In January, 3020, a man without a name arrived dramatically in Liao space when the Ghostrunner, a battered Leopard Class Dropship, crashed on Sirius. The crew and passengers of the ship all survived, as did the four `mechs in the `mech bays. Before the local Liao garrison, the second battalion of Lothar's Fusiliers, could react, the stranger's pursuers, the light battalion of House Kurita's 5th Sword of Light, arrived. The Kurita commander managed to convince the Liao commander not to attack him, and the Kurita troops dropped into the vicinity of the wrecked dropship. They found nothing there but the wreckage of the Leopard. The man they were hunting, whom they referred to by the code name "Storm Dragon", and his companions had disappeared.
While the Sword of Light `mechs were searching the wreckage, Storm Dragon's `mechs executed a series of perfect hit and run actions against the Kurita perimeter guards. The Sword of Light lost two lances of `mechs to Storm Dragon's attacks before they began spreading out in search of him, which change in tactics proved a poor decision. Storm Dragon's lance would ambush and destroy individual Kurita `mechs, then fade into the terrain before the Kuritans could pin him down. The Kurita commander ordered his `mechs to pair up. This simply meant that Storm Dragon could take out two `mechs at a time. The Kurita commander finally realized that the search was a losing proposition, and pulled back to the Ghostrunner. By this time, he was down to only eleven `mechs.
Storm Dragon's `mechs attacked the group of Kurita `mechs gathered around the dropship's wreckage. The battle resulted in the destruction of all eleven Kurita `mechs and the capture of the Sword of Light's Overlord. Before they died, the Kurita unit managed to bring down one of Storm Dragon's machines, the Wanderer piloted by Artus Rek, a dissident from Pesht. Rek survived and his machine was salvaged, but he developed a hatred of Kurita Archers out of the incident.
Though they had defeated one battalion, Storm Dragon knew that his lance could not fight off the DCMS alone forever, so he took steps to acquire some allies. He hired on locals to pilot the `mechs he salvaged from the Kurita force, rebuilt the Leopard and rechristened the Kurita Overlord the GDS Black Magic. Then he offered his services to the Capellan Confederation as a mercenary. House Liao, impressed by his defeat of a full battalion of House Kurita's best troops, hired him. The First Golden Dragon Mercenary Unit served House Liao with distinction for a full year, though the members exhibited growing discontent with Liao's policies. During this period, they built their strength up to almost a full regiment and acquired a jumpship and more dropships.
In March of 3021, Liao tried defaulting on one of the Golden Dragon's contracts. Storm Dragon wouldn't stand for it. He formed up his command battalion and razed the main Capellan government complex on Highspire, where his regiment was based. Liao responded by sending the Nightriders, Barton's Regiment, and the Wild Ones, all from McCarron's Armored Cavalry, to eliminate the Golden Dragon. The brutal battle that followed lasted three days.
In the end, Storm Dragon withdrew into Davion space, with almost two battalions of his `mechs still operational. He took with him, aboard captured cargo dropships, two more battalions of salvaged enemy machines. Barton's Regiment had been all but destroyed, and both the Nightriders and the Wild Ones had suffered heavy losses. This battle was the root of the intense mutual dislike between the Golden Dragon and the Big MAC.
The First Golden Dragon appeared in Federated Suns space over Axton. Storm Dragon intended to land on Axton, where he could contact a representative of House Davion to negotiate a contract as a mercenary retainer. Instead, shortly after the Golden Dragon made landfall, another group of dropships appeared, also from Liao space. Storm Dragon's former Liao mercenaries recognized the call codes of Freemont's Cuirassiers, and Storm Dragon concluded that the Liao unit intended to raid Wangker Aerospace's lightly defended factory.
In response to this, Storm Dragon moved his two battalions into the area near the factory. This alarmed the local Davion authorities, and Storm Dragon was still trying to assure them of the Golden Dragon's benevolence when the Cuirassiers began their drop.
As the groups of Cuirassier `mechs landed, Storm Dragon dispatched small units of his force to intercept them. The first Liao lance to land was caught completely off guard, and they were destroyed almost before they knew what was killing them. Freemont's Cuirassiers were not prepared for significant resistance, and they retreated before Storm Dragon's blooded warriors. Their surprise raid spoiled, the Cuirassiers rendezvoused with their dropships and retreated back to Liao space.
The action netted Storm Dragon a dozen Liao `mechs for salvage, plus the trust of the local Davion authorities. When word of the Golden Dragon's actions reached New Avalon, Hanse Davion immediately hired them and rewarded their unasked defense of Axton with a pair of brand-new Stukas. At Storm Dragon's request, he also granted the Golden Dragon time to restore their battered battalions to full fighting strength before sending them into combat.
Storm Dragon spent the latter half of 3021 rebuilding his regiment. Most of the salvaged machines were put up for sale, and the proceeds were used to buy heavier `mechs. When they were done, the First Golden Dragon could field a full regiment of `mechs, including one company that consisted entirely of assault `mechs. Command of this assault company fell to Æthelred Barchetta, a former AFFS officer who had recently joined the Golden Dragon.
For the next year and a half, the Golden Dragon served as a mobile defensive unit along the Capellan front. Though the Golden Dragon was responsible for the failure of more than a few Capellan raids, they earned little salvage and less glory. It was during these period, however, that Storm Dragon developed the unusual tactics that would make him famous.
In June of 3023, Storm Dragon requested that his unit be transferred to the Kurita front, where he hoped to see more action and more opportunity to gain salvage. His request was granted, and the First Golden Dragon was moved to Galtor III. Their first assignment in their new theater was a raid on Irurzun. They carried it off beautifully, despite the heavy Kurita presence on the planet. The action netted them enough profit to outfit a second assault `mech company, this one under the command of Warren Beskard.
On September 8th, only days after the Golden Dragon had finished their refitting on Galtor III, they received orders to proceed to Marduk with all possible speed, and to defend the factories there from a Kurita attacker. Storm Dragon took these orders seriously, and, after a mere eight days aboard dropships boosting at three gees, the First Golden Dragon arrived on Marduk. They landed at the Norse Battlemech Works' starport, and immediately deployed to face the invader, who was only kilometers away at this point. Part of the Kurita force launched an attack designed mainly to test the factories' defenses. The Golden Dragon vigorously counterattacked, and both sides fell back in surprise. The Kurita force really hadn't been expecting to meet serious resistance, and Storm Dragon really hadn't been expecting to meet Wolf's Dragoons.
