#aurigan coalition

[vexwerewolf]

Hey, I can't make a post for the Clans and not include the Inner Sphere as well.

[doolallymagpie]

Aayda “Mockingbird” Mehra’s Shadowhawk is done

Fun little nod to one of my earlier concepts for a Rampart force snuck in there

[tenleaguesbeneath]

this is ages late, but the entire situation with Ostergaard and the Newgrange was a blunder caused because Kamea is a bad general and bad at bargaining.

What's on the ship? don't know, don't care, didn't ask (I don't think the game ever actually tells you, even?), but Lord Karosas wants it destroyed so that's what you'll do. This is the inciting incident for Commodore Ostergaard's vendetta against Kamea and the Taurian Concordat's entrance into the Aurigan civil war as active combatants rather than just arming the Directorate, and it's because Kamea did a favor without asking questions, just taking assurances

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

Savannah "Fursona" Cameron

Savannah Cameron’s story starts with the death of the Star League.

Her great-grandfather, Richard Cameron, was the final First Lord of that immense interstellar state that had united more of humanity under one banner than any before it. Unfortunately, due to the machinations of one man, Stefan Amaris, all that would be for naught. Amaris, like the rest of his family going back generations, despised the Star League for slights committed against them, justified or not. So they began directing their entire state, their entire family, towards the goal of seizing the Star League for themselves. Stefan was the man who finally did so. On December 27, 2766, Amaris, after years of manipulating Richard into granting more and more power and influence to Stefan and the Rim Worlds Republic which he led, finally struck. His troops, stationed at every major installation across the core worlds of the Star League, overwhelmed Star League troops and took over or destroyed all communications stations across the core worlds. On Terra, in Unity City, just across Puget Sound from Seattle, Amaris, gathered with much of the Cameron family and dynasty in attendance, presented Richard Cameron with a Christmas gift – an ornate laser pistol.

And then Amaris shot Richard though the head.

Most of the Cameron family, gathered together as they were, were quick to follow, but in the chaos, two of Richard’s children, Amanda and Ian Cameron escaped from the massacre in the throne room by the actions of the royal bodyguards of the Royal Black Watch Regiment. One of these officers, Major Ian MacIntosh, would shepherd the pair of children off of Terra aboard the dropship SLS Abyss, which met up with the warship SLS Tripitz on the far side of the Moon. Taking a course out of the Terran system, the SLS Tripitz made it’s way to the Oort Cloud beyond Pluto, where the SLS Abyss parted ways with the surviving Camerons onboard, taking them to an asteroid habitat inhabited by Belters, spacefaring populations who remained largely autonomous from the Star League itself. While the Tripitz would jump out of the Terran system, and eventually find it’s own way into the history books, the surviving Cameron children laid low inside the Oort Cloud and the asteroid belt, the Usurper never knowing they were there the whole time.

Eventually taking the fake surname of Caruso to protect their identity, Amanda and Ian would live out their lives in obscurity. Ian would die in a shuttle accident, but Amanda would go on to marry and have a child of her own, and survive (thanks to the Belter’s incredible medical science and Terran citizens incredible average lifespan of 150) until the early 31st century. Her child would have a child of her own, one Savannah Elizabeth Jocasta Cameron. She lived among the Belters for her teenage years, her rebellious phase partly consisting of getting extensive genetic modification and modification to turn herself into an anthropomorphic wolf woman, one with an even more extended potential lifespan than average for Terran-descended Belters. Eventually finding life hiding in the Belt too boring, especially after countless hours of simulated training to be a MechWarrior, she set out on her own for the Rimward Periphery.

There, in 3021, she settled in the Aurigan Coalition, a small but quite stable Periphery nation. Impressing the commander of the realm’s royal guard, Savannah became an official bodyguard to High Lady Kamea Arano. It was in this position that she would bear witness to a similar betrayal, this time of the Arano family by their cousins, the Espinosas. With Savannah’s mentor killed, Kamea’s fate uncertain after her escape DropShip was shot down, and Savannah’s own ‘Mech damaged beyond repair, she ejected and blacked out.

