIKE ON SIAN. 
  COMMANDERS SHOULD NOTE THAT POPULAR SENTIMENT 
  IN THE CONFEDERATION BLAMES THE FEDERATED 
  SUNS FOR THAT STRIKE AND THAT THE CCAF IS 
  UNDERTAKING A FORCEFUL ASSAULT ON A BROAD FRONT 
  IN RETALIATION. IN THE ABSENCE OF CONFLICTING 
  ORDERS, CAPELLAN MARCH MILITARY FORCES SHOULD 
  TAKE ALL STEPS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN THE 
  NATIONAL DEFENSE.
  8. COMMANDERS SHOULD DISSEMINATE THIS INFORMATION 
  TO ALL ASSIGNED AND ATTACHED AFFS, MERCENARY AND 
  CIVILIAN PERSONNEL WITH [CENSORED] CLEARANCE. 
  COMMANDERS SHOULD DISSEMINATE SELECTED DETAILS 
  OF THIS MESSAGE TO OTHER PERSONNEL AND ENTITIES 
  AT THEIR DISCRETION.
  SIGNED//MARSHAL OF THE ARMIES JACKSON DAVION
  BROKEN SWORDS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section07: BROKEN SWORDS
  SUNSET OVER THE SWORD 
   
  The opening months of the Word of Blake Jihad struck the 
  Federated Suns with no less ferocity than that shown the Lyran 
  Alliance. With both nations still recovering from a costly civil war, 
  the Blakist assaults inﬂ icted as keen a wound under the sun-and-
  sword banner as under the mailed Steiner ﬁ st.
   
  —Michael Bosworth, INN Special Correspondent
  WHO IS IN CHARGE?
  Leadership of the Federated Suns in Question
  (25 January 3068)
   
  Addicks [FSNS] – Just over two months have passed since 
  the Word of Blake assaults on New Avalon and Tharkad, and the 
  question of who is in charge of the Federated Suns remains unan-
  swered.
   
  Princess Regent Yvonne Steiner-Davion was in attendance at 
  the Tharkad Star League Council meeting, along with the minister 
  of the Draconis March, Duke Tancred Sandoval. Also in attendance 
  were numerous other Inner Sphere leaders, including the Princess 
  Regent’s surviving brothers, Lyran Archon Peter Steiner-Davion 
  and ComStar Precentor Martial Victor Steiner-Davion. All of them 
  reportedly escaped the Tharkad system for Tukayyid, only to be 
  set upon once more by the Word of Blake, whose WarShips alleg-
  edly destroyed all ComStar forces in the system before continuing 
  their pursuit of the Princess Regent and her entourage.
   
  Her last transmission came three weeks ago. No one has 
  heard from her since.
   
  Many believe she is dead, while some claim she is returning 
  to New Avalon under a communications blackout. In either case, 
  the net result is the same: the Federated Suns is without its leader 
  in a time of crisis unlike any in the past.
   
  Various regional civilian and military leaders point to New 
  Avalon, where Jackson Davion—the commander of the AFFS and 
  the Prince’s Champion—the Privy Council and the High Command 
  are leading our nation from the Fox’s Den. But while that command 
  bunker may have survived the Word of Blake’s bombardments, the 
  Blakists have cut New Avalon oﬀ  from the rest of the Inner Sphere. 
  HPG communications have not been possible since the initial as-
  BROKEN SWORDS
  i
  Nuclear Weapons Used to Level Capital City
  (2 February 3068)
   
  Argyle [FSNS] – Information about the Word of Blake assault 
  on Tharkad two months ago has been scarce. Rumors of everything 
  from the planet’s complete obliteration by some doomsday device 
  to the scouring of the Lyran capital by thermonuclear weapons, 
  to the conquering of Tharkad by an unstoppable Word of Blake 
  invasion force have circulated throughout the Inner Sphere for 
  weeks. Until now, however, those were just rumors. Thanks to 
  the courageous actions of a few JumpShip captains who braved a 
  continued blockade of the Tharkad system, we can ﬁ nally conﬁ rm 
  what happened there almost ten weeks ago.
   
  On December ﬁ fth, days after the dissolution of the Star 
  League, a ﬂ eet of Blakist WarShips along with their supporting 
  DropShips and ﬁ ghters sped into orbit over Tharkad, apparently 
  led by an ancient Lyran battlecruiser salvaged and refurbished by 
  the Blakists. These vessels, apparently part of the Word of Blake’s 
  Whitting Conference entourage, opened ﬁ re on Tharkad, targeting 
  the capital city and other signiﬁ cant population centers just as they 
  did on New Avalon. However, unlike New Avalon, the Blakists struck 
  Tharkad City with a nuclear attack.
   
  The precise nature of this attack remains unknown. Various 
  sources indicate the Word of Blake ﬂ eet used anywhere from a 
  single atomic warhead to a dozen thermonuclear devices to destroy 
  Tharkad City. Regardless of the number of weapons used, the result 
  is clear: Tharkad City is little more than a crater and radioactive 
  clouds are circling the world, raining deadly fallout on the lucky few 
  who survived the strikes.
  THARKAD ATTACKED!
  i
  (11 December 3067)
   
  Freisland [FREISLAND PRIDE] – The Freisland planetary 
  governor just released a statement conﬁ rming that the Word of 
  Blake has attacked New Avalon! Civilian casualties are unknown, but 
  a Word of Blake WarShip ﬂ eet bombarded New Avalon and landed 
  troops, insisting that the Federated Suns rejoin the Star League!
   
  Clearly, this is all a ruse. The Blakists have been Capellan allies 
  as long as these ComStar schismatics have existed. Obviously, they 
  agreed to lend WarShips to aid Sun-Tzu’s nefarious plans. Or perhaps 
  they were forced. Certainly the Word of Blake’s intentions so far 
  appear to have been peaceful. They’ve brought stability to several 
  Chaos March worlds, and they’ve never borne the Suns any ill will. 
  But regardless of the reason, their complicity in landing Capellan 
  troops on New Avalon makes them guilty by association. We’ll make 
  them pay for their treachery!
   
  The Regent and Jackson Davion should have listened to Duke 
  Hasek more. He’s warned us of the threat posed by the Crapellans 
  all along. Obviously, he was right. This strike against New Avalon 
  can only be the prelude to a full-scale invasion, hoping to catch our 
  nation disorganized and unable to repel the Green Horde so shortly 
  after our civil war.
   
  Well, the Crapellans have ﬁ nally gone too far! We need to get 
  our act together and ﬁ nish what we started in 3028! We’ve ignored 
  them for too long. If they want a ﬁ ght, we should shove one right 
  down their throats until they choke on it!
  THE BASTARDS WILL PAY!
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/07: BROKEN SWORDS  
  054 / 055
  sault and couriers have only gotten a handful of messages into and 
  out of the besieged world. Military commanders claim the chain of 
  command has not been compromised, but so far have been unable 
  to provide any reliable evidence to back up those assertions.
   
  So whom does that leave? Duke George Hasek.
   
  Speaking from his command center on New Syrtis, he broad-
  cast this statement via HPG to the entire Federated Suns just ﬁ ve 
  days ago:
   
  “Fellow citizens, together we are facing the single greatest 
  threat to freedom since the treachery of Amaris. Today our en-
  emies not only surround us, but have struck at the heart of our 
  nation. They will not succeed! Until my cousin can return to New 
  Avalon, I will work directly with military commanders and gov-
  ernmental leaders to ensure the security of the Federated Suns. 
  Our enemies will not break our will! We will stand against them no 
  matter what form they take, and we will end their reign of terror!”
   
  Duke Hasek is, of course, next in the line of succession and 
  one of the only senior members of the government and military 
  not stranded on New Avalon. Whether he can successfully direct 
  the defense of the Federated Suns from New Syrtis is a question 
  that has yet to be answered. Unnamed senior AFFS oﬃ  cers here 
  on Addicks speak of confusion in the military, as well as of nu-
  merous ﬁ eld commanders striking out on punitive campaigns of 
  their own.
   
  In short, the Federated Suns is a nation in chaos, the end of 
  which is not in sight.
  MARSHAL OF THE ARMIES SPEAKS
  Reassures Nation in Face of War
  (17 March 3068)
   
  Markesan [FSNS] – Prince’s Champion and Marshal of the 
  Armies Jackson Davion spoke to the assembled press corps here 
  on Markesan earlier today, addressing the concerns and fears of the 
  citizens of the Federated Suns and answering the questions that 
  tens of billions have been asking since word of the Blakist assaults 
  on New Avalon and Tharkad spread in December of last year.
   
   Davion began his thirty-minute brieﬁ ng with the following 
  statement. “Every citizen of the Federated Suns needs to know 
  that our capital may be under siege, but our nation continues to 
  stand strong against the crimes committed against us. We will not 
  stand idly by as the Word of Blake massacres our citizens and com-
  mits unconscionable acts of genocide against our allies.”
   
  He then delved into the details of what has happened over 
  the past three months. Much of what he said veriﬁ ed statements 
  made by Duke George Hasek three weeks ago, but he did go into 
  some depth about the New Avalon siege and the Word of Blake’s 
  other known movements in and outside of the Federated Suns.
   
  The Word of Blake’s siege of New Avalon remains in place. Their 
  initial strikes left much of Avalon City and eleven other major urban 
  centers in ruins, while their follow-up invasion force has attempted 
  to take and hold the capital city and several nearby military bases 
  and industrial centers. The First Davion Guards, the Second NAIS 
  Cadre and a host of reserve and militia regiments have thus far 
  prevented the Blakists from achieving their goals. Marshal Davion 
  BROKEN SWORDS
  i
  My Dear Augustus,
   
  I hope my letter will ﬁ nd you and yours in good health. It was a 
  pleasure to receive your gift, very thoughtful. It was good seeing that 
  ancient Dervish move under its own power again. Send my regards 
  to your contacts that managed to procure those hip actuators. 
   
  I have to say I ﬁ nd these latest rumblings distasteful. New 
  Avalon has been under siege by Word of Blake and possibly Capellan 
  forces for more than three months now. Recent word suggests the 
  Blakists or the Capellans received reinforcements. This state of 
  aﬀ airs is horrifying. Of course we can’t expect our young Regent 
  to be any good to us. But I must say I’m terribly disappointed by 
  Jackson Davion. Why does it take so long to liberate the capital of 
  the most powerful nation in the Inner Sphere?
   
  With great concern, loyally yours,
   
  Constance 
  Salutations Constance,
   
  You are most welcome, and I am pleased that my small gift 
  has brought you that much joy. I am well in body, but my mind is 
  burdened by concerns similar to yours.
   
  Two matters increase my worries. The ﬁ rst is Duke Hasek’s 
  increasingly anti-Capellan stance. Nothing wrong with it, certainly 
  not while Capellan boots may stain New Avalon soil! However, the 
  troops the duke has available are not enough to face the Capellan 
  juggernaut alone. Unfortunately, Sandoval has failed to keep his 
  province under control as well. They’re in a frenzy because of the 
  Combine’s internal struggles. Too many clamor that all the recent 
  wars have weakened the Combine, and that they ought to ﬁ nish 
  now what old Aaron started. I concede the timing would have 
  been right for a strike into the Combine, considering the state it’s 
  in, but we simply are not in a position to do such a thing. We need 
  the leadership to return New Avalon to us, after which we can 
  concentrate on punishing the Capellans and Blakists for their crimes. 
  As you noted, Jackson Davion is failing in that respect. Hasek seems 
  capable enough, but he does not command the necessary respect 
  outside his own March. 
   
  Who, then? Who can lead our nation out of this dark time? I’m 
  sure you can guess who has my favor. And I’m sure you’ll agree he 
  will need our organization’s support. Don’t you concur?
   
  Respectfully yours, with hope,
   
  Augustus 
   
  —Intercepted letters (flagged “for later analysis,” circa 
  1 March 3068) found in the ruins of an MIIO IGS department 
  office on Chesterton.
  “BROTHERS, UNITE!”
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section07: BROKEN SWORDS
  would not comment on future plans to lift the siege, though he did 
  indicate that HPG communications with New Avalon are still spotty 
  because of damage sustained in the initial strikes.
   
  Davion went on to conﬁ rm Blakist attacks on Tharkad, Outreach 
  and Luthien, including the use of nuclear weapons on the ﬁ rst two 
  worlds. Though the Word of Blake’s true motive in these assaults 
  remains unknown, all indications point to the Blakists “punishing” 
  the leaders of the Inner Sphere for dissolving the Star League in 
  November. Additionally, the Free Worlds League has apparently 
  struck the Lyran world of Skye, though we have yet to determine 
  whether or not this occurred as part of the Blakist war.
   
  Questions about the location and condition of Princess Regent 
  Yvonne Steiner-Davion and Duke Tancred Sandoval remained un-
  answered—on the grounds of national security—though Marshal 
  Davion repeatedly stated that the government and military chain 
  of command continued to function. Likewise, the Marshal did not 
  answer questions about Duke Hasek’s involvement in the day-to-
  day decision-making process.
   
  Following his press conference, Marshal Davion met with 
  AFFS senior oﬃ  cers here on Markesan before leaving the world, 
  presumably to brave the Blakist blockade of New Avalon and re-
  turn to the Fox’s Den.
  THE FORGOTTEN FRONTS
   
  Even as a new war dawned over New Avalon, the lingering 
  strains of older grudges remained alive and well. Between the 
  stubborn resistance of Taurian holdouts in the Pleiades and the 
  persistent rumors of civil war POWs in the Combine, the embers of 
  old ﬁ res soon found fuel to spark new ﬂ ames.
  THE PLEIADES QUESTION
  Concordat Remains “A Nuisance”
  (13 March 3068)
   
  New Syrtis [FSNS] – In light of the Word of Blake’s expand-
  ing war on the entire Inner Sphere, many ill-informed people have 
  been asking if there’s any reason to stand fast in the face of the 
  Taurian “victory” in the Pleiades Cluster. The power of the press to 
  misinform once again rears its ugly head.
   
  Though Duke George Hasek easily evicted the Taurians from 
  the six worlds they struck, their mere presence in the Pleiades 
  Cluster has required the greatest eﬀ ort. Months after the Taurians 
  entered the Cluster, our Second Ceti Hussars are still hunting down 
  what remains of the invaders. 
   
  Mainstream press agencies throughout the Inner Sphere are 
  calling this a triumph of will for the Taurian Pleiades Hussars, claim-
  ing that they are winning the war by appealing to centuries-old 
  pangs of nationalism among the local population. Those reporters 
  conveniently overlook the massive militia, police and civilian eﬀ ort 
  to root out the few Taurians still operating in the Cluster.
   
  In the Federated Suns, the story is more about the supposed 
  hopelessness of the situation—all because of a Kittery News 
  Service report that featured a letter home “from the front” in which 
  a young soldier complained that the “indigs” were all out to get 
  BROKEN SWORDS
  i
  (6 January 3068)
   
  Electra, Pleiades Cluster [FSNS] – A ﬁ erce battle continues 
  between Charlie Company of the [censored], Second Battalion, and 
  the Taurian guerrillas here in the Tamoon Canyon. The guerrillas 
  have so far eluded most of our patrols, and when we do ﬁ nd a few, 
  combat has been intense. We can see even from a distance the heat 
  emanating from the warriors’ machines as they push them to their 
  limits. One Chameleon last week waded into a pool of water to cool 
  oﬀ , raising clouds of steam from the second it stepped in to the 
  second it stepped out. 
   
  I’ll tell you, Rhett, morale these past few weeks has not been 
  good and is only getting worse. Charlie Company was expecting 
  reinforcements to block as many entrances as possible, but they 
  never came. Supplies are still arriving, but less and less with 
  every shipment. Last shipment was food, medical supplies and 
  ammunition. No spare parts or replacement armor. Not one.
   
  Most of the company I’m with doesn’t want to be here. They’d 
  rather be at the siege of New Avalon ﬁ ghting the Word of Blake, not 
  Taurian guerrillas. Their pursuit is half-hearted at best, the men too 
  eager to pull back. We’ve lost the will to ﬁ ght for this system, and it’s 
  starting to show. The guerrillas have resumed oﬀ ensive operations, 
  launching sporadic attacks on our bases and logistics centers. 
  Though these assaults rarely succeed, the fact that they happen 
  at all illustrates the growing problems here on the ground. Lots of 
  soldiers resent the hell out of George Hasek for not backing oﬀ  his 
  invasion of the Capellan Confederation, and resent Yvonne Steiner-
  Davion for hiding instead of being in the open giving support to 
  her troops. Some even resent Victor Davion for not returning to the 
  throne to help out his people in their hour of need. 
   
  Rhett, I’m getting reports of incoming enemy units, apparently 
  heading right for our position. The MechWarriors are powering up 
  their machines and heading out to meet them, but we’re being 
  ordered to take cover. Brian, get a shot of those two Cataphracts 
  coming around the bend ﬁ ve hundred meters down the canyon 
  meeting our Stealth on guard. Our other boys are rushing to help 
  their beleaguered comrade, but I’m not so sure they can reach the 
  Stealth in—[Several explosions go oﬀ  in the background.]
   
  Whoa, what’s going on here? It looks like we’re taking a 
  massive artillery barrage. All right, we’re heading to the nearby cave 
  entrance and let the professionals do their thing. 
   
  This is Mich Steinback, FedSuns News…[drowned out by more 
  close explosions] ...Pleiades Cluster, signing oﬀ  for now.
   
  —Holo-report ﬁ led by an embedded FedSuns reporter on 
  Electra
  “AFTER THE RATS” 
  i
  
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  056 / 057
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, this is Gray One. We’re two blocks from the Hiring 
  Hall compound. Have you received anything from Wolf Actual?”
  [Clavell]: “Negative, Cameron. Last report was Waco and his boys 
  charging into Complex Alpha, where Actual and a Home Guard lance 
  were located.”
  [Shadd]: “Complex Alpha? That is the guest housing for visiting dignitaries 
  and their staﬀ .” 
  [Cameron]: “Any other Home Guard units around? I’m getting no signal, 
  magres is too cluttered.”
  [Spider Two]: “All bands quiet; nothing registering.” 
  [Spider Three]: “Spider Three here. Currently at Jacoby Way and Rain 
  Street. I show three of Waco’s people here.”
  [Clavell]: “Status, Pollack?”
  [Spider Three]: “One Crusader’s missing its head, Stealth is prone and 
  cold, and I can’t even ID this last guy—there’re parts everywhere. The 
  Smithton Street Grill got ﬂ attened, too.”
  [Spider Four]: “Bastards.”
  [Clavell]: “Quiet, Ahmed.”
  [Cameron]: “Approaching the Hall’s main gate…holy hell.”
  [Clavell]: “What do you see, Gray One?”
  [Cameron]: “Can’t describe it, Johnny. ‘Mech parts everywhere. Like ﬁ re 
  came from heaven and dropped them where they stood.” 
  [Gray Two]: “Sir, the archway—I see something…”
  [Gray Three]: “I’ll cover you, Two.”
  [Cameron]: “Shadd, ride up with Two and see what’s beyond that archway. 
  I’m showing a faint reactor signal.”
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, status? Come on, Brian, clue me in! I’m only four 
  blocks back. Can you wait?”
  [Cameron]: “Neg, Spider One.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point, detach and spread out.”
  [Cameron]: “Four, do you have a count yet for this area?”
  [Gray Four]: “Seven Waco ‘Mechs, two Home Guard so far... Looks like 
  Perry and Gieber bought it here.”
  [Spider Three]: “Damn. There goes my ten C-bills.”
  [Clavell]: “Liam, shut the chatter. Angle up Roberts Avenue and watch for 
  booby traps.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir, we have located Actual.”
  [Cameron]: “Report.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir… you better come up and see for yourself.”
  [Clavell]: “Dammit, man, spill! What the hell’s going on?”
  [Shadd]: “Actual’s ‘Mech is operational, Spider One. His foot is entangled 
  in the wreckage of Waco’s BattleMaster. It is not going anywhere.”
  [Clavell]: “That badly damaged? Is Actual’s radio out?”
  [Cameron]: “I don’t think so, Johnny. Shadd? Can you get a man up there to 
  check the Archer’s cockpit?”
  [Shadd]: “Point Two! Ascertain pilot condition in the Archer! Open the 
  cockpit if you have to.”
  [Silence for several minutes]
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, Spider Command has reached the Hall.”
  [Growler Two]: “Sir, it appears the pilot is unresponsive.”
  [Shadd]: “Unresponsive?”
  [Cameron]: “Life signs, Trooper?”
  [Growler Two]: “He is dead, sir. There are wounds in his thigh and torso, 
  and a large amount of blood on the ﬂ oor. My guess is he died about 
  thirty minutes ago.”
  [Cameron]: “Gray One to all Dragoons. Wolf Actual is down. I say again, Wolf 
  Actual is down. Go to Condition Feral. Say again, set Condition Feral.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point! Fan out and check these other ‘Mechs for 
  survivors! Take out any hostiles.”
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, Zeta’s reporting heavy ﬁ ghting near Gateway 
  Bridge. Redirect there to assist. Gray Command, dismount and sweep 
  the area for any non-combatants, move them to the secure bunkers.” 
  [Clavell]: “Roger that, Gray One.” [pause] “Brian, you know we need to 
  notify Maeve.”
  [Cameron]: [pause] “All in good time, Johnny. Let’s ﬁ nish cleaning up our 
  own house ﬁ rst.”
  [Clavell]: “Roger that. Spiders! Move out to nav point Tango. Let’s get us 
  some payback!”
   
  —Excerpted Wolf’s Dragoons transmissions, Outreach, 18 October 3067
  (20 February 3068)
   
  New Avalon [FSNS] – The citizens and soldiers of New Avalon have taken up arms to defend their homes for the second time in as many years, 
  this time to ﬁ ght back the Word of Blake assault against what seems to be all of humanity.
   
  Just as news spread that the Second Star League had permanently disbanded, Word of Blake WarShips arrived in orbit around New Avalon 
  and Tharkad. These ships immediately loosed their destructive energies against both worlds in an attempt to cow the leaders of the Inner Sphere 
  into re-forming the Star League. Instead, their wanton depravity was the ﬁ rst strike in what has become their own private “holy war” against all of 
  humankind—a Jihad that began with New Avalon.
   
  The ﬁ rst strikes against the FedSuns capital hit in the early morning hours of December ﬁ fth, shortly after the attacking vessels arrived in-
  system via a LaGrange point close to the planet. Before alarms could sound in the cities, the Blakist ships opened ﬁ re, striking Avalon City, Ranford 
  and New Rennes with energy blasts and missile strikes that killed tens of thousands and ignited ﬁ restorms that swept through all three cities for 
  most of the next day. The Blakist ships continued their rampage of destruction for hours, targeting city after city, before vengeful Federated Suns 
  ﬁ ghters, DropShips and WarShips ﬁ nally intercepted the invaders. 
   
  The resulting battle cost the Word of Blake at least one WarShip and left the rest of their ﬂ eet seriously damaged. In the exchange, New 
  Avalon’s defenders lost two WarShips, numerous DropShips and ﬁ ghters, and thousands of brave men and women. Moreover, the orbital strikes, 
  which were aimed not at military bases but at cities, took the lives of 2.3 million innocents, left at least ﬁ ve times as many homeless and cut utilities 
  across a quarter of the planet. Yet instead of falling victim to panic, the people of New Avalon spoke as one and refused to capitulate.
   
  The assault wasn’t over, however. Six days later, the Blakists dropped their invasion force, damaging what military bases they could with 
  orbital strikes before landing troops outside the still-burning Avalon City. AFFS forces rushed from their mountain bunkers to stop the invaders, 
  halting them within kilometers of the city and beginning almost four months of constant ﬁ ghting.
   
  At ﬁ rst, the Blakists seemed to have one goal: capturing Avalon City and the Davion palace. As the battle for New Avalon dragged on and more 
  Federated Suns’ troops entered the fray, Blake’s crusaders launched a campaign of terror. When they failed to conquer the world by February, they 
  brought in reinforcements.
   
  Still the people of New Avalon continue to resist. Tens of thousands have taken up arms to defend their cities against random attacks, while 
  millions more work to keep power and telecommunications operating, or to repair the damage, or to otherwise aid their fellow humans in surviving 
  this dark time. As the ﬁ ghting continues and hundreds, if not thousands, fall each day, the people have spoken: tyranny shall not prevail! 
  BROKEN SWORDS
  i
  BLAKIST ASSAULT CONTINUES
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section07: BROKEN SWORDS
  them, that the chain of command gave his unit no support and that 
  the Taurians were inﬂ icting horrendous casualties on them. No one 
  reported, however, that this young soldier was a constant discipline 
  problem and faced a court-martial for desertion shortly thereafter.
   
  True, the Taurians are doing everything they can to slip sup-
  plies and insurgents into the Pleiades Cluster, but the best estimates 
  from military and civilian analysts say that less than a battalion of 
  Taurians remains in the region. But it’s going to take time to root 
  them all out, even with a full RCT on the job. After all, there are hun-
  dreds—if not thousands—of places to hide in the Pleiades.
  LEST WE FORGET
  (12 August 3068)
   
  Robinson [ROBINSON REPORTER] – With all the misery aﬄ  ict-
  ing our proud nation, it is hard not to get distracted and mourn for 
  all the countrymen who suﬀ er. But the Draconis Combine can al-
  ways be counted on to provide us with the proper perspective.
   
  Last night, Governor Morris Harland-Davion of Bryceland was 
  found dead, literally cut down by what police have called “ma-
  chete-like instruments.” Harland-Davion, the ﬁ fth in a string of 
  recent assassinations of border world governors, is likely the latest 
  in these Kurita-sponsored hits. Add to that the recent raids against 
  Errai and Murchison, and it’s clear Victor’s good friend Hohiro has 
  his sights set on the Draconis March. Such raids are common pre-
  cursors, and the assassinations further serve to destabilize the re-
  gion in anticipation of an invasion. 
   
  And let us not forget our brothers and sisters we had to leave 
  behind the last time. With the evidence presented to us by Narhal’s 
  Raiders, no one can doubt that the Dracs have pressed our soldiers 
  into slave camps to eﬀ ect “war reparations.” I’m sure you’ve seen 
  some of the footage cleared for the public, or at least heard about it.
   
  How much longer must we stand by before we act? The best 
  defense is a good oﬀ ense. That’s been true almost as long as we’ve 
  waged war as a species. The time to act is now.
  THE TAURIAN PROBLEM
   
  —Excerpted from a private blog by Ikonoklast on the Kathil 
  InterWeb, 24 September 3068
   
  You know what? I don’t care about your inferior opinion, 
  MattSlatt. Go engrave it on a slab of ferrocrete and shove it up 
  your {CENSORED} colon sideways. Your constant whining about 
  the Capellan people this, the Capellan people that, is not scoring 
  any points with ANYONE this side of the border. In fact, at the 
  rate you’re going, I can’t help but wonder whether your income 
  includes any funds of Confederation origin? Maybe someone 
  ought to point out your happy little page (needs a bit more 
  green there, buddy!) to our good friends in the MIIO.
   
  And while I’m talking about Crapellan-huggers, I’m also get-
  ting sick and tired of all those pansies whining about New Avalon! 
  People, it’s been {CENSORED} nine months already! If it could be 
  liberated, it would’ve been. Those WoBblies have got the whole 
  system locked down with WarShips! WarShips, people! You know, 
  those handy little economy-sinking bathtubs of doom that can 
  vape any invading force? Heard of ’em? Until we crank out a few 
  more of those Avalon-class ships from Kathil, we’re stuck without a 
  way to kick that door open. So let those posh butter-eaters on New 
  Avalon cower a bit longer in their {CENSORED} bomb shelters.
   
  Meanwhile, has anyone noticed that we’re still experiencing 
  another invasion? No, not the Clans, idiot, I’m talking about the 
  damn Taurians. Yeah! Remember them? They hit a bunch of our 
  worlds back in early 3067 before we kicked ‘em back out. Oh, 
  except they didn’t quite leave. Nope. They’re still in the Pleiades 
  Cluster after all this time, for {CENSORED}’s sake! And Dukey 
  Hasek couldn’t get rid of ‘em, ‘cause he’s WAY overfocused on 
  the Crapellans. (Shut UP already, MattStatt!) And now with his 
  FUBAR invasion, looks like we can forget about kicking those 
  invaders back to their loser Periphery state. In fact, a little mili-
  tary birdie told me the Taurians recently reinforced the Cluster 
  and may soon pacify it! How about THAT for disgraceful! Nine 
  months on New Avalon, twenty-one months in the Pleiades, 
  hey everybody, just {CENSORED} invade us already! Make 
  {CENSORED} landfall and we can’t {CENSORED} get {CENSORED} 
  rid of you {CENSORED} {CENSORED}!
  {Consumer Advisory: Censoring provided by MechaSoft Parental 
  Programming (all rights reserved); The content of User: Ikonoklast’s 
  personal journal does not reﬂ ect the views of Kathil Online or any 
  of its worldwide subsidiaries.}
  MARCHES AT WAR
   
  In a grim echo of the Lyran border crises, the collapse of cen-
  tral authority with the siege of New Avalon quickly became ap-
  parent on the FedSuns Marches closest to their ancient enemies 
  in the Draconis Combine and Capellan Confederation. Duke 
  Sandoval’s attacks against the Combine would seem almost re-
  strained, considering the strikes of the civil war, but the Capellan 
  campaign waged by Duke Hasek would push the Federated Suns 
  into full-scale war even as the Davion capital fought for its life.
  OPERATION SOVEREIGN JUSTICE 
  UNDERWAY
  (4 July 3068)
   
  New Syrtis [FSNS] – Five years after the signing of the Capellan 
  Peace Accords, the worlds of the St. Ives Compact are once again 
  ﬁ ghting for their freedom—this time without interference from 
  the Star League or indiﬀ erence from the Federated Suns.
   
  Today, Duke George Hasek released the following state-
  ment: “At the request of Duke Kai Allard-Liao and the St. Ives leg-
  islature, we are providing support to the freedom-loving people 
  of the St. Ives Compact as they once again ﬁ ght for independence 
  from the tyrannical Capellan Confederation.” His statement pro-
  vided no further details and he did not answer questions from 
  BROKEN SWORDS
  i
  
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  058 / 059
  the press. Nevertheless, we have obtained further information 
  from sources in Duke Hasek’s headquarters as well as correspon-
  dents in the Compact.
   
  On 25 June, agents working for Hasek spirited Duke Kai 
  Allard-Liao away from St. Ives. According to reports coming out 
  of the Confederation, Allard-Liao was kidnapped by the infa-
  mous Bounty Hunter, who killed a dozen bodyguards and more 
  than a hundred civilians. By contrast, news from Free Capella 
  does name the infamous Bounty Hunter as Allard-Liao’s rescuer, 
  but says the dead were eight Death Commandos and a battalion 
  of Capellan bodyguards charged with preventing Duke Allard-
  Liao’s escape.
   
  Three days later, the ﬁ rst of four mercenary regiments of-
  ﬁ cially released from AFFS service to take part in this operation 
  made landfall in the St. Ives Compact. Coordinating with freedom 
  ﬁ ghters and home guard units identiﬁ ed by Free Capella agents, 
  these mercenaries overran and destroyed Capellan-loyal garrison 
  forces. According to press releases from St. Ives, that world and 
  three others are free from Capellan rule and requesting humani-
  tarian aid and other support from Duke Hasek. AFFS units along 
  the Capellan border are on high alert and mobilizing for response 
  to any Capellan aggression. 
  BROKEN SWORDS
  i
  (6 January 3068)
   
  Electra, Pleiades Cluster [TPB] – Michael, we’re on the move, 
  this time on yet another oﬀ ensive operation. A company of Fedrats 
  has been pursuing us for the past four months and our subaltern 
  has ﬁ nally begun striking back. This will be the third such operation 
  since the Blake assault on New Avalon began last month. The Blakist 
  attack seems to have sent massive shockwaves rippling through 
  the Federated soldiers’ ranks. They’re on edge now, fearful that any 
  concentration of troops or supplies will bring a Word of Blake ﬂ eet 
  over their heads. 
   
  The subaltern has been relaying news of the New Avalon 
  siege to all the other resistance groups, and the response has been 
  overwhelming. Some now think the Word of Blake has taken sides 
  in the crusade to reclaim our homelands, and believe we’re over 
  the hump. Nothing, it seems, will stop our Taurian soldiers from 
  marching forward to reclaim the Pleiades Cluster.
   
  I’m sitting here in the back seat of one of the lead Cataphracts 
  as we approach the enemy’s position, and we’re relaying our 
  telemetry to a battery of artillery we quietly moved into position 
  three days ago. Michael, you need to understand, a month ago 
  that accomplishment would have been inconceivable. The Davions 
  would have detected the movement and intercepted our forces long 
  before they made it to their designated spot. Now they’ve gotten so 
  sloppy and distracted that we can advance and fall back wherever 
  and whenever we want. 
   
  We’ve turned the last corner inside the canyon and can see the 
  Davions’ base camp up ahead. A lone Stealth seems to be protecting 
  this area of the camp; we’re getting ready to throw everything we 
  have at it and anyone else who attempts to assist it. This time we’re 
  going for it all, to ﬁ nally get rid of our pursuers while we have the 
  chance. I think we may have caught most of them out of their ma—
  What’s that?
   
  Oh, all right. I’m being ordered to end my live transmission to 
  clear the comm channels for the military chatter. So we’re cutting 
  this transmission short and I’ll come back later with the results. 
   
  But before I go, I just want to say that the heavy LRM carriers 
  have begun showering the Davion camp with missiles, and it looks 
  simply marvelous. 
   
  For Taurian Public Broadcasting, I’m Richard Walker. Over and out. 
   
  —Filed by a reporter embedded with Concordat forces on 
  Electra
  “EVADING THE HOUNDS”
  i
  (23 September 3068)
   
  Reisterstown [REISTERSTOWN GAZETTE] – I am conﬁ dent that 
  everyone has Operation Sovereign Justice on their minds almost as 
  much as the ongoing siege of our capital. The latest reports suggest 
  that Duke Hasek is making progress, taking some additional worlds, 
  though those same reports also speak of terrible civil unrest on the 
  planets already captured. Sun-Tzu Liao seems to be using the same 
  ploys that worked so well in the Chaos March: seeding terrorist 
  cells among captured populations, supplying any insurrectionist 
  movements that might pop up and overall supporting subversive 
  propaganda. 
   
  Duke Hasek states that his campaign is proceeding well and 
  advancing toward Sian. Meanwhile, however, we’ve seen almost 
  no reports on the St. Ives region—the reports that describe civilian 
  unrest and insurrection. Sure, some St. Ives troops have joined us. 
  Others still ﬁ ght us. Who exactly are we liberating here? We come to 
  give these people freedom, and instead they kill our troops? What is 
  wrong with them? They fought for independence only a few years 
  ago, and now they’re willing to lay down their lives for Sun-Tzu’s 
  oppressive regime! Why do we bother?
   
  Meanwhile, we continue to lose battles and take casualties. Did 
  Duke Hasek underestimate the Capellans that much? Did we all? Or 
  perhaps our troops are not as strong as we thought? I’m sure you’ve 
  all seen the news reports suggesting far too few DropShips are 
  being moved to transport all elements of a unit, almost as if many 
  units are understrength. The duke has so far ignored such claims, 
  but sheer numbers don’t lie. You need more than an Overlord and 
  three Unions to move a ‘Mech regiment.
   
  The prospect of an invasion collapsing on itself, with Capellan 
  troops counterattacking, is grave; the suﬀ ering of the Capellan 
  people in the war zone is awful. But not as chilling as the thought 
  that Federated Suns citizens are in a war zone just two short jumps 
  away. 
   
  Why haven’t we liberated New Avalon yet?
  OVERSTATEMENTS OR UNDERESTIMATIONS?
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section07: BROKEN SWORDS
  Baron Linus Rou, spokesman for Duke Hasek, said of this alert, 
  “We will not invade a foreign nation, but the Federated Suns will 
  respond to requests for aid from our allies, and must provide 
  the assistance demanded by our treaties with them. The St. Ives 
  Compact is ﬁ ghting for its freedom, and we will support them as 
  they battle an unjust and totalitarian government—one curiously 
  unaﬀ ected by the Blakist war currently being waged across the 
  Inner Sphere.”
   
  By all accounts, Duke Allard-Liao is in transit to New Syrtis and 
  could not be reached for comment. Likewise, his mother, Duchess 
  Candace Liao, is currently on Sian and unavailable to the press.
  SOVEREIGN JUSTICE STRIKES DEEP
  Capellans Unable to Stand Fast 
  (5 October 3068)
   
  Kathil [FSNS] – Amid the chaos of the Inner Sphere, the war 
  to again win freedom for the St. Ives Compact looks as if it might 
  once and for all crush the Federated Suns’ greatest enemy—the 
  Capellan Confederation.
   
  Operation Sovereign Justice began a little more than 
  three months ago as Duke George Hasek supported the St. Ives 
  Compact’s bid for freedom. Initially intended as a humanitarian 
  mission to provide relief to worlds freed from the Confederation’s 
  tyrannical grasp, with attached military forces authorized only to 
  defend themselves and their charges from counterattack, the op-
  eration turned military when Capellan forces counterattacked the 
  Compact and the Federated Suns.
   
  “The citizens of St. Ives have themselves thrown oﬀ  the bonds 
  of oppression,” Duke Hasek said almost two months ago on New 
  Syrtis, standing next to Duke Kai Allard-Liao. “Yet their cousins 
  refused to recognize their independence in the most despicable 
  way. Chancellor Liao must learn ﬁ rsthand the price of despotism.” 
  The very next day, AFFS forces crossed the Capellan border and 
  struck targets in the Confederation.
  BROKEN SWORDS
  i
   
  Lord Marshal, I order you, as Regent of the Federated Suns, to 
  stand down and recall your forces to worlds within the Federated 
  Suns borders in order to assist in our defense against the Word of 
  Blake invaders. This is the third such order I have sent since you 
  initiated hostilities with the Capellan Confederation. Your actions 
  have not beneﬁ ted the Federated Suns’ interests or her people.
   
  George, I know you probably still think someone else should 
  be running our nation, and that rightfully Victor should stand where 
  I do. But I am here instead, and I need your help to keep this state 
  together. 
   
  If you do not withdraw your troops and redirect them to 
  the Federated Suns’ defense, I will be forced to take appropriate 
  measures to deal with such insubordination. I deeply regret that it 
  has become necessary to issue such threats, but I will do whatever it 
  takes to keep this nation safe. 
   
  The ball is in your court now, George.
  (signed)
  Princess Regent Yvonne Steiner-Davion
   
  —AFFS Priority One communiqué issued 2 August 3068 
  (undelivered)
  HERDING CATS
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  060 / 061
   
  Shortly after Hasek’s appearance, Baron Linus Rou, the duke’s 
  press secretary, and Leftenant General Yelena Westerbridge, 
  spokesman for the AFFS on New Syrtis, presided over a press con-
  ference. “The Capellans have taken a cue from the Word of Blake 
  and are striking civilian targets in the St. Ives Compact and the 
  Federated Suns in an apparent attempt to erode popular support 
  for the Compact’s ﬁ ght for freedom,” said Rou. “And they do this 
  while holding Duchess Candace Liao hostage on Sian. You can 
  almost see the gun to her head as she reads those statements 
  condemning the people who ‘ﬁ ght against the wisdom of the 
  Celestial Throne.’ The people of St. Ives are not buying it, and nei-
  ther should anyone else.”
   
  Westerbridge spoke about speciﬁ c details of the military 
  operation. “To this point, AFFS forces have defended themselves 
  without penetrating the Capellan border. Those gloves are com-
  ing oﬀ  now. In conjunction with St. Ives Military Command troops, 
  regular and mercenary, we will begin targeting military objectives 
  in the Confederation.” 
   
  The leftenant-general did not name speciﬁ c targets, but 
  she did indicate that the planned strikes will decimate critical 
  military infrastructure while crippling Capellan logistics lines. 
  Already we are hearing reports of assaults on military bases deep 
  in Confederation space, including worlds just a jump or two away 
  from Sian and Capella. 
   
  “We will make it impossible for Sun-Tzu Liao to prosecute his 
  war on freedom, ensuring the continued survival of the St. Ives 
  Compact,” said Westerbridge. When asked about reports of St. 
  Ives forces battling AFFS troops, she said, “In every war of inde-
  pendence, some support the wrong side. Some have freely chosen 
  their way, while others have fallen prey to the Chancellor’s secret 
  police. Already, the people of St. Ives are speaking as one—they 
  have known freedom and they have known the yoke of oppres-
  sion. They have chosen freedom, and we stand beside them in 
  that choice.”
  BROKEN SWORDS
  i
  Major,
   
  During Recon Operation Domingo, our operatives located 
  an apparent prisoner-of-war camp on Altais, conﬁ rming your 
  suspicions about the illegal and inhumane detention of Federated 
  Sun soldiers. 
   
  After following several dead leads, our operatives located the 
  camp several kilometers away from a newly started germanium mine 
  on the planet’s more remote continent. Providing little safety gear or 
  proper equipment, the Combine handlers are working the prisoners 
  sixteen hours a day with scant food and water. For punishment, they 
  send prisoners to “The Hill” in the center of the camp, where they 
  publicly ﬂ og them or perform rudimentary “medical” operations for 
  the sole purpose of inﬂ icting pain and humiliation.
   
  Our last tactical operation immediately before extraction to 
  our safe house was an unauthorized raid into the prison camp to 
  extract several prisoners. Though we lost two operatives and three 
  prisoners, the liberation of a dozen more prisoners, including several 
  higher-ranking oﬃ  cers, allows us to classify the operation a success. 
  Per your request, we have located Leftenant Jacob Grunder, who is 
  currently being held in “The Hill,” but were unable to extract him.
   
  Given that the DCMS now knows of our presence, we expect 
  them to quickly relocate the camp to another site. I suggest another, 
  larger-scale operation to extract the rest of the prisoners before 
  they can do so. 
   
  —Report synopsis by DMI Operative “Gabriel” to Major Grunder 
  on the latest operation in Draconis Combine space, delivered 28 
  August 3068
  HARD EVIDENCE
  i
  Dear Joanne,
   
  I’m not sure if our runners will get this out to you, but if you’re 
  reading this, thank God for small favors. He doesn’t seem to be 
  granting us any inside this city.
   
  We made it oﬀ  the bases after the initial bombardment and 
  got into the city ok. The abandoned warehouse where my company 
  took refuge is holding up pretty well, though it hasn’t withstood 
  one of their naval bombardments yet. Probably won’t hold up to 
  a few laser bursts either, but right now, it still has three and a half 
  walls and a roof.
   
  I wish our chain of command were as intact. The highest-
  ranking oﬃ  cer we’ve managed to contact is our colonel, and it 
  seems we have no organized resistance to speak of. The only thing 
  keeping the Wobblies out is our collective sheer determination. I bet 
  if we had some coordination, we could push these bastards oﬀ  the 
  planet.
   
  We keep getting news articles about everywhere but New 
  Avalon. It sounds like Sandoval is getting ready to go another round 
  with the Draconis Combine, and Hasek seems more intent on freeing 
  some damned Liao district than his own capital! Even before Hasek 
  gets done pushing that Periphery scum out of the Pleiades, he’s 
  starting another war. And what is our precious “Princess Regent” 
  doing? Who knows?! I wish she’d stop acting like a scared kid and 
  start acting like a Davion. Oh, to have Victor back in charge. 
   
  If those idiots don’t get their heads out of their rears, we’re 
  going to end up like Tharkad, nuked and bombarded oﬀ  the maps. 
  Because we’ve been showing the Wobblies on the ground the price 
  they’ll have to pay to take to get this rock, and if they want us gone, 
  they have to send New Avalon to hell along with us. 
   
  I’ve got to go. Smitty just stumbled in with his damaged 
  Centurion and now we only have three and a quarter walls to hold 
  up the roof.
   
  Love ya lots,
   
   
  Mikey
   
  —Letter discovered in the ruins of an Avalon City warehouse, 
  dated 14 September 3068
  “IS ANYONE OUT THERE?”
  i
  
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  062 / 063
   
  Karma. 
   
  Does that not encompass the events that have transpired 
  over the past twelve months? Have not our past transgressions 
  returned to us a hundredfold? A thousand? Ten thousand? Like a 
  viper allowed to fester in the tall grass until the stoutest bamboo 
  walls cannot protect against sharp fangs and glistening venom. 
  Not since the appalling time of the Von Rohrs and their deﬁ lement 
  of the Chrysanthemum Throne has the Dragon felt the savage 
  beak of the Yellow Bird so keenly.
   
  When did our actions bring about such backlash? Karma tilt-
  ing for rebalance? When did we stray? 
   
  In Volume II of the Dictum Honorium, do we not read the fol-
  lowing Greater Quintadocs:
   
  • Working toward the destruction of all our enemies.
   
  • Promoting a uniﬁ ed Star League under the banner of the 
  Dragon.
   
  And who are our enemies? Have we made the gravest of 
  mistakes—believing that the enemy of my enemy can oﬀ er more 
  than a momentary alliance between warriors on the ﬁ eld of battle? 
  That when the common foe has been vanquished, the alliance of 
  contrivance can allow for the sheathing of blades? Have we taken 
  enemies into the Dragon’s lair? Allowed swine among our most 
  precious jasmines?
   
  Some will decry my words. The word “traitor” will surely ring 
  amid the Imperial City’s teak and marble towers, while a quick 
  brush stroke might send me to a hole from which I’ll never depart. 
  Others will assume I am in league with the bakemonos blackening 
  the jewel of the Combine even as I write.
   
  But it is it traitorous to speak the truth?
   
  Have we not allowed House Davion to befriend us? The en-
  emy of our enemy, they came as a Dragon’s Dove, and united we 
  slew the Smoke Jaguars and put the remaining Clans in their place. 
  But have they not struck across our borders since? Are they not 
  even now striking at our worlds unprovoked, while the entire Inner 
  Sphere shakes from the plague of the Word of Blake? Are the war-
  riors of the Pillar of Steel not becoming a river of Dragon Tears? 
  Should we not have turned our swords against an enemy who has 
  brought war to us for centuries as soon as the last Jaguar fell?
   
  And what of the Kokuryu-kai? While some will say I am in 
  league with these ronin, they are gravely in error. The Black 
  Dragons have risen against their rightful lord and there is only one 
  punishment ﬁ tting for such actions. A clean death is too simple for 
  the Yellow Birds they have placed at the Dragon’s eyes. Yet again, 
  they represent an enemy we did not destroy. No matter how often 
  their poisoned darts cut us, we failed to excise their disease from 
  the Dragon’s womb.
   
  And what of this Star League? Perhaps the greatest of all 
  misjudgments—to join an alliance of convenience? To lay aside 
  the greatness of the First Egg instilled in House Kurita by our 
  founder Shiro himself, so that we may purchase cheaper trinkets 
  from merchants? So that our Unproductives might ﬁ nd a path to 
  unjust riches, wealth they might have secured if they worked for 
  the Dragon as they should? Or perhaps the Star League provides 
  a cover to allow a swine to snuﬄ  e our jasmine, ultimately wilting 
  and destroying the ﬂ ower of the Dragon?  
   
  The original Star League succeeded because of the iron-ﬁ sted 
  rule of House Cameron. A second Star League can only succeed 
  under a similar iron will. That will should be the Dragon’s. Without 
  it, all is folly… pearls before swine.
   
  In defense of the Coordinator and myself, I do not decry all his 
  actions. His reforms within our nation I applaud, because I know 
  those changes have made us stronger, more uniﬁ ed and focused. 
  Yet we have gone astray in thinking such reforms need apply to 
  our enemies as well. 
   
  With Luthien truly blackened, with the Coordinator and his 
  heir leaving us rudderless and the Word of Blake spreading their 
  pogrom throughout the realm of the Five Pillars, it is time to re-
  member our roots. Time to ring the Dragon’s lair in a storm of 
  swords. Time to sweep our shores clean.
   
  Or karma will destroy us.
   
  —Mishcha Kurosawa, Koe No Ryu, 18 October 3068
  DREAMS TORN ASUNDER
   
  Unlike the attacks on Tharkad and New Avalon, the Word of 
  Blake’s holy war did not touch the Draconis Combine immediately 
  or with the same evident ferocity. However, to say the Combine 
  was not shaken by the events surrounding the Star League’s dis-
  memberment would be a grave error. Within a few weeks, the 
  dream of a united Star League was dashed and close allies of the 
  realm were under attack, while at home dark and ominous events 
  had just begun to unfold.
   
  —Michael Bosworth, INN Special Correspondent
  LEADERS GATHER FOR WHITTING 3067
  (27 November 3067)
   
  Tharkad [VOTD] – House leaders and their entourages from 
  all over the Inner Sphere have begun to arrive here on Tharkad for 
  the 3067 Whitting Conference. Coordinator Kurita made planetfall 
  last night aboard the DCMS Spirit of the People with several mem-
  bers of the royal court and ISF Director Ninyu Kerai-Indrahar. The 
  Dragon’s heir, SLDF Commanding General Hohiro Kurita, is already 
  in-system and on ﬁ nal burn with an estimated arrival tomorrow.
   
  First Lord Månsdottir has had a tumultuous term these past 
  three years, seeing the end of the FedCom Civil War and border 
  raids into Combine space. General Kurita’s term as Commander 
  of the SLDF was a huge success; SLDF units received multiple 
  upgrades, new bases were constructed in the Combine and Free 
  Worlds League, and the SLDF showed a strong presence along the 
  Clan fronts, keeping Clan raiding parties to a minimum.
   
  Many hope for a peaceful outcome from this meeting of the 
  Star League Council, given that most ﬁ ghting along major borders 
  TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section08: TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  everywhere in the Inner Sphere has quieted. For the ﬁ rst time since 
  the Clan invasion, peace may be the norm rather than the excep-
  tion for the Inner Sphere. Coordinator Kurita is expected to oﬀ er 
  several new proposals that will boost the Combine’s economy, 
  open up new colonization eﬀ orts along the Pesht District border 
  and develop stronger ties with Lyran agricultural shipping con-
  glomerates.
   
  Expectations are high for the upcoming conference, where sev-
  eral new members are expected to be formally welcomed into the 
  Star League, including the Taurian Concordat and the Word of Blake. 
  The topic of conversation across the Lyran capital, however, is who 
  will be elected as First Lord for the upcoming term. Speculation runs 
  high that Captain-General Thomas Marik will assume the post, with 
  the Lyran Archon Peter Steiner as a close second.
   
  With three days to go until the opening ceremonies, only repre-
  sentatives from the Capellan Confederation and her trading ally, the 
  Magistracy of Canopus, have yet to arrive. These members are need-
  ed to maintain unity and equality for the Inner Sphere, and we un-
  derstand that the Confederation’s representative is en route. Barring 
  travel delays, the Whitting Conference will start as scheduled.
  STAR LEAGUE DISBANDS
  ***For Immediate Release***
  (30 November 3067)
   
  Tharkad [VOTD] – Over vehement objections from Coordinator 
  Theodore Kurita, Elected-Prince Christian Månsdottir, Precentor 
  Martial Victor Steiner-Davion and representatives of the Word of 
  Blake and the Taurian Concordat, the Star League dissolved today. 
  This unprecedented—and unanticipated—action came on the 
  heels of caustic statements issued by the Capellan representative 
  condemning the Star League and its function. His remarks sparked 
  a long and heated debate that ended the dreams of uniﬁ cation 
  for many in the Inner Sphere in a close but damning vote of no 
  conﬁ dence, despite the desperate incorporation of the Taurian 
  Concordat and Word of Blake into the voting membership.
   
  “Where once we were harmonious, discord has fallen,” re-
  marked the Coordinator in a brief statement. “It pains me to see all 
  the hard work of my fellow citizens and many others across the Inner 
  Sphere pushed aside out of selﬁ shness and greed. We have proved 
  the Clan enemy correct by allowing our discord and individual de-
  sires to sever our hopes for peace and a new Golden Age.” 
   
  The stunned crowds booed the Capellan representative, 
  Mandrinn Kian Lih Sung, as he headed out of the Alessandro 
  Memorial Auditorium on his way back to his DropShip. Immediate 
  reaction on the streets of Tharkad put the blame squarely on the 
  Confederation. “This was the best chance at peace we had, and 
  that no good power-monger Sunny-Cho ruined it for all of us so he 
  could make the evening news,” commented Alexis Draven, a local 
  record executive in the crowd outside the Auditorium.
   
  The Word of Blake representatives seemed particularly 
  shocked at the results of the no conﬁ dence vote, as the quasi-reli-
  gious order was scheduled to make its membership presentation 
  at this summit. The Blake entourage left the Auditorium in tense 
  silence, with Precentor Martial Cameron St. Jamais promising the 
  media a statement tomorrow. The Word of Blake’s probationary 
  membership was to end with this session and a vote was to have 
  occurred in a few days to consider them for full membership in 
  the Star League. Instead, the withdrawal of the Confederation and 
  summary call of no conﬁ dence in the League forced a vote that 
  required a three-quarters majority to sustain the body. Breaking 
  protocol, the standing First Lord enabled the probationary mem-
  bers to vote, but to no avail.
   
  The Capellan Chancellor was not present at this year’s con-
  ference, choosing instead to send his vitriolic holovid message 
  TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  i
  ***For Immediate Release, Top Priority***
  (6 December 3067)
   
  New Samarkand [VOTD] – “Tharkad City has been bombed.” 
  That was the word today out of the governor’s oﬃ  ce, conﬁ rming 
  the rumors that have swirled around water coolers, taxi stands and 
  college papers across the planet. According to Governor Rothschild, 
  the Lyran capital suﬀ ered a nuclear strike from an unknown WarShip 
  orbiting the planet. Reports that the strike came from the ancient 
  Lyran ship LCS Invincible remain unconﬁ rmed.
   
  “Coordinator Kurita and his heir are safe, having departed 
  Tharkad almost twenty-four hours before the bombardment. They 
  are currently en route to the Combine through a secure route and 
  will enter our nation’s borders in the next few weeks,” said Governor 
  Rothschild.
   
  Details of the nuclear holocaust are sketchy at best, but various 
  sources conﬁ rm that the devastating attack wiped out much of the 
  capital city. Most of the planet is without power, and unsubstantiated 
  rumors tell of elite BattleMech squads landing on the planet’s surface. 
  “The Draconis Combine condemns the perpetrators of this attack and 
  their use of illegal weapons of mass destruction on the innocents 
  of the Alliance,” commented the Coordinator in a message sent to 
  all Combine news stations. “Once the identity of these murderers 
  has been conﬁ rmed, appropriate measures will be taken to assure 
  the safety of the Combine people and the population of the Inner 
  Sphere.”
   
  To protect the loyal citizens of the Dragon, all military leaves 
  have been cancelled in all districts, and the DCMS has gone to 
  standby alert. “Any attempt to strike a Combine world will be met 
  with swift action,” said Tai-sho Hohiro Kurita in a brief statement sent 
  to prefecture capitals. “All on-world militia commanders are to report 
  to their superiors. To the citizens of the Dragon, we understand the 
  hardships you are about to face with the increased security and 
  the calling up of our reservists. Rest assured that if the blood of the 
  Dragon is spilled, we will spill much more from our enemies.”
  THARKAD BOMBED!
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  064 / 065
  via special courier. Also absent were representatives from the 
  Magistracy of Canopus. 
  THE DRAGON SPEAKS
   
  The past few weeks have been trying to us all.
   
  With the dissolution of the Star League, we are once again left 
  alone in the stellar night. However, rest assured that we are not adrift.
   
  We have come through much these past months and years, 
  from outside enemies and certain internal disruptions. The Ghost 
  Bear raids. Minor attacks by disloyal members of the Federated 
  Suns. The unfortunate passing of the Keeper of the House Honor. 
  The dashing of our hopes for economic growth and prosper-
  ity among the other Great Houses. Yet we survive. We are strong. 
  Because we are the Dragon.
   
  As we prepare for our future, know that the Dragon is stron-
  ger than it has ever been. I know this because I know the Dragon’s 
  strength is you, the glorious citizenry of the Combine. You have 
  helped move the Dragon to new heights economically and militar-
  ily, and even in the troubled times of the Star League, the Dragon 
  has held its head high because you believed. You are the purity, 
  the honor, the shape of the Dragon.
   
  Our honor is intact and will not be broken. Our duty is clear: 
  to remain a beacon to our neighbors, embodying the ideals and 
  character of the Star League now departed.
   
  As these crises pass, we will stand unbroken, unbent by the 
  waves that crash over us. I know this because I see the stoutness of 
  heart in you, the people.
   
  The Combine shall prevail in this uncertain future. Because we 
  are the Dragon.
   
  By cowardice struck
   
  The Dragon sheds tears anew
   
  Fire is rekindled.
   
  —Statement issued by Coordinator Theodore Kurita, 15 
  December 3067
  TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  i
   
  It is sad to learn of the breakdown of the Star League. That which 
  oﬀ ered hope to humankind—and, more importantly, to us—is now 
  nothing but another shattered dream.
   
  How could this happen? An institution that helped rid us of the 
  vile evil known as Clan Smoke Jaguar? That subdued the Nova Cats 
  to become almost-citizens of the Dragon?
   
  It is Coordinator Theodore’s fault. His lack of fortitude and 
  determination has failed the Combine.
   
  How many loyal soldiers died under the Star League banner? 
  Were they not deemed worthy enough to sail under such an 
  honorable ﬂ ag to help spearhead the removal of the Yellow Bird 
  in the form of the Jaguar? Are the lives they gave on so many 
  worlds—Luzerne, Schuyler, Byesville and more—worth nothing? 
  They watered the Star League’s soil with blood, and for what? So 
  that the Coordinator can—dare I print it—betray the spirits of those 
  honorable sons and daughters?
   
  His abuse of the First Lordship’s powers pales in comparison to 
  his refusal to uphold the ideals of the Star League. We are no better 
  than the gaijin around us. The demon-spawn Victor can throw away 
  lives in a reckless attempt to seize his throne, because the hated 
  Federated Suns do not value life or honor.
   
  But we know better. And our Coordinator—who embodies 
  the Dragon, no less!—should know better. Now our enemies view 
  us as baseless cowards and we are weakened as a society. How can 
  we look at ourselves every morning, knowing that our beloved 
  Combine—our life!—has been called into question? Are we a failure 
  as a people? Do we share the shame of our Coordinator’s inaction? 
  How shall we carry this burden?
   
  Perhaps a change is needed. Perhaps a new sun should rise. Or 
  perhaps our “beloved” Coordinator needs to turn his eyes away from 
  the Federated Suns’ blinding glare and look back to our roots, our 
  glory, our honor.
   
  Shameful days have come. We should mourn the loss of honor 
  and the ideals we have spurned. The Dragon weeps today. And I 
  weep with it.
   
  —Editorial by an unknown author, “erroneously printed” in 
  “Plurality This Week” (Shimosuwa Cultural College), ed. XII, vol. iii 
  (Dec 3067)
  FAILURE
  i
  ***For General Release***
  (20 December 3067)
   
  Dieron [VOTD] – Minister Tsuroi Chamberlain of the Ministry 
  for Communications (MinCom) brieﬂ y announced today a loss of 
  communication from Luthien. “There is nothing to worry about, as 
  the system was scheduled for a routine relay upgrade. Under normal 
  circumstances, such upgrades only take the transceiver oﬄ  ine for an 
  hour or so, but in some cases errors may be found and need additional 
  time to be corrected. This is the case here. Luthien received its last 
  upgrade well over ﬁ ve years ago and is known to have some power 
  connection issues, so this problem was not unanticipated.
   
  “We assure the good citizens of Dieron that there is nothing 
  unusual about this temporary loss of communication. ComStar has 
  assured us that they will continue to take messages for Luthien as 
  normal and will transmit them once the HPG comes back online in a 
  day or so. In the meantime, MinCom will reimburse Combine citizens 
  and businesses twenty percent for all transmissions passing through 
  the Luthien station for the inconvenience. 
   
  “Thank you for your understanding and patience in this matter. 
  Any further questions may be directed to your local MinCom oﬃ  ce.”
  LUTHIEN BLACKOUT
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section08: TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  BLACK DRAGON RISING
   
  For the Draconis Combine, the true crisis of the Jihad began 
  with betrayals and the retreat of a trusted ally at the most unfor-
  tunate moment. Even as the embodiment of the Dragon returned 
  to face the emergencies on the home front, tragedy struck again, 
  leaving the future of a nation in doubt as the ﬁ res of war spread 
  throughout the Kurita realm.
  UPRISING ON LUTHIEN!
   
  Citizens of the Dragon! The Imperial City’s alleged communi-
  cations upgrade is a lie. Luthien is under siege!
   
  The local militia force responsible has been identiﬁ ed as 
  servants of the Black Dragons (Kokuryu-kai), a reactionary po-
  litical movement targeted by the ISF in several purges since 3057. 
  Reports of sporadic ﬁ ghting in some areas continue to pour in, 
  and many of the capital’s key people are missing. The city is held 
  hostage at this point and all communication in and out has been 
  severed, except for broadcasts of anti-Kurita propaganda by the 
  invading force.
   
  We know little about the true purpose of this attack, so close 
  on the heels of the Star League’s disbanding as well as Tharkad’s 
  bombing. One cannot help but wonder at the timing of these 
  events and speculate as to their connection. And as we were mis-
  led in the beginning—with Luthien’s blackout oﬃ  cially attributed 
  to a communications system upgrade—how can we trust any oth-
  er reports glossed over by the Dragon’s Voice?
   