Storm Dragon recovered his surprise quickly, and, while the Dragoons were still gathering their forces to launch a more serious attack, the Golden Dragon launched a counterattack spearheaded by Barchetta and Beskard's assault companies. Even the elite soldiers of the Dragoons were unable to hold against the concentration of assault `mechs for long, and were forced to give ground before them. Wolf called in troops from occupation duty on other parts of the planet to bolster his main force near the factories. By the time the Dragoons' increasing weight of numbers had blunted the Golden Dragon's drive, the Dragoons had been pushed back beyond New Pontiac, the capitol of Marduk.
When it became apparent that his troops were going to gain no more ground without heavy losses, Storm Dragon had them fall back and form a defensive line. Though they now faced a Dragoon force three regiments strong rather than the single regiment they had faced before, Storm Dragon considered the situation an improvement, for he now had room to maneuver between the front lines and the factories.
The Dragoons' attack came just before dawn on the 17th. The Golden Dragon forces, spread thin to avoid being flanked by the more numerous Dragoons, could not hold. They retreated slowly, attempting to inflict the maximum amount of damage before pulling back to avoid damage to their own machines. The First Golden Dragon had been pushed back through New Pontiac and a kilometer or more beyond it when Barchetta's company, who had been concealed in the heart of New Pontiac's industrial zone, burst out and began wreaking havoc in the Dragoons' rear. At the same time, Storm Dragon and Beskard's companies charged directly into the Dragoon's lines. It is to the Dragoons' credit that they did not break under the double attack, but instead pulled out in an orderly fashion with minimal losses. This action regained New Pontiac for the Golden Dragon. Thus was the situation at the end of the second day.
Both Storm Dragon and Colonel Wolf knew that there would be no more opportunity for the sort of trickery that had turned the tide of the fighting on the 17th. The 18th's fighting would be simple and straightforward, and, with the Golden Dragon outnumbered three to one by forces that were at least a match for their own abilities, there was little doubt as to the eventual outcome. When the 18th dawned, the Dragoons began advancing again, with the elite Black Widows in the vanguard. The Widows were met by Barchetta and Beskard, who, due to combat losses, were now consolidated into a single, slightly overstrength company. The fight was ferocious, with the assault company refusing to give ground before the lighter Black Widows. Kerensky's company, however, hadn't been in combat on the previous two days, and the advantage of undamaged `mechs allowed them to defeat Barchetta. The only Widow `mech that got past them, though, was Natasha Kerensky's Warhammer. The others lay smoldering in the streets of New Pontiac alongside their vanquished opponents. Oddly, despite the heavy losses both companies suffered among their machines, all of both units' pilots survived.
With their formidable assault companies shattered, the First Golden Dragon could do little but retreat before the advancing Dragoons, trading ground for a little more time. Then, within sight of the factories, the Dragoons faltered, then pulled back rapidly.
Another Federated Suns mercenary unit had received summons to Marduk at the same time as the Golden Dragon. They were the Black Cavalry Brigade, three regiments of veteran heavy `mechs under the command of General Peter Rowe. The Golden Dragon arrived on Marduk before they did, however, because Storm Dragon's troops were closer by three days.
Thus it was that the Black Cavalry arrived on the third day of the fighting between Wolf's Dragoons and the First Golden Dragon. After a single orbit, during which surface scans apprised them of the situation, the Cavalry executed a combat drop into the Dragoons' rear areas. The Dragoons, with a powerful enemy now behind them, were forced to abandon their advance on the Norse Battlemech Works and the Golden Dragon `mechs making their last stand there, and to turn to face this new enemy. Wolf also abandoned any attempt to hold the rest of the planet and called his two remaining regiments in to help him.
The Dragoons launched a vicious assault on the Black Cavalry's position, with the three regiments that had been fighting the Golden Dragon, which were now down to only two regiments in strength, attacking head on, and the two fresh regiments moving to flank the Black Cav. Things began to look bad for General Rowe as Wolf's Dragoons encircled his unit. Despite being surrounded, the Black Cavalry refused to give ground, and fought viciously against the Dragoons' constant inward pressure. As darkness began to fall, it seemed that the Black Cav could not hold any longer. Then the First Golden Dragon, now just slightly over a battalion strong, launched a sudden, unexpected assault against the weakest part of the Dragoons' circle - that part that had been facing them earlier in the day. The Black Cav responded by launching a furious attempt to break out at the same spot in the lines. They were successful in pushing their way out, and the joined up with the Golden Dragon to present a single, united front against the Dragoons.
The combined force advanced against the Dragoons despite the gathering darkness. The fighting lasted throughout the night, despite heavy losses on both sides. In the early hours of the morning, it seemed to Storm Dragon and General Rowe that Wolf's resistance was getting lighter and lighter, until, near dawn, there were no Dragoons to be found. As the sun rose, it became apparent that Wolf had pulled back to his dropships and retreated off-planet.
The First Golden Dragon and the Black Cavalry were both recalled to New Avalon after the battle on Marduk. They were given a chance to rebuild their shattered forces, and were commemorated for their actions. The two mercenary units, between them, received three Golden and five Silver Sunbursts. Storm Dragon received the Robinson Medal of Valor, and both units were awarded the Sword of Saint George, the last units to receive it before the Federated Suns' adoption of the Dragon Slayer's Ribbon in early 3024.
During their six-month stay on New Avalon, the commanders of the First Golden Dragon and the Black Cavalry became close friends. They also befriended Doctor Banzai, leader of Team Banzai, who was at the New Avalon Institute of Science during this period. Both commanders also exhibited an intrigued fascination with one of the NAIS's current experiments: the cybernetic enhancement of the intelligence of animals.
After the Golden Dragon's return to the Draconis front in August of 3024, they built their regiment back up to full strength. It seemed, however, that they could not muster the resources to increase their strength further. It was in hopes of obtaining a more lucrative contract that Storm Dragon made the decision to lead his unit out of Davion space.
Doctor Banzai got wind of this decision, and prevailed on Storm Dragon to take the cats used in the intelligence enhancement experiments with him when he left. Public opinion on New Avalon had turned against the experimentation, and it seemed that the cats would be better off out of sight. He mentioned, in passing, that the eldest of the cats had considerable potential as a mechwarrior.
Storm Dragon took this information to heart, and convinced Dr. Banzai to help him build special `mechs that could be controlled through a direct computer link to the brain. When Storm Dragon left for Lyran space, he had four fully operational `mechs for the four adult cats and cockpit assemblies ready to be installed in other `mechs when the younger cats matured.
A similar deal brought the dogs used in the experiments to the Black Cavalry, who were transferring to the Lyran Commonwealth for reasons much the same as the Golden Dragon's.
