ISC League Preparation

No more Friendly Kittens.

We've come a long way, Gatekeepers.

As a battalion, we're well along the road to being what we set out to be.  The team has really come together since our company level practices begin, and even now we still have more than a full battalion of pilots loyal to Liao and to our vision for the future.  Just to be clear, we want to be more active in a broad spectrum of competitive events, not the least of which will be the fabled Community Warfare of MWO itself.

You may have noticed a tightening of direction in the last two weeks.  This is because the battle for the Inner Sphere has begun in earnest.  We are now a part of the Inner Sphere Coalition League.  ISC rules can be found here.  Start date for the League is July 21st.  From now on, you may notice a more military simulation (milsim) feel to company level drops on Fridays and Saturdays.  That is to say, we are going to be conducting military operations, not playing a video game.

I will submit a final roster to the ISC this Friday night.  This roster will include everyone who is a Gatekeeper of Sao-Wei rank or higher.  I salute you, Gatekeepers.  This week is the last training before the war truly begins.

So, this brings us to our now stricter selection of who we allow to drop with us.  Only pilots either sworn to the Gatekeepers or actively seeking recruitment will be allowed to drop on our TS or in our lances, for a great many reasons which I am sure you are all aware of.  This is non-negotiable.

In addition, the Liao flag means something to us.  We have a monumental task set ahead of us if we ever want to wipe the stain of the "goons" from memory, and give House Liao a better name for all time.  No more flip-floppers, no more cross-unit pollenization.  Only united under one banner will we succeed.  I ask you to put aside your differences, and put your lives on the line under Gatekeeper Command not only for the glory of House Liao, but for the continued resistance of Davion oppression and terrorism on the Fringe.

Purvo Actual is open to all Liao players, but consider connecting to TS your application.  Only those actively seeking recruitment will be allowed to stay, as stated previously.  Also, House Liao is now a more "hardcore" unit focused on winning military engagements through group strategy and practiced tactics.  Casual players are welcome, but will still be asked to formally join the unit if they wish to continue with the Gatekeepers.

I'd like to hear more opinions on this shift.  Some people want to be more competitive than others, but I think all of our players like the idea of prevailing over a well-disciplined enemy team, time and again.  To that end, we have adopted the milsim structure, albeit loosely.  Some people have expressed distressed on the way were handling one thing or the other in the shift, but everyone I talk to personally generally wants the team to be more competitive.

As far as how it stands now, the vast majority of Gatekeepers seem to support the shift.  We used to be casual.  They asked for more.  We're no longer casual.  I understand if that turns folks off, but again - no need to actually play in competition matches to drop with the Gatekeepers, as long as you are a Gatekeeper.

New Gatekeeper Action Items

Greetings, Gatekeepers.  We've had a large influx of new recruits, and a few of them have been sworn into the battalion proper as Sao-Wei of the Liao Cháng-Chéng.  Rather than have to go over what achieving that rank affords you, the Command Tower thinks it best if we put all the info that newly minted Gatekeepers may need in one spot.  So, let's go over it.

You are entitled to have your personal nameplate put up on the Battalion Information tab.  This nameplate can be used as a MWO forum signature as well.  Submit to the Zhong-Shao a photo you'd like used on your nameplate, either in email or just a link in the TS.  Try to find a photo that can has a strong focal point, as the final resolution will only be 55 pixels tall to conform with the forum's allotted space.  Once you've got the URL for your nameplate, take a moment and sound off in our official Recruitment Nexus on the forum and sport that new bling, as well as give a strong show of support for the Gatekeepers Battalion.

The Gatekeepers are an RP unit, pretty hard.  You don't have to keep up with the RP if that's not your thing, but if you'd like to see your MechWarrior "character" represented in the ongoing Gatekeepers narrative you should supply us with a few items.  First, we ask for two adjectives to describe your MechWarrior, such as "loyal" or "mischievous" - just a few descriptors to guide our writers in portraying you in the text.  Also, members can have specific jobs in the battalion for the purposes of the RP narrative.  Although certainly "MechWarrior" is listed for most members, some are given nifty positions like "medic" or "technician".

