Mackie wasn't a Maus after all: Nukashuba strikes back

You step out of the Asagi trim '88 Shebi Frigate, closing the door carefully as the 32-year-old limited edition sports car settles, the skirt resting gently on the ground. It's a 32-year old classic with a rarely-seen indigo scaling pattern and bright orange skirt designed to mimic a rare and beautiful breed of goldfish, and you think you can hear the pinging of the freshly-separated fuel rods as they cool.

At four meters, the Shebi Frigate is almost twice as long as an Asagi, but shares its sleek predatory grace. For nearly a decade it's been sitting forgotten in a storage unit in Nunavu City. The rent was at least five years overdue, but the actual ownership of the storage warehouse was contested in court, the owner and his immediate family having died in one of the orbital bombardments carried out by the dread White Ghosts.

One registered previous owner of the car, however, was still around. Gabriel Kliger had been surprised when he was contacted about it. He had three children to keep up with, one in college and two of an age to run around underfoot, and a two-seat car had been impractical with one child. He was getting a little too old to race a car like that, too, he had to admit.

But it was beautiful. So he'd taken receipt of it, tuned up the engine, put in fresh thorium rods, and waxed it until it shone in the sunlight like it was new, and then tucked it away in the garage, not quite sure what else to do with a car that wasn't his anymore but belonged properly to a hero who had fought the White Ghosts on Nudezret.

That's where you came into the picture. Because the car meant something to you. Handling the wheel as you sped across Nucarline through the countryside to Nunavu with the top down, the wind blowing through your hair … you felt alive. It wasn't the same thrill as connecting with a twelve-meter-tall humanoid war machine through a neurohelmet, but it came close. Especially when you really opened up the throttle on the amateur race track sited above the Calinova Institute of Technology's underground facility known as "Mickey Central."

Rebuilding the capacity to maintain and manufacture BattleMechs in a system where trade between the four inhabited moons has been disrupted by invasion and local industry has been disrupted by orbital bombardment is no small feat. The White Ghosts control Nuhai outright, along with most of Nudzeret. Hefusts and Nukashuba they'd thought to starve into submission, presuming at first that the two less-hospitable worlds to be sparsely inhabited mining colonies. After a few failed raids, they realized they'd underestimated the local population badly, returning to the sky.

The endo-composite material used for structural components of Mackies unfortunately requires zero-gravity for a portion of the fabrication process. The invaders with their megadreadnoughts under the banner of Saint Blake control the skies around the gas giant Nuzhup and its four inhabited moons. Mostly. But today, something special happened. There was a message from out-system, allegedly.

You wave to the security guard sitting on the bleachers as you head into a door marked as a unisex restroom with an "Out of Order" sign hanging on the doorknob. Moments later, you're climbing down the ladder. Hopefully, you don't get in trouble for driving the Shebi Frigate here.

Focus character selection
Second place matters. Feel free to vote for multiple options.

[][Focus character selection] Half the reason you drove it was to make trouble by arriving in a way that got everyone's attention. If the bureaucrats keep dragging their feet, South District and North District are likely to meet in the middle sooner rather than later. (Mary Kliger.)
[][Focus character selection] Aunt Mary got you the coolest internship and you wanted to arrive in style, but if Dad or Aunt Mary or the brats tell Mom about it, she is going to be so pissed. (Ellie Kliger.)
[][Focus character selection] Your twin sister is going to be so jealous that you were the first to drive Test Pilot Delta's car.
-[] Not that Jennifer would have enjoyed that drive half as much. Once you get back in the Lorris, it's guns and comms for you all the way, and that gets boring. (Jessica.)
-[] Not that Jessica would have enjoyed that drive half as much. There's a reason you're the one who actually drives the Lorris most of the time. (Jennifer.)
[][Focus character selection] Because your name is John Murphy Junior, and anything that can go wrong will go wrong. But you have your father's files, and you're determined to clear his name by vindicating his choices.
[][Focus character selection] You weren't supposed to take any detours after landing, you were supposed to come straight here for debriefing on what exactly happened on Dorman's World. (Jenever Kinston.)
[][Focus character selection] The old hands are going to complain. You never personally met Test Pilot Delta, and as a new political appointee in charge of the project, it's been hard to garner respect. (Write-in name.)