When the First Golden Dragon arrived in Steiner space in October of 3026, they were hired on by Katrina Steiner personally. She was overjoyed to receive the services of a blooded mercenary unit that was capable of operating without interference from the often incompetent Lyran high command. Storm Dragon was likewise glad to be offered a contract that ensured his unit's freedom of action. The two leaders tinkered with terms, though, until the final result was one of the most unusual mercenary contracts in recent history. House Steiner promised to provide for the Golden Dragon's administrative overhead and general maintenance, but provided little in hard cash for payments. However, the Golden Dragon won full salvage rights from any enemy force they should manage to defeat.
Armed with what amounted to permission from the Archon to conduct an independent war against the Draconis Combine, Storm Dragon began raiding Kurita space. His targets were not often planets, or even resources (except that he often raided military supply depots), but Kurita regiments. He fought to inflict the maximum possible damage on the DCMS, then withdraw with as much of their supplies and salvage as possible.
These tactics enabled Storm Dragon to commission a second regiment in mid-3027, which was placed under the command of a former LCAF mechwarrior named Dara Smythe. The new regiment was lighter than the original, but correspondingly more mobile, and many of the best pilots were assigned to it.
By October of 3027, Smythe's Regiment had reached full strength and earned its reputation as a fast, hard-hitting unit. Both regiments of the Golden Dragon were on garrison duty, taking a break from offensive actions. Storm Dragon's Regiment was based on Tamar with the 26th Lyran Guards, and Smythe's Regiment was on nearby Sevren.
In October, 3027, Tamar was attacked by the St. Cyr Heavy Assault Group, the Lone Star Regiment, and the 1st Sun Zhang. Storm Dragon's Regiment and the 26th Lyran Guards were able to hold the Kurita regiments on-planet long enough for Smythe's Regiment to arrive. With these reinforcements, Storm Dragon was able to force the Kurita regiments off-planet with heavy losses. This action earned the First Golden Dragon the Dragon Slayer's Ribbon to fly alongside the Sword of St. George they had received from House Davion. The Golden Dragon also earned enough salvage to form the core of a third regiment, under the command of Robert Grey.
By February of 3028, Grey's Regiment had been brought up to full strength. The timing was fortunate, for in February, the Golden Dragon was called in to defend Skye against Wolf's Dragoons. Storm Dragon was notified that there were already three Commonwealth regiments on Skye, but that these regiments were having difficulty keeping the Dragoons in check.
When the First Golden Dragon's dropships arrived over Skye, they found that "difficulty" was an understatement. The Dragoons had more or less occupied the planet, and the outnumbered Steiner forces were reduced to raiding and harassment tactics, a task for which their heavy `mechs were ill-suited. Storm Dragon's regiments landed and established a secure base of operations, then contacted the leader of the other Steiner force. He was pleased and surprised to discover that it was General Peter Rowe and his Black Cavalry.
Storm Dragon and General Rowe quickly exchanged some of their forces. The Black Cav's heavier companies were temporarily transferred to Storm Dragon's command, while the cats - now a full company led by Commander Purr ("Purr" being the best human approximation for his own name for himself, Tr't'tht'thnn) - and some of the more mobile elements of Commander Smythe's Regiment were temporarily transferred to General Rowe's command. Then the two mercenary commanders set out to make life as difficult as possible for Wolf and his Dragoons.
Their usual pattern of operations quickly became a series of strikes by Rowe's mobile forces against isolated Dragoon units, encouraging them to group together into a larger force. When a sufficiently large Dragoon force had gathered, Storm Dragon would assault it with a group of his heavy `mechs, usually led by Commander Barchetta, Commander Beskard, or Colonel Cholomondoley and his bulldogs. This usually caused the Dragoons to scatter again, so General Rowe's light units could herd them together again.
After better than a week under the constant pressure of these tactics, the Dragoons had pulled all five of their regiments together into a single unified force. In response to this, Rowe and Storm Dragon brought their troops together, forming a single unified combat line of their own. However, the conflict that followed seemed to be less an open battle than a series of duels between individuals who wanted to settle old scores from the units' previous meeting on Marduk. Indeed, it was one of these duels, a Warhammer to Warhammer match between Commander Smythe and Captain Kerensky, that seemed to decide matters. No sooner had the Widow's Warhammer struck the ground than the Dragoons began to fall back and withdrew from Skye in an orderly fashion.
It's generally believed that the duel between Natasha Kerensky and Dara Smythe that day on Skye was motivated solely by an earlier meeting between the two on Marduk, when Dara was serving in Commander Beskard's assault company. The Widow won that match.
Dara has never been one to carry a grudge, though. It's for that reason that I think she had other motives for seeking out the Widow's black 'Hammer that afternoon on Skye. That reason, and what I heard her say immediately after the fight.
I was there, you see. I was her lance second. It was me and my Archer that guarded her back while she faced off against her opponent. That was a sight to see. Both Warhammers were black, but they couldn't have looked more different. Kerensky's Warhammer was painted dead flat black, and not a ray of light reflected off it. Dara's was glossy black and polished silver, and reflected back every drop of sun that got near it.
The pilots of both machines were among the best - I'm tempted to say the best - in the Inner Sphere. Consequently, the fight was an impressive show of skill. In the end, Commander Smythe triumphed when she punched the barrel of her right-hand PPC through the Widow's chest armor and pulled the trigger. The resulting blast blew clear through the back of Kerensky's `mech, as well as pretty well ruining the end of Dara's particle cannon.
As the Black Widow's ruined Warhammer slid off the mangled end of Commander Smythe's PPC, I heard Dara say over her external speakers - intended, I think, to be heard by just she and Natasha, "So, who's the queen of mechwarriors now?"
-- From the memoirs of Albrecht Tyr, Lance second for Commander Dara Smythe
The victory was a major morale-booster for the two Steiner units, for, though their earlier match with the Dragoons had been a victory as well, the mauling they took winning it had dampened their appreciation of it. This engagement, however, was clearly and unequivocally a victory over the famed Wolf's Dragoons. This meeting also purged what remained of the bad feeling between the Dragoons and the Golden Dragon, leaving them with nothing but a healthy respect for each other. Both Storm Dragon and General Rowe were awarded the McKennsy Hammer for the innovative tactics they used against Wolf.
After the battle for Skye, the First Golden Dragon was transferred to the Free Worlds League front. There, they defended the Wyatt Theater from a series of Marik raids, capturing in the process enough `mechs to form the seed of two new subunits: the Crimson Death Division and the Obsidian Hunt Division. Another level of command was added to the unit, and the whole assembly was given the name "Dark Knight Legion". It was during this period that the Dark Knight Legion first encountered the fledgling mercenary unit called Campbell's Crusaders.