We'll also need to get your preferred 'mech type (according to the Tactical Manual designations) and preferred weight class.  You won't be guaranteed this spot on any particular drop, but it will aid our officers in setting up lances for both drills and actual sorties.  This information is general types - for instance: (Direct Fire Support / Assault) or (Close Support / Medium) - not specific 'mechs.

The Zhong-Shao will also need an email to contact you with.  All members should have a Facebook account to interact with the House Liao Facebook, but it's optional for Sao-Wei.  It is a useful tool, and if you are otherwise averse to Facebook you can create an account in your MWO MechWarrior's name for no other reason than to keep up with the Keepers.

With all of that complete, you're on the upper-deck, soldier.  Welcome to the Gatekeepers.  We're probably too into this, but it's not just a game.  It's a lifestyle.

Patch Review: June, 2014

Greetings, noble MechWarriors!  It's almost time for July's first patch to MWO from PGI.  Since last year sometime we have been keeping track of the changes to gameplay patch to patch and how we feel about it in a semi-regular column called Patch Review.  I usually do a review halfway between one patch and the next, but the fact is we've been really busy at Purvo Actual drilling and training our pilots.  As well, I've been very busy with our tabletop games club and that pesky thing called "real-life" - but I thought it remiss of us not to talk about what happened last month.  So today, we'll take a brief look at both patches.

I'll be honest - I didn't feel a real impetus to write a review for the first part of the month, and only mildly with the Clan Invasion.  There are a few key things I want to point out, however.  First, if you need it, take a refresher look at last months' initial patch.

June 03, 2014 Patch Notes

I like the Arrow.  I really like the reflective qualities of the paint as well, and I really dig that new feature if it's going to be incorporated elsewhere.  Neat effect.  Other than that, nothing special with the new Hero or Champion.

Why so many new Trial 'mechs?  Is there a way I can hide them from my Mechlab?  If not PGI, can you put one in?  I already have so many.  Which reminds me:  how about adding a "Ready Mechs" section of the UI?  It's really useful when you have a ton of 'mechs to scroll through, but it was removed with UI 2.0.  Bring it back, and let me hide the Trials again.

Ok, now weapon tuning.  The biggest issue I have with this points to flaws in PGI's testing and balance limiters.  Here we had a bunch of weapons that were complained about IMMEDIATELY after last months' Tournament began.  They didn't change it during the Tournament, but did so IMMEDIATELY afterward.  So this points to one of two things:  PGI caved quickly to pressure, or some developer didn't like something a team was doing.  With the amount of weapon tweaks, I would say they caved to the pressure, nerfing a lot of weapons.

Even more ridiculously, they did this RIGHT BEFORE the Clans were introduced with MORE POWERFUL WEAPONS than anything we previously possessed!  Overcorrection?  Swerve?  Fish-tailiing nerfbats are flying, while the Clans were already more powerful out of the gate.  Hopefully, they had enough data to tell them where the IS weapons needed to be vs. the Clan weapons that were about to launch.  The more grim outlook on this is that their long term plans for balance are haphazard (non-existent?) and based on non-developers ideas, rather than the developer himself.

Well, at least you don't see Streaks orbiting anymore.  On to the Clans.  I won't have much to say about the individual aspects of the Clan equipment or 'mechs in this post, but rather I will offer a general assessment of the situation.  For posterity and completeness:

June 17, 2014 Patch Notes

First of all, new modules.  Most of these look good, but we're still testing them.  Way better than Weapon Range modules, these look like they are actually worth buying.  Radar Deprivation?  I'll have 10.

Turrets are now 60 Hit Points, down 40%.  Now a base is more readily assaultable, but I wouldn't recommend doing so in a Recon Lance.  You'll still need some firepower to put them down quickly, but this feels much better.

UAC's are now worthless unless chained with another weapon.  Click every time?  Why?  Why in the Chancellor's Heart would you do that?  Like it wasn't already comically unreliable.

