TEXT: A BATTLETECH SOURCEBOOKS COMPANION
  
  35TP021
  ©2018 The Topps Company Inc. All rights Reserved. Turning Points: Orbisonia, BattleTech, BattleMech and ’Mech are 
  registered trademarks and/or trademarks of The Topps Company, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst 
  Game Labs and the Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC.
  Under License From
  TURNING POINTS
  ORBISONIA
  TM
  ®
  
  Supply Depot 124KT
  Orbisonia
  Federated Suns
  19 June 2828
  Buffalo Jones hated his life. It was the routine of it all. Every day the same. 
  A MechWarrior could only take so much—he needed action! It was bad 
  enough being talked down to by his company commander. But being 
  in the militia and being talked down to by the real MechWarriors of the 
  AFFS cycling through every couple months…that was too much. Jones 
  was every bit as capable as most of them. They just had the good luck to 
  be born into families that could get them into academies. Jones had to 
  train here on Orbisonia in a simulator every weekend for six years just to 
  make the grade as a MechWarrior at all. It wasn’t fair.
  Today was no different than any other Monday. Reveille, morning 
  formation, morning assignments. As always: “Jones—Depot patrol!” 
  With a sigh he trudged off to the ’Mech bay. Being a militia MechWarrior 
  offered no glamour. There was no cape for his uniform, and no one 
  wore spurs. There was no glory to be won patrolling a lousy depot. 
  The most he could hope for would be apprehending the vandals who 
  spray-painted what Jones had to admit were amusing caricatures of 
  the First Prince and members of the Thane Council in compromising 
  positions with various barnyard animals. He longed for an unlikely raid 
  by the Capellans—or even better, pirates!—seeking to make off with 
  the contents of the depot. Things should have changed in the last year 
  with all the different commands passing through every few months. 
  His head spun when he thought back to how many heroic commands 
  had paraded through Harrison. Not that the warriors would have seen 
  him. He was just militia, and might as well be invisible. All the transit 
  activity increased his duties from one weekend a month to five days a 
  week. And the monotony. He sighed.
  Jones climbed the gantry ringing the outer wall of the ’Mech bay. He 
  was in no hurry, since he was already late as the techs tried to get his 
  ’Mech’s gyro working. He clambered into his battered old Wasp and ran 
  through the start-up sequence. The balky gyro glowed red on a cockpit 
  display until he pounded the control panel a few times. A hardy clunk 
  from under his feet heralded the light changing to green. The techs still 
  hadn’t gotten it fixed. Like himself, Jones’s ’Mech was no priority. Most of 
  the technicians had been dragooned to help refit the Avalon Hussars, so 
  the militia had to make do. Typical.
  Jones lowered his neurohelmet onto his shoulders and piloted the 
  BattleMech out of the gantry. A quick sidestep, and he was out of the 
  ’Mech bay. The depot stretched to the horizon. The rest of his lance 
  would already be on patrol, as the territory was too vast for the unit 
  to patrol together. Instead, they covered a series of linked routes in 
  whichever sector was assigned to them today. Jones checked the 
  locations of his lance. Sector 22-Baker. Great, three klicks out. He 
  was going to catch hell for being late, even though it wasn’t 
  his fault. He started out.
  Jones was halfway to the start of the route when an 
  unfamiliar tone sounded over his comm system. It was on 
  the general channel, overriding everything else. He knew 
  there were several alert tones, but it had been so long 
  since they’d drilled on them. He was too embarrassed 
  to ask what the tone meant, so he ignored it.
  He crossed Sector 22-Charlie into 22-Baker and 
  checked his tactical display to see where his lance was. 
  Strangely, they were all clustered together and moving fast. That was 
  very unusual—they rarely saw each other outside the ’Mech bay. Maybe 
  there was some primo new graffiti to see. He hoped this one had a 
  mammoth or whale in it, something big to break the monotony of goats 
  and chickens and…
  The tone sounded again, for a full minute. Maybe something was 
  wrong with his comms. He thumbed his lance frequency. “Cat Lance 
  Actual, Cat Lance Actual. You monitor a strange tone? Over.”
  “Jones! That’s the recall alert! Get your ass b—”
  Jones had never heard Leftenant Tigress Simpson sound so agitated. 
  What were those sounds in the background? Loud thumps? He was 
  nearly in visual range. He sprinted through row upon row of stacked 
  crates, pallets, and barrels holding Blake alone knew what.
  He spotted his lance. Two ’Mechs, the Wasps of Cheetah Garibaldi and 
  Goldfish Janson, were down and smoking. Simpson’s Phoenix Hawk was 
  sprinting right toward Jones.
    What in the halls of Hell was happening? Then he saw them. 
  Silhouettes in the distance. They fired blue, coruscating bolts, blasting 
  Simpson’s ’Mech. He quickly toggled his display to a greater range. He 
  swallowed hard. Enemy ’Mechs, a whole helluva lot of them, closing in. He 
  played the selector over the red lights advancing in a perilously long 
  skirmish line. Marauder, Marauder, Warhammer, Marauder. Distantly, he 
  realized his bowels had freed themselves of a burden he didn’t know 
  was being restrained. Eyes wide, palms sweaty, mouth dry, he turned his 
  Wasp about and sprinted back the way he’d come.
  1
  
  CREDITS
  NOTE!
  The last four pages of this PDF are sized for 11” x 17” paper. Please keep this in 
  mind when printing out the document.
  W
  elcome to the next in the series of Turning Points campaign products, designed to give players the opportunity to fight in 
  some of the landmark conflicts of BattleTech’s tumultuous history using the Total Warfare and Alpha Strike rules.
  The general information contained in the Atlas and Combatants sections give players the tools needed to fight ongoing 
  engagements in 2828, while the Tracks detail some of the more pivotal battles between the Capellan Confederation and Federated Suns 
  on Orbisonia. The Tracks section can also be used with stand-alone games set in 2828.
  The Atlas section presents a global overview and some quick facts about Orbisonia. Included in this section are terrain tables broken 
  into various categories. These tables can be used as a random means to determine the mapsheets used in the tracks, or simply as a guide 
  to the types of terrain found on the world. This section also contains a list of various additional terrain types, environments, and other 
  rules that can be used to enhance the gameplay experience. All players should agree whether to use any or all of these features before 
  play begins.
  The Combatants section details the units that participated in the conflict and can be used by players who wish to add authenticity 
  to their games. However, these forces are provided only as a guideline, and players are encouraged to use other forces at their option 
  to attempt to rewrite history. This allows the players to pursue the tracks with different forces as they desire. Players should feel free to 
  balance the forces in each track as they see fit, whether by Battle Value, tonnage, total number of units, or whatever else suits them.
  The Tracks section presents the engagements which occurred on Orbisonia in 2828. For those playing the campaign, the events 
  in each track lead into the next, with damage carrying over as applicable. Players wishing to incorporate these tracks into their Chaos 
  Campaign sessions should use the Warchest Points (WP) listed in the brackets. Optional points are awarded only if the group achieves at 
  least one Objective while using the listed option. Objective points are cumulative as they are achieved, unless otherwise noted.
  STAR LEAGUE ERA 
  CLAN INVASION ERA
  JIHAD ERA
  SUCCESSION WARS ERA
  CIVIL WAR ERA
  DARK AGE ERA
  TURNING POINTS
  ORBISONIA
  TM
  Project Development: Geoff ‘Doc’ Swift
  BattleTech Line Developer: Brent Evans
  Assistant Line Developer: Ray Arrastia
  Writing: Geoff ‘Doc’ Swift
  BattleTech Line Editor: Aaron Cahall
  Production Staff
  Cover Design: Ray Arrastia, David Kerber
  Layout: David Kerber
  Evolved Faction Logos Design: Jason Knight
  Maps and Logos: Ray Arrastia, David Kerber
  Factchecking/Playtesting: Joshua Franklin, Mike Miller, 
  Andreas Rudolph, Eric Salzman, Chris Wheeler
  Special Thanks: To Ray Arrastia for giving me the 
  reins of this product line and not thinking any less of me 
  for wanting to write this one myself. I’d also be remiss if 
  I didn’t thank Ben Rome for conceiving and running this 
  line for years. He gave me my start with Historical Turning 
  Points: Galtor and I’ve been trying to get better every time. 
  Also, I’d like to offer sincere thanks to my fellow BattleTech 
  fans, for whom we do this.
  2
  
  ATLAS
  3
  4
  N O R T H
  O C E A N
  N O R T H
  O C E A N
  W E S T E R N
  S E A
  S A N G U I N E
  S E A
  N O R T H
  O C E A N
  S E R P E N T W A T E R
  T S U N A M I  S E A
  S H A R K  S E A
  M
  O
  N
  T
  I
  B
  U
  S 
  AN
  TIQ
  UA PE
  TRAM
  THE
  LAB
  YRI
  NTH
  L A P I S  P R I S C A
  L A P I S  P R I S C A
  M E T A M
  S A N C T U S  T E R R A
  V U L C A N ’ S  F O R G E
  D O M U M  G L A C I E S
  Harrison
  Lancaster
  Sharon
  Seaport
  Robinson
  Seaport
  New Syrtis
  Seaport
  New Avalon
  Seaport
  Kentares
  Barre
  THE 
  CRETACEOUS
  BASIN
  DRAGONSHEAD 
  PENINSULA
  Parker
  Armstrong
  Pittstown
  Nix
  Slippery Rock
  Altoona
  Easton
  Jeannette
  Hermitage
  Haven
  New Castle
  St. Mary
  Mercer
  Elkwood
  Hazelwood
  Lock Haven
  Repair Station
  A-3
  John Davion
  Staging Ground
  Starport
  ALPHA
  Starport
  17
  Starport
  19
  Starport
  BETA
  Supply Depot
  51BK
  Munitions
  Site 15T
  Supply
  Station PD8
  Seaport
  June
  Seaport
  Lackland
  Seaport
  Ozawa
  Seaport
  Galax
  MAGNAM
  SILVAM
  Starport
  16
  S O U T H E R N 
  F L O E
  S O U T H E R N 
  F L O E
  S O U T H E R N 
  F L O E
  P A C I F I C
  E X P A N S E
  Supply Depot
  44JR
  Storage Depot
  49EM
  ’Mechus 
  Hospitium
  Supply Depot
  13F
  Staging Ground
  Hasek
  Crimson
  Coast
  Sanguinem
  Harenae
  Minima
  Saxa
  Seaport
  Victoria
  Staging Ground
  Sandoval
  Starport
  18
  Storage
  Depot 198LR
  Storage
  Depot 37SP
  Camp
  Estris
  Storage
  Depot 77GG
  LACUS
  SALSUS
  AQUA
  ALTUM
  TWIN
  BAYS
  SINUS
  MORTIS
  SINUS 
  PACIFICAE
  DIRA ARTOR
  HATCHET 
  ISLAND
  REDOUBT
  ISLAND
  TSUNAMI
  ISLAND
  CANYON
  ISLAND
  Supply Depot
  Deep 9K
  CAMELOT
  LAKES
  LACUS
  TEMERE
  DIRA NIMUË
  MONTEM
  SOLUS
  T
  H
  E 
  FO
  RTR
  ESS  MO
  UN
  TA
  I
  N
  S
  M
  O
  N
  TI
  BU
  S S
  ANCT
  IS
  FOSSILIA FLUMINE
  AUREA FLUMINA
  FLUMEN ALBA
  ORBISONIA (2828)
  Elected Ruler: Leopard Lawrence
  Star Type (Recharge Time): K4V (195 hours)
  Position in System: 5
  Time to Jump Point: 4.31 days
  Number of Satellites: 1 (Wink)
  Surface Gravity: 0.99
  Atm. Pressure: Standard (Breathable)
  Equatorial Temperature: 35°C (Tropical)
  Surface Water: 56 percent
  Recharging Station: Nadir
  HPG Class Type: A
  Highest Native Life: Mammals
  Population: 1,208,244,000 (2828)
  Socio-Industrial Levels: B-B-B-B-B
  