When she came to, she was onboard the dropship of a small mercenary outfit, Markham’s Marauders. Their commander had come across Savannah’s unconscious body, and brought her aboard for medical attention. As she had nowhere else to go, Savannah accepted an offer to join the unit. By 3 years later, Markham had died in combat, and Savannah, already having risen to second in command based on her incredibly innate skill at piloting and fighting a BattleMech, was by default promoted to unit commander. Using the callsign she had been bestowed due to her anthropomorphic appearance as a badge of honor, Markham’s Marauders thus rebranded, and henceforth were known as Fursona’s Fusiliers. Ordering all ‘Mechs of the unit painted in the same near featureless chrome silver paintjob (a shade of silver that just so happened to match the silver Cameron Star logo of the Star League…). That same year, the Fusiliers were contacted by a mysterious individual claiming to work on behalf of the “Aurigan Restoration”. This mysterious individual turned out to be one High Lady Kamea Arano, who had in fact survived. She gave the Fusiliers the coordinates to a moon upon which lay an abandoned, extremely-advanced Star League era DropShip, the Argo. Clashing with and defeating the pirates who had claimed the vessel, the Fusiliers relaunched, refit, and repaired the Argo over the course of a few weeks, during which time, its extremely impressive nature came to light – it was designed as a colony support vessel, and thus had amenities unheard of on any other DropShip – a rotating ring of articulated gravity pods, and the ability to dock two DropShip to itself and “daisy chain” additional vessels through KF jumps chief among them, as well as the single most advanced and automated MechBay in the Inner Sphere, perhaps ever made anywhere.

Kamea Arano made an offer to the Fusiliers after the repairs to the Argo were complete – assist her in restoring her place on the throne of the Coalition, and in deposing the usurper Espinosas, and she would grant them full possession of the Argo, as well as provide them the means to pay off all their debts. Driven by a mixture of mercenary coin-lust and, in Savannah’s case, devotion to Kamea herself, the offer was accepted – and thus did the Fusiliers become the first and most prominent force to pledge themselves to the Aurigan Restoration. Kamea charged the Fusiliers with building their strength, and so the mercenary unit began recruitment and expansion. Two significant events occurred around this time, which would greatly influence not only the events of the Aurigan Civil War, but ultimately the course of human history.

Firstly, Savannah utilized significant amounts of hidden Cameron dynasty assets and capital to fund a massive materiel spending spree – the centerpiece of which was the acquisition of two ex-SLDF Colossus class military dropships – one of which was the SLS Abyss, the very vessel which shepherded her ancestors off of Terra several centuries earlier. After these and other acquisitions, the Fusiliers now possessed the capability to deploy up to 72 BattleMechs, 72 heavy combat vehicles, 18 Aerospace Fighters, and over 670 infantry troops into a combat zone – instantly catapulting the Fusiliers into the ranks of some of the largest and most capable mercenary forces in the Inner Sphere. However, finding enough ‘Mechs and MechWarriors to pilot them was now a major concern. It was here that the second event occurred.