  —Anonymous underground student pamphlet circulated on 
  Benjamin, 25 December 3067
  BETRAYAL AT THE DRAGON’S HEART
  (16 January 3068)
   
  Galedon V [VOTD] – Oﬃ  cials in the Prefecture Government 
  conﬁ rmed today that Luthien is under attack by dohi—rebel—
  forces, and further complications have arisen from the arrival of a 
  Word of Blake war ﬂ eet that has dispatched troops without autho-
  rization from the DCMS High Command.
   
  Forces from the Kokuryu-kai dohi have seized the Unity Palace 
  compound and declared the Coordinator unworthy of his position 
  as leader of the citizenry. They have executed several members of 
  the palace staﬀ  and captured Tai-sa Franklin Sakamoto, head of 
  the Otomo after the assassination of Griﬀ on Meshune in the open-
  ing hours of the sneak attack. These same individuals attempted 
  to assassinate the Coordinator in 3058, the blessed Omi Kurita and 
  her friend, Victor Steiner-Davion, in 3060, and who instigated the 
  Ghost Bear war on our border, which saw the needless deaths of 
  many of the Dragon’s sons and daughters.
   
  Demanding to be heard, the dohi seized the VOTD broadcast 
  facility in the Imperial City and have been broadcasting their pro-
  paganda over the planetary communications networks. They de-
  mand that the Combine revert to the isolation of the early 31st 
  century, reject the mercenaries assigned by the DCMS to protect 
  certain worlds, and remove Theodore and his oﬀ spring from the 
  Kurita bloodline “so that a true Kurita like the great Takashi may 
  take the Dragon to its rightful place in the Inner Sphere.” If these 
  demands are not enacted, they threaten to plunge Luthien into a 
  bloodbath “that rivals Kentares IV.”
   
  Within hours of that statement, a Word of Blake war ﬂ eet ar-
  rived in orbit around the planet and has begun landing troops in 
  key positions around Unity City. Spotty reports from sources in the 
  DCMS describe the Word of Blake commander broadcasting his ar-
  rival “to assist the true forces of the Combine to reassert rightful 
  control of the realm.”
  TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  i
   
  Citizens of the Combine, hear us!
   
  Today we have done what honor has demanded ever since 
  the collapse of the Second Star League. The fall of such a noble 
  enterprise, bought and paid for with the Dragon’s own blood, is the 
  ﬁ nal evidence needed to show that our Coordinator has failed in his 
  duty to safeguard the entirety of the Combine. Because of this failure, 
  we have deemed it necessary to seize control of the Palace and of 
  Luthien, and hold it in trust for the people until such a time as worthy 
  leadership arises.
   
  It is the right and duty of the people to reject our Coordinator 
  if we see that he has become tainted by the gaijin around him. Who 
  better to show the error of his ways than the Order of Five Pillars, the 
  embodiment of the Purity of the Dragon? Is it not right that in order 
  to save the whole we must sacriﬁ ce part of the body?
   
  Our pledge to you, loyal citizens, is that we will merely safeguard 
  the Chrysanthemum Throne until the Dragon can reclaim his majesty 
  and reject these new ways that threaten our existence, our purpose, 
  our being.
   
  Soldiers loyal to the Order and to the Kokuryu-kai are being 
  deployed around Luthien to protect the Dragon from foreign 
  infection. Cooperate with them. Love them. Honor them. They are 
  the scalpel to the cancer of Theodore. They are the extension of the 
  Dragon’s will, if not the head.
   
  We pledge to you our duty and honor to hold this world in 
  trust for the Dragon’s resurgence. We will ﬁ ght for you and die for 
  you, shedding our blood for your souls. Remember, Theodore and his 
  evil spawn spilled the bloods of thousands of your fathers and sons 
  for no noble cause, no honor, no sense of duty—only to fulﬁ ll the 
  whims of the gaijin Davion and his poisonous family, to create more 
  powerful enemies of the Dragon that threaten our very existence.
   
  This day shall long be remembered as the Day the Dragon 
  Returned. Celebrate! And wait with us as the true Dragon comes to 
  reveal himself, to carry us forward into a brighter future!
   
  —Front page message on all Luthien press pieces, 30 December 
  3067
  “LOYAL CITIZENS OF THE DRAGON, UNITE!”
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/08: TEARS OF THE DRAGON  
  066 / 067
   
  Regardless of the Blakists’ intent, it is clear that the Kokuryu-
  kai dohi intend to turn Luthien into a slaughter of the innocent. 
  Whether they are in collusion with the Butchers of Tharkad is in 
  question—though the current actions of the Word of Blake com-
  mander leave much to be desired. Until these actions can be un-
  derstood, DCMS forces on and around Luthien will defend the 
  Heart of the Dragon against ALL interlopers. To this end, Warlord 
  Minamoto has declared a State of Emergency for the entire Pesht 
  Prefecture until the Coordinator arrives in Combine space.
   
  The warlord has asked the citizenry to remember the many 
  sacriﬁ ces of the Dragon as they resist the unlawful demands of a 
  minority of malcontents.
  “COWARDICE!”
   
  Evil has befallen us! But the will of the Dragon remains steadfast!
   
  The Word of Blake has taken it upon themselves to fulﬁ ll the 
  plots of the gaijin Theodore and has attacked us as the Jaguars did 
  on Edo. They light up the sky with ﬁ re and smoke, burning Luthien 
  and attempting to scour the planet.
   
  They do this under Theodore’s command! He has no honor 
  and refuses to even address our grievances against him, so he 
  sends his Blakist mercenary lapdogs. They will not face us on the 
  ﬁ eld of honor; instead they bomb us from the sky, from space! 
  They treat the Combine as the Jaguars did in their war of conquest 
  only a generation ago!
   
  We will not let them get away with such cowardice! Such lack 
  of honor! Just as the Dragon did a mere few years ago, so we will 
  do again. The Dragon will rise up and smite the money soldiers 
  from the sky and from our Combine! We will eradicate them as 
  we did the Jaguars—balanced on the edge of Hell, we will push 
  them in along with us. Not with our swords, not with our duty, but 
  with our honor—for our honor DEMANDS we resist, and show no 
  mercy toward those who refuse to honor us.
   
  Once the Blakist threat is removed, we will carry our rage to 
  Theodore and demand his place on the mat before us so we can 
  remove this vile cancer once and for all!
   
  Resist, people of the Dragon! 
   
  —Masthead story, Luthien Today, 12 January 3068
  DOCTORS: COORDINATOR ILL, RECOVERING
  ***For General Release***
  (2 February 3068)
   
  Al Na’ir [VOTD] – Coordinator Theodore Kurita is doing ﬁ ne 
  after a short stay at the Okinawa Medical Facility. The Coordinator 
  checked in for a medical exam after symptoms developed during 
  a tour of the newly built military base in Aldinga. “The Coordinator 
  exhibited symptoms of Unole Flu, which is as common to resi-
  dents of Dieron as the common cold is to citizens of Luthien. The 
  Coordinator had a mild bout of the ﬂ u, which had him bedridden 
  for a few days and unable to travel. He is doing much better but 
  is still recovering,” reported Doctor Michelle Elyorc, head of the 
  Okinawa facility. “Common symptoms of the ﬂ u include upset 
  stomach, heavy mucus drain and loss of appetite. The Coordinator 
  began exhibiting symptoms shortly after arrival and was admitted 
  as a precautionary measure.”
   
  The Coordinator will continue on into the Combine. His son and 
  heir, former SLDF Commanding General Hohiro Kurita, will arrive 
  shortly and remain on Dieron to oversee DCMS training maneuvers.
  TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  i
  dragonpirate: no one’s heard a word in over a week. Dad thinks it’s 
  worse than what we know
  DCPCModerator: ***A friendly reminder to all participants today of the 
  likelihood of VotD monitoring on all chats. ***
  dragonpirate: damn i hate that bot
  PixieTrish: So it’s true, then, about the Irece Prefecture going dark?
  dragonpirate: yeah its true happened overnight no more anything
  ﬁ stacuﬀ s: Anyone in here have any news if the blackout with Irece is 
  just another “system upgrade” or are they under attack like Luthien?
  ***Shoshopeter has entered the chat***
  PixieTrish: Yeah—right. Upgrade, my ass. My neighbor has family there 
  and her grandfather’s blaming everything on the FedSuns.
  ﬁ stacuﬀ s: Then I’m guessing we’re all pretty much in the dark as to 
  what’s happening there, just like we were with Luthien.
  ***hot4ad8t has entered the chat***
  dragonpirate: Hi hot
  PixieTrish: Evening Dave.
  hot4ad8t: I’ve got news on the Nova Cats!
  dragonpirate: more than the rumor that they left for the periphery?
  PixieTrish: They did? When did they do that? My boyfriend’s brother 
  knows a member of the Nova Cats.
  hot4ad8t: They left just after the whole Star League break-up. I just got 
  a copy of The Drake—says they might be heading toward Luthien—
  maybe kick some Black Dragon ass!
  ***screwdapooch has left the chat***
  ﬁ stacuﬀ s: I hope the Nova Cats aren’t planning anything rash.
  hot4ad8t: Why not? I hope they storm Luthien and take Imperial City 
  back. Someone needs to get in there and clean up the mess.
  dragonpirate: unless they’re up to something else.
  PixieTrish: Dave, you know you shouldn’t be reading that paper. The 
  Drake’s not VotD approved.
  hot4ad8t: Screw ‘em. If we want any truth about where the Nova Cats 
  really are, we’re gonna ﬁ nd it in the student presses. Not from the 
  VotD.
  ﬁ stacuﬀ s: Could be they went back to Irece Prefecture. Dragon’s got 
  family there.
  dragonpirate: trish does
  PixieTrish: Not me. My neighbor.
  DCPCModerator: ***A friendly reminder to all participants today of the 
  likelihood of VotD monitoring on all chats. ***
   
   —Excerpted from Pesht network chat room, 20 January 3068
  THE NOVA CATS: WHERE ARE THEY?
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section08: TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  “WHO AMONG US SHALL RULE?”
  [Diamond]: “So, gentlemen. What are we to do with the situation 
  now that our wayward son has stirred up Luthien?”
  [Sapphire]: “You mean it was not planned that way? He acted 
  alone?”
  [Ruby]: “Not without help.”
  [Pearl]: “Yes, he did have help. My sources point to the Second 
  Sword’s overeager Tai-sa. Apparently, he did not care to wait until 
  called upon.”
  [Ruby]: “No, it goes further than that. Our Pillar has rotted.”
  [Diamond]: “Interesting. Our friend is the source of our problem on 
  Luthien, then?”
  [Ruby]: “Hai.”
  [Obsidian]: “So sure are you, Ri—?”
  [Diamond]: “No names! Do it again and I will demand your heart as 
  well as your head!”
  [Ruby]: “It is nothing. Yes, I am sure. Emerald has gone the path of 
  ronin. He thinks he knows the way when he does not. The impetu-
  ousness of youth, I think.”
  [Sapphire]: “This sets us back, then.”
  [Diamond]: “Not entirely.”
  [Ruby]: “Hai. It is actually beneﬁ cial. We can front someone now 
  without fear of discovery.”
  [Obsidian]: “We are going to hang Emerald out to dry?”
  [Pearl]: “For the good of the Dragon, yes. Let them think when they 
  beat him down that the menace of the Kokuryu-kai is diminished, 
  while instead we continue to gain power.”
  [Sapphire]: “So whom shall we consider?”
  [Diamond]: “Sakamoto?”
  [Ruby]: “No. I have watched him since the incident. He will not bend 
  our way. However, his oﬀ spring may…”
  [Pearl]: “Ah, yes, his marriage and coming child. We shall make ar-
  rangements. But for the time being…”
  [Obsidian]: “Toytomi?”
  [Sapphire]: “Too impertinent. He bears watching.”
  [Ruby]: ”Why not someone already beyond the shadows? Hiding in 
  plain sight? The bastard Kerai would never question it, not now.”
  [Diamond]: “Don’t delude yourself. Kerai questions all.”
  [Pearl]: “Perhaps, but not the one we know Ruby speaks of. It is an 
  elegant plan.”
  [Obsidian]: “Interesting, at least…”
  [Sapphire]: “Right there, in the light of day. Where everyone can see, 
  yet does not see…”
  [Ruby]: “Yes. And in the perfect position for us to take advantage 
  of.”
  [Diamond]: “Then let us make it happen. And make sure Emerald 
  ﬁ nds his place among the dead. We are too close now. We cannot 
  aﬀ ord another mistake.”
  [Obsidian]: “And I will send a message to our ‘champion’ personally 
  this time—just in case he develops delusions of his own power.”
  [Sapphire]: “Then it is decided. The Dragon is blind and we will soon 
  be the saviors that work the miracle of sight.”
   
  —Partial recording made between unknown parties, recov-
  ered from the ruins of the Imperial City, Luthien (date unknown).
  THE WIDENING CONFLICTS
   
  The coup on Luthien, complicated by the intervention of 
  Blakist forces and coupled with the Coordinator’s illness, would 
  only be the ﬁ rst of the Dragon’s woes. With the battle joined on 
  other fronts, the Word of Blake’s war quickly expanded to include 
  TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  i
   
  Theodore Kurita is dead! 
   
  Do not let the propagandists fool you. It is true that Theodore 
  Kurita, the blight on the honor and duty of the Dragon, is dead.
   
  His ill-conceived spawn, the gaijin-loving Hohiro, is too weak to 
  take the throne—a sure sign that the Kurita line no longer has the 
  stomach to ﬁ ght—to be the Dragon! 
   
  This is our time! This is our place! Arise, loyal Sons of the Dragon, 
  and let us remove this taint of gaijin disease from our realm once 
  and for all! Let us purge our homes and our borders of this cancerous 
  growth and reclaim our rightful heritage so that we can welcome our 
  new Coordinator with a clean spirit and once again raise our heads 
  above the gutter trash of the rest of the Universe!
   
  —Black Dragon Society propaganda, anonymously posted on 
  the Galedon V public forums, 3 February 3068
  “THE KING IS DEAD!”
  i
  (7 February 3067)
   
  Al Na’ir [THE DRAKE] – Coordinator Kurita is not dead, as the 
  Black Dragon propaganda machines wish us to believe. Nor was he 
  ever admitted to the Okinawa Medical Facility on Al Na’ir with Unole 
  Flu.
   
  Sources conﬁ dential and close to The Drake (your loyal source 
  for the truth) report Coordinator Theodore Kurita suﬀ ered a stroke in 
  January and remains in stable condition in an unnamed facility. His 
  prognosis is still under review, but he is rumored to be comatose.
   
  Citizens! How can we sit blindly as our leaders lie to us? First 
  there was the cover-up of the Blessed Omi Kurita’s assassination, 
  exposed by The Drake—explained later as a move for Theodore to 
  aid his gaijin friend Victor Davion as he ﬁ nished ﬁ ghting his civil war.
   
  And what of Kurita’s wife? Was it seppuku, as The Drake reported, 
  or did she die in her sleep as we were told? Then there was the lie 
  about the attacks on Luthien. Systems upgrade or local military? In 
  every instance The Drake reported the truth. Why does the Dragon 
  hide behind lies? Why must our pride come before facing harsh 
  reality?
   
  Citizens, how can we build strength when we can’t even trust 
  our own government?
  COORDINATOR DEAD?
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/08: TEARS OF THE DRAGON  
  068 / 069
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, this is Gray One. We’re two blocks from the Hiring 
  Hall compound. Have you received anything from Wolf Actual?”
  [Clavell]: “Negative, Cameron. Last report was Waco and his boys 
  charging into Complex Alpha, where Actual and a Home Guard lance 
  were located.”
  [Shadd]: “Complex Alpha? That is the guest housing for visiting dignitaries 
  and their staﬀ .” 
  [Cameron]: “Any other Home Guard units around? I’m getting no signal, 
  magres is too cluttered.”
  [Spider Two]: “All bands quiet; nothing registering.” 
  [Spider Three]: “Spider Three here. Currently at Jacoby Way and Rain 
  Street. I show three of Waco’s people here.”
  [Clavell]: “Status, Pollack?”
  [Spider Three]: “One Crusader’s missing its head, Stealth is prone and 
  cold, and I can’t even ID this last guy—there’re parts everywhere. The 
  Smithton Street Grill got ﬂ attened, too.”
  [Spider Four]: “Bastards.”
  [Clavell]: “Quiet, Ahmed.”
  [Cameron]: “Approaching the Hall’s main gate…holy hell.”
  [Clavell]: “What do you see, Gray One?”
  [Cameron]: “Can’t describe it, Johnny. ‘Mech parts everywhere. Like ﬁ re 
  came from heaven and dropped them where they stood.” 
  [Gray Two]: “Sir, the archway—I see something…”
  [Gray Three]: “I’ll cover you, Two.”
  [Cameron]: “Shadd, ride up with Two and see what’s beyond that archway. 
  I’m showing a faint reactor signal.”
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, status? Come on, Brian, clue me in! I’m only four 
  blocks back. Can you wait?”
  [Cameron]: “Neg, Spider One.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point, detach and spread out.”
  [Cameron]: “Four, do you have a count yet for this area?”
  [Gray Four]: “Seven Waco ‘Mechs, two Home Guard so far... Looks like 
  Perry and Gieber bought it here.”
  [Spider Three]: “Damn. There goes my ten C-bills.”
  [Clavell]: “Liam, shut the chatter. Angle up Roberts Avenue and watch for 
  booby traps.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir, we have located Actual.”
  [Cameron]: “Report.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir… you better come up and see for yourself.”
  [Clavell]: “Dammit, man, spill! What the hell’s going on?”
  [Shadd]: “Actual’s ‘Mech is operational, Spider One. His foot is entangled 
  in the wreckage of Waco’s BattleMaster. It is not going anywhere.”
  [Clavell]: “That badly damaged? Is Actual’s radio out?”
  [Cameron]: “I don’t think so, Johnny. Shadd? Can you get a man up there to 
  check the Archer’s cockpit?”
  [Shadd]: “Point Two! Ascertain pilot condition in the Archer! Open the 
  cockpit if you have to.”
  [Silence for several minutes]
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, Spider Command has reached the Hall.”
  [Growler Two]: “Sir, it appears the pilot is unresponsive.”
  [Shadd]: “Unresponsive?”
  [Cameron]: “Life signs, Trooper?”
  [Growler Two]: “He is dead, sir. There are wounds in his thigh and torso, 
  and a large amount of blood on the ﬂ oor. My guess is he died about 
  thirty minutes ago.”
  [Cameron]: “Gray One to all Dragoons. Wolf Actual is down. I say again, Wolf 
  Actual is down. Go to Condition Feral. Say again, set Condition Feral.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point! Fan out and check these other ‘Mechs for 
  survivors! Take out any hostiles.”
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, Zeta’s reporting heavy ﬁ ghting near Gateway 
  Bridge. Redirect there to assist. Gray Command, dismount and sweep 
  the area for any non-combatants, move them to the secure bunkers.” 
  [Clavell]: “Roger that, Gray One.” [pause] “Brian, you know we need to 
  notify Maeve.”
  [Cameron]: [pause] “All in good time, Johnny. Let’s ﬁ nish cleaning up our 
  own house ﬁ rst.”
  [Clavell]: “Roger that. Spiders! Move out to nav point Tango. Let’s get us 
  some payback!”
   
  —Excerpted Wolf’s Dragoons transmissions, Outreach, 18 October 3067
  ***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, ULTRA-PRIORITY***
  To All Voice of the Dragon Aﬃ  liates:
   
  You are to immediately put into print and voice the following statement. Override all other headline and story events.
   
  —Regional Director Miygaki Gershwin (VOTD, Pesht)
  From Hohiro Kurita:
   
  “Citizens of the Dragon, I greet you on this dark day. Today we ﬁ nd ourselves embroiled in war within and without the 
  Combine. For months now our valiant DCMS troops have engaged Word of Blake forces on Dieron and Luthien. This new 
  enemy, this diabolical splinter group of the benevolent ComStar, has risen from the darkness and bitten us on our heel. 
  Since the dissolution of the Star League, they have transformed themselves from ComStar’s competitor into the Yellow 
  Bird that threatens not just the Dragon, but all of humankind.
   
  “The Word of Blake has used against human targets weapons that have been banned for centuries. Reports of 
  chemical attacks and nuclear ﬁ restorms have been received from countless worlds outside the Combine. They have 
  manipulated whole planets and governments—even House Lords—into furthering their destructive agenda and are 
  even now attempting to cut the Dragon oﬀ  at the knees.
   
  “Because of these hideous events unfolding around us, I hereby declare the Draconis Combine to be in a state of 
  emergency, so that we may properly handle the onslaught that faces us. To citizens held hostage by these fanatical 
  zealots, know that the Dragon has arisen to crush the Word of Blake as it did the Smoke Jaguars. Your tears are felt and 
  your blood is remembered. The Dragon will roar once more.”
  Tearing through the void
  Prepared for the Yellow Bird
  Expect victory.
  —Broadcast by all Voice of the Dragon aﬃ  liates throughout the Draconis Combine, 1 May 3068
  TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  i
  DRAGON’S SON DECLARES STATE OF EMERGENCY
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section08: TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  more assaults on Combine worlds. Worse still, the legacy of con-
  ﬂ icts fought in the past few years returned to haunt a nation al-
  ready reeling from multiple tragedies.
  DIERON UNDER QUARANTINE
  ***Travel Advisory***
  (10 February 3068)
   
  Benjamin [VOTD] – If you plan on traveling to or through 
  Dieron, be advised that you may need to alter your travel arrange-
  ments for the time being. Prefecture oﬃ  cials announced today 
  that Dieron is under medical quarantine due to an outbreak of a 
  strong strain of Unole Flu. As a precaution against spreading the 
  virus to neighboring worlds where it might mutate into something 
  more deadly, planetary oﬃ  cials have curbed all travel on and oﬀ  
  the planet until the outbreak passes.
   
  Unole Flu is a common virus on Dieron. Every century or so, 
  an intense outbreak occurs, prompting whole towns and cities to 
  close oﬀ  to outsiders until the outbreak subsides. This is not the 
  ﬁ rst time a planet in the Combine has been temporarily quaran-
  tined. Donenac was closed oﬀ  for three months during an outbreak 
  of Chelosian Virus in 2964; Shimosuwa in 3011 from a planetary 
  outbreak of the Notilc Sweats; and Sertar for almost a year in 3043 
  from a bad outbreak of Darr’s Disease.
   
  Citizens who have passed through Dieron on planetary visits 
  are advised to notify their local doctor if they exhibit three or more 
  of the following symptoms: night sweats, hallucinations, thick mu-
  cus discharge, gastric discomfort, excessive tiredness, loss of ap-
  petite or heavy nausea. 
   
  Dieron oﬃ  cials believe the outbreak will peak in the next few 
  weeks and predict the system will be open for travel in the next 
  month or two.
  DEATH TO MERCENARIES!
   
  The honorable Takashi Kurita was right.
   
  Mercenaries deserve to die, for they serve only the god of 
  money. For all their ﬁ ne vows to “protect the citizenry,” it boils 
  down to this ugly truth: the mercenary will follow whoever has the 
  most cash, like an ox with a ring in its nose.
   
  Wolf’s Dragoons embody the heart and soul of the mercenary, 
  all right—black and cold, like the heart of the Christian devil. They 
  came here to protect us, to keep us safe from the Davion bogey-
  men—but once their master Mammon calls, they move on, leaving 
  us alone and defenseless against the Davion hordes.
   
  And what of the rumors from Fletcher? And Galatea? That 
  mercenaries there are nothing more than fronts for the evil Word 
  of Blake—the Coordinator’s own “white army” to crush loyal op-
  position? If you doubt my words, look sometime at the devastation 
  caused by these supposed saints—the shattered ruins of towns 
  and factories and thousands of innocent Combine citizens slain, 
  wiped out by a Blakist WarShip captain who chose the dark heart 
  of money over the honor of combat.
   
  It almost makes me want to believe in God. That the love of 
  money is the bedrock of evil is a hard truth to ignore…and that evil 
  is personiﬁ ed in the mercenary.
   
  We should demand the reinstatement of the honorable 
  Takashi’s formidable decree! We should follow such venerable wis-
  dom and strike them down where they stand!
   
  Death to all mercenaries! 
   
  —Underground pamphlet circulating throughout the 
  Draconis Combine, circa March-April 3068
  TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  i
   
  So was the dissolution of the Star League a good idea after all? 
  We know our Coordinator was against it—we’ve seen the footage 
  from that day in November 3067. Apparently the foolish leaders 
  of the other realms thought they could maintain their own peace 
  without “outside interference.”
   
  Looks like they were wrong. News coming in from the Alliance 
  and the Free Worlds League shows Skye province attacking the Free 
  Worlds—without the sanction of the Lyran Estates General, no less. 
  Not that anyone can blame Skye. Without an authoritative body to 
  rein in the Alliance military, apparently provincial leaders feel they 
  can declare war whenever they want.
   
  If the Star League still existed, Skye could have appealed to 
  that body for restitution of damages that Duke Kelswa-Steiner 
  claims his world has sustained. Instead, power-hungry politicians 
  believe they answer to no one but themselves and take matters 
  into their own hands.
   
  Well, we may not have the Star League anymore, but I for one 
  am thankful to live in the Combine, where our sense of honor and 
  duty overrides our selﬁ shness. Seems the Alliance could learn a 
  lesson or ten from us.
   
  —Trevor Lindensholm, Editor, Minakuchi World Times, 1 June 3068
  ALLIANCE, FREE WORLDS LEAGUE AT WAR
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/08: TEARS OF THE DRAGON  
  070 / 071
  BORDERS ON ALERT 
  ***Travel Advisory, Priority Alert***
  (14 July 3068)
   
  Pesht [VOTD] – Notice to all Combine citizens traveling to 
  and residing in worlds along the Federated Suns and Outworlds 
  Alliance borders: travel is restricted until further notice. A “high 
  alert” advisory from the oﬃ  ces of Warlord Minamoto warns that 
  travel to worlds within two jumps of the stated borders has been 
  restricted to military traﬃ  c only. “For the safety of our citizenry, 
  we ask that civilians refrain from visiting these worlds, as military 
  activity in both nations threatens possible hostilities along these 
  borders. We wish to lessen the risk as much as possible for travelers 
  and residents in the aﬀ ected areas.”
   
  DCMS oﬃ  cials also suggested that residents of the listed 
  worlds purchase extra supplies in case of loss of power, water and 
  other utilities. “While no attacks are expected or imminent, we are 
  erring on the side of caution because of recent events outside the 
  Combine. We wish to be prepared for any eventuality and hope 
  that this advisory is nothing more than a false alarm,” stated Tai-
  sho Howard Mencio, aide to Tai-shu Minamoto.
   
  Refunds for travel packages and system jumps may be ob-
  tained at your local planetary travel oﬃ  ce. Businesses may apply 
  for tax relief for aﬀ ected areas at their local Bureau of Interstellar 
  Trade oﬃ  ces.
  TEARS OF THE DRAGON
  i
  (26 June 3068)
   
  Benjamin [THE DRAKE] – Dieron is under siege thanks to a sneak 
  attack by the Word of Blake. After four months of denial, the VotD can 
  no longer hide the true state of aﬀ airs on Dieron and Luthien.
   
  Little hope remains of discovering Hohiro Kurita’s whereabouts. 
  The acting Coordinator and leader of the DCMS forces that engaged 
  Word of Blake troops on Dieron in March is “missing and presumed 
  dead.” So say the Coordinator’s commanders.
   
  It is this reporter’s fear that Coordinator Theodore’s only 
  legitimate heir is now in the hands of the Word of Blake—which 
  means he’s as good as dead. I fear there won’t be any attempt 
  made to retrieve him from the hands of the Yellow Bird. Such tragic 
  news arrives on the heels of recent information brought to light on 
  Theodore Kurita’s  deteriorating condition. Languishing in a coma, he 
  can do nothing to help the morale of the citizens of the Combine. 
   
  With both Kuritas missing or out of action, who will lead the 
  Dragon out of chaos? The Lyrans and the Free Worlds League battle on 
  their fronts. We ﬁ ght the Federated Suns along our own borders. And 
  let us not forget the treacherous Ravens and their Alliance cronies! Or 
  the Black Dragon coup on Luthien, complicated now by unwanted 
  Word of Blake intervention. Or the Nova Cat desertion, which has 
  included the Dragon’s only other legitimate—if questionable—heir, 
  Minoru Kurita! 
   
  The Word of Blake has thrown the universe into chaos. As a 
  people we must take up arms and ﬁ ght. We must call on our warlords 
  to take charge and to bring this war to a close.
  “DIERON IN FLAMES”
  i
  (15 July 3068)
   
  Galedon V [THE DRAKE] – Citizens of the Dragon, we are 
  being invaded from all sides during this time of chaos. Reports of 
  ﬁ ghting along the Outworlds border have recently come to our 
  attention; do not be blinded by Voice of the Dragon claims to the 
  contrary. Outworlds Alliance forces have attacked the worlds of 
  Enif, Tabayama and the prefecture capital of Galedon V. Not only are 
  these attacks unprecedented, but we have received word that the 
  Outworlds Alliance is in league with Clan Snow Raven, recently seen 
  often along the Outworlds border. News of this connection came 
  to us from several sources who saw ﬁ rsthand the Alliance’s First Air 
  Wing using Corax OmniFighters, Alliance-produced aerospace craft 
  reported to incorporate Clan technologies.
   
  In the wake of the Nova Cats’ departure from their Tabayama 
  garrison soon after the dissolution of the Star League and the 
  bombing of Tharkad, the only defenders of these worlds are their 
  planetary militias. The Twenty-First Galedon Regulars on new 
  Samarkand and the Nineteenth Galedon Regulars on Bad News have 
  been called in as reinforcements.
   
  Some suggest that the Outworlds border attacks have little to 
  do with the present uprising on Luthien and Star League troubles, 
  and are nothing more than the Snow Ravens making good on threats 
  of revenge for the destruction of their precious WarShip, the White 
  Cloud. But others—this reporter included—fear that this is only the 
  beginning.
  OUTWORLDS ALLIANCE ATTACKS!
  i
  (20 September 3068)
   
  Proserpina [THE DRAKE] – We have done it, citizens of the 
  Combine! We have struck back against the Federated Suns!
   
  How long have we known there is no trust, no honor among the 
  warmongering Davionists that plague our borders? With the attacks 
  on Tharkad and New Avalon to fuel their false sense of grievance, 
  spouting accusations of POW injustices since before the FedCom 
  Civil War, Federated Suns forces sporadically attacked worlds along 
  our borders, ignoring treaties authorized by the now disbanded Star 
  League. Altais, Chichibu, Junction, Barlow’s Folly, Misery and Beta 
  Mensae V—our ancient foe hit all these undefended worlds.  But along 
  the Federated Suns front, local warlords counterattacked and have 
  won their ﬁ rst victories. DCMS forces struck back at David, taking over 
  the planet within a week. Next came Xhosa VII, where again the local 
  militia was no match for DCMS might. Benet III and Cassias came next, 
  and all reports from those worlds say ﬁ ghting is still heavy in some 
  areas. We’re not sure the DCMS can hold these last two worlds, but we 
  can certainly claim the Dragon has bloodied the Federated Suns’ nose.
   
  The Davion scum have once again shown their true colors. 
  Striking at us in our moment of confusion, they prove themselves 
  the cowards they are. Displaying their ancestors’ tendency to bed 
  their sisters and farm animals, the Davion ﬁ lth now ﬁ nds itself 
  outmaneuvered before it begins to infect our worlds.
   
  Let our ancient foe know we will not vanish into the night. Long 
  live the Dragon! 
  THE DRAGON’S REVENGE
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  072 / 073
   
  It should have been our ﬁ nest hour, the day on which Thomas 
  Marik took his place as First Lord of the Star League and expanded 
  his unifying vision across the Inner Sphere just like Albert Marik of 
  old. Instead, treachery and war came upon us unexpectedly. At ﬁ rst 
  we thought we could stand above the rising tide of chaos, but the 
  murder of General Helen Thrall and the heightened tensions be-
  tween Skye and Sirius drew us into the fray. The mutual recrimina-
  tions of that early skirmish have become a footnote in history, lost 
  in the war that erupted along the entire front: They hit us; we hit 
  back. The ancient cycle of violence began. A succession of worlds 
  fell to the invaders; others simply dropped out of the communica-
  tions loop, taken by enemy assaults or otherwise isolated from the 
  HPG network. With Lyran troops driving deeper into the Free Worlds 
  League, unraveling such mysteries would have to wait.
   
  Internally also, we felt the pressures of war. Zion Province pro-
  tested the redeployment of troops from its worlds; suggestions of iso-
  lation from the League and murmurings elsewhere followed suit. Can 
  we not stand aloof from this turmoil, was the whispered message. To 
  the surprise of many, the call for unity came from an unusual source: 
  Duchess Alys Marik, who only months before the Tharkad incident 
  had proposed an end to “the crisis” and repeal of Resolution 288 that 
  gave the Captain-General his power. Though careful not to support 
  her uncle Thomas, Duchess Alys told people that division would only 
  see the League crushed and in enemy hands, and she warned us to be 
  as wary of the enemy within as of those outside our borders.
   
  Thomas Marik, covertly making his way home from Tharkad, 
  held back from wholly committing the FWLM to the ﬁ ght, rede-
  ploying troops while attempting diplomacy to resolve matters. 
  Coordinating our border defenses fell to Jeremy Brett, Marshal of 
  Tamarind. Limited troops severely constrained his eﬀ orts, but his 
  hard work earned him the hearts of the people, particularly when his 
  counterstrikes liberated worlds lost to the Lyran behemoth. Could 
  this be a potential Captain-General, bound to the Mariks but not a 
  Marik? Certainly some people thought so—but Brett and his oﬃ  cers 
  were too busy ﬁ ghting the war to be dragged into the quagmire of 
  politics. When the Captain-General and the LCCC ﬁ nally moved, the 
  Lyrans learned the error of their ways. They had mistaken tolerance 
  and a desire to maintain the status quo for a lack of willpower—but 
  now, with rogue forces at work in the Lyran state, they would see the 
  FWLM’s true strength and the League’s determination. Triple FWLM 
  thrusts along the Lyran border halted Alliance incursions and then 
  turned them back. Unlike Operation Guerrero in 3057, this time our 
  military did not stop at the pre-Fourth Succession War borders. The 
  hunters had become the hunted.
   
  Despite these successes, questions were asked on the streets: 
  Why are we standing alone? We have allies, internal and external, 
  but none stood with us. The Word of Blake, though targeted by 
  an unlawful mercenary attack in the Terran system, maintained a 
  presence in the League. Why did they not bolster our defenses? 
  Were they too preoccupied with defending themselves against the 
  power-hungry Dragoons, or was this—as some “out there” journals 
  posited—part of a grand plan to bring humanity to its knees? Were 
  we seeing Operation Scorpion on a much larger and more convo-
  luted scale? No one seems to know for certain whether Thomas 
  even asked for their aid, but all the evidence suggests the League 
  has been operating largely solo, relying on the Blakists solely for 
  communications links—including those on WarShips. 
   
  Amid the chaos, as the counteroﬀ ensive gained pace, the inex-
  plicable happened. The Knights of the Inner Sphere were recalled 
  to Atreus, and several other formations were pulled from their task 
  forces and recalled to unspeciﬁ ed duties. Why the Captain-General 
  ordered this move remains unclear. All aﬀ ected units heeded their 
  orders, returning to the League capital with alacrity. The parade to 
  be held later today marks their ﬁ rst public appearance and seems 
  to be part of Thomas’ eﬀ orts to convince the people of the FWLM’s 
  strength. “Bread and circuses,” as the ancient phrase goes. As if this 
  pageant—a demonstration of chivalry and military might—will 
  make any real diﬀ erence. Winning the war is what counts. From 
  that perspective, this recall order makes no military sense, and 
  whatever his enemies say, Thomas is no fool.
   
  —Corrine Marik, Atreus, 20 October 3068
  WINDS OF CHANGE
   
  For some, the jury is still out on the role played by the Free 
  Worlds League—the Word of Blake’s staunchest ally since the 
  Schism of 3052—in the current holy war being waged against 
  the Inner Sphere. Is the Free Worlds allied with the Blakists, or has 
  House Marik become yet another pawn in Blakist machinations 
  and their campaign of terror and destruction? We do know that 
  this realm, an ardent supporter of the Star League and a nation that 
  arguably owes its current greatness to Word of Blake inﬂ uence, has 
  become embroiled in the chaos of this war along with every other 
  major power—yet its capital, Atreus, remains unscathed.
   
  —Michael Bosworth, INN Special Correspondent 
  THE STAR LEAGUE FAILURE: WHAT HAPPENED?
   
  The Star League is in session again.
   
  News agencies from across civilized space are focused on 
  Tharkad as representatives of the member states and would-be 
  member states confer with great solemnity. Hard news reporters 
  will give us the facts, what few there are, in mind-numbing detail. 
  Investigative reporters will press the limits of creative nonﬁ ction as 
  they parse innuendo and supposition in search of the “real” story. 
  Gossip columnists and social reporters, an elusive distinction, will 
  update us ad nauseam on who had dinner with whom and from 
  which hotel room they emerged in the morning. And of course, 
  cultural pundits such as your own humble servant will thoroughly 
  mull over all of this to provide Thoughtful Readers such as yourself 
  with the beneﬁ ts of our insights and predictions.
   
  Those Thoughtful Readers familiar with this humble servant’s past 
  musings, or who took the time to read the title of this week’s column, 
  EAGLE SCREAMS
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section09: EAGLE SCREAMS
  will not be surprised to learn that the future of the Star League is not 
  bright. Indeed, if one were bold enough to predict, this year’s session 
  may well be remembered by history as the ﬁ rst of the last times—if not 
  the last time—humanity conducted this august experiment.
   
  The failure of the Star League lies not in the institution itself, 
  but in the composition of its member-states. 
   
  Throughout the bulk of the Human Sphere, worlds and lives 
  are traded at the whim of monarchs who hold sway over hundreds 
  of billions of people through no other merit than an accident of 
  birth. Though these blessed beneﬁ ciaries of random chance may 
  care for the well-being of their subjects in the abstract, they have 
  no visceral connection to the souls of common men. They have no 
  dialogue—nor the mechanism to conduct one—with the ordinary 
  people whose lives they hold daily in the palms of their hands.
   
  In short, they hold power by the opposite of the ideal on 
  which the Star League is based.
   
  “What ideal is that?” Thoughtful Readers may ask.
   
  The same ideal that shaped and forged our own Free Worlds 
  League: our desire to preserve freedom while serving the com-
  mon good.
   
  We are a league, a confederation, an amalgam of worlds united 
  not through the charisma of a monarch or the machinations of a 
  despot, but by our own clear-sighted recognition of what is in the 
  best interests of all concerned. Certainly we have our diﬀ erences. We 
  are a family, and the members of a healthy, dynamic family redeﬁ ne 
  their relationships within broad and well-understood limits every 
  day. The free worlds of the League work together for the common 
  good because it is the common good, while our individual states 
  enjoy autonomy of which the rest of the galaxy can only dream.
   
  Unless and until its other members embrace this fundamental 
  principle of freedom, the Star League is doomed to forever be a 
  hollow shadow of what it could and should be.
   
  —Kenneth D’Candide, The Candid View, Free Worlds Features, 
  28 November 3067
  MERCENARY ASSAULT ON MARS FAILS!
  (10 December 3067)
   
  Mars, Sol System [VOICE OF TRUTH] – Rogue mercenary units, in-
  cluding fragments of the discredited Wolf’s Dragoons, made a vicious 
  and unprovoked attack on Mars in the Terran system yesterday. 
   
  The Word of Blake Militia’s Seventh Division, which is respon-
  sible for the safety and protection of the citizens of Mars, handily 
  repulsed the disorganized onslaught. Though individual members 
  of the attacking mob made planetfall, there was no loss of civilian 
  life and no signiﬁ cant damage to the planet’s robust infrastructure.
   
  Casualties among the elite Word of Blake units were light. 
  Precentor XIII Carol Widegren, commander of the Seventh Division, 
  attributed this to her troops’ discipline and professionalism.
   
   Military analysts are puzzled by the raiders’ evident lack of 
  cohesion and command structure. There was no apparent reason 
  for the assault, which observers characterized as “suicidal.”
  THARKAD: WAS IT OR WASN’T IT?
  [MP Gerald Rollinson (Molokai)]: “The use of a nuclear device is com-
  pletely in keeping with the Blakist rant of cleansing civilization—”
  [MP Everett Gould (Gibson)]: “The cleansing the Word speaks of is 
  symbolic, or at most spiritual. They seek a return to a more funda-
  mental and honest time—”
  [MP Barbara Scott (Clipperton)]: “Which never existed.”
  [Gould]: “Which did exist, for centuries!”
  [Rollinson]: “What existed for centuries was ComStar’s stranglehold 
  on human knowledge. We now know, what? Ten percent of what 
  they did in shaping the course of human history. Only recently 
  have they made the laudable decision to treat the rest of human-
  ity as responsible enough to make informed choices about its own 
  collective fate. The Blakists want to undo all that, return to the days 
  of hidden cabals maneuvering history from behind the scenes—”
  [Gould]: “That’s ridiculous. The Word of Blake is working toward a 
  restoration of enlightened, centralized human government. The 
  whole point of the demonstration at Tharkad—”
  [Rollinson]: “Was to throw a screaming tantrum and hurl nuclear 
  bombs when the legitimate leaders of human civilization chose, 
  rightly, not to turn back the clock but move forward?”
  [Scott]: “Jerry, you know I agree with you right down the line on 
  their politics, but I don’t think the Blakists nuked Tharkad.”
  [Gould]: “Of course they didn’t.”
  EAGLE SCREAMS
  i
   
  To all print, broadcast and hyperpulse news agencies and me-
  dia aﬃ  liates throughout the League:
   
  An incident has occurred on Tharkad, apparently perpetrated 
  by a party or parties unknown in an eﬀ ort to destabilize existing 
  governments. While the exact nature and extent of the incident are 
  not known, there is reason to believe control of HPG stations has 
  been compromised. Therefore, any broadcasts received from worlds 
  in the Lyran Alliance and the Federated Suns are to be regarded as 
  suspect. 
   
  Formerly reliable information sources within these realms can 
  no longer be trusted, as they are most likely providing misinforma-
  tion, with or without malicious intent, based on corrupted or limited 
  resources.  More important, it is almost certain that any transmission 
  from within the aﬀ ected areas contains disinformation calculated to 
  spread doubt and indecision at a time when our focus and resolve 
  are vital to the survival of the Free Worlds League.
   
  Therefore, any information that has not passed through this Of-
  ﬁ ce should not be rebroadcast until after its submission to the Oﬃ  ce 
  of the Captain-General for validation.
   
  Your cooperation in this urgent matter is essential to the well-
  being of the Free Worlds League.
   
  —From the Oﬃ  ce of the Captain-General, 6 December 3067
  CIVIC ADVISORY
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  [Rollinson]: “You’re kidding!”
  [Scott]: “Look at what we know of the pattern of bombardments. 
  Saturation bombing of the countryside surrounding the city, dis-
  playing a massive array of conventional weapons. Followed by a 
  single nuclear strike in the heart of the industrial district? It doesn’t 
  make sense.”
  [Rollinson]: “Terror tactics! They ﬁ red warning shots across the bow 
  and when the national leaders refused to submit immediately, they 
  ﬁ red a killing blow to the center, to prove they won’t hesitate.”
  [Gould]: “You enjoy rancor more than you respect reason. There was 
  no nuclear bombing of Tharkad. If a nuclear explosion occurred—”
  [Rollinson]: “’If?’”
  [Gould]: “Yes, if! Then, it was an accident, pure and simple.”
   
  —Excerpted from Oﬀ  the Floor: Roundtable Debate After 
  Session, Globe Broadcasting, 16 December 3067
  ASSASSINS GUN DOWN HEAD OF SIRIAN CONCORDANCE
  (28 December 3067)
   
  Pollux City, Pollux [MARIK COMMONWEALTH TODAY] 
  – General Helen Thrall, strong-arm leader of the military junta 
  that seized control of the Sirian Concordance nine years ago, was 
  gunned down last Tuesday morning as she exited her groundcar at 
  the Ministry of Trade in Pollux City, Pollux.
   
  Though eyewitness accounts vary widely, it is known that any-
  where from two to seven gunmen, armed with sniper-type slug 
  riﬂ es, ﬁ red on Thrall and her party as she exited the open ground-
  car. The fatal shots came from a pedestrian overpass overlooking 
  the entrance to the Ministry and from an upper window in the 
  adjacent Ministry of Education annex. Several of General Thrall’s 
  bodyguards were also killed or injured in the attack.
   
  None of the assailants were apprehended. Given Pollux’s 
  open and busy ports, it is believed the perpetrators may already 
  have ﬂ ed the planet.
   
  An outspoken critic of Captain-General Marik, Thrall was 
  known for putting the interests of the Sirian junta ahead of the 
  greater good of the League. Among other controversial actions, 
  she withheld the Sirian Lancers from service to the FWLM.
   
  Initial suspicion centered on Sirian Concordance citizens 
  responding to Thrall’s iconoclastic and heavy-handed policies. 
  However, evidence characterized by investigators as “credible” and 
  “damning” implicates Lyran Intelligence, Free Skye or both. Details 
  of this evidence were not released to the press.
   
  No oﬃ  cial statement has yet been made concerning how the 
  remaining members of the junta will respond in the face of this 
  assassination. However, given their nature and history, a military 
  response is expected.
  OUTREACH NUKED!
  (30 December 3067)
   
  Zion [ZION INTELLIGENCER] – Reliable reports from several in-
  dependent observers in the Chaos March, monitoring the ongoing 
  conﬂ ict between Word of Blake forces and Wolf’s Dragoons, have 
  EAGLE SCREAMS
  i
  (18 December 3067)
   
  Atreus [STELLAR INQUIRER] – Thomas Marik is missing. 
   
  There have been no authoritative, conﬁ rmed sightings of the 
  Captain-General of the Free Worlds League since the apparent disas-
  ter on Tharkad. 
   
  Oﬃ  cial communiqués that have appeared over his signature 
  were in fact written by General Selim Halas. While the Oﬃ  ce of the 
  Captain-General insists no deception was intended—that General 
  Halas was simply exercising his pro tempore authority in the Captain-
  General’s absence—the fact remains that no eﬀ ort was made to alert 
  the people to the Captain-General’s disappearance.
   
  The last credible evidence available puts Captain-General Marik 
  on Tharkad, perilously close to ground zero of the alleged terrorist 
  bombing of the Star League Conference. Since that time, the authori-
  ties have woven a complex fabric of partial information that seems 
  intended to distract the people from the fact that the Captain-Gen-
  eral cannot be found.
   
  Persistent investigation by this news source has prompted gov-
  ernment spokespersons to say only that the Captain-General is “safe 
  in an undisclosed location”—a buzz phrase for “we don’t know” that 
  predates space ﬂ ight.
   
  The time may have come to prepare for the worst.
   
  The tireless investigative journalists at this news source will 
  continue to pursue this mystery. Download daily updates for the full 
  story as this potential tragedy unfolds.
  MISSING: THOMAS MARIK
  i
  (25 December 3067)
   
  Pollux [POLLUX MIRROR] – Pollux lost one of its most celebrated 
  satellites yesterday at 1300 hours Pollux City time. The Percival, an 
  Eagle -class frigate and a designated escort for the latest of the Thera-
  class supercarriers (the Attica) left orbit to continue its shakedown 
  cruise, three months ahead of schedule. 
   
  The Percival, more than half a kilometer long, has been a fa-
  miliar sight in the evening skies over Pollux City for the past two 
  weeks as technicians worked to integrate all the systems assembled 
  by construction crews in the Ionus orbital docks just over a month 
  ago. According to sources, the ﬁ nal reﬁ t and testing exceeded all 
  expectations, and every shipboard system checked out at optimal 
  eﬃ  ciency on the ﬁ rst or second trial: a feat of shipbuilding excellence 
  unmatched in any vessel this size.
   
  Carrying a full complement of DropShips for escort and emer-
  gency purposes, the Percival is expected to begin deep space trials 
  immediately, before returning to Regulus to join the Attica battle 
  group, the ﬁ fth and latest addition to the League’s rapidly expanding 
  naval force.
  PERCIVAL CONTINUES SHAKEDOWN
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section09: EAGLE SCREAMS
  conﬁ rmed reports received Monday. On 28 December, elements of 
  the Blakist forces in conﬂ ict with Wolf’s Dragoons bombarded the 
  Remus continent of Outreach with nuclear weapons.
   
  Outreach had long been a nexus of the mercenary industry: a 
  neutral meeting point where mercenary commands from all over 
  the Inner Sphere could train, trade and negotiate with prospec-
  tive employers. That ended in October when violence broke out 
  between rival organizations in the mercenary community.
   
  The origin of the initial dispute is not known, nor is the Word 
  of Blake’s motive for taking up the cause of those opposing Wolf’s 
  Dragoons. But whatever the bone of contention in October and 
  whatever the military situation now, nothing—absolutely noth-
  ing—justiﬁ es the use of strategic nuclear weapons. We call on the 
  civilized nations of the Inner Sphere to jointly require the Word of 
  Blake to surrender the oﬃ  cer responsible so that he or she may 
  stand trial for this war crime.
  DAY OF THE HAWK
   
  Though the circumstances surrounding the League-Alliance 
  conﬂ ict remain murky on both sides of the border, it comes as little 
  surprise to many who believe in the League’s complicity with the 
  Blakists that the Free Worlds has held the upper hand throughout 
  the ﬁ ghting. Despite initial losses and Thomas Marik’s public objec-
  tions to “Lyran aggression,” FWLM troops on the Lyran border have 
  easily pushed back the oﬀ ensive and are poised to strike deep into 
  Skye and Bolan provinces. A ﬁ nal League victory could conceivably 
  cripple the Lyran state, an outcome that would doubtless have the 
  Free Worlds’ Blakist allies drooling in anticipation despite their un-
  explained absence from the combat region.
  WAR!
  (12 February 3068)
   
  Zosma [BPNS] – Duke Robert Kelswa-Steiner has declared war 
  on the Free Worlds League. 
   
  According to a statement released by Duke Kelswa-Steiner’s 
  oﬃ  ce on Thursday, 6 February 3068, the declaration of war came 
  in response to an unprovoked naval attack on Skye by the Free 
  Worlds League. 
   
  This accusation, coming just two months after the Free 
  Skye movement was implicated in the assassination of Sirian 
  Concordance leader General Helen Thrall, has been denounced as 
  “transparent propaganda” by the Concordance. The Council of the 
  Silver Hawks Coalition has also rejected its validity, characterizing 
  the uncorroborated statement as “disingenuous.” Responses from 
  Border Protectorate leaders to the duke’s claims range from skepti-
  cism on Alula Australis to suspicion on Zosma.
   
  Though the Free Worlds League Military would not provide a 
  detailed ﬂ eet deployment, the Oﬃ  ce of Information made the un-
  precedented gesture of stating unequivocally that no active-duty 
  FWLM WarShips have entered Lyran Alliance space.
   
  Duke Kelswa-Steiner was apparently speaking on behalf of 
  the Province of Skye alone and not the entire Lyran Alliance when 
  he declared war. Some speculate that the province lacks the mili-
  tary resources to make good its declared intent. 
   
  Other observers point out that if the duke intended a lim-
  ited war that struck isolated provinces such as the Silver Hawks 
  Coalition, the Sirian Concordance or our own Border Protectorate, 
  Skye troops might overrun one or two border worlds. Arguing that 
  it is much easier and more prudent to defend a world than to take 
  EAGLE SCREAMS
  i
  (9 February 3068)
   
  Marik [MALKENT MALCONTENT] — In a shocking turn of events, 
  Duke Robert Kelswa-Steiner, ruler of the Free Skye Republic (formerly 
  Skye Province of the Lyran Alliance) declared war on the Free Worlds 
  League, in response to a recent raid on Skye that allegedly involved 
  elements of the Sirian Lancers and an equally alleged Eagle-class 
  frigate. Even though Duke Kelswa-Steiner failed to take any prison-
  ers, he claims to have enough (alleged) proof of League involvement 
  in “this insidious assault on the Free Republic’s capital.” After all, the 
  ‘Mechs involved were clearly painted in Sirian Lancer colors, right?
   
  Faced with such overwhelming proof of our unprovoked attack, 
  it is no wonder our own Captain-General has so far failed to com-
  ment on this recent outbreak of war. Skye forces wasted little time in 
  persecuting the conﬂ ict when they aggressively redeployed a hand-
  ful of units to the League-Skye border, including the Fifth Alliance 
  Guards from Dalkeith, which is scheduled to arrive in no less than 
  three months. Clearly these lightning-fast redeployments are a mere 
  prelude of a full-scale invasion. We’ve asked our strategy panel to 
  comment on these disturbing developments.
   
  Colonel Allyce Verschwunden (Ret.): “I project that at this rate of 
  maneuver, Skye forces will make landfall on Atreus early next century.”
   
  Colonel Coram “Old Cory” d’Youville (Ret.): “Hahahaha!”
   
  To get the political angle, we discussed the prospect of a Skye 
  invasion with several Members of Parliament:
   
  “I would recommend that people consider stockpiling some 
  necessary items, just in case,” suggested MP van Leeuwen. “In par-
  ticular, the Nostia gems from my native region have grown nicely this 
  year, so take advantage of that and make sure you don’t run out!”
   
  “Without the guidance of the Star League, I simply don’t know 
  how we’ll bring this horrible conﬂ ict to an end without additional 
  bloodshed,” stated MP Itibina. We asked whether Mrs. Itibina was 
  aware that Skye forces had not yet crossed the border, and that there 
  thus had not been any bloodshed. She quickly replied,  “Not true! I was 
  opening a letter when I received this news, and I suﬀ ered a horrible pa-
  per cut because it made me lose my concentration. Clearly, my injury 
  could have been avoided! How much more must we suﬀ er?”
   
  In closing, it appears we have rough times ahead. This war with 
  the Free Skye Republic must not be taken lightly, as we have only 
  two to three times as many regiments on our border as Skye is cur-
  rently deploying. The threat of imminent invasion looms over us all. 
  Be careful out there.
  TAKING THINGS SERIOUSLY
  i
  
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  076 / 077
  it back, some urge augmenting the military forces already in place 
  on worlds that may be in danger.
  BOLAN DECLARES WAR 
  (4 March 3068)
   
  Zosma [BPNS] – The Lyran Alliance’s Bolan Province de-
  clared war on the Free Worlds League earlier this week. They have 
  pledged to join forces with Skye Province, which made a similar 
  declaration in the ﬁ rst week of February. Neither province seems 
  to be acting in concert with the Lyran Alliance central government, 
  and many League oﬃ  cials question whether either combatant can 
  raise a viable invasion force to back up their declarations without 
  active support from their central authorities.
   
  Skye Province’s declaration of war early last month was predi-
  cated on their duke’s unsubstantiated claim that a Free Worlds 
  force—including WarShip support and BattleMechs—assaulted 
  Skye. However, some analysts argue that this provocative accusation 
  should be viewed in conjunction with last December’s assassination 
  of General Helen Thrall, leader of the Sirian Concordance. Attempts 
  to destabilize the government of an adjacent state, followed by dis-
  information and manufactured outrage to provide a rationale for ac-
  tion, are all classic opening moves in any territorial war.
   
  That Bolan Province chose to capitalize on the unfortunate 
  death of Margrave Caesar Steiner last week—publicly blaming it 
  on assassins or agents from the Free Worlds League—is unfortu-
  nate. Now Bolan has joined its sister province in attempting to le-
  verage “restitution” from the League. 
   
  Whether Skye and Bolan provinces hope to use the threat 
  of war to extort trade concessions or even territory from the Free 
  Worlds remains unclear. However, without the weight of the Lyran 
  Alliance behind them, it is doubtful this “war” of postures and 
  threats will evolve into actual weapons ﬁ re.
  CAPTAINGENERAL CONDEMNS “LYRAN AGGRESSION”
  From: Oﬃ  ce of the Captain-General
  To: All News Agencies and Aﬃ  liates League-wide (for immediate 
  release)
  Date: 18 March 3068
   
  Captain-General Thomas Marik, currently safe in an undis-
  closed location en route to Atreus, has issued this communiqué 
  EAGLE SCREAMS
  i
  (15 March 3068)
   
  Terra [VOICE OF TRUTH] – In what has been described as the 
  largest single naval engagement in recent history, ComStar forces 
  invaded the Terran system. Their attempt to seize the birthplace of 
  humanity lasted nearly two weeks and ended in failure.
   
  The bulk of the ComStar aggressor force was destroyed in space. 
  However, several DropShips made planetfall and an estimated two 
  to three invading divisions gained two temporary footholds.
   
  The smaller assault force attempted to establish a stronghold in 
  the southwestern quadrant of the North American continent. There, 
  the Word of Blake Militia’s Ninth Division, under the leadership of 
  Precentor XVII Alice Phuong and supported by elements of the Mili-
  tia’s Tenth Division led by Precentor VII Robin St. Nicholas, decisively 
  confronted and destroyed the invaders, sustaining light casualties.
   
  The major thrust of the Com Guard assault came in the north 
  central region of the European continent. This larger force was val-
  iantly engaged by elements of the Word of Blake Militia Third Divi-
  sion, commanded by Precentor XIV David Fellers, and the Eighth Divi-
  sion, led by Precentor XIII Alex Winningham.
   
  Fighting was heavier and casualties higher in this densely popu-
  lated region. Faced with defeat, the Com Guard turned their weapons 
  on civilian targets, even resorting to weapons of mass destruction in 
  an eﬀ ort to maximize damage. The historic cities of Tallinn and Riga 
  were destroyed in the ﬁ nal frenzy of destruction.
   
  ComStar oﬀ ered no rational justiﬁ cation for the assault. Observ-
  ers speculate it represented a ﬁ nal, desperate bid of the failed and 
  fading hierarchy to reassert control over the minds, hearts and sa-
  cred institutions of our free people.
  COM GUARD BLOODIED, BROKEN AT TERRA
  i
  (17 March 3068)
   
  Amity [SILVER FREE VOICE] – Megrez, Cascade and Togwotee 
  fell to Lyran forces last week. The whirlwind attacks, which analysts 
  believe were launched from the Lyran worlds of Ford and Loric, over-
  whelmed the Sixth Marik Militia stationed on Megrez. We have re-
  ceived no reliable data on casualties among the military or loss of life 
  among the civilian populations of those worlds.
   
  What does this tragedy mean for us on Silver, or for the rest of 
  the Abbey District? True, we are not one jump away from Lyran space, 
  nor are we on a direct route to the heart of the Free Worlds League. 
  Nonetheless, we are at risk.
   
  No one should forget that the Seventh and Tenth Lyran Regulars 
  regiments, along with their myriad supporting units, are stationed 
  on Cavanaugh II. Though it is unlikely they could catch the Abbey 
  District completely by surprise, could the noble Second Brigade of 
  the Fusiliers of Oriente hope to defend the entire district? Even if the 
  Sixth Regiment of the Orloﬀ  Grenadiers could somehow oﬀ er sup-
  port from distant Cerillos, it is doubtful even the Golden Phoenix 
  could stand against such an invading force.
   
  The fall of Megrez, Cascade and Togwotee, worlds very like our 
  own, serves as a reminder that no planet is safe in the current crisis. 
  We cannot aﬀ ord to be complacent, thinking ourselves safely distant 
  from the thrust of Lyran aggression. We must all be vigilant, all stand 
  ready to take up arms in defense of our homes and our families.
  SKYE, BOLAN FORCES HIT THREE WORLDS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section09: EAGLE SCREAMS
  for immediate release by all media outlets throughout the Free 
  Worlds League:
   
  Citizens of the Free Worlds League,
   
  Months ago, a series of unfortunate events unfolded on the 
  Lyran capital of Tharkad. The end of the Star League was tragic in 
  and of itself. Equally tragic, and criminal, is the fact that persons 
  unknown chose to respond to this demise with violence.
   
  Now should be a time for the nations of the Inner Sphere to 
  come together. Even if rebuilding the Star League is an impossible 
  ideal, as some claim, we remain civilized enough to support each 
  other in this time of trial.
   
  Instead, based on no evidence other than their own prejudic-
  es, elements within the Lyran Alliance have chosen to blame the 
  Free Worlds for their misfortunes. On the face of it, these accusa-
  tions are nothing more than a pretext for invasion. 
   
  We do not mean to trivialize the disaster on Tharkad, or the 
  other attacks—if any—that have allegedly befallen the Lyran 
  people on several worlds. However, whatever internal conﬂ icts be-
  set the Alliance, they do not justify a destructive war of conquest 
  against an innocent people.
   
  This aggression by the Lyran Alliance against the Free Worlds 
  League must cease immediately. All seized worlds must be repatri-
  ated and reparations to civilians who have lost property and loved 
  ones must be paid at once. Only then can we meet at the negotiat-
  ing table to forge a lasting peace. 
   
  As a civilized nation, we stand ready to help our neighbors heal 
  the damage they have done themselves in this period of sense-
  less internecine violence. However, as a sovereign nation, we stand 
  ready to defend our borders against unprovoked aggression—and 
  to pursue the aggressors as far and as hard as we must to ensure 
  they do not threaten innocent lives again.
  STEINERS LAUNCH SECOND WAVE
  (31 March 3068)
   
  Thermopolis [SILVER FREE VOICE] – Mere months ago, the 
  talk was of the Fifth Brigade of the Fusiliers of Oriente, popularly 
  known as Bolton’s Rangers, and whether that unit would rejoin the 
  Star League Defense Force. Upholding tradition, they would have 
  reclaimed their original designation of Independent 208th Hussar 
  Regulars as they took their place among the reborn and reorga-
  nized defenders of the Inner Sphere.
   