  ATLAS
  ORBISONIA
  Orbisonia has long been an important staging world for the Federated 
  Suns’ military operations against the Capellan Confederation. The world 
  possesses abundant resources, and a large percentage of its population 
  grew up in the shadows of the countless military staging areas dotting 
  the world’s five continents. Tourists are sometimes lured by the planet’s 
  notable geological formations, most impressive among them the 
  Cretaceous Basin. This immense alien flatland was the floor of an ancient 
  ocean, long ago risen to the surface during Orbisonia’s once-cataclysmic 
  tectonic upheavals. Coral formations massive enough to dwarf some 
  DropShips form a gargantuan labyrinth thousands of hectares in size. 
  Aside from these formations and a few other environmental preservation 
  areas, the planet has been exploited heavily, primarily to support the 
  AFFS. Impressive arrays of automated BattleMech repair gantries, huge 
  storehouses of supplies, and even minor munitions factories cover vast 
  swaths of the continental surface. Mining operations on the surface of the 
  moon Wink, previously called Blanc, have obscured its once-white ejecta 
  blanket. Now only the barest sliver of white shows along the satellite’s 
  equator, giving the moon its current name. The population of Orbisonia 
  has developed an odd cultural affectation, whereby individuals’ given 
  names are those of animals. Company and militia rosters often read like 
  the residents of a zoo rather than that of a group of persons.
  Mapsheets
  The following tables represent the categories of terrain that can be 
  found on the battlefields of Orbisonia. Players using mapsheets may 
  either select a map from the appropriate table or randomly determine 
  which map to use, unless otherwise specified. Note also that the various 
  HexPacks may be used to alter the terrain of individual mapsheets as 
  players deem appropriate. MS = Map Set, MSC = Map Set Compilation, BT 
  = Classic BattleTech Introductory Box Set. 
  Alpha Strike players, or Total Warfare players employing terrain, 
  should use the Terrain Table as a guideline for setting up features 
  appropriate to the area in which their battle is taking place. Note: in 
  Alpha Strike measurements are given in inches, which can be converted 
  to centimeters by multiplying the number of inches by 2.5 (see p. 7, AS).
  Optional Rules
  If all players agree, the following terrain rules may be used to add 
  specific aspects to battles taking place on Orbisonia.
  Base Terrain Types
  Heavy Industrial Zone (see p. 65, AS)
  Rough (Ultra) (see p. 39, TO)
  Sheer Cliffs (see p. 39, TO)
  ORBISONIA MAPSHEETS TABLE
  URBAN
  2D6 Result
  Map
  2 
  City (Downtown) (MS6, MSC2)
  3 
  CityTech Map (MS2, MSC1)
  4 
  City (Residential) (MS6, MSC2)
  5 
  City (Suburbs) (MS6, MSC2)
  6 
  City Street Grid/Park #1 (MS4, MSC1)
  7 
  City (Skyscraper) (MS6, MSC2)
  8 
  Military Base #1 (MS7)
  9 
  City (Hills/Residential) #2 (MS3, MSC1)
  10 
  Drop Port #1 (MS7)
  11 
  Drop Port #2 (MS7)
  12 
  Military Base #2 (MS7)
  Note: May use Heavy Industrial Zone (see p. 65, AS).
  WILDERNESS
  2D6 Result
  Map
  2
  Scattered Woods (MS2, MSC1)
  3
  Moonscape #1 (MS5, MSC1)
  4
  Wide River (MS6, MSC2)
  5
  Open Terrain #1 (MS5, MSC1)
  6
  Scattered Woods (MS2, MSC2)
  7
  Open Terrain #2 (MS5, MSC1)
  8
  City Ruins (MS2, MSC1)
  9
  Moonscape #2 (MS5, MSC1)
  10
  Wide River (MS6, MSC2)
  11
  BattleTech (BT, MS2, MSC1)
  12
  BattleForce (MS6, MSC1)
  MOONSCAPE
  1D6 Result
  Map
  1 
  Desert Hills (BT, MS2, MSC1)
  2
  Moonscape #1 (MS5, MSC1)
  3
  Moonscape #2 (MS5, MSC1)
  4
  Scattered Woods (MS2, MSC2)
  5
  Open Terrain #2 (MS5, MSC1)
  6
  Desert Sinkhole #2 (MS3, MSC1)
  5
  
  RAndOM ASSIGnMenT TABLeS
  RANDOM ASSIGNMENT TABLES: ORBISONIA, 2828
  CAPELLAN RANDOM ’MECH WEIGHT CLASSES
  2d6 Result
  Weight Class
  2
  Assault
  3
  Medium
  4
  Heavy
  5
  Heavy
  6
  Heavy
  7
  Heavy
  8
  Heavy
  9
  Heavy
  10
  Heavy
  11
  Medium
  12
  Assault
  LIGHT VEHICLES
  1d6 Result
  Federated Suns
  1
  Galleon Light Tank [30]
  2
  Harasser Missile Platform [25]
  3
  Pegasus Scout Hovertank [35]
  4
  J. Edgar Light Hover Tank [25]
  5
  Lightning [35]
  6
  Darter Scout Car [13]
  MEDIUM VEHICLES
  1d6 Result
  Federated Suns
  1
  T-12 Tiger Medium Tank [55]
  2
  Chaparral [50]
  3
  Hetzer Wheeled Assault Gun [40]
  4
  Condor Hovertank [50]
  5
  Zephyr [40]
  6
  Condor Hovertank [50]
  LIGHT ’MECHS
  2d6 Result
  Federated Suns
  2
  LCT-1Vb Locust [20]
  3
  VLK-QA Valkyrie [30]
  4
  WSP-1D Wasp [20]
  5
  LCT-1V Locust [20]
  6
  STG-3R Stinger [20]
  7
  WSP-1A Wasp [20]
  8
  VLK-QA Valkyrie [30]
  9
  JVN-10N Javelin [30]
  10
  STG-3G Stinger [20]
  11
  LCT-1E Locust [20]
  12
  STG-3Gb Stinger [20]
  MEDIUM ’MECHS
  2d6 Result
  Federated Suns
  2
  GRF-2N Griffin [55]
  3
  WVR-6R Wolverine [55]
  4
  ENF-4R Enforcer [50]
  5
  CN9-A Centurion [50]
  6
  GRF-1N Griffin [55]
  7
  PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk [45]
  8
  SHD-2H Shadow Hawk [55]
  9
  DV-6M Dervish [45]
  10
  VL-5T Vulcan [40]
  11
  SHD-2D Shadow Hawk [55]
  12
  DV-6Md Dervish [55]
  HEAVY ’MECHS
  2d6 Result
  Federated Suns
  2
  WHM-6Rb Warhammer [70]
  3
  ON1-K Orion [75]
  4
  RFL-3N Rifleman [60]
  5
  ARC-2R Archer [70]
  6
  JM6-A JagerMech [65]
  7
  MAD-3R Marauder [75]
  8
  TDR-5S Thunderbolt [65]
  9
  WMH-6R Warhammer [70]
  10
  RFL-3N Rifleman [60]
  11
  QKD-4G Quickdraw [60]
  12
  MAD-2R Marauder [75]
  ASSAULT ’MECHS
  2d6 Result
  Federated Suns
  2
  STK-3Fb Stalker [85]
  3
  KGC-0000 King Crab [100]
  4
  CP-10-Z Cyclops [90]
  5
  BNC-3E Banshee [95]
  6
  CGR-1A1 Charger [80]
  7
  BLR-1G BattleMaster [85]
  8
  THG-11E Thug [80]
  9
  BLR-1G BattleMaster [85]
  10
  HGN-732 Highlander [95]
  11
  AS7-D Atlas [100]
  12
  VTR-9B Victor [80]
  MEDIUM ’MECHS
  2d6 Result
  Capellan Confederation
  2
  PXH-1b Phoenix Hawk [45]
  3
  WVR-6M Wolverine [55]
  4
  GRF-1N Griffin [55]
  5
  CRB-20 Crab [50]
  6
  PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk [45]
  7
  SHD-2H Shadow Hawk [55]
  8
  WVR-6R Wolverine [55]
  9
  HBK-4G Hunchback [50]
  10
  WTH-1 Whitworth [40]
  11
  VND-1R Vindicator [45]
  12
  SCP-1N Scorpion* [55]
  HEAVY ’MECHS
  2d6 Result
  Capellan Confederation
  2
  WHM-7A Warhammer [70]
  3
  MAD-3R Marauder [75]
  4
  WHM-6L Warhammer [70]
  5
  MAD-3R Marauder [75]
  6
  WHM-6Rb Warhammer [70]
  7
  MAD-3R Marauder [75]
  8
  WHM-6R Warhammer [70]
  9
  MAD-3R Marauder [75]
  10
  WHM-6Rk Warhammer [70]
  11
  WHM-6L Warhammer [70]
  12
  MAD-2R Marauder [75]
  ASSAULT ’MECHS
  2d6 Result
  Capellan Confederation
  2
  HGN-732b Highlander [90]
  3
  CP-10-Q Cyclops [90]
  4
  LGB-7Q Longbow [85]
  5
  BNC-3E Banshee [95]
  6
  BLR-1G BattleMaster [85]
  7
  STK-3F Stalker [85]
  8
  STC-2C Striker [80]
  9
  AWS-8Q Awesome [80]
  10
  GOL-1H Goliath* [80]
  11
  ZEU-5S Zeus [80]
  12
  AWS-8T Awesome [80]
  RANDOM ASSIGNMENT TABLES
  Random Assignment Tables are meant to be used by players wishing 
  to determine their forces randomly, or help them determine the likely 
  equipment used by each side during the struggle for Orbisonia. Players 
  are not required to use these tables, especially when using player-group 
  units. To randomly assign pilot quality, see the appropriate tables in Total 
  Warfare (see p. 273, TW).
  To use these RATs, first determine the appropriate unit type and 
  weight class for the force being generated from its description in the 
  Combatants section. Thenroll 2D6 on the unit type/weight class table to 
  obtain a random unit.
  Note: ’Mechs marked with an asterisk (*) indicate a quad design. 
  6
  