A group of sixteen mysterious and aloof individuals – all of them speaking in strange ways and possessing both incredible charisma and skill in Mech piloting – approached the Fusiliers. Bringing with them a host of ‘Mechs which were either ancient Star League designs, or else seemingly entirely original designs that no one in the Fusiliers had never seen, these “Totem Warriors” were all, like Savannah, genetically engineered into anthropomorphic animal forms. All of them, however, possessed abilities which seemed much closer to those of super-soldiers than normal humans, and some of them were also impossibly muscular and strong as well. Outright refusing to discuss their origins, these Sixteen were nonetheless eagerly accepted into the Fusiliers, and quickly rose through the ranks to become the core of the mercenary units officer corps. Little did Savannah and the other Spheroids know that they had given shelter to the first Clan warrior to openly visit the Inner Sphere, nor that they were unknowingly the first Spheroids to encounter examples of superior Clan technology. With the recruitment of even more skilled, eclectic, and often downright eccentric personnel, the Fusiliers began their operations for the Restoration in earnest. Over the course of the next two years, the Fusiliers helped the Restoration take back planets, sabotage the newly renamed Aurigan Directorate, and push the Espinosa family to the brink of destruction. In between contracts for the Restoration, however, the Fusiliers ended up in all manner of flashpoints. These included assisting the legendary Morgan Kell in rescuing members of his Kell Hounds mercenary unit; multiple clandestine contracts for the Great Houses and major Periphery realms; acquiring an extremely advanced pseudo-AI from an abandoned Star League installation; and most famously, fighting and winning against the legendary MechWarriors Natasha Kerensky – a Wolf’s Dragoons commander who seemed quite familiar with the Totem Warriots – and the Bounty Hunter. Fighting in a three way battle for control over a derelict WarShip, the Dobrev, and the extremely advanced technology contained within, the spacer’s tales of the battle leave out the important detail that Natasha Kerensky and her Dragoons in fact agreed to fight alongside the Fusiliers, rather than against them. At the conclusion of the battle, the Dragoons were content with wiping what data remained on the Dobrev’s computers, while the ship herself was turned over to the Restoration, and her cargo became exclusive property of the Fusiliers. This included the Bull Shark, a never-before-seen assault ‘Mech which possessed technology which was so advanced as to be beyond even the capabilities of the old Star League. Claiming the ‘Mech for herself, the Bull Shark (unknown to the Spheroids involved, a product of the disgraced Clan Wolverine) would become Savannah’s iconic ‘Mech, which she kept and continues to pilot to the present day.

Forming a close association with several other mercenary units, including the later-famous command of the Neon Knights Mercenary Company, the Fusiliers continued their campaigns for the Restoration, and ultimately in 3026, finally retook the Aurigan capital world of Coromodir. The officers of the Fusiliers were each made Aurigan nobility of varying ranks as tribute for their assistance. Meanwhile, finally acting upon feelings that had growing for the both of them over the course of the campaign, Kamea Arano and Savannah Caruso would marry shortly after the conclusion of the Restoration War.

Never formally joining the armed forces of the Aurigan Coalition, the Fusiliers continued to pursue mercenary contracts of their own volition, though these contracts often aligned with Aurigan interests – helping hunt down Directorate remnants; escorting goodwill missions to the unaligned planets of the Fronc Reaches (and thus assisting in the steady expansion of the Coalition); and assisting the Coalition’s allies in the Magistracy of Canopus. This low-intensity state of affairs would largely persist – with the exception of a contract for the Federated Suns during what would come to be called the Fourth Succession War – until 3049. In that year, the Clans, the descendants of the old Star League’s self-exiled military forces, would finally return to the Inner Sphere – and it was not a peaceful return. Several of the Sixteen, guided (or perhaps misguided) by loyalty to their Clans, would take a leave of absence to assist their Clans. Thus fractured, the remaining Totem Warriors would spend the invasion on Coromodir, far from the fighting, while the bulk of the Fusiliers, Savannah included, would take on contracts to fight against the Clans.

After the Clan Invasion was halted in 3052, Savannah, by now a mother of six with Kamea, would take the Fusiliers into a period of relative calm – though they would take contracts during the FedCom Civil War, the next major period of activity for Savannah and her mercenaries would not come until 3067, and the launch of the Jihad by the fanatical Word of Blake, a religiously fundamentalist splinter of ComStar, the Inner Sphere’s sole interstellar communications organization. Rejoined by the Sixteen to fight as one against the apocalyptic threats of the Word, the Fusiliers would see action throughout the entire conflict under the aegis of Devlin Stone’s Coalition, ultimately fighting in the battle to retake Terra in 3079 – and thus coincidentally ensuring that the Sixteen became the first members of the Clans to place their feet upon the sacred soil of Terra, well before any others. With the end of the Jihad, the Fusiliers would take a rotating garrison contract on Terra under the direction of the newly created Republic of the Sphere.