Campbell's Crusaders were formed on May 1st, 3028. They began as a single lance under the command of Crusader pilot John Campbell. Lieutenant Campbell was the second son of a minor noble on Thorin, who, seeing little future at home, had claimed his family's `mech and set out to make his fortune as a mercenary. They were wildly successful from the first, gaining three functional `mechs in their first skirmish, and increasing their force to more than a company by the end of their first campaign, less than a month after their founding. Their second action, a daring raid against the Marik world Alula Australis, resulted in the capture of two dropships, the Overlord they christened the Deathstrike, which became their flagship, and a Triumph which they sold in exchange for a small jumpship and some ready cash.
Word of this audacious new mercenary unit spread rapidly. In June of 3028, Storm Dragon, who was still looking to expand his unit, decided he could do worse than hire Colonel Campbell and his men. The Crusaders jumped at the chance to join a unit as prestigious as the Dark Knight Legion, though more for the extra resources that the union would make available than for the prestige. Believing that it was better not to interfere with a working system, Storm Dragon left the Crusaders' command structure intact, making them the core of a new unit: the Second Golden Dragon Brigade, which, along with the First Golden Dragon Brigade, made up the Golden Dragon Division.
It is a good and fitting thing to have a valiant and honorable enemy. However, it is better by far to have a valiant and honorable friend.
-- Imperator Legionis Storm Dragon, to Colonel Jaime Wolf, at the Steiner-Davion wedding, 3028
In August of 3028, Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner were married at Hilton Head on Terra. Storm Dragon attended the wedding, for he had become a reasonably close acquaintance of both bride and groom in his years of service in their respective realms. The wedding was also attended by Colonel Jaime Wolf, commander of Wolf's Dragoons. For the first time, Wolf and Storm Dragon met face to face. The two mercenary commanders got along well, especially after Storm Dragon learned that Wolf's Dragoons were switching their allegiance to the Federated Suns.
The wedding ceremonies ended in confusion, when Hanse Davion declared war on the Capellan Confederation. The Fourth Succession War had begun.
The Dark Knight Legion spent the first months of the war in the interior of the Federation of Skye acting as reserves for the LCAF's advance on the Draconis front. After several weeks of inaction, Storm Dragon began to send entreaties to the Lyran High Command asking that his unit be allowed into combat. The High Command, however, saw no need to commit their elite reserves to battle while the LCAF's regular troops were advancing unchecked into Kurita space. It was not until the Lull, when the Steiner advance stalled out, that the Legion was given permission to launch themselves against the Draconis Combine. The First Golden Dragon Brigade, under Storm Dragon's command, was sent to replace beleaguered Steiner forces on Vega.
Even I cannot liberate a planet that does not want to be liberated.
-- Imperator Legionis Storm Dragon, to the Lyran High Command, 3029
The First Golden Dragon arrived on Vega to find the LCAF in full retreat before Colonel Theodore Kurita and his Legion of Vega. When Storm Dragon's mercenaries arrived, the battered and demoralized Steiner regular units pulled out, leaving the Golden Dragon to deal with Colonel Kurita's forces. However, when the Golden Dragon moved to destroy the Legion of Vega, Kurita's troops scattered into the deserts of Vega. Faced with an opponent who would not stand and fight, Storm Dragon's most formidable units, his two Assault Companies, were nearly useless, for they lacked the mobility to strike before the Legion of Vega `mechs eluded them.
The Cats, however, soon demonstrated their worth. Their maneuverability and unique ability to track `mechs by smell often enabled them to keep following Kurita `mechs long after other units would have given up the chase. More than once, fleeing groups of Colonel Kurita's `mechs stopped at hidden bases, confident they had eluded the pursuit, only to discover that a keen, non-human nose had been following their scent all along. Usually, this fact didn't come to light until they were caught by surprise by a lightning-fast feline strike.
The Cats, though undeniably the most valuable troops on the planet, couldn't carry the fight by themselves. Thanks to their efforts and Storm Dragon's determination, the Golden Dragon held onto Vega for several months in the face of an elusive enemy force and a hostile civilian population utilizing tactics that the Golden Dragon's heavy `mechs were ill-suited to counter. The last straw was an assault on Grey's Regiment's supply depot by civilian irregulars. Grey's security detail easily fought off the Vegan assault, who evidently did not expect Grey's security force to consist primarily of the assault `mechs that were all but useless in countering Colonel Kurita's mobile tactics. Nevertheless, the action convinced Storm Dragon that he could not win without massive civilian casualties, which he was unwilling to inflict.
In February of 3029, the Golden Dragon left Vega in the hands of the enemy. It was the first time that any opponent had defeated Storm Dragon or any of his forces.
Even as the First Golden Dragon's engagement on Vega was nearing an end, Brigadier General Campbell and his Second Golden Dragon were sent to the front. In February of 3029, they were sent to reinforce the Third Donegal Guards on Shirotori. The Third Donegal had found themselves unable to wrest control of Shirotori's cities from the First Proserpina Hussars.
When Campbell arrived with his force, he immediately saw that the traditional siege tactics the Steiner force was using would not work, even with his two battalions for added muscle. Instead, he dropped his `mechs from low orbit into the outskirts of two of the cities. Without giving the Kurita commander time to react to their sudden arrival, the Golden Dragon `mechs smashed through the Kurita perimeter defenses and seized the cities. The Donegal Guards, relieved of the pressure put on them by the now- defeated Kurita battalions, were able to deal with the battalion that held the third city.
A mere three days after the Second Golden Dragon Brigade's precipitous arrival on Shirotori, the Proserpina Hussars retreated offworld, leaving Shirotori in the hands of the LCAF.
At the beginning of March, the Dark Knight Legion's units were pulled back to Camlann for R&R. There they were joined by General Rowe and his unit, which had grown to six regiments, thanks to their participation as a front-line regiment in the early part of the Lyran offensive. Their second brigade was known as the Panzer Lehr, and the overall unit had assumed the name "Black Knight Legion", perhaps in emulation of the Dark Knight Legion.
While their units got some well-deserved rest, Imperator Storm Dragon, General Rowe and Brigadier General Campbell met to discuss their past battles. Discussion soon turned from past to future, and all three leaders discovered that the others harbored an interest in independence from the political maneuvering of the Inner Sphere governments. The obvious solution, as suggested by Brigadier Campbell, was to occupy a region of the Periphery and start their own government.
Storm Dragon and General Rowe decided that at least taking a serious look at the Periphery could do no harm, so they outfitted a small fleet of jumpships with the bonuses they had earned from their participation in the war. These jumpships scattered into the Periphery with orders to find an area suitable for carving a state.