  A ChAnCeLLOR'S FATe
  A CHANCELLOR’S 
  FATE
  Chancellor Ilsa Liao’s plan was bold, possibly even genius. No military 
  planner would advise a smaller, weaker, poorly-supplied military to 
  invade a nation defended by forces that were the opposite in each 
  respect. Ilsa ignored that common wisdom in favor of an assault small 
  enough in scope to allow her meager military to reasonably take and 
  hold the worlds they would strike. The prize was Chesterton, but taking 
  that prize required secondary assaults to prevent the fearsome AFFS from 
  counterattacking quickly. If the AFFS weren’t fully occupied, the invasion 
  would be repelled in short order. Thus, the Chancellor needed to invade 
  worlds of lesser import than those she truly coveted. These attacks would 
  pin those worlds’ defenders in place and prevent reinforcement of her 
  primary target, allowing her troops to gain a foothold which might 
  enable them to repel a counterattack.
  The Chancellor stripped the Free Worlds League border to assemble 
  enough troops for her invasion. But she needed to demonstrate her faith 
  in the plan to the rank and file, and elected to lead one of the diversionary 
  raids herself. She would lead the assault on Orbisonia, a world unfamiliar 
  with the tread of BattleMechs engaged in combat.
  First Prince Paul Davion’s forces were deep into preparations for 
  Operation DAO, an invasion of the Confederation. However, his plans 
  were delayed in no small part by the loss of much of the Federated Suns’ 
  merchant fleet—redeploying dozens of RCTs required more JumpShips 
  than Davion had at his disposal. Often, portions of RCTs were moved at 
  a time, leaving each command spread piecemeal across multiple worlds. 
  Orbisonia was crucial to his operation, as the world had become a 
  reliable logistics hub where troops refitted and trained for the upcoming 
  invasion. The newly-arrived Fourteenth Avalon Hussars and Second Ceti 
  Hussars, however, were only beginning that process. Neither command 
  was wholly present on Orbisonia, with the other elements destined to 
  arrive “in due time,” and both units were caught completely unprepared 
  for the arrival of two Capellan regiments.
  The Red Lancers and Prefectorate Guard were reorganized at the 
  Chancellor’s explicit order, and their equipment was shipped to other 
  commands. In its place, the regiments filled their ranks almost entirely 
  with Marauders and Warhammers, a display of intimidation and firepower 
  nearly unprecedented since the SLDF broke apart.
  The Capellans made planetfall on 19 June 2828, after arriving at a pirate 
  point. Their BattleMechs executed a combat drop into the northern edge 
  of Harrison near an immense and well-stocked supply depot, placing 
  the city itself between the invaders and the Avalon Hussars. Only the 
  unblooded planetary militia stood in the invaders’ path; the slaughter 
  was total. The militia’s light ’Mechs, light vehicles, and foot infantry 
  mounted a laughable defense and were swept aside with no effort, 
  leaving salvage and valuable supplies for the Capellans. While the Red 
  Lancers moved into the city to engage the Hussars, their DropShip crews 
  loaded up all the supplies they could.
  The Fourteenth Avalon Hussars responded to the invasion with a 
  rapid deployment through the warrens of Harrison which nearly proved 
  their undoing. Unaware of the composition of the enemy forces, the 
  Fourteenth’s light and medium ’Mechs were overwhelmed by the 
  Lancers’ firepower. The lead elements of Marshal Nigel Sortek’s regiment 
  were obliterated, and seeing the disaster about to unfold, he gave the 
  wise but unpalatable order to withdraw. The wide avenues of the city, 
  often used to parade troops before deployment, provided excellent fire 
  lanes for the enemy’s heavy ’Mechs. The running fight through the city 
  claimed half his force, but his command was saved.
  While Sortek retreated, the Prefectorate Guard reboarded their 
  DropShips and executed a speedy redeployment three hundred 
  kilometers west. The city of Lancaster hosted Combat Command Alpha 
  of the Second Ceti Hussars, and the Chancellor did not wish to give the 
  Second time to mount a proper defense. The arrival of the Guard, with so 
  many heavy ’Mechs pouring particle beams into their ranks, soon put the 
  much lighter Ceti Hussars on the run.
  The pursuit of the two defending regiments lasted well into the night, 
  but the Chancellor could taste overwhelming victory. She contentedly 
  retired from the cockpit in the wee hours of 20 June but was awoken 
  shortly afterward with disastrous news. The Davion Assault Guards, 
  perhaps the most feared command in the entire Inner Sphere, had come 
  to Orbisonia. Unbeknownst to the Chancellor, the Guards were en route 
  to Orbisonia before her invasion even began, and their planned use of 
  a pirate point to make up for earlier delays allowed them to arrive on-
  world before the day was out. Ilsa Liao’s easy victory had died—now she 
  had to spare her troops the same fate. 
  She immediately ordered her DropShips to redeploy to a new 
  location; poring over the maps, she selected the Cretaceous Basin. It was 
  reachable from both cities where her forces were fighting, and it would 
  force the grounded Guards and both Hussars regiments to pursue her 
  forces through the deadly labyrinths of the Basin.
  The race was on. The speedy Hussars commands, mauled though they 
  were, harassed the invaders all the way to the basin. They slowed the 
  Capellan retreat enough for the slower Assault Guards to close in. At one 
  point, the Red Lancers resorted to the use of chemical weapons to break 
  the net thrown by the Fourteenth Avalon Hussars, eliminating almost all 
  of the Hussars’ conventional forces. Rather than dissuade further pursuit, 
  this act drove the Hussars to fanatical attacks.
  The battle for Orbisonia, already a foregone conclusion, ended in the 
  Cretaceous Basin as 23 June turned over to 24 June. While Ilsa and her 
  personal retinue fought a rearguard action, the other regiments made 
  good their escape. The Chancellor was not so fortunate. After rallying her 
  remaining troops with a rousing speech, Liao held firm in a bottleneck 
  of the coral maze. The chokepoint funneled the Davions toward them, 
  and the Capellans tore into them with devastating combined fire. But 
  the Assault Guards weathered the storm and engaged the Capellans 
  at point-blank range; none of the rearguard survived and Ilsa Liao 
  became the first Chancellor to be killed in combat. She was succeeded 
  by her daughter Laurelli, who abandoned the bold invasion. Instead, the 
  Confederation was forced onto the defensive for the rest of the Second 
  Succession War, as the Federated Suns adjusted their strategy after the 
  unexpected invasion. 
  7
  
  COMMAndeRS
  COMMANDERS
  ILSA LIAO
  Rank: Chancellor (Capellan Confederation)
  Born: 2783 (45 in 2828)
  Ilsa Liao was the granddaughter of Chancellor Barbara Liao. Ilsa’s 
  mother died in childbirth and her father, Balthazar, was among the 
  forces killed during the disastrous invasion of Calloway VI in 2787. The 
  orphaned heir was taken in by her grandmother, but when Barbara died 
  in 2795, Ilsa was still too young to ascend the throne. Instead, Prefect 
  Sandol Quinn of the Tikonov Commonality was installed as regent until 
  Ilsa turned 18. While Quinn spent his time on the frontlines of the First 
  Succession War, Ilsa learned to navigate Sian’s politics and developed 
  a personal distaste for combat during her brief command of a lance of 
  the Red Lancers. After taking the throne, Ilsa’s initial hopes for forging 
  peace eventually gave way to an unforgiving desire to restore the 
  Confederation. The aftermath of the First Succession War left her nation 
  all but crippled, and her effort to leverage enemy POWs in exchange for 
  materiel necessary to rebuild the CCAF failed miserably. After she began 
  executing the highest-ranking prisoners, First Prince Paul Davion’s tune 
  changed, and the Chancellor extorted considerable amounts of military 
  equipment from the Suns in exchange for those prisoners still living. She 
  won her victory, but earned further enmity from the hated Davions.
  When the Second Succession War broke out, Ilsa aimed to reclaim her 
  nation’s lost Chesterton Commonality worlds from the Federated Suns, 
  despite the poor state of the CCAF compared to the militaries of her 
  neighbors. Rather than wait for an invasion to come to her, she launched 
  one of her own. It was a strategically brilliant move that would prove 
  to be her undoing. Although she caught the AFFS by surprise, she ran 
  straight into the teeth of the forces planning to invade her own realm. Her 
  rallying cry on the Cretaceous Basin of Orbisonia inspired generations 
  of Capellan troops, but most would likely have preferred her continued 
  leadership to that of her daughter and son, as the Confederation suffered 
  greatly after Ilsa’s death.
  Skill: Veteran (3)
  BattleMech: Marauder MAD-2R
  Alpha Strike Data: Sniper, BM, Size: 3, MV: 8”, TMM: 1, S/M/L: 4/4/3, 
  OV0, A/S 7/6, Specials CASE, PV 40 (48)
  Special Pilot Abilities: Lucky (2) (see p. 54, Alpha Strike Companion or 
  p. 77, Campaign Operations) and Multi-Tasker (see p. 55, ASC or p. 78, CO).
  NIGEL SORTEK
  Rank: Marshal (Federated Suns)
  Born: 2778 (50 in 2828)
  Nigel Sortek rose quickly through the AFFS ranks during the First 
  Succession War, due as much to combat losses as to his skills both as a 
  MechWarrior and an administrator. Despite his strong desire to remain 
  in the Davion Brigade of Guards, he could not pass up the opportunity 
  to command an RCT. When such a post became available with the 
  Fourteenth Avalon Hussars, the Albion Military Academy graduate 
  pushed hard for the promotion. While Sortek was not the youngest 
  marshal in the AFFS at the time, he became the youngest to ever 
  command the Fourteenth.
  Nigel quickly realized the poor situation he had inherited; the 
  Fourteenth was a lackluster command compared to the Davion Guards. 
  Discipline was lacking, morale was low, and the Transportation and 
  Resupply Command kept the Fourteenth far down the priority list. He 
  immediately set about instilling a proper training regimen, and pushed 
  his troops through the rigors of simulated combat as though the enemy 
  were scratching at the borders.
  His efforts were beginning to bear fruit when preparations for 
  Operation DAO began and the Fourteenth was transferred from Breed to 
  Orbisonia for refit and staging. Only the unit’s ground forces had arrived 
  on-world when the Capellans invaded. Sortek trusted his methods, but 
  wasn’t yet sure he could trust his warriors. He didn’t really have any 
  choice in the matter.
  Skill: Elite (2)
  BattleMech: Marauder MAD-3R
  Alpha Strike Data: BM, Size: 3, MV: 8”, TMM: 1, S/M/L: 2/3/3, OV1, 
  A/S 6/6, Specials N/A, PV 35 (49)
  Special Pilot Abilities: Iron Will (see p. 54, ASC or p. 76, CO) and 
  Marksman (see p. 54, ASC or p. 77, CO).
  8
  