  That plan ended with the second and many say ﬁ nal demise 
  of the Star League last November. Yet none among the Fifth regret 
  the lost opportunity to be part of a uniﬁ ed Inner Sphere. As Force 
  EAGLE SCREAMS
  i
   
  Danger and death threaten Zion Province on every side.
   
  The Capellan Confederation is under siege, its people coming 
  apart at the seams, as the Federated Suns continues to invade.
   
  The Chaos March is in ﬂ ames. Rogue mercenary armies tear at 
  each other’s throats, grinding helpless worlds to bloody mire beneath 
  their treads. Our doom could fall from our skies at any moment.
   
  What does Thomas Marik, our wise and compassionate Cap-
  tain-General, do for us in this, our darkest hour? What do our noble 
  leaders at League Central Coordination and Command do? What, oh 
  what, does the Free Worlds League Military, our stalwart protector, 
  do?
   
  They withdraw the Third Free Worlds Guard, our only defense, 
  and dispatch it to bolster the Marik Commonwealth’s already impen-
  etrable barrier against imagined threats from disgruntled provinces 
  of the Lyran Alliance!
   
  Enough is enough!
   
  The Free Worlds League has abandoned Zion Province. As we 
  are alone, we must now stand alone, relying on our own solidarity to 
  see us through the present peril. 
   
  The time has come for Zion Province to secede from the lie of 
  the Free Worlds League. Independence for Zion! This is the ideal for 
  which we must now stand and ﬁ ght!
   
  —Op/ed from The Zion Intelligencer, 22 March 3068
  “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”
  i
  (16 April 3068)
   
  Danais [SILVER FREE VOICE] – The Public Information Oﬃ  ce of 
  the Silver Hawks Coalition Council announced today that the hyper-
  pulse generator on Shiloh has fallen silent. The Type B station did not 
  transmit any indication of trouble before ceasing transmission, and 
  apparently shut down in good order.
   
  Long known for priding themselves on their independence 
  from modern technology, the citizens of Shiloh have been reducing 
  contact with other Coalition worlds. Their highly sought-after wood 
  sculptures and rugs have become scarce (see “Investing in Folk Art,” 
  SFV issue, 11 July 3066), and Shiloh’s consumption of oﬀ -world food-
  stuﬀ s and farming equipment has steadily declined over the past de-
  cade in reverse proportion to the number of children being adopted 
  oﬀ -world in Shiloh’s burgeoning—if unlikely—new export industry. 
  Yet even this new trade abruptly ceased in recent weeks, adding an 
  eerie quality to the world’s suddenly conspicuous silence.
   
  Given the Shiloh ethic of self-reliance, these decreases in im-
  ports and exports can be seen as evidence of growing stability and 
  economic self-suﬃ  ciency. Under normal circumstances, it would be 
  easy to imagine that this sudden silence is a goal toward which they 
  have long worked.
   
  But circumstances are not normal.
   
  In the face of recent Lyran conquests of League worlds, intel-
  ligent people must consider the possibility that Shiloh has fallen. 
  While professing not to be alarmed at the world’s silence, the Coali-
  tion Council has asked that any vessels whose routes take them close 
  to the Shiloh system stay alert for any signal or other evidence that 
  may indicate a Lyran presence.
  SILENCE ON SHILOH
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/09: EAGLE SCREAMS  
  078 / 079
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, this is Gray One. We’re two blocks from the Hiring 
  Hall compound. Have you received anything from Wolf Actual?”
  [Clavell]: “Negative, Cameron. Last report was Waco and his boys 
  charging into Complex Alpha, where Actual and a Home Guard lance 
  were located.”
  [Shadd]: “Complex Alpha? That is the guest housing for visiting dignitaries 
  and their staﬀ .” 
  [Cameron]: “Any other Home Guard units around? I’m getting no signal, 
  magres is too cluttered.”
  [Spider Two]: “All bands quiet; nothing registering.” 
  [Spider Three]: “Spider Three here. Currently at Jacoby Way and Rain 
  Street. I show three of Waco’s people here.”
  [Clavell]: “Status, Pollack?”
  [Spider Three]: “One Crusader’s missing its head, Stealth is prone and 
  cold, and I can’t even ID this last guy—there’re parts everywhere. The 
  Smithton Street Grill got ﬂ attened, too.”
  [Spider Four]: “Bastards.”
  [Clavell]: “Quiet, Ahmed.”
  [Cameron]: “Approaching the Hall’s main gate…holy hell.”
  [Clavell]: “What do you see, Gray One?”
  [Cameron]: “Can’t describe it, Johnny. ‘Mech parts everywhere. Like ﬁ re 
  came from heaven and dropped them where they stood.” 
  [Gray Two]: “Sir, the archway—I see something…”
  [Gray Three]: “I’ll cover you, Two.”
  [Cameron]: “Shadd, ride up with Two and see what’s beyond that archway. 
  I’m showing a faint reactor signal.”
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, status? Come on, Brian, clue me in! I’m only four 
  blocks back. Can you wait?”
  [Cameron]: “Neg, Spider One.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point, detach and spread out.”
  [Cameron]: “Four, do you have a count yet for this area?”
  [Gray Four]: “Seven Waco ‘Mechs, two Home Guard so far... Looks like 
  Perry and Gieber bought it here.”
  [Spider Three]: “Damn. There goes my ten C-bills.”
  [Clavell]: “Liam, shut the chatter. Angle up Roberts Avenue and watch for 
  booby traps.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir, we have located Actual.”
  [Cameron]: “Report.”
  [Shadd]: “Sir… you better come up and see for yourself.”
  [Clavell]: “Dammit, man, spill! What the hell’s going on?”
  [Shadd]: “Actual’s ‘Mech is operational, Spider One. His foot is entangled 
  in the wreckage of Waco’s BattleMaster. It is not going anywhere.”
  [Clavell]: “That badly damaged? Is Actual’s radio out?”
  [Cameron]: “I don’t think so, Johnny. Shadd? Can you get a man up there to 
  check the Archer’s cockpit?”
  [Shadd]: “Point Two! Ascertain pilot condition in the Archer! Open the 
  cockpit if you have to.”
  [Silence for several minutes]
  [Clavell]: “Gray One, Spider Command has reached the Hall.”
  [Growler Two]: “Sir, it appears the pilot is unresponsive.”
  [Shadd]: “Unresponsive?”
  [Cameron]: “Life signs, Trooper?”
  [Growler Two]: “He is dead, sir. There are wounds in his thigh and torso, 
  and a large amount of blood on the ﬂ oor. My guess is he died about 
  thirty minutes ago.”
  [Cameron]: “Gray One to all Dragoons. Wolf Actual is down. I say again, Wolf 
  Actual is down. Go to Condition Feral. Say again, set Condition Feral.”
  [Shadd]: “Growler Point! Fan out and check these other ‘Mechs for 
  survivors! Take out any hostiles.”
  [Cameron]: “Spider One, Zeta’s reporting heavy ﬁ ghting near Gateway 
  Bridge. Redirect there to assist. Gray Command, dismount and sweep 
  the area for any non-combatants, move them to the secure bunkers.” 
  [Clavell]: “Roger that, Gray One.” [pause] “Brian, you know we need to 
  notify Maeve.”
  [Cameron]: [pause] “All in good time, Johnny. Let’s ﬁ nish cleaning up our 
  own house ﬁ rst.”
  [Clavell]: “Roger that. Spiders! Move out to nav point Tango. Let’s get us 
  some payback!”
   
  —Excerpted Wolf’s Dragoons transmissions, Outreach, 18 October 3067
   
  Today we face a threat to the very existence of our Free Worlds League far greater than any 
  that has gone before. 
   
  To date, seven of our worlds have fallen before invading forces from the Lyran Alliance. While 
  this is in itself a tragedy, more far-reaching in its signiﬁ cance is the fact that these forces seem to 
  be sanctioned by only two Alliance provinces. To the best of our knowledge, Alarion, Coventry 
  and Donegal provinces have no part in this war. While this may look like good news—that we face 
  only two-ﬁ fths of an enemy—it is in fact an omen of a darker possibility.
   
  That unknown forces used nuclear weapons on Tharkad is a given. That Tharkad City is 
  gone is a certainty, and that the entire world has become a radioactive wasteland is a credible 
  probability. The Lyran Alliance, bereft of its core, may be ﬁ nding that the center cannot hold. 
  Instead of a united government making balanced considerations based on the needs of all its 
  provinces, the Free Worlds League may face a loose alliance of independent states—an alliance 
  that may unravel as each province pursues its own goals. The recently reported attacks on Lyran 
  provincial capitals may in fact be evidence of intense conﬂ ict.
   
  And this malady, this fever of rebellion and Balkanization, is not limited to the Lyran Alliance. 
  Reports from the Federated Suns and the Capellan Confederation attest to similar instability and 
  outbreaks of violence.
   
  What must we of the Free Worlds League do in the face of this rising tide of anarchy and war?
   
  We must stand ﬁ rm. We, an amalgam of many noble states and worlds, must stay united in 
  our resolve to hold fast to that which is ours; that which makes us who we are.
   
  Now is the time for the Tamarind, the Regulan, the Andurien and the Stewart, to set aside 
  diﬀ erences. Not to forget our heritage—never that—but to stand shoulder to shoulder with our 
  brothers and sisters of the Free Worlds League. We must as one people turn faces of ﬂ int to the 
  forces of chaos that threaten our League, our worlds and our families. Through our resolve, our 
  commitment to each other and to the principles that give this, our League, its life and power, we 
  will persevere. We will weather the storm that threatens us. And we shall overcome.
   
  —League-wide public address by Alys Rousset-Marik, Duchess of Augustine, 1 May 3068
  EAGLE SCREAMS
  i
  APPEAL FOR UNITY
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section09: EAGLE SCREAMS
  Commander Brian Domenic expressed it: “History and tradition 
  and what might have been all take a back seat when it comes to 
  doing what is right. The Free Worlds League is our home.”
   
  From the moment they learned that the Lyran invasion 
  force—reportedly including elements of the Fifteenth Arcturan 
  Guards, Fourth Alliance Guards and Fourth Skye Rangers—had 
  taken nearby Cascade, Megrez and Togwotee, the Fifth Fusiliers 
  have been preparing for the onslaught. With Thermopolis squarely 
  along the shortest route from the Lyran beachhead to the heart 
  of the Free Worlds League, it was only a question of when battle 
  would be joined.
   
  True to predictions, the second wave of the Steiner invasion 
  began with an assault on Thermopolis just as dawn broke over the 
  capital yesterday. From the ﬁ rst salvo, the true spirit of the Fusiliers 
  has shone through. From Colonel Jerry Wagner down to his green-
  est tech, every one of Bolton’s Rangers is determined to make the 
  Lyrans’ stay on Thermopolis short, expensive and painful.
   
  The hand-lettered signs on the Fusiliers’ BattleMechs, tanks 
  and infantry helmets say it all: “The Steiners stop here.”
  THE QUAGMIRE OF THE ALLIANCE
  Alethea Colby [Foreign Ministry Attaché (ret.), Foreign Market 
  Report]: “It’s true ten worlds have fallen to the combined forces 
  of Bolan and Skye. These are League worlds and should and must 
  be freed. But there’s no need for a war to progress beyond this 
  point. The liberation of our worlds, yes. Restitution for damages, 
  yes, certainly. All evidence indicates the Bolan/Skye forces have 
  observed the rules of warfare in these campaigns, but if any 
  crimes were committed, the criminals should be prosecuted to 
  the full extent of the law.
   
  “Duke Robert Kelswa-Steiner is a reasonable man. He would 
  certainly be open to reasoned diplomatic overtures on all of these 
  points. But reprisal attacks? Punitive raids against Alliance worlds? 
  No. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth leads to an endless 
  cycle of vicious retribution. A return to borders, proper restitution 
  and restraint. That’s the path to lasting peace.”
  Keith D’Candide [syndicated columnist, Free Worlds Features]: 
  “You’re assuming both parties want peace. The Lyran Alliance is in-
  terested only in expanding its borders at the expense of the Free 
  Worlds League. They’ve lost territory to the superior ﬁ ghting forc-
  es of the Clans, and the idea of diminished power is repugnant to 
  House Steiner.
   
  “Faced with a real enemy that is stronger than they are, the 
  Alliance has taken one unfortunate death and isolated incidents of 
  civil unrest on a handful of their worlds, and woven them together 
  to create a conspiracy theory of epic proportions, painting as vil-
  lains an innocent people whom the Lyrans believe are incapable 
  of defending themselves. The implausibility of this construct is im-
  material. It distracts the citizenry from the government’s failures 
  and provides a rationale for conquest. The only way to meet such a 
  threat is to disabuse the Alliance of the notion that the Free Worlds 
  League is either helpless or unwilling to defend itself.
   
  “A military response, focused and unrelenting, is the only 
  thing these Huns will respect. Continue to dither about talking, 
  and we will continue to lose worlds. And lives.”
  Colonel Caleb Moneith [FWLM (Ret.), Armed Forces News]: 
  “Your habit of dismissing as lies any information originating from 
  the Alliance is shortsighted and dangerous. Credible evidence ex-
  ists—veriﬁ ed by a variety of sources—that several worlds in the 
  Lyran Alliance, including Skye, Donegal, Coventry and Hesperus 
  II, have come under attack. These stories have the ring of truth, 
  particularly since decapitating the Alliance makes sense strategi-
  cally. Coordinated attacks of this sort require forces positioned in 
  advance, lying doggo until the set time. Not a Clan tactic.
   
  “If we grant that these attacks took place, then we have to 
  grant that the Alliance command is not being completely irratio-
  nal in suspecting the League. More is happening than we can see. 
  Legal maneuvering over borders and restitution are out of place. 
  And this is certainly no time for jingoist rhetoric. We need clear 
  communication if we’re ever going to get out of this mess.”
   
  —Partial transcript from Commentators’ Weekly Roundtable, 
  ﬁ rst aired 6 June 3068
  EAGLE SCREAMS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/09: EAGLE SCREAMS  
  080 / 081
  AT LAST!
  (1 July 3068)
   
  Stewart [STEWART FREE PRESS] – With nothing short of jubila-
  tion, we report that the Free Worlds League Military has struck back 
  against the Lyran invaders. Though the details of the campaign 
  must remain conﬁ dential to prevent information from reaching 
  our enemies, FWLM forces under the command of General Jeremy 
  Brett have liberated Preston.
   
  Whether one characterized the military’s hesitation in the 
  face of recent Lyran aggression as confusion or restraint, it is 
  heartening to see them take such decisive action. We are conﬁ -
  dent that this is the ﬁ rst of many such actions as the Free Worlds 
  League takes back what is ours and frees our fellow citizens from 
  the yoke of oppression.
   
  At a time like this, it is perhaps inevitable to draw parallels 
  between the events of 3058 and this deliverance of Preston—and 
  with it the impending liberation of Rexburg, Pingree, Sheridan, 
  Thermopolis, Togwotee, McAfee, Colfax, Cascade and ﬁ nally Megrez 
  as our forces push the Lyrans once and for all beyond the borders of 
  the Free Worlds League. Shall we stop now, as we did ten years ago, 
  with the righteous reclamation of our imprisoned sister worlds? Or 
  should we press on, beyond our traditional borders, to establish a 
  protective buﬀ er against future crimes of aggression?
   
  Only our military leaders can answer these questions. For the 
  moment, those of us who can only stand and wait have a duty to 
  oﬀ er our support—and our gratitude—to the valiant men and 
  women who have at last struck the ﬁ rst blow for freedom.
  EAGLE SCREAMS
  i
  (9 July 3068)
   
  Andurien [ANDURIEN CHRONICLE] – For the ﬁ rst time since the 
  Lyrans invaded the League four months ago, the League Military has 
  ﬁ nally struck back. Rushed communiqués were forwarded by HPG 
  per Marshal Jeremy Brett’s orders to coincide with the landfall of 
  several FWLM units. The exact composition of this counterattack is 
  unknown, but we do know that a number of border worlds will be 
  liberated.
   
  The biggest question of late, from oﬃ  cials and civilians, is: What 
  of the ﬂ eet? The Free Worlds League has pressed into service the 
  largest ﬂ eet of any Successor State, easily capable of repelling any 
  invaders. But this behemoth failed to even slow the Lyrans as they 
  swarmed across our borders. 
   
  The Andurien Chronicle is credited with being the ﬁ rst to dis-
  cover why. Apparently, the Lyran invasion could not have come at 
  a worse time. As you may remember, last December, the Eagle-class 
  Percival was brieﬂ y lost during her ﬁ nal shakedown cruise. Appar-
  ently, a critical ﬂ aw in the vessel’s life-support systems forced her 
  immediate withdrawal to dry dock for an extensive overhaul, and 
  all vessels have since been recalled for immediate inspection and 
  preventive maintenance to avoid similar mishaps among the rest of 
  the ﬂ eet. This recall was kept top secret, so as not to compromise na-
  tional security—but with the Lyrans invading without WarShip sup-
  port and the Capellans under attack by the Davions, secrecy seems 
  to be of increasingly less concern. Marshal Brett’s counterattack may 
  be a sign that the overhaul is complete, and that we can once again 
  depend on our naval assets.
   
  May jagganath Krishna protect and aid the defenders of our 
  realm.
  WHAT OF THE FLEET?
  i
   
  The numbers for the fourth ﬁ scal quarter, ending 30 June 3068, 
  exceeded projections by twelve percent. Of the BattleMech produc-
  ers, Earthwerks-FWL remains the strongest in terms of proﬁ t per man-
  hour, while Kali-Yama Weapons made the greatest gains in gross in-
  come. Irian BattleMechs made more modest gains, their components 
  and upgrade kits carrying them through a slight dip in large ‘Mech 
  production. Only StarCorp fell short of expectations, due primarily to 
  political diﬃ  culties softening their Capellan market, but their proﬁ ts 
  were still up four percent over last year. Corean Enterprises and Free 
  Worlds Defense Industries both provided solid year-end dividends 
  for their stockholders.
   
  Naval production was less volatile given the long-term nature 
  of their production and market. Kallon, Nimakachi, Irian and Illium 
  Naval all reported very strong years. The possible fall-oﬀ  from an 
  over-extended national economy did not materialize, as foreign 
  sales more than made up for any hesitancy in local markets. ImStar 
  Aerospace reported its most proﬁ table year in more than a decade, 
  while Free Worlds and Gutierrez Aerospace both reported strong 
  fourth quarter earnings.
   
  The big winners this past year, however, were the component 
  producers. With the FWL/LA war heating up, as well as conﬂ icts in 
  almost all primary markets, the demand for missiles, weapons sys-
  tems—both replacements and upgrades—armor and support tech-
  nology of all sorts has been absolutely phenomenal. Oriente Weapon 
  Works, Garret Satcom and Quickscell all had record years, while Fu-
  sigon-Flametech and Imperator Automatic were both in back-order 
  status for the ﬁ rst time since 3065. Small arms and ammo producer 
  Austen-Armstrong describes its proﬁ t outlook as “robust,” while Gilm-
  our Miltech, specializing in ‘Mech rebuilding and upgrading, has an-
  nounced plans for major expansion. With the recent opening of its 
  new light Gauss riﬂ e plant on Wallis to support the company’s latest 
  revision of the venerable Warhammer BattleMech line, Ronin Incor-
  porated has come into its own as a major component producer, see-
  ing a two percent market share increase last month alone.
    
  As the various regional conﬂ icts show every sign of continuing, 
  the market outlook is intoxicating. Analysts predict that the 3068-69 
  ﬁ scal year will be the brightest in recent memory.
   
  —From the Introduction to Military Engineering Market Report 
  (FWL Edition), dated 2 September 3068
  “PROFITS UP”
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section09: EAGLE SCREAMS
  JEREMY BRETT: USURPER IN A HERO’S CLOTHING?
  (9 September 3068)
   
  Oriente [ORIENTE OBSERVER] – At last, the tide of battle has 
  turned.
   
  The past week has brought news of daring advances by our 
  Free Worlds League Military along three fronts. Three actions, not 
  to retake League worlds, but to advance into Lyran space. Given 
  the momentum of these victories, no doubt the days weeks ahead 
  will bring news of more and greater triumphs as our ﬁ nest men 
  and women carry the war to the aggressor’s heartland.
   
  However, the name on everyone’s lips is not that of Captain-
  General Thomas Marik, leader of our great League. Instead, the 
  hero of the hour, credited as architect of these victories, is General 
  Jeremy Brett.
   
  Certainly, he is the oﬃ  cer in immediate command of the of-
  fensive, but is he the master strategist who positioned our forces 
  and set all the wheels of supply and transport in motion? We do 
  not know. The FWLM does not make public the inner workings 
  of command. However, it is highly doubtful a ﬁ eld commander, 
  no matter how talented, could have mobilized resources on this 
  scale.
   
  Yet a great deal of eﬀ ort has gone into creating the percep-
  tion that Jeremy Brett is the heart and mind of our resurgence. 
  Why? Toward what end is this media manipulation aimed?
   
  One need look no further than the Duchess of Augustine, Alys 
  Rousset-Marik.
   
  Her recent plea for unity notably omitted any mention of sup-
  porting Captain-General Thomas Marik. Taken in conjunction with 
  her ardent and ongoing eﬀ orts to repeal Resolution 288, the glue 
  that holds our Free Worlds League together, this lapse makes clear 
  that she is pursuing a personal agenda. Nor does it take any great 
  stretch of the imagination to see that Brett—who has in the past 
  violated direct orders and the best interests of the League, throw-
  ing away the lives of those under his command in an impulsive and 
  ill-considered eﬀ ort on behalf of the Duchess’ late mother—might 
  be a tool of that agenda.
   
  No one questions that General Brett is an able military leader. 
  We do not fault his heroism or his eﬀ ectiveness in carrying out our 
  current campaign. But citizens should recall that he holds his ﬁ eld 
  command under the overall leadership of the Captain-General.
   
  Captain-General Marik guided our great nation through the 
  initial stages of the Lyran assault while in mortal danger behind 
  enemy lines. This ordeal of sacriﬁ ce, statesmanship and heroism 
  far from the public eye bespeaks the soul of a true leader; a leader 
  who places his people and his nation above all else.
   
  Celebrate our victories. Honor our brave and valiant men and 
  women who are even now giving their all in service to us and our 
  great nation. But do not, in the emotion of the moment, forget our 
  true leader, Captain-General Thomas Marik, who serves us even as 
  we serve him.
  KNIGHTS RECALLED
  (5 October 3068)
   
  Atreus [MARIK COMMONWEALTH TODAY] – In a surprise 
  move earlier this week, Captain-General Thomas Marik recalled the 
  Knights of the Inner Sphere to Atreus, along with a host of other 
  units currently engaged in the ﬁ ghting along the central League-
  Alliance front. The move comes just as the counteroﬀ ensive led by 
  Tamarind Marshal Jeremy Brett penetrates deep into Lyran space, 
  with some forces a mere jump away from the planet of Skye.
   
  To recall the Knights after their stunning defeat of Lyran forces 
  on Loric and Ford—and even on Cavanaugh II, where the Second 
  Knights reportedly landed barely more than a week ago—seems 
  counterintuitive. Likewise the alleged speed of the recall, for which 
  a command circuit is reportedly being arranged, at least for the 
  Knights. Should not the most celebrated champions of Free Worlds 
  League ideals be at the forefront of our advance?
   
  To date, all attempts to reach a diplomatic agreement with 
  the Lyran invaders have failed. It seems painfully evident that the 
  Lyrans neither seek nor desire a peaceful settlement as long as 
  they believe they have a chance to seize more worlds. In light of 
  this, a strong military response, vigorously prosecuted, would ap-
  pear to be our best course.
   
  However, the Captain-General has been known to play the 
  long game. What may in the short term seem inexplicable may in 
  the end turn out to have been careful preparation. This sudden 
  recall may be part of a grander scheme. 
   
  Whatever the Captain-General has in mind, we can only wait 
  and see. And hope he does not take too long to make his plans 
  manifest, for the Lyrans will surely take anything short of the busi-
  ness end of a laser as a sign of weakness.
  EAGLE SCREAMS
  i
  (16 September 3068)
   
  Regulus [REGULAN REPORTER] – The Word of Blake Militia has 
  trained and served side by side with some of the ﬁ nest units of the 
  Free Worlds League Military for years. It has always been understood 
  that if the Word ever found themselves in need, we would be there. 
  And if the Free Worlds League ever had need, the Word of Blake 
  would stand by our side.
   
  Half a year has gone by since the Lyran invasion began. The Free 
  Worlds League is at war, and our ally is...missing. Not a single unit of 
  the Word of Blake Militia can be found defending our borders.
   
  Where is this friend on whom we were led to believe we could 
  count? From elsewhere throughout the Sphere, we hear of war and 
  rumors of war, and all too frequently blame is laid at the feet of the 
  Word of Blake. 
   
  We have been told that much of what we hear from other na-
  tions is disinformation; that we should take little of it at face value. 
  But the rumors persist, and as we stand alone to face our enemies, 
  they raise a question we cannot ignore: Have we been had?
   
  If the Word of Blake truly is our ally, where are they?
  “WHERE ARE THEY?”
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  ENEMY BROTHERS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section10: ENEMY BROTHERS
   
  They can’t say we didn’t warn them.
   
  On the day the Second Star League died amid selﬁ shness 
  and backstabbing, the Word of Blake showed their true colors and 
  launched attacks on the Inner Sphere states and our order, the 
  bloody specter of Myndo Waterly coming to the fore. Their brutal 
  assault on our humanitarian centers in the Chaos March was only 
  a precursor to their main event: the treacherous orbital bombard-
  ment of Tukayyid. 
   
  The Blakists were indiscriminate, striking civilian targets as of-
  ten as military ones. The people of the Free Rasalhague Republic, a 
  nation birthed in ﬁ re and then almost crushed by the Clan jugger-
  naut, once again bore the brunt of the assault. Though ComStar’s 
  facilities took grievous damage, First Precentor Dow and Precentor 
  Martial Steiner-Davion were not on-world at the time and escaped 
  the initial attacks unharmed, though Primus Mori was trapped for 
  a time behind enemy lines. The First Precentor immediately an-
  nounced that our retribution would be swift and merciless, though 
  he did not reveal speciﬁ cs; Gavin has learned to leave military mat-
  ters in the hands of those skilled in their use, even though his re-
  lationship with Victor is…tense. The arrival of ROM agents at my 
  little retreat came as something of a surprise. Perhaps the Blakists 
  had forgotten me—a minor ignominy—but Dow apparently felt 
  my safety would be better served through ROM’s professional ef-
  forts, and would also enable ComStar to call on my military advice 
  in Victor’s absence. 
   
  Not even Blakist attempts to assassinate the Precentor Martial 
  and his sister—though it did delay Victor and prevent his join-
  ing the task force—halted the Com Guard operation. As March 
  dawned, Case White went into eﬀ ect: the largest naval campaign 
  since the early Succession Wars, and the largest planned single 
  ground oﬀ ensive in the Inner Sphere since the same formations 
  faced oﬀ  against the Clans in 3052. A score of WarShips escorted 
  eleven divisions of troops against Terra, enacting plans that had 
  lain dormant ever since Blakist treachery seized humanity’s home-
  world in 3058. Only by sanitizing the viper’s nest could the Inner 
  Sphere be spared another Operation Scorpion. Cut oﬀ  the beast’s 
  head and its body dies. 
   
  A ﬁ ne thought—and one certainly espoused by many of my 
  peers—but the ﬁ rst rule of warfare is that no plan survives contact 
  with the enemy. Case White called for an overwhelming force to be 
  deployed against Terra, and though I initially outlined the opera-
  tion myself ten years ago, both Gavin and Victor had updated the 
  plans numerous times. What precisely went wrong is unclear, but it 
  appears the Blakists were more numerous and powerful than even 
  my most pessimistic estimates projected. Together with techno-
  logical advancements I dare not even speculate on, this strength-
  ened force held oﬀ  our assault with a fearsome loss of life on both 
  sides.
   
  Precentor Martial Steiner-Davion’s report spoke of death and 
  ruin, and he barely escaped from the Blakists’ clutches with sen-
  sor recordings of the Terran system. Aside from the Invisible Truth, 
  no other ships escaped to the rally point. It could take weeks—if 
  not months—to realize the full weight of what happened. In the 
  meantime, our Primus remains under siege, as do we all. We must 
  mourn quickly and rebuild more quickly still, hoping all the while 
  that the enemy—though far from crushed—is suﬃ  ciently blood-
  ied to withdraw to its den.
   
  Assuming the Blakists will do that, however, might be the 
  last mistake we ever make. Some animals, when cornered, strike 
  out even harder. And if the past six months are any indication, the 
  Word of Blake fanatics are such animals indeed.
   
  —Anastasius Focht, Orestes, 29 April 3068 
  TUMBLING DOWNWARD
   
  What happened at Outreach, at Mars and at Tharkad? What 
  did the various powers of the Inner Sphere do to invite this so-
  called “holy war” the Word of Blake now wages against us all? Did 
  they plan this all along, a conspiracy to bring humankind to its 
  knees? Or did a series of accidents lead us to this path?
   
  —Michael Bosworth, INN Special Correspondent
  WORD OF BLAKE DECLARES WAR 
  AS STAR LEAGUE DIES
  (9 December 3067)
   
  Tukayyid [INN] – Four days ago, decrying the dissolution of 
  the Second Star League, the Word of Blake launched devastating 
  dual assaults against the capitals of the Federated Suns and the 
  Lyran Alliance. The two well-coordinated attacks, launched by 
  Blakist WarShips slipped into the Tharkad and New Avalon systems, 
  unleashed orbital bombardments against both planets. In the case 
  of Tharkad, reports indicate that at least one nuclear device was 
  detonated inside Tharkad City limits, causing massive damage and 
  uncounted casualties within minutes of the ﬁ rst shots ﬁ red.
   
  Preceding these attacks, Word of Blake forces issued brief mes-
  sages to both of the former FedCom state governments, declaring 
  a holy war—a jihad—against the corruption and disharmony that 
  destroyed the Second Star League. This jihad, the Blakists say, will 
  continue until the nations of the Inner Sphere reconsider their de-
  cision and reconvene the Star League.
   
  In response to these horriﬁ c events, ComStar Primus Sharilar 
  Mori, speaking from ComStar’s headquarters on Tukayyid, released 
  a brief statement condemning the Blakist attacks and oﬀ ered 
  ComStar’s immediate assistance to both stricken nations.
  HERETICS AND TRAITORS!
  (9 December 3067)
   
  Terra [VOICE OF BLAKE] – Do not believe the lies spread by the 
  traitors who serve the false Primus!
   
  As was prophesied, the rise of a new Star League set human-
  kind down the path to redemption. Even though the murderer 
  Focht and his puppet Mori inducted the son of the Fox into their 
  ENEMY BROTHERS
  i
  
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  084 / 085
  ranks to aid them, they could not prevent the First Transfer. The 
  Second Transfer was marked with portents both wondrous and 
  terrible, but the traitors’ unholy inﬂ uence over First Lord Theodore 
  could not prevent us from assuming our rightful place. As 3067 
  dawned, we rejoiced, for at last the long wait was over. The will of 
  Blake would be done.
   
  Then we were betrayed! Betrayed by those we sought to 
  save!
   
  Yet we could not abandon humanity as its last steps faltered. 
  With the moment of the Third Transfer slipping away, we acted in 
  the only way open to us. Like a surgeon who must amputate a limb 
  in order to save the patient, we tried to cut out the cancer that was 
  killing the Inner Sphere.
   
  But always the traitors are there, whispering their evil lies. 
  Claiming that a nuclear device leveled Tharkad City. Saying this 
  was our doing! Lies! Vile falsehoods spread by Focht’s puppets as 
  they tried to keep the truth from you! We did not destroy Tharkad. 
  That unfortunate planet succumbed to the incompetence of the 
  inﬁ dels who thought to do the work that blessed Blake charged 
  to our care. Like children playing with matches, they burned them-
  selves.
   
  Do not listen to the heretics! Soon we will show you the depth 
  of their deceit. Then you will all know where your salvation truly 
  lies. It is not too late! Together we can complete the Third Transfer 
  and save humanity!
   
  Blessed are those who walk along Blake’s shining path!
  SLAUGHTER!
  (26 December 3067)
   
  Ivanovitch, this partial transmission comes from Joseph Lawson, 
  an INN correspondent embedded with the Second Division on Epsilon 
  Indi. We can’t air this, but you must know. —Petra
  [Joseph Lawson kneels in a bunker. Behind him, Com Guard oﬃ  cers 
  work at a holotable surrounded by a host of computer stations, the 
  screens blurred for security purposes. Busy but organized activity 
  ﬁ lls the command center, and the room occasionally shakes. Nearby 
  weapons ﬁ re and explosions outside are clearly audible.]
  [Lawson]: “It looks like this will be the last transmission I can make. 
  The Langendorf Lancers so far have not responded to Precentor 
  Grandi’s call to join against the Word of Blake invaders. It remains 
  unclear whether the unit has been subverted or destroyed by the 
  Blakists, or because the mercenaries have simply chosen to stay 
  out of the ﬁ ghting.
   
  “In the meantime, we are on our own. The Second Division is 
  possibly the ﬁ nest military force in known space, but the Blakists 
  have an impressive numerical advantage and have used it to dev-
  astating eﬀ ect. A number of defections to the Blakists have compli-
  cated matters further, and the Second’s advantage in mechanized 
  infantry has not allowed them to withstand the Word of Blake’s 
  BattleMech onslaught. The Blakists are also deploying a new type 
  of battle armor, which is proving lethal against conventional infan-
  try forces.
   
  “Precentor Grandi informed me that our defenses are crum-
  bling. Soon this command post will be overrun. I may die. I… I just 
  want to say th—”
  [With a tremendous thump, the blast door behind Lawson bulges 
  slightly at one side. A second thump, and the room shakes as the bulge 
  expands. Oﬃ  cers yell out orders, and heavily armed troopers take up 
  position opposite of the door as Lawson ducks behind the planning 
  table. Junior oﬃ  cers abandon their consoles, drawing sidearms as 
  they scramble for cover.]
  [Lawson]: [unintelligible]
  [The blast door bulge becomes a crack wide enough for metal ﬁ ngers 
  to poke through. The door servos whine as they are forced open half-
  way, revealing a smoke-ﬁ lled corridor. With a short, barked command, 
  the Com Guard troops open ﬁ re and toss grenades toward the open-
  ing. Smoke billows out after the blasts, then nothing.]
  [Lawson]: [twitches] “Is it over? Is it over? Is it o—?”
  [A riﬂ e muzzle aims around the corner, and with a loud “crack” a single 
  slug ﬁ res into the room. Gas begins to spread from the unseen impact 
  point. Lawson crumples forward, clutching his unprotected ears. The 
  muzzle disappears as the opening is ﬂ ooded with weapons ﬁ re again. 
  A standard Inner Sphere battlesuit, missing its left arm, rushes in. A 
  second follows on the opposite ﬂ ank as both immediately take har-
  rowing ﬁ re. Plodding on, both troopers open up with machine guns, 
  tearing through computer stations and technicians in a deafening 
  hail of bullets. The roar nearly drowns out the screams of the dying.
  ENEMY BROTHERS
  i
  (24 December 3067)
   
  Terra [VOICE OF TRUTH] – Following the sneak attack by mem-
  bers of the so-called Allied Mercenary Command against the Terran 
  system, it has become necessary to place Northwind under protec-
  tive quarantine. The Word of Blake acknowledges and salutes the 
  contributions made by the heroic Northwind Highlander regiments 
  in the ﬁ ght against the Clans, and wishes to preserve their safety and 
  neutrality and that of their world in these diﬃ  cult times. With that 
  view in mind, elements of our ﬂ eet have been deployed to protect 
  Northwind from certain local powers that have demonstrated impe-
  rialistic ambitions.
   
  Commercial traﬃ  c through the system’s nadir and zenith 
  jump points may continue to pass unhindered, though vessels 
  may be required to submit to inspection at any time. The services 
  of Northwind’s recharge stations will remain available. We request 
  that any vessels passing through the Northwind system refrain from 
  using non-standard jump points, as such use constitutes a hazard to 
  local shipping and will be deemed a hostile or criminal act.
   
  Regretfully, travel to and from the world of Northwind has been 
  suspended indeﬁ nitely. The Word of Blake regrets any inconvenience 
  this restriction may cause for travelers and merchants.
   
  The peace of Blake be with you.
  NORTHWIND UNDER GUARD
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section10: ENEMY BROTHERS
   
  A third humanoid shape—shifting and almost semi-transpar-
  ent—emerges from the opening, sweeping the room with slugs that 
  burst forth from one of its arms. As return ﬁ re pelts it, the mimetic eﬀ ect 
  fails, revealing gouged and tattered armor as the Puriﬁ er trooper falls 
  back, one arm limp and one leg frozen. Shouldering past it, a fourth 
  trooper, clad in Phalanx armor, storms into the room. The Phalanx’s 
  Gauss riﬂ e ﬁ res with another deafening report, and voices cry out as 
  an explosion hurls bodies across the chamber.
   
  Recoiling from heavy small-arms ﬁ re, the Phalanx stumbles and 
  then rushes forward, savagely snatching up a nearby Com Guard 
  trooper in a battle-clawed hand. It uses its armored glove to crush the 
  man’s skull. The battle claws twist savagely, tearing out entrails as the 
  corpse is released.
   
  The camera swings, catching sight of the Puriﬁ er trooper just be-
  hind the Phalanx as the armor sheds, revealing the horribly wounded, 
  heavily muscled woman within. Her left arm is cybernetic, a mass of 
  myomer and metal. With an animal growl, the now-unsuited trooper 
  leaps over the Phalanx to land on top of a corpse closer to the camera. 
  Reaching out with her right hand, she snags a nearby oﬃ  cer, ignoring 
  a burst of submachine gun ﬁ re that rips into her chest with a spray of 
  blood. The wound reveals a web of metal ﬁ bers beneath. Her cyber-
  netic ﬁ st punches through the oﬃ  cer’s chest with little eﬀ ort, tearing 
  out a ruined mass of blood and tissue through shattered ribs and the 
  man’s blood-soaked uniform. Lawson’s screams pick up where the dy-
  ing oﬃ  cer’s leave oﬀ .
   
  Additional large humans stalk through the opening and join 
  the melee, grabbing, pulling, breaking and maiming everyone their 
  hands can reach. Suddenly the camera spins again, slamming to the 
  ground as smoke and debris dance across the cracked ﬂ oor before it. 
  Lawson, a few meters away, turns at the sight and crawls toward the 
  device. Blood ﬂ ows from his ears and tears from his eyes.]
  [Lawson]: “Mary! Mary—!”
  [A metal-shod foot slams down on Lawson’s outstretched arm. The 
  crunch of bone can be heard over a cacophony of cries and weapons 
  ﬁ re in the distance as his face contorts in agony. The female Puriﬁ er 
  warrior bends down, driving her cybernetic arm into his back with 
  earth-shattering force. Lawson convulses once, then goes limp. The 
  arm is withdrawn, covered in blood and gore. It reaches for the cam-
  era. Lifting the device to eye level, the female Blakist, her ﬂ esh-and-
  blood arm little more a bloody stump and splintered bone, her body 
  covered with deep ﬂ esh wounds that reveal hints of metal plates and 
  ﬁ bers beneath her chest and face, grins into the camera. Her eyes are 
  wild, her pupils dilated. Her voice rings out like a bird among the cries 
  of the dying and the continued killing.]
  [Trooper]: “I’m sorry…did I interrupt something important?”
  COM GUARDS SHATTERED
  (14 January 3068)
   
  Zurich [INN] – I’m here at the headquarters of the Com Guards’ 
  Seventy-sixth Division, having jumped from Tall Trees with the sur-
  vivors from the Eighty-third Division.
   
  The Eighty-third (known as the White Cyclones) was forced to 
  withdraw from Bryant when that world joined the Word of Blake 
  ENEMY BROTHERS
  i
  (5 January 3068)
   
  Terra [VOICE OF BLAKE] – People of the Inner Sphere, citizens of 
  the thousands of planets settled by humankind. Once you were unit-
  ed under the Star League, but for three hundred years savage wars 
  have consumed your worlds. Until a new enemy appeared, mysteri-
  ous invaders known as the Clans. Powerful and ruthless, they struck 
  like lighting, driving a wedge deep into the Inner Sphere. Then they 
  made one mistake: they threatened hallowed Terra and had to face 
  the warriors of blessed Blake! In the spirit of the Star League, ancient 
  foes reunited and we took the ﬁ ght to the enemy’s homeworlds.
   
  Citizens of the Inner Sphere, beware! Your leaders have be-
  trayed you at the moment of triumph! Together we stood on the eve 
  of the golden future the Third Transfer would have ushered in. But 
  when the time came, your leaders faltered, once more letting their 
  own petty weaknesses and jealousies rip apart one of humankind’s 
  greatest achievements.
   
  Now the Master comes, bearing the torch of Blake’s wisdom. 
  See the light and revive the Star League, or face the cleansing ﬁ re as 
  we burn away the corruption of those who have betrayed us all.
   
  The peace of Blake be with you.
  REVIVE THE STAR LEAGUEOR ELSE
  i
   
  As I write this, Harlech burns.
   
  The majestic spires of Wolf Hall, once strong and proud on the 
  skyline, are blackened and broken. Now they are nothing but a grave 
  marker for the fallen Dragoons.
   
  Choked with oil and debris, Lake Kearney is a black pit that 
  devours light and reﬂ ects nothing. The Harlech Links (where I have 
  spent so many pleasant hours over the years) is a blasted heath 
  gouged with BattleMech footprints. In the streets, once ﬁ lled with 
  cosmopolitan bustle, only the dead now linger.
   
  The sky is black with smoke from a thousand ﬁ res. They rage un-
  checked, for to venture out invites attack from the white BattleMechs 
  and packs of battle armor that stalk the streets ﬁ ring at any move-
  ment. The wounded ﬁ ll the hospitals, but are not safe even there 
  from infantry searching for mercenaries or their families.
   
  During the night (or what the chronometers tell me was night), 
  the ﬁ ghting came a lot closer to the HPG. I only have a Level II of 
  infantry to defend the transmitter. I hope we can hang on. I hope the 
  remaining Dragoons can defeat those who were once my brothers.
   
  I hope Precentor Martial Steiner-Davion can save us all from 
  these monsters. 
   
  I don’t know how much longer I’ll be able to keep transmitting…
   
  —Acting Precentor Eric Dyllon, Outreach HPG, 10 January 3068
  MONSTERS!
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/10: ENEMY BROTHERS  
  086 / 087
  Protectorate back in early 3066. Having set up new headquarters 
  on Tall Trees, the division was eager to face the Blakists, but the 
  rapidity and force of the enemy onslaught that fell upon them 
  caught the Cyclones by surprise.
   
  Initially conﬁ dent that he could hold the ComStar HPG in Fa 
  Shura and the city of Helena against the invading Third and Fourth 
  Word of Blake Militia divisions, Precentor Omlid was rudely sur-
  prised to learn that the Blakist forces possessed signiﬁ cantly great-
  er strength than reported in ROM intelligence brieﬁ ngs. While the 
  Fourth Division troops pinned down half of Omlid’s units in Helena, 
  the Third Division threw a full six Level IIIs—comprised mostly of 
  BattleMechs and battle armor—at Fa Shura.
   
  Fighting in the city was reportedly ﬁ erce, with signiﬁ cant 
  property damage and heavy civilian casualties. I was with the 
  troops in Helena when we lost contact with Precentor Omlid and 
  the HPG station during the fourth day of ﬁ ghting. A few hours later, 
  Fa Shura fell, with only a handful of survivors escaping aboard a 
  pair of Com Guard Overlord-class DropShips. Rather than wait for 
  the inevitable, Demi-Precentor Edmund Rydz elected to spare 
  Helena the devastation that had ravaged Fa Shura. Mounting a 
  breakout under cover of darkness, Rydz drove to link up with the 
  ﬂ eeing DropShips. Dogged pursuit by the Fourth Division whittled 
  the Seventy-sixth down, and less than a Level III of troops escaped 
  Tall Trees.
   
  Reports are sketchy, but it appears that the Com Guards’ 
  Second Division on Epsilon Indi and the Eleventh Division on 
  Fletcher have suﬀ ered even higher casualties than the Eighty-third. 
  As of this time, it appears that all Com Guards forces in the Chaos 
  March have essentially been destroyed.
   
  This is Moore Kramer, Zurich, reporting for INN.
  TIDE OF FIRE
   
  With the devastating assaults on Outreach, Tharkad and New 
  Avalon under way, it was only a matter of time before the militant 
  followers of William Blane and Cameron St. Jamais would ﬁ nally 
  target ComStar. Sure enough, in the ﬁ nal weeks of January 3068, 
  the ﬁ rst strikes fell on Tukayyid, delivered just as indiscriminately 
  as those launched against the Blakists’ previous targets.
  TUKAYYID HIT, HEAVY CASUALTIES REPORTED
  31 January 3068
   
  Tukayyid [INN] – In a devastating and unexpected assault 
  that began yesterday morning with the detection of anomalous 
  jump signatures by Tukayyid’s orbital space stations, the Word of 
  Blake WarShips Deliverance and Blake’s Sword have struck the de 
  facto capital of ComStar operations and the headquarters of the 
  Com Guards. The Com Guards WarShips Blake’s Vengeance and 
  Hammerstrike, together with aerospace elements from the 278th 
  and 472nd divisions, promptly engaged the Word of Blake vessels, 
  but the attacking ships quickly deployed a large number of ﬁ ght-
  ers, assault craft and attack DropShips that turned the initiative 
  against the ComStar forces. Precentor Allian Higham, commander 
  of the Com Guards’ Twelfth Army, has conﬁ rmed that both Com 
  Guards vessels were lost in the ﬁ ghting, and that few aerospace 
  ﬁ ghters successfully disengaged. The Deliverance apparently took 
  severe damage, but the Blakist WarShip has not left the battle site, 
  while the Blake’s Sword has since taken up position above Tukayyid 
  ENEMY BROTHERS
  i
   [Guiding Light]: “North Star, we’ve got an odd reading at vector oh-
  one-seven by one-zero-niner, station relative. Are you reading this 
  as well?”
  [North Star]: “Roger that, Guiding Light. Seems to be a building jump 
  wave, but the signal’s odd…”
  [Guiding Light]: “It’s registering a normal IR signature, but it’s climb-
  ing four times as fast… North Star, are there any scheduled stops on 
  the log for today? Include Alpha Priority in search.” 
  [North Star]: “Negative, Guiding Light, no incoming vessels logged. 
  Might be an early arrival, we’ve got the Charles Grant due in two days, 
  bound for Orestes.”
  [Guiding Light]: “Emergence bubble expanding….will you look at 
  that? I think it’s a misjump in progress, the IR sig’s too high for any 
  known vessel…”
  [North Star]: “Registering another jump wave, ﬁ fty klicks from ﬁ rst 
  anomaly…Hell! Another at thirty-ﬁ ve klicks…”
  [Guiding Light]: “Damn, log this! K-F bubble has severe ﬂ uctuations. 
  Expansion rate is triple the standard ratio! Heat signature is passing 
  contact plus three minutes!“
  [North Star]: “Secondary waves are following the ﬁ rst anomaly’s pa-
  rameters, only smaller in scale. Same rates of progression… Link 
  datastreams to planetside dump, Control Research will want to see 
  this if it is a misjump in progress.”
  [Guiding Light]: “Expansion is beyond standard size for Aegis-class. 
  Image forming now…”
  [North Star]: “Beta anomaly is surging hot! Whatever it is must really 
  have been moving when it hit the—”
  [Guiding Light]: “Bubble at known expansion limit for anything we’ve 
  got on record…Blake’s ghost!”
  [North Star]: “Object Beta is surging through…K-F ﬁ eld has frag-
  mented! EMP wave at ﬁ ve times standard; initiate safety protocols, 
  pull all sensors oﬄ  ine….”
  [Guiding Light]: “Blake’s holy sword…it’s gigantic…wait a minute, 
  that’s the…” [explosion of static] “…sil! How the—Weapons lock! 
  Weapons lock! All hands, battle stations! Repeat, all hands, battle 
  sta—” [explosion, static whine]
  [North Star]: [static] “…elocity pass! Weapons engaging! Brace for 
  imp—” [sudden squeal, static] “—Star to Tukayyid Control! We are un-
  der attack! Say again, we have hostiles in system! North Star is under 
  att—”
   
  —Comm logs recovered from the ruins of Tukayyid Space Traﬃ  c 
  Control HQ, dated 21 January 3068
  THE HOLY SWORD OF BLAKE
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section10: ENEMY BROTHERS
  and has begun to bombard all Com Guards elements on the planet. 
  Caught away from their underground bunkers, much of the 278th 
  Division and the Twenty-ﬁ rst Centauri Lancers mercenary com-
  mand have already suﬀ ered severe casualties.
   
  Worse, there is still no word on the fate of the First Royal 
  BattleMech Division of the now-disbanded Star League, or of the 
  Killer Bees mercenary command. According to the last reports 
  prior to the attack, both units were engaged in extended ﬁ eld ex-
  ercises and undisclosed discussions in the Dinju Mountains region, 
  but all communications with that area were lost during the initial 
  bombardment.
   
  Precentor Higham indicated that the rest of ComStar has 
  been notiﬁ ed of these events, but could not say for certain when 
  reinforcements might arrive.
  DOW VOWS “SWIFT RETRIBUTION”
  (9 February 3068)
   
  Orestes [INN] – Releasing his ﬁ rst public statement about the 
  ongoing siege of Tukayyid, First Precentor Gavin Dow today prom-
  ised “swift retribution” in the making for the Word of Blake.
   
  “We have left these misguided fanatics alone for too long, 
  preferring peaceful coexistence to open warfare with our former 
  brothers. It is clear now that they seek to harm us as well as all of 
  humankind, and so the time has come to ﬁ nish what we should 
  have ﬁ nished in 3058.”
   
  The First Precentor did not comment on the fate of Primus 
  Sharilar Mori, who remains missing since shortly after the Blakist 
  attack began. Nor did he comment on the nature of the prom-
  ised retribution, beyond assuring its swift occurrence, though he 
  did say that “the most capable and experienced oﬃ  cers available” 
  would lead the imminent response to the Com Guards.
  CASE WHITE
   
  The swift action promised by First Precentor Dow soon fell 
  with a vengeance when ComStar activated Case White, a pre-
  planned mass assault against the Terran system, developed soon 
  after that world’s fall to Word of Blake in 3058. With an overwhelm-
  ing force that comprised nearly all of the Com Guards ﬂ eet and 
  included more than ten divisions of ground troops, the assault 
  seemed sure to overrun the Blakist defense. Even considering the 
  results of Wolf’s Dragoons’ failed attack in December, few could 
  have predicted the fateful outcome.
  PRECENTOR MARTIAL VICTOR STEINERDAVION 
  SPEAKS
  (11 February 3068)
   
  Orestes [FSNS] – The following is a transcript of a Federated 
  Suns News Service interview with Precentor Martial Victor Steiner-
  Davion, recorded on 9 February 3068: 
  [Willard Stevens]: “I’m here with Precentor Martial Victor Steiner-
  Davion aboard the Com Guards ﬂ agship, Invisible Truth. Precentor 
  Martial.”
  [Victor Steiner-Davion]: “I prefer plain ‘Martial’.”
  [Stevens]: “Martial, how do you view the current situation, in the 
  Chaos March and elsewhere?”
  [Steiner-Davion]: “I was horriﬁ ed to hear the reports that the Word of 
  Blake has resorted to weapons of mass destruction and war on civil-
  ians, especially in their attacks against Outreach, Tharkad and New 
  ENEMY BROTHERS
  i
  [Reporter]: “…Civil authorities are recommending that anyone within 
  a ten-kilometer radius of the War College evacuate. While it has not 
  yet been targeted, oﬃ  cials believe it is only a matter of time.
   
  “Here in Skupo, the situation is dire. Most of the population was 
  caught unawares as more than ﬁ fty aerospace ﬁ ghters bombed the 
  Com Guards barracks to oblivion at dawn today. Even now, only two 
  hours after the initial strike, the ﬁ ghters still rain ﬁ re and death from 
  the sky.
   
  “The entire district has become a war zone, with at least three 
  waves of ﬁ ghters raking the embedded Com Guards troops. Behind 
  me you can see the Teirgaard Cannery on ﬁ re…”
  [A Com Guards Riﬂ eman barrels past and plants itself at the intersec-
  tion, arms elevated. Car alarms wail from the ‘Mech’s heavy passage.]
  [Reporter, continuing]: “The Com Guards have put up a valiant stand, 
  but the Blakist ﬁ ghters just keep coming. North of here, the Toyota-
  Miuki warehouse district has been completely leveled, more than 
  ten thousand people are dead or missing. Emergency crews can’t 
  reach the raging ﬁ re because of the—“
  [Dual high-pitched whines come from the Riﬂ eman as the autocannons 
  in each arm spin up. A tearing sound accompanies twin ﬂ ashes as the 
  arms begin tracking a ﬁ ghter that streaks overhead.]
  [Reporter, shouting over scene]: “You can see here another pass by the 
  Word of Blake, apparently on the Com Guards column behind us—“ 
  [High-pitched wail and twin explosions in background.]
  [Reporter, his face drained of blood]: “By Thor’s holy hammer—that 
  was the Heinrich Månsdottir Memorial Hospital….” [Camera turns 
  wildly and focuses on a towering skyscraper that burns from several 
  gigantic holes.] “There are more than one thousand beds in that hos-
  pital….”
  [Camera slowly pans one hundred eighty degrees. The view catches 
  multiple burning buildings, craters, piles of rubble and a shattered high-
  way span, then stops on the openly weeping reporter.]
  [Reporter]: “When will this madness end? What have we done to de-
  serve this fate at the hands of the Blakist terrorists? Simply because 
  we allowed ComStar to use our worlds as a forward base? Have we 
  sold our souls to the devil hands of Blake?
   
  “Who will come to our aid?”
   
  —Live special news broadcast aired by Republican News 
  Interstellar, Tukayyid, 28 January 3068
  “THE SKY IS FALLING!”
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  Avalon. I can only add my condemnation of the Blakists’ actions to 
  those already voiced by Primus Mori and First Precentor Dow.”
  [Stevens]: “First Precentor Gavin Dow has promised that the Com 
  Guards will swiftly deal with the Word of Blake. Just what action 
  are you going to take?”
  [Steiner-Davion]: “You understand that operational security forbids 
  disclosing any details. I’m certain the First Precentor would be 
  more than happy to talk more to the press on the subject.”
  [Stevens]: “Of course, but when are the Com Guards going to get 
  involved, and where?”
  [Steiner-Davion]: “If you’ve been hearing the same reports coming 
  out of the Chaos March as I have, then you’ll know we’ve already 
  seen heavy ﬁ ghting there. But before the Guards can act, several 
  divisions have to be redeployed. While that happens, ComStar and 
  allied states need to gather as much intelligence as we can. As a 
  relative of mine is so fond of saying, ‘information is ammunition’.”
  [Stevens]: “Can we expect to see you take the ﬁ eld against the Word 
  of Blake? Will the Invisible Truth head for the Terran Corridor? Will 
  you escort your sister back to the Federated Suns?” 
  [Steiner-Davion]: “I can’t comment on any of that at this time.” 
  CASE WHITE UNDERWAY!
  (9 March 3068)
   
  Orestes [INN] – Case White, ComStar’s contingency plan to lib-
  erate Terra, is ﬁ nally underway, First Precentor Gavin Dow reported 
  today. After spending a month marshalling the Com Guards ﬂ eet 
  and enough troops to secure humanity’s homeworld, Com Guards 
  forces reportedly inﬁ ltrated the Sol system sometime today and 
  were advancing toward Terra. Word of Blake resistance is expect-
  ENEMY BROTHERS
  i
   
  Foolhardy.
   
  That’s the word Alain used this morning when we discussed our 
  route to meet up with the Case White task force. And I have to agree.
   
  The events of the past few months have deﬁ nitely been one 
  shock right after another. With Tukayyid hit, the Guards need to re-
  group there, not strike back at Terra, where we simply don’t know 
  what awaits.
   
  Focht’s information was scant—the defenses ComStar had in 
  place before Terra fell to the fanatics surely have been upgraded by 
  now. The Dragoons’ slaughter is proof enough of that. But how much 
  of an upgrade are we talking about? By all estimates, the ships the 
  Blakists had at Tharkad, New Avalon and Luthien—that should have 
  been all of them accounted for, and yet something took out Wolf’s 
  people before they could say more than that they were dying.
   
  We won’t go in blind like they did; recon ships will lead the way. 
  But Gavin is too conﬁ dent about this, believing this hasty strike will 
  be enough. He thinks we can overwhelm anything the Blakists have 
  on Terra and strike the head oﬀ  of this beast.
   
  That alone is enough to worry me.
   
  But it isn’t my decision to make, is it? Up to this point, I’ve been 
  the master of my fate, answerable to no one higher save God. My 
  duties as Prince required me to consider my people when a decision 
  needed making, but ultimately I had complete control over which 
  way I would go. Gemini was abhorrent and vile, but it had to be done; 
  at the time my people needed safety, and I sacriﬁ ced honor for duty 
  then.
   
  Here and now, I suppose, I’ll have to make the sacriﬁ ce again. 
  No choice. I am subject to the First Precentor (galling as that may be) 
  and must follow his orders. One thing every soldier knows is how to 
  follow orders. I haven’t forgotten my lessons…
   
  My reservations are grave. As are Alain’s. What if the League 
  ﬂ eet lies in wait at Terra? What if that’s the Blakists’ surprise?
   
  No matter. We’ll make the best of what we have, because that’s 
  where our duty lies.
   
  I need to at least make sure Yvonne is safely away; I am still 
  honor-bound to the Suns enough to safeguard the Princess Regent. 
  And she is, at the end of the day, still my baby sister.
   
  I’ll need to talk to Alain about arranging a rendezvous with a 
  Suns tramp carrier. One of MIIO’s watchdoggers should do nicely.
  —From the personal journal of Victor Steiner-Davion, 10 
  February 3068
  “DUTY OR SUICIDE”
  i
  (19 February 3068)
   
  Dieron [FSNS] – Two weeks after contact with Luthien was lost, 
  unidentiﬁ ed forces struck Dieron in a lightning assault that shattered 
  the Third Dieron Regulars and forced the Eridani Light Horse back to 
  Fort Winston.
   
  The attackers have since been identiﬁ ed as elements of the Word 
  of Blake’s Eighth Division, supported by the Hannibal’s Hermits mer-
  cenary command. The Light Horse can ﬁ eld their Twenty-ﬁ rst Striker 
  and Nineteenth Cavalry regiments and their Brigade Command. 
  However, Fort Winston is home to the Light Horse’s dependents, ef-
  fectively nailing them in position.
   
  The Horsemen are probably trying to hold out until the 151st 
  Light Horse can arrive, said to be en route from the Clan homeworlds. 
  But with the dissolution of the Star League and communications 
  patchy at best, the exact status of the 151st remains in question. 
  Right now, one additional Light Horse regiment, the 71st, remains 
  deployed on Huntress, and nobody can guess how the Clans will re-
  act. 
   
  The few local oﬃ  cials I’ve been able to talk to subscribe to the 
  theory that the Blakists are also responsible for our loss of communi-
  cations with Luthien. Sketchy reports of attacks on Tharkad and New 
  Avalon support this contention.
   
  This is Archie Weston on Dieron, February 5, 3068, reporting for 
  FSNS.
  DIERON UNDER ATTACK
  i
  
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  090 / 091
  ed to be ﬁ erce, as a similar assault launched by Wolf’s Dragoons 
  recently ended in disaster. But the task force—which includes 
  ComStar WarShips Blake’s Strength, Vision of Truth, Avenging Sword 
  and Narbonne—is expected to cast aside all hostile units. The ac-
  tual number of Blakist WarShips deployed in the Terran system is 
  not known, but Com Guards military leaders have estimated that 
  the Case White task force would likely outnumber Blakist vessels 
  by as much as four to one, leaving a substantial margin of security 
  for the roughly 40,000 men and women being deployed.
   
  “Once the Sol system is secure, we can focus on other Blakist 
  strongholds and operational areas,” First Precentor Dow explained. 
  “Terra is their industrial hub. Without it, they cannot hope to main-
  tain their jihad and stand against us, even with the nuclear weap-
  ons they have begun to employ.”
  “DEVASTATION”
   [INN Anchor]: “The First Circuit released a statement today con-
  ﬁ rming the failure of Case White. All Com Guards Divisions and 
  all ComStar WarShips—nearly the entire Com Guards combat 
  navy—dispatched to the assault on Terra are listed missing and 
  presumed destroyed.
   
