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The Clans of Earth (Battletech/Mechwarrior X Mass Effect)

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DevilfishR606 said:
Question: if Anderson is in charge of this part of the operation, wouldn't he be, at the least, a Star Colonel, if not a Galaxy Commander? There's between a cluster and a galaxy present here, if I remember my force sizes correctly.
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It's harder to work out since the Clans didn't have formal naval scales, IIRC it was based on their transport capacity. Where in this galaxy the Star League and Clans Martial have retained WarShips to fulfil the role of actual WarShips. So in this, Anderson is a Naval "Star Captain" (Partially to preserve his Mass Effect 1 rank)

I've really got to do a writeup on the Clans Martial naval rank/formation structure for practical reasons though.



Actually, the formal Clan Military Structure falls off at the Brigade level (Galaxy), with the only larger formation being a Clans whole Touman, but in this the Clans aren't so small scale and close knit. So, while a Touman should still represent the whole Clan's strength. I need to create at least one more level above Galaxy to fill the 'division' role.
 
Well, above galaxies, is the Local Group. So using the rank 'Local Commander' as the next step higher than a Galaxy Commander, would fit in with their naming scheme. So, someone in charge of 2-5 Galaxies of troops/ships.

However, you might want to add two more levels as well. Possibly formalizing the term 'Nova Colonel' and 'Binary Commander'. Because then it brings up the overall total to ten ranks, which falls in line better with Nicholas' scheme of basing units around the number 5.

Currently its this:
  1. Khan
  2. SaKhan
  3. Galaxy Commander
  4. Star Colonel
  5. Star Captain
  6. Star Commander
  7. Point Commander

Warrior - Technically is NOT an officer rank. Just means you're a fighting member of the Clan.​


I'd go with Nova Colonel myself, as it denotes a more specialized (elite?) combined arms formation, between Star Colonel & Star Captain, that would be a good stepping stone - the old 'get your toes wet, before the big ranks' idea - before being offered the really big ranks. They'd command Supernova formations.

A rank specific to Binaries, with Star Captains bumped straight to commanding Trinaries, is also likely required, with the new rank being specific to Binary commands. Possibly the last rank before you start to seriously get into the logistical deep end, aka the last 'pure' combat command rank. Also the first rank to really get into the strategic side of things due to larger options available as a semi-mixed arms formation (heavily biased towards one type of unit, and then a smattering of other types).

Actual Star Captains would still be, obviously, combat commands, but also have solid experience with a logistical tail and/or are also the lowest formation to truly be considered a viable full combined arms unit (Mech, Vehicle, and either BA, ASF, or Arty/Support if a ground unit. Naval branch would likely be the lowest WarShip command rank, in charge of their WarShip, all parasite DropShips assigned to it, plus all other smaller craft specific to them) without needing to poach from/lean on other formations. Until boots are on the ground, Naval officers of said rank are automatically seen as senior to ground commanders of the same rank, then it flips after a beachhead is secured. This would be the true 'make it or break it rank' that separates the nominal ceiling most Clan officers ever reach, from the true ristars.

So it'd change to be:

  1. Khan
  2. SaKhan
  3. Local Commander (New)
  4. Galaxy Commander
  5. Star Colonel
  6. Nova Colonel (New)
  7. Star Captain
  8. Binary Captain (New)
  9. Star Commander
  10. Point Commander

This also neatly keeps down confusion as there are only two ranks of 'senior' Commanders, Local & Galaxy; and then two splits for each of the lower officer ranks (Colonel, Captain, Commander).
 
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How many direct reports does Anderson have? That's the question which tells you how many ranks there need to be beneath him for it all to make sense.

If he's commanding the expedition he probably shouldn't be commanding 'his' ship.
 
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Star League Revised Military Structure; Clans Martial.
  • Informational
    • Star League Revised Military Structure; Clans Martial.