  COMBATAnTS
  COMBATANTS
  This section lists the combat units active on Orbisonia. The Experience 
  Level indicates which column to consult when using the Random Skills 
  Table (see p. 273, TW) for the combatants. 
  The RAT entry determines which Random Assignment Tables (see 
  Orbisonia, 2828 RAT, pg. 6) to consult if randomly determining a force. If 
  not using a player-defined unit from a campaign, use the Unit Generation 
  rules (see p. 264, TW). Capellan players roll on the Capellan Random 
  ’Mech Weight Classes table (p. 6) rather than the Random Weight-Class 
  Tables in TW. For the faction tables to roll from, locate the RAT entry for 
  each combatant. 
  If not using the Orbisonia, 2828 RAT, choose a variant appropriate for 
  the faction involved to give a specific flavor to the forces in play. Variants 
  dating to 2828 or earlier are recommended.
  RAT sources: First Succession War (1SW), Second Succession War (2SW)
  Unit Abilities are special game rules that apply to that unit in combat. 
  These rules are optional, and all players should agree to their use before 
  gameplay begins. The Notes section gives in-universe details on the 
  unit to help give players a “feel” for the command during the battles on 
  Orbisonia.
  Special Command Abilities can be found on p. 44, ASC or p. 83, CO 
  unless otherwise noted. 
  Prefectorate Guard 
  [Capellan Confederation]
  CO: Colonel Sable Ruetiger
  RAT: Capellan Confederation
  Notes: The Prefectorate Guard was 
  formed to safeguard the Capellan 
  Prefectorate and its families. It has seen 
  much less combat since its inception in 
  2532 than the rest of the CCAF, due to 
  the requirement that a majority vote 
  of the Prefectorate Council approve 
  its deployment elsewhere. Chancellor 
  Ilsa Liao, a member of this council, swayed the other voters to support 
  sending the Guard into the Federated Suns as part of Operation CELT. 
  Their approval was contingent upon her promise to accompany the 
  command, after filling its ranks with Marauders and Warhammers. It was 
  hoped that the overwhelming firepower provided would overcome the 
  command’s long-standing defensive specialization.
  Experience Level: Regular (4)
  Unit Composition: 1 heavy ’Mech regiment, 1 medium aerospace 
  fighter squadron, 1 Foot infantry company
  Special Rules: During combat on Orbisonia in 2828, at least two 
  lances of every company must be composed entirely of Marauders and 
  Warhammers. The overall ratio of Marauders to Warhammers should be 
  5 to 1. The other lances roll on the Random Capellan ’Mech Weight Class 
  Table, p. 6.
  Special Command Abilities: Tactical Specialization (Defense).
  Red Lancers [Capellan 
  Confederation]
  CO: Colonel Nikolai Yurchenko
  RAT: Capellan Confederation
  Notes: The Red Lancers were formed 
  in 2355 as the Second Hexare Lancers. 
  The unit was renamed the Red Lancers 
  after crushing the rebellious Merik’s 
  Grenadiers in 2452 and appointed as 
  the Chancellor’s bodyguard, a role it 
  has filled ever since. The Lancers are 
  most often deployed to Capella or Sian 
  in this capacity, but are also frequently sent to respond to Davion or 
  Marik incursions into Capellan space. They are among the CCAF’s elite 
  commands, a requirement for safeguarding the Chancellor.
  Experience Level: Elite (2)
  Unit Composition: 1 heavy ’Mech regiment
  Special Rules: During combat on Orbisonia in 2828, at least two 
  lances of every company must be composed entirely of Marauders and 
  Warhammers. The overall ratio of Marauders to Warhammers should be 
  5 to 1. The other lances roll on the Random Capellan ’Mech Weight Class 
  Table, p. 6.
  Special Command Abilities: Banking Initiative, Off-Map Movement, 
  Zone of Control.
  Chancellor’s Guard 
  [Capellan Confederation]
  CO: Captain Leticia Sanchez
  RAT: Capellan Confederation
  Notes: This detachment of the Red 
  Lancers accompanies the Chancellor of the 
  Capellan Confederation. They have access 
  to any equipment in the Confederation, but 
  when active with other forces, they match their 
  BattleMechs to the most common in those units. 
  On Orbisonia in 2828, the company consisted of ten Marauders and two 
  Warhammers. Every one of the Marauders was the same variant as the 
  Chancellor’s, and matched hers in colors, equipment, and condition.
  Experience Level: Elite (2) 
  Unit Composition: 1 heavy ’Mech company
  Special Rules: When two or more of the unit’s ’Mechs of the same 
  variant are adjacent to one another, the entire group (including the 
  Chancellor, if applicable) blends together to confuse incoming fire. 
  Opposing units add an additional +2 target movement modifier even if 
  the Guard units remain stationary. In addition, an adjacent unit may take 
  the damage in the location rolled instead of the unit that was actually 
  targeted. If using the Special Pilot Ability rules (see Campaign Operations, 
  p. 70, or Alpha Strike Companion, p. 49), each MechWarrior may choose 
  any SPAs in accordance with their Experience Level.
  Special Command Abilities: Esprit de Corps (see p. 89, Combat 
  Manual: Mercenaries), Focus (Sniper), Focus (Marksman).
  9
  
  COMBATAnTS
  Orbisonia Planetary Militia 
  [Federated Suns]
  CO: Colonel Salamander 
  Tykeer
  RAT: Federated Suns
  Notes: The Orbisonia 
  Planetary Militia is a typical 
  militia command composed 
  of local troops commanded by 
  AFFS retirees. The militia spends its time protecting supply dumps from 
  trespassers and smugglers; direct response to enemy aggression falls to 
  any AFFS regiments present and awaiting deployment. 
  Experience Level: Regular (4) 
  Unit Composition: 1 light ’Mech company, 1 light vehicle company, 1 
  foot infantry battalion
  Special Command Abilities: Regional Specialization (Orbisonia) (see 
  p. 85, Combat Manual: Kurita).
  Fourteenth Avalon Hussars 
  [Federated Suns]
  CO: Marshal Nigel Sortek
  RAT: Federated Suns
  Notes: The Fourteenth pursues its 
  operations with such reckless abandon that 
  the command is always understrength due 
  to combat losses. In addition, the Fourteenth 
  was critically short of operational jump jets 
  when the Capellans invaded, a supply issue 
  exacerbated by the planning of Operation 
  DAO, which shifted commands to new staging 
  areas before their supplies arrived. Finally, the Hussars aerospace assets 
  had yet to join the BattleMechs on Orbisonia when the Confederation’s 
  invasion force landed.
  Experience Level: Veteran (3) 
  Unit Composition: 2 medium ’Mech battalions, 2 medium vehicle 
  battalions, 2 infantry regiments
  Special Rules: During combat on Orbisonia in 2828, reduce all 
  Jumping Movement by half (rounding down).
  Special Command Abilities: Hit and Run (see p. 85, CM: Kurita), Rapid 
  Strike (see p. 85, CM: Kurita).
  Second Ceti Hussars 
  [Federated Suns]
  CO: Colonel Jezebel Pryce
  RAT: Federated Suns
  Notes: The Ceti Hussars were 
  formed as a combined-arms command 
  integrated below the regimental level. 
  The RCT consists of a trio of combat 
  commands, each built around a ’Mech 
  battalion. Each command also includes two vehicle battalions and two 
  infantry regiments. The Hussars’ fighter wing and artillery battalion are 
  independent subcommands that attach to any of the three combat 
  commands as needed.
  Combat Command Alpha is a flanking force which outmaneuvers 
  the enemy as the rest of the RCT closes in, preventing any solid defense 
  from materializing. Combat Command Bravo is composed of heavy 
  and assault units. Combat Command Charlie provides fire support and 
  presses the enemy in any conditions.
  Experience Level: Veteran (3) 
  Unit Composition: 3 Combat Commands, Heavy Aerospace Fighter 
  wing, Artillery battalion
  Special Rules: During combat on Orbisonia in 2828, reduce all Jumping 
  Movement by half (rounding down); in addition, only Combat Command 
  Alpha, without aerospace or artillery support, is available for play.
  Special Command Abilities: Combat Command A: Off-Map 
  Movement; Combat Command B: Brawlers; Combat Command C: Tactical 
  Specialization (Attack); Aerospace: Tactical Specialization (Dogfighting); 
  Artillery: Adjusting Fire.
  Davion Assault Guards
  [Federated Suns]
  CO: Marshal Cameron Baxter
  RAT: Federated Suns
  Notes: The Assault Guards RCT is built 
  around a four-battalion reinforced ’Mech 
  regiment, supported by fighter wings, 
  vehicle regiments, and infantry regiments. 
  Each subcommand is more than capable 
  of standing alone against any enemy. The 
  Crushers are the heaviest unit in the AFFS, and surprise enemies by 
  extracting greater speed from their massive units than opponents expect. 
  The Crushers assemble each unit type into groups of similar weapon 
  ranges; each unit type supports the others but remains separate in 
  battle. Subcommands use concentrated fire to pound powerful enemies 
  into dust, with entire companies sometimes firing on a single enemy 
  unit to demonstrate what fate awaits the rest. The artillery regiment 
  has two battalions of Long Toms to bottle up retreating enemies for 
  destruction by the advancing ’Mechs. The infantry units secure fallen 
  enemy ’Mechs—often after putting them down themselves.
  Experience Level: Veteran (3) 
  Unit Composition: Reinforced Assault ’Mech regiment, 3 Heavy 
  Aerospace Fighter wings, 4 Assault Vehicle regiments, 5 Infantry 
  regiments (2 Foot, 2 Motorized, 1 Jump), Artillery regiment
  Special Rules: Only the BattleMech regiment was present for combat 
  on Orbisonia in 2828.
  Special Command Abilities: Focus (Speed Demon), Tactical Experts 
  (Combined Fire), Ground Support Specialists, Overrun Combat.
  10
  
  TRACkS
  OVERMATCHED
  SITUATION
  Supply Depot 124KT
  Orbisonia
  Federated Suns
  19 June 2828
  The untested Orbisonia Planetary Militia spent its days patrolling supply depots until the Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation 
  came a’calling with two regiments. The militia’s troops aren’t exactly cowards, but their light ’Mechs, light tanks, and infantry were no 
  match for an advancing wall of heavy ’Mechs. Retreat was the only option. 
  GAME SETUP
  Recommended Terrain: Urban, Industrial
  Arrange the playing surface to include primarily urban and/or 
  industrial terrain, or select two mapsheets from the Urban column 
  of the Orbisonia Terrain Table (p. 5) and place them with their long 
  edges touching. The Defender places 2D6+10 single hex supply 
  counters (see Special Rules). The Defender chooses a home edge. 
  The opposite edge is the Attacker’s home edge.
  Attacker
  Recommended Forces: Prefectorate Guard
  The Attacker’s force is 100 percent of the Defender. The Attacker 
  enters via the Defender’s home edge and the two adjacent edges. 
  Defender
  Recommended Forces: Orbisonia Planetary Militia
  The Defenders are a combined-arms force of BattleMechs, ve-
  hicles, and infantry. The Defender may use up to the entire militia 
  force (see unit description, p. 10). The Defender deploys within 6” 
  or 3 hexes of the Attacker’s home edge.
   