Technical agenda

[][Technical agenda] The first thing on the agenda is building a true field test platform for the new hyper-collimated particle cannon the eggheads have developed.
[][Technical agenda] The first thing on the agenda is building a new export machine to support the struggle of Nudzretian allies against occupying forces.
[][Technical agenda] The first thing on the agenda is building a machine that superficially looks like it belongs in the Inner Sphere.
[][Technical agenda] The first thing on the agenda is building a machine for local Nukashuban use.
[][Technical agenda] (write in emphasis)

Background information request
I'll get to it eventually and there's a lot sitting in various places in the old thread, but that can be hard to find / hard to get to for newer players.

[][Background] (write in OOC background information requests)

Character selection details

Mary Kliger
Favored BattleMech: Heavy Scorpion
Stretch goal: Introduce your children to their father.
Background: History department, Central Nucarline University
Strengths: Inner Sphere familiarity, field experience.
Weakness: Nukashuban politics.

Ellie Kliger
Favored BattleMech: TBD
Stretch goal: TBD
Background: College internship
Strengths: Youthful energy, doesn't know what's supposed to be impossible.
Weakness: Naivete.

Jenever Kinston
Favored BattleMech: Ettin
Stretch goal: Reconnect with Frederick Steiner.
Background: Nukashuban Fleet.
Strengths: Comstar familiarity, family connections.
Weakness: Unfamiliarity with local circumstances.

Jennifer / Jessica (last name TBD by write-in)
Favored BattleMech: Lorris
Stretch goal:

• Jennifer: Recover Test Pilot Delta (or his body, in the unlikely event Jessica is right about him being dead).
• Jessica: Recover Test Pilot Delta's body (or him, in the unlikely event Jennifer is right about him being alive).

Background: Idanova Militia.
Strengths: Field experience, (TBD by write-in)
Weakness: TBD

John Murphy Junior
Personal BattleMech: TBD
Stretch goal: Clear your father's name.
Background: Federal Nukashuban Army.
Strengths: Nukashuban politics, personnel management.
Weakness: TBD

Write-in
Personal BattleMech: TBD
Stretch goal: TBD
Background: TBD
Strengths: TBD, TBD
Weakness: The new guy (or gal) to Mickey R&D.

Papolris is a dim and relatively anonymous K5V star (about 0.70M☉, 0.67 R☉, and 0.15 L☉) located somewhere to the galactic north of the Inner Sphere. It has five known planets and a typical collection of smaller orbital objects. It is located to the galactic north of the Lyran Commonwealth, near Dorman's Star (known to some Inner Sphere scholars as a failed colony). It was settled during the early days of the Terran Alliance by a religious group, whose Elders were highly secretive and concealed the route of settlement from both ordinary colonists and from the Alliance. During the Schism War, remaining jumpships were destroyed or lost. The Elders left behind at least two intermediate orbital installations that they used on their travels to and from the Inner Sphere, located in a binary red dwarf system (Blinker monastery) and a nameless brown dwarf system (Angel Station).

Dorman's World served as a base for the Harker Brothers during their participation in the Jolly Roger Affair. Its native inhabitants are not numerous, but the native dialect is based on French. The local ecology is notable for the Terran-origin megafauna that run rampant across the world's lush forests and jungles, some of which had been extinct on Terra, as well as its exceptionally large trees and a number of genetically engineered kudzu-based vines used for producing grains and fruit. Dorman's Star is also home to a Hegemony-era automatic refueling station in orbit around a gas giant outside of the jump limit, used as a waypoint by Hegemony ships but largely neglected in the post-Star League era. There were at least two notable Hegemony military installations on the planet.



The following system chart lists the planets and major moons of the system. It neglects minor moons that are both under 0.1 R⊕ and 0.01 M⊕, and includes mass, radius, and surface gravity (although that may not be meaningful for gas giants).

1. Hydra (0.31 AU, 2.1 R⊕, 9.7 M⊕, 2.1 G⊕)
   1. Cerberus (0.19 R⊕, 0.010 M⊕, 0.19 G⊕)
2. Nuzhup (0.41 AU, 9.3 R⊕, 240 M⊕, 2.76 G⊕)
   1. Hefusts (0.24 R⊕, 0.013 M⊕, 0.23 G⊕)
   2. Nudezret (0.82 R⊕, 0.59 M⊕, 0.88 G⊕)
   3. Nuhai (0.71 R⊕, 0.32 M⊕, 0.63 G⊕)
   4. Nukushuba (0.45 R⊕, 0.19 M⊕, 0.94 G⊕)
3. Herald (2.08 AU, 0.34 R⊕, 0.08 M⊕, 0.69 G⊕)
4. Guardian (7.01 AU, 3.7 R⊕, 15.4 M⊕, 1.12 G⊕)
   1. Beholder (0.55 R⊕, 0.12 M⊕, 0.40 G⊕)
   2. Gem (0.33 R⊕, 0.011 M⊕, 0.10 G⊕)
5. Beacon (19.3 AU, 1.41 R⊕, 0.9 M⊕, 0.45 G⊕)

