CURRENT: In Service to House Liao (January, 3025 - ??)

In Service to House Liao

Date: January, 3025
Employer: The Capellan Confederation
Contract Type: House Service
Contract Location: Capellan Confederation
Command Rights: Liaison
Overhead: 50%
Salvage: 25%*
Contract Length: 3 Years
Base Pay: 2 WP / month*

The Capellan Confederation is offering a long-term contract to Scooby’s Scrappers to serve House Liao. During this contract the Scrappers will be inducted into the standard TO&E of the Capellan Confederation. Tactical Command will be Liaison, so all officers remain in place and the unit will continue to function as a cohesive group. The listed contract values are for standard Garrison/Cadre duties. The following changes will be applied if the Scrappers are required to undertake different mission objectives. Planetary Defense (50% Salvage, 3 WP/month), Planetary Assault (5 WP/month), Objective Raid (100% Salvage, 3 WP/month), Riot Duty (3 WP/month). In addition to these benefits, the Scrappers will be able to purchase Vindicator Battlemechs at +1 Availability and ½ WP cost.

After accepting the long term employment offer of service to the Capellan Confederation, the Scrappers are instructed to report to the planet of Aldebaran. Aldebaran is a modest world with a moderate climate, Aldebaran has a long history as a major commercial and industrial center. Despite the ravages of the Succession Wars, it retains a moderate industrial capacity that is growing slowly. The temperate climate supports a wide variety of life forms that thrive in many different types of terrain. The furs from several of these animals are profitable export items.
Aldebaran is a natural invasion route to the interior of the Tikonov commonality. For this reason, it has witnessed substantial fighting during the Succession Wars, and even today remains a tempting target to deep-space strikes from both House Marik and Davion. Thus, Aldebaran rates a high defense posture.

Aldebaran's citizens follow ancient Capellan customs and rituals, which most newcomers to the planet also adopt. The capital of Aldebaran is Jifang Po City. Much of the planet's industry is concentrated in the city of Chouchu.

Currently, the Veteran House Ijori Regiment is stationed on Aldebaran, as well as 16 Regiments of House Liao Infantry and Armor. House Ijori relies heavily on it's Elite Infantry Battalions to maintain Veteran status, their Mechwarriors are mostly Regular with several Green companies scattered throughout the Regiment. Sao-shao (Major) Gao Xian, has been assigned as the Liaison officer to the Scrappers. He pilots a Crusader and can be assigned a spot in the command lance or attached to the command lance at the Scrapper's discretion.

After two weeks of orientation in Jifang Po City, he Scrappers have been assigned Garrison quarters on Aldebaran's southern continent with House Ijori's second Battalion and several Infantry Regiments. The southern continent is mostly rural and the Scrappers home base is the sleepy town of Pu Yawn. The Scrappers are expected to conduct regular patrols of the Ducoal River and Ducoal Swamp in search of the river pirates that operate in this region, as well as participate in combined arms training exercises with House Ijori and the Line Infantry Regiments.

On an interesting side note, while in Jifang Po City, those Scrappers with the knack of ingratiating themselves with the lowest common denominator of society learn that Paula "Lady Death" Trevaline, has posted a substantial bounty on the head of every Mechwarrior in Scooby's Scrappers, and double money on a confirmed kill of any member of the command lance.

As luck would have it, on the first patrol of the Scrappers' Command Lance, word comes over the radio that the river pirates are up to their old tricks. They have raided a settlement on the Ducoal River and are in the process of making their escape. You are to intercept them with all possible speed. Stop the Pirates from returning to their hidden lairs in the Ducoal Swamp.

To be successfull you must destroy or capture the majority of the pirate vessels.

To aleviate the boredom of the soldiers on Aldeberan, and to provide entertainment for the populace, House Ijori has decided to host a Jiqiren-Yundong Tournament. Scooby's Scrappers have been invited to field a team to compete.

Jiqiren-Yundong is a contest that the House warriors of the Capellan Confederation have developed to sharpen their Mechwarriors skills as well as to entertain the masses. As with most things in the Capellan Confederation, Jiqiren-Yundong is deeply steeped in obscure and arcane ritual as well as heavy gambling. As Mercenary scum, you will not be expected to understand or learn all of the complicated procedures but must familiarize yourselves with the basic rules.

Jiqiren-Yundong is basically a capture-the-flag exercise between two teams of 9 Mechs each. The teams are broken down by position; 4 Strikers, 4 Defenders and a Goalie. The playing area of Jiqiren-Yundong is broken into three seperate fields arranged in a line from East to West. The Strikers from each team will deploy on opposite sides of the outer fields. The 4 Defender Mechs deploy anywhwere on the half of the outside field opposite their opponents Strikers. The goalie must deploy in the Center field within the flag zone.

The objective is for the Strikers to move through the first field successfully, enter the second field, end their movement turn in the appropriate flag hex, and then to move that flag back to their side of the center field. If the Mech carrying the flag is disabled, the flag remains in that Mechs square until it is picked up by a freindly Striker or enemy Defender. If a Striker picks up the flag he may continue to advance it to the victory side. If a Defender picks up the flag, he must move directly back to the flags original hex and put it back.