  WARCHEST
  Track Cost: 500
  Optional Bonuses
  +500 Can’t You Count? Double the size of the opposing force.
  +500 Precious Supplies. The supplies cannot be risked; 
  units may not fire weapons into or through any supply counter.
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Run! (Defender Only) Exit units off the home edge. 
  [100 per unit]
  2. Hunt! (Attacker Only) Prevent enemy units from es-
  caping. [100 per unit destroyed/crippled]
  SPECIAL RULES
  The following rules are in effect for this track:
  Forced Withdrawal
  Both sides are operating under Forced Withdrawal 
  (see p. 258, TW or p. 27, AS).
  Supplies
  The supplies include non-hazardous materiel along with mu-
  nitions and other volatiles. Every time a weapon is fired into or 
  through a supply counter, the player controlling the firing unit 
  rolls 2D6. On an 8+, the supplies are destroyed in an explosion, 
  inflicting 10 damage within 2” or 1 hex of the supply counter. (If 
  using Total Warfare rules, apply 20 damage in 5-point groups.) Only 
  make this roll the first time a counter is fired through; if it does 
  not explode the first time, it never will. Remove any supply counter 
  that explodes. Supply counters may not be moved through by any 
  unit save infantry.
  AFTERMATH
  The Planetary Militia panicked when attacked by so many Ma-
  rauders and Warhammers. They tried to escape the Capellans, but 
  while the Prefectorate Guard drove into the depot, the Red Lancers 
  flanked the militia and exterminated them before they could flee.
  11
  
  TRACkS
  Paint the Town Red
  SITUATION
  Harrison
  Orbisonia
  Federated Suns
  19 June 2828
  From the supply depot, the Red Lancers pushed into the capital city, where the Fourteenth Avalon Hussars met them in the streets. 
  On paper, the Hussars’ light and medium ’Mechs were no match for the heavy ’Mechs of the Red Lancers. But the Hussars were made of 
  sterner stuff than the militia—they threw caution to the wind and themselves into the fray.
  GAME SETUP
  Recommended Terrain: Urban, Industrial
  Arrange the playing surface to produce congested urban terrain, 
  or select two mapsheets from the Urban column of the Orbisonia 
  Terrain Table (p. 5) and place them with their long edges touching. 
  The playing area should include a road network lined with build-
  ings of various sizes and types. The Attacker chooses a home edge. 
  The Defender’s home edge is the opposite edge.
  Attacker
  Recommended Forces: Fourteenth Avalon Hussars
  The Attacker’s force is 100 percent of the Defender and is limited 
  to BattleMechs only for this track. The Attacker’s units enter via 
  their home edge or either adjacent edge (within 6 hexes or 12” of 
  home edge) on Turn 1.
  Defender
  Recommended Forces: Red Lancers
  The Defender chooses any number of full lances for this battle. 
  The Defender’s units are deployed along their home edge prior to 
  play.
  WARCHEST
  Track Cost: 500
  Optional Bonuses
  +500 We Can Take Them! 
  Double the size of the enemy 
  force.
  +500 Limit Collateral Dam-
  age. Damage to buildings should 
  be avoided (see Special Rules). 
  [Reduce by 50 for each build-
  ing destroyed by that player’s 
  units]
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Overwhelm. Exit units off enemy’s home edge. [50 per unit]
  2. Exterminate. Destroy (not cripple or force to withdraw) 
  enemy units. [100 per unit]
  SPECIAL RULES
  The following rules are in effect for this track:
  Forced Withdrawal
  Both sides are operating under Forced Withdrawal (see p. 258, 
  TW or p. 27, AS).
  Buildings
  Harrison’s buildings are especially fragile. Any weapons fire 
  that misses its target will automatically strike the next building 
  in the line of fire, continuing along the straight line between the 
  attacker and the target. Apply the full damage for the weapon to 
  the building. 
  AFTERMATH
  The Avalon Hussars bravely engaged the Red Lancers, but their 
  bravery was not enough to overcome the invaders’ superior fire-
  power. Rather than lose his entire 
  command, Marshal Nigel Sortek 
  ordered his troops to retreat. They 
  rejoined their conventional forces 
  on the south side of Harrison and 
  withdrew in good order. Half the 
  Hussars’ BattleMechs were lost in 
  the action, while the Red Lancers 
  took hardly any casualties at all. 
  The battle for Orbisonia seemed 
  like a walk in the park for the 
  invaders.
  12
  
  TRACkS
  Ceti Twilight
  SITUATION
  Lancaster
  Orbisonia
  Federated Suns
  19 June 2828
  The Ceti Hussars were completely unprepared for the Prefectorate Guard’s arrival, having only just received word of the Capellan 
  landings and their engagement with the planetary militia. The Hussars were regrouping their distant units from a training operation 
  when sensors detected the Guard’s dropping BattleMechs. Now the Hussars were spread out and facing the serious threat of piecemeal 
  extermination.
  GAME SETUP
  Recommended Terrain: Wilderness, Urban
  Arrange the playing surface to have a mix of varying wilderness 
  terrain on one end and urban terrain on the other, or select one 
  mapsheet from the Urban column of the Orbisonia Terrain Table 
  (p. 5) and one mapsheet from the Wilderness column and place 
  them with their long edges touching. If using terrain, place build-
  ings of various sizes and types throughout the urban portion of the 
  map. The Defender’s home edge is the urban edge; the Attacker’s 
  home edge is the opposite.
  Attacker
  Recommended Forces: Prefectorate Guard
  The Attacker’s force is 100 percent of the Defender. The Attacker 
  enters via their home edge on Turn 1. 
  Defender
  Recommended Forces: Second Ceti Hussars
  The Defender deploys on the map prior to the start of play. 
  Deployed units must be combined arms, integrating BattleMechs, 
  vehicles, and foot infantry platoons (player may choose equal 
  numbers of platoons of varying foot infantry types) at the com-
  pany level. The Defender’s units must be placed at least 12 hexes 
  or 24” from their home edge.
  WARCHEST
  Track Cost: 500
  Optional Bonuses
  +500 Too Many! Double the size of the enemy force.
  +500 Decapitate. Each side declares (and reveals to the oppos-
  ing player) one BattleMech to be their regimental commander; 
  the opposing side must destroy or cripple the commander’s unit. 
  If either side loses their commander, they suffer a –4 modifier to 
  all Initiative rolls for the remainder of the game. This modifier is 
  removed if the other side’s commander is destroyed, crippled, or 
  exits the battlefield.
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Control the Field. Control the battlefield at the end of the 
  battle (by having more active units when players agree to end the 
  battle). [750]
  2. Intel Source. Capture at least one enemy for interrogation. 
  This is accomplished by disabling or crippling an enemy unit 
  before Turn 12, and keeping a friendly unit adjacent to it for the 
  duration of the battle (to prevent its pilot or crew from escaping). 
  [500]
  3. Kill or Be Killed. Destroy enemy units. [100 per unit]
  SPECIAL RULES
  The following rules are in effect for this track:
  Forced Withdrawal
  Both sides are operating under Forced Withdrawal (see p. 258, 
  TW or p. 27, AS).
  AFTERMATH
  The Prefectorate Guards’ surprise was not complete, but it was 
  close to it. The Second Ceti Hussars could not hold against such 
  overwhelming firepower; however, they stalled the Prefectorate 
  Guard long enough for their command elements to evacuate 
  Lancaster proper, but little longer than that. They abandoned 
  their DropShips, supplies, and much of their support elements. 
  The Prefectorate Guard slowed their pursuit to secure the Hussars’ 
  headquarters, allowing the Hussars to regroup in the wilderness, 
  but without supplies to effect repairs. The Guard was confident of 
  eradicating the Hussars if they could force them into open combat.
  13
  
  TRACkS
  Harrison Press
  SITUATION
  Harrison
  Orbisonia
  Federated Suns
  20 June 2828
  The Red Lancers refused to ease up as they pursued the Fourteenth Avalon Hussars through Harrison. On the southern outskirts of 
  the city, the Fourteenth rallied to meet the threat and buy time for their nearby headquarters to evacuate. The Lancers saw the prize and 
  pushed even harder to reach it.
  GAME SETUP
  Recommended Terrain: Urban, Wilderness
  Arrange the playing surface to have a mix of varying wilderness 
  terrain on one end and urban terrain on the other, or select one 
  mapsheet from the Urban column of the Orbisonia Terrain Table 
  (p. 5) and one mapsheet from the Wilderness column and place 
  them with their long edges touching. If using terrain, place build-
  ings of various sizes and types throughout the urban portion of 
  the map. The Defender’s home edge is the wilderness edge; the 
  Attacker’s home edge is the opposite. 
  Attacker
  Recommended Forces: Red Lancers
  The Attacker’s force is 100 percent of the Defender. The Attack-
  er’s units enter the map on Turn 1 via their home edge. Units which 
  did not participate in “Paint the Town Red” must mark off damage 
  in all locations except the head equal to one-tenth their armor rat-
  ing in those locations, rounding down (infantry units must reduce 
  their number of troops per platoon by one-tenth). Units present 
  for that engagement will enter play in the condition in which they 
  concluded that game; no repairs will be possible between battles.
  Defender
  Recommended Forces: Fourteenth Avalon Hussars
  The Defender’s BattleMechs are placed on the map before Turn 
  1, within 4 hexes or 8” of the Attacker’s home edge. Units which 
  did not participate in “Paint the Town Red” must mark off damage 
  in all locations except the head equal to one-fourth their armor 
  rating in those locations, rounding down (infantry units must 
  reduce their number of troops per platoon by one-fourth). Units 
  present for that engagement will enter play in the condition in 
  which they concluded that game; no repairs will be possible 
  between battles. Non-BattleMech units may be placed across 
  the playing surface at its mid-point, or within one hex of where 
  the mapsheets are joined. Only one-quarter (rounding down) of 
  these conventional forces may be placed as Hidden Units, due to 
  lack of time to prepare concealing positions. The Defender must 
  also include one Mobile HQ unit, which does not count toward 
  the attacking force’s size and must be deployed with the other 
  conventional units at the middle of the playing surface.
  WARCHEST
  Track Cost: 750
  Optional Bonuses
  +500 Weight of Numbers. Double the size of the enemy force.
  +500 Headhunting. Each side declares (and reveals to the op-
  posing player) one BattleMech to be their regimental commander; 
  the opposing side must destroy or cripple the commander’s unit. 
  If either side loses their commander, they suffer a –4 modifier to 
  all Initiative rolls for the remainder of the game. This modifier is 
  removed if the other side’s commander is destroyed, crippled, or 
  exits the battlefield.
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Now or Never. Destroy enemy units. [50 per unit destroyed]
  2. Stem the Tide. Prevent enemy units from exiting via the De-
  fender’s home edge. [100 per unit]
  3. Target of Opportunity. The Attacker must destroy or cripple 
  the Mobile HQ; the Defender must exit the Mobile HQ from the 
  map via the Defender’s home edge. [500]
  SPECIAL RULES
  The following rules are in effect for this track:
  Forced Withdrawal
  The Attacker is operating under Forced Withdrawal (see p. 258, 
  TW or p. 27, AS). The Defender is not operating under Forced With-
  drawal until the Mobile HQ exits via home edge or is destroyed or 
  crippled.
  Moonless Night
  This battle takes place at night; use the rules for Moonless Night 
  (see p. 58, TO or pp. 92-95, AS).
  AFTERMATH
  The Fourteenth Avalon Hussars narrowly escaped destruction 
  outside Harrison. Their skirmish line held long enough for the Hus-
  sars headquarters section to slip into the wilderness, but it cost the 
  command half their BattleMechs. The conventional elements were 
  more fortunate, being further back from the line of battle. The 
  Red Lancers, however, came through with very few losses. Rather 
  than halting the attack and consolidating their hold on Harrison, 
  they saw blood in the water, and the pursuit was on. However, by 
  morning, word came that the Davion Assault Guards had arrived 
  in-system and were burning hard for Orbisonia. The Chancellor 
  called for all Capellan forces to withdraw to the Cretaceous Basin. 
  It would be a long, difficult march for the heavy ’Mechs.
  14
  