    Rank - GroundUnitSize
    (Different unit types differentiated with | )
    Warrior or Point CommanderPoint1 Mech | 2 Tanks | 2 Aerospace Fighters | 5 Battle Armored Troops
    Star CommanderStar / Nova5 Points of the same type.
    (Nova = 5 Points of Battlemechs or Armor + 5 Points of Battle Armor)
    Star LieutenantBinary / Trinary2 Stars for a Binary, 3 Stars for a Trinary
    Supernova CommanderSupernova2 Novas
    Supernova LieutenantSupernova Trinary3 Supernovas
    Star CaptainCluster3-5 Binaries or Trinaries (1-2 Battlemech, 1 Aerospace, 1 Armor, 1 Battle Armor)
    Supernova MajorSupernova Cluster3-5 Supernova Trinaries (Same mix as standard Clusters)
    Star ColonelGalaxy3-5 Clusters (Cluster or Supernova Cluster)
    Star GeneralGalaxy Cluster3-5 Galaxies
    SaKhanToumanFull Clan Ground Forces

    .

    Rank - NavalUnitSize
    Rating- CrewN/A
    Ensign- CrewN/A
    Lieutenant- CrewN/A
    Lieutenant Commander- CrewN/A
    Star LieutenantStar1 Dropship
    Star CommanderNeutron Star1 Escort WarShip
    Star CaptainPulsar1 Capital WarShip + 5 Escorts
    Star CommodoreMagnetar4-5 Pulsars
    Star AdmiralNebula25 Magnetars
    KhanToumanFull Clan Navy
     
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  • Informational
    • Remembering Tex video about the Mackie, I expect what soon, if not already, technology of Mech building will be stolen and proliferation begin.

    I eagerly wait what models Council race will produce. I expect volus will go especially hard into building assault mechs - being inside of such will bring comfort fir them. And elcors kinda already have missile equipped power armors in canon, now they have a reasons to really advance that tech
     
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    Chapter 18; Fires of Torfan
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    • Chapter 18;
    Fires of Torfan
    Torfan
    3041 (2177)

    Torfan orbited its parent world with the safe regularity attributed to moons, despite the deep secrets it held. Pirate bases, Slave markets, fences for stolen goods, all administered by the Batarian Hegemony. And now fear populated the moon as one by one those Pirates with ships who had the balls to had already fled from the nightmare to come, they didn't have the resources of the official Hegemony, nor did they have the resources of the Pirate Queen sitting atop Omega's throne.

    When a Star Commodore of Clan Wolverine arrived in-system the people of Torfan had little idea what to do, there were no Citadel space auxiliaries with this group. Five capital ships and twenty five smaller craft, surging across the realms of space, they were some of the most advanced vessels that Clan Wolverine fielded. A fact that was evident when the flagships moved into a star formation, equidistant from one another when the augmented naval gauss weapons began to fire, the mass effect fields hurtling their shells to terrible velocities for those on the surface.

    A Night Lord, and three Liberator Cruisers formed with the brand new Leviathan class rained Gauss Fire down upon the planet. Aiming for those defensive installations that could be detected from space the heavy projectiles fired were more than a standard kinetic field used for defending such installations was rated for. The Frigates, Destroyers and Corvettes meanwhile surged forward in pursuit of the limited numbers of Pirate ships present in space. Many of those in poorer vessels simply accelerated as hard as they could out of orbit until they could engage their FTL drives.

    Others moved to bring their numbers together to try and resist and the skies of Torfan burned.

    ---

    Shepard stood at the bridge of the dropship Hammerhead, Star Lieutenant Moreau monitored the controls with a practiced eye, the modified Triumph was far more capable than her original incarnation. They were approaching the planet at a rapid pace and Alenko turned to face him. "Star Commander, we will be going for groundfall momentarily. You would best see to your mech." Shepard saluted and headed back out the hatch and headed for the mech bays, stopping only by the battle armour racks to find their Point Commanders, in conference they turned to find their Star Commander watching.

    "Can we help you Star Commander Shepard?" The question came from Point Commander Alenko.