  “With the losses over Tukayyid and elsewhere in the Chaos 
  March, the Case White failure has all but eradicated the Com Guards 
  admiralty and rendered its ground force a shadow of its former 
  self. The First Circuit statement did not mention the use of nuclear 
  weapons in the Blakists’ defense of Terra, and First Precentor Gavin 
  Dow could not be reached for further comment on the operation. 
  However, INN has received this video release from Jenna Martins, 
  our ﬁ eld reporter on board the Invisible Truth, soon after she nar-
  rowly escaped Blakist interceptors in the Terran system—contrary 
  to earlier reports by Blakist outlets…”
  [Cut to: Reporter Jenna Martins stands in a small, soot-smeared cor-
  ridor with several other reporters and their crews. A bulkhead door is 
  visible some distance behind her, ﬂ anked by two Inner Sphere stan-
  dard battlesuits. The letters ‘C-I-C’ can be seen stenciled on the door, 
  over the ComStar and Star League logos.]
  [Martins]: “We are standing just outside the command and con-
  trol center of the Invisible Truth, which has been under heavy and 
  steady acceleration ever since our arrival in the Sol system. Adept 
  LaMoine Oberschulte, a designated spokesman for Precentor 
  Martial Steiner-Davion and Admiral Beresick, both of whom are on 
  the bridge at this time, will be addressing us shortly on the status 
  of the mission and of the rest of the Case White task force.”
  [As if on cue, the sentry on the right side of the door shifts in place and 
  a female voice issues from the suit’s external speakers.]
  [Sentry]: “Ladies and gentlemen, Adept Oberschulte will see you now.”
  [The C-I-C door opens to reveal a holographic presentation in the cen-
  ter of a dim room ﬁ lled with computer stations and busy crewmen in 
  Com Guards naval attire. The camera focuses on the hologram, which 
  projects the Sol system, a single green triangle blinking near Terra 
  and along the planet’s orbital path. A dashed green line indicates the 
  green triangle’s projected course. Several red triangles are depicted 
  closer to the planet and the moon, with multiple dashed red lines pro-
  jected in front of them, all of which cross the dashed green line at vari-
  ous points. Numbers ﬂ utter around each icon, all apparently counting 
  down. Stepping in front of the image, a ComStar naval oﬃ  cer in his 
  mid-thirties clasps his hands behind his back and meets the eyes of 
  the gathered reporters with a grim expression.]
  [Oberschulte]: “Welcome, members of the press. I am Adept 
  LaMoine Oberschulte. On behalf of Admiral Beresick, I apologize 
  for the inconvenience of our current 1.5-G acceleration, but as the 
  projection behind me demonstrates, there is an urgent need for us 
  to put as much space between us and the enemy ﬂ eet as possible.
   
  “What I am about to discuss with you has already been shared 
  with the crew of the Invisible Truth. It will likely be weeks before 
  you can give this to your news outlets, and even then only after 
  signiﬁ cant editing for security purposes. The Precentor Martial has 
  chosen to divulge this information because he feels you have a 
  right to know what kind of danger we are presently in, but stresses 
  that we expect more responsibility from you than that of certain 
  colleagues whose actions nearly got us all killed.
   
  “You see behind me a plot of the Truth’s path away from our 
  Word of Blake pursuers. We estimate no less than seven ships cur-
  rently in pursuit, which we ﬁ rst detected at a spot roughly one point 
  four one-gee burn-days away from our present location after our 
  arrival here via a non-standard jump point believed to be that used 
  by the initial Case White ﬂ eet. As far as we can determine, the Blakist 
  ships were engaged in salvage operations on our arrival, and the 
  space around their location appears to be ﬁ lled with debris and der-
  elict vessels. Unfortunately, sensors told us that all active IFF tran-
  sponders in the ﬁ eld of debris belong to the Word of Blake. Upon 
  conﬁ rming what appears to be the complete destruction of the 
  main task force ﬂ eet, we received transmissions from the Blakists to 
  cut our engines and surrender our vessel or be destroyed.
   
  “Since then, we have picked up several drive ﬂ are signatures 
  that indicate a large number of inbound vessels vectoring to in-
  tercept the Truth. In the past few hours, despite constant scanning, 
  we have not picked up any ComStar beacons of any kind. We can 
  only speculate as to what occurred here, but clearly the Blakist 
  forces still active in this system are far more numerous than our 
  scout reports let on. The cause of the intelligence failure remains 
  under investigation, and I am not authorized to speculate.
   
  “Ladies and gentlemen, it appears from the sensor evidence 
  that Case White has utterly failed. We dare not speculate at this 
  time how the Blakists managed to defeat a ﬂ eet three times as 
  large as the vessels we knew they had, nor can we ascertain the 
  composition and conﬁ guration of most of the Blakist ships now 
  pursuing us. We have detected higher-than-normal levels of radia-
  tion from the debris ﬁ eld, suggesting that nuclear weapons may 
  have been employed to destroy the Case White ﬂ eet, but we can-
  not be certain of that, largely because of some unusual signals and 
  interference.
  ENEMY BROTHERS
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section10: ENEMY BROTHERS
   
  “With no apparent survivors or support available, and consid-
  ering our present condition and prior battle damage, the decision 
  was made to immediately move away from the enemy vessels in 
  hopes of buying enough time to hot-load our K-F drive and eﬀ ect 
  an emergency jump out-system before the Blakists can engage. 
  The admiral and the Precentor Martial want you all to be aware of 
  the distinct possibility of imminent combat within the next twenty-
  four to thirty-six hours, and to know that we will do our best to as-
  sure the safety of everyone on board. But we are all in grave danger, 
  and you have a right to know about it.
   
  “I will not take questions at this time. Thank you for your pa-
  tience and support.”
  [Oberschulte nods to another pair of sentries and begins to move 
  around the holoprojection as another pair of battle-suited troopers 
  ushers out the small gathering of silent reporters.] 
   
  —INN News Special Report, Orestes, 21 March 3068
  MOPPING UP
   
  With most of the Com Guards ﬂ eet destroyed and at least half 
  the nations of the Inner Sphere in disarray, the Word of Blake has 
  wasted no time consolidating its hold over several nearby worlds. 
  The few leaders in their path who could have stood against the 
  fanatics, cowed by the examples of Outreach and Tharkad or un-
  able to muster the dedication and forces to hold the line like the 
  defenders on New Avalon, began to cave in to Blakist demands, 
  expanding a hegemony built on surrender and supplication, an 
  empire based on terror.
  “THE BRINGERS OF TRUTH”
  My dearest Rianne,
   
  We’re in hot-drop mode, about ready to HALO deploy over our 
  objective. Precentor Alvarez says it’ll be a quick and clean strike 
  on the array, but I don’t trust that man’s strategic depth as far as I 
  could throw him. Good thing he’s got us to watch his skinny butt.
   
  Listen, I know we’ve had our disagreements about my assign-
  ment to this tour here on Keid. But I really believe in what we’re 
  doing. We’ve given these people jobs, protection, an education. 
  We’ve reopened the underwater dome in the Allegheny Sea, in-
  stalled a new magrail between Keid City and New Clairton. We’ve 
  raised the standard of living to one of general prosperity rivaling 
  any world in the League.
   
  I know you feel that force isn’t the answer. But in cases like 
  this, it’s needed. Governor Doucette has time and again stalled on 
  passing Bill 47, which would give us the bond issuance we need to 
  help fund the new spaceport. He practically blackmailed Alvarez 
  with that ComStar scandal on Procyon, just because Alvarez was 
  an unwilling member of that insane jackass’s staﬀ . 
   
  Yes, we could probably bring more pressure to bear politically. 
  But there comes a time when politicking becomes just empty air. 
  Someone needs to take action, for the future of the planet. For 
  your future. And Jeremiah’s. And Alyssia’s. And all those other 
  good, honest, hardworking people who deserve a better life than 
  the one that this—this dictator—has given them.
   
  I’ll be careful, you know that. I’ve got ﬁ ve other men to watch 
  out for as well, and they’ve got wives and children and parents to go 
  ENEMY BROTHERS
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  home to also. I know you won’t get this until after my service tour is 
  ﬁ nished, but I want you to know now that I love you and have loved 
  you since we ﬁ rst saw each other at the Pirouette on Solaris.
   
  I need to ﬁ nish getting suited up. These Puriﬁ er suits still 
  amaze me. Hopefully one day the Precentor Martial will let us take 
  vids with these babies so you can see what I’m always yammering 
  about. I think Jeremiah’d get a hoot out of seeing his old man in 
  one—you know, family memoirs and all that.
   
  Ah, to touch your skin, to smell your hair again. If I close 
  my eyes, I can smell the lilac of your perfume even now. A good 
  thought to hold onto as I head once more into the breach.
   
  Until the stars fade and time stops, I love you.
   
   
  (signed)
   
  Benjamin 
   
  —Demi-Precentor B. Emory, Personal Journal Entry 352/13-
  Apr-68: 
  THE HOLY LIGHT OF BLAKE COMES TO DEMETER
  (26 April 3068)
   
  Terra [VOICE OF TRUTH] – By withdrawing the Twelfth Vegan 
  Rangers’ Beta Regiment, the corrupt leaders on New Avalon and 
  New Syrtis have abandoned the people of Demeter. Unable to 
  defend his rich agricultural world, Planetary Governor Giovanni 
  Estrella De la Sangre (CEO of Vicore Industries), formally request-
  ed aid from the Word of Blake. Filled with compassion, we dis-
  patched the Ninth Division’s Measure of Trust III-beta and Call to 
  the Faithful III-delta. The enthusiasm of Demeter’s population at 
  the arrival of the valiant Word of Blake Militia troops on 12 April 
  was indescribable.
   
  Precentor Martial Cameron St. Jamais issued a statement as-
  suring worlds in the region that the Word of Blake will endeavor 
  to maintain vital food shipments from Demeter. However, he also 
  expressed the fear that other powers in the region would act with 
  no consideration for the millions who depend on Demeter’s agri-
  cultural output, and has warned that any who try to do so will face 
  “swift and ﬁ nal justice” for such an act.
  ENEMY BROTHERS
  i
  [Price]: “I’m sorry, Ben, I just don’t think it’s wise.”
  [Abraham]: “I understand, Marjorie. But what choice to we have?”
  [Price]: “None, apparently. Either we continue to suﬀ er with inade-
  quate turbines and slowly watch our people freeze to death during 
  the cold cycle, or we sign on Blake’s dotted line.”
  [M’Benga]: “If those damned Davions hadn’t severed Mitercore’s con-
  tract when they pulled out…”
  [Abraham]: “I know, I know. We’ve tried everything, Samon. Tax 
  breaks. Incentives. Even a seat on the governor’s board. But no tak-
  ers. The market for zinc and copper has just died these past several 
  years. And the Commonwealth was our main buyer. With the split, 
  the Suns have plenty of supply in the Draconis March, while the 
  Alliance would rather look elsewhere than traverse the Chaos March 
  for less-than-market ore.”
  [M’Benga]: “So they condemn us to die? And leave turning to these 
  zealots as our only option?”
  [Price]: “They’re in the antechamber, you know.”
  [M’Benga]: “I don’t give a ghu’s fart! They’re up to something. The 
  deal is too good for us to pass up, which means there’s a catch some-
  where. A catch that will doom us all.”
  [Price]: “Legal’s been over it with a ﬁ ne-toothed comb. They can’t ﬁ nd 
  anything that would hurt us. We have no choice, Samon. Either we 
  seal the deal or watch our planet die a slow death as each environ-
  mental system fails from our dwindling power supply.”
  [M’Benga]: “You know we’re dealing with the Devil. And he’s going 
  to burn us alive.”
  [Abraham]: “I hope beyond hope that isn’t true. But my friend, I think 
  you’re more right than I want to admit. Just remember who we’re 
  doing this for.”
  [M’Benga]: [sighs] “I know.”
  [Price]: “Shall I let them in, Governor?”
  [Abraham]: “Yes, Marjorie. And afterward, I think we’re going to need 
  that bottle of Chateau Tamarind ’42. All of it.”
   
  —Private conversation between Duke Benson Abraham of 
  Epsilon Indi and his aides, Samon M’Benga and Marjorie Price, al-
  legedly recorded by elements of the defunct Epsilon Indi Freedom 
  Brigade, circa 20 June 3068
  “SELLING OUR SOULS”
  i
  
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  “United we stand, divided we fall.” You might have thought 
  the Clans would have learned the lessons of Tukayyid and the 
  Great Refusal and realized they could meet the Inner Sphere on 
  an equal footing only by working together. Well, for all our genetic 
  superiority we’re mightily shortsighted at times. Pardon me—too 
  long on Arc-Royal and my language is slipping. 
   
  Even before the current bout of unpleasantness, the Clans had 
  begun to turn on each other—the Ravens and Vipers, the Bears 
  and Wolves—but matters seem to have taken a turn for the worse. 
  Rumors ﬁ rst emerged about Tokasha, a buildup of forces and sup-
  plies suggesting an imminent resumption of hostilities. (That les-
  son we did learn on Tukayyid—the importance of logistics.) York 
  saw clashes as well, as did our kinfolk’s enclave on Tiber, though in 
  a martial society like ours such events were hardly unexpected. The 
  political angle of these ﬁ ghts and their brutality made them stand 
  out from previous campaigns. The Cloud Cobra-Coyote feud over 
  the Kufahl Bloodname was the low point of these conﬂ icts, though 
  such machinations—once almost unknown—had become a staple 
  of the Hall of Khans. Watching it all were the 151st Light Horse, the 
  now-defunct SLDF’s garrison in Clan space. Unable to withdraw 
  in good order, yet not trusting the provisions of the Great Refusal 
  to secure their position, Colonel Sandra Barclay prepared for the 
  worst while her troops faced a rising tide of challenges.
   
  These clashes were not limited to the Clan homeworlds. The 
  Ghost Bears reported attacks by forces purporting to be Hell’s 
  Horses, though it was not immediately apparent whether the as-
  saults represented isolated raids or the preamble to another at-
  tempt to establish an Inner Sphere occupation zone. Coming atop 
  the losses of their civilian kin in the Blakist assault on Tukayyid, 
  these new attacks left the Bears oﬀ -balance. Meanwhile, the Snow 
  Ravens, who had hitherto slowly built up their Inner Sphere pres-
  ence, entered a frenzy after the loss of the White Cloud and insti-
  gated bloody assaults on Galedon, Enif and Tabayama after cours-
  ing the Periphery planet of Antallos. Even though they have always 
  pushed the boundaries of normal Clan behavior, the Ravens’ aban-
  donment of zellbrigen in favor of a deadly and overwhelming as-
  sault without warning made friend and foe alike take notice.
   
  In the Combine, the fall of the Star League—an event that 
  directly contradicted their prophecies—unsettled the Nova Cats. 
  Unsure of their next steps, Khan West ordered all elements of the 
  Cats’ touman back to Irece, foreswearing SLDF and DCMS postings 
  while the Clan council met to debate the crisis. Though the pull-
  back makes perfect sense to the Clan mindset, the Spheroids of 
  the FRR and Draconis Combine might easily construe it as a be-
  trayal, abandoning them during a crisis. Only time will tell.
   
  For our own part, we did what we do best: ﬁ ght and adapt. 
  After staging a rescue operation to Outreach to extract what re-
  mained of the Dragoons, we moved to prop up Archon Peter’s 
  faltering reign. With the battered LAAF under strain on the Free 
  Worlds border, Khan Kell ordered our forces to bolster the de-
  fenses on the Lyran-Falcon boundary, freeing up Alliance troops 
  to meet the Marik juggernaut. Phelan Kell expected that, after our 
  last clashes along the border during the FedCom Civil War, Falcon 
  Khan Marthe Pryde would not be too hasty in staging another in-
  cursion. He did not trust her, however, hence our deployment in a 
  move that proved prophetic and demonstrated his grasp of Clan 
  and Spheroid politics. The Falcons jumped the border once more, 
  seeking to incorporate worlds like Graus into their occupation 
  zone. So far, their objectives seem conservative, particularly given 
  their likely concern over the fate of their “embassy” on Solaris. 
   
  And where are the Wolves? Their homeworld assets are under 
  grave pressure by other Clans, but Khan Ward seems to be taking 
  little action against Spheroid or Clan enemies. He is certainly plan-
  ning his moves, whether against his immediate neighbors—the 
  Bears and the Falcons—or the Inner Sphere. Khan Vlad stated 
  some time back that he did not regard his Wolves as bound by the 
  Great Refusal. Now that the Treaty of Tukayyid has expired, will he 
  drive toward Terra? I will tell you this: the Wolf is not sleeping, but 
  is coiled to pounce.
   
  —Carew Nygren, Arc-Royal, 19 October 3068
  SILENT RUNNINGS
   
  Even before the Star League disbanded, the Clans seemed 
  poised at the edge of a new wave of internecine ﬁ ghting. Bereft of 
  an ilKhan, and with factions and power blocs eyeing each other for 
  signs of weakness, the children of Kerensky—in the Inner Sphere 
  and at home—grew increasingly tense in the months before the 
  League’s collapse. Ominous whispers and gossip ﬁ lled the Clan 
  channels, particularly on the Chatterweb, that peculiar and often-
  overlooked medium of daily trade and communications, where 
  the boundaries of the rigid Clan caste system seem remarkably 
  blurred. Overall, it seemed as if the Clans—much like their animal 
  totems—could sense approaching danger, but could not quite 
  place the source.
   
  On behalf of ComStar and the Inner Sphere, INN would like to 
  thank our comrades in the Clan homeworlds, as well as allied intel-
  ligence agencies in Clan space and in the occupation zones, who 
  risked much to relay the glimpses of life in Clan-held territories we 
  are about to see.
   
  —Michael Bosworth, INN Special Correspondent 
  WHISPERS AND RUMORS I
  >>>STRATDOM/MERCH-CHAT/DS-PRIV#832<<4members>>
  Shark42: Interesting read, that is. 
  Hawker8199: What?
  Shark42: New shipping manifest from Niles. Horses are using the 
  Hawker’s Run to augment shipping.
  Spina_QM: Another? That’s four this month. Where to?
  Shark42: Unknown. Same location marker as priors. R-0421
  Hawker8199: Huh. Wonder if we can proﬁ t from this?
  TRIALS OF VICTORY
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  Spina_QM: Possible. I have a contact with the Falcons here.
  S3nn3t: So what’s the manifest?
  Shark42: Another Star of Orcs heading to Theta.
  S3nn3t: Thought Delta was the Proto Galaxy?
  Spina_QM: Apparently not anymore. Falcons would bid well for 
  this, I think… 
  >>>BARC/MERCH-CHAT/00-PUB#12<<9members>>
  Wolfman: So the Coyote says, “Hey bub, not in here you don’t!”
  Wardog: LOL! 
  TigerS4: Good one, Wolfman
  <<FreeFury has joined the conversation>>
  Wardog: Ho, FreeFury!
  Howler: Heya, FreeFury, what’s new?
  FreeFury: Your language is atrocious, Jade.
  BloodNH2O: And your Clan is a bunch of yipping snow ferrets. 
  What else is new?
  TigerS4: LOL
  FreeFury: Apparently, you Sharks. Continuing to double-ship from 
  Alpha Port, are we?
  BloodNH2O: You walk a thin line, Hellion. You apparently do not 
  know how to savor information for greater impact.
  Wardog: Sharks are double-shipping?
  FreeFury: Aﬀ . We have seen many DropShips come and go. 
  Preparing to ﬂ ee to the Sphere, Shark?
  TigerS4: Never you mind, Hellion.
  FreeFury: See? He does not deny it!
  Howler: Doesn’t mean it is true, FF.
  BloodNH2O: It is not. We are only strengthening our holdings.
  Wolfman: So the Sharks are increasing production, are they? 
  [White Talons] This is the Raven vessel White Talons to the bandit scum 
  of Antallos. We have come to do some cleaning and lay our claws here. 
  Remove your verminous hides before we do it for you.
  [Antallos Control] Raven? What the hell is that, some newbie pirate 
  greenies?
  [Talons] Hardly. We are Clan Snow Raven, masters of the Void and reapers 
  of your souls.
  [Drudge One] Clanners, eh? Go suck on a Gauss riﬂ e, you genetic freaks. 
  Come down here and you’d better be prepared to reap the whirlwind.
  [Talons] Leave the channel open, Tech Brenton. I wish to hear their cries.
  [Drudge Four] Multiple ﬁ ghters launching, Control. What the hell are 
  those thi— [explosion]
  [Voidrunner Two] Jerry, Pam, reroute the Red Raider to vector ﬁ ve-oh-
  nine. Alert Rezak and his boys and get them spacebound. That’s his boo-
  ty-hauler; if he wants it in one piece, he’s gonna have to save it himself. 
  We’ll do what we can, but…
  [Raven Alpha Two] Locked on target. Engaging.
  [Drudge Three] Damn! He’s outturning me! Get him oﬀ  my ass!
  [Skull One] Skull Three, break port on my signal…
  [Talons] The Buccaneer is changing vector. Star Bravo, intercept. Bring it 
  down.
  [Raven Bravo One] Acknowledged, Talons. Color it gone.
  [Voidrunner Four] BREAK! BREAK! Dammit, he won’t get oﬀ  my— [explo-
  sion]
  [Talons] Four down, twenty to go. 
  [Raven Alpha Three] Another one dusted. This is too easy, Star Captain.
  [Raven Alpha Two] I bid away my missiles and autocannon for the glory 
  of the Raven!
  [Raven Alpha One] Vainglorious sibbie. You expect to take out a Chippewa 
  with only your mediums?
  [Raven Alpha Two] Done and done, Point Leader. 
  [Voidrunner Six] <unintelligible> [explosion]
  [Raven Alpha One] Impressive, Pilot Andrew. Worthy of that McKenna 
  name…
  [Antallos Control] Drudge One, Vance’s crew is on their way up, but it’ll be 
  at least ten minutes before they can clear the horizon line.
  [Drudge One] That’s too long. Raider’s lost her escorts and now portside 
  thrusters. She’s losing altitude.
  [Raven Bravo Four] Ahhah! Another scum eats vacuum! This is like a 
  Circian sibko turkey shoot!
  [Skull Six] Six to any remaining units…lost Tyree, lost Clutch…I’m going 
  in at that Carrier….
  [Antallos Control] Fighters have hit low orbit, they’re on an attack vector. 
  Sound the general alarm! Switch all anti-air turrets to automatic locking 
  sequences!
  [Talons] Blow that insolent scum to hell. If he survives, I will claim him as 
  bondsman just for avoiding our wrath so successfully.
  [Raven Bravo Five] Acknowledged, Talons. Point Five engaging. They will 
  not come near you.
  [Raven Alpha One] Commencing run on Bandit Control. Point three, at-
  tack pattern Omega.
  [Drudge Two] Great Dashkuta, Red Raider is gone…They took out a frag-
  ging Buccaneer with only three ﬁ ghters…oh no, here they come….
  <multiple explosions, static>
  [Raven Alpha One] Point Four, execute ﬂ yby. See if anything is left down 
  there.
  [Raven Bravo Five] Talons, your attacker is neutralized. Target is EVA. 
  Bandit pilot, you are hereby claimed as isorla by the mighty Clan Snow 
  Raven.
  [Talons] Welcome to Antallos, Unkindness. I think we will like it here.
   
  —Intercepted comm. logs made over Antallos/Port Krin airspace, 3 
  November 3067
  TARGET PRACTICE ON THE RIM
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  Wonder if they have something going with the Horses…
  Wardog: Why do you say that?
  Wolfman: Well, Niles has had busy spacelane traﬃ  c recently, and 
  Tokasha is undergoing a major overhaul. Plus, with the reacquisi-
  tion of Tiber’s plants….
  Howler: So. The Sharks and Horses are preparing for war. Better watch 
  out, Hellion. Methinks they are coming to shut your yaps…. :-)
  <<FreeFury has left the conversation>>
  >>>TOK/WARR-CHAT/00-PUB#839<<11members>>
  SNerk: So the Falcon Guards did not ﬁ re ﬁ rst?
  JadeHell: Neg. The Lyrans claimed so and doctored the evidence. 
  Once again proving why we no longer need follow zell in regard to 
  these barbarian warriors.
  PaelHorse: True, true. Then again, the Wolves do not either, con-
  sidering their actions on Tiber. 
  SNerk: They have been tainted by the Spheroids.
  Darkrider: Yes, kicking a vehicle that had declared honorable 
  combat…disgraceful.
  PaelHorse: Aﬀ . 
  JadeHell: Vehicles are not honorable. They are…techs pretending 
  to be warriors.
  SNerk: Aﬀ . Maybe we should challenge the Horses for more terri-
  tory. I am concerned about this increased traﬃ  c.
  Peregrine: Buildup?
  Necroaddict: Possible.
  PaelHorse: Neg, we are only retooling our factories. We are con-
  tent with what we have.
  Necroaddict: Then we should take more from you.
  Darkrider: Try, Scorpion, and get squashed
  SNerk: In a necrosian nightmare, maybe. But we can take you. 
  Especially if events on Strana Mechty unfold correctly.
  JadeHell: Speaking in riddles again, Scorpion? Or is your brain al-
  ready addled by that poison you so love to ingest?
  SNerk: You will see, Falcon. You will see. The Scorpion’s tail has not 
  yet fully risen.
  Darkrider: Thank Kerensky. I’d hate to have to view your rear end 
  when you run away yet again….
  Fins: HAHAHAH! 
  Necroaddict: Bah. You will eat those words when we strike, Shark.
  Fins: Strike away, little bug. Be prepared for blood if you do. 
   
  —Excerpts from Clan Chatterweb chat logs (merchant caste), 
  late October 3067
  WHISPERS AND RUMORS II
  >>>NEWKEN/WARR-CHAT/CW-PRIV#8<<7members>>
  W-MATT: ovkhan, have you heard the news of Tiber?
  W-JULIA: Aﬀ . You take issue with my former kinsmen, quineg?
  W-MATT: I do take issue! Certainly, the Horses had four times 
  our numbers on the planet, but they bid far less to battle! Nowa 
  Vickers wasted no time breaking her bid! By Osis’ left nut, she 
  even moved the rest of her force into position before breaking it! 
  It was her plan along! And then to use infernos on the tanks and 
  infantry the Horses brought, weapons carried only by the forces 
  outside her bid.
  W-JULIA: Lost for words, young trothkin?
  W-MATT: Do not mock me, Star Commander!
  W-JULIA: Anyone who takes himself too seriously is fodder for 
  mockery.
  W-HENRI: Hah! Spoken like the Black Widow herself!
  W-JULIA: You certainly are ancient enough to recall.
  W-GREGGOR: MechWarrior Matt’s passionate diatribe notwith-
  standing, he has a point. All you hear these days is how one Clan 
  misbehaves and disrespects another in combat. The Horses are 
  fools for their over-reliance on tanks, but infernos are no better 
  TRIALS OF VICTORY
  i
  To: saKhan Karl Devalis, Delta Galaxy Command, Tabayama
  From: kaKhan Santin West, Alpha Galaxy Command, Irece
  Date: 8 December 3067
  Re: Change of Orders, Highest Priority
   
  SaKhan Devalis, I hope this message sees you in good health, 
  though I fear its contents will change that. The Watch recently pro-
  vided Oathmaster Minoru with some horriﬁ c news that I still cannot 
  grasp even though I reviewed the same reports. To say it shocks 
  and appalls me is a grievous understatement. The Star League is no 
  more!
   
  This tragedy appears to stem from petty bickering among the 
  Spheroid leaders, who chose to abandon the League rather than sal-
  vage it. The exact nature of events leading to this decision is sketchy 
  at best, as Tharkad went silent shortly after the news broke. Rumors 
  among the merchant caste speak of a nuclear horror visited on that 
  planet, possibly by the Word of Blake, but thus far we have been un-
  able to conﬁ rm that. 
   
  Whatever the case may be, this dissolution of the Star League 
  puts our Clan in a precarious situation. We predicated our entire path 
  on the re-emergence of the Star League, and this tragedy places us 
  in a position of unspeakable uncertainty.
   
  Therefore, you and Delta Galaxy are hereby recalled to Irece. 
  After you arrive, we will convene a Clan Council, we will speak private-
  ly and we will seek a new vision to guide our Clan. On your journey 
  back here, you are to avoid all contact with the DCMS and Combine 
  merchants. I have heard whispers of unrest on Luthien, though the 
  Oathmaster cannot conﬁ rm anything at this time. Considering the 
  problems we had only a few years ago, it is best to keep our heads 
  low but our eyes and ears open. Let our hosts tend to their own af-
  fairs this time.
   
  I have a grave feeling about all of this, Karl. I attempted a vision 
  three nights ago and even now, I shudder from the darkness I saw.
   
  I will share more with you once you arrive.
  DARK PORTENTS
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section11: TRIALS OF VICTORY
  than poisoning your opponent rather than ﬁ ghting him. Where is 
  the honor in that?
  W-MATT: EXACTLY! That dezgra pig-product semi-warrior should 
  be Reaved for her actions!
  W-JOLAN: You deride vehicles too much. A Horse Mars-ATM 
  defeated sixteen BattleMechs that day! Certainly, it faced them 
  piecemeal as they advanced over a bridge, but that does not 
  lessen that accomplishment. Sixteen!
  W-HENRI: Impossible! Perhaps you have mistaken a Horse report 
  on a simulation against a Cluster of one-legged Locusts?
  W-GREGGOR: Stravag! Shut up already, Matt! I am trying to make 
  a point here, and I do not wish to have it weighed down with your 
  idiotic overreactions!
  W-MATT: WHAT? HOW DARE YOU! I CHALLENGE YOU TO A TRIAL 
  OF GRIEVANCE!
  W-GREGGOR: Do you? Do you REALLY? 
  <<W-MATT has left the conversation>>
  W-JULIA: Hah!
  W-JOLAN: He has some Ice Hellion in him, I swear.
  W-HENRI: All the sense of a Smoke Jaguar, that much is certain.
  W-GREGGOR: Laugh if you wish, Julia. He is right. Every battle 
  these days involves actions such as these that oﬀ end the senses. 
  Zellbrigen is cast to the wind.
  W-JULIA: You and Matt, Greggor. Both overly prone to hyperbole. 
  Feuding Clans often ﬁ ght like this. Surely you remember our war 
  with the Falcons, quiaﬀ ?
  W-GREGGOR: Feuding Clans? Has your mind gone weak? The 
  Horses feud with the Bears, not us!
  W-HENRI: They were mere puppets for the Wolves, no? Used as 
  lucre-warriors by our own Khan?
  W-GREGGOR: Indeed, and whose fault was that sad state of af-
  fairs? Does he exist still? And if we feel any anger of such a nature 
  as we feel for the Falcons, it should be with the Horses.
  W-JOLAN: Not a Wolf survived that battle on Tiber. The Horses 
  went berserk, they say. And now they are stripping that world bare.
  W-GREGGOR: AFTER they were treated with such disrespect! 
  Who uses inferno missiles in such a fashion but Spheroids and the 
  Dark Caste? Are the Wolves at the same level now?
  W-JULIA: Let us go and ﬁ nd a Wolf. You may ask him.
  W-GREGGOR: Mock me. Mock me, Julia! But it is clear we are stray-
  ing ever further from the ways of Kerensky. Should we allow this?
  W-JULIA: Your rant bores me. What of our good friends the Ravens 
  and the Falcons? I have heard rumors that they have both begun 
  operations to shift more resources, castemen and equipment to 
  the Inner Sphere. Perhaps they will pull a Ghost Bear on us?
  W-JOLAN: Let us polish our boots that we may send them oﬀ  properly.
   
  —Excerpts from Clan Chatterweb chat logs (public), 
  December 3067
  AWAITING ORDERS
  >>Message Date 12/10/67
  General Amis,
   
  I have found our bases in good condition. To make sure no 
  “accidental” damage would befall our facilities, the 151st remained 
  on station until we had fully deployed. I would like to commend 
  Colonel Antonescu and his unit. They are obviously extremely ea-
  ger to go home, and I can’t blame them. We received various in-
  dividual challenges to combat even before our ﬁ rst DropShip set 
  down. To live with such constant harassment by the various Clans 
  on-planet is nerve-wracking. 
   
  The only relief appears to be the Goliath Scorpions, whose 
  challenges we can often resolve with non-lethal methods of test-
  ing our skills. They are respectful and very curious about even our 
  most mundane habits. I credit Colonel Antonescu for building 
  such a cordial relationship with this Clan, and for instilling a mea-
  sure of respect for Light Horse prowess in the other Clans. Initially, 
  challenges came frequently, but they tapered oﬀ  after we proved 
  ourselves equal to the 151st.
   
  This deployment should prove immensely interesting. Thank 
  you for the opportunity.
   
  Colonel Sandra Barclay
  >>Message Date 20/01/68
  General,
   
  The troops are buzzing with the news of the Star League disband-
  ing and the resulting Word of Blake attacks. Many are concerned that 
  we have been forgotten. So am I. Are we to abandon this site now that 
  the Star League is no more? The number of challenges from the vari-
  ous Clans here on Huntress has increased since the news spread among 
  them. The embassy staﬀ  on Strana Mechty is equally concerned.
   
  I feel something big is about to happen in Clan space. I can’t 
  deﬁ ne the source of my concern, but I ﬁ nd it echoed by many of the 
  Clansmen I have met. Star Colonel Blake Mannix, a Cobra warrior I’ve 
  met with numerous times recently, seems to share this impression. 
  He keeps making references to the calm before the storm, and sug-
  gests a major trial that awaits all the Clans. Mannix’s presence here 
  is puzzling on its own. The Cobras have no enclave on Huntress, and 
  the Star Colonel always travels alone. I’ve asked him, and all he tells 
  me is that he is on “Cloister Quarani” business. 
   
  Another puzzling development is the recent challenge I re-
  ceived from Galaxy Commander Rik Myers. This is the ﬁ rst I’ve 
  gotten from the Goliath Scorpions, a Trial of Possession for part of 
  our Lootera enclave and a full battalion of our troops. All the other 
  Clans’ Trial objectives have been smaller-scale, typically because 
  most Clans require a Khan’s sanction to make a challenge on the 
  scale of Commander Myers. The implications are profound. I have 
  not yet replied, but fear I must do so soon.
   
  We do not have enough transport assets available to move 
  ourselves and the embassy staﬀ . Our options appear limited. 
  Please forward guidance to us as soon as possible.
   
  S. Barclay
   
  —Excerpts from HPG message intercepts between Eridani 
  Light Horse troops on Lootera and Huntress, and Eridani Light 
  Horse Command on Dieron (via deep space relay TF4)
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  BORROWED TIME
  >>Message Date 03/11/67
  To: Colonel Andrew Redburn, SLDF 
   
  Our duty station replacements are now two weeks overdue. 
  We have not received conﬁ rmation from the Starlight Explorer on 
  her status in more than three weeks and are unsure whether or 
  not something has happened to the ship. I am requesting that an 
  inquiry be submitted to the EC to determine her status and an up-
  date on her timetable.
   
  We’re kind of anxious to return home. Thank you.
   
  EJL
  >>Message Date 15/11/67
  To: Colonel Andrew Redburn, SLDF
   
  Still no word on the Starlight Explorer since last update sent six 
  weeks ago. Embassy staﬀ  is getting antsy and the ELH on Huntress 
  is chomping at the bit to begin pullout procedures regardless.
   
  Trial issued today by the Wolf Clan over one suit of Gray Death 
  battle armor. We accepted said Trial and Montgomery is making 
  it a focal point for some entertainment to take everyone’s mind 
  oﬀ  the late transport. We’re also having some of the 151st transfer 
  over here, after we won a small Trial against the Scorpions for one-
  way transport. I think we need the extra defense—tensions seem 
  high around here. The Scorpions jumped at the chance to help; it 
  seems they’re fascinated with the ELH. Uncomfortably so, in my 
  personal opinion.
   
  Request for an investigation on disappearance of Explorer.
   
  EJL
  >>Message Date 17/01/68
  To: Colonel Andrew Redburn, SLDF
   
  Received word today of the Star League’s dissolution. 
  Requesting new orders and what our current operational proce-
  dure should be. ELH has asked for instructions from this oﬃ  ce as 
  well, though Colonel Barclay conﬁ ded to me that, without compel-
  ling reasons to the contrary, she plans to abandon her Huntress 
  garrison no later than 28 Feb 3068.
   
  Three Trials fought against Sharks for embassy supplies, as 
  we’ve seen no transports from the Inner Sphere in almost three 
  months. We won all three, though Sgt. Detmon will need recon-
  structive surgery on his right femur after his Guillotine fell into the 
  Ben-Shimon Gorge. 
   
  Sir, I respectfully request oﬃ  cial orders to evacuate this posting.
   
  EJL
  >>Message Date 31/01/68
  To: Colonel Andrew Redburn, SLDF
   
  I am concerned about the loss of communication with 
  Tukayyid HQ. We are receiving a Trial every day now from various 
  Clans for our personnel, equipment and even our embassy build-
  ing. The ELH lost a full company of troops on Huntress to Clan 
  Goliath Scorpion yesterday after a pitched seven-hour night battle 
  in the Kerensky Plains. The ELH won, which is fortunate, as the Trial 
  was for the entire embassy and all property therein.
   
  Though we are maintaining Clan ideals here, per the First 
  Lord’s standing orders, things are getting desperate. To be frank, sir, 
  we want to go home. Two days ago we learned via the Sharks that 
  Tharkad got hit by a nuclear weapon. It sounds as if all hell is break-
  ing loose there and we feel we are needed back in the Inner Sphere.
   
  If we receive no response in another week, I will issue a Trial 
  against the Scorpions and Sharks for several DropShips and a 
  JumpShip so that we can load up and come home. I take full respon-
  sibility for this action and you may court-martial me if you wish. But 
  right now, my responsibility is to this staﬀ  and the Light Horse.
   
  I will report in if I can.
   
  EJL 
   
  —Excerpts from HPG message intercepts between the Inner 
  Sphere Embassy on Strana Mechty and SLDF command via deep 
  space relay TF4
  ON THE PRECIPICE
   
  Their unity fractured, their resolve weakened, the bizarrely 
  subdued reaction by the Clans in the Inner Sphere to the collapse 
  of the Star League bespoke a kind of shock, a confusion brought 
  about by yet another example of incomprehensible Spheroid pol-
  itics. But was it shock that sent the Nova Cats scurrying back to 
  TRIALS OF VICTORY
  i
  Loremaster:
   
  During our resupply here on Bazaar I found out some inter-
  esting information regarding the Adder’s Upsilon Galaxy that went 
  “missing” last year. We staged a Trial for the information; attached are 
  the updated codices of the two Elementals who won for the glory of 
  the Scorpion.
   
  According to the Shark Watch, one of the Adder Clusters at-
  tached to Upsilon staged a series of Trials recently in the Suda Bay 
  system: one to recharge their JumpShips, another for a Star of ‘Mechs 
  to replace lost units, and the third for a large amount of foodstuﬀ s—
  enough to feed several DropShip crews for many months.
   
  Apparently, the Adders lost the ﬁ rst Trial but won the last two, 
  gaining a Star of Mad Cat Mk II’s. The Sharks’ labor caste workers, while 
  loading the DropShip hold with the newly won foodstuﬀ s, overheard 
  that one of the Cluster’s next destinations was the Horse-held sys-
  tem of Nouveaux Paris. The labor castemen also noted that several 
  Adder ‘Mechs were in various states of repair, including a Kit Fox still 
  sporting Ice Hellion markings.
   
  As a show of good favor, the Sharks allowed us the use of 
  their training ﬁ elds outside Prater for several days so our warriors 
  could get in some solid gravity time. We have also resupplied our 
  DropShips and are ready to continue toward the Chainlaine Islands. I 
  will send another update when we arrive at Wolf 82.
   
  —Star Colonel Kernan Elam, Bazaar, report dated 3 December 3067
  SEEKER REPORT YOR017
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section11: TRIALS OF VICTORY
  [Loremaster Kael Pershaw]: This meeting has been called by Khan Marthe Pryde. She has the ﬂ oor.
  [Khan Marthe Pryde]: I am certain you have all heard the rumors. The false Star League is no more! Its extinction proves 
  what many of us have been saying. It is a farce, a ploy intended only to cage us. The splinter-group of ComStar has de-
  clared war on them all for disbanding it, and has laid waste to Tharkad and New Avalon. Now there remains no reason to 
  be restrained by the Great Refusal. Let us resume the Crusade!
  [Khan Raina Montose]: Khan Pryde is right! A “united” Inner Sphere challenged our decision to invade, but such unison 
  exists no longer. I daresay it never existed. The Trial of Refusal is null and void.
  [Khan Garrett Sainze]: We should reassign the Jaguar corridor to more suitable Clans.
  [Khan Bjorn Jorgensson]: Your reasoning is ﬂ awed, Khan Pryde. The dissolution of the Second Star League does not aﬀ ect 
  the Great Refusal in the least. It was legal then, and it is legal now.
  [Khan Garrett Sainze]: Surely you do not believe it still holds any value, or should dictate our course now that the orga-
  nization is gone?
  [Jorgensson]: Our laws certainly do still hold value to me, Khan Sainze. And they are very clear in this respect. The decision 
  to invade was Refused. That the party who accomplished the Refusal no longer exists is irrelevant. Would you reinstate 
  all decisions that were Refused in your Clan merely because the warriors who Refused them died in honorable combat? 
  Your Clan has been host to more Trials of Refusal than any other.
  [Montose]: The situation before us is diﬀ erent. As you said seven years ago, this is about destiny and superiority. It re-
  quired the combined might of the Inner Sphere to destroy one failing Clan. That unity is gone. That claim to superiority is 
  gone. But our destiny remains, a destiny your Clan also saw and understood. War has wracked the Inner Sphere for nearly 
  as long as we left it. In all those wars over three centuries, literally billions of people have died, and as the Great Kerensky 
  predicted, the Spheroids almost blasted themselves back to the Stone Age. Some saw the formation of the new Star 
  League in response to our arrival as a sign that the Inner Sphere had come of age. It is clear to me now that this assump-
  tion is false. The so-called Second Star League was nothing more than the lashing out of a caged animal, desperate to 
  maintain its barbarous way of life. Khan Ward himself voiced the concern that the Clans had become corrupted and weak 
  because of exposure to the Inner Sphere. Such corruption would certainly explain the Nova Cats, Phelan Kell and the sale 
  of new Mad Cat Mk IIs to the Spheroid barbarians. But no matter how the Inner Sphere might challenge our convictions 
  and separate the righteous from the weak of heart and mind, we must never forget that the Inner Sphere itself is thor-
  oughly corrupted. The Second Star League could have been a sign that they were recovering on their own. Clearly, they 
  are not. Clearly, they have squandered their right to make any claim on a reborn Star League. Clearly, they have proven 
  the righteousness of the Crusade. We must strike and cleanse the corruption from humanity, once and for all!
  [Khan Brett Andrews]: Khan Montose has a compelling argument. But I see no point in discussing this matter without an 
  ilKhan present.
  [Pryde]: Fine then, have your ilKhan. The Falcons require no such guidance to defeat the Inner Sphere, as we have proven 
  countless times.
  [Khan Vlad Ward]: Indeed, you have proven yourself quite adept at pecking the back of a wounded animal.
  [Pershaw]: Khan Andrews called for a vote on the matter of installing an ilKhan. Khan Pryde seconded the call. The senior 
  Khan will issue the vote for each Clan. I will have your votes now, by Clan.
  [Ward]: Clan Wolf abstains. This matter is of no consequence to us, and we will not waste our time with it any longer.
  [Pershaw]: It is not yet your turn to vote! Stravag! The Wolf Khans have disconnected their HPG link before this Grand 
  Council has come to an end. I call for their censure!
   
  —Partial transcript of Clan Grand Council emergency session, 12 December 3067
  TRIALS OF VICTORY
  i
  A SPHEROID AFFAIR?
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  100 / 101 
  their enclaves even as their hosts fell under the guns of Blakist and 
  insurgent attacks? And what was the reaction in the homeworlds, 
  among the Clans who jealously watched the invaders in the Inner 
  Sphere with covetous eyes? 
  WHISPERS AND RUMORS III
  >>>STRANA/MERCH-CHAT/00-PUB#3<<27members>>
  BriStein: So the Adders are denying that they hit Wolf82?
  BanditBane: No, they just are not saying anything regarding the matter.
  ShatterShark: How un-Adderlike. They usually crow all over the 
  Chatterlink after every beatdown they give.
  <<SpiritWanderer has entered the conversation>>
  Plainsfox: Hey, SW. Smoke anything good lately?
  SpiritWanderer: Have you heard?
  Viperbait: Heard? Heard what?
  SpiritWanderer: From the Council! It happened only minutes ago!
  Tseng: What? What! Come on, you stupid Coyote, spill!
  SpiritWanderer: The damnable audacity! It is…outrageous!
  Plainsfox: Must be something juicy, then.
  SpiritWanderer: The Cobra Khan, Kardaan, just declared that Khan 
  Kufahl’s Bloodhouse should be REAVED!
  Plainsfox: No
  Bloodpan: Impertinent stravag! 
  Devalis: Is he crazy?
  CloisterCobra: About time
  Plainsfox: What?
  SpiritWanderer: Even more shocking, the Spirit Khans agreed! 
  They seconded it! I just checked the feed myself.
  Bloodpan: Two Clans interfering with the policies of another’s 
  Bloodhouse? Shameful!
  BanditBane: Kerensky would be rolling in his grave….
  SpiritWanderer: Kufahl declared a Grievance against Khan 
  Kardaan on the spot. The Council adjourned so they could ready 
  their ‘Mechs.
  ShatterShark: Feed line?
  SpiritWanderer: In two hours, on the Plains of Kerensky. Vidline 
  AA-310CE.
  CloisterCobra: This will be interesting to watch…
   
  —Excerpts from Clan Chatterweb chat logs, January 3068
  TIME OF DELIBERATION
   [Khan Bjorn Jorgensson]: What concerns me most are the prelimi-
  nary reports out of Tukayyid describing huge casualties among the 
  civilians caught in this war zone. Are these not Rasalhagians? Are 
  they not blood to the Dominion castemen?
  [Loremaster Laurie Tseng]: Aﬀ ! But is it right to interfere in what is 
  obviously a Spheroid aﬀ air?
  [Star Captain Benjamin Snuka]: Trothkin, while this bloodletting does 
  appear to be restricted to the citizens of the Inner Sphere, should 
  we just turn our backs? Withdraw into the snow while cousins of our 
  newborn kin die in the ﬁ elds, staining the ice with blood?
  [Khan Jorgensson]: I tell you, it is not the Bear way. Nor the way of 
  our Founders. To leave family to die?
  [Star Captain Sandra Tseng]: But it is interference! We are Warden, 
  pledged to protect the whole of the Inner Sphere from the outside, 
  not from the judgments they bring upon themselves!
  [Star Colonel Sarah DelVillar]: To step across the border and attack 
  unprovoked is an ill action, indeed.
  [Star Colonel Douglas Silva]: But we have an obligation to our new 
  charges. It is only right that we protect them.
  [Khan Jorgensson]: Aﬀ , protect. Kin! I have here a request—nay, a 
  demand!—that we open up negotiations with the remnants of the 
  TRIALS OF VICTORY
  i
   [Star Colonel Cassin Drummond]: You are wrong, my Khan. The Star 
  League is dead! The visions of Khans Leroux and Carns were wrong! 
  We turned our backs on the Grand Council and joined the Spheroids 
  in destroying the Smoke Jaguars, for what? What is left of it? They 
  cancelled it! They disbanded it, shut it down as if it mattered no more 
  than a light bulb! They are no better than Amaris or the Not-Named!
  [Star Colonel Jokew Devalis]: Cassin Drummond has the truth of it! 
  Look at everything we sacriﬁ ced! We were all so certain of our path, 
  the path to the Star League Reborn! Now, what is left to us? Nothing! 
  Damn them! Damn them and curse them! I say that if they do not 
  wish to continue the Star League, we will continue it without them! 
  [Star Colonel Elrod Nostra]: Enough of our subservient status! Let us 
  claim the worlds we keep as our own. The Combine owes us, we owe 
  them nothing!
  [Galaxy Commander Shen Drummond]: Brothers! You are allowing 
  your emotions to guide your actions, and spoil our language as if 
  we are common thugs. The League we joined may be no more, but 
  the Combine has done us no wrong. Severen Leroux guided us here 
  today for a great purpose. We must be here now as we are, so that we 
  may see that vision through! The storm is already upon us! 
  [Oathmaster Minoru Novacat]: Then it is too late for the raindrops to 
  vote on the matter.
  [brief silence]
  [Star Colonel Evelyn Morris]: None of this double-talk! You are wrong, 
  Shen Drummond! The Star League betrayed us when they did not 
  muster us to ﬁ ght the Ghost Bear. And now the Inner Sphere has 
  betrayed us by disbanding the League. They have reduced us to mer-
  cenary whores, coaxed by sugar water so that they might destroy 
  the Smoke Jaguar! The Spheroid stravags have betrayed us time and 
  again, and now we are here with nothing to show for our sacriﬁ ces 
  but the cast-oﬀ  spawn of a barbarian House leader playing at being 
  one of us! Damn these surats for making worthless all that we have 
  lost to be here! Damn them all!
   
  —Partial transcript of Nova Cat Clan Council emergency ses-
  sion, 31 December 3067
  THE COMING STORM
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section11: TRIALS OF VICTORY
  Republic to protect them from this plague of death brought by the 
  ComStar rebels. You all know Star Colonel Ragnar, who is not pres-
  ent because he has not claimed a Bloodname. 
  [Murmurs echo throughout the chamber.]
  [Star Colonel Naiad Ortiz]: Aﬀ , and a worthier Spheroid of the blood of 
  the Ghost Bear does not exist. Remember, trothkin, he was elected 
  Prince-in-absentia by the Rasalhagians, which speaks volumes of his 
  character. This request is worthy of consideration by this Council.
  [Galaxy Commander Rhen Devon]: So we decide policy by the un-
  Blooded? Our founders would turn in their graves!
  [Galaxy Commander Gerrard Hambash]: We need to move Ragnar 
  into position to claim a Bloodname….
  [Sandra Tseng]: Shame on you, Galaxy Commander! To suggest 
  we manipulate our sacred traditions to the warped politics of the 
  Inner Sphere—
  [Khan Jorgensson]: Enough, trothkin. We must not deviate from our 
  focus here.
  [saKhan Aletha Kabrinski]: I motion we begin procedures to ap-
  proach the Free Rasalhague Republic in the interest of protecting 
  the population.
  [Star Captain Mical Devon]: I second the motion…
   
  —Partial transcript of Ghost Bear Clan Council session, 7 
  February 3068
  WHISPERS AND RUMORS IV
  >>>LUM/MERCH-CHAT/00-PUB#3<<31members>>
  FalconSuperShipper: By the Founder’s left armpit! Curse the ran-
  cid burrock excrement! May their arms rot oﬀ  with a blight!
  MetalMerchant: ?
  OpaqueShark: Which blight are you referring to?
  FalconSuperShipper: All of them, surat! That is the fourth time 
  in a row I have been bumped for my reﬁ t! Four times! DAMN the 
  Raven monopolist scum repositories!
  RavenSkipper: Hey now!
  FalconSuperShipper: Don’t even start! I’ve been due for the 
  900,000 light-year overhaul of the K-F controller for almost 500 
  light-years now! I can’t wait any longer! And then they bump my 
  Invader and yet another Raven Odyssey gets ordered in before me. 
  How is this fair?
  RavenSkipper: Look, friend, are you frowning on my Clan for giving 
  our own vessels priority at our own facilities? If your Clan had the ship-
  yards available, you would not be crying in here now, would you?
  <<FalconSuperShipper has left the conversation>> 
  JadeHeuristic: Disregarding my Clansman’s hotheaded response 
  to these events, surely you have noticed that several Trials of 
  Possession have occurred recently for fairly routine maintenance, 
  all because your vessels are disrupting agreed-upon schedules. 
  Just yesterday, I saw a Hunter and an Odyssey challenge a Comitatus 
  to a Trial. It was the weirdest thing. Like naval combat in slow mo-
  tion. That is a bit extreme, quiaﬀ ?
  RavenSkipper: Aﬀ , but this is the way it is. Presumably, it will not 
  be this way for much longer.
  OpaqueShark: I heard you guys pulled out a number of JumpShips 
  from the orbital Brian Caches around Circe. Moving it all to the 
  Inner Sphere. Are you all going Ghost Bear on us, quiaﬀ ?
  RavenSkipper: Ridiculous rumors. Between our recent acquisi-
  tions and our activities in the Inner Sphere, we merely have to put 
  more demand on our ﬂ eets. Higher demand requires more main-
  tenance. No more, no less.
  MetalMerchant: Emitting broad statements that are truthful in 
  any circumstance is not very informative.
  RavenSkipper: Do you accuse me of lying?
  MetalMerchant: I accuse you of nothing. You simply did not an-
  swer the question. But that is very Snow Raven of you.
  <<RavenSkipper has left the conversation>>
  MetalMerchant: Tiresome folk.
   
  —Excerpts from Clan Chatterweb chat logs (Public), 
  February 3068
  OUTREACH SURVIVORS?
   [WolfNet]: I’m telling you, we need to pass this data along ASAP.
  [Watch]: Tell me what you’ve got, then. 
  [WolfNet]: Two days ago we received a compacted datastream 
  burst via HPG. It came from Outreach.
  TRIALS OF VICTORY
  i
  ***Clan Ghost Bear Advisory***
  To: All Dominion Units
  From: Aletha Kabrinski, saKhan, Alshain
  Date: 13 Feb 3068
   
  Be advised that at 1730 (local time) on 12 February, a sizeable 
  force bearing markings and colors of the Hell’s Horses Clan attacked 
  Rasalhague. The Horses unit, while currently unidentiﬁ ed, hit four 
  diﬀ erent areas of the planet, absconding with war materiel, supplies 
  and several key command personnel.
   
  The Horses did not follow combat protocols upon arrival and 
  landing, though they did abide by the ritual combat of zellbrigen. 
  Unfortunately, Star Captain Jake Kabrinski lost his duel with an en-
  emy Thunder Stallion and was taken along with several other mem-
  bers of his command staﬀ . Their current status is unknown, though 
  their codices have not been terminated.
   
  All units of the Bear touman within four jumps of Rasalhague 
  are to go to high alert and be prepared for other possible Horses 
  strikes. Watch agents are being reassigned to assess this latest ag-
  gression from the Horses and where the Horses currently have their 
  base of operations so that reprisals may be considered.
   
  —saKhan Aletha Kabrinski
  GRUDGE MATCH
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  102 / 103 
  [Watch]: Outreach?!
  [WolfNet]: Aﬀ . Apparently a ComStar ROM operative managed to pen-
  etrate the HPG compound and ﬁ re oﬀ  this data packet we intercepted 
  before the local HPG shut down or was destroyed. But the stream was 
  incomplete. The pulse was cut oﬀ  at the source. Since then, we have 
  detected no transmissions from that system to any planet.
  [Watch]: Interesting.
  [WolfNet]: From what we’ve been able to glean, part of Epsilon 
  Regiment is still active on Romulus, supported by fragments of 
  several shattered commands. We’ve got a comm log packet from a 
  running engagement outside the eastern Ridge, describing at least 
  a Blakist division of troops. Remus is gone and there’s a heavy blan-
  ket of radiation over the area. Harlech City is still standing, though 
  apparently most of the Dragoons compounds and MRBC facilities 
  were leveled. TempTown doesn’t exist anymore except as rubble.
  [Watch]: Civilians? 
  [WolfNet]: There’s a small refugee camp about thirty klicks out-
  side Harlech proper, probably numbering near a thousand. Right 
  before the datastream gets interrupted, weather photos show at 
  least three Blakist units headed that way.
  [Watch]: So we have conclusive proof that there are Dragoons and 
  civilians still on Outreach.
  [WolfNet]: I’d stake my life on it.
  [Watch]: I will notify the Khan at once. 
  [WolfNet]: WolfNet stands ready to help any way we can. It’s time 
  for some payback.
   
  —Transcript log of discussions between an unidentiﬁ ed 
  WolfNet intelligence agent and Wolf-in-Exile Watch oﬃ  cer, circa 20 
  February 3068
  GUARDING THE FLANK
  (18 March 3068) 
   
  Crimond [ARNN] – Crimond bids farewell today to the Third 
  Lyran Guards, after a deployment of ﬁ ve months. Following days 
  of preparations, the last Third Guards DropShip will lift oﬀ  later this 
  evening to begin its trip to the nadir jump point, where the rest 
  of the Guards wait to begin their journey toward the Bolan front. 
  Command of the defense of Crimond now rests with Star Colonel 
  Jeremiah Straw of the Fourth Wolf Guardians, a situation made 
  possible by the Arc-Royal Accords. 
   
  This redeployment comes after an announcement by General 
  of the Armies Adam Steiner, in which he indicated the need to 
  send more forces to deal with the ongoing crisis at Tharkad and 
  the war with the Free World League. Margrave Steiner pointedly 
  countered concerns that the redeployments occurring across the 
  Melissia and Arc-Royal theaters would provoke Clan Jade Falcon to 
  execute another incursion. According to the Margrave, Vlad Ward’s 
  Wolf Clan is currently engaged in a campaign against the Falcons, 
  and the Falcons are unlikely to be in a position to strike our realm. 
  General Thanom Hammerskjold expressed skepticism at reports of 
  a Wolf-Jade Falcon war, cautioning against the redeployment. “We 
  should not prosecute a foolish and ill-conceived war against the 
  Free Worlds League. Instead, we should sue for peace on that bor-
  der. We need our resources here, against Clan Jade Falcon. If they 
  are truly occupied with the Wolf Clan, then we should return the 
  favor of preying on an enemy during a moment of weakness!” 
   
  When asked to comment on Margrave Steiner’s assessment 
  that the Wolves-in-Exile were fully capable of deterring any preda-
  tion by the Jade Falcon Clan, as they did during Operation Bulldog, 
  General Hammerskjold remarked: “I would prefer to see the Exiles 
  TRIALS OF VICTORY
  i
  To: Loremaster Kael Pershaw
  From: Star Captain Brian Pryde
  Re: Watch Report L-E299 Lyran Update
  Send Date: 19 April 3068
  Loremaster:
   
  I have spent the past three weeks poring over communications 
  logs from the Lyran Melissia Theater in order to present a clearer pic-
  ture of the past few months regarding the Lyran High Command. 
   
  As you know, and as has been conﬁ rmed by agents in the Arc-
  Royal Theater, Tharkad was hit by a thermonuclear device launched 
  from a Word of Blake WarShip. The Universe has a cruel sense of hu-
  mor; apparently the vessel that launched the fatal blow on Tharkad 
  was none other than the Invincible, a Lyran ship of some distinction 
  believed lost more than two centuries ago.
   
  Since that time, General of the Armies Adam Steiner has tried in 
  vain to keep the LAAF together, but with several HPG relays oﬀ -line, 
  coordination has been slow. Only in the Arc-Royal Theater does there 
  seem to be some cohesion still, most likely from the Kells and their 
  freebirth cur, Khan Phelan Kell.
   
  In the past few weeks, I have noted an increase in traﬃ  c to sev-
  eral Alliance worlds bordering our OZ. Most of the vessels have been 
  merchant shipping, but oddly enough our Watch agents report that 
  garrison patrols are down and whole segments of units seem to be 
  disappearing.
   
  It is our guess that under the guise of merchant shipping, 
  General Steiner is moving parts of the garrisoned units to assembly 
  points deeper in the Alliance in order to bring together a task force 
  to go after the Word of Blake in retaliation for hitting Tharkad. His 
  paltry attempt to disguise these movements is the mark of a desper-
  ate man.
   
  It is our recommendation that if the Khans wish to strike out 
  and enlarge our holdings, now is the time to do it. Attached are the 
  relevant ﬁ les and what we determine to be appropriate targets for 
  attacks.
  >>ﬁ le attached<<
  >>Message ends<<
  JADE FALCON WATCH REPORTULTRA HIGH PRIORITY
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section11: TRIALS OF VICTORY
  take Lyran worlds back from the Falcons rather than just prevent 
  them from taking more. At one point, they too contributed to our 
  losing worlds to the Wolf Clan. It seems only fair that they work to 
  reclaim those worlds.”
  RIGHTEOUS RAGE
   
  Only in the most recent months have the Clans returned 
  to menace the Inner Sphere, with the Snow Ravens and the Jade 
  Falcons launching attacks against their respective Spheroid neigh-
  bors. But with the Falcon propensity for striking distracted enemies 
  (as evidenced by their FedCom Civil War adventurism) and the 
  Ravens’ obvious lust for revenge over an alleged cowardly attack, 
  are these assaults merely business as usual to these born-and-bred 
  warriors, or the start of a growing trend toward Clan opportunism?
  SHOWING RESTRAINT
  Anne,
   
  I, too, have not heard from our trothkin in several months. 
  When last we spoke, Benjamin indicated to me that he was seek-
  ing approval to engage in the duels on Solaris, to prove that com-
  bat is for warriors while games are for children.
   
  I have not learned of any action against him for such a request, 
  nor have I received word of his death. Further, the Watch claims 
  that technical diﬃ  culties are making communication with Solaris 
  VII temporarily impossible. 
   
  If some of the news reports are to be believed, these diﬃ  culties 
  actually stem from more warfare on Solaris. I do not fully understand 
  who ﬁ ghts who on that world, but it strikes me as immaterial. We 
  should just crush the stravag Spheroids and be done with the confu-
  sion. I am certain Benjamin would be pleased to see us. 
   
  What of it, Anne Iler? Shall we advance to Solaris?
   
  Hal 
  Hal,
   
  I often wonder how you and your kin ever have the patience 
  to stay still long enough to rest. Clearly you must keep raging in 
  tantrums until you are spent, and only then can sleep grasp you.
   