Nukashuba, your homeworld and the outermost major moon of Nuzhup, has a surface that is approximately 50% water, courtesy of cometary bombardments carried out during the terraforming process. The oceans are relatively shallow and not very saline in the traditional sense, although the wild goldfish tolerate the heavy metal content fairly well. The total land area is a bit over 50 million square kilometers, and prior to invasion of the system by Comstar, supported a population of slightly over 2 billion in an energy-intensive lifestyle based on domed agriculture and distilled water - an energy-intensive lifestyle powered by the planet's extensive fissile natural resources. Orbital bombardment and the consequent disruptions to inter-moon trade and industrial systems have contributed to a decline in population to 1.9 billion. Brief abortive ground raids by Comstar during the White Ghost Invasion were minimal.

Nuhai, the next major moon inward, was never terraformed, and has native flora and fauna. A strong greenhouse effect and cloud system help maintain a steady climate with no permanent ice caps. About 96% of Nuhai's surface is covered in saline oceans, leaving about 10 million square kilometers for land. Goldfish do not thrive in the wild in Nuhai, as the local chordate piscines are much better adapted to Nuhai's thriving seas ... with some species reaching lengths of up to fifteen meters. You're pretty sure goldfish don't get any bigger than two meters. Near the end of the Schism Wars, Nuhai had the largest population of the four moons, but today Nuhai is in third place with a population of about 1 billion. During the White Ghost Invasion, Nuhai surrendered with little resistance in the face of overwhelming space superiority, leaving local government institutions largely intact under the rulership of Comstar.

Nudezret is the largest of Nuzhup's moons. Although not as large as Earth, only about 20% of Nudezret's surface is covered with water, leaving nearly 280 million kilometers of available land surface. Nudezret has two ice-covered freshwater polar seas and a saline equatorial ocean that divides the land surface into two continents, imaginatively named North Nudezret and South Nudezret by the Elders. The total population of Nudezret is estimated at approximately 9 billion, divided between the occupied North District, the occupied South District, the free United States of North Nudezret, and various smaller nations in loose alliance with the USNN. The ecosystem is primarily Terran, although continued inter-moon commerce has resulted in the unintentional release of some Nuhai flora and fauna into Nudezret's terraformed environment.

Hefusts is the innermost moon of Nuzhup, and tidal forces from the Jovian-scale planet have helped maintain significant tectonic and volcanic activity on an unpleasant planet that the Elders initially deemed unfit for terraforming efforts. However, once the terraforming of Nudezret was well underway, the Elders found that it was convenient to have an expensive and difficult project that could occupy the hands and minds of heretics who they felt needed to be mercifully removed from society. The low surface gravity - barely one quarter of Nukashuba's surface gravity - helped ensure that exiles stayed exiled, and has continued to limit emigration. There are no major bodies of surface water on Hefusts, and while the atmosphere now has almost a 16% oxygen content with widespread outdoor growth of lichen and even some unusually hardy varieties of mosses and ferns (including both Terran and Nuhai varieties), the population still mainly lives in domes and uses respirators when traveling outside. Hefusts today supports a population of approximately 100 million. Hefusts remains independent.

Herald is not usually permanently inhabited, but has several scientific and military stations related to the use of Herald's L1 point as a jump point, first historically by the Elders and later by Nukashubans and Hefustians after the redevelopment of jump drive technology. A number of intrasystem fleet forces fled to Herald during the White Ghost Invasion.

Beacon is host to a long-term international astronomical observatory.


Nukashubans have some unusual phenotypical characteristics: Almost uniformly, they have coppery skin, black hair, violet eyes, and tend strongly toward a modest medium height for both men and women. On Nudezret, green eyes are also common, and there is a rare mutation known as "Heretic's Hand" that is essentially unknown on Nukashuba. Due to forcible exile and negative stereotyping during some of the less pleasant parts of system, this mutation is very common on Hefusts, whose inhabitants are largely tall and thin due to the low local gravity.