    "We touch down in five. All hands ready for battle." He saluted them and they returned the salute. Continuing he entered the mech bay and saw his people moving with purpose, doing last second checks on their Battlemechs, something he did not need to do having done it just prior to ascending to the bridge. They were all part of his Sibko, for this purpose it had been decided that he would be piloting his mech rather than making do in powered armour. He looked up at the Timber Wolf that was his own with something akin to a lovers fondness. It was in the N configuration, mating his preferred PPCs with missiles and a nasty close range battery of pulse lasers and augmented machineguns.

    The lights went red and he climbed the ladder into the cockpit and connected to it through his enhanced imaging implants, the original versions of the technology were imperfect, unstable and caused potential mental instability, nerve damage and death, but as computing technology improved and eezo tech was integrated the current generation of implants were generally regarded as safe. And so as soon as his implants established a handshake with the mechs computers the rumble of the fusion engine coming to full power. A mental click and he activated the field that would reduce the apparent mass of his mech and lighten the step, another mental click and the kinetic barriers came online followed by the prototype energy dispersion fields. Eighty seconds later the hatch beneath him opened and the clamps were released dropping the Timber Wolf from within onto the ground below.

    The roar of sound when the hatch opened was that of rushing air and weapons fire as he fell from within. The sound of jump jets as the star of elementals surged from within the dropship following him down. The other Battlemechs of his Star were a Mad Dog, Shadow Cat and two Novas. As they touched down one by one the Elementals ran over and leapt up to take positions on each of the Omnimechs.

    "We have our orders. This is a Trial of Annihilation. Let none claim that Clan Wolverine faltered, we saw what these animals did to a sibko on Elysium." The sound of his anger filled the communications links as the surged ahead into battle. Tip of the Spear.

    ---

    His rifle bucked as Elanos Haliat moved into cover. The humans had arrived in force, after the disaster of Elysium he had few forces left to call upon on Torfan and his ship was even now hidden in the subsurface bunker where his people fought minute by minute to effect repairs, repairs set back by hours after a kinetic punched clean through the kinetic barriers protecting the hangar and punched through his ship severing the entirety of the starboard power relays. Bots moved up and were cut down in the same moment. But one, then two of the enemy armoured suits fell under the weight of machinegun and sniper fire put up by the main entrance to his bunker.

    Fire rippled across the back wall as the ground vibrated under foot rhythmically. It wasn't until he realised that he was in real danger that he noticed them stepping out of the smoke. Five machines standing upright, moving quickly. A tank was blown apart as the smallest of them fired a human augmented gauss rifle that punched through the vehicles kinetic barrier, then the vehicle itself. Two more machines, slightly larger were sweeping the area with searing bolts of laser power, swinging one way then another. Haliat ducked down behind the half open blast door as the beams swept them and he cried out in pain as he fell away from the suddenly searing hot molten metal. He saw power armoured men and women releasing their grips on the all five of the machines, twenty five of the elementals moving out to flank.

    But it was the monster at the centre of the formation who had Haliat's whole attention. The blue, white and gold walker moved ahead of the formation and its forearms raised and Haliat was blinded by the searing bolt of lightning that pulsed out of each barrel. The towers protecting the main gate exploded under the particle weapon fire and by the time his eyesight had recovered he realised he was running, fleeing from the monster at the gates. Pulses of laser light strobed across his sight as they swept before him. Pirates ran before him and were scythed down with the sweeping laser fire before the chattering roar of machinegun fire ripped through the air.

    One foot in front of another. One foot in front of another... he ran, and the sepia tones of piss ran down his leg with him. The roar of jump packs was met by a terrifying roar like the sky was falling and a shadow fell across him. He wasn't going to make it to the main eleva...

    The monstrous mech leading the formation landed directly on the cargo elevator and it buckled, bent, and dropped. The monster leading the engagement was followed by five of the power armoured figures as he fell over. He realised far too late that he had been shot, and only because he could see his right leg two metres away from him. One of the Elementals lifted him by the throat in its claw. He saw them murdering the rest of his people in cold clarity. Then he realised he could see through the vistor of the battle armour at the Turian within.

    "I am Point Commander Vivek Buckler of Clan Wolverine. You are the Pirate Elanos Haliat, architect of the Skyllian Blitz." The voice said with neutral inflection. "You are responsible for the murder of an entire Sibling Company. Marian, get me a plank of some kind."