As for the Clan 'mechs:  they aren't overpowered.  Expect them to come with max armor to protect their (albeit slightly superior) XL engines, and their internal components can be harder to knock out.  However, their strength is their weakness:  the large number of weapon hardpoints available.  Most Clan 'mechs will overheat as soon as given the opportunity, so adapting our tactics has been pretty simple.  Learn where the CT hitboxes are on ALL mechs, not just the Clan ones.

Turn to spread the damage out.  Don't let them focus all those guns on you.  Use LOS to deny LRM attacks, and focus fire the Center Torso to knock out the engine.  Don't bother going for the arms or legs while in Lance or Company formation, because we need our shots to kill something vital as soon as possible.  Nothing in the leg or arm is going to take it out quicker than knocking out the XL engine, but you can't do that by taking out the left or right sections of the torso.  So go for the Center, every time, especially when in formation and a Clan 'mech is called as a target.

That's it for now, and we'll be Johnny On The Spot with our Patch Reviews going forward.  So get out there, don't waste money on Weapon Range modules, don't sweat the Clanners and aim for the Center Torso.  Happy Hunting, MechWarriors.

Mayhem on Mendham II: Contact

Sharkomodo (a.k.a. Craig Erne) continues his story arc today in an all-new segment of Mayhem!  To catch up on his story thus far, check out I:  The Arrival.

1st Company Ready Room
Purvo, Capellan Confederation
20 April, 3050

The moment of truth; first impressions.

Solomon "Sharkomodo" Kazeretti knew all too well that these were the moments that made or broke a command.  While ultimately, battlefield competence and success would determine the cohesion of a unit, first impressions went a long, long way to establishing the foundation on which any success might be built.  Come off as weak, and the men would not respect you.  Come off as affable, and they wouldn't view you as an authority.  If you were quiet, you were timid.  If you were aggressive, you were compensating.  The men wanted leadership, not another friend, but they wanted that leadership tempered with reason, vision, fairness and a sense of invincibility.  That was a tall order in ideal circumstances.  These were not ideal circumstances.

He threw the door open and strode towards the podium with a supreme aura of control and confidence.  He made a point not to smirk, in fact his face was a stern and unreadable as he could make it.  The trio of men waiting for his arrival took notice as well.  They stopped joking and speaking.  They sat up straight.  They turned their full attention to him and the sizing up process began in earnest.

He dropped his noteputer on the podium and looked each man in the eye briefly.  The tall, dark-haired young man on his left.  The more seasoned and hardened man in the middle, and the grinning, cocky young warrior to his right.  He cleared his throat and spoke.

"Gentlemen," he began in a crisp, firm voice," I am Sang Wei Sharkomodo, your new lance commander.  Before you feel a need to ask, a Sharkomodo is a reptile native to my home planet.  It is a 6 foot long reptile with webbed toes and the ability to swim, even in salt water.  It has legendary patience, and has been known to bite a prey animal at a watering hole, and then track it for up ten days until the poison in its bite weakens and slows the prey.  Then the repitle, known officially as a Dredge Lizard, will attack his prey and kill it.  The locals refer to this badass lizard as a Sharko-Modo.  Half bloodthirsty Shark, half patient poisonous Komodo Dragon.  All predator.  I did not choose it, no the callsign was given to me, and that is the last we ever need speak about thatI!  Am I clear people?"

Glancing up, he saw them shift in their seats.  There were mumbles, and nods, and a quiet, "Yes, sir."

He stood tall and glared back at them, "I don't have many rules gentlemen, but one of them is this.  When I ask for confirmation, I expect you all to answer loud and proud as if you had the balls to be the shit kickers that Capellan MechWarriors are known to be!  Now, are we clear about my callsign?"

The trio boomed a unified "Yes, SIR!"