Strong selection effects and some genetic engineering had a significant impact on Nukashuban (and therefore consequentially Nudezretian) tolerance for heavy metals and radiation.

Nuhaians are more genetically diverse and mostly descended from the "heathen" crews, scientists, and survey experts marooned there. There has been some migration from Nukashuba and Nudezret since the fall of the Elders, which has resulted in some amount of genetic transfer, but the Nuhaian population is much more generally similar to the rest of the Inner Sphere (with the notable exception of lung capacity). Basically, from a natural genetic population history perspective, things look roughly like the below diagram, though there's a certain amount of unnatural genetic history involved as well.


Due to slow but long-term admixture with the bottlenecked Nukashbuan and Nudezretian populations, Nuhaians are generally (though not uniformly) resistant to heavy metal poisoning by Inner Sphere standards, but generally (though not uniformly) vulnerable to heavy metal poisoning by Nukashuban standards. Nudezretians and Hefustians would be very resistant to heavy metal poisoning by Inner Sphere standards, though not quite as much as Nukashubans.

Nukashuba and Herald are the only anomalously dense planetary-scale bodies in the system. Nuhai, Nudezret, and Hefusts are not rich in heavy metals, nor is heavy metal contamination common there; resistance to heavy metal poisoning is due to migration through Nukashuba and a mixture of selection effects, genetic engineering, and genetic bottlenecking.

CP-11-N Ettin: Battle Computer, Improved Targeting (Medium)

The Ettin is the command BattleMech of the Papolris system. Based closely on descriptions and drawings of the CP-10-Z Cyclops, the Ettin features a sophisticated Nukashuban battle computer every bit as capable as the famous Tacticon B-2000 battle computer. As a welcome side effect, the Ettin's integrated targeting and tracking systems are among the best in the system, enabling highly accurate mid-range fire. Its autocannon is more accurate but less powerful than the Zeus-36 autocannon used on the actual Cyclops.

Each faction within the Papolris system utilizes their own variant of the Ettin. The first model of the Ettin features highly advanced stealth systems in the form of a Chameleon Light Polarization System, and has heavy armor to protect it.

CP-12-N Super Ettin

The Super Ettin utilizes a highly advanced one-of-a-kind light engine to increase its weapons payload. This engine doubles the cost of the machine, which upgrades the autocannon for a more powerful standard Nukshuban-grade particle cannon, additional heat sinks, and adds eleven additional missile tubes. Only a small number of these have been built.

CP-11-ND Ettin

While the Super Ettin only serves in the forces of four diocese militias, the regular Ettin remains too expensive to maintain for some Nukashuban militia commands. The stealth technology was also too sensitive for export. An "export model" Ettin that strips the naval-grade heat sinks in favor of tank-grade heat sinks and dispenses with the stealth systems is found in small numbers on both Nukashuba and Nudezret.

CP-11-NU Ettin
While Nukashuba exports the sophisticated command and control systems for Ettins to Nudezret via low-volume stealth cargo drops, most Nudezret Ettins are assembled locally, few of them to the -ND standard. The United States of North Nudezret as the largest and most powerful of the independent Nudzeret nations has its own exclusive variant of the Ettin, sometimes referred to as "the mountain man" in military slang or the Highland Giant in the growing genre of BattleMech-related poetry.

This includes an extended ammunition supply for the long-range missile systems, but the principal difference is that the Nudezretian heavy autocannon is replaced with a hypersonic electromagnetic kinetic weapon, a close copy of equipment captured from the Ghosts.


CP-10-N Shepherd
Originally developed by the Union of Christian Socialist Republics from the downgraded Type 343 command BattleMech built by the People's Republic of South Nudezret, the Shepherd frame has continued production since the fall of the UCSR, and this variant of the Ettin may be the most common locally assembled version of the command machine. The low price tag and ease of assembly and maintenance is key; the Shepherd uses a less-expensive compact engine that unfortunately limits the machine's top rated speed to less than sixty kilometers per hour.

While it carries a lower mass of conventional armor, it has highly robust reinforced structural systems and an armored cowl to protect the commander, making the Shepherd every bit as durable as its counterparts.

Scorpion
While the Scorpion chassis and its variants have a bad reputation within the Inner Sphere, it enjoys a good reputation in the Papolris system.