In August of 3029, while the two legions continued to press the Steiner offensive, one of their scouts in the Periphery made an interesting discovery. They had located a star that did not appear on any of their star charts. When, out of curiosity, they jumped in-system, they found that the system was inhabited. They collected data on the system and left without being detected.
When they at last reviewed the data, Storm Dragon and General Rowe came to the conclusion that this star system, which was called "Niops" by the locals, was a lost Star League outpost. Not only that, but the technocracy that ruled the system had preserved their level of technology almost perfectly - and, as a scientific outpost, they had been on the cutting edge even in Star League days.
The two commanders decided that this was a prize too valuable to pass by. However, they were unwilling to leave their patron in time of war. They decided to keep the information quiet until such a time as they could pursue their goal in force.
With the beginning of the new year, the Dark Knight Legion's contract with House Steiner expired. Seeing that the war was winding down, Storm Dragon chose not to renew. Instead, he took the opportunity to set the three warlords' plans in action.
On the 14th of January, 3030, the Dark Knight Legion invasion of the periphery began when the Obsidian Hunt defeated the troops of Caliph Shervanis on the independent planet Astrokaszy. In rapid succession, the worlds of the various realms of the Marik Expanses fell to Storm Dragon's veteran troops. Due to the rapidness and unexpectedness of the attacks, few of the realms could muster an effective defense.
Fears that the Dark Knight Legion's offensive would turn into another Reunification War proved unfounded. This was primarily because the Legion forces, after dealing with the troops sent to face them, simply settled in and went about their business without bothering the natives. The old order's partisans had more than a little difficulty keeping resistance alive against an opponent that didn't commit injustices against or do violence to civilians, didn't attempt to consolidate control over the population, and, in fact, didn't do much at all.
By February 18th, when Antallos, the last world targeted in the first wave, fell to the Crimson Death, resistance had pretty much died down in the rest of the occupied zone. Storm Dragon's Regiment was in firm control of the Niops system and its technological treasures, and the rest of the Dark Knight Legion occupied fourteen other worlds, most of which were located along the Free Worlds League's outer border.
On the 19th of February, the same day that the Comstar Peace Pact of 3030 was signed, officially ending the Fourth Succession War, Brigadier General Campbell and his Second Golden Dragon Brigade arrived on Niops Prime at Storm Dragon's summons. The next day, word arrived from Antallos that the Crimson Death had completed their mission there. Upon hearing this, Storm Dragon announced that his part in this new realm they were building was complete, for he was a warrior, not a statesman. With that, Storm Dragon turned over the position of Imperator Legionis and the direction of the Dark Knight Legion to John Campbell. Imperator Campbell was unwilling to lose Storm Dragon's abilities as a military leader, and convinced him to take command of the Second Golden Dragon.
The new Imperator laid out the foundations of a somewhat anarchic realm. The creator himself took the title "Lord of the Confederation of Outer Worlds", or "Lord Confederate". As the first and therefore most senior of the ruling lords of the new "Outworlds Confederation", this ensured him the lead seat of power and his continuing control of the formation of the Confederation.
The new Lord Campbell then offered the second seat on the Council of Lords and Confederate High Command to his fellow legion commander, General Rowe. This gave Lord Rowe power equal to Lord Campbell's over the Confederate Armed Forces, which was newly formed by the union of the two legions, and only slightly less influence over the growth of the Confederation. This was more courtesy than anything else, for Lord Rowe was uninterested in the details of the formation of the Confederation, so long as his Black Knight Legion had a secure base of operations when all was said and done.
The formation of the new Periphery state was not generally announced, for Lord Campbell believed that a premature announcement might hurt their chances for expansion by alerting possible opponents that this was more than just a change in the leadership of a few minor realms.
One of Lord Campbell's first acts as Lord was to arrange a meeting with Emma Centrella, the daughter and heir of Kyalla Centrella, the ruler of the Magistracy of Canopus. The purpose of the meeting was to arrange an alliance between Emma and the Confederate leaders. Emma had little reason to like her mother, and every reason to cooperate with her overthrow. Emma agreed to assist in the upcoming Confederate invasion of the Magistracy in exchange for the third seat on the Council of Lords and command of the Magistracy Armed Forces.
Emma was unwilling to actively fight against the MAF, but, when Lord Rowe's Black Knight Legion attacked the Magistracy on March 17th, 3030, she saw to it that troops loyal to her were unavailable for the defense. With only slightly more than half of their forces available, Kyalla's forces were unable to effectively resist the invader.
On April 25th, the Magistracy Royal Guards were defeated on Canopus IV by the Black Watch and the Royal Scots Grey Regiment, both of Lord Rowe's Black Knight Legion. With the fall of Canopus IV, Kyalla's support collapsed, leaving Emma the undisputed Magestrix.
On May 1st, 3030, the Council of Lords of the Confederation of Outer Worlds declared the Confederation to be a free and independent realm, and broadcast the Declaration of Confederation throughout the Human Sphere. They also welcomed a third member, Magestrix Emma Centrella, to their number, and confirmed her powers as a member of the Council of Lords and her command of the Legion of Canopus as a member of the Confederate High Command.
The responses of the various powers of the Human Sphere varied from one to the next. The rulers of the Federated Commonwealth sent a joint communique recognizing the Outworlds Confederation and wishing luck to their former mercenaries. The Draconis Combine refused to recognize their former opponents. The Capellan Confederation failed to even acknowledge receipt of the transmission. The Free Worlds League, after much debate in Parliament, recognized the new state on their border. The leaders of the Saint Ives Compact and the Tikonov Free Republic, seeing a small realm similar to their own, extended their recognition. The Taurian Concordat and the Outworlds Alliance hesitated until they learned of Canopus joining the Confederation, then they extended their recognition as well. No reply was forthcoming from any of the smaller Periphery states.
The Council of Lords then extended an invitation to the Periphery independents to join the Confederation. The independent planets Herotitus and New Saint Andrews joined without hesitation, and, after much deliberation, the Lothian League joined as well.
By June of 3030, the situation in the Confederation's holdings was reasonably stable. Though the loyalty of the Legion of Canopus was not yet certain, the Black Knight Legion and those Canopians whose loyalty to the new Magestrix was certain were deemed able to keep rebellious elements in line. The upshot of this was that it seemed safe for the Dark Knight Legion to go on the offensive again.
The offensive began on June 28th, when one of the Dark Knight Legion's new regiments, led by Commander Augustus Scott, invaded the Circinus Federation. The last Circinian planet fell on the 8th of July, leaving the Federation in Confederate hands.
