Mercnet

[livingancestor]

BREAKING NEWS!

Tharkad [INN] 28 Nov 3067

After the beginning of the 2nd Star League Conference on Tharkad today, a scathing message delivered by courier from Capellan Chancellor and League president Sun Tzu Liao announced the withdrawl of the Confederation and all of it assets from the League and the SLDF. Princess Regent Yvonne Steiner-Davion of the Federated Suns and Archon Peter Steiner-Davion of the Lyran Alliance in turn proposed a vote of no confidence in the league's ability to remain viable without participation from the Capellan Confederation. This action also squelched the pending vote to allow the Word of Blake and the Taurian Concordat admittance into the league.
After hours of heated debate, the no confidence vote passed and the new Star League has formally been dissolved. The Word of Blake delegation stormed out of the conference amid accusations of betrayal and inproper parlimentary procedures.
The Star League's press officer could not be reached for comment. The Mercenary Bonding and Review Commission would like to remind all mercenary commands that although the League is no more, current contracts with member states are still valid and escape clauses should not be invoked.
(Collen Thompson - Special Corespondant INN-Tharkad)


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[livingancestor]

TODAY'S HEADLINES
2 Dec. 3067

ALLIED MERCENARY COMMAND A REALITY
Outreach - Wolf's Dragoons Commander in Chief Jamie Wolf notified the MRBC today on the finalization of the agreement between the Dragoons, the Northwind Highlanders, and the Dismal Disinherited to form the non-profit Allied Mercenary Command to stem the rising influence of the Word of Blake within the Chaos March.

COMSTAR TO LEAVE CHAOS MARCH POST
Tukayyid - The Com Guard public affairs office released a statement today saying that the 83rd Division peacekeepers stationed on Tall Trees will withdraw and re-deploy to Halstead Station by the end of the month. Precentor Gavin Dow stated that this was not a failure of Comstar's current peacekeeping mission, rather the assets are simply needed elsewhere.

NASHAN DIVERSIFIED PROFITS SURPASS ANALYST EXPECTATIONS
Coventry - Nashan Diversified (NasDiv) released its Q4 financial statements today showing a 18% profit over last year. Analysts mistakenly predicted Nashan would only show a mediocre increase. The release shot Nashan's stock up by 12 points in heavy trading today on the Alliance Stock Exchange.

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TONIGHT on INN's "Mysterious Sphere"
INN anchor Michael Bosworth discusses the mystery of the fabled Genecaste. Paranoid fantasy or horrific reality? Check you local listings for time and HPG channel.

[livingancestor]

BREAKING NEWS!

OUTREACH ATTACKED!

Arc-Royal [INN Affiliate] 8 Dec 3067

Reports are sketchy at the moment, but transmissions coming out of Outreach are indicating that Word of Blake and unidentified rogue mercenary forces have attacked the Wolf's Dragoons and their installations on Outreach. Initial reports indicate that the legendary commander of the Dragoons, Jamie Wolf, has been killed in action and possibly all of the Home Guard, Beta, Gamma, and Zeta regiments have been destroyed in heavy fighting.
Harlech City and the Dragoon's MRBC hiring hall have also taken severe damage. Casualties among civilians and Dragoon non-combatant employees are unknown at this time. At approximately 1945 hours local time, the HPG link went dead and contact with Outreach has yet to be re-established.
A brief statement by the MRBC's office on Galetea has informed all mercenary commands that any unit contracting with the Word of Blake will be considered rogue and will be open to "termination by extreme prejudice". The commission has also asked commands in the immediate area to render any assistance to Dragoons units that may have survived the assault.
Stay tuned to this shocking story as more developments come in.

[livingancestor]

Developing Story

Mercnet and its affiliates are trying to piece together several shocking developments that are occuring around the Inner Sphere. Please bear with us as we put this information together.
Attached below is a transmission intercepted from Tharkad on 8 December 3067. Mercnet is trying to verify this transmission once the HPG is re-established with INN on the Lyran capital.