Often likened to a “retirement” by many who studied the unit, the 51 year span of time between 3081 and 3132 was not in fact a complete stand down for the Fusiliers, but rather a period of extremely low intensity work. Savannah, now facing the prospect of potentially outliving her wife Kamea, spent more and more time with her wife, while the unit largely lived out relatively quiet lives. Kamea passed away from natural causes in 3129, after living to the age of 130, a significant lifespan for any in the Inner Sphere, much less the Periphery she called home. Savannah only had a few years to mourn Kamea before 3132 struck the Inner Sphere with “Gray Monday” – the simultaneous destruction or disabling of some 80 percent of the entire interstellar communications network. This event kicked off what would come to be known informally as “the Dark Age”, a near 20 year period of warfare, betrayals, and machinations which saw Savannah and the Fusiliers fighting to preserve what remained of the Republic of the Sphere.

Ultimately in 3151 the Clans, having pushed further and further into the Inner Sphere, would finally land upon the soil of Terra, and begin a final battle for the fate of the Republic. Fighting with all their forces, including the Sixteen, on the side of the Republic, the Fusiliers would ultimately find themselves on the losing side. Thanks to the efforts of the Sixteen, the Fusiliers avoided the fate of many of the Republic’s armed forces, the indentured servitude of becoming bondsmen to the Clans.

Seeking to determine which of the two Clans who remained on Terra held the true title of ilClan (the most important Clan, to which all others would answer under a reformed Star League), Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf held the ilClan Trial almost immediately following the death of the Republic. This short but extremely violent conflict saw Savannah and most of the Fusiliers, save two (Melissa Hazen and Remus Kerensky, the Totem Warriors for Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf respectively), sit out the hostilities. With the victory of Clan Wolf and its ascension to ilClan, Remus Kerensky was able to petition the new First Lord of the Star League (and ilKhan of the Clans) Alaric Ward to release the Fusiliers from detention. Taking most of her forces with her, Savannah and the Fusiliers would begin taking contracts in the aftermath of the Dark Age. Little did Savannah know that barely two years later, she and her unit would be called back to Terra by Melissa Hazen, now the Commanding General of the newly resurrected Star League Defense Force, for a contract that would ultimately shape the Inner Sphere and beyond in ways yet unseen...

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

Oh, I recognize it. I was an advanced guard "mercenary" in my earlier days, in the Southern Periphery. I know Steiner well. I was merely jesting. Though Canopus and the Aurigan Coalition remain the best Spheroid nations.

miss me with that ‘weapon accuracy’ shit. im shooting everything. im laying down cover fire. im shooting the walls. im shooting my teammates. im shooting myself. my accuracy is 100% yall just dont know what im aiming at

[ancientrage000]

(AU) Nico Strong and the Dragon's Raiders was ready to leave after the war but it seemed that Kamea had other plans. After accepting her offer, the Dragon Raiders find themselves adjusting to a life that didn't involve jumping from contract to contract. As war clouds appear on the horizon, they will do everything in their power to protect the Reach while Nico and Kamea's relationship takes an unexpected turn.

[jdbirds]

For House Arano. For The Aurigan Coalition.

Source: Battletech

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

"Sort of. I do have a family, in the Aurigan Coalition. I... sort of married Kamea Arano. And well, had kids. So the last two rulers of the Coalition have been my child and grandchild. Hopefully, my being a noble and a grandmother doesn't lessen Anya's attraction to me..." she teases. "But out here, it's home of the regiment. Even got a fair number of legacies. My command lance has a 3rd generation Fusilier piloting our old Royal SLDF Phoenix Hawk LAM."

(Since our Star Colonel is busy, I thought we could for lack of better terms, kill some time and get to know folks who will soon be risking life and limb fighting zealots. Open to anyone who wants to get to know some of my people before the big drop)

Clustered around the docking berth to one of Barghest Company’s two dropships, but not in the way of the stream of crew, techs, and other personnel, Lt . Victoria Everheart watched the munitions and supply carts go by to be loaded not only into the Leopard Class dropship “Dando”, but also into her mech, an Axman dubbed “Queen of Hearts”. The 6 foot muscled Mechwarrior wouldn’t normally have stood out, we’re it not for the cat ears, tail and eyes she possessed, and tattoos on prominent display garbed as she was in tank top and compact pants and boots.