  I, too, am concerned about Benjamin. But I am certain we will 
  have our opportunity soon, very soon. From the sound of it, we 
  will have a chance to face Phelan’s bandit Wolves, too. I assume this 
  pleases you?
   
  Anne Iler
   
  —Excerpted personal messages between Jade Falcon warriors, 
  intercepted by ComStar observers on Colmar, circa 18 June 3068 
  WATCHING AND WAITING
  Field Report SVAR-H98-Alpha (07-Sep-68)
   
  Matters seem to be cooling down on Svarstaad. I now believe 
  I need to modify my earlier reports of a troop buildup here. Indeed, 
  though it is garrisoned by the Sixth Wolf Cavalry Cluster and the 
  TRIALS OF VICTORY
  i
   [Explorer]: “Snow Raven taskforce! This is the Galedon Explorer! You 
  are trespassing on a Draconis Combine holding! You will shut down 
  your engines and prepare to be boarded!”
  [Raven]: “Galedon Explorer! Your foolish request is denied. We have 
  come to exact vengeance for the White Cloud. Do you seek to oppose 
  us?”
  [Explorer]: “Yes. I am Tai-sho Amanda Scoﬁ eld. I bid this vessel and its 
  attendant craft in defense. What forces do you bid?”
  [Raven]: “Bid? Bid? I bid the scuttling charges of your nadir recharge 
  station! You may dock with that facility at will.”
  [Explorer]: “S-Say again, Snow Ravens? You seek to engage me with 
  all four of your WarShips? Where is your honor?”
  [Raven]: “In the Kazanka system, stravag! One does not batchall with 
  bandits. One executes them!”
   
  —Excerpted comm log intercepts made by the Mammoth-class 
  DropShip Black Star of India, outbound from Galedon V, 14 July 3068
  VENGEANCE IN THE VOID 
  i
  
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  104 / 105 
  Blue Keshik, that currently appears to be the extent of Wolf deploy-
  ment on this world. My early reports of an increase in troops by 
  an additional Cluster are apparently related to a recent Conclave 
  of the Bloodname House of Sradac. Galaxy Commander Shistu 
  Sradac is apparently the Sradac House leader, and the conclave 
  preceded a Trial of Bloodright here on Svarstaad that presumably 
  concluded just a few days ago. 
   
  The only Clan forces currently present appear to be the Sixth 
  Cavalry and the Blue Keshik. All additional Wolf warriors seem to 
  have returned to their previous deployments.
   
  I hope my prior reports concerning the possible implications 
  of a Clan Wolf invasion of Clan Jade Falcon space did not aversely 
  aﬀ ect Command’s ability to assess the local situation.
   
  —Dirk Vermeer, Rho/Chi
  CRY HAVOC
  [Martin]: “I’m here live outside the command headquarters of the 
  Twenty-third Arcturan Guard on Graus, where for the past day the 
  unit has been preparing for the approaching Jade Falcon force that 
  jumped in-system two days ago.” [looks oﬀ -camera]
  [Martin]: “Kommandant Bernhard—Kommandant!” [The reporter 
  grabs a tall LAAF oﬃ  cer’s arm as he hurries by.] “Andrew Martin, DBC. 
  Why the sudden commotion? Have the Falcons responded?”
  [The kommandant glances oﬀ  to his left.] 
  [Bernhard]: “Responded?” [His attention returns to the reporter.] 
  “Haven’t you heard, man? The Falcons sure as hell have responded.” 
  [He grabs the lens, forcing its perspective up and to the east.] “They’re 
  dropping ‘Mechs on us as we speak! Get to the bunker and stay 
  there!”
  [Kommandant Bernhard dashes oﬀ , shouting orders. The view refo-
  cuses, zooming in on several bright streaks in the sky.] 
  [Martin continues oﬀ -camera, voice slightly shaken]: “It seems the 
  Falcons have thrown standard Clan doctrine to the winds.” [The 
  camera view snaps back to Martin, visibly pale.] “They have not made 
  a formal batchall, which is normally customary with this Clan.”
  [A gigantic explosion occurs in the background. Martin ﬂ inches. He 
  turns to look, pointing excitedly at the hilltop. The camera zooms in 
  on ﬁ ve BattleMechs cresting the hill.] 
  [Martin, oﬀ -camera]: “It appears some elements of the Falcons have 
  already landed a short distance away. What you’re seeing here is 
  several lighter ‘Mechs, probably a scout Star. The one in the front 
  is an Uller, followed by a Shadow Cat, another Uller and two other 
  designs I’m not familiar with.”
  [Camera refocuses on Martin.]
  [Martin]: “The Falcons have come to Graus. Whether this is a raid or 
  a prelude to invasion, we do not know. We’re going to our safety 
  bunker now and will report more when we get some solid informa-
  tion.
   
  “From Graus, this is Andrew Martin, DBC Stellar News.”
   
  —Last known holovid broadcast by Andrew Martin, DBC 
  Stellar News, Graus, 12 October 3028
  TRIALS OF VICTORY
  i
  To: Khan Raina Montose, saKhan Connor Rood
  From: Loremaster Jonas Cage
  Priority: Gamma-Red (Khans’ Eyes Only)
  Subject: State of Clan Hell’s Horses 
  Transmit Date: 13-Sep-3068
  My Khans,
   
  Our Watch has noted far greater than normal Hell’s Horses 
  JumpShip travel above Niles, Tiber, Kirin, Strato Domingo and Tokasha. 
  These eﬀ orts appear coordinated, and occur in concert with reports 
  of considerable activity on Tiber, Strato Domingo and Tokasha.  At 
  the same time, we are noting decreased activity on Bearclaw and 
  Hoard. The latter situation is especially peculiar, as the Horses have 
  allowed the Montose Pact to expire. This will severely hamper the 
  eﬀ orts of their lower castes to transport raw materials to the Iyaba 
  smelter cluster, now that the Montose Valley has reverted to our full 
  control.
   
  —Jonas Cage
   
  [At times like these I wonder whether Jonas is still the best man 
  for this Watch job. So much activity from the normally passive Horses 
  can mean only one thing: they are gearing up for a major campaign, ei-
  ther against the Wolves here or toward the Bears or Wolves in the Inner 
  Sphere. I suspect the latter, of course. 
   
  This is the perfect opportunity you have been waiting for! The tim-
  ing is a bit oﬀ , but if we do not act on this, it is not likely that a better 
  option will open up later. 
   
  By your command, my Khan, I can be on my way to Niles in a few 
  hours to speak with Khan Cobb. The Horses can always be expected to 
  consider any alliance. —Connor Rood]
  ICE HELLION WATCH REPORTKHAN’S EYES ONLY
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  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
  
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  106 / 107 
  To: HIS servant and trusted representative, Kian Lih Sung
   
  As distasteful as it may be to seemingly bend our necks as the 
  Davion blade sweeps ever closer, we must continue to maintain our 
  innocence and our right to a strong defense among our enemies and 
  one-time allies. His Celestial Wisdom knew this, and his ﬁ nal directives 
  were very much in accord with these priorities.
   
  You will continue to act as the voice of our people and represent 
  Capellan interests among the other nations. To the limit of your 
  wartime powers, as strictly deﬁ ned in the attached ﬁ le, and in 
  accordance with any direction you receive from me or this High Oﬃ  ce, 
  it remains your duty to engage those who might still listen to and be 
  swayed by the truth.
   
  In this dark time of crisis, we must all do our part to ensure the 
  viability of the Capellan state. Our duty is clear, and our voice must be 
  heard.
  Respectfully,
  Talon Zhan
  Sang-jiang-jun, Military Regent
   
  It took the Federated Suns’ propaganda machine all of a 
  day before they began to lay blame for the Star League’s ﬁ nal 
  dissolution at the Capellan doorstep. Barely a week into the chaos 
  of Word of Blake attacks, the Davions—along with their lapdogs 
  in the Lyran state, in the Combine and in ComStar—cast further 
  aspersions on our people. 
   
  Collaborators, we were called. Opportunists. Betrayers. Witting 
  accomplices to mass murder! 
   
  The rhetoric worsened as every day our worlds and our people 
  were spared the insanity gripping other realms. We should stand 
  accused for our foresight? We should be castigated, punished even, 
  for escaping the destruction and death being visited on Tharkad 
  and New Avalon?
   
  We—victims of the Fourth Succession War, working only to 
  restore to the Capellan nation what is rightfully ours—will stand 
  for such a distortion of the truth no longer. 
   
  WITNESS: Yvonne and Peter Steiner-Davion! By their own 
  words, they reaﬃ  rm our Chancellor’s decision to quit the Star 
  League sham and see to his own nation’s welfare. 
   
  WITNESS: Our oﬀ ers of aid and succor, refused by the same 
  nation-states that later berate us for our lack of involvement. 
   
  WITNESS: The despicable, cowardly acts of the Federated 
  Suns, to launch a new oﬀ ensive now, of all times, in their ongoing 
  attempt to subjugate the Capellan people! The very deﬁ nition of 
  opportunism! Visiting upon our nation, our people, the atrocities 
  we were spared in those initial months of Word of Blake attacks. 
  St. Ives overrun. Sian assaulted. Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao lost and 
  presumed dead. 
   
  All by a Hasek’s hand! A Davion by any other name.
   
  Not one hand have we raised against our neighbors. Not 
  one moment have we oﬀ ered support or relief to the enemies of 
  humankind. After all the accusations, all the lies and half-truths that 
  assailed us, now we will make the truth known about the extreme 
  lengths to which other nations will go in order to victimize the 
  Confederation, the Chancellor and the entire Capellan people.
   
  You, who have given us no reason to cooperate except by 
  threat of the sword, stand witness to the terrible depredations we 
  now suﬀ er. 
   
  The peace has been shattered and all trust lost between men 
  and nations. Yet still we shall endeavor to do what is right by our 
  citizens, and by the memory of Chancellor Liao. We provide the 
  following information and reports, not because we must, but 
  because we should—in order to demonstrate to the entire Inner 
  Sphere that we are justiﬁ ed in the Chancellor’s original action, in 
  our steadfast declaration of innocence of collaboration with the 
  Word of Blake, and in defense of our homeland.
   
  It has fallen to me to undertake this task. To challenge the false 
  testimony of the Davion propaganda machine, to bear true witness 
  to events unfolding in and around the Capellan Confederation, and 
  to ask that restraint and reason prevail even though throughout 
  our history our neighbor states have aﬀ orded us little of either. 
  To illuminate a path toward enlightenment—a task worthy of a 
  bodhisattva, though it falls to a humble servant blessed only by 
  the Chancellor’s forgiving light.
   
  By the Chancellor’s will and the grace of the gods, let our voice 
  be heard. 
   
  —Mandrinn Kian Lih Sung, Special Representative of the 
  Celestial Wisdom, 20 October 3068
  GATHERING SHADOWS
   
  Considering the blame heaped on the Capellan Confederation 
  for being the ﬁ rst to oﬃ  cially withdraw from the Star League, that 
  the Word of Blake failed to assault Sian in the opening days of their 
  holy war came as a tremendous surprise throughout the Inner 
  Sphere. Speculation is endless as to why the Blakists spared the 
  Confederation, and many have proclaimed it proof of complicity—
  a conspiracy by Sun-Tzu and the Blakists to bring humanity to 
  its knees. Regardless, simply because a Blakist ﬂ eet failed to 
  materialize over the Capellan capital in December of 3067 did not 
  mean the Confederation could avoid the storms of war swirling 
  across the Inner Sphere.
   
  —Michael Bosworth, INN Special Correspondent
  CELESTIAL WISDOM DEDICATES MEMORIAL
  Victims of Black May Honored
  (19 January 3068)
   
  Sian [CNS] – Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao appeared before more 
  than 25,000 loyal Capellans in the Forbidden City today to dedicate 
  a memorial to the thousands of devoted citizens who heroically 
  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section12: CELESTIAL CRISES
  gave their lives in the tragic Black May attacks almost six years ago. 
  The memorial is a simple black granite wall listing the names of all 
  those who died in those terrible assaults, ﬂ anked by statues of the 
  Celestial Wisdom clad in a resplendent armor, as if standing fast 
  against any who would dare attempt similar cowardly assaults on 
  the Confederation. Monuments like this one have been built on 
  every world struck by the horror of Black May.
   
  Addressing the citizens of the Confederation, the glorious 
  Chancellor spoke these words. “Many times throughout history, 
  our peace-loving nation has been assaulted by those who seek to 
  murder or subjugate us. This memorial, and those like it on many 
  other worlds, serve as a warning to all our enemies that we will not 
  stand for such depraved assaults upon us.”
   
  In this time when the decadent civilizations of the Inner Sphere 
  have brought war upon themselves, the Capellan Confederation 
  stands alone in peace. The Celestial Wisdom will continue to direct 
  us in harmony through these times and prove that our people and 
  our way of life are the most righteous.
  BLAKE’S WRATH TARGETS CAPELLAN PEOPLE
  (4 May 3068)
   
  Liao [CBS] – The Word of Blake continues to pursue its 
  campaign of terror against Capellan worlds that threw oﬀ  the 
  bonds of Davion oppression in our 3057 War of Liberation. Staging 
  their assaults from Terra and forward operating positions on 
  Epsilon Eridani, the Blakists are attempting to broaden their sphere 
  of inﬂ uence into the Tikonov Commonality even as they prosecute 
  a wider war against the inﬁ del nations of the Inner Sphere.
   
  Since declaring their own independence from ComStar some 
  sixteen years ago, the followers of Blake have forged a path unlike 
  any other. Part religious fanatic, part prophet and part salesman, 
  the typical Blakist faithful has deluded himself into believing 
  that the Word of Blake is the one and only answer to humanity’s 
  problems. 
   
  First they conquered Terra, using ComStar’s ineptitude to 
  secure humanity’s birthplace. Then they began spreading into the 
  Tikonov Commonality, targeting worlds not yet rid of the Davion 
  inﬂ uence that prevented their people from willingly returning to 
  the Confederation. Mandrinn Goren Trahn, Deputy Information 
  Minister for the Liao Commonality, released information about the 
  attacks in late January. 
   
  “The Capellan people abhor violence,” said Trahn, “but we will 
  not tolerate such egregious assaults on our comrades, even if they 
  lie beyond the borders secured by the Celestial Realm. The Word 
  of Blake must realize that the presence of Davion sympathizers 
  cannot justify an assault against Capellan citizens.”
   
  The indiscriminate Blakist assaults continue today, even as 
  the Celestial Wisdom seeks a diplomatic solution to the crisis. Their 
  targets include the homeworlds of the Davions, the Steiners and 
  the Kuritas, delivering much-deserved destruction on each realm, 
  but they also strike at Capellans on worlds like Epsilon Indi, Fletcher 
  and Tall Trees—worlds left unprotected by ComStar’s continued 
  incompetence. Against still other targets, such as Outreach, 
  the Blakists have even used nuclear weapons to eradicate all 
  opposition, at an incredible toll in human lives.
  ST. IVES STRUCK
  Duke Kai Missing, Hundreds Killed
  (26 June 3068)
   
  Capella [CBS] – Unknown marauders struck St. Ives today, killing 
  and injuring more than a thousand. Among the missing and feared 
  dead is Duke Kai Allard-Liao, cousin to the Celestial Wisdom.
   
  Rebel separatists have long targeted the worlds of the St. Ives 
  Commonality, seeking to undermine our government through riots 
  and other acts of violence, including military raids conducted by 
  Davion-supported insurgents. Even when the people of St. Ives chose 
  to reunite with our Confederation ﬁ ve years ago, after surviving 
  three decades of Davion oppression, rebels continued to strike out 
  at government and military facilities, apparently in a futile attempt 
  to turn the loyal citizens of St. Ives against their own nation.
   
  While these rebel attacks have killed and wounded thousands 
  of Capellan citizens, none have been so despicable as the one 
  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
   
    “…But not all unit commanders are so accepting of the reasons 
  for the lack of Confederation support. Several TDF commanders, 
  on condition of anonymity, revealed their resentment of their 
  treatment.
   
  “’We send troops over there to defend Sunny Boy’s land 
  whenever the Davions send a company over the border, but what 
  happens when we get clobbered by regiments of Federated troops? 
  Some nice-sounding words of commiseration for our plight, that’s 
  what,’ a veteran brigadier confessed to us. 
   
  “‘It’s completely unfair to the Concordat. The Capellan 
  Confederation is larger and more powerful, yet it feels like we’re 
  putting more resources and manpower into its defense than they 
  are to ours,’ claimed another brigadier. ‘I mean, they’re out taking 
  over Chaos March worlds, using us to garrison their systems, while 
  they can’t spare even some reserves to deal with the Calderon 
  Protectorate or pirates.’
   
  “Though not the majority opinion yet, such sentiments are 
  apparently gaining momentum among oﬃ  cers and the enlisted 
  corps. Most seem to arise from troops coming back from tours 
  protecting the Capellan borders or pacifying recently conquered 
  Chaos March worlds. Such soldiers claim to be disgusted by the 
  disparity of support their units receive when compared even with 
  second-line Capellan regiments…’”
   
  —Excerpted from “Taurus Abandoned?” Free Concordat Journal, 
  Taurus Press, 20 June 3068
  TAURUS ABANDONED?
  i
  
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  108 / 109 
  that assaulted St. Ives today. Mandrinn Quon Il-Peng, St. Ives 
  Commonality Minister of Justice, witnessed the attack and relayed 
  what he saw to investigators.
   
  “The Davion green BattleMechs fell from the sky and began 
  shooting in all directions. Their only intent was to kill as many 
  citizens and destroy as many structures as they could.”
   
  Other reports from the scene conﬁ rm the minister’s account. 
  The unknown ’Mechs appeared to have completed what is known 
  as a “combat jump”—literally a controlled fall from a DropShip in 
  orbit—to land in a military cantonment that Duke Kai was touring. 
  They proceeded to destroy everything and everyone in sight 
  before moving on to the spaceport, leveling everything in their 
  path, where they rendezvoused with their DropShip and left the 
  world. St. Ives Space Traﬃ  c Control identiﬁ ed this DropShip as a 
  civilian liner of Sarna registry, but could not track it when it left the 
  world as the marauders had knocked out radar and other sensors.
   
  To date, there are 307 conﬁ rmed deaths on the ground, with 
  more than 700 wounded. Roughly 400 more remain missing, 
  including Duke Kai. No one has yet claimed responsibility for this 
  heinous act of murder.
  ROYAL FAMILY KIDNAPPING!
  Duke Kai Allard-Liao Snatched From St. Ives
  (5 July 3068)
   
  Sian [CBS] – Duke Kai Allard-Liao, cousin to Chancellor Sun-
  Tzu Liao, son of Duchess Candace Liao, heir to the St. Ives Duchy 
  and currently second in line to the Celestial Throne, has been 
  kidnapped by agents of the Federated Suns.
   
  In an attack ten days ago, an assault force personally dispatched 
  by George Hasek—the oppressor of billions of Capellans under the 
  Davions’ tyrannical thumb and key orchestrator of the civil war that 
  murdered millions more of our people—captured Duke Kai and 
  killed or injured more than a thousand citizens. Aided by traitors 
  to all Capellans, these raiders slipped onto St. Ives, conducted a 
  daylight assault and then escaped the world before facing anything 
  more deadly than unarmed citizens.
   
  Yesterday, the criminal Hasek conﬁ rmed that he ordered this 
  deplorable assault on the Confederation. The attack is the ﬁ rst 
  move in a war that the Davion pigs are bringing to the peace-
  loving Capellan people.
   
  Ping Shuh, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Information, had 
  this to say: 
   
  “The Federated Suns has declared war on the Capellan 
  Confederation through this despicable act. They have murdered 
  our citizens and kidnapped the Celestial Wisdom’s cousin. There is 
  no doubt this is a prelude to an invasion whose ultimate goal is 
  to destroy the Capellan way of life and place a puppet upon the 
  Celestial Throne.”
   
  She went on to say that the Maskirovka has already uncovered 
  evidence of a body double created by Hasek for Duke Kai, 
  apparently hoping to place a duplicate on the Celestial Throne. A 
  similar attempt by Victor Davion to place a double in command of 
  the Free Worlds League resulted in the sundering of the empire 
  his father had built and ultimately the decimation of the Davion 
  civilization and military.
   
  “The Capellan nation cannot fall,” said Shuh. “The strength and 
  will of our people is too great. Once more we will stand against the 
  Davions. We will free every Capellan enslaved by Hasek and we will 
  once and for all crush our enemies.”
  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
  FatBastard: So what’s up?
  CC-hAtEr: Yo Fat Bastard! We’re rapping about Kai.
  Kalilover: Yeah. Kai ﬁ nally got his ass kicked and vanished.
  KiloFoxtrot: He’s been greased. Dead…Dead…Dead.
  FatBastard: Say what? When did this happen?
  Puddentang: Hiya, FB. Two days ago if you believe CBS.
  CC-hAtEr: CBS = Capellan Butt Suckers 
  Kalilover: CC, can it will you? Enough already.
  Puddentang: Anyway, according to CBS Kai got taken down during his 
  tour of the St. Ives Comp...er…Commonality. Rumor has it the deed 
  was done by none other than the Bounty Hunter.
  FatBastard: The Hunter? WTF! Who’s this guy and what does he pilot?
  KiloFoxtrot: You got to be kidding me. You’ve never heard of the BH?
  FatBastard: Um…sorry, never heard of him or her.
  Kalilover: Jeebus, did you grow up under a rock?
  Puddentang: FB, the BH is a MechWarrior who goes after others for 
  money, mostly other ‘Mech jocks. He sometimes ﬁ ghts for the right 
  price, too. 
  FatBastard: Sounds like a merc to me.
  CC-hAtEr: This guy’s no ordinary merc, FB. This same person dehorsed 
  Nasty Kerensky and took her Marauder afterward.
  FatBastard: Who?
  KiloFoxtrot: Are you boneheaded or what? How old are you, FB?
  Kalilover: That’s it, KF. One more time and your ass is banned. :-(
  FatBastard: Thanks, Kalilover. I’m only 13. So how did he take out Kai 
  and with what?
  * KiloFoxtrot nods and oﬀ ers apology*
  Puddentang: Word is he used a souped-up Marauder II, a Dragoons 
  variant, and blasted Kai out of Yen-lo-wang and captured him.
  FatBastard: OMG! Do they know where the BH took him?
  CC-hAtEr: No
  KiloFoxtrot: Assuming the rumors are true, of course. Otherwise, you 
  go with the CBS line and say ol’ Kai’s “missing,” and that the Davies 
  got ‘im. Which do you wanna believe?
   
  —Excerpt from a St. Ives network chat room (monitored by the 
  Maskirovka), 27 June 3068
  WHO DEFEATED THE UNDEFEATABLE?
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  FLASHING SWORDS
   
  “No generation has ever lived in the Capellan March that 
  did not wish to draw swords against Sian.” Paraphrased from the 
  remarks of an ancient Terran leader, these words, recently attributed 
  to Duke George Hasek of the Capellan March, rang truest of all 
  when—instead of racing to defend the embattled FedSuns capital 
  of New Avalon—Hasek instead announced the start of Operation 
  Sovereign Justice, a military campaign aimed at the heart of his 
  realm’s ancient enemies.
  CAPELLANS UNITE!
  (7 July 3068)
   
  Sian [CNS] – “The lapdogs of the Davion empire have come 
  barking at our door. Citizens of the Confederation, now is our time 
  to rid the universe of their kind!”
   
  Chancellor Liao spoke those words before more than 100,000 
  citizens gathered in the Forbidden City this morning, announcing 
  to the entire Capellan Confederation that the Federated Suns had 
  invaded the St. Ives Commonality.
   
  Davion agents had been supporting criminal enterprises 
  and anti-government rebels within that commonality since the 
  Capellan Confederation liberated it from their oppressive grasp ﬁ ve 
  years ago. Their actions directly ﬂ outed the orders of their leader, 
  the benevolent Archon Katrina Steiner, with whom the Celestial 
  Wisdom had negotiated a treaty that ﬁ nally ended centuries of 
  aggression by the Federated Suns. But the untrustworthy warriors 
  of that nation could not abide such peace, and in response rose 
  up in rebellion against the only peace-loving leader they had 
  ever known. When they ﬁ nally deposed Archon Katrina, placing a 
  puppet princess in her place, the Davion oppressors once again 
  began their campaign of terror and domination against the 
  peaceful citizens of the Capellan Confederation.
   
  “They have struck St. Ives,” said the Chancellor of the Davion 
  invasion, “as well as Warlock, Indicass, Texlos and Vestallas.” The 
  Celestial Wisdom did hasten to point out that Confederation 
  military forces have surrounded the invaders on each of those 
  worlds and will soon annihilate them. Meanwhile, the CCAF is 
  strengthening those worlds’ defenses, along with the rest of the 
  worlds in the St. Ives Commonality, preparing them should the 
  Davions attempt further invasions.
   
  Chancellor Liao spoke clearly to the truth of the matter: “I call 
  every true Capellan citizen to stand united against this immoral 
  attack on our very civilization. Some unfortunate souls exist 
  among us who have fallen under the spell of foreign inﬂ uence 
  and are now aiding our invaders. It is the duty of every Capellan to 
  identify those poor folk so that we may help them overcome their 
  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
   
  “Wait—I’ve just been informed that a ﬂ eet of JumpShips has 
  appeared at a nearby pirate point and has discharged a mix of assault 
  and carrier DropShips, all bearing Federated Suns colors. They are 
  approaching our position at a combat pace and it appears we are 
  moving to engage the invaders. I say invaders instead of raiders 
  because the oﬃ  cer in charge tells me it looks like the Davions have 
  sent an entire Regimental Combat Team to attack the system.
   
  “Thankfully, I am already strapped into my chair, or the gee-
  forces from our own DropShip’s combat maneuvers would have 
  thrown me around this bridge like a rag doll. We were also fortunate 
  that our Leopard CV had all its ﬁ ghters in space before the Davions 
  appeared. Watching the tactical screens here, I can see our vessel is 
  coming about, opening up on a pair of Davion heavy ﬁ ghters. Wow! 
  Looks like our weapon bays tore one up. The other seems to have 
  survived. We are turning to face a Davion DropShip now…this one 
  looks like an Aven—
   
  [Large explosion. Alarms wail.]
   
  “What’s going on? My screens just went dead and the emergency 
  lighting has kicked in. I think we’ve been hit by an enemy DropShip, 
  or maybe a squadron of ﬁ ghters…”
   
  [Indistinct, exciting muttering. Alarms cease abruptly.]
   
  “Oh, gods! I’ve been told the life-support system suﬀ ered critical 
  damage and main power is out. We’re dead in the water, adrift in 
  space. To conserve power, I must end this report, and hope that—“
  <<End of Transmission>>
   
  —Veronica Sarine, Canopian ﬁ eld reporter onboard the CCAF 
  DropShip Starsword, Necromo system, 28 June 3068
  CONFEDERATION UNDER ATTACK
  i
  (8 July 3068)
   
  Sian [CBS] – In response to the Davion aggression that has 
  targeted her homeworld and her family, Candace Liao, Duchess and 
  Prefect of St. Ives, leader of the St. Ives Commonality and beloved 
  aunt to the Celestial Wisdom, has accepted the Chancellor’s invitation 
  to Sian.
   
  Ministry of Information spokesman Ping Shuh gave this 
  statement to the press: “Duchess Candace has had to endure many 
  hardships in her life, not least of which were her years as a hostage to 
  the Davion Prince as he subjugated her people. While she expressed 
  her desire to stand by her subjects as they once again battle 
  oppression, she saw the wisdom of the Chancellor’s concerns for her 
  safety and accepted his invitation to stay with him on Sian until this 
  current conﬂ ict is concluded.”
   
  The duchess was touring the St. Ives Commonality when the 
  Davions ﬁ rst struck and kidnapped her son, Duke Kai Allard-Liao. 
  After brief consultation with the Celestial Wisdom, she made her 
  way to Sian. For further protection, she was joined en route by 
  bodyguards from Warrior House Imarra. She arrived on Sian earlier 
  today, but was unavailable for comment.
  DUCHESS CANDACE ACCEPTS INVITATION TO SIAN
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  weaknesses, and destroy those who dare desecrate our worlds 
  with their oppression.”
   
  When asked about the fact that the Federated Suns is holding 
  Duke Kai Allard-Liao hostage, the Chancellor said: “The Capellan 
  Confederation can not abide even one of its citizens being held 
  against his will. My cousin knows ﬁ rsthand the enemies who hold 
  him captive. He will not bow to them before we can free him and 
  make his captors pay for their crimes!”
  LUCK OR FORESIGHT?
  (15 July 3068)
   
  Highspire [FCS]—Is the Chancellor merely lucky, or does he 
  have a gift of foresight?
   
  That persistent question has been asked more and more over 
  the past year. It is, of course, not a new question. Many believe him 
  prescient, and point to decisions he has made throughout his life 
  that, on the surface, seemed odd but ultimately turned out for the 
  best. But though the naysayers could ignore the evidence before, 
  the events of the past year defy any other logical explanation.
   
  When the Celestial Wisdom chose to back Victor Davion during 
  the FedCom Civil War, many called it unconscionable that the 
  Confederation gave aid to the Davions. But when House Dai Da Chi 
  reclaimed Tikonov for the Chancellor, those same faithless individuals 
  hailed the backing of Victor Davion as a stroke of genius. 
   
  Clearly it was more. How else can one explain the Chancellor’s 
  last-minute decision to remain on Sian instead of traveling to 
  Tharkad to deliver his announcement to the Star League Council? 
  With that decision, he deftly avoided the Word of Blake assault force 
  and remained in exactly the right place to oversee the countering 
  of the Davion invasion of our nation. What’s more, the decision to 
  pull out of the Star League foreshadowed its eventual dissolution.
   
  If one desires more evidence, one need only contemplate the 
  Chancellor’s invitation for his aunt, Duchess Candace Liao, to join 
  him on Sian. Delivered in the hours before Davion forces abducted 
  her son from St. Ives, Candace saw the message for what it was—
  the truly celestial wisdom of Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao.
  RECLAIM YOUR DESTINY
   
  Citizens of the St. Ives Compact, rise up against your 
  oppressors. Throw oﬀ  the yoke of slavery Sian has chained around 
  your neck. Turn your weapons on the real threat: Sun-Tzu Liao. 
  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
   [CBS Anchor]: “And now an update on the Capellan March 
  invasion…”
  ***Transmission Interrupted***
  [A masked man stands in front of the Free Capellan banner]
  [Man]: “Wake up, St. Ivers! Sun-Tzu is lying to you. The Davion 
  forces are moving unabated because the CCAF is hiding. Where’s 
  the vaunted Capellan military? Sun-Tzu is allowing Duke Hasek’s 
  forces to bleed our beloved St. Ives Cavalry dry. We are in danger of 
  subjugation by the bloodthirsty FedSuns, just like what happened in 
  the Fourth Succession War!
   
  “Must we live through another invasion where tens of thousands 
  of St. Ivers die because of greed and lust for power? We say no! Stand 
  up and be counted! Take up arms against the dictators’ hordes! Make 
  them pay with their own blood! Long live the St. Ives Compact! Long 
  live Free Capella!”
  ***Transmission Terminated***
   
  —Capellan Broadcasting Service Nightly News report, St. Ives, 
  25 July 3068
  THE CHANCELLOR IS LYING
  i
  Duke Kai Personally Overseeing Fight for St. Ives Independence
  (26 July 3068)
   
  St. Ives [SIFP]—The future of our people on this anniversary 
  of St. Ives Founding Day looks bright, for Duke Kai Allard-Liao is 
  personally leading the ﬁ ght for our independence.
   
  Nearly 900 years have passed since the ﬁ rst colonists set foot on 
  this world, and in those nine centuries we have seen much hardship, 
  but none as severe as we experienced under the Capellan thumb. 
  Thankfully, we have leaders like Duke Kai and his mother, Duchess 
  Candace, who are willing to ﬁ ght for what is right. After months 
  of secret negotiations with Duke George Hasek, Duke Kai left his 
  Capellan “handlers” behind and joined Hasek on New Syrtis, where 
  he is personally overseeing the military campaign that will once 
  again win independence for the people of the St. Ives Compact. “The 
  people of St. Ives will meet the challenges of the future,” he said to 
  a group of university graduates just a week before leaving for New 
  Syrtis. “It is up to you to take control of your destiny.”
   
  Already, mercenary units in Duke Kai’s employ have taken 
  up position inside the Compact and laid siege to those who stand 
  against our independence. Coordinating with the St. Ives Armored 
  Cavalry and Janissary Brigades, these forces are fortifying our borders 
  against the Capellan response that is already attempting to stop us 
  from achieving the freedom we deserve. 
   
  Unlike the war we fought against the Confederation just ﬁ ve 
  years ago, this time Sun-Tzu Liao doesn’t have the army of the Star 
  League to call on, or even his Word of Blake allies, who are embroiled 
  in their own war. Neither does he have the help of a despotic ruler 
  on the Davion throne; instead, we have the full force of the Armed 
  Forces of the Federated Suns ready to support us.
   
  Unfortunately, Sun-Tzu has Duchess Candace Liao in custody 
  on Sian, to which he spirited her as soon as he learned of Duke 
  Kai’s journey to New Syrtis. Nevertheless, we must not allow her 
  incarceration to turn us away from our path. “Freedom is dear and 
  can never be taken for granted,” she said almost four decades ago 
  after declaring independence for St. Ives. “The cost of freedom is 
  never too great unless it is freedom itself.”
  FREEDOM!
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section12: CELESTIAL CRISES
   
  For more than thirty years the Compact and the Federated 
  Suns enjoyed a true friendship, a relationship sundered by Sun-
  Tzu’s Xin Sheng. Do you, free Capellans of the St. Ives Compact, 
  want to see this restored? Do you want to continue your lives 
  under the oppressive Confederation regime? Rise up and reclaim 
  your destiny! Join us and together we shall break Sun Tzu’s chains 
  of bondage and make St. Ives free again!
   
  —From Davion propaganda pamphlets dropped over the 
  capital city of Teng, July 3068
  VICTORIOUS THEY VANQUISH!
  Capellan Troops Bring Glory and Honor to the Confederation
  (17 August 3068)
   
  Ares [CNA] – Despite boasts to the contrary from all levels of 
  the Davion government, the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces 
  have halted the Federated Suns’ invasion and are destroying the 
  enemy everywhere they are encountered.
   
  The invasion, begun just over a month ago, initially targeted 
  worlds in the St. Ives Commonality. George Hasek, Duke of New 
  Syrtis and leader of the Davion military forces along our border 
  with the Federated Suns, justiﬁ ed this illegal and immoral action as 
  military aid to an “independent” St. Ives—as led by a small group of 
  rebels supported by Hasek himself. 
   
  Though the Davion onslaught initially overpowered the 
  loyal citizens of St. Ives—an onslaught that killed, injured and 
  left homeless countless thousands—our own glorious military 
  responded swiftly and lethally. Staging counterattacks against the 
  Davion troops in conjunction with true patriots on the besieged 
  worlds, our military stunned the enemy, costing them their tenuous 
  grasp on ﬁ ve worlds and forcing them to retreat to temporary 
  fortiﬁ cations they had constructed on six more, including St. Ives 
  and Warlock.
   
  Already, Strategic Military Director Talon Zahn is moving 
  additional forces into the St. Ives Commonality and along the 
  Federated Suns border to deal with what little opposition remains. 
  Reliable sources on the few worlds still beset by the Davion blight 
  report that enemy troops are surrendering wholesale, and those 
  that do not stand down remain bottled up in their bases while 
  Capellan citizens surround them and continuously subject them 
  to sniper and bomb attacks.
  FORTRESS OF DETERMINATION
  Brave Confederation Troops Hold Tikonov
  (6 September 3068)
  [Pris Khoji]: And now for a special report from Kollin Wade, currently 
  on assignment to Tikonov.
  [Wade]: Tikonov was once a shining pearl of the Confederation, 
  a commonality capital and an industrial giant. Snatched away 
  during Hanse Davion’s murderous rampage some forty years ago 
  and forced to live under his dictatorial regime until its people 
  said, “No more!”, this world stood up against the very government 
  that oppressed it for all those long decades. But can it hold out? 
  The people of Tikonov say, “Yes!” and the Capellan Confederation 
  stands behind its citizens. With me is Gao-shiao-zhang Fah Li Shei, 
  leader of House Dai Da Chi. Thank you for giving us your time, 
  Shiao-zhang.
  [Shei]: You are most welcome.
  [Wade]: Tell our viewers about the current situation on Tikonov.
  [Shei]: The Celestial Wisdom tasked House Dai Da Chi with 
  the defense of Tikonov, an assignment we have carried out 
  continuously and without fail. Even when the mercenary Dragoons 
  abandoned this world, our warriors willingly shouldered the 
  burden of preventing the Davions from returning here with their 
  oppressor armies.
  [Wade]: But that’s not the whole story, is it? What of the naval 
  blockade?
  [Shei]: When the people of Tikonov stood as one to throw oﬀ  the 
  bonds of Davion oppression and called on the Chancellor’s favor, 
  the murderer Hasek, who even now is prosecuting a war against 
  our nation, sent his WarShips to cut oﬀ  Tikonov from the rest of 
  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
  August 24th, 3068
   
  The so-called “Third Wave” has hit us here on New Westin. Most 
  of our defensive lines are holding, but only by a hair; the Federated 
  Suns troops are just too numerous for us to push oﬀ  at the moment. 
  They’re drawing closer and closer to Sian, and we have fewer and 
  fewer systems to use as a buﬀ er. 
   
  I still cannot believe we are ﬁ ghting this pointless conﬂ ict. The 
  Star League disbanded of its own accord, and Hasek’s capital system 
  of New Avalon lay under siege. His once-sister capital no longer 
  exists. Taurian guerillas bent on reclaiming their lands still plague 
  his Periphery border worlds, and most of the planets he claims to 
  be “liberating” would rather not be. And yet he presses harder and 
  deeper into Confederation territory. Why?
   
  I can only come up with two theories. The ﬁ rst is that with 
  New Avalon weakened and in a precarious position, Hasek believes 
  he can carve out his own ﬁ efdom, making himself more powerful 
  than a mere March Lord. Perhaps he wants a new Successor State, a 
  House Hasek. With the Federated Suns too weak to oppose him and 
  the Capellan Confederation shattered, he could easily absorb Crucis 
  March worlds and declare his newly expanded realm an independent 
  state. Of course, all this hinges on defeating the Confederation, as 
  well as a long drawn-out ﬁ ght between Yvonne Steiner-Davion and 
  the Word of Blake.
   
  My second theory is that he has gone insane. Of course, those 
  two theories aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. 
   
  —Last personal journal entry of Si-ben-bing Sergei Pin, CCAF, 
  (KIA on New Westin, 25 August 3068).
  “HASEK’S WAR”
  i
  
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  112 / 113 
  the Inner Sphere. He ordered the seizure or destruction of every 
  inbound and outbound DropShip, but his ﬂ eet could not stand 
  against the strength of the Confederation. After several titanic 
  battles, the Davions retreated. Now they satisfy themselves with 
  destroying shipments of food and medicines coming in to this 
  world, and taking prisoner Tikonov students and workers bound 
  for opportunities in the rest of the Confederation.
  [Wade]: What about the reports of ﬁ ghting around the planet?
  [Shei]: When we destroyed the Davion garrison here a year ago, 
  many enemy soldiers ﬂ ed into the countryside and began a 
  guerrilla war against the rightful government of Tikonov. We have 
  caught or killed many hundreds of these criminals, but after almost 
  forty years of occupation, the world is full of Davion sympathizers 
  and agents. With the help of the people of Tikonov, we believe we 
  will ﬁ nd the last of these criminals shortly.
  [Wade]: So the Federated Suns hasn’t made any attempts to 
  recapture Tikonov by landing troops?
  [Shei]: No, they haven’t. And even if they tried, they could never 
  succeed, which they know. The will of the people and of the 
  Celestial Wisdom simply will not allow it.
  [Wade]: Thank you, Gao-shiao-zhang Fah Li Shei. This has been 
  Kollin Wade, reporting for Confederation News Associates from 
  Tikonov.
  DAVIONS SUE FOR PEACE
  (3 October 3068)
   
  Capella [CNA]—No longer able to justify their assault on the 
  Capellan Confederation, the people of the Federated Suns are 
  calling on their leaders to end the illegal war and ﬁ nally accept 
  Chancellor Liao’s lasting peace proposal.
   
  When the Davion criminal George Hasek, oppressor of billions 
  of Capellan citizens in the Federated Suns’ so-called Capellan March, 
  launched his unprovoked and unjustiﬁ ed invasion of the St. Ives 
  Commonality, he doubtless intended to conquer the same worlds 
  his grandfather did just four decades earlier, this time adding them 
  to his own realm. But the people of St. Ives long ago had enough of 
  Davion subjugation, and despite the puppet “government in exile” 
  that Hasek propped up in front of holocameras, stood fast against 
  the invasion. 
   
  Hasek sent all his military power into the St. Ives Commonality, 
  but could claim only defeat. Try as he might, he could not keep 
  the truth from his own people: his kidnapping of Duke Kai Allard-
  Liao, his complete inability to gain control of even one Capellan 
  world, the thousands of dead sons and daughters he sent back to 
  their parents, the tens of thousands of prisoners or war our own 
  valiant janshi have captured and the countless Davion troops 
  who deserted their posts rather than feel the wrath of the mighty 
  Capellan armed forces. 
   
  Since the beginning of this war, time and again we have seen 
  civilian demonstrations against it erupting across the Federated 
  Suns. We have also seen how Hasek brutally put down those 
  demonstrations, killing and imprisoning at last count more than a 
  million of his own citizens. News of his criminal actions has spread 
  throughout the Federated Suns, so much so that even the Davion 
  princess can no longer stomach his renegade behavior.
   
  “George, stop this invasion at once!” she told Hasek in a 
  message obtained by Capellan agents working in the Federated 
  Suns. “We can no longer aﬀ ord a war against the Capellan 
  Confederation.”
   
  Nevertheless, Hasek continues to pursue his criminal 
  enterprise. Even though his troops have been halted, even though 
  his people continue to oppose this war and plead for its end, 
  even though his princess has ordered him to cease this violent 
  demonstration, Hasek continues to wage a war he cannot possibly 
  win.
   
  Chancellor Liao has pledged to end this violent and illegal 
  assault on Capellan sovereignty peacefully if possible, militarily if 
  necessary. So far, Hasek has forced the latter.
  FALLING SKIES
   
  In October of 3068, the war between Duke Hasek and the 
  Capellan Confederation took a drastic turn. Succeeding against all 
  odds, the AFFS forces stood just one jump away from Sian, with 
  much of the St. Ives territories liberated behind them—willingly or 
  otherwise. Though both sides tell a diﬀ erent version of events, the 
  dramatic assault that struck the Celestial Throne sent shockwaves 
  throughout the region and beyond.
  SIAN STRUCK!
   [Wen-Long]: My…my god. This is Peter Wen-Long. For those of you 
  just joining us, Sian…has been attacked. The reports are confused 
  and are…are just pouring in. What? I’m told we have a live feed 
  from military command channels. Let’s listen in.
  [Unknown #1]: …have an ID yet?
  [Unknown #2]: No. Sat comms are down and we’ve got multiple 
  inbound unknowns on uncontrolled reentry paths. Damn thing 
  must have blown everything nearby out of the sky. 
  [Unknown #1]: Sensor proﬁ le?
  [Unknown #2]: Wideband EM interference. I can’t even tell you how 
  many damn ships there are! Di bian! Heat spike! It’s ﬁ ring!
  [Unknown #1]: Wha… Where? 
  [Unknown #2]: Working. 
  [Unknown #3]: This is Sian Space Traﬃ  c Control. We’ve…We’ve lost 
  the Forbidden City. 
  [Unknown #1]: What do you mean you’ve lost the Forbidden City? 
  That’s imposs—
  [Unknown #3]: Every feed we had from the spaceport and its 
  satellite locations just dropped, and our screens…There’s a ﬁ fty-
  kilometer wide sensor hole around the Forbidden City.
  [Unknown #2]: Conﬁ rmed. Every base in the city just dropped oﬀ -
  line and…Wireless communications are impossible, we’ve even 
  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section12: CELESTIAL CRISES
  lost the landlines. It’s like…by Buddha…there aren’t that many…I 
  mean, a nuclear—
  [Unknown #1]: Don’t say that! We don’t know it was a nuke yet. 
  Could just be jamming…
  [Wen-Long]: Can we get some conﬁ rmation of what’s going on?
  [Unknown #4]: …ﬁ re, buildings disinte… [static] …on ﬁ re. Alert 
  every… [static]
  [Unknown #1]: What was that?
  [Unknown #2]: Forbidden City emergency channel. Just barely 
  coming in.
  [Unknown #4]: …allions three, four and ﬁ ve, respond to sector one. 
  Call in…call in everyone. What th— [static]
  [Unknown #2]: Another heat spike!
  [Unknown #1]: Send to all stations: Sian under attack. All military 
  forces on high alert for immediate response and civil defense. Wu, 
  get me some damn eyes in the sky!
  [Unknown #2]: Getting something. Bounced through about ﬁ ve 
  relays.
  [Unknown #1]: Give it to me! Blake’s Blood…
  [Wen-Long]: We’re getting a visual feed from an outlying station. 
  I…I don’t know if you can see this, but… it…it’s incredible. The 
  Forbidden City is on ﬁ re. The whole city is burning. Beams of light, 
  what must be lasers, are cutting through the smoke leaving a 
  trail…A trail of ﬁ re hundreds, thousands of meters high. How…? 
  Who could possibly…? 
   
  —CBS News Special Report, Sian, 7 October 3068
  NOT AGAIN!
   
  “It is said that if we are not careful, history will come full circle 
  and repeat itself. Apparently, and in the darkest way possible, this 
  has ﬁ nally happened to the Capellan Confederation. 
   
  “It was one of our darkest moments. In August of 2367, 
  Confederation troops raised from Sarna and St. Ives naval forces, 
  supported by hastily armed merchants, engaged a ﬂ otilla of Davion 
  “peacekeepers” above Capella, led by then-Chancellor Franco Liao. 
  Though our troops were outnumbered and outclassed, the epic 
  battle shattered three Davion regiments…at the horriﬁ c cost of 
  two thousand Capellan civilians and the obliteration of our capital 
  city on Capella.
   
  “In the aftermath, the Confederation moved its capital 
  permanently to Sian and the black border was added to the oﬃ  cial 
  Capellan triangle, to commemorate the valiant sacriﬁ ces of those 
  citizens who died to prove that the Confederation would never 
  yield to a foreign aggressor. The Davion regiments destroyed on 
  Capella never re-formed, a testimony to Capellan mettle.
   
  “Flash forward to the present, to a disturbingly familiar 
  scene that echoes in the hearts and minds of a new generation 
  of Confederation citizens. Just over ten days ago, one or more 
  Davion WarShips committed a heinous act of aggression against 
  Sian, destroying the Celestial Palace and most of the capital city. 
  Murdering millions—including our beloved Duchess, Candace 
  Liao, and perhaps even the Celestial Wisdom himself—the brutal 
  attack has left our people reeling with shock, grief and anger. 
   
  “Though the FedSuns news agencies repeatedly deny their 
  involvement, the fact that Davion troops stand an easy jump away 
  from Sian is not to be overlooked, nor are the centuries of hostility 
  the Davion realm has always directed toward our nation. Theories 
  of alternate attackers abound, accusing everyone from the Free 
  Worlds League to the Word of Blake, and questions swirl in minds 
  across the Confederation as to where our own WarShips were on 
  this fateful day. But none can overpower the obvious, imminent 
  threat of Duke George Hasek’s naked aggression. No culprit could 
  be more obvious than the Davion invaders. 
   
  “We do know known for certain the pain, the loss, the horror 
  and—above all else—the determination that followed. Just as on 
  that fateful August day seven hundred years ago, the people of 
  the Capellan Confederation everywhere have grown united and 
  resolved. We have stood on the precipice before. Never will we do 
  so again.
   
  “For KDBR, I am Robert Sung-Li. Good night.”
   
  —News 2 Commentary, KDBR News (a CBS aﬃ  liate), Denbar, 
  10 October 3068
  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
   
  …However, my sources at TMI informed me that out of the 
  sixteen Davion WarShips left from the FedCom Civil War, only ﬁ ve 
  are in deployable condition. Of those ﬁ ve, only one Davion WarShip 
  known to be operational condition is likewise known to be near our 
  borders. It is currently stationed over Tikonov, renewing the Davion 
  blockade of that world. Unless Hasek sent a partially crippled ship 
  (entirely possible, given his recent power craving) to Sian, he has no 
  resources to have carried out the attack.
   
  But if the Davions are too weak and spread too thin to conduct 
  such an operation, then who did it? Whoever carried it out must have 
  enough covert operations resources to take down Sian’s defense grid, 
  sneak a WarShip into orbit, do the hideous deed and escape.
   
  Such a group would need a nearby WarShip ﬂ eet, as well 
  as access to the Confederation’s defense grid to shut it down. The 
  attack went oﬀ  ﬂ awlessly, so the perpetrators must be skilled 
  WarShip operators with a competent intelligence agency. The three 
  most likely suspects are House Marik, Word of Blake or turncoats in 
  Confederation—elements of Free Capella, blindly seeking revenge 
  for their past defeats. 
   
  But the Free Worlds League is not known for committing such 
  heinous acts, and it is unlikely that even Free Capella would ﬁ re on 
  the Celestial Palace, especially with St. Ives’ Duchess Candace Liao 
  in attendance. That leaves one major suspect beyond the Davions. 
  Could Blake’s wrath ﬁ nally have come to Sian?
   
  —Excerpt from Truth and Lies, a Confederation-wide syndicated 
  column, 18 October 3068 
  “INTO THE BREACH”
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  114 / 115 
  UNION OF SWORD AND SPIRIT
  (12 October 3068)
   
  Sian [CNA]—In the aftermath of the terrible assault on Sian 
  ﬁ ve days ago, Strategic Military Director Talon Zahn addressed the 
  Capellan people from a grassy hill overlooking the still-burning 
  Forbidden City. 
   
  “Five days ago, the Capellan Confederation was assaulted by 
  its enemies in a way never before thought possible. In a cowardly 
  move, those enemies struck the heart of the Confederation—
  Sian—with an anonymous WarShip attack. First they crippled 
  our communications and planetary defense satellites, then they 
  attacked the Celestial Throne. They directed their weapons on the 
  Forbidden City, with the obvious intent of completely destroying 
  our capital, and jumped away before our armed forces could 
  respond to this unconscionable assault on our sovereignty.
   
  “That assault did not completely destroy the Forbidden City. 
  Thanks to the valiant combined eﬀ orts of every ﬁ reﬁ ghter, police 
  oﬃ  cer, soldier and citizen, the ﬁ res our enemies ignited with 
  their weapon blasts did not spread to consume the entire city. 
  Nevertheless, those strikes devastated much of the capital. The city 
  burns yet, as you can see behind me. 
   
  “At this time, we do not know how many martyrs perished 
  in this craven assault, but we do know its target: the Celestial 
  Palace. The majority of the strikes were targeted there, and there 
  the greatest devastation lies. Fireﬁ ghters and rescue teams could 
  not reach the palace until just two days ago. What they found was 
  disheartening. 
   
  “Candace Liao, aunt to the Chancellor and Duchess of the 
  St. Ives Commonality, is among the dead. Worse still, the Celestial 
  Wisdom is missing. While we hold out hope against hope, we must 
  also face reality. No survivors have been found amid the ruins 
  of the palace, even in the bunkers designed to withstand direct 
  nuclear assaults.
   
  “My heart is heavy for having to report this, but the Chancellor, 
  the Celestial Wisdom, the leader of the Capellan people, Sun-Tzu 
  Liao, is lost to us. 
   
  “As much as we might want to grieve over these terrible losses, 
  we must put aside our emotions and instead direct those energies 
  against our enemies. The perpetrators of this atrocity are clear—
  the Davions.  They have kidnapped our citizens, tainted our worlds 
  with their assaults time and again, and now murdered countless 
  numbers of our fellow Capellans in hopes of preventing us from 
  destroying them. But they did not take into account the spirit of 
  the Capellan people. We may have lost our Celestial Wisdom, but 
  our sorrow will not dissuade us from doing what we must. We must 
  avenge our Chancellor, and we must avenge Duchess Candace!
   
  “Clearly the criminal George Hasek-Davion seeks not only to 
  claim the St. Ives Commonality for himself, but to place a puppet 
  on the Celestial Throne. His abduction of Duke Kai was merely his 
  ﬁ rst step. Now that the Celestial Wisdom has been lost, he believes 
  he can launch his ﬁ nal solution. We will not allow that!
   
  “People of the Confederation, your duty is clear. Peace with the 
  Davions is possible now only through their destruction! We must 
  make them pay for their crimes. We will make their rivers and lakes 
  and oceans run red with blood! We will destroy their armies and 
  crush their will. We will free the Capellan citizens still under their 
  yoke, and we will free their own people from the Davion legacy of 
  tyranny. And though we will lose many lives in the process, we can 
  no longer stand idly by.
   
  “When we are through with the Davions, the Inner Sphere will 
  rejoice and sing, for the Confederation will have delivered them 
  from evil once and for all!”
  TOO FAR!
  (17 October 3068)
   
  St. Ives [SINS] – “The Federated Suns has gone too far in its 
  misguided attempts to ﬁ ght for the independence of the St. Ives 
  Commonality.”
   
  Salentine Liao, close advisor to Duchess Candace Liao and 
  a senior minister on St. Ives, gave that statement just days after 
  conﬁ rmation that the duchess was killed on Sian. “St. Ives has a long 
  history of peaceful relations with the rest of the Inner Sphere, as it 
  has since the ﬁ rst days of the St. Ives Mercantile Association. But 
  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
   
  “We of the Free Capella Movement hereby deny any involvement 
  in or knowledge of the ‘Day of Death’ orbital attacks on Sian. We do 
  not condone or promote such terrorist operations and would never 
  consider participating in one. We strive to promote the freedom and 
  safety of Confederation citizens through legitimate means. Though 
  those may include military means at times, never would they include 
  such a reckless attack. 
   
  “Many may wish Sun-Tzu Liao dead, even us at times. However, 
  we would never consider the deaths of tens of thousands of others 
  in the same attack to be acceptable ‘collateral damage’. For our 
  onetime benefactors, the Federated Suns, to do so is outrageous and 
  unwarranted.
   
  “From this day forth, Free Capella repudiates any aﬃ  liation or 
  peaceful relations with the Federated Suns. From this day forth, we 
  will ﬁ ght side by side with the oﬃ  cial government and military of the 
  Capellan Confederation to push back the Federated Suns invasion of 
  the Xin Sheng province. We will ﬁ ght as always to preserve our fellow 
  citizens’ freedom and safety, only now against a diﬀ erent foe, House 
  Davion. 
   
  “There is a thin line between acceptable military operations 
  and monstrous acts. George Hasek, you have just crossed that line 
  and will pay dearly for that mistake.”
   
  —Colonel Warner Doles, CO of the Blackwind Lancers (Free 
  Capella), 12 October 3068
  “THE THIN LINE”
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section12: CELESTIAL CRISES
  we can no longer stand by as George Hasek and the Armed Forces 
  of the Federated Suns prosecute a war of liberation, murdering our 
  citizens and our beloved leaders, in our name. This stops now!”
   
  Speaking to more than a quarter of a million St. Ives 
  citizens, who gathered to mourn the deaths of Duchess Liao 
  and the Chancellor, she took the opportunity to echo Capellan 
  Strategic Military Director Talon Zahn’s impassioned speech to 
  the Confederation ﬁ ve days earlier. “We must end this rebellion 
  against our brothers and sisters and stand as one Capellan people. 
  The Davions are not our allies, and they do not ﬁ ght for our best 
  interests. And now they have murdered the greatest among us! We 
  cannot allow their slaying of Duchess Candace to go unpunished! 
  It is up to us to lead the strike on New Syrtis to free Duke Kai and 
  punish the murderer, George Hasek!”
   
  Liao, who broke down in tears at the foot of a 30-meter tall 
  mural of the slain duchess at the end of her address, returned to 
  the duchess’ palace, but not before urging the people of the St. Ives 
  Commonality once more to oppose the Federated Suns’ invasion.
   
  “Their legacy of oppression ends now! For Candace!” 
  CELESTIAL CRISES
  i
  (18 October 3068)
   
  Joppa [CSN] – Word of Blake oﬃ  cials have conﬁ rmed earlier 
  speculation that contact with the HPG on Canopus has been lost. 
  As of October 16th, no messages have been received from Canopus 
  IV, or from any of the worlds within a ﬁ fty light-year radius of 
  that planet. The aﬀ ected worlds include: Adherlwin, Borgan’s Rift, 
  Farnardir, Gallis, Lockton, Magarez and Royal Foxx in the Magistracy 
  of Canopus, as well as Aspropirgos, Butzﬂ etz, Gouderak and Umka in 
  the Free Worlds League.
   
  The Word of Blake has not commented on the likely cause of 
  a HPG shutdown on this scale, which is unprecedented since the 
  Terran Hegemony’s collapse after the fall of the ﬁ rst Star League. 
  Blakist representatives likewise did not oﬀ er any estimates on when 
  service is likely to resume.
   
  With the Federated Suns’ vicious attack on Sian only two 
  weeks old, one cannot help but draw a parallel. Has the Federated 
  Suns struck at Canopus to isolate one of the Confederation’s most 
  powerful allies? If so, what lies in store for Taurus?
   
  With the communications breakdown, Magestrix Emma 
  Centrella could not be reached for comment. Her daughter and 
  heiress-apparent, Naomi Centrella, remains on tour with the Third 
  Canopian Fusiliers in Capellan space.
  CANOPUS GOES SILENT
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  AFTERSHOCKS
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  [Camera fades in on a room decorated in white panels with gray marble trim. In the middle of the room stands a U-shaped table with 
  a black marble top, behind the center of which sits INN Special Correspondent Michael Bosworth. Four men and one woman occupy 
  other seats at the table, with three to Bosworth’s left and two to his right.]
  [Bosworth]: “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’m Michael Bosworth, and this is a special edition of ‘Stellar Pulse Today’. Tonight, our 
  topic: Jihad, the Word of Blake’s ever-widening war on the Inner Sphere. Let’s meet tonight’s panel, joining us in our INN studios here 
  on Orestes…
  “To my immediate right, Mandrinn Kian Lih Sung, special representative for the Capellan Confederation, and aide to the late Chancellor 
  Sun-Tzu Liao.”
  [Sung—a man of obvious Asian ancestry, with dark almond eyes, a well-trimmed and slightly drooping moustache (shaved clean 
  under his nose) and dressed in a black Nehru suit with a close-necked mandarin collar—nods silently to Bosworth.]
  [Bosworth]: “Beside him, James Graham, our resident expert on the culture and politics of the Free Worlds League and chairman of the 
  Free Worlds Parliamentary Archives. Thank you for coming, James.”
  [Graham is portly, obviously not a warrior, but is well turned out. His long dark hair reaches to his collar and he sports a thin mustache. 
  His charcoal suit is well tailored, but he seems slightly uncomfortable with the high collar of his starched white shirt.]
  [Graham]: “Thank you for having me, Michael.”
  [Bosworth]: “And to my immediate left, speaking on behalf of the Federated Suns, is Countess Ariel Simms…”
  (7 July 3068)
   
  Arc-Royal [INN] – In the face of massive destruction wrought by the 
  Word of Blake, people everywhere are asking the same questions. How 
  could this happen? Why didn’t our governments see it coming? Everyone 
  wants to know where to point the ﬁ nger of blame for a catastrophic 
  intelligence failure.
   
  The truth is, the Inner Sphere’s intelligence community did not “fail” 
  at all.
   
  Following the fall of Terra to the Word of Blake, the community 
  had known of the Blakists’ Deep Periphery training camps. Likewise, 
  the Blakists’ acquisition of so many new BattleMechs—from the Terran 
  factories they reactivated and from sources across the Inner Sphere—
  led analysts to postulate (correctly) that the Word of Blake had more 
  troops than they oﬃ  cially acknowledged. The elaborate shell game the 
  Blakists played by expanding their existing divisions while duplicating 
  designations of existing Level IIIs to hide the paper trail generated by 
  those new formations succeeded in hiding their location, but not their 
  existence. 
   
  On the WarShip front, the Word of Blake helped the Free Worlds 
  League salvage Star League-era WarShips. That they kept the best ships 
  for themselves—a McKenna-class battleship, for example—should 
  surprise no one. The Blakists’ ability to kick-start the Free Worlds League’s 
  WarShip program, and that of the Capellan Confederation, pointed to 
  access to unknown manufacturing plants, or perhaps a large cache of 
  components. We now have a name for that source, even if the precise 
  location of the “Ruins of Gabriel” remains elusive.
   
  So much for the men and materiel.
   
  As to intent, the intelligence community (again, correctly) judged 
  that these forces would safeguard Blakist holdings. William Blane’s 
  diplomatic initiatives in the Chaos March back in the early 3060s were 
  taken as a strong indication that the Word of Blake wanted to establish 
  a buﬀ er zone, ﬁ nally resulting in the formation of the Word of Blake 
  Protectorate. Relations between the Dragoons and the former ComStar 
  were never good. To anyone who could read a map, the Blakist conquest 
  of Terra set the two groups on a collision course. The Blakist-sponsored 
  violence on Outreach was shocking, but unsurprising in light of the veiled 
  declaration of war represented by the formation of the Allied Mercenary 
  Command. 
   