While Scott's Regiment was occupied in the Circinus Federation, other Confederate regiments were busy along the Periphery border of the Lyran Commonwealth. On July 2nd, elements of Lindsay's Regiment assaulted Redjack Ryan's base on Butte Hold, shattering the pirate's force and executing those few they graciously allowed to surrender. Between July 3rd and 8th, the third battalion of Lindsay's Regiment gave the same treatment to the various worlds of Morgraine's Valkyrate.
Beginning on the 3rd of July, Lord Campbell personally led his regiment in an invasion of the Oberon Confederation. He was injured in combat on Oberon VI. PPC fire from a pirate Awesome struck his `mech in the head and cost Lord Campbell an arm, and very nearly his life. Despite this setback, the invasion continued under the direction of Commander Smythe. On the 13th of July, the last Oberon planet fell to elements of Smythe's Regiment.
On July 12th, the Barony of Vom Strang fell to elements of Grey's Regiment. On the 14th, the Star's End system fell to Grey's Regiment as well, yielding the valuable jumpship repair and construction facilities there to the Confederation. On the 15th of July, the remaining elements of Grey's Regiment began an invasion of the Tortuga Dominions. On the 23rd, the last Tortugan planet fell. On July 28th, 3030, the Mica Majority contacted Grey's units in the Dominions and asked to join the Confederation voluntarily.
On the 1st of August, Santander's World, the last of the Dark Knight Legion's Periphery targets, fell to the Crimson Death and the Obsidian Hunt. With this last conquest, the Dark Knight Legion settled down to garrison their prizes.
In early August of 3030, envoys of Catherine Humphreys, Duchess of Andurien, approached Magestrix Centrella. They wished to know if the mutual assistance agreement between the Duchy of Andurien and the Magistracy of Canopus still held, and, furthermore, if the Magestrix was still willing to support by force of arms an Andurien secession attempt.
After discussion within the Council of Lords, it was determined that not only the Legion of Canopus, but the whole of the Confederate Armed Forces, would come to Andurien's aid. This support, however, would not be forthcoming unless the Duchy of Andurien joined the Confederation. After being assured that her duchy's autonomy would be preserved after joining, Catherine Humphreys agreed to these terms.
Late in September, Janos Marik suffered a stroke that made him unable to rule. The resulting free-for-all amongst his heirs and within Parliament threw the Free Worlds League into chaos. It seemed to be the perfect time for Andurien to carry out the final steps and secede from the League. On October 1st, 3030, Dame Catherine announced the Duchy of Andurien's secession from the Free Worlds League.
The growing chaos in the Free Worlds League also presented a perfect opportunity for another of the Council of Lords' goals: the invasion of the Capellan Confederation. The Capellan realm had been shattered by the AFFS during the Fourth Succession War, and their armies still had not recovered. A force invading House Liao's territories from the Periphery, though, would have to leave their flank open to attack by Marik forces. However, with the power struggle caused by the Marik's incapacitation, the Free Worlds League's attention was turned inwards.
In last days of September, Black Knight Legion forces occupied a series of worlds along the Capellan Confederation's outer border. Meeting little resistance from the Liao troops along the border, the Black Knight Legion began to rapidly advance into Capellan space. Several more worlds fell before Lord Rowe's legion met its first serious resistance. When the Panzer Lehr dropped onto Drozan, they were met by the Warrior House Daidachi. Though the heavy `mechs of the Panzer Lehr had little trouble dealing with the House Daidachi `mechs, they were delayed in their advance long enough for Kincade's Rangers and Little Richard's Panzer Brigade to arrive on-planet. The Panzer Lehr held them off without difficulty until the 25th Armored Cavalry arrived to help them destroy the Capellans.
The Black Knight Legion met no more serious resistance until the 18th of October, when they attacked Betelgeuse and Grand Base. The Warrior House Kamata, Lockhardt's Ironsides, and Ishara's Grenadiers deployed to meet the Black Cavalry Brigade on Betelgeuse. They fought bravely, but never had a chance against three regiments of elite mechwarriors under the personal command of Lord Rowe. The Warrior Houses Fujita and LuSann, along with Kamakura's Hussars, met a similar fate when they attempted to resist the occupation of Grand Base by the Light Horse Brigade.
After the fall of Betelgeuse and Grand Base, Chancellor Romano Liao ordered that McCarron's Armored Cavalry be pulled from the Saint Ives border and deploy to defend Sian. Without the presence of the Big MAC to threaten her tiny army, Candace Liao-Allard, ruler of the Saint Ives Compact, evidently felt capable of conducting an offensive against the distracted Capellans. On the 24th of October, the Saint Ives Cheveau Legers attacked and defeated the 2nd Confederation Reserve Cavalry on Purvo. Heartened by this success, the Saint Ives forces launched more attacks, occupying a total of five worlds near their borders.
By October 31st, the Capellan Confederation was falling apart. The Capellan army was severely weakened and demoralized, the Capellan people had begun to openly resist the burdens Chancellor Liao's rule had placed on them, and the Black Knight Legion had just arrived in full force in the skies above Sian. Romano Liao realized that her only hope of holding the Capellan Confederation together lay in defeating the invaders at Sian.
It was to this end that she gathered all of her remaining forces together on Sian. The resulting force outnumbered the invading Black Knight Legion almost two to one, but the Legion had the advantage of better and better maintained `mechs and fighters. Even so, they were almost stopped before reaching the planet. Only the presence of the Confederate First Fleet, a unit of assault dropships, allowed them to break through. Once on the ground, however, the Black Knight Legion's advantages counted for more, and, in a three-day battle, they defeated the assembled Capellan forces.
McCarron's Armored Cavalry escaped the last battle relatively intact and made its way to the Free Worlds League, where it signed on with the FWLA. Romano Liao also escaped off-world, with the help of the remaining Warrior Houses, which died almost to the last man to cover her escape. It is uncertain exactly where she went next, but she eventually turned up in the Draconis Combine.
After Sian fell to the Black Knight Legion on November 3rd, the Outworlds Confederation laid claim to all territories of the Capellan Confederation by right of arms. This brought the Outworlds Confederation into conflict with the Saint Ives Compact, for Candace Liao-Allard claimed that the civil unrest produced by the Capellan underground, sponsored by her, her husband, and her brother, was at least partially responsible for the ease of the Confederate takeover, and consequently, Saint Ives should share in the spoils of that takeover.