    Elanos looked on with terror into the eyes of the Turian within the armour. The hatred and disgust on the mans face was evident. This old Turian had started the First Contact war... A metal plank was brought up and laid over the edge of the broken elevator pit. "What are you doing!?" He tried to croak out through an abused throat.

    "I am told in ancient Terran Custom there are several ways to treat a pirate. You are going to walk the plank." He was thrown at the ground near the plank, which remained in place wholly because of a battle armoured foot standing on the end. There was a slam in his back as he was pushed out onto the plank and he blinked, turning.

    "I won't do it." He snarled in defiance.

    "Of course you will." A cutting torch was deployed from the combat claw of Viveks Elemental and he began to move towards Elanos, instinctively he retreated onto the plank. Then another hop back.

    "Too long!" Said the elemental called Marian, and she lifted her foot from the precariously perched plank and Haliat fell.

    He fell for almost a hundred metres before slamming onto the broken elevator platform at the base of its shaft. His hardsuit surprisingly, and unfortunately kept him alive. He tried to look around, his broken bones making every movement a pain as he saw the machine, unharmed and undamaged in his Hangar Bay, it had leapt on the rockets up to his ship and was slowly cutting it apart as the crew fled. He saw his mechanics fleeing and being cut down. Families of his people, protected in his bunker being turned to ash by sweeping lasers, ballistics and particle fire.

    "No mercy. No survivors." Came the roar from the machines speakers. "Vengeance for the SibKo!"

    Haliat heard a sound and looked up.

    "Fuck me..." He whispered as Viveks descending Battle Armour crashed down on the pirates head.
     
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    • Yep that tracks with how even Canon Clanners feel about an entire year being killed in front of their eyes.
     
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    Does the clan even have InOps to gather evidence of Batarian Hegemony behind all of this and declare Trial of Possession on Batarian Government? Because that would be a headache for Citadel Council going forward.
     
    This made me want to start a new campaign in Stellaris. Probably shall take Crusdaer Spirit as a civic

    P.S. just had an idea of the result of all that - Garry's Vakarrian will stay in the army and will get fast tracked to become a Specter. His first mission in the approving process under an experienced Spectr will be to secure a human-turian project - first mech build by the Heirarchy
     
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    I just figured it was a Taurian Urinary Thing. Since it is reasonable that different species have different health indicators.
     
    Chapter 19; Betrayal at Kar'shan
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    • Chapter 19;
    Betrayal at Kar'shan
    Kar'shan
    3041 (2177)

    Lokar moved into the hangar where the strangest members of their little collective had set up one of their barracks. The people of Kar'shan avoided them since the great declaration. Outcasts and Mercenaries, they had come together here on Kar'shan to make money and reap the rewards that the freedoms offered to them by the Batarian Hegemony in order for one major thing.

    Security. As he entered their private hangar he shuddered involuntarily, information had flowed faster than the human race from the front of their assaults. Several of their death-walkers stood there being tended by the strange caste of technicians they maintained. "I was sent to inform you that our intel people believe that Clan Smoke Jaguar are one jump away."

    The older man hesitated for a moment turning to face Lokar. "Clan Smoke Jaguar?"

    Taken aback the Batarian hesitated, "Yes, is that significant Jaime?"

    "Yes, but nothing we cannot account for. Go tell your people to get ready, they won't have long before the hammer falls." The Batarian nodded, turning and leaving the hangar.

    ...

    "Ok folks. Get ready, there's been a change of plans, the Smoke Jaguar are making the run on Kar'shan." Jaime said as he turned to face the hangar, "Natasha, get on comms and let the rest of our people know."

    "Old Wolf, why are the Smoke Jaguar suddenly responsible for this attack?" She asked as she began climbing up to her cockpit.

    "We've been sharing intel on the Batarians movements for almost three months, the Hegemony has not liked it but most of the more influential pirate groups have been retreating here after the the incident on Torfan and Omega. My guess is Showers wants to take the credit and honour of humbling the Hegemony and crushing it. Which means we need to move quickly. Get all our people into place."