  The rest of the Inner Sphere was not oblivious to all of this, but they 
  were in no position to take action against a probationary member-state 
  of the Star League over dealings with a non-aligned state. If challenged 
  over their actions, the Blakists could have argued that the whole aﬀ air 
  lay outside the jurisdiction of the Star League council—or even called 
  on the Star League to come to their aid.
   
  The intelligence community is only “guilty” of failing to predict how 
  the Word of Blake would react to a situation that did not yet exist. Not 
  knowing that the Star League would not survive the fourth Whitting 
  Conference, they had no way to guess what was coming.
  ***Transmission Altered***
  “As was foretold, the spirit of blessed Blake blinded the heretics and unbelievers 
  to our preparations for the glory of the Third Transfer.”
  ***Alteration Ended***
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  [Simms, a 30-something woman of means, her raven hair pulled back into a single pony tail and wearing a conservative Avalonian-
  cut suit decorated simply with a sword-and-sun lapel pin, shakes Bosworth’s hand.] 
  [Simms]: “Michael.”
  [Bosworth]: “…with Mister Bertram Habeas, acting editor-in-chief of the former Chekswa School of Literature on Donegal, sitting beside her…”
  [Habeas—a nervous-looking man in his mid-20s, with short-cropped, dark brown hair and green eyes that constantly shift between 
  the other guests, Bosworth, and the camera—keeps his hands entwined on the table before him. His oﬀ -the-rack business suit is slate 
  gray, and a silver-and-blue enameled Steiner ﬁ st serves as a pin for his black tie. His thumbs tap the table in a random pattern.]
  [Habeas]: “Pleased to be here, Michael.”
  [Bosworth]: “…And, last but not least, Mister Mishcha Kurosawa on the far left, representing the people of the Draconis Combine.”
  [Kurosawa, short and thin, with an oval face and wheat-colored skin, ﬂ ashes an open smile ﬁ lled with brilliant white teeth. His dark 
  eyes are enigmatic, as though the friendly manner can be switched oﬀ  and on at will. Surprisingly, he isn’t wearing traditional Combine 
  clothing, but instead a signature charcoal-gray silk Kirisuki one-suit, with a hint of a dragon woven in iridescent thread across the 
  torso. He bows his head to the gathering.]
  [Kurosawa]: “Arigato. I’m pleased to be here.”
  [Bosworth]: “Right. So, let’s begin by addressing the biggest concern—Tharkad. Mr. Habeas, can you give us any new information on just 
  what happened there? And, more importantly, where is the Archon?”
  [Habeas jumps slightly and takes a moment to compose himself, obviously unprepared to ﬁ eld the ﬁ rst question.] “Ah, well, the evidence on 
  Tharkad pretty much speaks for itself. I’ve heard, of course, that the Word of Blake insists they did not set oﬀ  a nuclear device, but they 
  don’t deny ﬁ ring on the capital city. And they didn’t hesitate to use the same means to…pacify Outreach, nor in their recent attack 
  on Donegal. Numerous witnesses and satellite footage in and around Tharkad City clearly witnessed the explosion and mushroom 
  cloud, and a blanket of radioactive waste has rendered everything within ﬁ fty kilometers of ground zero completely uninhabitable. 
  Casualty estimates are horrendous, in the millions, with hundreds more dead every day.
  [Slightly more emotional now]: “I mean, whether or not the bombardment had anything to do with it or whether the city reactor—
  as some are saying—simply chose that moment to suﬀ er a catastrophic meltdown, the Blakists’ role in it can’t be denied. They were 
  the ones who ﬁ red on a civilian population center without warning. They were the ones who landed troops afterward and began 
  shooting anything that moved. They were the ones who blockaded the system—and are still there, even now—to block any form of 
  communication or humanitarian aid. Only the fact that LAAF troops managed to secure a foothold, and that some information has 
  leaked through the blockade, makes it possible to grasp the extent of the damage.”
  [Bosworth]: “So, who’s in charge right now? Where is the Archon in all of this?”
  [Habeas]: “The Archon? Um, rest assured that, despite the initial reports and the loss of HPG contact on Tharkad, we managed to determine 
  that he is, in fact, alive and well. I’ve seen some reports saying he was injured at ﬁ rst, and that even the people on Tharkad weren’t 
  sure for a few months as to his condition, but some footage smuggled through the blockade proves that Archon Peter is most 
  certainly alive, and in command of the local resistance—er, not only that, but he’s also aware of aﬀ airs beyond Tharkad.”
  [Sung, after a slight pause]: “From everything Mr. Habeas says, and chooses not say, it seems that the Word of Blake is still in charge of Tharkad.”
  [Habeas, flustered]: “The Archon is absolutely in charge, and looks forward to convening a new Estates General as soon as the current 
  crisis on Tharkad is resolved. Militarily, of course, he is being assisted by Margrave Adam Steiner for Alliance-wide defense 
  matters.” [turns to face Sung] “And one could as easily ask who is in charge on Sian, considering the tragic loss of your own 
  ‘Celestial Wisdom’.”
  [Bosworth]: “Gentlemen, please. There will be time enough for rebuttal later in our program. Our viewers want facts, not a Solaran pre-
  game show.” [turns to Habeas] “Getting back on track. Mr. Habeas, is this self-prosecuted war against the Free Worlds League by your 
  own Duke Kelswa legitimate? Does the Estates General approve of such an obviously uncharacteristic action? The precedent set by 
  the Duke of Skye is rather disturbing, to say the least.”
  [Habeas]: “Well, um”—[nervous glance at James Graham]—”I think that, without getting into some of the rhetoric that some local leaders 
  may have used to justify the current conﬂ ict, I have to admit that, as the invading nation here, one might see our actions as unjustiﬁ ed, 
  but considering the obvious ties between the League and the Word of Blake, Duke Kelswa-Steiner of Skye and Duke Umayr of Bolan 
  have a right to assume an…aggressive stance here, to proactively defend the Alliance against possible aggression by Blakist allies. 
  You have to admit that, in the moments after the Tharkad attack, the natural assumption had to be that the League would act in 
  support of its friends. The Alliance has suﬀ ered quite enough lately.”
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section13: AFTERSHOCKS
  [Graham, eyes narrowing]: “Having had their ﬁ ll of ﬁ ghting each other, they now seek… other diversions. The Free Worlds is no Capellan 
  Confederation, however.” [A thin smile crosses his lips as he tips his head toward Sung.]
  [Sung]: “Of all the—”
  [Habeas, face reddening]: “Now, wait just one verdammt—“
  [Bosworth]: “Mr. Graham, we will get to you.” [returns to Bertram Habeas] “So Mr. Habeas, in your opinion, how is the population of the 
  Alliance handling the loss of Tharkad and the rumored bombardments of Donegal, Skye and Coventry? Is there anything you wish 
  to say to Lyran viewers out there, especially the ones away from home?”
  [Habeas, ﬂ ustered, and glaring at Graham]: “The people of the Alliance remain strong, despite the very real attacks on Tharkad, Donegal 
  and elsewhere. To the people of the Lyran Alliance, I would say that we have suﬀ ered much these past few years, and these latest 
  indignities are the worst. But at the end of the day, even weapons of mass destruction and the ambitions of a few terrorists have 
  failed to break our nation. As long as we stick together, we will always be here.” [shoots another scathing look Graham’s way] “Terror 
  cannot prevail against any nation whose people remain united.”
  [Bosworth]: “Thank you, Mr. Habeas, for your insightful answers. I’m sure many Lyrans in our audience will feel comforted by your 
  reassurances.” [to the camera] “As many of our Federated Suns viewers know, within hours of the horriﬁ c attack on Tharkad City, New 
  Avalon—the capital of the Suns—was struck in similar fashion from space. Countess, can you tell us what happened in the New 
  Avalon system and what is the status of Avalon City?”
  [Simms]: “What happened? I’ll tell you what happened! The Word of Blake launched an unprovoked assault on the people of the Federated 
  Suns! Jumping into pirate points around our capital, their WarShips opened ﬁ re without warning, killing millions in the ﬁ rst few 
  minutes. And when the people of New Avalon refused to roll over, the bloody Blakists tried to take by force what they couldn’t take 
  through fear and intimidation. But that didn’t get them any further. The only parts of Avalon City they’ve set foot in are sections they 
  destroyed from orbit just so they could claim that much.
  “The Blakists have tried three times to take Avalon City, and each time we’ve beaten them back. The only thing that’s saved their asses 
  to this point is that they haven’t used nuclear weapons on our citizens. But we know what they’ve done to Tharkad and to Outreach. And 
  they’ve taken the lives of millions of innocents who will be avenged. When all is said and done, there will be no dark place they can hide!”
  [Bosworth]: “What of the First Princess? Conﬂ icting reports have come from the Chaos March, where Blakist propaganda says a jump 
  incident destroyed the transport she was on. However, the Avalon Press continues to maintain that the First Princess has arrived on 
  New Avalon and is safe from harm. Can you conﬁ rm either report?”
  (13 August 3068)
   
  New Syrtis [FSNS] – Rear Admiral Harwood has reported successfully 
  intercepting yet another Taurian supply convoy as it attempted to 
  resupply the Concordat troops still maintaining a foothold on Electra in 
  the Pleiades Cluster.
   
  Last month Admiral Harwood’s Hydra Assault Squadron caught a 
  ﬂ otilla of Concordat military transports attempting to sneak in from one 
  of the system’s many pirate points. After a short but spirited engagement 
  led by the Admiral’s ﬂ agship, the Fortress-Class Ajax, the interlopers were 
  driven oﬀ  with two DropShips and seven ﬁ ghters destroyed and a third 
  DropShip crippled. The Hydras lost three ﬁ ghters, but two of the pilots 
  were later recovered.
   
  Most disturbing is the report that the marines from Ajax discovered 
  two nuclear devices aboard the crippled TCS Jamestown. The Taurian 
  Concordat holds the dubious distinction of being the only government 
  to refuse to sign the Ares Conventions. The Word of Blake’s willingness to 
  use weapons of mass destruction, combined with the desperate situation 
  the Pleiades invaders now face, may have persuaded the Concordat to 
  unleash its nuclear arsenal on the battleﬁ eld for the ﬁ rst time in almost 
  three centuries.
   
  Duke Hasek has yet to comment on this disturbing development, 
  but mercenary troops currently involved in holding oﬀ  the Taurian threat 
  have called for any Taurian force that dares unleash such weapons to be 
  declared war criminals.
   
  This is the third time Admiral Harwood’s Hydra Assault Squadron 
  has encountered Taurian ships since assuming station in the Pleiades 
  Cluster earlier this year. The Hydras’ parent unit, the Medusans, are a 
  mercenary DropShip force under contract to March Lord Hasek since 
  3061. The Basilisk Squadron—the Medusans’ second assault DropShip 
  squadron—is expected to relieve Harwood’s command in the new year.
  ***Transmission Altered***
  “The Taurian Concordat has seen a glimmer of the truth! Those who 
  betrayed all humankind are a cancer that must be burned from the body 
  of humanity.”
  ***Alteration Ended***
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  [Simms]: “The Princess Regent remains in an undisclosed location and is in constant contact with her senior military and government 
  leaders. She wasn’t killed, no matter what the rumors say. In fact, she appeared on a broadcast to the entire nation just a few days 
  ago, though I’m sure some crackpot out there will say that her tri-vid message was some elaborate phony produced by the same 
  people that faked Hanse Davion’s death and are keeping our relations with extra-galactic aliens a secret.
  “No matter what you might hear or believe, the simple reason for all this cloak-and-dagger is her security. She did have some 
  close calls as she made her way back home from Tharkad, and we’re not about to publish her itinerary just so the Blakists can take a 
  shot at her. The people of the Federated Suns understand that.”
  [Bosworth]: “As, I’m sure, do our viewers. Moving on, then. The most recent reports coming out of the Suns lately, especially from the 
  Capellan March, suggest that Duke Hasek has begun to prosecute his own war against the Confederation, defying the will of the 
  Oﬃ  ce of the First Princess. Could you comment on this, Countess?”
  [Simms]: “Seems to me the people of the St. Ives Compact have chosen to throw oﬀ  the bonds of Capellan oppression once and for all. 
  Duke Hasek is only doing what the Federated Suns’ treaties with the Compact demand—defending St. Ives’ sovereignty from an 
  aggressor looking to suck it dry and let its people rot in repayment for three decades of honest-to-God freedom! And Lord knows 
  they need the help! The Capellans may not be able to suborn the Star League to ﬁ ght their wars this time, but news of Blakist activity 
  within the Confederation is conspicuous by its absence…”
  [Sung]: “Oh yes! Well and good to play the strident victim, cowering before the Word of Blake, but when confronted with their own 
  aggression we see the Federated Suns preferring to deceive, incite and obfuscate. There is no…”
  [Simms]: “The truth speaks for itself, Mandrinn, as do the blatant lies you’re spewing.” 
  [Sung]: “There is no Compact, and has not been one since Candace Liao chose to return her realm to the womb of the Confederation. 
  And no act of aggression, either, in the four years since Focht’s ‘Truce of Sian’ save George Hasek’s recent and unprovoked invasion 
  of Capellan space!” 
  [Simms]: “Get your facts straight, Mandrinn! The oppressed peoples of the St. Ives Compact are ﬁ nally ﬁ ghting for their freedom, and now 
  that you don’t have the Star League to do your dirty work, you cry foul!”
  [Sung]: “Strange that we do not see the crest of the St. Ives Lancers or Free Capella on these battleﬁ elds! But, in fact, regiment after 
  regiment under the imperialistic sword and sun of House Davion? Or is it now House Hasek?
  (16 August 3068)
   
  Orestes [INN] – Earlier this month, the CSS Bordeaux penetrated the 
  Word of Blake cordon around besieged Tukayyid. Demonstrating great 
  skill and courage, Precentor Forrest Cole, commander of the Bordeaux, 
  successfully lured both of the Blakist WarShips in the Tukayyid system out 
  of their position close to the planet. Using his frigate’s superior acceleration, 
  Cole exploited the narrow window of opportunity thus created, landing 
  an expeditionary force on Tukayyid despite tenacious opposition from the 
  Blakists’ remaining aerospace assets. These forces, comprised of elements 
  from the Com Guards’ 104th Division, subsequently extracted Primus Mori 
  and several senior Com Guards personnel, who had been trapped on-
  world under enemy ﬁ re for more than six months.
   
  Though dogged by Blakist naval and aerospace forces all the way 
  to a pirate jump point, the Bordeaux successfully escaped to Orestes. 
  Making planetfall last week, Primus Mori was full of praise for “the heroic 
  eﬀ orts of the Com Guards in stemming the evil tide unleashed upon the 
  Inner Sphere.” Meanwhile, Com Guards oﬃ  cials report that while the 
  Bordeaux suﬀ ered only superﬁ cial damage, she inﬂ icted “heavy damage” 
  on the Blakist forces she encountered.
   
  First Precentor Gavin Dow spoke at length of his joy at Primus Mori’s 
  survival. “I cannot suﬃ  ciently express my gratitude to Anastasias Focht 
  for masterminding the operation that returned our beloved Primus to 
  us. Were it not for the foresight of our former Precentor Martial, I would 
  probably have been charged with the burden of leading ComStar 
  through this current crisis.”   
  ***Transmission Altered***
  “Though he is retired, Focht still plays the puppet master—jerking the strings 
  of his puppet Primus to pull her from our grasp. Do not let his age or apparent 
  lack of position fool you. Focht is a power of which to be wary. But at what 
  cost did his tool survive? Fully half the Com Guards that struck Tukayyid will 
  stay there permanently, and the damage to their precious WarShip—one 
  of so few remaining—was far greater than they admit. What cost, Focht? 
  Gavin Dow cannot be happy to see your puppet return. And what action 
  did he take to rescue Mori? He could throw whole divisions against blessed 
  Terra, yet could spare nothing to rescue his Primus. Ambition, greed and 
  corruption! This is the new shape into which Focht and his puppet have 
  forged the golden dreams of the blessed Blake. We must open the eyes of 
  our misguided brethren. We must illuminate the truth with a dazzling ray 
  of light.”
  ***Alteration Ended***
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  DARING RESCUE
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section13: AFTERSHOCKS
  [Bosworth]: “Countess! Mandrinn Sung! We will address the ills of the Confederation shortly, so please extend some courtesy to your peers 
  and allow them to speak without interruption.” [back to Simms] “Countess, since we seem to be speaking of St. Ives and in particular, 
  the late Candace Liao’s family, can you conﬁ rm the rumor that Kai Allard-Liao is in Duke Hasek’s protective custody?”
  [Sung]: “Protective custody…ha! That would be the latest Davionista euphemism for a prisoner of war?”
  [Bosworth, throwing Sung a dirty look]: “Mandrinn Sung–“ [Bosworth is interrupted as the Countess grabs the commentator’s arm, pushes him 
  back slightly and looks directly at Sung.]
  [Simms]: “Bold words coming from a nation who felt so beholden to the people of St. Ives that they had to kill 7.4 million of them just to 
  free them. Hardly a—”
  [Sung]: “That may be the ﬁ ction you teach on worlds of the Davion outback, but it will not hold water in this court. And if we are comparing 
  the price in lives the Federated Suns places on freedoms, shall we look at the cost of the Fourth Succession War, then? Where Hanse 
  Davion’s righteousness ‘liberated’ more than 100 million Confederation citizens from their mortal coil for no other reason than to 
  annex some of our most productive worlds?”
  [Simms]: “Worlds that tasted freedom for the ﬁ rst time four decades ago, worlds whose populations and economies grew by magnitudes 
  under the Federated Commonwealth!” 
  [Sung]: “Duke Hasek is nothing more than—“
  [Simms]: “Duke Hasek responded to a request from Duke Allard-Liao himself, who is Hasek’s personal guest on New Syrtis. He and his 
  family are free to travel as they like. He’s met with representatives from St. Ives as well as his sisters, both of whom are taking an active 
  part in aiding the St. Ives people with their bid for freedom.” 
  [Sung]: “Wang-ba-dan! The person of St. Ives truly in need of his freedom is Kai Allard-Liao himself. His sisters, of course, have been ‘invited’ 
  to New Syrtis, but will take no part in delivering more hostages into Hasek’s greedy hands.
  “Or are you saying Duke Kai asked for a military extraction, taking no aides and no bona ﬁ des from the Duchess, in order to meet 
  behind her back and plot against her eﬀ orts to successfully and peacefully reintegrate the people of St. Ives with their Capellan 
  family? I cannot believe he would so betray his mother, or, now, her memory!”
  [Bosworth]: “Countess! Mandrinn! Enough! This is not a forum to discuss the ills and errors of the Federated Suns or the Capellan 
  Confederation! This is a forum to present what information each of us knows to better assess the common threat of the Word of 
  Blake! Or have you forgotten what they did to your nations only a few short months ago?!” 
  [Silence for a few heartbeats]
  [Bosworth]: “Now, Countess, can you tell us how the Oﬃ  ce of the First Princess assesses the total situation? What’s the state of aﬀ airs 
  as she sees it?” 
  [Simms]: “You mean, what’s going on? The Inner Sphere is going to hell in a handbasket, that’s what’s going on! We’ve got the Blakists 
  prosecuting a war against pretty much all of humanity because they’ve got some delusions of grandeur. Those crazy sonsabitches 
  think they can destroy civilization as we know it by targeting a few capital worlds and suborning others so they can swoop in like 
  some kind of saviors. Well, we already had one ComStar, and you see where that got us. Two hundred years of war and nearly a new 
  dark age while they spent the proﬁ ts building their own army. That’s not going to happen again!”
  [Bosworth]: “Indeed. Thank you, Countess, for your insightful and passionate responses. We will now turn our attention to our esteemed 
  representative from the Draconis Combine, Mister Mishcha Kurosawa. Thank you for joining us, Mister Kurosawa.”
  [Kurosawa, leaning back as though staying out of the debate, ﬂ ashes a too-knowing smile toward the rest of the participants.] “I’m glad to have 
  accepted your invitation to this… discussion.”
  [Bosworth]: “The ﬁ rst thing we need to address is the status of the Coordinator. We’ve heard reports that he was suﬀ ering from everything 
  ranging from a mild sickness to a stroke to fatigue. We’ve also heard rumors that the Coordinator—on his way to a secret base in the 
  Benjamin District—has hand-delivered plans to Warlords Petroﬀ  and Kurita to invade the Draconis March. So just what is going on 
  in the Combine? Can you set the record straight for our viewers, Mr. Kurosawa?
  [Kurosawa]: “While we cannot deny that the weight of the universe has unduly pressed upon the Dragon’s shoulders, his health is not in 
  question. As for hand-delivering messages, the Dragon does not need such constraints with his Warlords. The Dragon has no plans 
  to invade the Draconis March.”
  [Simms]: “Only because he’s on a respirator. His Warlords, on the other hand…”
  [Kurosawa, teeth showing through a brilliant smile, voice almost happy, eyes pinning Simms]: “When the time comes, the Dragon will die 
  honorably, as did his great father before him. Not drowning in his own drool after a heart attack, following the receipt of a message 
  from a Capellan pup.”
  [Bosworth]: “Please, Mr. Kurosawa.  We are here to talk about recent events, not ancient history.  Getting back to the status of the Combine 
  family, can you tell us about the Coordinator’s son, Hohiro Kurita?”
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  122 / 123 
  [Kurosawa]: “The Dragon’s Heir, as during the Clan invasion and as the Dragon did before him during the Fourth Succession War, is taking 
  the war directly to the Blakists.”
  [Bosworth]: “Very good. Now, we’ve had several conﬂ icting reports regarding the status of your capital, Luthien. Pirate transmissions 
  indicate that the Black Pearl has fallen to the same fate as Tharkad, but up until recently, oﬃ  cial reports from your government 
  indicated that Luthien was simply undergoing an HPG upgrade. Both of these reports conﬂ ict with a subsequent Voice-approved 
  statement that a major rebellion was underway by rogue groups, including—or even led by—the so-called Black Dragon Society, 
  and that the Blakists’ arrival there occurred only after the initial coup had been launched. So where does the truth lie? Has Luthien 
  truly fallen to the Word of Blake and its dark allies?”
  [Kurosawa]: “Luthien was indeed undergoing an HPG upgrade. It was simply bad karma that terrible events should unfold during this 
  scheduled communications blackout. But let me be very clear. Luthien was not, nor can it be, lost to the Blakists.” [Eyes ﬂ ick to Habeas, 
  who scowls.] “They, like some”—[gaze ﬂ icking to Simms]—“are scavengers and bottom feeders, leaping at rumors of ‘internal issues’ 
  to achieve their own aims. As for these alleged rebellions and internal dissensions, what does that have to do with the Word of Blake? 
  If such is occurring, it is an internal matter, which will be dealt with.”
  [Simms]: “Luthien’s gone dark, Kurosawa-san. Sounds like a little more than an internal issue. Or perhaps the Black Dragons ﬁ nally managed 
  to overthrow the Coordinator? They did kill his wife a few years ago.”
  [Kurosawa’s smile falters, his voice becoming slightly rough]: “Tai-sho Sakade absolved all shame in seppuku. The Dragon will not brook the 
  soiling of her name or memory.” [smile returns with visible eﬀ ort]
  [Bosworth]: “Other troubling reports indicate that the Clans are taking advantage of these attacks and have hit worlds along your border 
  with the Ghost Bears. Comments?”
  [Kurosawa]: “The Clans are warriors and are forever active. As for complicity in the Jihad, do not be ridiculous. The idea of the Clans aiding 
  the Blakists is akin to describing the fallen Star League as eﬀ ectual.” 
  [Bosworth]: “Granted. However, can you conﬁ rm that yet another Clan from their homeworlds has arrived on your border with the 
  Outworlds Alliance and been involved in attacks there, again coinciding suspiciously with the Blakist war?”
  [Kurosawa]: “There are always rumors. Sorting through the chaﬀ  for the wheat is what we are about, is it not?” [glances around at the other 
  guests] “There are rumors of black ’Mechs bearing the Hell’s Horses logo operating in the near Periphery. Also rumors of a new Clan, 
  with a twisted snake against a star, moving subtly along multiple borders, including the Dragon’s. But the rumor I assume you are 
  referring to concerns Clan Snow Raven. That Clan is indeed in the Periphery and already working closely with the Outworlds Alliance. 
  They have apparently cleansed the pirate worlds of Rezak’s Hole and Farstar; a feat we are more than willing to applaud. One or two 
  incidents have occurred between us.” [waves a hand casually] “It is being dealt with.”
  (23 August 3068)
   
  Arcturus [TBC] – The Word of Blake has unleashed terror and horror 
  on a scale unprecedented since the early Succession Wars. But in the 
  midst of the death and destruction, one question goes unanswered. 
  Why do they do it? Not their leaders, but the rank and ﬁ le. Surely, some 
  of them must stop and wonder why they are using nuclear weapons 
  like ﬁ recrackers, or just why it is necessary to bathe whole worlds in a 
  chemical and biological Armageddon.
   
  Of course, the answer (like the question) is not that simple.
   
  First, it is necessary to wonder if they actually know what is going on. 
  The Word of Blake is just as bad as ComStar was under Primus Myndo Waterly. 
  With complete control over all interstellar communications between the 
  worlds where they hold sway, it is highly unlikely that the Blakists’ adherents 
  are in a position to grasp what is actually happening. At best, any rumors that 
  ﬁ lter through can easily be dismissed as “enemy propaganda.”
   
  Second, when one looks at individual instances where weapons of 
  mass destruction have been unleashed, one may see that such worlds 
  were heavily fortiﬁ ed against any assault. Would any soldier really object 
  to eliminating the enemy wholesale, when faced with the alternative of 
  dying in a costly ground action? With the choice of dying for “the cause” 
  or pressing a button to make the other man die for his, the nuclear 
  option starts to look pretty good. Certainly our forefathers thought so on 
  numerous occasions during the Succession Wars.
  ***Transmission Altered***
  “True warriors of Blake go into battle willingly, knowing that through their 
  courageous eﬀ orts we may yet gain victory for all humankind. And what 
  of propaganda? The corrupt leaders of the Inner Sphere are fast enough to 
  spread their lies. What of Tharkad? They were quick enough to lay the blame 
  for this so-called nuclear attack at our feet. What of the guilt for all the other 
  crimes they try to foist upon us? How could we have been so wrong, to think 
  that such as these could help us usher in the golden age the blessed Blake 
  foretold?”
  ***Alteration Ended***
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  WORD OF BLAKE. WHY DO THEY DO IT?
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section13: AFTERSHOCKS
  [Simms]: “Oh, for Christ’s sake! They’ve invaded the Outworlds Alliance, and now you’ve got various factions inside that nation alternately 
  ﬁ ghting them oﬀ  and inviting them in. This is a danger that threatens both our nations…”
  [Bosworth]: “I’m sure the situation is indeed well in hand. Thank you for your candor, Mr. Kurosawa.” [pause] “Before we move on to 
  Mandrinn Sung and the Confederation, I’d like to remind our panel that we are here to gather information to help our viewers—and 
  ourselves—to sort out the events of the past few months. So, please, I ask one last time that you refrain from interrupting your 
  colleagues.” [looks pointedly at Countess Simms] “There will be time enough for panel interaction later in our program. Save your 
  energy until then so we can proceed. Understood?”
  [Nods and murmurs of assent from the various members.]
  [Bosworth]: “Mandrinn Sung, what does the Confederation have to say about the apparently obvious signs that your nation is in league 
  with the Blakists’ self-proclaimed jihad? The inﬂ ammatory remarks made by the late Sun-Tzu Liao, which forced the disbanding of 
  the Star League, certainly set in motion the horriﬁ c events—perpetrated by the Blakists—that have touched every major Inner 
  Sphere realm save yours and that of your Free Worlds League neighbors. Of course, the Free Worlds has its hands full defending itself 
  from the Lyran juggernaut along the border, in possible response to more devious League actions.”
  [Habeas winces and seems ready to say something, but doesn’t.]
  [Bosworth]: “With the Confederation, however, it seems suspicious that your nation has remained relatively unscathed during all of this. Recent 
  polls taken on random worlds indicate that almost sixty percent of the Inner Sphere population believes Sun-Tzu Liao was in collusion with 
  the Word of Blake, and that the Confederation is still following that path even after his loss on Sian. What do you have to say about that?”
  [Sung]: “’Apparently obvious’? Shí-fēn găn-xiè! I expect such prejudice from a Federated Suns mouthpiece, not our ‘impartial’ moderator! 
  Earlier, you alluded to some of the early Word of Blake attacks on a few of our border worlds, and now you speak as if those Capellan 
  citizens did not actually bleed and suﬀ er and die. While at the same time, you seem to excuse any possible—possible!—collusion by 
  the Free Worlds League because they happen to be involved in a border clash?
  “Need I remind you, Mr. Bosworth, that we are suﬀ ering a great deal at the moment from Davion depredations? And that no one 
  yet knows the status of our staunch Canopian allies, with all communications severed? We are very certainly ‘scathed’. 
  “Why is it, sir, that a Capellan life is worth so much less in your mind than those of other nationalities?”
  (12 September 3068)
   
  Donegal [DBC] – It was a classic story of (stylish and tasteful) rags 
  to riches. Katherine (or Katrina, as she preferred to be called) Steiner-
  Davion’s rise from obscure member of the Federated Commonwealth 
  court to (almost) undisputed ruler of not one, but two nations!
   
  We’ll let the historians bicker over the details of who did what (and 
  to whom, and when), and dodge the legal wrangling over whether 
  Katherine (or should that be Katrina?) should have been able to take the 
  throne of the Federated Commonwealth (or is it the Federated Suns?). 
  Neither will we delve into the actions her big (ﬁ guratively speaking) 
  brother took to remove her from power.
   
  Instead, the burning question is: where is Katrina (or Katherine?) 
  now? What with all these incidental nuclear strikes, orbital bombardments, 
  and chemical and biological attacks, the disappearance of the glamorous 
  Katherine (or whatever) went largely unnoticed and unremarked, except 
  by those in the Inner Sphere fashion industries.
   
  Well, now we at DBC can reveal that our beautiful heroine (or 
  should that be evil usurper?) has run oﬀ  and joined the Wolf Clan (no, 
  not that one, the other Wolf Clan). Yes! No less a personage than Khan 
  Vlad “the Barbarian” Ward apparently spirited the (still stylishly attired) 
  Katherine oﬀ  Arc-Royal and into the Clan Occupation Zone, for reasons 
  the lecherous and lascivious among us can only hope to guess at. 
   
  Must fashion houses across the Inner Sphere now accept that their 
  winter collections could become a legitimate target for a Clan Trial of 
  Possession? 
  ***Transmission Altered***
  “Was that where we made our mistake? Thinking Victor was the more likely 
  of the two to ensure that the prophecy would be fulﬁ lled? Certainly we had 
  to be wary of Katherine’s motivations. Already she had led the Lyran half 
  of the Federated Commonwealth to secede, then made another grab for 
  power while her brother’s back was turned. Should we have aided Katherine 
  instead? Or would her greed for power have been just as big a stumbling 
  block as Victor’s corruption at the hands of the heretic Focht and his puppet 
  Primus? Ah! Yes! Mori! We know your secrets now, and when the time is right 
  we will use them to shatter the abomination you and Focht corrupted all the 
  blessed Blake’s labors to build. Your lies blinded so many of our brothers and 
  sisters. But now, Mori! But now, Focht! Now they will learn the truth! They 
  will ﬂ ock to join us. They are the key we will turn to unlock the glorious future 
  that awaits humankind. Take heart! Blessed Blake’s will be done!”
  ***Alteration Ended***
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  [Bosworth]: “Capellan lives are of equal worth to any other human life across the human-occupied sphere. How dare you suggest that a loyal 
  member of the ComStar media would assume otherwise?”—[holds up a hand to stem Sung’s reply]—“However, when your own government 
  appears to be acting in collusion with the worst evil we have ever known—worse than Amaris and his atrocities!—then we, the other 
  human citizens in this universe, have every right to make the assumption that your government is helping them, even if you have border 
  disputes with rogue March lords. We all remember the late Chancellor’s double-blinds and his ﬂ agrant abuse of the oﬃ  ce of First Lord in St. 
  Ives. Because of his own prior history, it is easy to make the logical leap that the Confederation puts up a brave front against the ‘Davionistas’ 
  to avert suspicion of collaboration with the Blakists on other fronts. Witness the fact that you and the Free Worlds League have yet to 
  terminate your HPG contracts with the terrorists, for starters. And if this deception proves true—and I say ‘if’’ most strongly, Mandrinn—
  then I feel sorry for the average Capellan citizen who has to bear the shame of the late Sun-Tzu Liao’s actions. Because your nation, along 
  with the Free Worlds League, would then be reviled in history as dark allies of the most truly evil organization humanity has ever known. 
  “Please, Mandrinn. Prove us all wrong. That is why we invited you two”—[gestures towards Graham and Sung]—“to give your 
  nations the opportunity to correct our assumptions.
  “Are you willing to do that? Or would you care to prove that what we assume is correct?
  [Sung]: “It is not what you ‘assume’ that I take issue with, moderator, but what you believe! This myth of ComStar’s supposed impartiality 
  notwithstanding, the pro-Davion bias in your rebuttal just now might as well have been scripted by the Federated Suns’ ministry of 
  propaganda and disinformation! What you coin as a ‘ﬂ agrant abuse of the oﬃ  ce of First Lord’ was, in point of fact, a restrained response 
  to an unprovoked and unwarranted assault against Hustaing, its people and the person of the Chancellor. And your suggestion, that 
  the Confederation’s need for working HPGs is superceded by any requirement to demonstrate our innocence—which is what should 
  be assumed until proven otherwise!—is disingenuous at best. You wish for us to suﬀ er additionally under the burdens of a voluntary 
  communications interdiction? To put ourselves fully at the mercy of George Hasek’s warmongering? Has it not occurred to you, to 
  any of you, that the Confederation is eﬀ ectively held hostage until and unless we can solve this problem?
  “When I believe I am talking to an open-minded man, I shall make every eﬀ ort to prove our case. Until that time, I must assume 
  we were invited here, Mr. Graham and myself, to be publicly scourged in a further attempt to vilify any nation that dares stand up 
  to the Davion machine. 
  (20 October 3068)
   
  New Syrtis [INN] – The master of the Merchant-class JumpShip 
  Atlantia reports recently sighting the WBS Immortal Spirit in the Hobson 
  system, just one jump from New Syrtis. Unfortunately, analysis of the 
  Atlantia’s sensor data was inconclusive. 
   
  The Aegis-class heavy cruiser started life as the THS E. Presley, 
  launching from the Greenock shipyards over Terra in 2382. Mothballed 
  in 2531, she was reactivated in 2582 and reﬁ tted extensively for 
  service in the new Star League Defense Force. The Presley remained in 
  distinguished service with the League for close to two hundred years, 
  until the start of the Amaris Civil War, when she was presumed destroyed 
  over Epsilon Indi along with the rest of Admiral Amanda Braso’s 568th 
  Armed Transport Flotilla.
   
  However, the E. Presley was only disabled, not destroyed, and her 
  lifeless hulk was left adrift in a long elliptical orbit from which the Word of 
  Blake presumably recovered her in 3059. Reﬁ tted and re-christened the 
  Immortal Spirit, she was scheduled to launch from the Titan Yards in 3064. 
  However, rumor has it that she may actually have launched some time in 
  3063. The vessel subsequently vanished, originally thought destroyed by 
  a catastrophic engineering casualty related to her rushed deployment.
   
  There have since been numerous unconﬁ rmed sightings of the Spirit, 
  ranging from Hazeldean to Memphis. Many expected the elusive Spirit to 
  appear among Blakist naval elements unleashed across the Inner Sphere, 
  but while the fanatics have deployed perhaps a dozen WarShips of all 
  classes beyond Terra, the Immortal Spirit has yet to make an appearance.
  ***Transmission Altered***
  “The aﬀ ront of those unbelievers! Their blasphemy called for swift action. In 
  the blessed Blake’s very words, ‘The spirit of justice is immortal’. Sure and 
  terrible was the justice visited upon those who would misuse the name of 
  the one foretold. Even though it jeopardized everything we had worked 
  for, such a great risk still had to be taken. And it worked! Never before had 
  we gone so far! Where once we had only employed JumpShips, now in a 
  brief moment of glory a WarShip proved the truth of Blake’s words! We have 
  unlocked Blake’s wisdom! We have been shown the way! Not even the Ruins 
  of Gabriel can compare to the strength Blake’s words give us. A great and 
  terrible duty has been laid upon us. We must use our might against the very 
  people it was supposed to serve—and in so doing we shall save them from 
  the darkness. Was this how it was for Kerensky? Choose between ﬁ ghting to 
  save something from the ruins, or walk away? Would he have stayed to ﬁ ght 
  had he known what was to come, had he known how the Clans would twist 
  and corrupt everything he believed in? But unlike Kerensky, our path—the 
  path laid before us by blessed Blake—is clear. These so-called Successor 
  Lords had their chance to aid us. They rejected what we oﬀ ered and betrayed 
  us all. Now they must pay.”
  ***Alteration Ended***
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  IMMORTAL SPIRIT SIGHTING
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section13: AFTERSHOCKS
  “And you may keep your pity, Mr. Bosworth. The average Capellan citizen lives with a great deal of shame, but little for the 
  Chancellor or his actions. Pro-Capellan fervor is higher than it has been in the past several decades, ever since our rape by the 
  Federated Suns. You cannot ﬁ ght the lessons of history!”
  [Bosworth]: “A simple and direct question then, without any possible bias—perceived or otherwise. Why did Chancellor Liao not attend 
  the Star League Conference on Tharkad?”
  [Sung]: “For the very argument he put forth before the Star League Council in his holo-address. Which you earlier called ‘inﬂ ammatory 
  remarks,’ but which Peter and Yvonne Steiner-Davion seconded when they heard the truth of the Chancellor’s wisdom. 
  “Simply put, the Star League had served its purpose, which was never to serve as a unifying and all-encompassing government, 
  but merely as an alliance of convenience through which the Inner Sphere ended the Clan threat—a vital goal that First Lord Liao saw 
  through to its ﬁ nal conclusion. As the past two terms have proven, the oﬃ  ce has now become the brass ring of small-minded leaders 
  and savage tyrants. It took Victor Davion’s impassioned plea to stop the near-acclamation of Katherine Steiner-Davion to the oﬃ  ce, 
  and one can only imagine the terror such stewardship might have brought on the Inner Sphere.
  “In the end, without a pressing mandate for the Star League’s continuance, Chancellor Liao made the decision to serve his 
  own people rather than continue to drain away resources better spent on domestic issues. Any attempt to demonize him for such 
  priorities will paint the Federated Suns and the Lyran Alliance with the same brush!” 
  [Simms]: “Or more accurately put, Sun-Tzu is done raping the Star League for all it’s worth, so now it’s time to get back to pillaging the 
  other members of this Trinity Alliance. I keep hearing about how wonderful that alliance is, but it seems to me you got the troops 
  you needed to conquer the St. Ives Compact, and the only thing the Taurian Concordat got out of it was dead sons, a weakened 
  government on the verge of collapse and the loss of a quarter of their worlds to revolution.”
  [Sung]: “The choice of local military commanders to refuse the lawful ascension of Protector Grover Shraplen to their seat of government 
  has nothing to do with the Capellan Confederation. We would consider rendering assistance in this matter, but the simple truth is 
  that we have not been asked. Not that I expect a Federated Suns’ fù-nü-gŏu to understand anything about sovereign borders.” 
  (25 October 3068)
   
  Orestes [INN] – To the mournful wail of pipes, the ﬂ ag of the Star 
  League and the banner of the Royal Black Watch Regiment were lowered 
  on Orestes for the ﬁ nal time last week. Surrounded by chaos and 
  destruction, the Black Watch remained in the Free Rasalhague Republic 
  at the invitation of Elected Prince Regent Christian Månsdottir. Recently, 
  however, Colonel Neil Campbell announced that he is pulling his 
  troops out of the Republic. Not surprisingly, Black Watch warriors have 
  remained tight-lipped about their intended destination, but speculation 
  on Orestes is that the regiment will try to break through to Northwind or 
  link up with Precentor Martial Davion’s forces.
   
  With the presumed destruction of the First Royal BattleMech, the 
  21st Striker and the 19th Cavalry regiments on Dieron, and no word from 
  the 71st Light Horse on Huntress, the Black Watch and the 151st Light 
  Horse are the only SLDF troops remaining in the Inner Sphere. Whether 
  they will pledge their loyalty to an Inner Sphere government, become 
  mercenary commands once more or even join the Com Guards remains 
  to be seen.
  ***Transmission Altered***
  “We can never trust any mercenary who refuses our coin. The Dragoons 
  proved that. From the moment they arrived in the Inner Sphere, they began 
  to obstruct us in executing our duty to carry out Blake’s will. Like the pebble 
  that starts an avalanche, they disrupted the delicate balance of power. They 
  treated us with disturbing disdain from the start, an attitude that spread to 
  far too many other mercenaries. We should have moved against them when 
  they announced their Clan origins, rallying the Successor States against 
  the spies in our midst. But all too soon the battle of Tukayyid came upon 
  us, and then Focht and Mori murdered Myndo Waterly. Ah! Primus Waterly, 
  your Operation Scorpion was a stroke a genius! If not for the traitors in out 
  midst, the Inner Sphere would have come under our stewardship. But the 
  time had not yet arrived! As Blake foretold, the Inner Sphere could only enter 
  a new golden era through three transfers of power. It fell to the faithful who 
  recognized the evil of Focht and Mori to reclaim the birthplace of humanity 
  from the heretics. Mori! Your time grows short! And then blessed Terra 
  lay once more in the hands of the true followers of Blake. But always the 
  Dragoons were there! Sitting on Outreach, they were a thorn in our side. 
  Always interfering as we worked to fulﬁ ll the blessed Blake’s vision for the 
  worlds around Terra. At last we were forced to take steps to put Wolf and his 
  Dragoons in their place. They retaliated, but we thought we were ready for 
  them. Then they attacked Mars! How did they know exactly where to strike? 
  Clearly the Dragoons posed an even greater threat to Blake’s vision than we 
  thought. We had no choice but to burn out their den. Their fate awaits all 
  who oppose the will of Blake!”
  ***Alteration Ended***
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  126 / 127 
  [Bosworth]: “Please! Countess!” [pause] “Mandrinn Sung, certainly it is not a crime for leaders to take care of their people ﬁ rst over the 
  needs and wants of those outside their inﬂ uence. So no, we will not demonize the late Chancellor Liao or his choices.
  “But neither will we deify him as others have done. Speaking of which, what is the current status of the Confederation government? 
  After the accident on Sian earlier this month, we haven’t heard much out of Sian except—“
  [Sung]: “Accident? Accident!? As much as the Kentares Massacre was a civil debate, perhaps! Zi-jin Chéng, our capital city, was struck from 
  orbit in a cowardly, unprovoked assault meant to assassinate the Eternal Light of the Confederation and leave the Capellan people 
  bereft of leadership. The Celestial Palace is no more! Pounded beneath a WarShip’s guns. Tens of thousands are dead from this one 
  demonic act, which you call an accident. We call it an atrocity against the Capellan people!
  “Fortunately, Sang-jiang-jun Talon Zahn moved quickly to assume interim control as this crisis was thrust upon us. In consultation 
  with House Master Ion Rush and several political leaders within the Confederation and outside it, he worked to strengthen our borders 
  and oversee the massive humanitarian eﬀ orts to search for survivors and identify bodies. He has kept the Capellan state alive.
  “How easy it is to decry the Word of Blake for their treatment of New Avalon, which has been horrendous, we agree! But to then 
  stand by while the butcher Hasek employs the same tactics against a neighbor state that has only endeavored to defend itself is 
  unconscionable!”
  [Simms]: “You and your Confederation are just like any delusional paranoid. You’re quick to place the blame on the Federated Suns without 
  a shred of proof, without a single bit of logic to back up your psychotic rants—”
  [Sung]: “Sensor logs! Video! Reports of the invading battle tactics! How much more—?”
  [Simms]:  “Let me make this absolutely, positively clear—neither Duke Hasek nor the Federated Suns is responsible for this attack on Sian, 
  a fact supported and conﬁ rmed by every other major power in the Inner Sphere. I think it’s more likely that Sun-Tzu tried to go his 
  own way when the Blakists refused to help him put down St. Ives’ bid for freedom, and found his homeworld scoured by the wrath 
  of Blake in response. The rest of the Confederation must be so compromised by Blakist agents that the Word of Blake hasn’t had to 
  launch any further attacks.”
  [Sung]: “From one side, the Confederation is accused of working hand-in-ﬁ st with the Blakists. Now you suggest that we have been 
  compromised. Do you think no one can see the hypocrisy in such conﬂ icting statements? The Word of Blake needs neither our 
  complicity nor any great conspiracy to undermine our defenses. Not with George Hasek as their willing ally of convenience.”
  [Bosworth, incredulous]: “Mandrinn Sung! You’re suggesting that Duke Hasek is in league with the Word of Blake, inciting border terror 
  actions to divert attention away from their other activities? It is true that several worlds near Terra have been captured by Blakist 
  forces…do you really think a Davion lord would ally himself with the most murderous group the Inner Sphere has ever known? 
  Where is your proof, sir?”
  [Sung]: “Where is hers? You demand proof that the Confederation has not entered into a devil’s pact, even though we have crossed no 
  borders nor shown one measure of support for the Word of Blake’s actions. And in the same hand, you blithely accept this wang-ba-
  dan Davionista’s claim to have evidence from all other Inner Sphere powers that they were not involved in the terror attack on our 
  capital! What evidence?! Does the Draconis Combine monitor every WarShip under Hasek’s thumb? When did ComStar oﬀ er such a 
  statement of support? It must be missing from our ﬁ les!”  
  “Has House Steiner oﬀ ered such credit?” [Looks at Habeas, who ﬁ dgets as if to respond.] 
  “Has the Free Worlds League?” [looks at Graham]
  “Now we see the bias inherent in the system! A deliberate and concerted eﬀ ort to forever paint the Confederation with a black 
  brush, ignoring four decades of evidence that we ﬁ ght only to reclaim what is ours, taken from us by force against the overwhelming 
  will of the Capellan people who take pride in their Chancellor and their nation, and who will forever resist any eﬀ ort by outside 
  terrorists—whether cloaked in the robes of nobility or neutrality—to divide us against each other for no other reason than a political 
  smokescreen for aggressive military action that beneﬁ ts only—”
  [On a gesture from Bosworth, audio is cut. Sung, his voice now an incoherent mumble, tries to continue for a few seconds, then stops. Simms’ 
  attempt to respond is likewise a mumble. Sung kicks back his chair, glowers past Bosworth, pulls his jacket straight and exits the room.]
  [Simms, voice muﬄ  ed but picked up through Bosworth’s mike]: “As I said, the truth speaks for itself.”
  [Bosworth]: “Well now, I want to apologize to our audience. Such behavior from our panel is regrettable, though considering the issue at 
  hand, understandable.” [turns partway to face Graham] “We need to turn our attention now to the Free Worlds League, which seems 
  to be exempt from all this madness. Mr. Graham, could you please inform our audience and us why the League appears to have 
  escaped the heinous atrocities that have plagued the rest of the Inner Sphere?”
  [Graham]: “One can hardly call the Lyran Alliance’s unprovoked assault on our territory ‘exemption from the madness’, though the foolhardy 
  nature of that endeavor has become apparent to the Steiners.” [Nods at Habeas, whose expression quickly darkens.] “As for why we 
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section13: AFTERSHOCKS
  have been spared other assaults—perhaps the perpetrators realize that the League is the one Inner Sphere state not weakened by 
  years of war and internal strife. For once in its history the League stands united.”
  [Habeas, scornful]: “Lächerlich! Hardly foolhardy, nor unprovoked! Unprovoked is what your friends did to Tharkad! Foolhardy is what your 
  ships did to Skye! A-and don’t try explaining that away as some ‘rogue element,’ either, after that line of pig waste you just spouted 
  about having a ‘united’ League!”
  [Graham]: “And to think I used to respect you as an historian… but here I am seeing you in your true light, a propagandist in the same mold 
  as Misha Auburn. Apply Occam’s Razor here: who has the most to gain from the Alliance-League conﬂ ict? The statesman who has, for 
  three decades, promoted justice and sought the peaceful path, or the opportunist regional duke seeking self-aggrandizement after 
  his schemes failed in the civil war? Was it or was it not agents of Robert Kelswa who murdered Helen Thrall in an eﬀ ort to precipitate 
  war? What evidence has the duke—who, it is alleged, murdered his way to power in Skye—provided for this? Claims of ‘Mechs 
  painted in Sirian Lancer colors? Very reliable. Like Sarna or New Avalon for those of us old enough to remember those masquerades 
  in the Steiner-Davion war of aggression.”
  [Habeas, red-faced again]: “Justice and the peaceful path? To punish one man for an admittedly serious lapse in judgment, your Captain-
  General and the Capellan Chancellor launched a war against the entire Terran Corridor, taking advantage of a political rift in perhaps 
  the greatest check on Clan ambitions we had at the time? You could have simply withheld war materiel, cut trade, publicly called the 
  Archon-Prince to account, approached the matter like civilized men for whom the lives of billions are entrusted, but instead you sent 
  troops across the borders in the name of wounded pride!” [blusters on, oblivious to any attempts to interject] “And as to the murder of 
  Helen Thrall, a known opponent of your own esteemed ruler, don’t you dare try to pin that on us while your allies rain nuclear ﬁ re on 
  Tharkad and Donegal. Duke Kelswa-Steiner at least provided undeniable holographic and material evidence of who attacked Skye, 
  while your agents simply claimed that General Thrall’s killers—never caught, from what I’ve been told—‘may have been’ Free Skye, 
  or ‘may have been’ Loki! Who does proﬁ t from this conﬂ ict indeed, when even Duke Kelswa-Steiner had to know his troops were 
  outgunned on the border, but could not let another League aggression—a historical imperative of House Marik since the days of 
  the Age of War—go unanswered, even with Tharkad under ﬁ re?”
  [Graham]: “Once again you forget historical fundamentals. It was a war of aggression, launched by Hanse Davion on his own wedding day 
  because of his personal vendetta against the Liaos, that led to the illegal occupation of League and Capellan worlds. Operation Guerrero 
  merely restored to the Free Worlds and the Capellan Confederation territories that belonged to them by historical right and interstellar 
  law. A limited war fought for limited gains, not the hundred million dead and six hundred million wounded by Hanse Davion’s eﬀ orts 
  (25 October 3068)
   
  Orestes [INN] – Largely through Primus William Blane’s tireless 
  eﬀ orts, the Word of Blake gradually managed to shed its popular image 
  of religious fanaticism. Yet so much has happened since that day on 
  Tharkad, and nobody has commented on Primus Blane’s absence from 
  the last fateful Whitting Conference. Indeed, neither Blane nor may 
  other members of the Conclave have been heard from since the Blakists 
  launched their ﬁ rst devastating attacks all over the Inner Sphere. Has 
  Precentor Martial Cameron St. Jamais done away with the Conclave and 
  seized power? As a member of the Toyama sect, the Precentor Martial 
  has the support of Precentor ROM Alexander Kernoﬀ  (a fellow Toyama), 
  making such a power play a distinct possibility.
   
  If so, this would not be the ﬁ rst time a member of the Blakist 
  hierarchy has been conveniently removed. When ROM discovered that 
  Klaus Hettig was a ComStar agent, it eliminated the inﬂ uential Expatriates 
  sect and robbed William Blane of his primary brake on Toyama inﬂ uence. 
  To this day, ComStar denies that Klaus Hettig was one of their agents. The 
  truth will probably never be known, as Hettig was conveniently “shot 
  while trying to escape” before he could be brought before the Conclave 
  to answer the charges in person. 
   
  Has Primus William Blane met a similar fate?
  ***Transmission Altered***
  “Lies! All lies! The evidence convicted the heretic Hettig beyond all doubt! 
  Armed with the wisdom of Blake, ROM saw through Focht’s clumsy attempt 
  to insert an agent into the highest echelons of our organization. Rest assured, 
  the other agents Hettig attempted to inﬁ ltrate into our ranks were identiﬁ ed 
  and dealt with. As for William Blane, the light of Blake’s prophecy has been 
  revealed to him! Blane has chosen to relinquish his oﬃ  ce and retire from 
  public life to write his memoirs. Now the challenge of bringing the blessed 
  Blake’s work to fruition falls to us. Heed the call! Raise the blade of Blake’s 
  wrath and smite those who would deny humanity the future Blake foresaw! 
  Strike them! Strike them now! ”
  ***Alteration Ended***
  AFTERSHOCKS
  i
  WILLIAM BLANE MISSING?
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  128 / 129 
  to assuage his ego. The same man who, remember, used a sick child to blackmail the Free Worlds into providing military support. A sick 
  child whose death was covered up—and may have been ordered—by Victor Davion for political expediency.”
  [Simms, microphone reactivated]: “Bold words from a nation too afraid to send its own sons and daughters to defend all of humanity 
  against the Clan invasion, yet more than happy to sell arms to the Federated Commonwealth so that its sons and daughters could 
  die. Remind me, how much did your economy grow thanks to the contracts Thomas Marik negotiated with Hanse Davion?”
  [Graham, under his breath]: “And how likely are the Lyrans or Fedrats ever to pay?“
  [Habeas]: “—Or what about Marik not even risking League troops against the Lyran state—which had already declared its neutrality upon 
  Katherine’s secession—and instead left the job of carrying out his act of personal revenge to mercenaries, a profession both he and 
  your Blakist friends claim to disdain?”
  [Graham, with a dismissive gesture toward Habeas]: “Let’s not forget it was your own ‘darling Kate’ who sundered the vaunted Federated 
  Commonwealth, not Thomas Marik or Chancellor Liao, no matter how much you’d like to blame outsiders for your problems. 
  Katherine Steiner-Davion was by all accounts a matricide, which Duke Kelswa’s father allegedly facilitated before his own rather 
  convenient removal from the political scene by an assassin’s bullet. And not six months ago your present Archon slew his own great-
  aunt to clear his path to power. And I thought the Marik family had their problems.”
  [Habeas, snarling]: “No, they’re just the ones who raised fratricide to an art for—”
  [Graham, sighing]: “As for your ‘incontrovertible’ evidence, that can be replicated by any holostudio on Solaris, or Skye for that matter. 
  Where is the incontrovertible proof he’s been promising all this time—?”
  [Habeas, raising his voice]: “We have—!”
  [Graham, barreling on]: “If it’s so damning why hasn’t he produced it rather than claiming the attackers were so skilled that they left not a 
  shred of evidence behind them—?”
  [Habeas, louder]: “Plenty of salvage was ta—!”
  [Graham, ignoring Habeas]: “Is it not more likely that he has no evidence, but ﬁ nds it more convenient for himself and what passes for his 
  military commanders in the Alliance to let this misguided war rage out of some misplaced desire to ﬁ nd a ‘common cause’ to reunite 
  the Alliance after ﬁ ve years of civil strife?”
  [Habeas slams both hands down on the table, shouting]: “If you would shut up and listen for once, Vollidiot, you may realize that this is not 
  the ﬂ oor of the Marik Parliament! You can’t get your way by ﬁ libustering away the facts here! And the fact is that we have half a 
  regiment of dead Sirian Lancer BattleMechs and the corpses of their warriors—all killed in battle or dead by their own hand when 
  their avenues of escape closed—lying on Skye, just waiting to be extradited home! We also have numerous blast craters there, 
  caused by naval weapons ﬁ re that I’m sure any ballistics expert—even those in that Blake-run bureaucracy you call a nation—could 
  tell you are authentic!
  “And then, while you’re at it, why don’t you visit the mass graves caused by those same attacks, and be sure to stop by on Donegal 
  to see what’s left of Chekswa, where your friends saw ﬁ t to raze a city and an institute of higher learning—all of no military value 
  whatsoever—with a ﬁ ve-kiloton nuclear weapon, killing more than a hundred thousand innocent men, women and children in that 
  strike alone!
  “And while you’re at that, Mr. Graham, why don’t you visit Tharkad and have a personal chat with your Captain-General’s fanatical 
  bedfellows, the same Schweinehunde who now busily bomb planets across the Inner Sphere—except, of course, for those where 
  their wondrous ‘Primus-in-Exile’ waves his banner!”
  [Graham, narrowing his eyes at Habeas but speaking calmly]: “I am reminded of the Season of Saint Bartholomew. You know it? An ancient 
  historical episode in which the rulers of a nation beset by religious strife sought to bring harmony by eliminating the heretics who 
  wished to plunge the nation into war with its neighbors. The season began with a series of sanctioned—if brutal—acts, but though 
  its goals were limited, matters quickly ran out of control and a widespread massacre took place, part religious intolerance and part 
  political opportunism, blackening the name of the original perpetrators. Now, I’m not justifying the Blakist action in any way, far 
  from it, but from a historical perspective a lot of what has happened recently is opportunism.”
  [Simms]: “Opportunism? Opportunism?! That’s like saying the Amaris Civil War was a minor hiccup in the market. Would you like to say 
  that to the families of the millions…”
  [Habeas]: “Um Gottes Willen! It’s also a virtual admission of guilt from where I sit! By your example, the Blakists are carrying out such 
  ‘sanctioned attacks’ against us all, to purge us ‘heretics’ from the Inner Sphere, just because we don’t worship their goals or proclaim 
  them our saviors—and your rulers are the ones doing the sanctioning!”
  [Graham, sighing]: “You hear what you want to hear, don’t you? I said it reminded me, not that I approved. Surely you understand the 
  diﬀ erence. I can understand their reasoning, twisted as it may be, but a lot of what followed cannot be laid at the Blakists’ door. 
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section13: AFTERSHOCKS
  Others have chosen to exploit the chaos for their own ends. After the failure of his gambit in your civil war, Kelswa is itching for a 
  new cause, and the Blakist outrage gives him just the excuse he needs. “
  [Habeas]: “‘Exc y se’— S?”
  [Editor]: “Um, sir? We’re getting something strange on the ‘Stellar Pulse Today’ transcript feed…”
  [Bosworth, interru X ng]: “So then, Mr. Graham, K you don’t mind, explain to ls—especially to our viewers in y h K Province—just why 
  a Free J t R p WarShip, bearing Free Worlds h i Q, jumped into the Skye system and committed such butchery in the span of 
  y H days? Are you seriously suggesting that Duke e R w staged the whole thing, killed his own g U z?“
  [Producer]: “Oh? More cute Blakist ‘factoids’ I presume, like the one last month?”
  [Editor]: “Not exactly. Take a look; we’re in the last quarter of the broadcast… here…”
  [Habeas glares expe b antly at Graham.]
  [Producer]: “What the—? Is this some kind of transmission noise?”
  [Editor]: “I thought so at ﬁ rst, but it builds rapidly, and it’s garbling the video as well. Turns to pure static and noise in minutes, in the 
  transcript and the transmission. I think it’s corrupting the HPG feeds as well. We’re transmitting to the aﬃ  liates like this.”
  [Producer]: “Crap, we can’t have this now! I’ll tell Programming if it doesn’t let up in a minute. Meantime, get ready to pull it and we’ll 
  see if we can’t get Mike and the others to reschedule.”
  [Graham]: “I K e heard the same reports i O l and can oﬀ er no exp c K e a M e l what happened at Skye m H e a L z m 
  ed by the reported loss of c u T e a v E v l ehe LCCC authorized no l Y k e d X cion against our… associates in the 
  Alliance. That someone T u y a Cto point the ﬁ nger of blame at L A d T e v m W  is perhaps testament to the political 
  situation. Unlike our neighbors, we are a easy military target, and so they have chosen to divide and conquer.“
  [Bosworth]: “So you j H a l M eLM Involvement in the attack on Skye? A y A ou swear categorically that the Sirian Lancers 
  are sitting at home, waiting on the c Y e a M a N e z’s orders? That this is all some grand conspiracy to c R a T the Free 
  Worlds?”
  [Camera focuses on Graham, who makes no response.]
  [Habeas]: “q A w g F Graham? Cat got your S k H g Guilty conscience, perhaps?” 
  [Editor]: “It’s deﬁ nitely not clearing…”
  [Producer]: “I know! I know! What is this? Feedback from the HPG uplink, maybe?”
  [Editor]: “Checking now…”
  [Graham, speaking softly; the microphone struggles to catch the response]: “i O l Z Command issued I orders.”
  [Bosworth]: “T c D l k M s question, D n Graham. Whe c E the Lance c? K z M n E z a K p I Percival? D n S a r 
  p m Z d w Q innocent of the o I u e N a a k p O a d Captain-General produced c g F m A n U i o Robert 
  is engineering matters, y T e a K r a b no FWL troops l A e M z h G a m E b counterattack?”
  [Producer]: “We’re losing it…”
  [Editor]: “Ah, shi—”
  [Graham closes his eyes and seems lost in thought for a moment]: ”No, I cannot. The Captain-General’s security det—“
  [Habeas slams his hands down on the table again and half-rises from his chair]: Lügner! Filthy liar! M S d V a l k J e r q x C c 
  V d k J o I m e l  e T v E you E e e N e V l d D d M e v we T try and bury us V k J m e W n 
  S z V l ø P o I å J n Ü n a Z m N  Blake E V E l k n m e J H b N e I o N E E n W n N l K d E d
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  130 / 131 
  o f l e L N c x j y a X G c R c L o n g L i v e W o B s h K y q j j h g j Y B R o D D L O R G N m v M
  a u U Y P T s x G d L T X H d t f S b R H q O Q N h h U M j y e M r p j R O n z u J c D q s X D a F B
  n A g o k i m g S M a Y r w S B p P l V O m N z h O Z X K I m p O s t E r r u m d h V v K s a u x u f
  a C Y m E x a I I n t e R d i C T C a n o P u S l a s Y R C w b d C P k Q x T s p a q x A x X K X Z B
  K o x R G r e o L n T j C P Z Z s w L d o T T P f q W M Z T y l R u X p j z u W G q M r n m M L o v b
  n W R a W l r U z N a I t n o i t A t I p A c E d S n O a T E q H J p m Y B Y F z U m p D j J i g d B
  T c M b s Z D N M T C K i z O b v j E W s j L l F k u G H V z G t O G D W J J m a r s d e f e n d e d
  J x U I Q t e s U p k t r O y R N b Q H u K U r z c M w o O G N Z g r Q b S V h c D F W a x z U g s e
  C g H w C C n p L v i C i r V C i a O S U b e h E W r a t h O f B l a k e q T D F W E U T x t z b W p
  H r N U I l i T z B N E p a a s g F i i B a t I r C T s h l q w r V s d j W k c O E F i h f w I R I K
  c z y X w h r b p W s P S t D g v o Z p B L v a I i n d F q n m C x R f L J B m y N R C t V x n E z r
  g x D D m M e X f G h j l S x o d c c R p o A D z b m Y U w x t q f g Y y q u c S A F r O Z O v D t o
  T I D E A C v p M G A B a m a R C h n P v g n B N S U G u h B i b k f b I s h l o o H y W q W i e S k
  l v L R p K l b B s d K t o D m L t B H P o f H p n w a d r a e l c u n A U g E E b P s o k Q n e Q O
  i I t D Q U o t z B o j r C c U K I l L F P V Z W T w B T F u O m F H r X r n X R G G r L g P c s L u
  s U V u X H W M F b w Y o Y t G S s m w U v P f O O G O g d y y c K B F U E N K o t v Q f c n i B V Y
  a M q E f R v b W e n J m O q e b F y R p U r J c M T O U E G R c j N V a I w G h R L W k C M b I G X
  r m R C q y z I S G P s m R v k n r z r L W i u d o t w i u x B l a k i s t H e g e m o n y D l b T e
  d D e T a L o S i f d F I T P i q e H t y C m B Y T F D e B q M e U Q i s R P V C G q o N q K e h H q
  g k T f V x r L a A R e H S i r B d g i M J u u v j S c z t I B e t w c q I v x V h j e d l L P Q x z
  g y C I c O X c n H R b Z E y t g r L r v i s B X b Y t Z S e r i m b a s e s o p e r a t i o n a l l
  Y E I c m z o G X O q m E D w S R i y O V K M b O B I e e P L L b g A r N t s d r o W e h T t s u r T
  q G W u p D P a I r r H e R e t i c l T m T o p a q j M O R K v S m q J h W n d b u C h b A W A c d F
  e O P J N q K n y e d k g O u E p k v N f I r C x R q E U n L e a s H t H e m a N e i D O m i N i a N
  E W s d e E t t J D u o U Z x u g S U V a D i q l f E a s O P T T e n C h R G k R i B s a h P H O L z
  y p u q n i b F n t x Z j z E J p t S o F o i a x v y l P V Z x g I Z j S t z r q L v G a g y X U G S
  V D n b a g H B t U z o M O X c E e R Z T o s z b f m T T q v H J w H R o x H a s s S Y b P Q Z S n i
  s n i n U r z k K e G K n j f X d i g c A b A v E n G E z W Y F i j f I t H a h n Y t W w v c b E K A
  N q o x f v i x x s g d c f l Z t n r m s I K B O A a R u o a s t c R S q N k T A B b z a I Y M v p a
  y B j T p L m L y d T Z Z F I H F e C s Y o u R V w P d j B Z L T c U w B E n D M V l e d i f n i T x
  L D s o N f V n R a N X F h r p h r K O Y e r o a O u D n i h h J j r e H T c C R H F i a q G Z L K a
  x K r P S w g h S Y D b U y k q e j z A B e i i a u p j c s p j U z A n e h f U C R a m x C o G Q i O
  X O e h f U L i K T o s R G v R V W N i r T t o k p s s V M n L N y F C R o t i A R T B o T R m Y t V
  S Y h f f w J P r E x R a l B u l Q d E q a a O a R h g i o i p G K q k K m j v W O C d c t J L m t J
  P s t Y K d T N X m P U b e J Y A A Y A r v S H a M E d c t Z W k R b U g a a S m d O R l r N h V e V
  R k o R u Z g i o h N O x i k F r J Q r r K p W Q h z S t h h S q w u M u s t O B M v f Y o r L I r M
  C y r N f R d R g U h S b r J o i Z C t V O y x Z e x L o e y h B F V d X M x V l a N W Q p a M W y L
  k O b J P w R p b h p i p b l H v e H h X c p E K F z h r r v K P f a k r a J c M k V W y e c j I t c
  F s n E s I f P e Y j a M a q Y A m C u Y v g i G i j t i D F k d P N h c r P P L e l B H R R K I g X
  d A e P c W w k u D c r I G y e b o a r r q e M j v V l s V g d N D a E E i d u A T Z S A Y i D p Y o
  U M l n e X w M O M G R N Q e Q G U Q L J A M w H e V j d p t I h m o h J k m H r h W J B l x f b d b
  m t l o e W M s d n e e h t o t u Q J i A H v S K W q W e r C D C N y w p I n U e e G u U r j Z T u X
  G l a l m o g w J w c T a T j Q q P C v o u E T I o j E a z p K L c L i k s z i Q m B e Q E L p m k k
  u a f a V O C i p B D G J o X k o j S e C Z d w E r F R d i d a B S Z f w A X R e P i M E t y R a v N
  E c P v a S Q v P D K z L T c B J S G s f K u Y h l X L w B o f i G O v T F E s j a r M d A M t X U q
  e l L A m e h T L L i K h N H d r y j j n I M O O d Y N M p W A J w E K W a w o j y B b y w u w v S j
  f k S w w r i X b E f i C r n z c k K O K L W e L s s u r b s j m S W o L k Z W f a a b k Y R x t q I
  t x U e l p W t N e i h t u L p J l R b S A C s J a r d i n e j I U l J q e p D T X B G Q h U C J d R
  r u M N x i i i A j Z X V B M l K S H j t R c d s e T i G T K p v E M z S j q Y c T H t d H o l C v c
  b W c d g O l T L E K e J N h F G T z g a z M P A D U Q E e q d T R a i T o r S s h A L l S u F f e R
  g E x p g u w x p a S s e m a l F n I n r u B E U I m k w f N c r T L m r i P I A f k X R q W D I i V
  I E K P C S U G T T H e N Y T u F u A J X Q x o Y V S a M y A w n A J d j x L I u d l F X D c u f N U
  v Y F P X X d J a x b g v i i p p Y a T s d X J k J I S Z d D m h I Q o F U l w l v T K r L O p u j x
  e S M s e v i l r e t s a m x T N P a a d s W t N F l z Z j t C s c e w T T x U n F m q w W V J b S F
  H s p R F y N w r Q V a U Y m m S D s d N d R M G K C U k T X h F o J o i n T h e C a u s e w o K N A
  >>>Transmission terminated.<<<
  AFTERSHOCKS
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  CHAOS UNBOUND
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/14: CHAOS UNBOUND  
  132 / 133 
   
  The information presented in this section can be used to cre-
  ate scenarios for Classic BattleTech, AeroTech or Classic BattleTech 
  RPG games set during the Jihad. 
   