SCP-65N Heavy Scorpion
Prototype had Reinforced Legs and Combat Computer, but these quirks were never solidified to production.

The premier heavy fighting unit of the Nukashuban military, the Heavy Scorpion is exclusively found in Nukashuban service in stealth-protocol militias. It is nearly (though not quite) fast enough to keep up with hovertank forces, carries a powerful standard Nukashuban-grade particle cannon for heavily armored targets, a short-range missile battery for anti-vehicle work, and a fusion plasma vent for anti-infantry defense.

Initial plans called for heavy reinforcement of the leg actuators against damage in use and a sophisticated combat computer to assist the pilot in managing its powerful arsenal of weapons, but these features were cut in order to put the design into production quickly. The high speed of the Heavy Scorpion was essential in increasing widespread adoption of BattleMechs among Nukashuban militias, driving sales of Raven BattleMechs as trainers. It is much more heavily armored than its inspiration, the SCP-1N Scorpion, which is not found in service in Papolris.

SCP-2S Scorpion

Overview: The upgraded SCP-2S Scorpion is noted to have first appeared in the service of Stone's Sword, a powerful but mysterious multi-regiment mercenary company in the service of House Davion. Initially, this was thought to be an aftermarket refit, but new-manufacture Scorpions were observed in service of Stone's Sword beginning in 3012. The manufacturing site of these new-manufacture Scorpions is unknown.

Capabilities: The Stone's Sword Scorpions trade two short-range missile tubes for a flamer in the usually-unused anti-infantry port on the left side of the Scorpion's chassis. The machine is commonly assigned to new recruits. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the Scorpions of Stone's Sword are easier to pilot and have improved heat management.

SCP-30N Light Scorpion

The Light Scorpion is designed as an infantry fighting mech, working closely with the standard Nukashuban Infantry Battle Armor Unit, code-named RASCAL. It includes an integrated external transport system providing grab bars for a squad of six infantrymen. It makes use of reliable and less expensive stealth armor systems, easier to maintain, which has encouraged broader adoption of the vehicle. It is present but uncommon across most Nukashuban militias.

The Light Scorpion is able to keep pace with many hovertanks, with an extralight particle cannon and medium laser for anti-armor work. It relies on infantry support for protection against other infantry.

The Rascal battle armor system is designed for sufficient protection against standard anti-infantry weapons, such as small lasers, flamethrowers, machine guns, and even common missile systems. It includes a pair of lightweight recoilless rifles as its primary armament, can run at high sustained speeds, and has jump capacity.
Quirks: Compact, Low Profile, Bad Reputation (Papolris). (-3GF, -4GF: Improved Sensors, Command BattleMech)

The Goldfish chassis is the third most significant of the early BattleMechs produced by Nukashuba, although it has a significantly worse reputation, mainly due to the mixed service record of the DRG-1GF variant in PRSN service. The PRSN BattleMech force detached to Dorman's World was completely wiped out, and the while the -3GF and -4GF Goldfish performed capably in Nukashuban hands by objective standards during battles with the White Ghosts, the Heavy Scorpions in the hands of the experienced pilots of Scorpion Company and the much more heavily armed and armored Lorris chassis received the lion's share of the glory in those battles, while the Goldfish served more as reconnaissance and screening units.

With jump capabilities, the Goldfish is as mobile as the IslandMech, though both more expensive and more powerful. It closely resembles (and is modeled after) the Dragon used extensively in the Draconis Combine. The -2GF (large laser) and -3GF (PPC) models feature the Nukashuban Chameleon Light Polarization System. Nudezretian pilots have utilized the -1GF (light autocannon) and -4GF (particle cannon) models. The -3GF and -4GF utilize advanced fusion engines with potentially limited availability, while the -1GF and -2GF were designed with light fission engines.
A rare variant, the DRG-3T Goblin, mounts an artillery piece.


Produced in large numbers as a stopgap training BattleMech, the Raven is generally seen as useless for most other purposes. At twenty-five tons, it has armor and firepower comparable to the Light Scorpion but only half the speed. It carries a pair of five-tube missile launchers backed up by a pair of chest-mounted medium lasers, respectable firepower for its weight class. A rare variant reduced this to one medium laser as well as cutting the ammunition supply in half, allowing the addition of underwater maneuvering units.

Although serial production has ceased in order to prioritize other BattleMechs, over 400 Ravens were produced, an initial surge of popularity dictated by its availability and low cost at a time when few BattleMechs had been produced.