One crisp brief nod, and he continued. "I requested each and every one of you from the other companies when Zong Shao Zvolimir offered me this command."  He pointed to the tall Mech pilot to his left, "Sao Wei Matthew 'Izzy' Isertell has established an  impressive duty record as a light 'Mech scout pilot."  Next he indicated the older man in the middle, "MechWarrior Brian 'Vinahsa' Hart has blitzed through BattleMech training after spending years in the administrative corps.  His kill ratio is nothing short of inspiring."  A final nod to the youngest among them, "And this is Joseph 'Malpheus" Potter."  He's new to the service and that means he has no bad habits.  That's an asset, especially on the raid we're going to be a part of."

He watched all three men sit up and gain clarity and focus in an instant. It was Vinhasa who said,"Raid?"

And with a wicked, knowing grin, Solomon flicked on the big screen.  "Gentlemen, let me introduce you to the planet Mendham.  Oh, do we have plans for it..."


CCDS Gonggong
Pirate Point 124.65, Mendham System
Federated Commonwealth Space
20 May 3050

The guest cabin was small, especially for a military briefing.  It was what they had to work worth however, and Zvolimir would not tolerate the presence of warriors who could not make due what was at hand.  The five men crowded into the cabin all huddled around the small writing table that folded out of the aft bulkhead.  Detailed maps of Mendham were rolled out there, and Zvolimir was illustrating various markings that had been made to them.

"Initial approach to target Alpha?" he looked to Sang Wei Stoneblade who promptly stabbed a point on the map as he leaned in closer.

"El-Zee is one-one, we form up, move down the river bank on approach to defenders at target alpha. Goal is to harrass and withdraw to waypoint bravo, here."  He tapped another point  of the map.

Zvolimir nodded, "You have to get them to chase the rabbit, but don't get so entrenched you can't get free.  Entropy, where does that put you?"

Leaning against the doorframe of the cabin, the lean officer spoke back without hesitation.  He didn't move closer to the map, confident in his knowledge of the plan.  "El-Zee is one-five.  Proceed to waypoints Charlie, Delta and Echo, allowing us to settle into the brush on the highlands overlooking the basin.  Then wait for Stoneblade and his guys to drag them right across our sights."

"Correct," Zvolimir noted in his clipped, firm tone, "Focus on the faster units first, and be careful with anything exotic.  Legs, arms, that kind of thing.  Sharkomodo, where is your lance going to be when this occurs?"

"Our El-Zee is four-six, we move to the low cliffs at grid point echo ten and wait for your signal."

Zvolimir allowed himself the luxury of a brief smile.  "It would appear our draconian training schedule has paid off gentlemen.  Keep in mind that once we deploy second and third companies in their scavenger roles, we will have a window of minutes to secure the targets and move to exfiltration.  The captain of the GongGong cannot wait for us.  If you miss his extraction, you will become the guest of Hanse Davion.  At least until he executes you."

The assembled officer corps nodded in understanding.  Zvolimir could see in their eyes that they were ready. All of them.  Whatever else the next twenty four hours had in store for them, he was sure that the Davion devils below were not ready for the storm about to break upon them.

Mendham Electronics Campus
Drexel, Mendham, Federated Commonwealth
21 May, 3050

"Saber 4, watch that Vulcan!" Sang Wei Stoneblade barked on channel, "It's not a pogue it's got one of those new pulse lasers!"

For Stoneblade, the downside of Mechjocking was the high altitude drop.  Being sealed blind in a cocoon and then dropped from thousands of feet up was not his idea of a good time.  No non-spacer liked the feeling of a jump, but Stoneblade hated having to trust some damn automated cocoon for his life and well being.  He had made it though, and found his troopers with minimal difficulty.

They had slipped onto the surface apparently unnoticed.  In fact, their path along the Grezin River's richly-forested banks had brought them to within a single kilometer of the Mendham Electronics plant.  The same factory where some of the most advanced targeting and tracking systems in the Inner Sphere were made.  The renowned Garret D2J and now Improved Garret 11JA were the pinnacle of anti-aircraft targeting.  The infamous Illyrian Lancers stood guard at the factory site.  They were fabled in reputation and lore, and yet they had effectively been caught with their pants down.