Around her sat or stood the two other members of her lance, as well as possibly the largest black German Shepard ever seen in the inner sphere.

Major Vance Strider, a gaunt, bald man sits on a crate beside her, seemingly mumbling or speaking at himself with closed eyes, in meditation or contemplation.

“This is gonna be one hell of a drop, huh?” Said Major Anya Corwin, a buxom woman on the shorter side with curly red hair. As if in response, the large dog she is petting and giving skritches to chuffs a bit.

Victoria snorts. “Thanks for the input, Loki.” She stretches, rolling well sculpted shoulders. “But yeah, looks that way…can’t say I’ve seen this many people in one place since well, the last war.”

“Hope it all goes well…or as well as can be expected…” Anya chips in.

“Yeah, same.” Victoria agrees.

As if in agreement once again, the dog Loki huffs again.

@starcommanderhannahlewis @the-clawtake @harwood-pmc-official @the-tired-merc @lt-chari @snords-sword @wolf-among-mechs @house-steiner-stays-winning @karriethemechtech @starcolonelkatrinamoon @is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not

[battletech-mazamercs]

Betrayal.  Sarah's brother and Kamea Arano’s uncle, Santiago Espinosa used this time of uncertainty to stage a coup, deposing the Arano family and disbanding the Founding Council, installing himself as "Director" of the realm and dissolving the Aurigan Coalition, which is now reformed as Aurigan Protectorate. MechWarrior Nick ‘PlutoNick’ Pluto fought during the coup against Espinosa’s forces but failed to protect Lady Kamea Arano and is force to work as a Merc for the next three years.

[doolallymagpie]

almost finished with the medium ‘mechs for the aurigan reach’s “it” couple: high lady kamea arano and prince-consort raynard noriko callahan

[doolallymagpie]

fleshing out undertaker and found it very compelling to make them a probable descendant of clan wolverine, though the only evidence of this is the callahan family crest and their great grandfather cullen’s quite unusual ‘mech (...it was a mad cat), plus some very vague half-remembered stories from childhood

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

The office is, like many of combat zone generals in the past, both at once sparse and full - in that it is full of the produce and mechanisms of war, but almost utterly lacking in personal amenities - the only concession to personal taste that Clarissa can see are three holopictures on the desk.

The first, dated September 21, 3010, is of the General and a large group of other animal-like people just like her, standing together in what look to be full Clan ceremonial uniforms and - wait, is that the Hall of Khans on Strana Mechty in the background?

The second, dated August 29, 3025, is of the General, the aforementioned other animal people, now joined by another, tall, white and black furred, lupine faced woman, as well as dozens of others in front of palace bearing the crest of the Aurigan Coalition's House Arano. Most of the MechWarriors in the picture wear matching skintight silver cooling suits, but the remainder wear a wide variety of gear - mercenaries most likely.

The third is of the General and Major Marten-Steiner, standing together in a MechBay embracing lovingly - behind them stands an Atlas assault 'Mech - curiously with a massive, perfected gold and diamond ring on it's right hand "ring finger".

Melissa looks to Clarissa. "Wine we have, thank you. Tequila, I will take you up on. And extra cold weather could not hurt, how much do you have?"

Whirling rotors blew snow about in a cloud of white as the recovery VTOLs came in over FOB Hawk. Below them, hanging from a dozen taut lines, was a Coyotl omnimech inwith its left leg sheared off at the knee that they began to lower to the ground. Behind them came a Mad Cat III in the same teal and blue as the Coyotl, its right arm ending in a sparking stump at the elbow, and a great mass of melted armor like a tumor on its left side.

It came to a stop nearby where the VTOLs were depositing the omnimech. The sealed hatch to the cockpit opened and a rope ladder folded out of it, followed by Clarissa descending at a slow, tired pace. When she made it to the ground she reached for her neurohelmet, a custom built thing in grey and silver. Where a visor would be on most models of neurohelm there was only a bulky bulge of steel and flashing lights, leaving her looking like some kind of insectoid alien thing come to haunt the base.