The Lorris, on the other hand, was never produced in large numbers. 41 were produced before the arrival of the White Ghosts, which represents only a slightly smaller investment in production resources than the entire Raven production run. The slowest BattleMech assembled in Papolris, the Lorris is a hundred-ton tripodal machine with a dual cockpit. It is protected by twenty six tons of armor and armed with either a quartet of large lasers or a pair of Nukashuban-grade particle cannons.

With trained MechWarriors in short supply, pilot / gunner compatibility a major visible issue during early testing of the Lorris, the machine being too slow to keep up with anything other than the Mini Maus and Capybara tanks, and finally a series of bungled public demonstrations, interest in the Lorris remained lackluster until the arrival of the White Ghosts, and a full company of fifteen brand new but unsold Lorris III were sent to Nudzeret to fight the invaders.

The company of Lorrises participated in two major battles, performing strongly in an ambush that virtually eliminated two battalions of the Ghosts, and heavily damaging another two battalions when caught out of position by more mobile enemy forces behind rapidly-moving lines of contact. The updated Lorris III standard adds jump jets to enable the slow machine to achieve levels of tactical mobility comparable to the Ettin; older Lorrises have been generally refit to the newer standard in this regard. While the performance of the Lorris III on the battlefields of Nudezret is generally viewed positively, the machine remains rare.

Occupied territory:
Four BattleMechs are locally produced in occupied territories. These are utilized by the district militias as well as by White Ghost pilots, who enjoy unusual status under local district law as off-worlders.

In some cases, this status includes unasked-for privileges. For example, the People's Republic of South Nudezret (now South District) pre-emptively passed a law exempting off-world "devotees of Saint Blake" from its Coxian-influenced laws related to monogamy and concubinage prior to the arrival of the first White Ghost pilots.

In other cases, this status has come about in reaction to difficulties after the fact. For example, in North District, White Ghost pilots are held exempt from local obscenity and modesty laws, although their superiors encourage them to be sensitive to local sensibilities.

• WSP-1A Wasp (Nuhai)
• STK-3M Sentinel (North District, South District)
• KTO-18 Kintaro (South District, former planned Goldfish production line)
• Type 216b (South District)

Type 216b
Quirks: Minimal arms, narrow profile.


Hefusts

Hefusts is known to have some BattleMech forces, but is not known to produce any BattleMechs locally, at least not entirely from scratch.

United States of North Nudezret

The United States of North Nudezret relies heavily on two exclusive-production BattleMechs, the Warmaster and the Marauder-Catapult.

Warmaster

Quirks: Command Mech, Jettison-Capable Weapon (PPC), Weak Head Armor (1)

The first BattleMech built by the USNN, the Warmaster is a highly successful and enduring design that has only been through minor refinements since its first production run. While some would argue that the Banshee outguns it at long range and has superior long-range firepower, the Warmaster has substantial short and point-blank firepower, with six short-range missile tubes and six lasers along with, importantly, a pair of machine guns for anti-infantry work.

While not held in as high esteem as the newer Marauder-Catapult, the Warmaster has proven to be an exceptionally durable machine in practice, both in service in the Numexinovan War and in the White Ghost War. Faced with a choice between rebuilding the production facilities for the more specialized Knave BattleMech or the Warmaster, the USNN rebuilt the production facilities for the Warmaster.


Marauder-Catapult
Quirks: Command Mech, Hyper-Extending Actuators

Overview: The Marauder-Catapult, or "Mad Cat" for short, is a high-speed machine designed to be able to keep up with the flow of battle. It has two separate suites of equipment. Its primary weapon mounts consist of a pair of arm-mounted energy weapon pods coupled with a pair of shoulder-mounted missile weapon pods. These pods may be removed or replaced in the field at leisure. However, only energy weapons or physical attack weapons may be mounted in the hexagonal arm pods, and the shoulder-mounted box pods are only suitable for use with missile launchers. Smaller modular pods on the torso may accommodate ballistic weapons or small energy weapons.

Capabilities: The primary variant of the Marauder-Catapult carries a pair of light particle cannons, a trio of medium lasers, shoulder-mounted rocket pods, and chest-mounted machine guns.