Stoneblade's lance had opened fire on the BattleMechs standing patrol and it was like kicking over an anthill.  A full company of jump-capable BattleMechs were now trying to surround and destroy his lance.  They were mostly light and medium machines, but at least two heavies could be seen as well.  After all, it wasn't every day you saw a Thunderbolt take flight.

His men were doing him proud.  They kept their throttles down and their speed up.  They weaved through patches of trees and soggy ground without getting bogged down.  They took shots as they presented themselves and refused to break off and give chase.  It was everything they had worked at, and it seemed like it was working.

To his left, he saw Sao-Wei "Earnd"'s Victor unleash an auto cannon shell and a laser at a Javelin that zipped past him in an effort to shower the assault 'Mech with short ranged missiles.  And while missiles peppered explosion across his BattleMech's armor, the responding auto cannon shell slammed into the Javelin's right arm and snapped it off just above the elbow.  The light machine twisted awkwardly and managed to keep itself upright.  At least until a moment later, when it was blindsided by a heavy auto cannon shell that roared from Archangel's Hunchback.  The lightly armored and already-battered  Javelin caught the stream of ballistic hail right in its chest.  The shells bored through it like furious termites, exploding clouds of black smoke and showers of sparks and electrical arcs from its hidden depths.  The 'Mech's feet flipped up in the air as the upper body stopped in its tracks.  Unceremoniously, the Javelin splatted into the marsh, and stopped moving.

"Scratch one," Archangel called over the tac-com.

"Yeah nice shot, but kept that ass moving and watch for back bugs," Stoneblade reminded him, "We're forty five seconds to bravo.  Don't get caught now!"

It was chaos.  A blur of machines racing through and around and past each other.  The Illlyrian Lancer MechWarriors were indeed skillful at trying to isolate single 'Mechs so they could be brought low with massed fire.  However, the Gatekeepers had trained for the tactic, and chosen the battleground as well.  Many of the Illyrian BattleMechs were getting stuck in muddy patches of marsh as they landed from jet-assisted leaps.  They had to keep pulling their feet out of the mud, buying Stoneblade and his men the time they needed to alter course and keep moving west.  To keep sprinting towards the reinforcements they knew were waiting for them. Despite their planning, training, and tactical awareness, Stoneblade knew the race was going to unnervingly close.

He had to side step his Cataphract out of the path where an azure bolt of laser light sliced through the air.  The Enforcer had gotten ahead of him, and was trying to either score a direct hit or herd him off to the right where that Thunderbolt was clearing a thicket of spruce trees.  Stoneblade stomped his right foot pedal instead and cranked the sticks left.  The Cataphract  looked like it turned on a dime, to its left, heading for the sheer eight foot bank of an irrigation ditch.  Just as fast as he had turned left, he snapped back to the right in a display of pure piloting prowess.  As he passed on the left side of the Enforcer, he drilled his own large laser and auto cannon into the Davion 'Mech's right side.  He saw both hits melt and blast chunks of armor away, but knew neither hit had been particularly damaging.

The metallic hum that raced past his cockpit and the explosion of earth thirty meters ahead screamed out a new warning.  "Oh f---," Stoneblade thought to himself, "That Thunderbolt has a damn Gauss Rifle on it!"  The Gauss rifle was a feared new addition to the battlefield.  Incredibly damaging even at long ranges, it also provoked no heat to fire.  It didn't even fire explosive shells.  The sheer kinetic impact of its watermelon-sized nickel slugs was enough to shred even the thickest armor.  His thumb keyed the tac-com again.

"Saber Actual to all friendlies.  T-Bolt is x-tech.  Repeat T-Bolt is x-tech!  Saber Lance, through the trees now!"

As ordered, all four mechs turned directly to the thatches and patches of trees that were clumped along the river's path.  The Cataphract, Hunchback, Victor and Darrin Call's Shadow Hawk suddenly turned north as if they were a precision 'Mech drill team.  They dove in blind and headlong, and somehow, all four BattleMechs also came out the far side on their feet and none the worse for wear.  The basin was maybe eight hundred meters across at this point, with a lone line of low hills providing  a wall across the far side of the water.  They'd made it, or so Stoneblade hoped.  Even now he could feel and hear their pursuers crashing and smashing and leaping over the woods to renew their chase.  He could make out the Enforcer, as well as a Hatchetman, Whitworth, and Centurion.