    ...

    Elom felt disgust at seeing the two eyed creatures machines as they stomped along a major throughfare and began to take place around the surface to orbit weapons that would protect the capital city, he knew that the Wolfs Dragoons were sending a unit of five to each of the powerful weapons, as well as units to the cities power supply and communications hubs. A scene repeated for most of the planets major cities. They were unholy creatures, but they had chosen to stand against their own kind for the cause of freedom.

    He wondered if the Hegemony would take the survivors as slaves to the Batarian victory. He doubted it would be that easy, but the leader of these Wolves were now here guarding the most powerful surface to orbit weapons available. He resented their presence, the security risk that they were taking by paying for humans to fight humans. The five machines towered over his own security contingent, though they had as many anti-armour weapons as they could pack into the armoury he could not help but feel worried about one primary concern.

    How intelligent was it really to have humans defending their anti-ship weapons?

    "Is it only me, or does anyone else feel like this is a rather terrible mistake?" He asked his second.

    The answer didn't comfort him. "I feel ike we have just invited armed slaves into our bathhouse."

    Elom nodded and moved forwards towards the RPG launcher and picking it up. "Maybe you're ri.... ancestors preserve us..."

    The machines had all suddenly turned on their axis, machinegun fire roared from two of the machines while pulsing laser fire ripped from the other three before the three largest machines all turned on the defence weapons and began to fire their weapons into them one after another. Melting armour, exploding capacitors and the mist of evaporated sapients filled the air with a poisonous acrid stench. Elom raised the launcher and fired only for a point defence weapon on one of them to lock onto the missile and destroy it in moments, the projectiles that eliminated the weapon turning Elom into a fine mist to go along with that which filled the compound.

    ...

    "What the hell is going on!?" Came the barked command from the leader of the Batarian people on Kar'shan. The command centre was deathly silent as those present mentally fought not to be it when it came to telling him. As his gaze passed from the higher ranks to the next, following to the next, the level of shrinking became notable until reaching one low ranking officer who simply stood still. "You. Tell me what is going on. Immediately."

    "We are losing." Came the three words that none dared voice before now.

    "Losing!? They haven't even set food on our world yet, the battle in Orbit is still ongoing!?" Came the angry response from one of the high ranking officers who lacked the courage to voice his stance until now, until he could be seen to be defending his people instead of doomsaying.

    "And not one of our surface to orbit weapons has activated and returned fire, open the feeds from any camera in the city sir, you can see the smoke from where the weapons once stood, the human mercenaries we paid exhorbitant amounts for to protect us have in fact betrayed us." The lower ranked man replied, even as his superior stared daggers at him.

    "And we have dispatched forces to hunt them down?"

    "We did sir?"

    "And?" Came the instant query.

    "We do not know, however we lost all contact with those forces. I would assume they are all dead." The man said stepping forwards, no longer willing to stand behind his so-called superiors. "The last scouting group I sent reported that the Wolfs Dragoons are no longer at the defences."

    The door opened and a message was passed audibly to another. ".... My lord. That is because they just attacked the slave districts. They... they're arming the slaves."
     
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    • I get that you want this to echo canon at the very least, but none of this makes any fucking sense whatsoever. The level of stupidity involved in hiring human mercenaries to fight humans knowing what their culture is like, there are no words for it.
     
    lancelot said:
    I get that you want this to echo canon at the very least, but none of this makes any fucking sense whatsoever. The level of stupidity involved in hiring human mercenaries to fight humans knowing what their culture is like, there are no words for it.
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    If you look at the timestamps, it's been 20 years since first contact, and presumably the Dragoons have been doing the Dragoon thing and spending that time being "the best of the best" mercs who always honor their contract and get the job done and the fact that they're spies is a well kept secret. Presumably not as well kept ss in canon because unlike in BT canon proper, they appear only after people know about the clans and ME doesn't have the same kind of mercenary culture that the Inner Sphere has, but they still should have a very solid track record of "and then their employer finally got sick of losing, hired the Dragoons, and that was that."
     
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