  TRACkS
  Turnabout Intruders
  SITUATION
  Jackal Forest
  Orbisonia
  Federated Suns
  20 June 2828
  The Prefectorate Guards received word of the Davion Assault Guards’ imminent arrival while in hot pursuit of the Second Ceti Hussars 
  in the wilderness outside Lancaster. New orders soon arrived to disengage and head overland to the rendezvous in the distant Creta-
  ceous Basin. Though excellent combat ’Mechs, Warhammers and Marauders are sorry sprinters, and the Ceti Hussars were not content to 
  let the Capellans simply turn and depart. Deep in the forest, the hunters had become the hunted.
  GAME SETUP
  Recommended Terrain: Wilderness
  Arrange the playing surface so that at least half is forested, or se-
  lect two mapsheets from the Wilderness column of the Orbisonia 
  Terrain Table (p. 5) and place them with their short edges touching. 
  The map should be long and narrow with no roads, paved hexes, 
  buildings, or other signs of civilization. The Defender chooses a 
  home edge; the Attacker’s home edge is the opposite edge.
  Attacker
  Recommended Forces: Second Ceti Hussars
  The Attacker’s force is 300 percent of the Defender; one-third 
  of the Attacker’s units must be vehicles, and one-third must be 
  infantry (player may choose any variety of foot infantry platoons). 
  The Attacker enters via their home edge on Turn 1. Units which 
  did not participate in “Ceti Twilight” must mark off damage in all 
  locations except the head equal to one-third their armor rating in 
  those locations, rounding down (infantry units must reduce their 
  number of troops per platoon by one-fourth). Units present for 
  that engagement will enter play in the condition in which they 
  concluded that game; no repairs will be possible between battles. 
  Defender
  Recommended Forces: Prefectorate Guard
  The Defender deploys within 4 hexes or 8” of the Attacker’s 
  home edge. Units which did not participate in “Ceti Twilight” must 
  mark off damage in all locations except the head equal to one-
  fifth their armor rating in those locations, rounding down (infantry 
  units must reduce their number of troops per platoon by one-
  fourth). Units present for that engagement will enter play in the 
  condition in which they concluded that game; no repairs will be 
  possible between battles. The Defender’s force should consist of 
  at least one company of BattleMechs, but the entirety of the Guard 
  that survived prior tracks is available. This company includes two 
  medium lances, each of which includes at least one Hunchback 
  (from the available variants in the Random Assignment Table, p.  6) 
  and one RFL-3N Rifleman. See Special Rules for these lances.
  WARCHEST
  Track Cost: 500
  Optional Bonuses
  +1000 Wildfire. A naturally-occurring forest fire is burning 
  through the playing area (see p. 43, TO or p. 100, AS). The fire is 
  contained to the half of the map with the Defender’s home edge. 
  Assume Wind Force 1 toward the Defender’s home edge, with no 
  direction changes. 
  +500 This Is the Pits. The ground in this region is unstable. Fis-
  sures might open up under any unit at any time (see p. 93, AS, or 
  use the fissure segment of the Earthquake rules, p. 55, CO). Roll for a 
  fissure to open under any vehicle or BattleMech at the end of every 
  Movement phase.
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Thin Their Numbers. Destroy or cripple enemy units. [100 
  per unit]
  2. Cut Them Off (Attacker Only). Prevent the Defender’s units 
  from exiting via their home edge. [100 per unit that does not 
  escape]
  3. Live to Fight Another Day (Defender Only). Exit units off 
  map via home edge. [100 per unit that escapes]
  4. Make or Break. The Defender must keep the Support Lances 
  (see below) at the rear of the formation for the entire battle. If they 
  break and run (per Forced Withdrawal rules), the Attacker com-
  pletes this objective. [200 per lance]
  SPECIAL RULES
  The following rules are in effect for this track:
  Forced Withdrawal
  The Attacker is operating under Forced Withdrawal (see p. 258, 
  TW or p. 27, AS). Only part of the Defender’s force is operating 
  under Forced Withdrawal (see Supporting Lances, below).
  Supporting Lances
  The Defender’s force includes two lances as described above. 
  These lances are the rearguard for the Marauders and Warhammers 
  and must be deployed at the rear (at least 1 hex or 2” away) of the 
  Defender’s force to start the battle. These units must remain at the 
  rear of the formation as long as possible.
  AFTERMATH
  The fighting in the Jackal Forest was savage, and while the 
  Capellans fled, they were hardly broken. The Ceti Hussars pushed 
  hard, but the Guard’s well-organized retreat didn’t turn into a rout, 
  aside from a few rearguard lances which broke under fire. The re-
  maining Capellans still possessed superior firepower, and simply 
  adjusted their deployment accordingly.
  15
  
  TRACkS
  Death Grip
  SITUATION
  Western Suburbs of Harrison
  Orbisonia
  Federated Suns
  21 June 2828
  The Red Lancers surprised the Fourteenth Avalon Hussars by inexplicably stopping their advance and withdrawing from battle. The 
  Hussars, never ones to let opportunity slip away, ignored their fatigue and damage, and struck at the retreating Capellans. Little did they 
  know the lengths the Capellans would go to in their escape.
  GAME SETUP
  Recommended Terrain: Urban, Wilderness
  Arrange the playing surface to be twice as long as it is wide and 
  represent urban terrain on one side, changing to forested terrain 
  on the other; or select one mapsheet from the Urban column of 
  the Orbisonia Terrain Table (p. 5) and one mapsheet from the Wil-
  derness column and place them with their short edges touching. 
  Place buildings of varying type and size on the urban side of the 
  playing surface. The Defender’s home edge is the short edge in 
  the forested portion of the map; the Attacker’s home edge is the 
  opposite edge.
  Attacker
  Recommended Forces: Fourteenth Avalon Hussars
  The Attacker’s force is 300 percent of the Defender. The At-
  tacker’s BattleMech units enter the map via their home edge on 
  Turn 1. The Attacker’s vehicle units are placed on the map along 
  the Defender’s home edge prior to Turn 1. At least two-thirds of the 
  Attacker’s force must be non-BattleMech units. Units which did not 
  participate in previous tracks must mark off damage in all locations 
  except the head equal to one-half their armor rating in those loca-
  tions, rounding down; vehicle units must mark off damage equal 
  to one-third their armor rating in all locations, rounding up. Units 
  present during prior engagements will enter play in the condition 
  in which they concluded those games; no repairs will be possible 
  between battles. 
  Defender
  Recommended Forces: Red Lancers
  The Defender deploys along the Attacker’s home edge prior 
  to the start of play. The Defender’s forces should include at least 
  one company of BattleMechs. Units which did not participate in 
  prior tracks must mark off damage in all locations except the head 
  equal to one-fourth their armor rating in those locations, rounding 
  down. Units present during prior engagements will enter play in 
  the condition in which they concluded those games; no repairs will 
  be possible between battles. 
  WARCHEST
  Track Cost: 1000
  Optional Bonuses
  +500 In the Dark. This battle takes place at night (use Moonless 
  Night rules; see p. 58, TO and pp. 92-95, AS).
  +500 Mismatch. Double the size of the enemy force.
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Retreat (Defender Only). Exit all units off the Defender’s 
  home edge before Turn 15. [100 per unit]
  2. Prevent Retreat (Attacker Only). Prevent the Defender’s units 
  from exiting via their home edge before Turn 15. [100 per unit]
  3. Parting Shots. Destroy or cripple enemy units. [100 per unit 
  destroyed/crippled]
  SPECIAL RULES
  The following rules are in effect for this track:
  Forced Withdrawal
  At the beginning of the track, the Attacker is operating under 
  Forced Withdrawal (see p. 258, TW or p. 27, AS). However, after 
  any of the Attacker’s units are destroyed by a chemical weapon 
  attack, the Attacker’s BattleMechs are no longer subject to Forced 
  Withdrawal.
  Chemical Weapons
  The Red Lancers have acquired missiles equipped with chemical 
  warheads from Supply Depot 124KT. Every one of the Defender’s 
  BattleMechs equipped with LRMs or SRMs replaces one ton of 
  ammo with these missiles; each ton is sufficient to fire chemical 
  weapons from the launcher three times. Enemy units cannot be 
  directly targeted; instead, the player using this ammo type must 
  select a hex or point on the map. A standard attack roll is made; 
  if unsuccessful, the weapon fails to explode and thus the attack is 
  wasted. If the attack succeeds, chemical gas immediately disperses 
  from the impact site, filling that hex and each adjacent hex or a 
  region 6” in diameter. All non-BattleMech units within this area of 
  effect, or which later pass through it, must immediately roll 2D6 to 
  survive the gas, succeeding on an 11+. Units which fail this roll are 
  considered destroyed. The area of effect lasts until the third End 
  Phase after the gas is deployed; the gas does not expand beyond 
  its initial area of effect. 
  AFTERMATH
  The Fourteenth Avalon Hussars thought they had the withdraw-
  ing Red Lancers contained after sending speedy hovercraft to cut 
  off the Lancers’ line of retreat—until the Capellans resorted to the 
  use of chemical weapons. The Hussars’ conventional units were 
  devastated. The toxin cleared a path for the Lancers to escape, but 
  the Hussars would never forgive such an attack—they demanded 
  vengeance.
  TRACkS
  16
  
  TRACkS
  We Meet Again
  SITUATION
  Edge of Cretaceous Basin
  Orbisonia
  Federated Suns
  22 June 2828
  The remaining Capellan troops embarked on a cross-country forced march which took more than a day. Finally, the Cretaceous Basin 
  was in sight, and the Red Lancers and Prefectorate Guard linked back up. But the Davion Assault Guards had dropped their troops on 
  the heels of the fleeing Liao units, while the Second Ceti Hussars and rabid Fourteenth Avalon Hussars had no intention of allowing the 
  Chancellor’s retreat to be an easy one.
  GAME SETUP
  Recommended Terrain: Wilderness, Moonscape
  Arrange the playing surface so that half is forested wilderness 
  and half is moonscape to represent the edge of the Cretaceous 
  Basin, or select one mapsheet from the Wilderness column of the 
  Orbisonia Terrain Table (p. 5) and one mapsheet from the Moon-
  scape column and place them with their long edges touching. In 
  the moonscape portion of the playing surface, place large, Level 
  10 obstacles throughout; these may be round columns occupying 
  a small (1 hex or 2”) footprint, or long walls creating a labyrinth. 
  The Attacker and Defender alternate placing these obstacles until 
  the Defender chooses to end the placement. The Attacker’s home 
  edge is the forested edge; the Defender’s home edge is the moon-
  scape edge.
  Attacker
  Recommended Forces: Second Ceti Hussars, Fourteenth Avalon 
  Hussars, Davion Assault Guards
  The Attacker’s force is 100 percent of the Defender. At least 
  half of Attacker’s force is from the two Hussars regiments. Hus-
  sars units enter the map via their home edge on Turn 1. Davion 
  Assault Guards units enter via home edge on Turn 3. All Hussars 
  units which did not participate in previous tracks must mark off 
  damage in all locations (except the head) equal to two-thirds 
  their armor rating in those locations, rounding down. Ceti Hus-
  sars infantry units which did not participate in prior tracks must 
  reduce the number of troops per platoon by one-half. Units pres-
  ent during prior engagements will enter play in the condition in 
  which they concluded those games; no repairs will be possible 
  between battles.
  Defender
  Recommended Forces: Red Lancers, Prefectorate Guard
  The Defender’s units are placed on the map along Attacker’s 
  home edge prior to Turn 1. Defender includes at least one compa-
  ny of BattleMechs from each command. Reduce armor of all units 
  from both commands by one-third (round down) in all locations 
  for units not played in prior tracks; units which did appear in prior 
  tracks should be in the condition at the end of their last combat 
  appearance.
  WARCHEST
  Track Cost: 1000
  Optional Bonuses
  +500 Baptism of Hate. The battle takes place during a torrential 
  downpour (see p. 59, TO or p. 95, AS).
  +500 The Flood. Double the size of the enemy force.
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Limit Losses (Defender Only). Exit units via Defender’s home 
  edge. [100 per unit]
  2. Cut Them Off (Attacker Only). Prevent the Defender’s units 
  from exiting via their home edge. [100 per unit]
  3. Reap the Harvest. Destroy/cripple enemy units. [50 per unit]
  SPECIAL RULES
  The following rules are in effect for this track:
  Forced Withdrawal
  The Attacker’s forces are operating under Forced Withdrawal (see 
  p. 258, TW or p. 27, AS), with the exception of Fourteenth Avalon 
  Hussars units.
  AFTERMATH
  The invaders had fared exceptionally well in their prior engage-
  ments, but the Davion Assault Guards took a toll on the retreating 
  Capellans. Even so, the majority of the Liao troops slipped away 
  while others held the Davion forces back. But the Chancellor’s 
  forces weren’t out of danger yet, and their DropShips were still 
  some distance away. The Davion regiments regrouped quickly and 
  renewed their pursuit.
  17
  