The "Knave" variant of the Marauder-Catapult carries a pair of medium-grade particle cannons and a single small laser, roughly matching the armament of the Knave BattleMech formerly produced by the USNN. The medium-grade particle cannons pose a significant problem for heat management, and the configuration is accordingly rare, largely replaced by the unofficial "Crab" variant, which utilizes a laser-based armament matching the CRB-27 Crab utilized by White Ghosts.

There are two major close-combat variants utilizing jump jets. The first places battle-fists in the arm-mounted pods and fills the missile pods with twelve reloadable short-range missile tubes, with a chest-mounted small laser for anti-infantry work; the second, dubbed the "Knight," relies on multiple lasers combined with a massive hatchet.

A fifth alternate variant carries twenty long-range missile tubes, backed up by a trio of small lasers and a pair of battlefists.

Other free Nations:

In addition to assembling a small number of Ettin variants, the free nations of Nudezret also manufacture four BattleMechs: The Banshee, the Thunderjack, the Redjack, and the IslandMech. Small numbers of other BattleMechs survive, but production and logistical limitations have led to limitation of the production of the BJ-RSU-2 Thunderjack and cessation of the production of the superheavy 120-ton Mackie and Slinger BattleMechs.

BNC-3R Banshee
Quirks: Bad Reputation (Inner Sphere), Rugged (1)

Outside of USNN service, the premier combat BattleMech of Nudezret is the Banshee, a 95-ton assault BattleMech that is easily recognized as similar to its Inner Sphere counterparts. Developed by the now-dissolved Ribbon Sea Union in cooperation with Hefusts, the Banshee enjoys a reputation as a solidly-built rival to the Warmaster, with real anti-aircraft capabilities from its autocannon combined with the armor-penetrating punch of its particle cannon and potent close-in brawling capabilities with its massive battle fists.


BJ-RSU-2 Thunderjack
Quirks: No / minimal Arms, Non-Standard Parts. (Prototype Anti-Aircraft Targeting not solidified.)

The Thunderjack remains in production partially because it utilizes one of the most common fusion engines in the Papolris system, and partially because of its high mobility.


RJ-03 Redjack
Quirks: Rugged (2), Accurate Weapon (AC/5), No/Minimal Arms, Narrow Profile, Difficult Ejection

Developed by the now-defunct Union of Christian Socialist Republics and improved with Nukashuban engineering as a result of MANY MICE, the Redjack has continued production. Due to the ruggedly overengineered reinforced chassis, the Redjack chassis usually leaves the battlefield in salvageable condition, meaning that in spite of lower production volumes, it has likely become the most common Nudezretian BattleMech via attrition. It is even common in North District and South District forces, a fact that makes an accurate census difficult.


UM-CIC-F2 IslandMech

Quirks: Low Profile, Compact

While the original production lines for the IslandMech are now largely below sea level in shallow portions of the Ribbon Sea, numerous examples survived along with production facilities for compatible parts. As a compact and inexpensive BattleMech, the humble IslandMech is not powerful, but it is easy to transport, and its high level of mobility makes it useful in reconnaissance operations.

Dossier: Stone's Sword
Strength: Estimated 3 regiments of BattleMechs
Founded: Circa 3004.
Notable aerospace fighters: Slayer, Corsair
Notable tanks: Manticore, Demon Manta
Notable light mechs: Panther
Notable medium mechs: Scorpion
Notable heavy mechs: Dragon, Archer
Notable assault mechs: Banshee, Goliath, Thug

History: While the origin of the Stone's Sword mercenary company is murky, the most popular rumor is as follows: Arthur Luvon, the Duke of Donegal, had a love affair with a Kuritan noblewoman. Sometime around 3003-3005, he arranged for her defection along with that of her sister and a significant house guard or regular Kuritan unit, who then formed the core of the unit along with handpicked members of the duke's own soldiers.

The unit caused a significant stir when it arrived with a full BattleMech regiment with support on Galatea, the Mercenary's Star, where they hired significant additional personnel to fill in the gaps left in the unit's original roster by loyalist Kuritan soldiers who were unwilling to defect. Since 3005, the unit has been in the employ of the Federated Suns, where it has been employed against both the Capellan Confederation and Taurian Concordat. The fact that Stone's Sword has not been deployed to the Kuritan border contributes to rumors that the unit's commander may not be willing to fight against her former countrymen.