He looked up to the ridge and muttered a quiet, "You better be there."

Company / Lance Drills (6.20 and 6.21/14)

Many of the Gatekeepers that have been with us a long while know that there is a method to the Zhong-Shao's madness.  However, we've had a great many newcomers in the recent weeks since we started a regular company night.  Let me assure everyone that there IS (in fact) a method somewhere in all this madness, and we've had experience creating and maintaining online communities.  We are in this for the long haul and the Command Tower does have a plan.

However...

The truth is that we're not quite as ready for the competition just yet.  We've got so many pilots, but very few times have we had the same company arrangement.  People have ideas of what it will be like when they drop against a 12man, but quickly those are dashed aside as our sheer inexperience bowls us over.  We're not going to grind our troops down on the millstone of blindly dropping 12's.  That isn't going to work.

For the last few weeks, we have not been dropping 12's when we have our company on.  Instead we have been drilling maneuvers and accuracy training in 4-man lances in the pubs and in intracompany XvX Private matches.  It is imperative that all of us learn the maneuvers we will be employing.  It is also imperative to train our less accurate gunners how to use their assigned fire lanes to maximize their hit ratios.  The Zhong-Shao has been watching all this very closely, despite the real-world callings that have relegated his duties to brooding in the Command Tower while randomly barking at or blithely interrogating the officers.

We were not prepared during our first push as a competitive team.  The good news is:  we're almost there.  The intra-company sorties were quite revealing last weekend.  So much so, this is what you can expect on our company nights (Friday and Saturday).

• Lance Training (4 mans on Public Servers) with random lancemates.
• Intracompany sorties Private Matches with a variety of goals / training emphases.  Remember, no consumables during these sorties.  We are drilling formations, weapon accuracy and order discipline, not strike order.
• A series of successful drills will result in 12 man drops, but don't expect this before the 2 hour mark (12am CST).

This is just the beginning of 1st Company as a team, and we want to do it properly.  Part of that is finding the players who are willing to spend some time training to get what we want, and what we want (in this first part of our long journey) is to hit a solid 50% win rate on 12 man pubs.  We are much less than that, but a variety of factors contribute to that - most notably, our failure to drill properly and train our players on maps, maneuevers, formations and fire lanes.  All of that will be happening this weekend.

Many players who visit our TS expect to see a powerful team setup to run 12s at any time.  The fact is, that's just not true right now, but we want it to be.  While we have a very active community and there are always 4man lances running, very few of those players have what it's going to take to be successful competition team.  

Our stats in public servers don't really mean much.  Generally speaking, we have found that the better a player regards his skill in the game, the less suited he is for our company.  It takes more than a good pub KDR or win rate on your stats.  It's about your gunnery accuracy and discipline, i.e. the ability to not only accept but to execute orders you are given by your commanding officer.  Meaning when you are ordered forward, you will go - even if it means taking damage.  

Don't worry about whether or not your CO has the right idea or not.  The fact is, every commander will fail, and they will have to deal with that failure more so than the men under their command in imaginary robot vehicles. There's a reason we have a chain of command. 

A good player for us is one who likes to hang out, is fairly accurate with weapons (use your hit rates for AC weapons to get an idea of your own rating) and is capable of taking orders.  Rarer still are those capable of giving orders - the Command Tower is always on the lookout for exceptional officers.  However, our options have been limited because of our single-minded stance that we will not drop with non-Liao.

We need a larger pool of serious players, which we in House Liao can only get by trying to recruit all Liao in MWO.  All of these players will be trained in the same tactics - in this manner, there will be no questions at the beginning of the map as to what the plan is or what we're supposed to do in that moment.  Everyone will already know the plan, and simply have to wait for the marks and cues from Command to execute the drill.