  TRACkS
  ILsa’s 
  Last Stand
  SITUATION
  Cretaceous Basin
  Orbisonia
  Federated Suns
  24 June 2828
  The Chancellor issued orders for all her troops to 
  retreat with full haste—they were not to engage the 
  enemy, only to flee for their DropShips. Troops streamed to their 
  DropShips through the day on 23 June, but as night fell, too many 
  more still struggled to escape the Davion forces. In the pre-dawn 
  hours, Ilsa and her personal guard, untouched by the earlier battles, 
  elected to hold the way open and stop the Davion forces from cutting 
  the retreating troops to pieces—they vowed to hold, no matter the cost.
  GAME SETUP
  Recommended Terrain: Open Terrain, Moonscape
  Arrange a rectangular playing surface, or select one mapsheet 
  from the Wilderness column of the Orbisonia Terrain Table (p. 5) 
  and one mapsheet from the Moonscape column and place them 
  with their short edges touching. The Defender chooses one short 
  edge as their home edge; the opposite edge is the Attacker’s 
  home edge. Arrange terrain to create a choke point with an 
  opening 13 hexes or 26” wide. The terrain on either side should 
  be high enough to prevent any unit from jumping over it. Ad-
  ditional obstacles should be placed by the Defender in the first 
  quarter of the playing surface, beginning at the Attacker’s home 
  edge. Terrain on the other side of the choke point should be clear. 
  Attacker
  Recommended Forces: Fourteenth Avalon Hussars, Second Ceti 
  Hussars, Davion Assault Guards
  All units enter via the Attacker’s home edge. Surviving Avalon 
  and Ceti Hussars ’Mechs, maintaining all damage from prior 
  battles, may be used in this track. One lance of Hussars may move 
  onto the map starting on Turn 1, and one additional lance per 
  turn thereafter. The Davion Assault Guards may move one lance 
  onto the map per turn beginning on Turn 5. The Attacker’s force is 
  composed of Avalon and Ceti Hussars units equal to the number 
  of Red Lancer and Prefectorate Guard units in the Defender’s force, 
  and Davion Assault Guards equal to the number of Chancellor’s 
  Personal Guard units. All Hussars units which did not participate 
  in previous tracks must mark off damage in all locations except 
  the head equal to two-thirds their armor rating in those locations, 
  rounding down. Units present during prior engagements will enter 
  play in the condition in which they concluded those games; no 
  repairs will be possible between battles.
  Defender
  Recommended Forces: Red Lancers, Prefectorate Guard, Chancel-
  lor’s Personal Guard
  Red Lancers and Prefectorate Guard BattleMechs are placed on 
  the Attacker’s home edge before Turn 1. All units that will not fit on 
  the map edge must enter the map 
  via the Attacker’s home edge on Turn 
  1. These units all operate under Forced 
  Withdrawal and may only exit the map 
  via Defender’s home edge. The Chancellor’s 
  Personal Guard is placed in the opening of the choke point; they 
  will block enemy units from passing but allow allied units to pass. 
  The Defender must note which unit represents Chancellor Ilsa Liao, 
  but need not reveal that unit to the Attacker. All Red Lancers and 
  Prefectorate Guard units which did not participate in previous 
  tracks must mark off damage in all locations except the head equal 
  to half their armor rating in those locations, rounding down. Units 
  present during prior engagements will enter play in the condition 
  in which they concluded those games; no repairs will be possible 
  between battles.
  WARCHEST
  Track Cost: 1000
  Optional Bonuses
  +500 Stop the Tide? Increase the number of enemy’s Guard 
  units by half. (Applies to Davion Assault Guards or Chancellor’s 
  Personal Guard only.)
  +500 Dust to Dust. Dust clouds obscure targeting; reduce all 
  weapon ranges/brackets by half (rounding down).
  OBJECTIVES
  1. Hounds (Attacker Only). Destroy/cripple fleeing enemy 
  units. [100 per unit]
  2. Foxes (Defender Only). Exit Red Lancer and Prefectorate 
  Guard units off the Defender’s home edge. [100 per unit]
  3. Guard on Guard. Destroy/cripple all Davion Assault Guards 
  (Defender only) or Chancellor’s Personal Guard units (Attacker 
  only). [200 per unit]
  SPECIAL RULES
  The following rules are in effect for this track:
  18
  
  TRACkS
  Night Turns to Day
  This battle begins at night (see rules for Moonless Night, p. 58, TO 
  or p. 95, AS). Beginning on Turn 6, use the rules for Dawn (see p. 58, 
  TO or p. 92, AS).
  Forced Withdrawal
  The Attacker is operating under Forced Withdrawal (see p. 258, 
  TW or p. 27, AS). The Defender’s Red Lancers and Prefectorate 
  Guard units are also operating under Forced Withdrawal. However, 
  the Chancellor and her personal guard are not.
  Inspiration
  Starting in Turn 5, the Defender may roll 2D6 in each End Phase 
  during which Ilsa is still alive. On a roll of 8+, she has given her 
  rallying speech and inspired her personal guard. These Mech-
  Warriors may choose one additional SPA from any source for the 
  remainder of the battle. They also ignore heat effects to targeting 
  and potential shutdown (save automatic shutdown). The speech 
  may only be given one time, so no additional rolls take place after 
  a successful roll.
  AFTERMATH
  Chancellor Ilsa Liao sold her life dearly, as more than 80 per-
  cent of the Red Lancers and Prefectorate Guard BattleMechs 
  reached their DropShips and escaped Orbisonia. However, she 
  and her entire personal guard were killed delaying the Davion As-
  sault Guards, making her the first Chancellor to die in battle. Her 
  exhortations over an open comm channel not only steeled her 
  fellow rearguard in the face of certain death, but also bolstered 
  the morale of those whose retreat she was protecting. The Red 
  Lancers were so inspired by her final words they became known 
  as the Red Heart Guard, striving to embody her sentiment and 
  earn the sacrifice she made for them. The Second Succession War 
  would not proceed as Ilsa had hoped with her surprise invasion. 
  While she disrupted the large-scale invasion First Prince Paul Da-
  vion was planning, his ensuing scaled-down efforts were largely 
  successful thanks to the heavy losses Ilsa’s invading forces suf-
  fered. The worlds he went on to seize remained in Davion hands 
  for generations to come.
  19
  
  Cretaceous Basin
  Orbisonia
  Federated Suns
  24 June 2828
  The ancient ocean floor had been dry since dinosaurs walked the surface 
  of Terra. Massive fossilized coral monoliths loomed over the heads of the 
  BattleMechs waging war in thoroughfares formed through millennia of 
  erosion. The light and medium ’Mechs of the Avalon and Ceti Hussars 
  darted between the heavier ’Mechs of the fleeing Red Lancers and Pre-
  fectorate Guard, delaying their retreat. The slower ’Mechs of the Davion 
  Assault Guards were coming, doom incarnate.
  Chancellor Ilsa Liao absorbed the changing tableau as it swam before 
  her. The supreme ruler of the Capellan Confederation had erred on a truly 
  grand scale—the simple diversionary effort she envisaged had become a 
  rout. Instead of preventing the Davion forces on Orbisonia from reinforc-
  ing their beleaguered comrades on Chesterton, reinforcements came to 
  Orbisonia.
  She calmly directed a stream of explosive shells from her Marauder’s 
  autocannon, taking the leg off an enemy ’Mech. The Ceti Hussars Phoenix 
  Hawk cartwheeled along the basin surface, smashing hard into a coral 
  column. It did not stir. Ilsa was too exhausted to smile. Instead, she 
  pivoted on her left foot, stepping back and clearing a space for another 
  lance of Prefectorate Guard ’Mechs to file past. A Warhammer shouldered 
  her aside in haste, but there was no apology, no recrimination. No insult 
  was either intended or taken. She knew the MechWarrior was simply 
  following her orders. Retreat at all costs. Do not slow, do not stop, do 
  not engage the enemy. Flee for safe haven in the protective umbrella 
  of the Capellan DropShips. She glanced at the compressed rear view on 
  her screen. The symmetric lumps eclipsing even the gargantuan coral 
  formations called to her.
  She resisted the siren call. Her duty was to save those she had endan-
  gered with her own shortsightedness. Ilsa was not alone: the twelve 
  BattleMechs of her personal guard stood with her. She had ordered them 
  to withdraw, too. Captain Leticia Sanchez mistuned her comm system 
  and replied amidst the static, “Say again, say again, did not copy. Comms 
  are being jammed.” Ilsa loved her for that loyalty and selflessness. The 
  thirteen Capellans had not yielded a centimeter since taking position in 
  a bottleneck between two skyscraping towers of prehistoric death. The 
  labyrinth of obstacles terminated at these coral gateposts, leaving open 
  ground beyond, over which retreating ’Mechs streamed unimpeded.
  The fast ’Mechs of the two Hussars regiments were ideal for reconnais-
  sance and pursuit, but they dared not assault the line of Warhammers 
  and Marauders arrayed along the breadth of the narrow pass. Any who 
  were fixed on their quarry joined others foolish enough to try to breach 
  the Chancellor’s line in death. Heaps of enemy ’Mechs had accumulated 
  over a wide stretch. The legacy of warfare was writ large on the blasted 
  landscape, the carcasses of modern combat fouling footing and forming 
  new obstacles for those yet to come.
  A wave of dust blew past her cockpit from the rear. A tremor shook her 
  Marauder just before the sound of enormous engines heralded the liftoff 
  of another of her DropShips. She sighed, knowing another group was 
  safely away. Her relief was short-lived.
  Through the dust cloud, Ilsa spotted a flash of royal blue broken by 
  vertical red and white stripes. A chill ran down her spine. The Assault 
  Guards had arrived.
  They were the most feared formation of the Federated Suns military. 
  Every BattleMech an assault-class behemoth. Every MechWarrior among 
  the best of the best of any nation. Their presence lent an indefinable 
  note to the feel of the battle. Her loyal troops coaxed additional speed 
  from their fleeing ’Mechs. The enemy Hussars found greater boldness, 
  slashing closer and closer to the coral gate, daring the rearguard to break 
  formation. She destroyed a pair of Wasps in Avalon Hussars colors, which 
  disappeared into the mounds of shattered ’Mechs.
  She wanted to flee. The specters of Davion indomitability instilled 
  fear even to the dust of shattered coral. A fell wind blew the basin clear, 
  revealed the serried ranks of encroaching death. She thought of her par-
  ents, whom she had never truly known, and of her mentor, Sandol Quinn. 
  What might they think of her fear of the enemy? She steeled herself. If 
  she were afraid, so too would her guardians be.
  Another company of Red Lancers crossed the gate and fled apace. She 
  had led them here. This was her doing. Even those who survived might 
  be forever broken by this defeat. She knew what she had to do.
  Ilsa toggled her comm system, selecting the allied open channel. “Long 
  ago on Terra, an ancient king had his throne placed on the seashore. He 
  commanded the incoming tide to halt. However, as he had known it would, 
  the tide rose in defiance of his futile orders, soaking him to the bone in 
  full view of his court. He stood tall among them and announced, ‘See the 
  power of a king? There is none who can counter the wishes of He that made 
  Heaven, Earth, and Sea!’ No king of ancient Terra could stop the tides. But 
  we are no longer bound to Terra! Nature has been conquered on every 
  world of the Inner Sphere and beyond!” She thrust out the left arm pod 
  of her Marauder towards the advancing Davion Guard. “See, now, the tide 
  approaches! This coral gate is the shoreline! King Cnut failed to compel the 
  tide to stop! We shall be more persuasive! This is the Red Line! They shall not 
  cross it while we yet live! Show them how real warriors fight! Show them 
  your hearts! For we are the beating red heart of the Confederation! None 
  shall pass while the Red Heart beats on! Here we stand! And here they die!”
  So saying, she leveled both arms at an Atlas striding forward at the 
  limit of her weapons’ effective range. Ilsa held still for an instant, steady-
  ing her aim against the pounding of her heart. She fired. Two coruscating 
  blue bolts sped into the distance. The Atlas staggered, its death’s-head 
  canopy sundered by particles moving at relativistic speeds. It crashed to 
  the stone underfoot, another casualty of the pursuit.
  Ilsa wanted to keep shouting, but she knew she didn’t need to. She 
  could see the tail end of the retreat. Few were left and those who strug-
  gled on were being systematically cut down. The last stragglers passed 
  the coral gate. They were heavily damaged and could not cross the basin 
  before being caught.
  She had a choice. Join the retreat, or stand and fight. A glance into the 
  rear view made the choice for her. The stragglers were tens of minutes 
  from reaching the DropShips. If the rearguard left the gateway, the Hus-
  sars would further hamstring the escapees. They would all be doomed. 
  There was no real choice after all.
  She stopped firing for a moment and looked out her canopy windows. 
  First left, then right. She took in the moment. The primitive beauty of 
  the landscape, the settling dust from another DropShip lifting off, the 
  searing light from her allies’ lasers, the curling contrails from their mis-
  siles, the chugging of autocannon firing, the flashes off casings as they 
  pinwheeled to the heaps on the ground.
  Ilsa Liao, Chancellor of the Confederation, was at peace. She found it 
  in the hell of war. And she knew she could never leave it. This was the 
  end of her song. She would voice as many verses as she could before the 
  advancing tide finally reached her.
  She looked forward to meeting old King Cnut, that she might teach 
  him the error of his ways.
  The Davion Guards closed in. They were implacable, irresistible, 
  unstoppable. 
  But for thirty-eight minutes, the tide was stopped.
  Then it rolled over, in impotent fury, for there was no more quarry 
  to chase.
  20
  