  Players should possess the core rulebooks for each type of 
  game system they wish to play—BattleTech Master Rules, Revised 
  (BMR); AeroTech 2, Revised (AT2); and Classic BattleTech RPG (CBT: 
  RPG; also known as MechWarrior Third Edition), all published by 
  FASA Corporation and/or FanPro, LLC—in addition to any other 
  add-on products they may want to use. Complete record sheets 
  for all BattleMechs, vehicles and aerospace craft that players can 
  use to recreate Jihad scenarios appear in BattleTech Record Sheets: 
  3025 & 3026, 3050, 3055 & 3058, 3060, Upgrades, 3067 and AeroTech 
  2: Record Sheets (all published by FASA Corporation and/or FanPro, 
  LLC). Illustrations and game statistics for most of these units appear 
  in the various BattleTech Technical Readouts (published by FASA 
  Corporation and/or FanPro, LLC.) For those interested in running 
  Classic BattleTech RPG games, the Classic BattleTech Companion 
  (CBTComp, published by FanPro, LLC) includes details about fac-
  tions, life paths and skills that can apply to Jihad-era campaigns 
  with minimal adaptation.
   
  Finally, players and gamemasters may use HeavyMetal Pro, 
  HeavyMetal Vee, HeavyMetal Lite and HeavyMetal Plus software 
  packages (available from RCW Enterprises) to print their own 
  BattleTech record sheets. The HeavyMetal Aero package allows play-
  ers to print their own AeroTech record sheets, while the HeavyMetal 
  Battle Armor package allows players to print battle armor record 
  sheets.
   
  As always, the following rules supplement existing rules. They 
  add variety to and enhance game play, but should not give unfair 
  advantage, and so gamemasters and players should all agree on 
  any supplemental rules before using them in play. Similarly, play-
  ers should feel free to modify any rule that seems inappropriate 
  for their campaign and/or for the era. All of these rules are consid-
  ered Level 3 and may not be used in tournament play. 
   
  Mapsheet Terrain: When a terrain type such as Urban, 
  Wooded or Mountain is mentioned in these rules, the reference is 
  to the Terrain-Speciﬁ c Mapsheet Tables (see p. 107, BMR). If a rule 
  speciﬁ es Urban Terrain, for example, it speciﬁ cally means the maps 
  in Table 7: Urban Terrain Table on p. 107, BMR. Alternatively, players 
  may use the expanded Random Terrain Table on p. 82 of Combat 
  Operations. 
   
  Unless speciﬁ cally stated otherwise in a track, the number of 
  maps used in play is up to the players involved. However, in gen-
  eral it is recommended that players use a ratio of one map per four 
  units.
   
  Terminology: The following rules use the term unit as it is 
  used in the BMR, to refer to a single battleﬁ eld unit such as a ’Mech 
  or vehicle. Force denotes a large combat formation such as a regi-
  ment.
   
  Types of Scenarios: When these rules mention a scenario type 
  such as Breakthrough, Hold The Line or Hide and Seek, they refer 
  speciﬁ cally to the various types of scenarios in Creating Scenarios 
  (see p. 104, BMR). For example, if a rule states, “use the Breakthrough 
  scenario,” it means the scenario on p. 105 of the BMR.
  CHAOS UNBOUND: 
  DAWN OF THE JIHAD
   
  Chaos Unbound is an open-ended campaign setting using 
  the breaking events of the Jihad as its basis. As players progress 
  through the whole campaign arc—with one arc per Jihad source-
  book—they discover information that relates to events unfolding 
  around them. Chaos Unbound allows the players to experience the 
  Jihad in a fashion unlike ﬁ ction or a sourcebook. They can experi-
  ence it ﬁ rsthand, as participants.
   
  Because Unbound is open-ended, it is ﬂ exible enough for 
  any faction, force, era or even setting. Though the campaign’s pri-
  mary focus is to bring a player group’s force through the opening 
  stages of the Jihad, the events depicted in the tracks could just as 
  easily occur during the days of the original Star League, the Third 
  Succession War, or even during the Great Refusal. With some inge-
  nuity and manipulation, gamemasters can adapt the core of each 
  track to ﬁ t whatever setting their homegrown force prefers.
   
  Players may bring an existing force (or part of one) into the cam-
  paign. If the players don’t have a force, they can create one using 
  the Creating a Mercenary Force rules from Field Manual: Mercenaries, 
  Revised (beginning on p. 137); using a listed unit from any published 
  sourcebook; or by using the Force Faction Tables from Combat 
  Operations (beginning on p. 106 of that book). How thoroughly play-
  ers ﬂ esh out their force is entirely up to them; this campaign works as 
  easily with generic units as with highly detailed ones.
   
  Piloting and Gunnery Skills: Forces generated by randomly 
  selecting units should begin Chaos Unbound: Dawn of the Jihad 
  with Piloting Skill 5, Gunnery Skill 4.
   
  Note: The Warchest Point System (see p. 135) allows for incre-
  mental advancement of skills. While it is possible to balance op-
  posing forces by using force ratings similar to those of the players, 
  it may be more enjoyable watch player characters advance in skill 
  over time. In that case, limit the number of Veteran/Elite pilots in 
  the player group.
  CHAOS UNBOUND
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  HOW TO USE THIS SECTION
  Chaos Unbound provides an open-ended campaign frame-
  work that easily allows gamemasters and players to run through 
  it in its entirety using forces of their own creation. Each track pro-
  vides a backstory that ﬁ ts into the overall campaign plot. Likewise, 
  each track is set up as a general framework to assist gamemasters 
  and players in creating the opposing forces and adding other 
  battleﬁ eld eﬀ ects speciﬁ c to that track. In addition, using the new 
  Warchest Point System, player groups may choose what direction 
  the campaign takes and may even switch between various rule 
  sets, such as AeroTech 2, Classic BattleTech RPG and the standard 
  Classic BattleTech rules. 
   
  Because the player group decides which route to take between 
  tracks, this campaign can be replayed often, with diﬀ erent tracks, 
  forces and even outcomes every time. Gamemasters and players de-
  cide how much detail they wish to go into and may use the Linked 
  Scenario system beginning on p. 78 of Combat Operations to create 
  sub-campaigns within the track framework. Ultimately, the route, 
  game play and depth of detail are up to each group of players.
  TRACKS
   
  Each track in Chaos Unbound: Dawn of the Jihad has a fully 
  developed plot line centered on a single event, but with the op-
  portunity for additional sub-events as players and gamemasters 
  deem necessary. Additional rules allow each event to be run as a 
  stand-alone scenario or as part of a full-ﬂ edged and ﬂ exible mini-
  campaign. Together, the tracks presented here cover the ﬁ rst year 
  of the Jihad.
   
  The Warchest Point System section (see p. 136) describes in 
  detail how many Warchest Points a track costs, additional bonus 
  options that may be used to add diﬃ  culty (and as a result, more 
  WP) and optional objectives that net the players additional WP if 
  attained. Bonuses only accrue if the bonus option is applied to the 
  track and players attain at least a Partial Victory.
   
  The Additional Hooks section describes possible side plots 
  and adventures in addition to the core event. Based loosely on the 
  Combat Operations linked scenario system, these hooks can pro-
  vide ideas for additional scenarios that can add as much or as little 
  depth to a given track as desired. The Aftermath section shows ad-
  ditional goings-on as an end result of the track. Finally, the Next 
  Track section indicates the next track options from which the play-
  ers may choose.
  Using the Tracks 
  Chaos Unbound: Dawn of the Jihad essentially follows the stan-
  dard Classic BattleTech scenario format. It outlines the main event 
  for each track with a brief ﬁ ctional introduction, Game Set-Up (with 
  subsections for each rule set) and Special Rules. 
   
  Each track deﬁ nes the force opposing the players based on a 
  percentage of the players’ force. This percentage must be applied 
  to whatever system the gamemaster uses to balance the forces. 
  We recommend the Battle Value System (see p. 152, BMR), but 
  gamemasters should feel free to use any system they prefer, such 
  as balancing based on tonnage, C-bill cost and so on. We also rec-
  ommend using the appropriate Random Unit Assignment Tables 
  published in various sourcebooks to assist in designating forces, 
  though no gamemaster should feel restricted to that medium. 
  More detailed recommendations and guidelines on force selec-
  tion may be included in each track. 
   
  Random Unit Assignment Tables appear on pages 111–114 
  of the BattleTech Master Rules, Revised; pages 206-231 of Classic 
  BattleTech Field Manual: Updates; and pages 94–96 of AeroTech 2, 
  Revised. Additional assignment tables for a given faction can be 
  found in the appropriate Field Manual.
  Player Force Size 
   
  Though this campaign is designed primarily with company-
  sized or smaller forces in mind, forces of any size and composition 
  should ﬁ nd it equally challenging. The Base Force Size Multipiler, 
  used when calculating the support points a player’s force receives 
  from its Warchest between tracks (see p. 137), will adjust for forces 
  of any size. In addition, the plot of Chaos Unbound: Dawn of Jihad 
  assumes that the players are a mercenary force. However, with 
  some manipulation by the gamemaster, any type of force—House, 
  Clan, pirate or even corporate security—can participate in the 
  campaign.
   
  Because Chaos Unbound is designed to be ﬂ exible, players may 
  use any type of group in lieu of a mercenary force if they so desire. 
  For example, if the players choose to use a House force, that par-
  ticular force might be detached from its parent command to serve 
  as a ready reaction force. Or Clan players can detach forces from 
  standard commands to assist the Clan Watch in intelligence-gather-
  ing eﬀ orts. Ultimately, gamemasters and players decide the details. 
  Once the players have determined their force’s origins, the game-
  master need only spend a little time adjusting various elements to 
  tailor each track to the players’ campaign, such as the setting, the 
  identity of the opposing forces and even the time frame.
  Opposing Forces
   
  Most tracks list the players’ force and the opposition in 
  terms of percentages as opposed to a specific roster. This allows 
  individual campaigns flexibility and keeps each track fair and 
  balanced within the story line. When determining percentages 
  from the players’ group, the deployed force should represent 
  a percentage of the total force the players have on hand. The 
  players’ total force encompasses all units at the players’ disposal, 
  whether ‘Mechs, vehicles, aircraft, battle armor or infantry pla-
  toons, not counting supplemental forces assigned by an em-
  ployer or granted in the scenario rules unless specifically stated 
  otherwise. All tracks base their percentages on this total pool 
  when determining how large a force the players may bring into 
  a scenario. The listed percentage the players may deploy is the 
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  134 / 135 
  maximum component of the players’ total force that should be 
  used in a given scenario. Players may elect to take fewer forces 
  at their own discretion.
   
  Gamemasters should always calculate the size of opposing 
  forces using the players’ deployed force, never the total force the 
  players have at hand. 
  Assigning Units
   
  The speciﬁ c makes and models of most units a given force 
  may ﬁ eld—whether supplemental forces provided by the scenario 
  or the opposing force—may be determined using the appropri-
  ate Random Assignment Tables provided in the appropriate fac-
  tion’s Field Manual (or Field Manual: Updates). Players lacking ac-
  cess to these sources may alternatively use the standard Random 
  Assignment Tables starting on p. 111 of the BMR.
   
   In setting up forces for the track Another Day, Another 
  C-Bill, the players determine that their total force comprises 
  twelve ’Mechs totaling 20,000 BV (not counting Piloting 
  skills) and worth 10 million C-bills. The gamemaster decides 
  to use BV as the standard for building the players’ force, 
  meaning that the players may not exceed 5,000 BV in se-
  lecting their units. Alternatively, if the gamemaster decides 
  to use a numerical standard, then the players may select up 
  to three units from their entire force. If the gamemaster in-
  stead uses C-bills as a standard, then the total value of the 
  players’ force may not exceed 2.5 million C-bills.
   
  Once the players’ force is determined, the gamemaster 
  ﬁ gures out the attacking force’s composition. If he used the 
  BV system for the players, he must also use BV for the at-
  tacking force. The track states that the Attacker must not 
  exceed 75 percent of the Defender (players’ force), and so 
  the opposing force cannot exceed 3,750 BV (or as close as 
  can be made). Because the gamemaster did not account for 
  Piloting skills in the players’ force selection, those skills also 
  will not factor into the composition of the attacking force. 
  The gamemaster sees that the 51st Panzers are a Veteran 
  unit, and so assigns each attacking unit a Veteran skill set 
  using the tables on p. 114 of the BMR, Revised.
  Maps
   
  Unless otherwise described in a track, use a number of map-
  sheets equal to the number of sub-forces (the Base Force Size) the 
  players will deploy. This is accomplished by calculating how many 
  lances, Stars or other sub-forces the players can make using their 
  preferred organization method. Round fractions up. For purposes 
  of this calculation, a platoon is considered equal to a lance.
   
  You decide to deploy 10 ‘Mechs in Another Day, Another 
  C-Bill. You prefer to organize in lances, so your Base Force Size 
  is 2.5, rounded up to 3. This means the players will use three 
  mapsheets in the track. If the player had preferred to orga-
  nize by Star, his Base Force Size would have been 2, and he 
  would be using two mapsheets instead during the track.
   
  CAMPAIGN SPECIAL RULES
   
  The Special Rules section of each track indicates which special 
  rules, if any, apply in that track. The gamemaster may use any of 
  the following rules in addition to those given for a track if he be-
  lieves they will add ﬂ avor and depth to the campaign.
  Force Special Abilities
   
  If players opt to use an existing force previously published in 
  a Field Manual, they may use that force’s special abilities (if any) 
  throughout the campaign at the gamemaster’s discretion.
   
  Forced Withdrawal
   
  Under the Forced Withdrawal rule, crippled units must retreat 
  from the battleﬁ eld (when damage has rendered them useless 
  or they are in imminent danger of being destroyed; see Crippling 
  Damage, below). A unit making a forced withdrawal must move 
  toward the edge of the map board designated for the scenario. 
  However, a unit need not spend Running, Flanking or Maximum 
  Thrust MP; it can move backward if the controlling player wishes. 
  Also, a unit equipped with MASC need not engage that system 
  when forced to withdraw.
   
  Withdrawing units may not directly engage an enemy unit, 
  though they may add their ﬁ repower to help cut it down. Any en-
  emy unit that closes within range of a weapon or physical attack by 
  a withdrawing unit may be targeted as well. The following guide-
  lines cover the many circumstances that may occur; within these 
  guidelines, the gamemaster’s decision is ﬁ nal.
   
  Crippling Damage: Any non-player unit that suﬀ ers crippling 
  damage must withdraw from the map board. (Clan units must fol-
  low any Clan honor rules that apply.) Unless otherwise stated in 
  the Special Rules section, crippling damage is deﬁ ned as follows: 
   
  • A BattleMech or OmniMech is considered crippled when a 
  side torso location is destroyed; the ’Mech takes two engine 
  critical hits; one gyro and one engine critical hit; or loses 
  the use of its sensors. Internal structure damage in three 
  or more limbs and/or two or more torsos, or four or more 
  pilot hits, also renders a ’Mech crippled, as do the loss of all 
  the ’Mech’s weapons to damage or ammunition depletion. 
  If all of a ’Mech’s weapons are destroyed and it can no lon-
  ger move, the ’Mech is considered destroyed. The pilot of a 
  destroyed ’Mech may eject normally.
  • With the exception of infantry, all of a unit’s weapons are con-
  sidered destroyed if it loses all weapons with a range great-
  er than ﬁ ve hexes or if it can no longer cause more than 5 
  points of combined weapons damage.
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  • A ProtoMech is considered crippled if all its weapons are lost 
  to damage or ammunition depletion, or if the pilot suﬀ ers 
  four or more hits. A ProtoMech Point will not begin to with-
  draw until three or more of its component ProtoMechs are 
  either crippled or destroyed, at which point the entire 
  Point must withdraw.
  • A vehicle is considered crippled if it loses all its armor in a 
  single location or if all its weapons are destroyed.
  • An aerospace unit is considered crippled if it suﬀ ers a criti-
  cal hit to its engine or fuel tank; if all its weapons are de-
  stroyed; if the unit loses more than half its original Structural 
  Integrity; or if its pilot/crew suﬀ ers four or more hits.
  • An infantry platoon is considered crippled if it loses 21 or 
  more troops (16 or more for jump platoons). If deploying 
  infantry squads, a squad is considered crippled if it loses 5 
  or more troops.
  • A battle armor unit (Point or squad) is considered crippled if it 
  loses half or more of its members.
  • Vehicles and BattleMechs that are immobilized—usually 
  through motive, leg or gyro damage—are shut down and 
  typically abandoned (though abandonment places the 
  crew at the mercy of the battleﬁ eld). Only the most fa-
  natical crews or those in dire circumstances will continue 
  to ﬁ ght. Likewise, only orders from the highest possible 
  source will prompt an immobilized element not to with-
  draw from combat.
  Salvage
   
  Salvage is the taking of destroyed/crippled equipment remain-
  ing on the battleﬁ eld at the end of a track. Use the Scavenging rules 
  from page 90 of the BMR.  In linked scenarios, salvage may not occur 
  until the end of the mini-campaign, given the fast and ﬂ uid battles 
  outlined in Chaos Unbound: Dawn of the Jihad.
   
  In general, and unless a track’s special rules state otherwise, 
  players who achieve at least a Partial Victory in a track may claim 
  all battleﬁ eld salvage in any area where their units participated. 
  Players may not claim salvage after battles in which they did not 
  participate.
   
  Salvage may be sold at half the unit’s normal list price. 
  Alternatively, vehicles, ’Mechs and other salvaged units may be re-
  paired using the Warchest system, or by converting Support Points 
  to C-bills and using the appropriate rule set to buy such repairs by 
  spending the C-bill cost of all repaired or replaced equipment.
  WARCHEST POINT SYSTEM
   
  The Warchest Point System is an abstraction of the rewards and 
  opportunities that arise out of combat. More than merely a mon-
  etary concept, the Warchest also represents factors such as renown, 
  contacts and being at the right place at the right time. It represents 
  opportunities, whether to participate in a particular battle, ﬁ ght un-
  der certain environmental modiﬁ ers or acquire a BattleMech.
   
  Note: The War Chest nomenclature also appears in Field 
  Manual: Mercenaries, Revised when generating a mercenary force. 
  However, that system does not aﬀ ect the Warchest Point System in 
  Chaos Unbound.
  GETTING STARTED
   
  Regardless of how the group comes to the table, the players’ 
  force begins the Chaos Unbound campaign with 1,000 Warchest 
  Points (WP).
  Warchest and Tracks 
   
  Each track has a WP cost that covers the transportation, inci-
  dental costs, connections and reputation required to participate in 
  that track. This cost appears in the Warchest section of each track 
  and must be paid before beginning the track. In addition, all tracks 
  have objectives with a WP value listed in parentheses. Players gain 
  (or lose, if the WP value is negative) those points if they complete 
  that objective. 
   
  Finally, each track includes a set of optional bonuses with a 
  WP value listed in parentheses. Players gain those points if they 
  choose to subject themselves to the listed environmental or op-
  erational situations. A player may elect to use all, none or some of 
  the listed optional bonuses. Players only gain WP from optional 
  bonuses if they attain at least a Partial Victory for the track.
   
  All these points go in the Warchest. Between tracks, players 
  may use their WP to increase personnel experience, repair and 
  rearm, and purchase other group abilities or equipment. All WP 
  expenditures must occur before the beginning of the next track. 
  Players may not spend WP during a track, even if it is split into a 
  mini-campaign. Keep in mind that the next track must also be paid 
  for from the Warchest.
  Warchest Debt
   
  If the players lack enough WP to purchase any tracks available 
  to them, they may go into Warchest debt in order to participate in 
  the next scenario. Players may NOT purchase services and equip-
  ment on Warchest debt. 
   
  As the players gain WP during the track, they can use these 
  points to pay oﬀ  the debt until the Warchest rises to a positive 
  number. If debt still exists after that scenario, players must sell oﬀ  
  assets until the force can purchase its next scenario. Players may 
  not go into Warchest debt twice in a row.  
   
  If a force is so far in debt that it cannot pay for a new track, the 
  gamemaster may decide that the force is too damaged to maintain 
  ﬁ ghting cohesiveness. That force is then “retired” for the remainder 
  of the story arc in Chaos Unbound: Dawn of the Jihad (but may be 
  brought back for additional story arcs in future Jihad-appropriate 
  sourcebooks). Another option is to have the force spend a large 
  amount of time repairing and reﬁ tting, forfeiting an entire track in 
  order to carry out the necessary repairs. If a gamemaster decides 
  on this course of action, the players may re-enter the current cam-
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  paign arc at a point beyond the track where they got stuck. To do 
  this, choose a track from the options presented under the Next 
  Path guidelines for the track the players would have carried out. In 
  addition, the gamemaster will select one of the optional bonuses 
  listed in the Warchest section and apply it to the track, but the play-
  ers will not receive the bonus WP. If the players or gamemaster se-
  lect additional options, the players receive WP for them as normal.
  WARCHEST POINTS BETWEEN TRACKS
   
  In order to use WP between tracks, players must convert them 
  to Support Points (SP). To do this, ﬁ rst determine the Base Force 
  Size Modiﬁ er. This modiﬁ er remains constant throughout the cam-
  paign, even as the players’ force expands or decreases in number. 
  To ﬁ nd the modiﬁ er, players should calculate how many sub-forces 
  they can make using their preferred organization method (lances, 
  Stars, or Level IIs). Round fractions up.
   
  A player force contains thirteen ’Mechs and prefers to 
  organize in Stars. Its Base Force Size Modiﬁ er is 3 (5 units 
  per Star, 2.6 Stars in the force, rounded up). A player force of 
  thirteen Mechs and twelve battle armor Points, would have 
  a Base Force Size Modiﬁ er of 5.
   
  Next, determine the force’s Technology Rating Modiﬁ er as 
  shown in the Tech Rating Modiﬁ er Table. Round fractions to the 
  nearest whole number. Players who do not know their force’s rat-
  ing can determine it using the Technology Rating rules on p. 155, 
  Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised. Alternatively, they can assume a 
  D rating for purposes of determining Support Points.
   
  Finally, multiply the available WP by the Base Force Size 
  Modifier and then by the Technology Rating Modifier to deter-
  mine how many Support Points the players have available.
   
  A B-rated mercenary unit has a Base Force Size 
  Modiﬁ er of 5. You wish to convert 100 WP into Support 
  Points. Multiply 100 by 5 and then by 1.5, which equals 750 
  Support Points.
   
  If desired, players can then convert these points to C-bills for 
  use with more detailed systems of record keeping and support. 
  The Warchest system is intended as a quick and easy way for play-
  ers to track their logistics, rather than attempting to encompass all 
  possibilities in the BattleTech universe. Players interested in using 
  units or possibilities not covered by the Warchest system are en-
  couraged to convert Support Points to C-bills and use the various 
  rule sets to provide the level of detail they desire.
   
  When converting Support Points to C-bills, multiply the 
  Support Point total by 10,000. Likewise, C-bills can be converted 
  to Support Points (divide the total C-bills by 10,000). Players in 
  turn can convert Support Points to WP; simply divide the to-
  tal Support Points by the 
  Technology Rating Modiﬁ er 
  and then by the Base Force 
  Size Modiﬁ er.
  Purchasing
   
  Players can use Support 
  Points to make repairs and 
  to purchase new units or 
  personnel.  When repairing 
  or purchasing units, use SP 
  Activity Cost Table 1. For per-
  sonnel, use SP Activity Cost 
  Table 2. All new personnel 
  are considered Green.
  TECHNOLOGY RATING 
  MODIFIER TABLE
  Equipment 
  Technology
  Rating 
  Rating Modiﬁ er
  A 
   
  2.0
  B 
   
  1.5
  C 
   
  1.25
  D 
   
  1.0
  F 
   
  .5
  Clan Front-line 
  2.0
  Clan Second-line 
  1.5
  SP ACTIVITY COST TABLE 1
  Activity 
  Support Point Cost
  Repair ’Mech or aerospace ﬁ ghter* 
  = Tonnage
  Repair vehicle* 
  = Tonnage/2
  Reconﬁ gure OmniMech, -Vehicle, or -Fighter 
  = Tonnage/4
  Purchase ’Mech (Level 1) 
  = Tonnage x 10
  Purchase ’Mech (Level 2) 
  = Tonnage x 20
  Purchase ProtoMech Point 
  = Tonnage x 5
  Purchase Vehicle (Level 1) 
  = Tonnage x 5
  Purchase Vehicle (Level 2) 
  = Tonnage x 10
  Purchase Battle Armor 
  = No. of suits x 50
  Rearm Unit (Level 1 ammo) 
  = 5
  Rearm Unit (Level 2 ammo) 
  = 10
  Rearm Unit (Level 3 ammo) 
  = 50
  *Players can only repair ’Mechs, vehicles and aerospace ﬁ ghters 
  that have not been Truly Destroyed (see p. 88, BMR and p. 57, AT2, 
  respectively).  
  SP ACTIVITY COST TABLE 2
  Activity 
  Support Point Cost
  Hire new MechWarrior* 
  = 3
  Hire new aerospace pilot* 
  = 3
  Hire new vehicle crew* 
  = 6
  Hire new battle armor squad/Point 
  = 10
  Hire new foot infantry platoon 
  = 100
  Hire new motorized infantry platoon 
  = 200
  Hire new jump infantry platoon 
  = 300
  * Does not come equipped with weaponry, vehicles or equipment. 
  These must be purchased separately.
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  Support Points can also be converted to C-bills to allow for 
  the purchase of other components not expressly covered by these 
  rules, such as DropShips, JumpShips, support vehicles and their at-
  tendant crews.
  SKILL ADVANCEMENT
   
  Between scenarios, personnel that participated in the last sce-
  nario may advance their skills. Those that did not participate in the 
  last scenario may also advance their skills, but at twice the Support 
  Point cost. 
   
  Personnel may only advance each skill set one level at a time. For 
  example, a MechWarrior can improve his Gunnery or Piloting skills 
  by one level, or improve both his Gunnery and Piloting by one level, 
  but he may not advance either skill by two or more levels. For skill 
  advancement between scenarios, use the Skill Advancement Table.
   
  When using CBT: RPG, ignore the Skill Advancement Table and 
  instead convert Support Points to Experience Points (XP). Each 
  SP is equal to 1 XP. Assign Experience Points to personnel as the 
  gamemaster deems appropriate. Then use the rules on page 210, 
  CBT: RPG, to determine the character’s skill advancement.
  ENDING THE CAMPAIGN
   
  Once a player group has completed the campaign, they may 
  follow the directions described in the ﬁ nal Aftermath section. Now 
  all they need to do is wait for the next Jihad-related sourcebook! 
   
  Alternatively, gamemasters may create additional scenarios or 
  plots based on information gained during the campaign and pro-
  ceed with the players from there, returning to the next arc whenever 
  they feel ready to do so. Each arc can be run as a stand-alone cam-
  paign, but the real fun happens when the players go through the 
  entire Chaos Unbound story as future material is released. 
  CHAOS UNBOUND: THE SETUP
   
  Interstellar Expeditions is a private organization devoted to 
  historical research and interstellar archaeology. Technically not a 
  corporation, IE is a closely aligned federation of interdependent 
  groups, some professional and some part-time hobbyists. These 
  groups hire out their services to private individuals and organiza-
  tions. Services include research into family trees and family history, 
  research on and discovery of lost settlements, special stellar and 
  terrain cartography services, archaeological expeditions and sur-
  veys, and anthropological and archaeological analyses of artifacts. 
  Various IE groups provide additional service related to archaeo-
  logical and historical research and discovery, including setting up 
  expeditions and managing and operating dig sites. IE operates 
  within local laws and the guidelines set down by the Interstellar 
  Archaeological and Anthropological Society. IE is a for-proﬁ t or-
  ganization that uses its proceeds to fund its own expeditions and 
  operations, as deﬁ ned by its senior leadership.
   
  Interstellar Expeditions hired your mercenary force to perform 
  a broad range of tasks, including escort, security consulting, inves-
  tigation and various opportunities that may present themselves. 
  Your force essentially acts as a troubleshooter for IE. The details of 
  this contract will be provided as they become relevant in a track. 
   
   IE frequently hires mercenary commands to do a variety 
  of tasks for them as well as for many members of the IE council, 
  often without informing other council members. Transportation 
  is provided and salaries are paid through a ComStar-approved 
  bank on Capolla. The contract covers all incidental costs, includ-
  ing standard non-military supplies, salaries, fuel, taxes and port 
  fees. In return, the mercenary command agrees to go wherever 
  IE needs them.
   
  Structured into the contract is mercenary command’s right 
  to accept short-term contracts that may work in conjunction with 
  IE or its hiring member’s requirements: for example, a planetary 
  militia may need training or a planetary government may hire 
  the mercenaries ad-hoc to defend a world against a pirate raid. 
  As long as the mercenary command covers the requirements 
  of the IE contract, the council usually turns a blind eye to the 
  mercenaries’ other activities, provided they do nothing criminal. 
  Contract termination is swift if the council ﬁ nds proof of criminal 
  activities or piracy.
   
  Players may begin Chaos Unbound: Dawn of the Jihad at one of 
  three starting tracks: Look Who’s Coming to Dinner, FUBAR or Another 
  Day, Another C-bill. The players may then progress as they see ﬁ t, pro-
  vided they select only one of the options given in Next Track.
  SKILL ADVANCEMENT TABLE 
  Activity 
  Support 
  Point Cost
  MechWarrior/ProtoMech Gunnery Skill 
  = 10
  MechWarrior/ProtoMech Piloting Skill 
  = 8
  Aerospace/Aircraft Pilot Gunnery Skill 
  = 8
  Aerospace/Aircraft Pilot Piloting Skill 
  = 10
  Vehicle/Support Vehicle Crew Gunnery Skill 
  = 10
  Vehicle/Support Vehicle Crew Piloting Skill 
  = 5
  DropShip/JumpShip Crew Gunnery Skill 
  = 10
  DropShip/JumpShip Crew Piloting Skill 
  = 12
  Battle Armor Squad/Point Gunnery Skill 
  = 8
  Infantry Platoon Gunnery Skill 
  = 10
  CHAOS UNBOUND: DAWN OF THE JIHAD
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/14: CHAOS UNBOUND  
  138 / 139 
  LOOK WHO’S COMING TO DINNER 
  It was business as usual. Go in on the DropShip, pay the port bribes, dispatch a quick raiding force and blow the crap out of the target 
  warehouse complex. Bing, bang, boom.
   
  If only contracts survived contact with reality.
   
  We arrived, nothing went wrong. We disembarked, hardly anyone said anything. We showed up overlooking the warehouse lot and got 
  jumped. How were we supposed to know two Demolishers were just sitting there, waiting for us?
   
  Who sold us out? Because we’re going to take it outta their hide, that’s for damn sure.
  SITUATION
  Keid Interplanetary DropPort
  Keid, Chaos March
  29 September 3067
   
  IE’s ﬁ rst job for your unit requires you to conduct a stealthy raid on some warehouses owned by Kallon Industries. A retributive 
  strike for some incident in the Periphery…like you care. Money is money. The only thing that worries you is that Keid is a Word of Blake 
  world—but IE assured you that the Blakists would look the other way as long as you didn’t destroy anything beyond the target area.
   
  Everything goes smoothly up until you approach the warehouse block. As your force starts targeting the long, ﬂ at buildings, several 
  tanks burst through the walls and catch you at point-blank range.
   
  Time to include some payback on that paycheck.
  GAME SETUP
   
  CBT: Use Urban Terrain maps. Place ten medium Level 1 build-
  ings (CF 25) across the battleﬁ eld, with the Defender secretly desig-
  nating four of them as the target warehouses. The buildings must be 
  at least ﬁ ve hexes apart and at least four hexes from any map edge.
   
  AT2: Lay out a minimum 1 x 2 map grid using Urban Terrain 
  maps (Heavy Urban/Coastal if using Combat Operations). Place ten 
  medium Level 1 buildings (CF 25) across the battleﬁ eld, with the 
  Defender secretly designating four of them as the target ware-
  houses. The buildings must be at least ﬁ ve hexes apart and at least 
  four hexes from any map edge. It is recommended that players 
  use the Low Altitude Operations rules (see p. 33, AT2) and Aerospace 
  Units and BattleTech (see p. 40, AT2) rules for this track.
   
  RPG: Gamemasters should set up an enclosed warehouse 
  area with minimal security measures. Each building is of Medium 
  construction (CF 25) and one level high. Roll for Encounters using 
  the Industrial Modiﬁ er (see p. 221, CBTComp) every game hour.
  Attacker
   
  The Attacker is the players’ deployed force, which consists of 
  no more than 25 percent of the players’ total force.
  Defender
   
  The Defender is a small mercenary security force hired by 
  Kallon to foil an expected attack on the warehouse yard. The 
  Defender’s force equals 75 percent of the players’ deployed force 
  and includes only vehicles and infantry units. Forces may be rolled 
  from any Mercenary Random Assignment Table and are consid-
  ered Green.
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 300 WP
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
   
  +100 Blizzard: Per rules on p. 153, CBTComp
   
  +100 Electrical Storm: Add a +1 modiﬁ er to all rolls involv-
  ing electronic systems (including all Piloting, Gunnery, Sensor 
  Operations, bioware and so on).
   
  +150 Overwhelming Force: Change the Defender’s force to 
  equal 125 percent of the players’ deployed force.
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
   
  +150 Partial Victory: Completing one objective
   
  +200 Total Victory: Completing both objectives
  OBJECTIVES
   
  1. Fulﬁ ll the contract. Destroy all four target warehouses 
  (designated by the Defender at the beginning of the track).
   
  2. Claim some payback. Destroy or drive oﬀ  all opposing 
  forces defending the warehouses.
  LOOK WHO’S COMING TO DINNER 
  i
  LOOK WHO’S COMING TO DINNER 
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  In this track, the Defender’s force operates under the Forced 
  Withdrawal rules (see p. 135).
  AFTERMATH
   
  After the sound of the last shot fades over the smoldering 
  remains of the Kallon warehouses, you pick up the wail of sirens. 
  Lots of them. Scanning the area quickly, you notice that some of 
  the nearby buildings caught ﬁ re from an explosion. Your contract 
  mandates staying out of view as much as possible, so you fade 
  back toward the DropShip as the multi-story oﬃ  ce buildings burn 
  in the settling twilight. You hope fervently that the occupants got 
  out when they realized a ﬁ reﬁ ght was raging under their noses. It 
  may be business, but it’s still ugly when bystanders get hurt.
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  Kallon sets plans in motion to ﬁ nd out who blew up their 
  warehouse facility, especially considering that some less-than-le-
  gal hardware had been stored there. The company will want retri-
  bution (all under the table, of course) and may show up to harass 
  the players at another time.
   
  Expansion Ideas 
   
  Gamemasters can pursue the players using any remaining 
  forces in a Chase or Gauntlet scenario. A Defend scenario can be 
  used if the player group decides to make a stand against Kallon’s 
  retribution, or against other pursuers such as planetary security 
  or any on-world mercenary garrison forces. For a challenge, run 
  the retreating players through a Chase scenario in Urban Terrain 
  (Heavy Urban if using Combat Operations) with reinforcements at-
  tempting to intercept the ﬂ eeing mercenaries.
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Vacationing in the Wasteland, The Skye is Falling!, Payback 
  ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER CBILL
   
  Shells fell all around the stately Mercantile Building as the Avanti hoverlimo slid into the underground parking entrance. The attack from 
  TempTown was in full swing, hard-luck mercenaries striking out at the Dragoons and other allies in a desperate bid to join up with Waco’s 
  Rangers, just outside of North Sticks.
   
  Unfortunately, the Mercantile Building stood in the mercenaries’ way.
   
  Four uniformed security guards hustled their charge into the waiting limousine. Dameon Guillome, Vice President of Blackwell Industries, 
  had picked the wrong time for a meeting with the Spaceport Guild over wage issues regarding Blackwell’s commercial shipping and storage.
   
  Slapping the side of the limo, two of the guards stepped back, allowing the secured vehicle to move out. Two Badgers joined the Avanti as 
  it cleared the West Boulevard exit, taking standard escort positions with one ahead and one behind. The battlefront hadn’t rolled fully into the 
  downtown district yet, but it was only a matter of time, if the military comm bands were correct. The only decision now was whether the small 
  convoy should head overland to Blackwell’s complex or try for the DropPort and ﬂ y out instead.
   
  Either way, it promised to be a tense ride back to the oﬃ  ce….
  SITUATION
  Colchiss and High Streets
  Downtown Harlech
  Outreach, Chaos March
  15 October 3067
   
  The Vice-President of GM Blackwell Corporation needs to get back to the security of the company’s Outreach oﬃ  ces. Your force 
  happened to be on hand, ﬁ nishing some business for your employer in the mercantile district, when ﬁ ghting broke out near TempTown. 
  Reacting quickly, Blackwell hired you on a short-term contract to escort their VIP back to his oﬃ  ce. Since extra cash is always good and it 
  didn’t interfere with your current contract, you took the job.
  ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER CBILL
  i
  LOOK WHO’S COMING TO DINNER 
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/14: CHAOS UNBOUND  
  140 / 141 
  GAME SETUP
  CBT: Use Urban Terrain maps in a Chase format.
  AT2: Use any number of terrain maps (except Urban) laid 
  out in a Chase format. The Low Altitude Operations rules (see p. 
  33, AT2) are in eﬀ ect for this track. In addition, because of heavy 
  dog ﬁ ghting above Harlech and the surrounding area, all units 
  are restricted to Altitude 4 or lower. Units going above Altitude 
  4 are considered destroyed and removed from the game. Also, 
  Dragoons Air Code #532-A restricts all air traﬃ  c over Harlech to 
  Velocity 6 or less, to avoid the possible collateral damage such 
  passage can do to the surrounding buildings. GM Blackwell has 
  an image to protect and even in the heat of battle will obey the 
  Air Code for the sake of civilians.
  RPG: Gamemasters should prepare a chase-style game 
  through downtown Harlech. For information on Harlech, use the 
  information provided in Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised or the 
  Chaos March sourcebook.
  Attacker
   
  The Attacker’s total force consists of elements of the 51st 
  Dark Panzer Jaegers mercenary command and should equal 
  125 percent of the Defender’s deployed force, not including the 
  Blackwell contingent. The Jaegers are out to capture the VIP ﬁ rst, 
  or kill him if necessary. Equipment ratings should be on the D or F 
  columns of the Mercenary Random Assignment Table (see p. 122, 
  Field Manual: Mercenaries, Revised). The rampaging mercenaries 
  are considered Regular.
   
  Place the Attacker’s units in the ﬁ rst quarter of the playing 
  area opposite the Defender’s starting edge.
  Defender
   
  The players’ deployed force may not exceed 25 percent of its 
  total force composition, representing the sudden nature of the 
  contract. Depending on the game system used, place the VIP in 
  the following unit with listed escorts. This force is considered the 
  Blackwell contingent.
  CBT: Heavy Hover APC, escorted by two Badger A vehicles. 
  AT2: KR-61 Long Range Shuttle, escorted by two TR-7 Thrushes
  RPG: Depending on whether the group chooses to go via 
  air or ground, use the appropriate force listed above. In addi-
  tion, the players may instead to decide to go on foot, in which 
  case use the minor NPC Soldier statistics for the bodyguards 
  (see p. 207, CBT: RPG).
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 325 WP
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
  +50 Rainfall: Per rules on p. 153, CBTComp 
  +50 High Winds: Per rules on p. 153, CBTComp 
   
  +150 Hasty Departure: To represent the suddenness of this 
  contract, reduce ammo loads for all ballistic and missile systems 
  (including personal weapons) by 75 percent with a minimum of 
  one round.
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
   
  –200 Total Defeat: Completing none of the objectives.
   
  –100 Partial Defeat: Mr. Guillome is killed. This bonus can be 
  combined with Partial or Total Victory conditions. 
   
  +175 Partial Victory: Completing one objective.
   
  +400 Total Victory: Completing all objectives.
  OBJECTIVES
   
  1. Safety ﬁ rst! Get Mr. Guillome to safety by making sure he 
  exits the opposite end of the map. (Gamemasters running the RPG 
  will need to keep a map handy with a delineated ﬁ nish point for 
  this objective, or set a ﬁ xed number of kilometers—no less than 
  10—the players must traverse).
   
  2. No quarter. Destroy all opposing forces so they cannot link 
  up with Waco’s Rangers.
   
  3. Watch the paint! At least two units of the Blackwell contin-
  gent must survive the track.
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  The following rules are in eﬀ ect for this track:
  Committed
   
  None of the attacking forces will withdraw from the ﬁ eld, 
  but will continue their attempt to capture or kill Guillome. The 
  Blackwell contingent likewise will not withdraw until Guillome is 
  safely away.
   
  Capture
   
  The VP of Blackwell Corporation is considered captured if his 
  vehicle is crippled or trapped and an enemy force can extract him 
  (represented by placing an enemy unit in the same hex as the VP’s 
  vehicle and keeping it there for one full turn).
  AFTERMATH
   
  The ﬁ ghting in TempTown grew worse, with several down-and-
  out mercenary companies and “lone wolf” pilots eventually track-
  ing through downtown to join up with Colonel Waco and his allies 
  in North Sticks. Shortly after nightfall, the Dragoons Beta Regiment 
  responded to the threat and began hammering the ad-hoc mer-
  cenary commands, with a brutal block-by-block penetration that 
  raged on even as your DropShip lifted from Harlech.
   
  Seems your mercenary brothers are getting desperate for 
  work. Or suicidal.
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  Now that you’re with Blackwell for the moment, would you 
  care to return to the DropPort escorting some valuable equip-
  ment? We don’t want it falling into disreputable hands….
  ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER CBILL
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  While the battle rages in TempTown, someone wants to know 
  what the hell happened to start this conﬂ agration. A down-and-
  dirty covert mission may yield some clues.
  Expansion Ideas
   A long, multi-part Chase mini-campaign can extend this 
  track, with enemy reinforcements converging on the car chase. 
  Balancing out the defenders with additional forces from the play-
  ers’ supply can extend this mini-campaign for two or three Chase-
  style scenarios. Alternatively, the players can be hired to escort Mr. 
  Guillome the rest of the way to the Blackwell complex through the 
  badlands, moving the chase from the city to the rocky hills sur-
  rounding Harlech proper. 
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Payback, The Skye is Falling!, Running from the Devil
  FUBAR!
   
  “Get a move on, Berry Three, we don’t want to lose you out here.”
   
  “Roger that, Lead.”
   
  “Captain, something strange is going on over the milband. Switch to Channel Four-Tango.”
   
  >>[click] …again? There’s been a strike from where?<<
   
  >>Orbit. Don’t know what yet, all comms to the Den have been severed. Civvie bands reporting major power loss in Avalon City.<<
   
  >>Mobilize! Mobilize! Incoming raiders! All units, report to auxiliary command posts!<<
   
  “All right, people. Change of plans. Come about to nav point Charlie, we’ll be going around the long way.”
   
  “Lead? This is Berry Two. I’m getting sensor readings up ahead. No IFF tags and their active ﬁ re control is hot. Orders?”
  SITUATION
  Rural Route 92, Fox Province
  New Avalon, Federated Suns
  5 December 3067
   
  It was supposed to be a routine outing; get the new guys accustomed to their gear and scope out the lay of the land. IE sent you 
  here to help straighten out the local yokels so they don’t go shooting cattle if a raid ever does make it to the heart of the Davion empire. 
  When you heard the brief chatter on the military band, you knew your command needed to get the sheep back, but you wanted to stick 
  around to see if you could help. Anything that wiped out Avalon City’s comm grid was big enough to need it.
   
  Those blasted cadets should’ve known better, ﬂ oundering around out there without proper ID codes. Mistaking your cargo carriers for 
  terrorist bombs might be understandable. If your homeworld had been surprised like the Feddies were, you’d have been ready to shoot the 
  mail carrier, too. You’re just glad you didn’t kill the whole lot of them, not with all those DropShip drive ﬂ ares appearing in the dawn sky.
  FUBAR!
  i
  ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER CBILL
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/14: CHAOS UNBOUND  
  142 / 143 
  GAME SETUP
  CBT: Use Hills or Forest Terrain maps, set up lengthwise.
  AT2: Use Hills or Forest Terrain maps, set up lengthwise. One 
  randomly determined sheet should represent the convoy’s start 
  position. Use the Low-Altitude Operations rules (see p. 33, AT2)
  RPG: Hilly Terrain outside a large industrial complex. The 
  gamemaster should have a delineated combat zone and a general 
  layout of the complex handy, if necessary. All troopers use statis-
  tics for the minor NPC Soldier (see p. 207, CBT: RPG).
  Attacker
   
  The Attacker consists of air and ground elements of the 
  Second NAIS Cadre in the middle of deploying to a preset rally 
  point. Coming across what they believe are unknown forces near 
  Avalon City’s major industrial complex, they open ﬁ re.
   
  The Attacker’s total force should equal no more than 75 
  percent of the Defender’s deployed force. At least one junior 
  commander should be present, with the relevant skills (Gunnery 
  3, Piloting 3 for CBT/AT2 forces, or follow the Secondary NPC 
  Template Table on p. 218, CBTComp, for RPG scenarios). Roll 
  for the Attacker’s equipment on the Federated Suns Random 
  Assignment Table (Tech Level C).
   
  The Attacker enters from the map edge opposite the Defender. 
  The Attacker’s objective is to keep the Defender from exiting the 
  Attacker’s home edge while trying to re-establish communications 
  with their superiors.
  Defender
   
  The Defender consists of elements of the players’ mercenary force 
  and the Micron security cadre they are currently training. The Defender’s 
  deployed force should consist of no more than 25 percent of the players’ 
  total force complement, accompanied by twice that number of Micron 
  security cadre personnel. The security forces are Green;  roll for appropri-
  ate equipment on a Federated Suns Random Assignment Table (Tech 
  Level B). The Defender enters from a map edge of the players’ choosing.
   
  In addition, depending on the game type, equip the players 
  with the following materiel. The forces listed below do not count 
  toward the Defender’s deployed force. Each unit is considered 
  Regular. All of the listed vehicles are company property, on loan 
  for training purposes.
  CBT: One Maxim Hovercraft and two tracked APCs. 
  AT2: One Yellow Jacket gunship and two Karnov UR transports.
  RPG: Depending on the type of game, use at least one light 
  escort vehicle and one heavier transport vehicle.
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 275
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
  +100 Fog: Per rules on p. 153, CBTComp. For AT2 games, Fog 
  equates to low-level clouds that aﬀ ect units at Altitudes 1 and 2.
   
  +100 High Winds: Per rules on p. 153, CBTComp.
   
  +150 Buzz Bombs: A pair of FedSuns conventional ﬁ ghters 
  or VTOLs enters after 1D6 turns from the start of the track. Pilots of 
  these craft are veterans of the recent FedCom Civil War and will au-
  tomatically attack the Defender’s force. The Defender may choose 
  any two conventional ﬁ ghter designs from Record Sheets: AeroTech 
  2 or select two VTOLs on any Federated Suns Random Assignment 
  Table.
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
   
  –150 Total Defeat: Completing no objectives.
   
  +225 Partial Victory: Completing two objectives.
   
  +300 Total Victory: Completing all objectives.
  OBJECTIVES
   
  1. Defend yourselves and your charges. The players’ de-
  ployed force should suﬀ er no more than 50 percent casualties. A 
  unit is considered a casualty if it is crippled, wounded or destroyed 
  at the end of the track. Units may safely leave the battleﬁ eld and 
  are not considered destroyed if they exit the Attacker’s home edge 
  after Turn 8 (they are in training, after all!). Units withdrawing un-
  der the Forced Withdrawal rules are not considered destroyed for 
  purposes of determining objectives.
   
  2. “Try not to kill the Davions; they’re only following or-
  ders.” Destroy no more than 25 percent of the Attacker’s force.
   
  3. Protect your cargo haulers from destruction. Lose no 
  more than one transport vehicle.
   
  4. Training, training, training. This is “real-world experience” 
  for your charges. Each unit of the security cadre must make at least 
  three successful attacks.
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  The following rules are in eﬀ ect for this track:
   
  Forced Withdrawal
   
  The Micron security forces and the Second NAIS Cadre are un-
  used to heavy ﬁ re. Both of these forces follow the Forced Withdrawal 
  rules (see p. 135).
   
  Time Limit 
   
  Beginning with the End Phase of Turn 12 (or 24 Combat Turns 
  in the RPG), the Attacker rolls 2D6. On a result of 9 or greater, com-
  munications with the Attacker’s commanding oﬃ  cer are re-estab-
  lished and the Second NAIS is informed of “friends” in the area. The 
  Second begins to withdraw and cease ﬁ ring as the higher-level 
  commanders sort out the mess. Once communications are re-es-
  tablished, the track ends. Make this roll during the End Phase of 
  every turn after Turn 12 until it is successful.
  AFTERMATH
   
  Sorting out the paperwork for the mishap took longer than 
  the ﬁ reﬁ ght, apparently. Soon, however, your group was released 
  FUBAR!
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  from duty at the complex and told to mount up, as the next job 
  was only days away. IE planned on keeping you hopping, but for 
  what they pay, it would be worth it.
   
  Of course, the extra bonus payments from the NAIS Review 
  Board certainly didn’t hurt.
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  Micron is suitably impressed with your tactics and defense of 
  their employees (assuming the players won!), and wondered if you’d 
  like to carry out a little side operation to derail a competitor….
  Expansion Ideas
   
  Gamemasters can make this track a protracted ﬁ ght through 
  the hills surrounding Micron, maybe even into the industrial com-
  plex. Use the Recon Raid or Probe scenarios, followed up with a 
  Chase and possibly a Stand-up Fight scenario. Players should keep 
  track of running damage and expenditures for any linked scenari-
  os, as there will be little time for repair and rearming. Salvage may 
  occur only at the end of the track.
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Vacationing In the Wasteland, The Skye is Falling!, Running from 
  the Devil
  PAYBACK
  Earthwerks, Ltd. Corporate Complex
  Grand Base, Sian Commonality
  Capellan Confederation
  14 May 3067
   
  The quiet night was shattered as Engine Line Building No. 4 went up in a ﬁ reball, the new GM assembly line destroyed beyond repair. Fire 
  sirens went oﬀ  in surrounding neighborhoods, calling volunteer rescue workers out of their beds to battle the inferno.
   
  Eighteen hours later, the ﬁ re was ﬁ nally extinguished. Twenty plant employees were dead or missing, thirty-two more had varying degrees 
  of injury. The most grievous harm, however, was the total destruction of Earthwerks Ltd.’s improved GM 280 VOX assembly plant, which would 
  further delay the already behind-schedule production and shipment of new CTF-4L Cataphracts to front-line Capellan forces.
   
  It took ﬁ ve months, but the highly trained ex-Maskirovka Special Investigative Team ﬁ nally discovered the perpetrators of the sabotage. 
  They launched plans to exact retribution…and to help put other, more important wheels in motion.
  SITUATION
  Zenith Point
  Styk, Styk Protectorate
  Capellan Confederation
  18 December 3067
   
  Earthwerks, Ltd.’s Special Investigation Team ﬁ nally discovered who engineered the destruction of an Earthwerks GM assembly plant 
  on Grand Base. Apparently, Styk-based Tao Mechworks hoped to delay Earthwerks’ production of CTF-4L Cataphracts enough that the CCAF 
  Strategios might reassign the contract to Tao. Tao has an established success record with its new line of CDR-7L “stealth” Crusaders and would 
  like to court more CCAF business. Your employers have assigned you to carry out Earthwerks’ retaliation strike on Tao’s research and develop-
  ment center—Building TM-834X-C, located on Fire Island. The secured corporate complex lies outside the planetary capital of Styk.
  PAYBACK
  i
  FUBAR!
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/14: CHAOS UNBOUND  
  144 / 145 
  GAME SETUP
  CBT: Use Urban Terrain maps (Light Urban, Heavy Urban or 
  Coastal if using Combat Operations).
  AT2: Use rules for Low Altitude Operations (see pp. 33-44, AT2). 
  The gamemaster must designate one hex as the target hex. This 
  hex contains the buildings that are the players’ objective and must 
  lie within 3 hexes of the Defender’s starting edge.
  RPG: Player characters should expect to inﬁ ltrate a small, se-
  cure complex to carry out their objectives.
  Attacker
   
  The Attacker is up to 50 percent of the players’ total force. The 
  Attacker enters from the north.
  Defender
   
  The defending force is made up primarily of Tao Mechworks 
  security, with a small percentage from the Syn Hussars, a Capellan 
  unit currently serving as Styk’s garrison. The Defender’s total force 
  should equal the Attacker’s deployed force, 75 percent corporate 
  security and 25 percent Hussars. Roll for Tao security forces on the 
  FedSuns and/or Capellan Random Assignment Tables using B-rated 
  equipment; roll for the garrison using the C column of the Capellan 
  Random Assignment Table. The Defender’s force is Regular. 
   
  The R&D center is a heavy Level 2 (CF 75) building. The complex 
  has one hardpoint for defense in addition to the well-equipped 
  security force. Examples of appropriate hardpoints are an LRM-10 
  missile turret (for CBT/AT2 games) or a security guard tower with 
  four support machine guns (for an RPG game).  
   
  When using CBT/AT2 game rules, the Defender places his forces 
  ﬁ rst, locating all the corporate security units within ﬁ ve hexes of the 
  objective building. The Hussar units are placed within three hexes 
  of the east map edge. The hardpoint should be located north of the 
  objective building and at least two hexes away from the nearest 
  building hex. A communications array tower (light Level 4 building, 
  CF 15) should be located within ten hexes and to the east of the 
  objective building. In addition, place at least two other Level 2 build-
  ings (any CF) within one hex of the objective building.
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 500 WP
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
  +250 Dusk/Dawn Combat: Per rules on p. 152, CBTComp
  +250 Rainfall: Per rules on p. 153, CBTComp
   
  +300 Overwhelming Force: Defender adds Capellan troops 
  equal to 25  percent of the Attacker’s deployed force strength. 
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
  +500 Partial Victory: Completing one objective
   
  +650 Total Victory: Completing all objectives
  OBJECTIVES
   
  1. Destroy the R&D building. Completed if done without 
  causing damage to the surrounding buildings (not including the 
  communications array).
   