The fact that Stone's Sword has some number of Banshees in service and an uncertain supply of reserve materiel, along with the timing of Gwen Stone's disappearances from public view, has led some to suspect that Stone's Sword was the source of the mysterious company of Banshee BattleMechs that supported Frederick Steiner in his clash with Nondi Steiner. Observers believe the company may be unwelcome in both the Lyran Commonwealth and Draconis Combine for political reasons, leaving Ian Davion in a strong negotiating position when he renewed the company's contract for an additional ten-year term in 3010.

The unit has rapidly grown in strength to three front-line regiments plus integrated transport, aerospace, and infantry support. It maintains recruitment offices on Demeter, not far from the Capellan border, where the unit enjoys significant local popularity. The unit's prominent successes, notably including the capture of multiple enemy JumpShips using its well-armed aerospace support, have earned it the ire of the Kearny Highlanders and Gordon's Armored Cavalry

Stone's Sword includes significant logistical and transport support, and utilizes distinct variants of its signature BattleMechs. It is known that this includes new-production Scorpions thought to be of an improved model. It has been a significant repurchaser of Kuritan salvage on the Federated Suns market to maintain its forces of Panther and Dragon BattleMechs and Slayer aerospace fighters, and its roster includes a number of rare BattleMechs that first appeared in their ranks following their battle with the mysterious White Ghosts of Demeter, an unknown force that attacked Demeter in 3006.

It is also notable for including a significant number of uncommon assault-weight BattleMechs, initially including a significant number of Banshees and Goliaths as well as the largest known collection of rare Thug BattleMechs. Notably, Stone's Sword utilizes a significant number of Manticore tanks as well as (following the capture of Ghost tanks) a unique design known as the Demon Manta.


Guinevere Stone, sometimes informally "Gwen," is the chief executive officer of Stone's Sword, a multi-regiment mercenary company working for House Davion. She, her lover Arthur (now all but known to have been Arthur Luvon, the Duke of Donegal and a major shareholder in the company), and her sister Becca disappeared from the public spotlight in 3009, with Stone's Sword left in the capable hands of Morgan Kell. In 3010, she returned to service with an infant in tow, widely presumed to be the illegitimate daughter of the recently-deceased Arthur Luvon.

The possibility that the child, Melissa Stone, may be the legitimate heir to the Duchy of Donegal has been vigorously denied by Duke Toribio Malborg. The Kell brothers inherited Arthur Luvon's personal fortune, the most valuable portion of which was a 40% ownership share in Stone's Sword.

In 3013, Guinevere Stone led the force that recovered Ian Davion's body after the First Prince was killed by a Taurian ambush on Atreus Prime. Since that time, she has taken a less active role in front-line command of Stone's Sword, with the Kell brothers both gaining significant experience in independent field command of entire regiments. Some have considered the woman foolish for trusting men as young as Morgan and Patrick Kell, but Stone's Sword has remained generally successful even as Gwen Stone spends more of her time on New Avalon and less time fighting Taurians and Capellans.

While her force includes many heavier BattleMechs suitable for command, she prefers to pilot a highly-mobile Griffin instead.
The following units are utilized in company-scale quantities by Stone's Sword in trademark versions not widely available within the Inner Sphere. This has invited comparison to Wolf's Dragoons.

• Aerospace fighters:
◦ Corsair
◦ Slayer
• BattleMechs:
◦ Thug
◦ Goliath
◦ Archer
◦ Dragon
◦ Scorpion
◦ Panther
• Tanks:
◦ Manticore
◦ Demon Manta

Sources:

• Authorized purchaser of CSR-V12 Corsair due to positive working relationship with AFFS.
• Discount purchaser of Kuritan salvage from AFFS (Slayer, Archer, Dragon, Panther)
• Salvage from the Ghosts of Demeter (this accounts for at least some of the Thug BattleMechs)
• Stone's Sword reportedly has new-production Scorpion and Goliath BattleMechs, which are otherwise known to be out of production and rare.
• The Stone's Sword distinctive Archers appear similar to those utilized by Wolf's Dragoons, with SRM packs and no rear-firing lasers.
• Stone's Sword is by this time known to widely utilize Cellular Armor Storage Equipment, an experimental technology now entering deployment within the AFFS following research and development work at the newly-founded New Avalon Institute of Science.
• Stone's Sword is known to utilize gauss rifles, a technology previously thought lost to the Inner Sphere but which serves as the primary armament of the LCAF's new main battle tank. These weapons are primarily utilized on the Demon Manta tank and more recently on the company's Slayer heavy aerospace fighters.