  A01
  P01
  N03
  N06
  N08
  L03
  L05
  L06
  L07
  L08
  J03
  J04
  J05
  J06
  J07
  H02
  H03
  H04
  H05
  H06
  H07
  F01
  F02
  F03
  F04
  F05
  F06
  F07
  D01
  D03
  D04
  D06
  D06
  B01
  B06
  M03
  M05
  M06
  M08
  O03
  O08
  K03
  K04
  K05
  K06
  K07
  I02
  I03
  I04
  I05
  I06
  I07
  G01
  G02
  G03
  G04
  G05
  G06
  G07
  E01
  E02
  E04
  E05
  E06
  E06
  E07
  C01
  C03
  C06
  C06
  1
  3
  2
  N
  KEY
  Plains
  Desert
  Woods
  Water
  Mountains
  KEY
  PLAINS
  WATER
  FOREST
  ITEM OF 
  INTEREST
  DESERT
  DROPPORT
  MOUNTAINS
  CRETACEOUS BASIN
  CITY
  EPICENTER OF  
  METROPOLITAN  
  COMPLEX;  POPULATION 
  OF SURROUNDING 
  AREA > 50,000,000
  CITY
  POPULATION OF 
  SURROUNDING 
  AREA < 1,000,000
  ARCTIC
  MOUNTAIN 
  PEAK
  RUINS
  N O R T H
  O C E A N
  W E S T E R N
  S E A
  M
  O
  L A P I S  P R I S C A
  Harrison
  Lancaster
  Sharon
  Seaport
  Robinson
  Seaport
  New Syrtis
  Barre
  THE 
  CRETACEOUS
  BASIN
  Parker
  Repair Station
  A-3
  John Davion
  Staging Ground
  Starport
  ALPHA
  Starport
  BETA
  Munitions
  Site 15T
  S O U T H E R N 
  F L O E
  San
  Ha
  Seapor
  Victori
  LACUS
  SALSUS
  AQUA
  ALTUM
  TWIN
  BAYS
  Supply Depot
  Deep 9K
  CAM
  LA
  FOSSILIA FLUMINE
  
  A01
  A01
  N08
  N11
  N13
  N13
  N16
  N18
  L08
  L10
  L11
  L12
  L13
  L13
  L15
  L16
  J08
  J09
  J10
  J11
  J12
  J13
  J14
  J15
  J16
  H08
  H09
  H10
  H11
  H12
  H13
  H14
  H15
  H16
  F08
  F09
  F10
  F11
  F12
  F13
  F14
  F15
  F16
  D08
  D09
  D11
  D11
  D13
  D14
  D16
  B06
  B11
  B11
  B16
  M08
  M10
  M11
  M13
  M13
  M15
  O08
  O13
  O13
  O18
  K08
  K09
  K10
  K11
  K12
  K13
  K14
  K15
  I08
  I09
  I10
  I11
  I12
  I13
  I14
  I15
  G08
  G09
  G10
  G11
  G12
  G13
  G14
  G15
  E08
  E09
  E11
  E11
  E12
  E13
  E14
  E16
  C08
  C11
  C11
  C13
  C16
  P01
  P01
  5
  7
  4
  6
  N O R T H
  O C E A N
  S A N G U I N E
  S E A
  I
  B
  U
  S 
  AN
  TIQ
  UA PE
  TRAM
  THE
  LAB
  YRI
  NTH
  M E T A M
  V U L C A N ’ S  F O R G E
  D O M U M  G L A C I E S
  Seaport
  New Avalon
  Seaport
  Kentares
  DRAGONSHEAD 
  PENINSULA
  Armstrong
  Pittstown
  Nix
  Slippery Rock
  Altoona
  Starport
  17
  Starport
  19
  Supply Depot
  51BK
  Supply
  Station PD8
  S O U T H E R N 
  F L O E
  P A C I F I C
  E X P A N S E
  Supply Dep
  44JR
  Storage Depot
  49EM
  ’Mechus 
  Hospitium
  Crimson
  Coast
  uinem
  enae
  Minima
  Saxa
  Staging Ground
  Sandoval
  Starport
  18
  Storage
  Depot 198LR
  Storage
  Depot 37SP
  LOT
  ES
  LACUS
  TEMERE
  DIRA NIMUË
  AUREA FLUMINA
  
  A01
  A01
  N18
  N21
  N23
  L17
  L18
  L18
  L20
  L21
  L22
  L23
  L23
  J17
  J18
  J19
  J20
  J21
  J22
  J23
  J24
  H17
  H18
  H19
  H20
  H21
  H22
  H23
  H24
  F17
  F18
  F19
  F20
  F21
  F22
  F23
  F24
  D16
  D18
  D19
  D21
  D21
  D23
  D24
  D01
  B16
  B21
  B21
  B01
  M16
  M18
  M18
  M20
  M21
  M23
  M23
  O18
  O23
  K16
  K17
  K18
  K19
  K20
  K21
  K22
  K23
  K24
  I16
  I17
  I18
  I19
  I20
  I21
  I22
  I23
  I24
  G16
  G17
  G18
  G19
  G20
  G21
  G22
  G23
  G24
  E16
  E17
  E18
  E19
  E21
  E21
  E22
  E23
  E24
  E01
  C16
  C18
  C21
  C21
  C23
  C01
  P01
  0110
  9
  8
  10
  N O R T H
  O C E A N
  S E R P 
  T S U N A M I  S E A
  S H A R K  S E A
  L
  S A N C T U S  T E R R A
  Haven
  St. Mary
  Mercer
  Elkwood
  Hazelwood
  Lock Haven
  Seaport
  Lackland
  Seaport
  Ozawa
  Seaport
  Galax
  MAGNAM
  SILVAM
  Starport
  16
  S O U T H E R N 
  F L O E
  t
  Supply Depot
  13F
  Staging Ground
  Hasek
  Camp
  Estris
  Storage
  Depot 77GG
  SINUS
  MORTIS
  SINUS 
  PACIFICAE
  DIRA ARTOR
  HATCHET 
  ISLAND
  REDOUBT
  ISLAND
  TSUNAMI
  ISLAND
  CANYON
  ISLAND
  MONTEM
  SOLUS
  M
  O
  N
  TI
  BU
  S S
  ANCT
  IS
  FLUMEN ALBA
  
  N23
  N01
  N03
  L25
  L01
  L02
  L03
  J25
  J01
  J02
  J03
  H25
  H01
  H02
  F25
  F01
  M25
  M01
  M03
  O23
  O03
  K25
  K01
  K02
  K03
  I25
  I01
  I02
  G25
  G01
  P01
  0109
  0108
  0107
  0106
  0105
  0104
  0103
  0102
  0101
  0309
  0308
  0307
  0306
  0305
  0304
  0303
  0302
  0301
  0508
  0507
  0506
  0505
  0504
  0503
  0502
  0501
  0707
  0706
  0705
  0704
  0703
  0702
  0701
  0906
  0905
  0904
  0903
  0902
  0901
  1105
  1104
  1103
  1102
  1101
  1306
  1305
  1304
  1303
  1302
  1301
  1507
  1506
  1505
  1504
  1503
  1502
  1501
  0208
  0207
  0206
  0205
  0204
  0203
  0202
  0201
  0408
  0407
  0406
  0405
  0404
  0403
  0402
  0401
  0607
  0606
  0605
  0604
  0603
  0602
  0601
  0806
  0805
  0804
  0803
  0802
  0801
  1005
  1004
  1003
  1002
  1001
  1205
  1204
  1203
  1202
  1201
  1406
  1405
  1404
  1403
  1402
  1401
  +0
  N
  +6
  P
  +6
  P
  +6
  P +6
  P +6
  P
  +6
  P +6
  P +6
  P
  +6
  P
  +6
  P +6
  P
  +6
  P
   T W A T E R
  P I S  P R I S C A
  Easton
  Jeannette
  ermitage
  New Castle
  Seaport
  June
  T
  H
  E 
  FO
  RTR
  ESS  MO
  UN
  TA
  I
  N
  S
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/BattleTech [multi]/Sourcebooks/Turning Points/Turning Points - Orbisonia.pdf