[Yellow Dream]: “Roger, Control, moving to alternate glide path. Any idea
where those WarShips came from?”
[Aurora Wing Leader]: “You’ll know as soon as we do, Yellow Dream. Just
concentrate on your orbital path and let us handle that old battle rig.”
[Yellow Dream]: “Battle rig? [Censored], Flyboy! You aren’t kidding! That’s
a Tharkad-class as sure as I’m standing here! Whoa, wait! I have a visual
of the nameplate from here... Odin’s eye, you have to be kidding me! That
can’t really be the Invincible, can it? And in Star League colors? You gotta
be [censored] me!”
[Aurora Leader]: “Say again, Dream?”
[Yellow Dream]: “I just got a close-up scan, Flyboy, and I’m telling you, if
she ain’t the real thing, then these guys whipped up one hell of a replica…
Hey, wait up. Those escorts are Blake ships! I’m staring right at
the freakin’ broadsword painted on that McKenna’s nose! You mean…
Where the hell did they get the Invincible?”
[Aurora Leader]: “Calm down, Dream. Just calm down. Now, last time.
Alter to Bravo-four and clear the lines… Command, Aurora Flight con-
fi rms lead vessel is Tharkad-class with Blake capital escort assets. Vessels
not responding to tight-beam hails. Please advise.”
[Alliance Naval Command]: “Stand by, Aurora Flight. Attention, Word of
Blake vessels, this is Alliance Naval Command. You are in violation of
Tharkad airspace regulations. Please acknowledge this hail and veer off
now, or we will be forced to consider your actions hostile and take appropriate
defensive action.”
[Yellow Dream]: “Screw this, Flyboy! I’m sitting here staring down the
damn guns of a monstrosity brought back from the dead, and you’re
telling me to shut the hell up? What the—? Now the damn thing’s got
me lit up with targeting computers!”
[Aurora Leader]: “Say again, Dream?”
[Yellow Dream]: “You heard me, damn it! That McKenna’s taking a combat
stance—I’ve fl own the space lanes long enough to recognize a goddamn
combat posture! Oh, hell….”
[Alliance Naval Command]: “Damn it, Blake McKenna! Please disengage
your targeting systems and stand down now! …Dream, this is Alliance
Naval Command. Give those ships a wide berth. Change your vector by
three-fi ve degrees starboard, by—”
[Yellow Dream]: [panicked] “Control! That bugger’s scanning me like
a Canopian whore. I’m lighting out of here…” [Heard in background]
“Redirect burn to outbound ninety-mark-zero; I ain’t staying here to be
some Blakie’s sim target!”
[Alliance Naval Command]: “Stay with me, Dream. She’s toying with you. It’s
a bluff . There’s no way the Word of Blake is coming here to start a war.”
[Yellow Dream]: “R-roger, control. Continuing on course. I’m just not liking
being so damn close to that monster, Lyran or Blake.”
[Aurora Leader]: “Aurora Flight, this is Aurora Lead. Enough’s enough;
they’re not backing down. Let’s light these Arschlochs up. Go to active
targeting now. On my mark, I want a full warning spread across that
McKenna’s bow…”
[Aurora Two]: “Wait, Aurora Lead! I’m getting a signal here…”
[Aurora Two]: “Jesus Christ almighty!”
[Yellow Dream]: [shout from the background] “Scheisse! She just opened
up! That Tharkad just—”
[Control]: “What’s that, Drea— Oh my Go—“
[Aurora Leader]: “Confirming orbital fire on Tharkad. What the hell—!”
[Yellow Dream]: “—ired on the planet! By Buddha’s hairless head! She
JUST FREAKING FIRED ON THARKAD!“
[Aurora Leader]: “—mmand! Requesting full support! There’s no way we can take these things—“
[Alliance Naval Command]: “ABORT! ABORT! ALL TRAFF—“
[hissssssssssssssssss]
[Yellow Dream]: [several voices in the background] “Fighters launching!…
she’s opening up… Contact! Contact! DropShip burning on atta…kad
City! Look at that fire…registering a massive thermal spike on Thark…
...oming! Fire all anti-missile spre—“ [loud explosion, squeal, silence]