It's an open secret - though not widely known - that there was very nearly open conflict between the Confederation and the Saint Ives Compact. My Saint Ives troops were preparing for a series of recon raids against various Sian Sector worlds to see if we had the popular support to take my family's former worlds from the Confederation by force when Peter's proposal arrived. I'm still not certain who would have won the war, had it come to that - we certainly had the popular support, but Peter's Black Knight Legion outnumbered and far outgunned us. I suppose it would have come down to whether or not the rest of the CHC had asked Peter to withdraw. He never would have on his own - our Lord Rowe is like the bulldogs he's patron of: tenacious. He would have fought to hold those worlds if there wasn't a soul in the sector that supported him.
-- Candace Liao-Allard, General of the Legion of Saint Ives and Duchess of Saint Ives
Lord Rowe dismissed her claims; after all, it was his troops that held the Capellan worlds. He turned his attention to consolidating the Black Knight Legion's hold on the former Capellan Confederation, assuming control of weapons factories and other semi-military installations throughout House Liao's former holdings. He soon discovered that, while the average Capellan was more than ready to throw Romano Liao out on her ear, they weren't willing to accept overlords from outside. The Confederate forces soon learned to avoid contact with the liberated citizenry as much as possible. When interaction was necessary, such as providing food and other supplies, and manning factories and other installations, assistance from the citizenry was often late and grudging.
After nearly a month of this, Lord Rowe offered Candace Liao-Allard authority over all of the Sian and Capellan Sectors and a seat on the Council of Lords and Confederate High Command, in exchange for Saint Ives' membership in the Confederation. On November 28th, 3030, Candace accepted the offer, and the Council of Lords welcomed their fifth member, General Candace Liao-Allard. When Candace took control of Capella and Sian, the invaders, now with a legitimate and benevolent Liao heir on their side, immediately saw an increase in the friendliness of the people. General Liao-Allard's ascension also produced a sharp decline in the activities of the Loyalists, Romano Liao's remaining supporters, as many of their members switched to the side of the eldest Liao sister.
The people of Lesnovo, a small planet in the Free World League's Rim Commonality, had become increasingly frustrated with the FWLA's inability or unwillingness to defend them from pirates from beyond the Confederation. On October 31st, Dame Candace Silver, ruler of Lesnovo, followed her Andurien counterpart's lead and announced her planet's secession from the Free Worlds League and petitioned to join the Confederation. The Council of Lords accepted Lesnovo's petition.
Secession produced the results that years of complaining had not: House Marik immediately ordered the Eighth Orloff Grenadiers to Lesnovo to suppress the rebellion and reclaim Lesnovo for the Free Worlds League. Dame Silver was taken prisoner when the Grenadiers landed in Lesnovo's capitol, but the local militia took their few `mechs and armored vehicles and took to the hills, harrassing the occupying Marik troops and hoping to hold out until help arrived from the CAF.
As it happened, the nearest CAF unit of a size sufficient to face off against the Grenadiers was Commander Ruatha's Regiment - more than a month's journey away on Niops Prime. They were immediately dispatched, but the Lesnovo guerrilla force faced a long, hard fight before they could be relieved.
As the year drew to a close, the intelligence agencies of the various Inner Sphere powers uncovered a series of interesting facts. First of these was that some of the Confederation's line units were apparently fielding a limited number of mechs with equipment and capabilities significantly beyond the grasp of the current state of the art. The exact number was difficult to determine, because of the predeliction of the units in question towards using customized mechs and vehicles anyway, but it was apparent that they did exist. Most interesting to Comstar's ROM was a satellite photograph from the former Oberon Confederation planet Sigurd that clearly showed a fully operational mech assigned to the First Golden Dragon that they were able to identify as a Thug, a Star League design that had not been seen in the Inner Sphere since the earliest days of the Succession Wars.
It was the 22nd of December in the year 3030 when the dropship arrived. It was a Leopard, nothing special, just like all the pirate Leopards that had dropped raiders onto our planet over the years. Few of those raiders had ever returned home. This Leopard was different, though - we could tell that from the first. It looked and acted differently than pirate Leopards, in everything from its paint scheme to its approach. How much different it really was I didn't know at that time, but that dropship changed everything.
It came in on an assault approach, cautious but confident, as my knights scrambled for their mechs. When it landed, within sight of our complex, all eleven of my knights were ready and waiting. We watched from a distance as the invaders disembarked. There were four mechs, and, as they approached, it became apparent that these were not pirate raiders but professional soldiers. Their mechs were not the rattletrap light mechs that most pirates used, but clean, well-maintained heavies, the smallest of which was larger than my Griffin. They didn't come charging in in a mob with cannons blazing as pirates tended to do, either, but walked with calm discipline, with enough distance between them to avoid becoming a target for artillery or air support (if we'd had either), but close enough to each other to provide supporting fire when necessary.
I figured the odds and they came up closer than I liked. We outnumbered them three to one, and probably had the advantage in skill - though not as much as I would have liked, or was used to - but their machines were much larger and, though we did the best we could with the materials we had available, better maintained.
The intruders came to a halt just outside LRM range and hailed us, explaining that they represented something called the Outworlds Confederation, and that they were taking over the planet. I stepped forward and explained to them that I represented the Knights of the Brotherhood of Randis, and that I wasn't interested in being conquered. They explained that conquest wasn't necessary, that we could take the other alternative of surrendering voluntarily, but that they would have the planet, one way or another. I needed some more information - like what, exactly, an "Outworlds Confederation" might be - before I could make a decision on that, so I invited the Confederate mechwarriors to join us for dinner.
After dinner, Colonel Kahler, as the Confederate leader turned out to be called, turned to me and said, "As I see it, if my lance and your company go at it, there are only two possible outcomes. Either you destroy us, which I'd find unacceptable for obvious reasons, or we destroy you, which would be a shame after having accepted your excellent hospitality."
"I feel rather the same way," I replied, "since you seem like honorable gentlemen. And lady," I added, with a nod to their lady sergeant. "But do you have a solution to this dilemma?"
"You could voluntarily surrender your planet," the colonel suggested.
"I'm not in the habit of surrendering. You could board your dropship tomorrow and leave this planet be."
"I'm afraid that my orders don't allow that."
"Well, since it seems that we're destined to conflict, I may have a suggestion. We could make it a duel of champions and keep our men out of it. Just you and me. Winner takes the planet."
Kahler thought for a moment. "It's kind of you to give up your advantage of numbers, but I couldn't in good conscience do that. My Awesome is half again the size of your Griffin, and correspondingly more heavily armed and armored. It wouldn't be a duel, it would be target practice. But... Chandra? Would you be willing to champion us?"
The Rifleman pilot nodded her head.