  2. Spare the Hussars. Do not cripple or destroy any Hussars 
  forces present.
   
  3. Cut them oﬀ ! Destroy the communications array.
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  The Capellan forces will not ﬁ ght to the death for a company 
  facility, and so the Forced Withdrawal rule (see p. 135) applies to 
  the Syn Hussars.
  AFTERMATH
   
  Forty-ﬁ ve minutes later, your communications oﬃ  cer begins 
  receiving scattered reports of civilian unrest in downtown Styk 
  near the Capitol building. Apparently, People For Freedom—an 
  underground pro-Davion group—has staged a demonstration on 
  the Capitol steps. Their appearance shows that not all is well on 
  Styk, contrary to the oﬃ  cial Capellan line. On the encrypted fre-
  quency used by the Syn Hussars, you note increased radio chatter, 
  and you see elements of the force you just faced down in the R&D 
  complex move oﬀ  toward the downtown area.
   
  Soon afterward, you catch news reports of heated clashes be-
  tween the Liao militia and the civilian protesters. At least three po-
  lice oﬃ  cers were injured and the crowd is growing hostile. Three 
  Hussar ‘Mechs appear, which only inﬂ ames the crowd to the boil-
  ing point. The largest concentration of protestors is milling around 
  the Word of Blake HPG compound, where they scale the fence and 
  rush the installation. Civilian police fail to stem the tide of human-
  ity and the ’Mechs seem reluctant to step in as the mob begins to 
  burn the compound and the nearby Ministry of Labor complex.
   
  Several hours later, as your DropShip begins its outward trajectory, 
  you hear scattered reports of explosions in downtown Styk. The news 
  reports are disjointed, but it sounds as if several hundred civilians are 
  dead and a raging ﬁ reﬁ ght has consumed the government complex.
   
  Looks like you got out of there just in time.
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  What else is in the Tao facility—anything you can sell on the black 
  market and score some bonus cash? Or sell to the highest bidder? You 
  know the Feddies are in the market for that sort of knowledge.
   
  Expansion Ideas
   
  Any type of scenario can work as a preamble to this one, us-
  ing more of the Syn Hussars and their standard patrol routes. The 
  gamemaster can use additional scenarios such as Probe, Chase or 
  Extraction as the players move to leave Styk.
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Running From the Devil, Vacationing In the Wasteland
  PAYBACK
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  VACATIONING IN THE WASTELAND
   5 January 3068: Garrison duty. Not a bad thing after the past few weeks. Get in, get out. We’ve taken moderate damage so far, but enough 
  that our employer decided we needed to spend a month or two on this godforsaken rock guarding a hole in the ground. Not the ideal vacation, 
  but we heard a Canopian Pleasure Circus is in the area. Maybe they’ll have mercy on us and swing by.
  8 January 3068: Heard today from planetary control of an unknown force inbound; should hit dirtside in less than a day. Don’t know if 
  they’re headed this way, but it’s  probably best to get the boys and girls ready for a party.
   
  At least it’s something to do….
  SITUATION
  Middle of Nowhere, Contard Mining Property
  Acamar, Federated Suns
  8 January 3068
   
  The bosses upstairs decided you needed a break from the intense ﬁ ghting lately and sent you to Acamar. The local mines are impor-
  tant—so they say—and they’re paying you, so you really have no complaints. It’s just hard to create diversions, especially in the frozen 
  tundra. 
   
  All that changed with an alert about pirates inbound on a raid, projecting a course right near the Contard facility where you happen 
  to be sitting. Rather than wait for them to approach, you’ve decided to ambush the pirates and turn them back before they hit the facility. 
  The question is, do you hit them before they land or after they disembark?
  GAME SETUP
   
  CBT: Use the Badlands/Hill Terrain tables. The gamemaster must 
  designate one heavy Level 2 (CF 75) building as the objective. The 
  building must lie within three hexes of the Defender’s starting edge.
   
  AT2: Use the Space maps or the white hexmaps found on the 
  back of most CBT mapsheets.
   
  RPG: Gamemasters should be prepared for the player group 
  to strike the pirates before landfall or as they disembark, or to 
  set the ambush at the facility itself. If the players choose the lat-
  ter, the mining facility is a medium-sized compound, with sev-
  eral small buildings, a large equipment shed and the covered 
  entrance to the mines. The players’ force can use at least four 
  ConstructionMechs and some exoskeletons. Keep in mind that 
  Contard Mining will not look kindly on extensive damage to the 
  compound.
  Attacker
   
  The Attacker is the Lafayette Legion, a new pirate band 
  made up of disgruntled Liao expatriates originally from Liberty. 
  Stealing a JumpShip and a few DropShips, they’ve begun raid-
  ing border worlds along the Chaos March and the Federated 
  Suns—mainly worlds that used to belong to the Capellan 
  Confederation.
   
  The Attacker’s force should equal 100 percent of the Defender’s 
  deployed force. Make all equipment rolls on the Capellan 
  Confederation/Federated Suns Random Assignment Tables, with 
  an equipment rating of C or lower. All defending forces are Regular. 
  The Attacker will ﬁ ght until at least half his force is destroyed before 
  attempting to withdraw.
   
  CBT: The Attacker enters opposite the Defender’s home edge. 
  All special equipment (if any) is turned on.
   
  AT2: The Attacker should consist of at least one DropShip 
  and any escorting ﬁ ghters (if possible). They enter opposite the 
  Defender’s home edge with a Velocity of 3. 
   
  RPG: The attacking NPCs are military, with only 10 percent of 
  the total force made up of specialized archetypes. The Attacker’s 
  force should include at least one battle armor unit per eight player 
  characters.
  Defender
   
  The Defender’s deployed force may not exceed 75 percent of 
  the players’ total force. The Defender may designate up to two hid-
  den units to begin the track.
   
  CBT: The Defender sets up on one half of the mapboard, with 
  hidden units placed anywhere in the playing area. The side where 
  the rest of the players’ units are placed is considered the home edge.
   
  AT2: The Defender determines his entry side and starting 
  velocity. All units begin along the ﬁ rst hex row of the Defender’s 
  declared home edge. The Defender may set up the hidden units 
  anywhere in the playing area.
  VACATIONING IN THE WASTELAND
  i
  VACATIONING IN THE WASTELAND
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/14: CHAOS UNBOUND  
  146 / 147 
  RPG: The Defender may set up to 25 percent of the players’ de-
  ployed force in hidden positions. For detection purposes, add a +6 
  modiﬁ er to any enemy detection rolls against those hidden units.
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 400 WP
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
  +100 Blowing Snow: Per Blowing Sand rules on p. 153, 
  CBTComp
   
  +150 Lethargy: To reﬂ ect a period of inactivity, apply a  –2 
  modiﬁ er to all Initiative, Piloting and BOD/DEX rolls.
  +150 Harsh Conditions: All equipment may malfunction 
  because of lax technical crews and brutal weather. For any weap-
  on system that fails its to-hit roll (or has a Margin of Failure) by 
  more than 3, roll 1D6. On a result of 5 or 6, consider that weapon 
  jammed/misaligned and unable to ﬁ re for the rest of the scenario.
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
  +250 Partial Victory Completing one objective
   
  +400 Total Victory Completing all objectives
  OBJECTIVES
  1. They must not pass! Keep more than 50 percent of the at-
  tackers from exiting the Defender’s home edge.
  2. Intelligence is information. Capture or cripple at least one 
  Attacker unit for interrogation. A unit is considered captured if it is 
  crippled or destroyed but still has a cockpit and/or a pilot at the 
  end of the track.
  3. No remorse. Keep all enemy forces from exiting their home 
  edge.
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  The following rules are in eﬀ ect for this track:
  Prior Knowledge
  The Defender receives a +3 Initiative bonus for the ﬁ rst two 
  turns (four turns if using RPG rules) to reﬂ ect the surprise of the 
  ambush.
  Forced Withdrawal
   
  The Attacker operates under the Forced Withdrawal rules (see 
  p. 135).
  AFTERMATH
   
  The battleﬁ eld hadn’t even cooled from the ferocious energies 
  you expended when the call came in from the higher-ups. A resup-
  ply shuttle due in-system in a week includes a set of new orders. 
  R&R is over; something major is happening in the Lyran Alliance, 
  contact with Tharkad is lost and powerful people are pounding 
  some major war drums. IE needs all available forces to be ready for 
  action at a moment’s notice.
   
  Time to mount up. A storm is breaking on the horizon and 
  it isn’t pretty—meaning more work, and more importantly, more 
  money.
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  Interrogation of the captured pirate reveals a central clearing-
  house in a nearby system, used by three small pirate gangs staking 
  claims in the Chaos March. Rumor places a secret FedCom supply 
  depot in the system, which might be worth checking out if you 
  have the time.
   
  Expansion Ideas
   
  The ambush can be stretched out using Recon Raid, Probe, 
  Stand Up and Fight! or Hide and Seek scenarios. The gamemaster 
  can also play this out in combination with AT2 to represent the pi-
  rate force’s initial atmospheric insertion and possible landing. 
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Running From the Devil, Golden Goose
  VACATIONING IN THE WASTELAND
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  THE SKYE IS FALLING!
  Journal Entry #201
   
  The bosses hired us out to the Alliance. Looks like they stumbled across something big on Skye, and they need us to baby-sit the site.  Dunno 
  why.  Skye’s probably the safest rock in the Theater.
  Journal Entry #215
   
  Figures.  Fate goes out of its way to give us a hard time.  We just got word from Duke Kelswa-Steiner that Free Worlds League forces are 
  making a hard burn for the atmosphere. He told us that with his ﬁ rst sentence; the second pressed us into his personal service.  I have no idea 
  what terms he considers valid, but with a couple of Kelswa-loyal RCTs on planet, it seems unwise to argue contracts.
  SITUATION
  Vector 9B, en route to Sirian Marker-4
  Bugbottom Swamp
  Skye, Lyran Alliance
  5 February 3068 
   
  The Sirian Lancers, along with other Free Worlds League and “mercenary” forces, have launched a ﬁ rst strike against Skye, apparently 
  in retaliation for the assassination of General Helen Thrall. A general call went out from Duke Robert Kelswa-Steiner for all available Skye 
  forces and area mercenaries, including most corporate contracts.
   
  A small, unknown combined-arms force has set up camp in an abandoned Commonwealth air base nearby and has been running 
  bombing raids against the planetary capital. Skye Command wants that air base destroyed and all those ﬁ ghters eliminated.
  GAME SETUP
   
  CBT: Use the Flatlands Terrain maps.
   
  AT2: Using Flatlands Terrain maps (and/or Coastal if using 
  Combat Operations), set up an area at least three mapsheets in size. 
  Gamemasters should use the Low Altitude Operations and Aerospace 
  Units and BattleTech rules (see p. 33 and p. 40, AT2, respectively) for 
  this track.
   
  RPG: The airbase is a temporary ﬁ eld base. Situated in open 
  terrain, it has little surrounding cover. Minimal security measures 
  are in place, along with roving patrols. Roll for an encounter every 
  ﬁ fteen game minutes.
  Attacker
   
   The Attacker’s deployed force consists of up to 50 percent of 
  the players’ total force, plus the additional Lyran lance (if used). The 
  Lyran lance consists of elements of the Fourth Skye Rangers RCT. 
  A Veteran lance,  its equipment comes from the B column of the 
  Lyran Random Assignment Table. The Attacker enters the battle-
  ﬁ eld from the east.
  Defender
   
  The Defender comprises elements of a Word of Blake air wing 
  with support units, all disguised as Free Worlds-employed mer-
  cenaries. The defending force equals 50 percent of the Attacker’s 
  deployed force, with another 50 percent on standby (ﬁ ghters wait-
  ing on the runway and/or ’Mechs and vehicles parked in “ready 
  ﬁ ve” mode). Determine equipment using the Free Worlds League 
  Random Assignment Table (B column) for three out of every four 
  units. Roll the remaining force using the Word of Blake Random 
  Assignment Table (B column).
   
  The Defender must ﬁ rst delineate the airbase runway, select-
  ing at least twelve non-water hexes in a row that do not change 
  elevation (or two six-hex rows within two hexes of each other 
  that meet these requirements, if the mapsheet does not permit a 
  straight twelve-hex run). These hexes are considered Paved.
   
  In addition, the Defender places six light Level 1 (CF 10) and 
  one medium Level 2 (CF 40) buildings near the runways. The build-
  ings should stand within three hexes of each other and at least 
  three hexes away from the map edge. A communications tower, 
  represented by a light Level 5 (CF 15) building is placed within four 
  hexes of the end of one runway.
   
  Defending forces begin the track on the board. Units designat-
  ed “standby” must be placed on a runway hex or in a hex next to a 
  building. The Defender must declare standby units before the start 
  of the track. All other units may be placed anywhere on the battle-
  ﬁ eld. If using AT2 units, active units may begin at an Altitude of 3 or 
  less with a Velocity of 4. If playing the RPG version, the gamemaster 
  should have a map handy for player reference.
  THE SKYE IS FALLING
  i
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  148 / 149 
   
  Beginning with the End Phase of Turn 2 (and at the end of 
  every turn thereafter), each unit still on standby rolls 2D6. On a 
  result of 9 or greater, that unit starts up and may begin movement 
  in the following turn. Aerospace forces on the ground must take 
  oﬀ  using the Liftoﬀ  rules, p. 54, AT2.
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 600 WP
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
  +200 Under-Gunned: The Attacker may opt to not use the 
  Lyran support forces. 
   
  +100 Geysers: Per the rules on p. 152, CBTComp. In addition to 
  rolling for eruption and duration, roll 1D6 – 3 to determine height. 
  Any AT2 forces caught in or ﬂ ying through an active geyser blast 
  should make a Control Roll with a +2 modiﬁ er. Failure sends the 
  unit out of control for the next turn. Gamemasters should secretly 
  place two geysers for every lance (or equivalent) in the Attacker’s 
  deployed force.
   
  +200 Poor Intelligence: The Defender is more heavily 
  armed than originally thought. Add 25 percent more units to the 
  Defender’s total force size.
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
  –200 Total Defeat: Completing only one or no objectives
  +500 Partial Victory: Completing two objectives
   
  +800 Total Victory: Completing all objectives
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Obliteration. Destroy every building at the base.
  2. Salt in the wound. Destroy every unit that began the track 
  in standby mode. 
  3. “Frugal” is the word of the day. Minimize your damage by 
  keeping your casualties (destroyed units) to only 10 percent of the 
  players’ deployed force.
  4. Just plain mean. Destroy every ﬂ ying/jumping unit pos-
  sessed by the Defender.
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  The following rules are in eﬀ ect for this track:
  Salvage
  The Salvage rule (see p. 136) applies only if the attackers 
  achieve at least three objectives and control the battleﬁ eld.
  Forced Withdrawal
   
  The Defender’s entire force operates under the Forced 
  Withdrawal rules (see p. 135). Units leaving the battleﬁ eld in this 
  manner are considered destroyed when determining objectives.
  Gift
   
  If the players attain a Total Victory, the Skye government 
  gives them one unit rolled from an appropriate Lyran Random 
  Assignment Table at Tech Level A.
  AFTERMATH
   
  The duke of Skye certainly knows how to reward those who 
  come to the aid of his province. Accepting the gift graciously, you 
  spend a few days recuperating before IE completes the dig and 
  your contract is declared fulﬁ lled. Loading up, you can’t help but 
  notice the increased activity in the DropPort’s military sector—
  troops getting organized, ‘Mechs lined up like giant metal men. 
  Lots of ‘Mechs.  Weren’t the Skye units supposed to be licking their 
  wounds so soon after the FedCom Civil War?
   
  Looks like the duke knows how to reward those who attack 
  him, too. 
   
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  Information downloaded from the airbase’s communications 
  array by a special commando squad reveals that not all Skye citi-
  zens are loyal to the Lyrans—or to Duke Robert Kelswa-Steiner. It 
  seems SAFE has been active recently among the citizenry. Care to 
  accept a side contract for some wetwork? 
   
  Those “mercenaries” seemed ﬁ shy, didn’t they? Looks like the 
  Word of Blake is in the business of masquerading as other factions, 
  including mercenaries. How much would people pay for that type 
  of information?
  Expansion Ideas
   
  The players may execute a Probe scenario to determine the 
  disposition and layout of the base before the actual strike. Possible 
  follow-up scenarios can include Chase, Hide and Seek or even a 
  Recon Strike as the base is abandoned and the “mercenaries” re-
  treat oﬀ -planet.
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Golden Goose, Running From the Devil, Falcon Ptomaine, Game On!
  THE SKYE IS FALLING
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL
   
  A war zone. Forget what the newsvids are saying, it’s a bloody war zone at the seat of the Combine’s most powerful district, especially now 
  that Luthien’s been cut oﬀ .
   
  Fighting is rampant. An ugly gantlet in space, with the Blakists and Combine aerospace task forces playing cat and mouse in the asteroid 
  ﬁ eld between the star and the planet. We needed a longer burn-in time to avoid any entanglements.
   
  Maltex has us running in a load of Hatamoto-Chis for the Combine. The district’s supply network is in so much disarray that the various 
  manufacturers are scrambling to hire mules wherever they can. We were rotating stations for IE when the CO took a side contract to deliver the 
  company of assault ‘Mechs to the beleaguered Combine forces on-planet.
   
  No problems dropping oﬀ  our cargo—coming in on the night side helped us avoid a tangle with that Blakist cruiser in orbit—so we’re 
  prepping to lift when this Sho-sho approaches us with a desperate plea….and some cash, of course.
  SITUATION
  Scales of the Dragonet Mountains, Pearl District
  Dieron, Draconis Combine
  8 April 3068
   
  Everything on Dieron is a mess. Hit-and-run raiding, mass assaults against the capital and a huge forest ﬁ re are only part of the dire 
  situation.
   
  A Combine oﬃ  cer approached your CO and set up a quick contract for an out-system run. A convoy carrying some important cargo 
  and intel is due inbound to the makeshift drop zone and they need someone to escort it out. Your force is approached as one of the few 
  not currently engaged, and the oﬃ  cer promises you a large sum of C-bills if you can get the cargo safely to the zenith point, where a ready 
  JumpShip waits.
  GAME SETUP
   
  This track has two parts. Players may opt to run either part, or 
  for a more intense experience, play both parts. Part A involves in-
  tercepting the convoy on land and escorting it to the drop zone for 
  loading. Part B covers the trip out-system, where the DropShip is in 
  danger of interception by a Word of Blake recon ﬂ ight.
   
  CBT: Use any Terrain Maps and lay them in Chase format (Part A).
   
  AT2: Place Space maps (or the white hexmaps on the back of 
  most CBT mapsheets) end to end. In addition, use the Asteroid rules 
  on p. 47, AT2 and scatter 1D6 small, 1D6 medium and 1D6 large 
  asteroids between the two maps. At least half the asteroids are sta-
  tionary (Part B). 
   
  RPG: The part the players decide to play will determine the type 
  of game the gamemaster needs to prepare. In Part A, the players re-
  ceive two heavy vehicles if they do not have any (roll on the Combine 
  Random Assignment Table). The gamemaster will need to delineate 
  an operational area for the battle and determine appropriate bound-
  aries. For Part B, the players are allotted the Condor (upgraded) for 
  transportation. The Condor’s crew rating is Veteran.
  Attacker
   
  The Attacker contains elements of Word of Blake forces on-plan-
  et and in orbit. The Attacker’s total force should equal 75 percent of 
  the Defender’s deployed force (including additional Combine units) 
  for the ground battle and 100 percent of the Defender’s deployed 
  force (including additional Combine units) for the space battle. The 
  Attacker’s force is Veteran; determine equipment from the Word of 
  Blake Random Assignment Table (Tech Level B or lower).
   
  Part A: The Attacker enters from the west (behind the convoy) 
  at the beginning of Turn 3. The attacking force should include at 
  least one squad of Puriﬁ er battle armor.
   
  Part B: The Attacker enters perpendicular to the Defender’s start-
  ing position on the furthest mapsheet at a Velocity of no less than 7.
   
  The Word of Blake forces are fanatical, and will ﬁ ght in both battles 
  to the last man or when their objective (a Daimyo HQ van for Part A, a 
  Condor-class DropShip for Part B) is destroyed or exits the map area.
  Defender
   
  The Defender’s force consists of the players’ deployed force 
  and an escaping Combine convoy. The players may use up to 50 
  percent of their total force for this track. If the players have their 
  own DropShip, they may use up to 75 percent of their total force. 
  Players without a DropShip receive an Okinawa-class vessel on 
  loan from Maltex for Part B. The Combine convoy units, loaded into 
  a modiﬁ ed Condor DropShip, need not use any of the players’ trans-
  port assets. All Combine troops are considered Veteran.
  RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL
  i
  RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/14: CHAOS UNBOUND  
  150 / 151 
  Part A: The player’s deployed force enters from the east. The 
  Combine convoy enters from the west. The convoy consists of:
   
  1 HQ 67-K Daimyo
   
  1 Pegasus Scout hovertank
   
  1 Sprint Scout VTOL (laser variant)
   
  1 Saracen hovertank (MRM variant)
   
  1 Maxim heavy hover transport
   
  1 squad of Kage battle armor (ﬂ amer-equipped, which begin 
  the track loaded aboard the Maxim)
  Part B: The Defender’s deployed force enters the map across 
  one of the short sides at any Velocity below 5. The Combine force 
  consists of:
   
  1 Condor (upgraded) DropShip
   
  4 AHB-443 Ahabs 
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 500 WP (Part A or B)/850 WP (both parts) 
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
  +150 Sand (Part A): Treat all clear Level 0 terrain as Sand, per 
  the rules on p. 153, CBTComp. 
   
  +150 Malfunctioning Drive (Part B): One of the Defender’s 
  DropShips (randomly selected) suﬀ ers drive problems. Reduce the 
  unit’s Safe Thrust Rating by half (rounding up) and recalculate its 
  Max Thrust.
  +200 Overwhelming Force (Parts A or B): Change the 
  Attacker’s deployed force to equal 150 percent of the Defender’s 
  deployed force.
  +150 Mines (Part A): The Attacker may pre-designate ﬁ ve 
  command-detonated mineﬁ elds before the start of the track.
  Part A Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
  +200 Marginal Victory: Completing one objective
  +400 Partial Victory: Completing two objectives
   
  +600 Total Victory: Completing all objectives
  Part B Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
  +200 Marginal Victory: Completing one objective
  +400 Partial Victory: Completing two objectives
   
  +600 Total Victory: Completing all objectives
  OBJECTIVES PART A/PART B
  1. Survival of the ﬁ ttest. The objective vehicle for each part 
  must survive (Part A: Daimyo, Part B: Condor).
  2. Glory to the defenders! Two or more of the Combine’s 
  escort forces must survive each part (not counting the objective 
  vehicles).
  3. Duty above honor. None of the Combine forces are de-
  stroyed.
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  The following rules are in eﬀ ect for this track:
  Asteroids (Part B)
   
  Place 3D6 asteroids on each mapsheet. See the Asteroid rules 
  on p. 47, AT2.
   
  Gift
   
  If the players attain a Total Victory, the Kurita government 
  gives them two units rolled from an appropriate Combine Random 
  Assignment Table at Tech Level A.
  AFTERMATH
   
  Covered in grease and streaked with sweat, the technician 
  slammed the maintenance hatch shut and hit the wall communi-
  cator. “All done. Light it up, we’re ready to go.”
   
  “Acknowledged.” Seconds later the jump siren sounded in 
  three short blasts. While tying themselves down in the cramped 
  engine room, the cleaner of the two on-station technicians looked 
  at his companion. “So why is the Old Man in such an all-ﬁ red hurry? 
  We’re pretty safe at the moment, no Blakist ﬁ ghters nearby. Why 
  the hot-load when we could’ve waited another fourteen hours?”
   
  “Something to do with the Dropper that hooked up a few 
  hours ago. Seems she’s got some valuable cargo.”
   
  “Oh yeah? Fancy ﬂ ying, that crew. Dodging space rocks like in 
  that classic ﬁ lm we saw the other month…What was it called again?”
   
  “Star Racers of Galax. One of the engine crew came through 
  here awhile ago, looking for some spares. Scuttlebutt says the 
  Coordinator’s on that ship. Hurt bad, too.”
   
  “Oh, man. I hope to hell it isn’t true—ﬁ rst Luthien, then here. 
  Now Teddy K? What the hell has this universe come to?”
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  So what’s in that thing, anyway? A quick-and-dirty operation 
  to explore the contents of the Condor DropShip (or even enter the 
  Daimyo HQ) without the Combine knowing could net nothing—or 
  some good intel for your employer. Of course, all those DEST and 
  ISF guys hanging around make it hard to see if it’s the Coordinator, 
  his heir or even another high-ranking oﬃ  cial.
   
  Capturing a Blakist and transporting him or her to the proper 
  authorities would make an interesting trip in and of itself. Who 
  knows what the fanatic might know—or try to do!
   
  Expansion Ideas
   
  Gamemasters can link an expanded Chase scenario to Part A or 
  B. Or someone might set up an ambush down the road to take down 
  the rescuers, if they made it through the ﬁ rst gauntlet. Or maybe the 
  Blakists hang back and hit the base when the players’ force arrives, 
  or when the JumpShip as docking begins….or maybe the Blakists 
  want to strike a deal for the contents of the objective vehicles.
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Golden Goose, Game On!, Full Metal Press, Falcon Ptomaine
  RUNNING FROM THE DEVIL
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  GAME ON!
  “Commander, I’m getting some odd reports over Solar Five.”
   
  “And just why are you monitoring a games channel?”
   
  “Um… ‘Information is ammunition’?”
   
  “You’re bucking for more latrine duty, aren’t you, soldier?”
   
  “Sorry, sir. But Solar Five is reporting riots in the streets of Solaris City.”
   
  “Again? What are these people on, three-year cycles?”
   
  “Roger that, sir.”
  SITUATION
  Grid 45Y18X, Tangerine Desert
  Solaris VII, Lyran Alliance
  16 June 3068
   
  IE has dispatched your force to Solaris, but not for the fun and games. One of IE’s smaller member groups, Yoris University 
  Amalgamated, has made a signiﬁ cant ﬁ nd buried beneath the dark sands of the Tangerine Desert. Your job is to protect the site until 
  decent transportation assets can arrive to load up the new ﬁ nd and transport it oﬀ world. After that, you and your mercs can spend some 
  time amid the glitz and sham that make up the Game World.
   
  Even if the Game World is under siege.
  GAME SETUP
   
  CBT: Use Flatlands/Badlands Terrain maps in a minimum two-
  by-two grid. The gamemaster should place two Light Level 1 (CF 5) 
  buildings in adjacent hexes anywhere on the map grid. The build-
  ings should be at least ﬁ ve hexes from the map edge.
   
  AT2: Use Flatlands/Badlands Terrain maps in a minimum two-
  by-two grid. The gamemaster should place two Light Level 1 (CF 5) 
  buildings in adjacent hexes anywhere on the map grid. The build-
  ings should be at least ﬁ ve hexes from the map edge. Gamemasters 
  and players are encouraged to use the Low Altitude Operations and 
  Aerospace Units and BattleTech rules (see p. 33 and p. 40, AT2, re-
  spectively) for this track.
   
  RPG: Gamemasters should prepare for a desert battle in 
  this track. Both buildings are large tents, one being the dig site 
  and the other containing partitions for sleeping/eating quarters. 
  Possessions are minimal, and only six personnel are on-site. No ve-
  hicles or heavy weapons are present. The gamemaster may have 
  one medium-sized support vehicle present, if desired.
  Attacker
   
  Unmarked elements of a Word of Blake assault force that 
  dropped onto the planet a few hours prior have dispatched a 
  smaller force to capture the site and kill all personnel present. They 
  will ﬁ ght to the death.
   
  The Blakists’ deployed force should equal 120 percent of the 
  Defender’s deployed force, using the A column on the Word of 
  Blake Random Assignment Table. The attackers are a Veteran com-
  bined-arms force, with an equal mix of aerospace, BattleMech and 
  vehicle/infantry units. The gamemaster should randomly deter-
  mine the Attacker’s starting edge.
  Defender
   
  The players may use up to 50 percent of their total force for 
  this track. Personnel at the dig site are civilians and have no military 
  training.
   
  The Defender begins with 75 percent of the players’ deployed 
  force within six hexes of the two buildings. The other 25 percent 
  may begin anywhere in the playing area as hidden units.
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 900 WP
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
   
  +200 Sand: Per rules on p. 151, CBTComp  
   
  +200 Winds: Per rules on p. 153, CBTComp
   
  +300 Blowing Sand: Per rules on p. 153, CBTComp 
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
   
  +600 Partial Victory: Completing one objective
   
  +1,000 Total Victory: Completing both objectives
  OBJECTIVES
   
  1. Protect and secure! Keep the site buildings from being de-
  stroyed.
  GAME ON!
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  GAME ON!
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  2. Time is of the essence. Keep the Attacker from capturing 
  the site by crippling/destroying or driving oﬀ  all the attacking forc-
  es.
  SPECIAL RULES
  The Attacker operates under ﬁ ghting withdrawal rules. At the 
  end of twenty turns, if the Word of Blake has not destroyed or cap-
  tured the site, they begin to pull back in response to reports of 
  incoming Yoris DropShips. Units withdrawing in this fashion may 
  still ﬁ re on their opponents without restriction, and after Turn 20 
  are not counted toward Objective #2 for victory determination.
  AFTERMATH
   
  Whoever said archeology isn’t dangerous was a fool. By the 
  skin of your teeth, you managed to salvage some of the site after 
  the Word of Blake’s deadly attack. Speaking of which, when did 
  they show up on Solaris VII? Didn’t ComStar have this planet’s HPG 
  under its protection? Of course, considering your less-than-public 
  approach to begin with, it’s not like you were really paying that 
  much attention.
   
  Whatever the reason, the Games are on hold in the wake of 
  more rioting in Solaris City. It seems this time no one knows what’s 
  going on—reports over the radio bands say some unknown 
  DropShips and ‘Mechs just hot-dropped onto the Factory complex 
  in Montenegro, ruining a great grudge match event.
   
  Looks like R&R will have to come later. IE wants you to leave 
  the hot zone and move on to another assignment….
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  Just what did YUA discover? Rumor has it that the dig site is 
  where the original Phoenix Hawk / Sentinel battles occurred, but 
  why would YUA need three Buccaneer DropShips to cart oﬀ  records 
  and ﬁ les? Maybe because the site used to be a Deﬁ ance Industries 
  R&D lab, complete with computer reports and working prototypes 
  of new laser technology….
   
  Expansion Ideas
   
  Gamemasters can stretch this track into a series of Hide and 
  Seek clashes in the Tangerine Desert, with the players intercept-
  ing the Blakist force before it reaches the YUA base camp. Players 
  can attempt to redirect the Blakist force away from the base camp 
  to save the site from destruction. Gamemasters who choose this 
  route will need to alter Objective #2. 
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Falcon Ptomaine, Final Curtain?
  GOLDEN GOOSE
  Personal Log #326
   
  An ideal situation—our high-up muckety-mucks want us to steal a computer core from a contractor that ripped them oﬀ . Nothing truly 
  important in the core; apparently it’s just a lot of accounting data. This is more about revenge than a surgical hit. Though I wonder, given that 
  these orders came after we’d been assigned to help the Illician Lancers raid Tsingtao in the name of the Federated Suns. Why such a prestigious 
  force needs help from grunts like us I’ll never know. All I see right now is being able to take a few months oﬀ  and hit the Pleasure Circus on Daniel 
  if we can double-score this mission.
   
  After all, getting paid twice for one job doesn’t happen often….
  SITUATION
  Inbound Trajectory
  Tsingtao, Capellan Confederation
  28 June 3068
   
  Company higher-ups have “attached” your force to the Illician Lancers, who are conducting a high-impact raid on Tsingtao for Duke 
  George Hasek. However, your services weren’t leased out just for good intentions. Apparently your bosses want you to conduct a side raid 
  to steal a competitor’s computer cores—speciﬁ cally, those owned by Shun-lin Networking, Inc. The cores can be stolen from a few loca-
  tions on- and above-planet, so you’re getting paid by the Davions to hit a world you were already assigned to hit. Twice the pay, onetime 
  risk. Always a good thing for a mercenary.
  GOLDEN GOOSE
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  GAME ON!
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  GAME SETUP
  CBT: Use Mountain and Wooded Terrain maps. Place one 
  heavy Level 1 (CF 70) building somewhere on the mapboard, pref-
  erably near a Heavy Woods hex. The building should be at least 
  seven hexes from the map edge.
  AT2: Use at least two Space maps for this track. Place one 
  marker toward one edge to represent a space-borne facility. The 
  facility has a Velocity of 0 and the following statistics: SI 4, 30 armor, 
  no weapon bays. In addition, use the Atmospheric Operations on 
  the Space Map rules, p. 18, AT2. The facility may not be placed in 
  an atmosphere hex but should be within two hexes of the Space/
  Atmosphere hex row. The station is considered stationary for the 
  duration of the track.
  RPG: The players (or gamemaster) can determine whether 
  to hit the mountain base or the one in space. Both facilities are 
  small—they have enough room for a squad of marines and a three-
  person technical staﬀ . Computer and site security are high (mini-
  mum TN of 16 to avoid sensors or hack the computer network) and 
  the gamemaster may feel free to develop the facility as he chooses, 
  though there should be only one entrance/exit. The company re-
  quires the entire computer core, not just a data dump.
  Attacker
   
  The Attacker may comprise up to 50 percent of the players’ 
  total force. The other half of the team is operating with the Illician 
  Lancers to keep suspicion down about the player group’s little side 
  trip. The Attacker begins the track on the map edge farthest from 
  the facility.
  Defender
   
  The Defender comprises a mix of planetary militia and merce-
  naries hired by the local government. Each of these forces should 
  equal 50 percent of the Attacker’s deployed force, resulting in a 
  total deployed force strength that matches 100 percent of the at-
  tackers. When determining forces, locally hired mercenaries roll on 
  the B column of the Mercenary Random Assignment Table; for the 
  militia, roll on the C column of the Capellan Random Assignment 
  Table. The mercenaries are Veteran, the militia Green. If the defend-
  ing force includes vehicles, care should be given when determin-
  ing the motive type, as the militia will deploy only vehicles that 
  make sense in the terrain being used (for example, re-roll any hov-
  er forces for the militia if using any Heavy Woods maps).
   
  The militia force enters the area at the beginning of Turn 
  5, while the mercenaries are placed anywhere on the battleﬁ eld 
  within eight hexes of the facility at the start of the track.
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 700 WP
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
  +300 Ambush: Change the Defender’s militia force to 75 per-
  cent of the Attacker’s deployed force. Half the militia force begins 
  the track as hidden units (if using CBT rules) or may begin at any 
  Velocity anywhere on the Space maps (if using AT2 rules). For CBT: 
  RPG, consider them well hidden with a +4 bonus to detection TNs. 
  The mercenary force remains at 50 percent of the Attacker’s de-
  ployed force.
   
  +200 Mines: As an added defensive measure, the area sur-
  rounding the selected facility is seeded with mineﬁ elds. For CBT, 
  add four 10-point conventional mineﬁ elds; for AT2, add four hexes 
  of space mines (see Combat Equipment, p. 22); for CBT: RPG, the 
  gamemaster determines the type and number of mineﬁ elds.
   
  +200 Electromagnetic Interference (EMI): Tsingtao’s unusu-
  ally powerful magnetic ﬁ eld ﬂ uctuations sometimes cause havoc 
  with ground and close-orbit electrical systems. At the beginning 
  of each turn, roll 1D6 for each powered vehicle, ‘Mech, ﬁ ghter or ar-
  mored infantry. On a result of 1, powerful EMI adds a +2 modiﬁ er to 
  all ranged weapon attacks for that turn, and all rolls on the Missile 
  Hits Table (regardless of the weapon system used) suﬀ er a –2 mod-
  iﬁ er. During the turn, all ECM systems in use double their eﬀ ective 
  range, while all active probes are eﬀ ectively disabled. The facilities 
  are shielded from such phenomena and remain unaﬀ ected, as do 
  units inside the facilities.
   
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
   
  +300 Marginal Victory: Completing one objective
   
  +500 Partial Victory: Completing two objectives
   
  +900 Total Victory: Completing all objectives
  OBJECTIVES
   
  1. Retrieve the core. To accomplish this in CBT games, one at-
  tacking unit must end its movement next to the building hex and 
  remain stationary for ﬁ ve complete turns. This may be shortened to 
  three turns if an ECM is in use around the facility at the same time 
  to assist in defeating the computer security. In AT2 games, one at-
  tacking unit must dock with the facility and remain stationary to 
  it for ﬁ ve complete turns. This may be shortened to three turns if 
  the attacking unit is a small craft with a Marine complement on 
  board. In an RPG game, the players must seize the computer core, 
  defeating a Tech/Electronics TN of 18 to physically remove it from 
  the system (in addition to any eﬀ orts to subvert building or system 
  security measures).
   
  2. Defeat the defenders. Destroy, cripple or forcibly with-
  draw every defending unit.
   
  3. Destroy the facility. Ideally, the players’ force should do 
  this after seizing the core.
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  The planetary militia is comprised of regular citizens, not 
  hardened soldiers, and so the Forced Withdrawal rules (see p. 135) 
  apply to these units. 
  GOLDEN GOOSE
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  AFTERMATH
   
  Burning out from Tsingtao, you happen to catch the weekend 
  business report. Though not normally your speed, the slick an-
  nouncer mentions something about Shun-lin, the company you 
  just stole a computer core from:
   
  “—announced today the total data failure of their inter-
  communications network. While not normally worth a major an-
  nouncement, Shun-lin representatives stated that because of the 
  network failure, the company has lost the new genetic codes for 
  the pesticide protocol needed to hold back the Chaultapec Virus. 
  Scientists are warning citizens to start stocking up on non-perish-
  able items for the coming winter. The Chaultapec Virus is deadly to 
  native wheat, used in making bread products and the ever-popu-
  lar Tsingtao beer. In the wake of this news, Tsingtao Bottling’s stock 
  dropped 110 points on the planetary market—“
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
  Shun-lin, the company you just ripped oﬀ , ﬁ gures out what 
  happened rather quickly. They launch a strike at the players, at-
  tempting to retrieve the stolen data. Or they interfere with the 
  handoﬀ , sparking a running ﬁ reﬁ ght.
   
  The other half of the players’ force is still operating with the 
  Federated Suns raiders, and they face unexpected opposition from 
  the planetary militia. Why? Perhaps an important oﬃ  cial is on the 
  planet, or the raiding party stumbles onto a secret Maskirovka 
  base.
  Expansion Ideas
   
  Gamemasters can use several scenario types to create the 
  Federated Suns raid on ammunition and supply facilities located 
  on Tsingtao. This action occurs simultaneously with the player 
  group’s computer-core raid, using the other half of the players’ to-
  tal force. In addition, if the Confederation gets wise to the com-
  puter theft, then Capellan authorities may authorize pursuit of the 
  players. 
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Full Metal Press, Falcon Ptomaine
  FULL METAL PRESS
  [Scout Four]: “Uh, boss, pickets reporting some long-range ﬁ re from Hill 21445. Isn’t that where the Feddie troops are?”
  [Base Alpha]: “21445? Damnation. Who do they think we are—”
  [Baker Three]: “Sir! Baker Three reporting. I’ve got a mass push by the Confederation militia. Looks like they’re angling our way.”
  [Base Alpha]: “What the hell? They plan to ﬁ ght this out on our doorstep?”
  SITUATION
  Colmar Myomics Scrap Facility HH-2, Trachen Plains
  Minnacora, Capellan Confederation
  5 July 3068
   
  Fighting around the complex you’re protecting has gotten brutal fast. The Confederation forces called in some heavy reinforcements 
  to hammer at the stubborn Davions for their assault on the Capellan world of Minnacora, and reports all around you show the wide-
  spread destruction inﬂ icted by the two armies.
   
  Apparently, word has gotten out that the complex you’ve been diligently guarding houses some major stockpiles of ammunition 
  and spare parts—which is partly true. The warehouses are jammed full of ‘Mech parts, but it’s all scrap from bad production runs, failed 
  prototypes and outright destroyed units turned in for quick cash by mercenaries like yourselves. Just because they store it here before 
  shipping oﬀ  to the smelting pits doesn’t mean you’re sitting on gold.
   
  Doesn’t matter to the soldiers outside, though. The Confederation has been threatening legal action against Colmar Myomics for 
  several environmental regulatory infractions, and the AFFS troopers—well, they don’t like the idea of Capellan ammo dumps, so they’ve 
  been blowing up any they ﬁ nd, real or suspected.
   
  At the moment, neither side seems to care that your force is a non-combatant. You’re sitting on ground the other folks want. And 
  you’re being paid to keep everyone from setting foot on that particular patch of clay.
  FULL METAL PRESS
  i
  GOLDEN GOOSE
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  GAME SETUP
  CBT: Use Urban/Woodland Terrain maps. Designate (or add) six 
  Level 1 medium buildings (CF 40) near each other on one map sheet. 
  There should be at least one hex between each building, and the 
  buildings should stand at least four hexes from the edge of the map.
  AT2: Use at least one Space map (or two white hexmaps). 
  One edge is considered the planetary surface, with the center hex 
  of the last row designated as the target area. This track uses the 
  Atmospheric Battles on the Space Map  rules from p. 18, AT2.
  RPG: The complex you’re guarding is small, with four ware-
  houses, a hangar and the oﬃ  ce building. All are medium buildings 
  (CF 40). The gamemaster should design a map of the facility and 
  surrounding area. The facility has no hardpoint defenses.
  Attacker
   
  Two components make up the Attacker in this track—ele-
  ments of the AFFS and the CCAF. Neither side will cooperate with 
  the other—instead, they will attack each other on sight. Both forc-
  es will strike each other before attacking the Defender’s force.
   
  The AFFS force should equal 50 percent of the Defender’s de-
  ployed force. These are Veteran troops; to determine equipment, 
  roll on the C column of the Federated Suns Random Assignment 
  Table. They enter the board on the farthest edge from the facility 
  (or the target hex, if using AT2) at the beginning of the track.
   
  The CCAF force consists of Green troopers and should equal 
  125 percent of the total AFFS force. At least three-fourths of the 
  Capellan units should be vehicles and infantry, as these elements 
  are a planetary militia. They enter along any map edge at the 
  beginning of Turn 3 (except for the planetary surface, if using 
  AT2). Roll on Column A of the Capellan Confederation Random 
  Assignment Table.
  Defender
   
  The Defender should consist of up to 75 percent of the players’ 
  total force.
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 800 WP
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
  +250 Better Troops: Increase the skill level for the AFFS and 
  CCAF troops by 1 after total forces have been selected.
  +200 Weapon Malfunction: On any failed weapon roll re-
  sult of 2 (or Margin of Failure 5 or greater), consider that weapon 
  jammed/damaged for the rest of the track.
  +100 Fog: Per the rules on p. 153, CBTComp. For AT2 games, 
  atmosphere hexes contain heavy clouds; follow the rules for Fog 
  to simulate this eﬀ ect.
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
  +300 Marginal Victory: Completing one objective
   
  +550 Partial Victory: Completing two objectives
   
  +900 Total Victory: Completed if all the buildings survive 
  and Objective 3 is attained
  OBJECTIVES
   
  1. Defend the warehouses. At least three buildings must sur-
  vive the track. For AT2 games, standard bombing/straﬁ ng/striking 
  runs are performed per Special Maneuvers, p. 34, AT2.
   
  2. Minimal obligation. The players can fulﬁ ll the minimal ob-
  ligations of their contract if only two buildings survive the track.
   
  3. Doing a favor. Because Minnacora is a Confederation 
  world, the Capellan government will consider it a favor if the play-
  ers destroy all the AFFS forces—once  things get sorted out, that 
  is.
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  Forced Withdrawal rules (see p. 135) are in eﬀ ect for the AFFS 
  and CCAF forces.
   
  AFTERMATH
   
  Once things calmed down and everyone realized they were 
  ﬁ ghting over scrap metal—those who survived, that is—the battle 
  moved further east. The Feddies stayed on-planet for just a few 
  days, shooting things up, before lifting oﬀ —though your Chief 
  Tech swears on his mother’s grave he saw a lifting DropShip ex-
  plode late one night as the Feddies burned out of the atmosphere. 
  Capellan resistance apparently ended, too, since the Davion ﬂ ag 
  soon ﬂ ew over the various government buildings.
   
  Shortly afterward, IE recalled your force elsewhere. You happened 
  to catch a report that a mysterious ﬁ re burned the facility to the ground 
  shortly after you left. Apparently there was a natural gas leak from some 
  pipes under the facility; all it took was one spark for the whole thing to 
  go up in ﬂ ames. Good thing nothing of value was there.
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  So why is a scrap metal yard so important? When underneath it 
  lies a TSM production plant owned and operated by Cortide Magnetics, 
  an IE council member—and rumored to have ties to Loki, or is it the 
  NAIS? Of course, there’s no visible proof of the plant’s existence, but en-
  terprising players might ﬁ nd a way…After all, the FedSuns forces made 
  a beeline for the facility after landing. Did they know all about it?
  Expansion Ideas
   
  Using a Probe or Recon Raid scenario for the initial contact 
  with either House force will alert the players’ force guarding the 
  facility that company is coming. Gamemasters may follow up with 
  a Hide and Seek or Stand Up and Fight scenario, then with a Base 
  Attack for a multi-linked scenario campaign.
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Final Curtain?
  FULL METAL PRESS
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  FALCON PTOMAINE
  “Why is it that lately, no matter where we go, someone assaults us? Who the hell has it in for us, anyway?”
   
  “Don’t know, Sarge. Though you have to admit, it is beautiful here. And the beach isn’t poisonous, for once.”
   
  “True. I thought I’d never wish for a quiet garrison contract. This constant action is tiring me out. Who knew our employer had so many 
  enemies?”
  “Well, it sure ain’t ticked-oﬀ  students. Hey, if they want to keep paying us primo cashola, who are we to argue? Hell, we could’ve been up on 
  the Falcon border if we’d gone with the Kell Hounds.”
   
  “We are on the Falcon border.”
   
  “Oh. Really?”
  SITUATION
  Grant’s Station Tango, Nuevo Roma
  Tomans, Lyran Alliance
  1 August 3068
   
  A standard downtime clause in your contract with IE allows roughly two months rest every year. When you ended up close enough 
  to IE’s main research complex on Tomans—a sprawling university with its own mini-DropPort, seconds from a decent beach—your CO 
  decided now was a good time to invoke that clause.
   
  Oﬃ  cially, you’re under a garrison contract, though IE recognizes the need for R&R. With the Falcons not too far away, it made sense 
  to stay on guard. Only half your people were on leave when the Green Ghosts dropped in without calling ﬁ rst. People like that rarely get 
  invited back.
  GAME SETUP
   
  CBT: Use Urban Terrain maps (Heavy Urban, Coastal if us-
  ing Combat Operations). The gamemaster should designate three 
  buildings at least four hexes apart as the objective structures. If no 
  buildings exist, the gamemaster may place up to three heavy Level 
  2 (CF 60) buildings on the map area.
   
  AT2: Use at least two Space maps. Designate one side as the 
  planetary surface and use the Atmospheric Battles on the Space Map 
  rules from p. 18, AT2. 
   
  RPG: Rather than roleplay a large-scale battle, the players 
  should consider themselves the on-duty security personnel at one 
  of the university buildings. The building is two stories high and has 
  minimal security. The player characters must protect it from a contin-
  gent of armored and unarmored Green Ghost infantry squads.
  Attacker
   
  The Green Ghosts have decided to drop in for a quick snatch-
  and-go. Roll for these Elite troops using the B column of the 
  Federated Suns, Lyran or SLDF Random Assignment Tables, or 
  (once per lance) on the Second-Line Clan Goliath Scorpion Random 
  Assignment Table. The Ghosts’ total force size should equal 50 per-
  cent of the Defender’s deployed force.
   
  Halfway through the battle—a point determined by a 2D6 
  roll result of 7 or greater, made at the start of any turn after Turn 
  5—Jade Falcons units arrive, conducting a planetary raid to test 
  their newer warriors’ mettle. One contingent targets the same area 
  as the current battle. The Falcon force equals 100 percent of the 
  Defender’s force (as deployed at the beginning of the track). They 
  are Regular Clan troops; roll for equipment on the Front-Line Jade 
  Falcon Random Assignment Table. 
   
  The arriving Falcons, not bound by zellbrigen (dueling rules), 
  may ﬁ re on either of the factions currently engaged in battle, with 
  no preference toward either side. To determine which units the 
  Falcons target, each Falcon unit should roll 1D6 on the turn of its ar-
  rival. On a result of 1–3, the Falcon selects a Green Ghosts target; on 
  a result of 4–6, a players’ target. Even though this roll determines 
  which side the Falcon unit will ﬁ re on ﬁ rst, it does not deﬁ ne the 
  particular unit to be ﬁ red on, and a Falcon warrior may ignore the 
  result if ﬁ red on ﬁ rst by an element of the targeted faction.
  Defender
   
  The Defender can consist of up to 100 percent of the players’ 
  total force.
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 900 WP
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
   
  +300 Rainfall: Per rules on  p. 153, CBTComp.
  FALCON PTOMAINE
  i
  FALCON PTOMAINE
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  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
   
  +200 Dusk/Dawn: Per rules on p. 153, CBTComp. Games using AT2 
  space combat can use the CBTComp rules as well; consider the system’s 
  sun to be on the rim of the planet, creating a blind spot of glare.
  +400 Earthquake (ground only): Per the rules on p. 153, 
  CBTComp. Tremor strength is a 3, with two aftershocks (the ﬁ rst 
  at strength 2, the next at 1). To determine when the earthquake 
  hits, roll 2D6 after Turn 4. The earthquake occurs on a result of 8 or 
  greater. After the initial tremor, roll 2D6 every turn; an aftershock 
  occurs on a result of 10 or greater. Once two aftershocks have 
  passed, the earthquake subsides.
  +400 Meteor Shower (space only): Prepare 2D6 asteroids to 
  use as meteors. To determine when the meteor shower hits, roll 2D6 
  after Turn 4. The shower occurs on a result of 8 or greater. When the 
  shower happens, divide the number of meteors in half. Each side 
  picks a map edge and then enters a meteor at Velocity 6, alternating 
  between the two sides until all the meteors have entered. Treat the 
  meteors as asteroids under the optional Asteroid rules. p. 47, AT2.
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
   
  –700 Total Defeat: Completing no objectives
  +400 Marginal Victory: Completing one objective
   
  +750 Partial Victory: Completing two objectives
   
  +1,200 Total Victory: Completing all objectives
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Protect the academy. Keep at least one designated target 
  building from destruction or capture by enemy forces.
  2. Begone, foul spawn! Destroy all the Green Ghosts or force 
  them to withdraw.
  3. “Sharpen this!” Destroy or cripple at least half the Falcon 
  forces.
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  The following rules are in eﬀ ect for this track:
  Forced Withdrawal
  The Forced Withdrawal rule (see p. 135) is in eﬀ ect for the 
  Green Ghosts.
  Clan Honor
   
  Though not following zellbrigen, the Falcon Star Colonel in 
  charge of this force still believes his troops should ﬁ ght with some 
  honor. Therefore, no Clan units may conduct physical attacks until 
  enemy units from either opposing faction make at least three suc-
  cessful physical attacks against the Falcons. After that, all bets are 
  oﬀ , and the Falcons gain +1 to all subsequent Initiative rolls as well 
  as being free to retaliate in kind.
  AFTERMATH
   
  Looks like trouble is starting to follow you guys around like a 
  bad stench. A complaint by your CO to the IE liaison met with little 
  result, though after this last debacle, for once they’re not calling 
  you up right after the last missile was ﬁ red. In fact, you hear little 
  from IE for almost two weeks. Which is ﬁ ne by you, as it allows your 
  team to repair, recover and rest.
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  The Falcons are here to raid, testing defenses. Are they plan-
  ning a follow-up attack? And just who are the Green Ghosts? IE 
  would appreciate any leads you can dig up, considering that the 
  Ghosts have hampered IE operations for years.
  Expansion Ideas
   
  Gamemasters who want to split this track into two or more 
  continuous scenarios with the Green Ghost attack and a fast follow-
  up by the Falcons can use any scenario type. Players should track 
  damage and ammunition across all linked scenarios, making on-
  the-spot ﬁ eld repairs and reloading if they have the right equip-
  ment. The players’ force may claim salvage only after completing 
  the entire track. 
  NEXT TRACK
   
  Final Curtain?
  FALCON PTOMAINE
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/14: CHAOS UNBOUND  
  158 / 159 
  FINAL CURTAIN?
  Personal Journal #552
  Planetary assaults are such nebulous aﬀ airs. Murphy rules these types of engagements with an iron ﬁ st. I’ve never joined one that went as 
  planned.
   
  Intel assures us that Giausar is only a supply world for the Lyran assault on the Free Worlds League. As part of the push to punish the LAAF for 
  following Duke Kelswa-Steiner’s foolishness, the League hired a bunch of mercs to lead the assault while the FWLM sits back and learns from us.
   
  Stupid armchair generals. Paying for their greed with our blood.
   
  Hopefully, Mr. Murphy is on holiday. Because I for one would like to spend the cash they’re throwing at us for this operation.
  SITUATION
  Task Force Gauntlet, Inbound vector TT-4
  Giausar, Bolan Province
  Lyran Alliance
  2 September 3068
   
  IE didn’t renew your contract when it ended a week ago. Looking for quick work and pulling in some favors from a few Free Worlds 
  League government types, the CO signed you up to assist in a major push to seize Giausar from the Lyrans. Why doesn’t matter—it’s work, 
  and with good pay at that.
   
  The downside? Serving under the arrogant Knights of the Inner Sphere. Of course, they do lead from the front, so they’re either really 
  good at what they do or they’re out to seize all the glory. Either way, they’re your employer, so you do as they tell you.
   
  It’s all about the money, after all.
  GAME SETUP
   
  This track is a straightforward planetary assault. Players may 
  take part in any operation hitting the planet: main force, recon, de-
  coy, strategic operations and so on. The gamemaster and the play-
  ers decide what rules to use.
  Attacker
   
  League-hired mercenaries—including the players—are in 
  the vanguard of the attack, along with the Second Battalion of the 
  Knights of the Inner Sphere. All forces have assigned objectives, de-
  termined by the gamemaster.  Because this is a planetary assault, 
  the gamemaster should decide how large a force the players may 
  deploy based on the Defender’s total deployed force.
  Defender
   
  Defending Giausar is the One-Eyed Jacks mercenary command, 
  led by Colonel Darrel “Ramrod” Duke, along with that command’s 
  aerospace wing, the AeroJacks. The Defender’s total force comprises 
  a BattleMech regiment and two aerospace ﬁ ghter squadrons, all 
  Veteran troops. Determine most of the Jacks’ units using the C col-
  umn of the Mercenary Random Assignment Table. To reﬂ ect Duke 
  Kelswa-Steiner’s eﬀ orts to capitalize on the Alliance’s need for a solid 
  defense against the League, the gamemaster may determine one in 
  every ﬁ ve Jacks units (aerospace and BattleMech) using the A col-
  umn  on the Lyran Random Assignment Table instead.
   
  Because this is a planetary assault, the gamemaster has full 
  authority to determine both sides’ deployed forces. We suggest 
  the Defender’s deployed force equal at least 75 percent of the 
  Attacker’s deployed force for any given scenario. The Jacks also 
  have two Union-class DropShips and an Overlord for on-planet mo-
  bility and added ﬁ repower.
  WARCHEST 
  Track Cost: 1,500 WP
  Optional Bonuses (all bonuses cumulative):
   
  +400 Mixed Terrain/Weather (ground only): The gamemas-
  ter may select one appropriate Terrain Type/Condition and one 
  Weather Condition from pp. 151–153, CBT: Comp, for this track. 
  Alternatively, if using a linked-scenario campaign, the gamemas-
  ter may change the Terrain Type/Condition and/or the Weather 
  Condition for each scenario.
   
  +400 Orbital Defense (space only): The gamemaster places 
  at least one space station (Bastion or similar size) at least three hex-
  es “above” the space-atmosphere interface. The station’s gun crews 
  are Veteran. Fighters may launch from the station, if desired.
  Victory Bonuses (bonuses not cumulative):
   
  +1,200 Marginal Victory: Completing the ﬁ rst objective
   
  +1,750 Partial Victory: Completing the second objective
   
  +2,500 Total Victory: Completing the third objective
  FINAL CURTAIN?
  i
  FINAL CURTAIN?
  i
  
  connection/DAWN OF THE JIHAD/section14: CHAOS UNBOUND
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Bing… Destroy or cripple at least 50 percent of the 
  Defender’s units.
  2. Bang… Destroy or cripple at least 75 percent of the 
  Defender’s units.
  3. Boom! Force the Defender to withdraw from the planet 
  (attained by destroying or crippling 100 percent of the Defender’s 
  units).
  SPECIAL RULES
   
  The following rules are in eﬀ ect for this track:
  Salvage
   
  If using a multi-linked scenario campaign, the players may 
  claim salvage between scenarios rather than at the end of the 
  track.
  Forced Withdrawal
  The Forced Withdrawal rules (see p. 135) are in eﬀ ect for the 
  One-Eyed Jacks. If the gamemaster is using additional Free Worlds 
  League forces (such as the Second Knights of the Inner Sphere), 
  these forces likewise operate under those rules.
  AFTERMATH
   
  The Lyrans seemed surprised at the amount of force the 
  League shoveled onto Giausar—as if they didn’t expect the 
  League to pour over the border and seize a major supply world 
  for the Skye/Bolan push into League space. No matter; the League 
  troops just mopped up after the mercs did all the work. The sal-
  vage clause in your contract helped a lot—the League practically 
  gave the salvage to all mercenary commands involved.
   
  The odd thing was the sudden withdrawal of the Knights’ 
  Second Battalion, right in the middle of pushing the One-Eyed 
  Jacks’ right ﬂ ank. Jacobi, in the communications van, said the 
  Knights got an ultra-encrypted transmission during the battle. 
  They packed up and left in the middle of the ﬁ reﬁ ght, radioing to 
  let us know the change of command to another League unit.
   
  Stupid Knights. Guess they have no stomach for ﬁ ghting 
  down in the dirt. The Jacks fought tooth and nail, almost to the last 
  man. Two of their Droppers made it past the League space cordon, 
  so for sure by now the LAAF knows we’re here.
   
  Question is, for how long?
  ADDITIONAL HOOKS
   
  Because this is a planetary assault, the players can explore 
  hundreds of diﬀ erent possibilities, from hot drops to pre-inva-
  sion recon to assassinations. The gamemaster can put the players 
  through as much as he desires. The contract is a blanket one—as-
  sist in taking Giausar. How that happens apparently doesn’t matter 
  much to the League military.
   
  Expanding this track into a larger campaign may involve the 
  addition of allied units (such as elements of the Knights) to the 
  players’ force at the gamemaster’s discretion. If so, and for any sce-
  nario in which the players and allied units face a One-Eyed Jacks 
  force, the Jacks may use their special ability to create confusion 
  between the non-integrated commands, winning a +1 Initiative 
  bonus for every distinct force opposing them. Negate this bonus 
  (and apply a –1 initiative modiﬁ er to the Jacks) if the players and 
  their allies ﬁ eld at least one mobile HQ between them.
  Expansion Ideas
   
  Gamemasters can expand this track into a large-scale assault 
  from arrival to endgame on Giausar. A small planetary militia exists, 
  mainly as a harassing force. Gamemasters can include the Second 
  Battalion of the Knights of the Inner Sphere, if desired, as well as 
  three to four small mercenary companies. The gamemaster de-
  cides how long the battle runs and for what type of objectives—as 
  long as the track objectives are met, the sky’s the limit.
  NEXT TRACK
   
  None. Time for reﬁ t and repair while you await the next Jihad 
  campaign!
  FINAL CURTAIN?
  i
  
  November 3067 saw the culmination of work two centuries in the making, work begun by
  Primus Conrad Toyama of ComStar, successor to Jerome Blake and the man responsible
  for single-handedly turning ComStar into a pseudo-religious organization with a vision:
  to lead mankind to the light … by any means necessary. 
  When the Star League self-destructs, a shadowy
  power behind the fanatical Word of Blake pulls the
  strings taunt in righteous anger, launching a war
  to bring humanity to its knees. 
  But amidst the chaos and confusion swirling
  across a thousand light years, all it not as it
  appears. Friend becomes foe and today’s
  truth is the lie of tomorrow. Can the Inner
  Sphere survive the opening of ComStar’s
  box of secrets?
  Dawn of the Jihad shakes the Classic
  BattleTech® universe to its foundation,
  documenting the opening year in a decades-
  long struggle for the very survival of humanity.
  The series of events presented in this book unfold in a
  rolling format, allowing readers to immerse themselves
  more directly into the action than ever before. Players
  of both Classic BattleTech and Classic BattleTech
  RPG™ will also find framework rules to run almost any
  type of campaign set in this chaotic time.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/BattleTech [multi]/Sourcebooks/BattleTech - Dawn of the Jihad {WK35023} .pdf