Operation Terminus

What not Clampberg?

 

July 20, 3049
Borderlands of Castille di Coltelli (Martillo HQ)

To all my brothers in the Skjaldborg, this is Major Magnus Sullivan. If you can hear me, listen well. There isn't much time so I must make this short.

Firstly, I want to congratulate all of you on a job well done. Nothing about this contract was routine and yet you have managed to overcome every obstacle Star's End has thrown at us. What started as a simple search and recovery contract has evolved into so much more... and personal. It is this latter point that many of you have begun to question my leadership.

Savio Drago is a murderer, rapist, slaver, and traitorous bastard... but there is some measure of truth to his allegations against me. I have not lied to any of you, but neither have I been entirely forthcoming. It is late in coming, but here is the truth:

Very few of you know this, but I am originally from Risin in the Outworlds Alliance. My father was a retired mechwarrior who had continued to make a living as a salvager and mechanic repairing farm equipment. He and my older brother had been working a contract with Jureck's Jaegers when a hidden Star League cache was discovered in 3035.

As history will tell you, that cache soon attracted the attention of a nearby pirate group known as the Blades of Death. They descended upon Risin with a sudden ferocity that none were prepared for. My hometown, New Belfast, was among the hardest hit. The Jaegers put up a valiant defense, but they were ultimately overwhelmed and destroyed. I watched my father and brother die in front of me; cut down by fire from an enemy Grasshopper painted stone grey with bloody red arms.

But the pirates didn't stop there. After destroying our defenses, they rounded up all the prisoners, executed the officers, and put the rest in chains to be sold as slaves. Then they turned their attention on the civilian population. Anyone who resisted was shot immediately. Anyone who was too old... was shot immediately. Anyone who was found to be of "low value"... was shot immediately. The rest were raped or beaten and thrown in chains. This unfettered pillaging continued into the night.

The rest of the details matter little now, but eventually I was captured along with my mother and sister. During my captivity, I managed to learn that it was a Lieutenant Savio Drago in the "bloody armed" mech who had killed my brother and father. To my dismay, he had taken a perverted liking to my mother and young sister. I will not.. I cannot describe what I was subjected to in the week that followed, but I will tell you how it ended.

I managed to escaped. My sister and mother did not. That was fourteen years ago. I have been searching for them ever since. My search is what ultimately brought me to the Rasalhague... and then the Skjaldborg. It was only after we had signed on with Lily Morgana and reached Star's End that I learned Savio Drago was still alive and... more importantly... within my reach. My family may be long dead, but how could I turn away from this chance for righteous vengeance? Ask yourselves... could you?

For those that care nothing about honor, know that from here on out you will be paid out of my own pocket. Some of you may forget that the Skjaldborg Commandos was built upon a force I had made my own. Merging with the Skjaldborg has helped it grow, but they do not own me. Although my recent actions have been unsanctioned by Skjaldborg Command, as my subordinates, you all are protected from any repercussions. As your senior commanding officer, the consequences of my actions fall on my shoulders alone. When this is over, I will resign from my position as commander of 4th Battalion, but first I ask you all a personal favor... help me right an old wrong. The souls of so many dead demand it.

If you will not stand with me, I only ask you not stand against me. Skjaldborg dropships are approaching the planet as we speak and then you can leave. Just know that I will not hesitate in my pursuit of the Butcher of New Belfast. I care little to wager the differences between vengeance and justice. Drago has committed many sins against myself and others; for that he will suffer... gravely.

If you value your lives, do not try to stop me.

 

on a fun side note: some of you may be surprised to learn this is all supported by canon:
http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Risin

I've been planning this story arc for two years. It feels good to finally tie up loose ends.

 

Magnus, does Delta have any way of contacting Skjaldborg forces outside of Sullivan's command, to see what their adive on a course of action may be?

 

GM CLARIFICATION: Somewhere along our two year campaign (holy fuck, it has been a long time), I mixed up two very important details:

The MISCHIEF MAKER is the Buccaneer class dropship we were originally searching for. It is the same dropship that Lily Morgana found/stole/borrowed.

• Details on it can be found here: http://www.theskjaldborg.com/index.php?threads/project-ancestor.1827/page-2#post-49767 (posted in 2012!)

The HARBINGER is an unbuilt ship that does not physically exist.

• We found the blueprints to it here: http://www.theskjaldborg.com/index.php?threads/operation-terminus.8669/#post-160839
• and more info here: http://www.theskjaldborg.com/index.php?threads/operation-terminus.8669/#post-160847

Any reference to the "Harbinger" in any form other than the blueprints we found is an error. It is the Mischief Maker that is currently out there flying around and wrecking people's shit. The Project Harbinger blueprints are the same documents sought by the Gorettis. It was Ben Kingsley who first tipped them off about the blueprint's existance, but neither he nor the Gorettis know we possess them currently.

I will make an effort to clear up this error in the final copies of the mission reports found here:
http://www.theskjaldborg.com/index.php?threads/operation-terminus.8669/

 

July 20, 3049
Castille di Coltelli, Central District (Martillo HQ)

MARTILLO COMMAND ELEMENTS SIGHTED!

ALPHA LANCE ENGAGING!

 

now that you know I've been withholding information, you may (with a Negotiation check naturally) convince our command support to allow you access to comms in order to contact the Skjaldborg dropships in system.

(just FYI - if you guys had picked up on what was happening earlier, you could have used skillchecks to uncover my hidden plans. don't be afraid to ask for skillchecks when information surfaces)

we don't have any HPG facilities, though, so no interstellar comms are available.

 

Private Dick Clamps (Sheo), roll me a roll! Let's see what our dropship Captain has to say on the matter. Generally there is a higher rank commanding the dropship/jumpship assets than a lowly Lieutenant

 

Don't forget that roughly half of 4th Battalion is members that were loyal to Sullivan before they even merged with the Skjaldborg. Since 7 is marginal in this case, I will meet you half way on that: they let you use comm channels, but only briefly. You try the comms, but don't receive any response. Eventually, they get impatient and suggest you try again later (ie. next Turn).

 

And thus we bide our time, marshalling our resources

 

Something else to keep in mind: no one ever checked the Project Harbinger plans we found in Crow's Nest (the asteroid base). Are they valuable? Could someone want them? Who currently holds them?

A final note worth mentioning: I don't wish to discourage any enthusiasm for PvP, but just want to remind you all that whatever assets survive this campaign can be carried over to the new campaign. If you guys lose your mechs, that means less you get to play with later. I recommend caution in the next Turn.

 

So what is our next step?

 

Alpha needs to finish our mission. We located Savio Drago, but he's holed up inside his fortress and difficult to reach. Also, we spotted a Union dropship nearby that presents a more immediate threat. We have our work cut out for us. I think we are picking it up again Tuesday. If possible, I would like to have this Turn done before this weekend.

 

GOSH Alpha, way to be a tang in the mud