I'm sure a lot of you have ideas about what we could or should be doing to achieve these goals.  The fact is that the Command Tower already considered all the options we have currently in the game and concluded that this training must be done in stages from the ground up.  That is, a little at a time.  Rest assured, if there is a feature in the game then we have considered how we can use it to our advantage during this training.  We actually have meetings, you know.  If you're already getting bored because there are no 12 mans, hold your horses.  They are coming faster than you'd probably like.

Everyone serious about the 1st Company competitive viability should be there to game on Friday.  Even if 12s are held over a few more weeks, you're getting valuable time with your company members and learning all sorts of new stuff.  We need practice on all sorts of things - don't any of you dare think it will just magically come together somehow.  We don't need frustration, we need cooperation.  This is the foundation upon which we will build a successful competitive team.

Mayhem on Mendham I: The Arrival

Today we begin a new Gatekeepers story arc, brought to us entirely by Sang-Wei Sharkomodo, A.K.A. Craig Erne.  After joining the battalion, Mr. Erne was taken with the characterful roleplay bent we maintain throughout our operations and was inspired to begin this most ambitious of Gatekeepers storylines.  The Gatekeepers are proud to present this new story for your enjoyment, and I happily turn it over to Mr. Erne...

"Big Bertha"

Vientiane Central Government Complex
Purvo, Capellan Confederation
19 April, 3050

The Stalker was an easily identified BattleMech.  It's cumbersome, awkward stride drew it closer and closer to its new home in the Mech bays of VCG Complex even as two figures watched its approach.  From their balcony, high above the main road approaching the facility, the infamous "egg-with-legs" was keenly scrutinized by two men.  One of them was garbed in an embellished, red-trimmed long coat draped with decorative jade amulets.  His elaborate hat bore a striking resemblance to a cicada.  His fingernails and facial hair were both long but immaculately groomed.  The man beside him was notably taller.  He was clad in a black military uniform devoid of any fringe or decoration. It sported only a small rank insignia near its high collar.

"You are fortunate to have earned my aid and trust," the Mandarin said to the un-phased officer, "This man further stains his record with a BattleMech utilizing long range missiles.  It is a cowardly tactic, but still, you say he will benefit us, and I trust you."

"I am fortunate indeed," Zhong Shao Zvolimir the Blackhand answered tersely, "As is the Mandarin, who now has a Battalion of experienced MechWarriors stationed in defense of his planet. This man will be an asset, I assure you."

The mandarin spun and smiled.  A wicked, arrogant smile full of misplaced confidence and pride.  Even though his right hand was no longer flesh and bone, Zvolimir could feel it's tremor.  How it wanted to snap into action, seize this chattering idiot's throat, and squeeze until the life drained from his eyes.  However, it was not a luxury his Gatekeepers could afford.

"Your operational plan is sound.  He will help us execute it.  I care not that he was born on the homeworld of our mortal enemy.  He refused to secede when most of his fellows abandoned the Celestial Throne.  He has suffered through backwater assignments without incident or complaint.  He is, like many of us, an animal waiting to be released from his cage.  We need only point the cage in the right direction first."

The mandarin turned his head with a scoff.  One final glance at the lumbering 85-ton Stalker and he said with disdain, "Sharkomodo. It is a silly title."

Zvolimir didn't bother countering the point.  How could a sniveling Noble like the Mandarin ever understand that bond of combat that earned a warrior a callsign?  The very concept was too foreign for the Mandarin to grasp.  His life was soft and combat was a crucible of fire.  Names earned there were treasured, even if they were usual intended as good-natured humiliation.  He has been the one who first contacted Sang Wei Gregor Zakalov.  He had simply known, by his experience and instinct that this man would fit the Gatekeepers well.

"Yes," he replied at length, "If you can excuse me Mandarin, I have a MechWarrior to settle, an officer to introduce to his command, and a world to raid in the name of our blessed Chancellor."

"Shi shi!" the Mandarin waved, clearly  irritated, "Go do your job Zhong Shao."  With a bow, and one final moment of holding his hand in check, Zvolimir bowed slightly and turned on a heel to go perform tasks that actually mattered, and were required of him.