She clicked a pair of fasteners on the helmet and in an instant the lights blinked out. As did the world. The aurora in the sky, the snow, the bustling people; they all vanished into nothingness to Clarissa. She could hear the wind blowing and the people rushing about, but to her sight, or rather lack of it, all was nothing. It was relaxing in its own way, a return to a childhood spent with only her skin, her nose, her ears, to guide her.

With a sigh she unzipped her cooling suit and the scent of her own body's sweat filled her nostrils. She really needed a shower.

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

As a brand new simp of House Steinter, I'm duty-bound to ask about my favorite scout mech - The Atlas

What say you, BattleMan?

“A 'Mech as powerful as possible, as impenetrable as possible, and as ugly and foreboding as conceivable, so that fear itself will be our ally. ” - Aleksandr Sergeyevich Kerensky

It was made by Kerensky himself, and was designed to be the most effective and terrifying weapon ever placed onto a battlefield since the original Mackie.

Its original configuration is nearly perfect, though the AS7-D-H Atlas II is even better. The Founder himself used it, a comprehensively Clantech-upgraded version named Unity.

Devlin Stone, founder of the Republic of the Sphere, used his own custom variant he called Phantom.

And there is word of a somewhat unique AS7-D-HT variant that swaps the LB-X-10 for an AC20, which would be terrifying to face - though it has only been said to be in possession of the Aurigan Coalition's House Arano.

[is-the-battlemech-cool-or-not]

Additonal details on Melissa:

1. She's rarely ever spent any of the money she earned in her decades as a mercenary, and invested much of what she had earned. So she's been earning interest on those investments for over 120 years...

2. Her talons (on both her hands and feet) count as Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Fingernails (in AToW rules), but with higher damage. She has killed people with them.

3. Her traditional sidearm was, for years, a Clan ER Laser Pistol, though it was lost in 3045. She also carried a Gauss SMG for years after the invasion, which she keeps in her 'Mech ejection seat as a bailout weapon. She also received a JàrnFòlk-modified Sternsnacht Claymore Heavy Pistol from Savannah Caruso when she joined the Fusiliers, which she uses as her primary sidearm. But her most prized possession is a Clan Vibrosword, which was created using the blade of the sword granted to Elizabeth Hazen by Turkina. This last was a personal gift from Khan Stephanie Chistu for Hazen's 162nd birthday, on which date she was granted her new orders to lead the new Royal Black Watch.

4. She resides just outside Unity City on Terra, in an estate built with a small amount of her mercenary money.

5. She has piloted over 279 different types/variants of 'Mech over her career, most with the SLDF Royal Test Pilot School after the Star League was reestablished, making her the current record holder for most BattleMechs piloted in human history.

6. Melissa identifies as female (she/her), and is firmly pansexual. She is a shameless flirty old bird (giant semi-repressed MILF energy) and a big romantic at heart (OOC: I would ask that you ask permission if you want an OC to initate flirting with her; I will do the same in the other direction. Just makes sure we're on the same page.)

7. The universe she inhabits is slightly different from "canon" BT. Key elements include the Aurigan Coalition and certain other more fun small nations surviving into the ilClan era, the entire concept of the Totem Warrior project, taking some parts of the Interstellar Players book series as Canon (namely the hyperspace wackiness and the entire section on the Belters), and Tetatae being real and known (not to anyone other than ComStar and the Explorer Corps, though by the ilClan era the Combine have begun to notice odd signals from just outside their space...). The events of the HBS Battletech game occurred much as they do in the game, though the Restoration war took around 5 years. The events of Mechassault 1 and 2 occured during the Jihad, with the variant 'Mech designs being canon.

[doolallymagpie]

one of my “yellow flags” for BT fans is “insists the Aurigan Coalition couldn’t have lasted more than five years after the game ended”

in itself, this is fine, though I disagree

it’s just that it seems to be packaged with a lot of rancid opinions just often enough that I think it warrants scrutiny

[doolallymagpie]

after-action report for the Minnesota Quickhatches' first battle on their contract with the Aurigan Coalition: Jesus Kentucky-Fried Christ, there's parts we need that we can't actually get anywhere, so we'll just have to refit and make do