—Intercepted space traffic transmissions over Tharkad,
8 December 3067

[livingancestor]

Secure/sensitive/highest Priority182321t Jan3068
From: Hq Affs/marshal Of The Armies
To: All Affs Combatant Commanders & Liaisons
Info: Hq Affs/high Command & Staffsubject: State Of The Affs
Routing: [censored] And Hand Delivery Only;
Disseminate As Needed

1. The Events Of The Past Year Have Left Traditional Internal Lines Of Communication
Unreliable And Given Rise To General Panic
That Is Preventing The Affs From Effectively
Responding To The Crisis. This Communication
Will Answer The Questions That Commanders Are
Undoubtedly Facing Throughout The Federated
Suns.

2. The State Command Authority (sca) Is
Functioning. The Princess Regent Is Alive
And Safe And Is Directing The Marshal Of
The Armies And The High Command As They
Coordinate The Defense Of The Federated Suns.
Hpg Communications With New Avalon Are Not
Reliable At This Time And The Presence Of Word
Of Blake Space Combat Assets In The System
May Result In The Interdiction Of Traditional
Couriers. [censored] Communications With Newavalon Are Still Fully Operational. At This
Time Full Communications Are Still Possible
With Regional Command Centers.

3. The Federated Suns Is At War With The Word
Of Blake.

4. New Avalon Has Been Attacked By Word Of
Blake Space And Ground Forces. Those Forces
Have Used Orbital Bombardment And Precision
Aerospace Strikes Against Numerous Targets Using Nuclear, Biological Or
Chemical (nbc) Weapons. Two Waves Of Groundforces Have Landed But Have Not Gained More
Than Local Ground Superiority. Current Affs
And Other Military Forces In-system Are Deemed
Adequate To Deal With The Word Of Blake Threat
To New Avalon. Do Not Send Combat Forces To New
Avalon Unless Directed By The Sca.

5. The Word Of Blake Has Struck Other National
Capitals As Well As Some Critical Infrastructure
Worlds With Nbc Weapons As Well As With Orbital
Strikes. Tharkad, Luthien, Dieron, Tukayyid,
Sian And Outreach Have All Been So Attacked.
The Word Of Blake Has Also Struck Numerous
Other Worlds With Ground Forces. Most Of These
Ground Strikes Were Designed To Disrupt Command
And Control (c2) And Logistics Functions.
Significant Word Of Blake Space And Ground Forces
Are Likely Still Operating In The Federated
Suns. These Forces May Disguise Themselves To
Incite Internal Unrest Or Precipitate Conflicts
With Other Powers. Commanders Are Urged To
Exercise Extreme Caution In Responding To
Attacks Without Confirmed Intelligence.

6. At This Time The Capellan Confederation
And The Draconis Combine Are In A De Facto
State Of War With The Federated Suns. All Affs
Forces Are Ordered To Discontinue Offensive
Operations Against The Confederation And The
Combine And Their Allied Forces. Commanders
May Still Execute Any Combat Operations Deemed
Necessary For Force Protection And National
Defense.

7. The Capellan Chancellor Is Missing And
Presumed Dead Following The Strike On Sian.
Commanders Should Note That Popular Sentiment
In The Confederation Blames The Federated
Suns For That Strike And That The Ccaf Is
Undertaking A Forceful Assault On A Broad Front
In Retaliation. In The Absence Of Conflicting
Orders, Capellan March Military Forces Should
Take All Steps Necessary To Maintain The
National Defense.

8. Commanders Should Disseminate This Information
To All Assigned And Attached Affs, Mercenary And
Civilian Personnel With [censored] Clearance.
Commanders Should Disseminate Selected Details
Of This Message To Other Personnel And Entities
At Their Discretion.

Signed//marshal Of The Armies Jackson Davion