1st Company BattleMech Bay
Purvo, Capellan Confederation
19 April, 3050

The final few strides required the greatest care.  The Mechbay was tight quarters, compounded by the fact that the Stalker maneuvered with all the grace of a pregnant yak.  He passed rows of bays full of green-and-black painted BattleMechs.  A pair of Cataphracts, a Hunchback, and the classic Cappellen-made Raven which looked quite a bit like its namesake.  Following the guide lights of the astechs below, he backed "Big Bertha" into its new stall and started the power-down sequence.

Even just walking around, the heat inside of a BattleMech's cockpit was oppressive.  It was stifling in fact, and despite his coolant vest and neurohelmet, he felt soaking wet and  worn down.  He re-checked the board and found everything in place.  His hands pulled the helmet's cords from their panel and removed the hose that fed Freon into his vest from the nozzle it was fitted to,  he grabbed the e-bag from under his seat and crawled from the command couch to the side hatch near his Mech's cockpit glass. The hatch was heavy, and hard to budge but he grunted and soon real sunlight poured in to blind him for a moment.

An astech was waiting there, on a hydraulic lift.  The young man, no older than eighteen, helped pull the Neurohelmet up and off his head and shoulders.  It was even clunkier than a salvage dive helmet, and weighed roughly the same 16 kilograms.  His shoulders felt that weight lift gratefully.  His neck, already stiff, snapped like dry spaghetti as he whipped his head left, then right.  The astech blanched and Zakolov grinned.   "Ahhhhh," he groaned out in relief.  then he got a bottle of water from his e-bag and poured it over his short-haired head.  The water, even tepid, was like a clear cold mountain stream in that moment.  He hoisted the helmet now, and unfastened his vest so his chest could feel real air as well.  As the lift began to lower, he could see a small group of men waiting to greet him at Bertha's left foot.

He knew his Commander, Zvolimir the Blackhand, from the trideo message that had served as his recruitment to the unit.  The man was even taller in person, and more intense.  Beside him stood a slight man.  A man with slightly blown out brown hair and a pair of aviator glasses shielding his eyes.  There was a heavy set man as well, and a fourth that simply looked like an extra on a reality show set in a swamp or trailer park. He even sported a true mullet and strode about with no shirt on whatsoever.

Stepping from the lift he offered a salute that was returned, and a nod to the others present.  It was mullet who spoke first, in a twanged accent that he had never heard before.

"Call me Ugly Green man," he motioned to the Stalker, 'What is it? A Three-F? A Four-N? Sure got a lotta missile tubes on her."

"It's new," Zakolov answered with his best and most good-natured tone, "Right out of the Free World's League.  A Five M. It's been modified, a lot, but it's a Five M at heart."

Ugly Green made a low whistle of appreciation, "That cost ya some C-Bills."

"It cost someone some c-bills, sure," Jason countered, "But I got this one out of St. Ives Cavaliers Mech bay when I bugged out to get home before they revolted."

The Gatekeepers present exchanged glances.  Dark, angry glances that told volumes about how despised the very name St. Ives was here.  Zakalov felt like an all-too-familiar pattern was about to emerge.  Then a stern glance to the other men from Zhong Shao Zvolimir melted all of that uncertainty and unease like a direct order.  It was an impressive display of respect. It was he who spoke next.

"I'm sorry your stay will be so short Sang Wei Zakalov, but duty calls.  Get some food, rest if you can. In a few hours you get to meet your men and then we will all be heading for Federated Suns territory."

"Will I have some autonomy, as we discussed?"

"Some, not unlimited.  You have much to prove Sang Wei.  Chiefly, I expect you  to prove my faith is well placed.  I so loathe being wrong about someone once I commit to helping them."

"Yessir!" Jason stood fast anew.  His snap to drew a laugh from the gathered officers.

"Well," Torturous blurted out in the aftermath of the laughter, "At least we know he understands rank and customs.  That's better than others we have been forced to work with."

"If he makes it back," the heavy set man nodded  once, "I might even bother to learn his name."