Who can shoot who?

Defenders may only attack the strikers of the opposing team, although they may place themselves in a postion to help their own Strikers or delay the opponents Defenders.

Goalies may attack anyone except the opposing Goalie.

Strikers may attack anyone.

Who can move where?

Defenders may move anywhere but suffer a 1 round delay on field transition.

Goalies must stay on their side of the center field.

Strikers can move anywhere on the field with no penalty.

Despite the Scrappers efforts to quell the Doucal River pirates, raids have steadily increased over the past several weeks. House Ijori is convinced that the Pirates must be getting some sort of help from off-world. Major Gao Xian informs Colonel Winnfield that the Scrappers have been tasked with taking one Company and investigating several nearby systems that are thought to be uninhabited to see if there is indeed a hidden Pirate base. If such a base is found the Scrappers are ordered to destroy it if practicable. This mission is considered an Objective Raid for payment conditions.

The Scrappers Company detachment spends several weeks searching nearby star systems for signs of life to no effect. After the fifth jump and scan the Jumpship does pick up some readings from a small crater moon in orbit of a Gas Giant planet. Unfortunately that means the dropship will have to burn closer to check it out. After two days of slowly burning toward the moon the Dropship gets within range to pick up some topographical readings. The Dropships sensor operator briefs the officers; "Well sir, there definitely seems to be some man-made structures on that moon. Either that or the squarest, inverted craters I ever saw."

Due to the orbit, rotation and size of the moon and the long drop, you don't have the luxury of picking your landing zone. You will be touching down about 3 kilometers away from the potential Pirate base.

Post which units you are taking on the Search and Destroy mission (12 units and I wouldn't advise bringing Infantry except as Dropship security). I also need to know how those units will be deployed after touchdown. (i.e. Staying in the dropship, setting up a perimeter around the dropship, moving out toward the target, etc.)

Alpha Company, reinforced by four platoons of infantry and the tank lance is off on the S&D mission. The rest of the unit holds down the fort on Aldebaran. Command and Fire Lances will advance to the target. Scout Lance and the tanks (climate permitting) secure the LZ perimeter. One infantry platoon serves as marines onboard the SJS Unbreakable, while the remaining three serve aboard the SDS Home of the Brave.

The first four systems that we inspected had no signs of illicit activity. During the routine scan of the fifth system, we discovered the presence of manmade structures on a small moon circling a gas giant. SDS Home of the Brave immediately detached and began a high gravity burn towards the moon. Upon arrival on the moon’s surface sensors indicated that at least, a lance sized force of battlemechs in the immediate vicinity of the encampment. Alpha Command and Alpha Fire proceeded to the coordinates of the encampment. Alpha Scout and elements of Zeta Company secured the LZ. Alpha Command and Alpha Fire attempted to engage the enemy mechs immediately. The enemy responded by continuously falling back. The enemy consisted of a Dervish, Phoenix Hawk, Wolverine, Enforcer, Stinger, Wasp, Mongoose, and Valkyrie. Both sides exchanged shots, the lighter enemy elements suffered some significant damage but nothing sufficient to disable them. The encampment consisted of a communications array, a supply depot, and a large multipurpose structure. All of the buildings were prefabricated hardened ferrocrette and titanium construction. Scrapper elements managed to destroy the communications array during the approach to the encampment. Roughly the same time Alpha Command and Alpha Fire converged on the encampment a third lance consisting of a Marauder, Rifleman, X, and X arrived. The remaining buildings were destroyed before the new enemy lance could engage.

The actions of the enemy during this engagement are inconsistent with those previously exhibited by the Doucal River Pirates. The enemy not only displayed a lack of aggression the Doucal bands exhibit but also abandoned several million credits worth of infrastructure and supplies. In addition, these mechs exhibited a level of discipline similar to that of a line house unit. Their forces consistently remained out of weapons range and displayed greater than usual marksmanship. Many of their mechs were variants common among the units of the Federated Suns.

We were successful in the complete elimination of the pirate base. We also succeeded in driving the enemy off. It is unfortunate that we were so thorough in the destruction of the encampment and that we were unable to disable any of the enemy units. Either may have provided the much-needed intelligence to identify their identity and motives. We believe that the Aldebaran insurgents have an unknown benefactor. Now we have evidence that an unknown faction has militarized nearby uninhabited systems. I am concerned that this may be a precursor to some larger offensive.

Tank Training

Scooby's Scrappers have been detailed to help one of the Green Liao Armor Companies to practice combined arms combat. The Scrapper's Command Lance will split in 2 groups. Each group leading a force of armor.

Attackers

2 Scrappers Command Lance Mechs
4 Condor Heavy Hover Tanks (Liao Variant)

Defenders

2 Scrappers Command Lance Mechs
4 Bulldog Medium Tanks (Standard Version)

In another round of practice maneuvers Scooby's Scrappers have been tasked with defending a fortified location against a superior attacking force. You will have some limited defense (mines) to place as well as digging in your infantry.

You can use any 2 Lances you wish as well as all of your infantry. You will be facing a Company of enemy Mechs and a Company of the Elite House Ijori Mechanized Infantry.