The next morning, as the mists rose off the tourney field, it was the smoke-grey Rifleman I faced across that expanse I knew so well. I weighed the possibilities. The Rifleman was heavier than my Griffin and carried more firepower, but the design was notorious for its thin armor and heat problems. I had the advantages of range, speed, and jump-capability. Though the tourney field wasn't large enough for me to use those to full advantage, they could prove to be the determining factor. Stay mobile, stay at range, that was the way to win this one.
When Master Bireny fired the flare that was the signal to start, the Rifleman advanced directly towards me, while I circled clockwise around the perimeter of the field, opening the battle proper with a volley of LRMs. The Rifleman continued towards the center of the field, tracking me with its guns as I continued to circle, but not firing, even after I came within PPC range, and thus presumably within autocannon range. The Confederate mech moved into a clump of trees near the center of the field and came to a halt, drawing a bead on me with its guns. I was now within range of its lasers, so I jumped to make myself a harder target. I came down in a wooded area and lobbed off another volley of missiles in the Rifleman's general direction, saving the PPC for later because of my heat level. The LRMs went wide, and as they exploded among the trees, the space between our two mechs ignited as Chandra opened up with her lasers - not the standard two that the Rifleman usually carried, but from all four main guns. Though only one of them hit me, I was startled, and further surprised when the Rifleman did not immediately drop to its knees, overcome by heat.
I held my ground, knowing that there was no way Chandra could repeat that performance before giving her mech time to cool down. I took careful aim with my particle cannon, pumping a bolt straight into the Rifleman's chest, and sent another flight of LRMs hard on the PPC bolt's heels. Then I was shocked when the Rifleman returned fire, again with all four main guns. Chandra's marksmanship was better this time, with both of us stationary, and my damage displays lit up with yellow.
I wasn't sure what was going on, or why Chandra's reactor hadn't shut down from the heat, but it was clear that staying in one place was not an optimal course. I pushed my Griffin into a jog, firing my particle cannon at the Rifleman again. The Rifleman returned fire. Chandra's lasers stitched a net of light around me, but only one of them struck home. She was not incredibly good at hitting a moving target, but she was pumping out so much firepower that it didn't matter much.
I checked range to the hill behind me, then jumped, lofting myself up and over it. Before the crest of the knoll cut off my line of sight, I saw the Confederate mech leave its position in the grove, rounding the pond to head in my direction. Once behind the hill, I reversed my direction of circling, heading around the south side of the hill. As expected, I flanked the Rifleman as Chandra moved to intercept me at the north side. I fired both of my weapons, and, it appeared, breached her side armor. The Rifleman turned towards me, its guns coming up, and I bolted for the woods again. I half-turned, firing another particle bolt into the Rifleman's torso. At the same moment, Chandra's guns lit up again. My Griffin was rocked by the blast and I stumbled and was unable to recover - my mech's balance was off for some reason.
I rolled the mech over, attempted to stand, and discovered, when I tried to push my mech up with it, that the Griffin's right arm was completely missing. A quick visual check told me that the entire right side of the torso was gone, and both my PPC and missile rack were gone with it. I pushed my mech up to its knees, raising my one remaining hand above my head. The Rifleman stood over me, guns trained. I popped open my canopy and climbed from my mech. The Rifleman shadowed me as I trudged across the tourney field. When I reached the stands where the observers waited, Kahler stepped down to meet me.
I drew my sword and knelt, offering it up hilt-first to Kahler. "I am defeated. I surrender my sword and my lands."
Kahler took my sword in hand. He bounced the hilt in his palm a couple of times as if testing its balance, then turned it in his hand and offered the the weapon back to me. I looked up to him questioningly.
"We could use a few mechwarriors of your abilities in this outfit. I believe I'm empowered to offer you lands in exchange for your oath of fealty to my lord."
"But I am no longer a mechwarrior. My mech is destroyed." I gestured with one hand at the spot where my Griffin still knelt, smoking, its right side burned away by Chandra's lasers. "And I am defeated by the least of your mechwarriors."
"Your mech can be repaired. We have the resources. And," he looked up at the Rifleman, "I don't think Chandra would be offended if I said it was her mech that defeated you more than her skill. That machine has capabilities you could know nothing of."
I took my sword in hand and slowly rose to my feet. "Thank you, my lord."
Kahler shook his head. "Not me. I'm no lord, just a lowly colonel. It is to Imperator John Campbell, Lord of the Confederation of Worlds, that you swear your allegiance."
-- War With Honor, by Jacob Ben Volcroth, Grand Master of the Knights of the Brotherhood of Randis
Intelligence reports also indicated heavy activity at the various military construction facilities spread through Confederate space, and the construction of at least one new facility on the former Marian Hegemony planet Alphard, in the Adhara system. Available evidence also pointed to the construction of a large orbital factory somewhere in the same vicinity, probably a zero-gravity facility of the sort required to brew Endo Steel, which was used in the frames of some Star League mech designs, including the Thug.
Also of interest was the fact that specifically Confederate designs such as the Fox and Battleaxe - and the infamous Paladin and Basilisk - were among the machines being reported to have enhanced capabilities. These mechs were all designed during the 3020s, and thus there is no possibility that original Star League era versions might have been preserved in hidden storehouses for the intervening centuries.
When combined, these facts led to one inescapable conclusion. The Confederation had not only recovered lost Star League mechs and equipment, but also enough technical data to be able to reconstruct them and enough scientific information to be able to integrate the technology into new designs.
This was not a good sign for anyone who might want to oppose the Confederation in battle. As it happened, there were four Inner Sphere powers that fit that description. The Draconis Combine and the Capellan Confederation - what remained of it - had conflicts with the founding legions that dated back to the legions' mercenary days, if not earlier, and Romano Liao's Capellan Loyalists had a new bone to pick with the Black Knight Legion in particular.
The Free Worlds League, on the other hand, had nothing in particular against the Confederation's founders. However, they were unwilling to let Andurien go without a fight, and the secession of Lesnovo made it start to seem like a trend, a trend which they could not allow to continue.
Internal turmoil caused by the incapacitation of the Captain-General had prevented the Free Worlds from acting in a timely manner. The arrival on Atreus of Precentor Thomas Marik, Janos Marik's youngest son and hand-picked successor, brought an end to the chaos and put what turned out to be a remarkably strong leader at the head of House Marik.
It also brought into the picture the Confederation's fourth enemy, one that had been traditionally considered neither partisan nor a military power. For centuries, Comstar's power derived from their position as a neutral mediator in a five-way balance of power. Since the signings of the Federated Commonwealth Alliance Document and the Concord of Kapteyn, however, the Inner Sphere had been split into two camps, with the Houses of Davion and Steiner on one side and Kurita, Liao, and Marik on the other, and a two-way division is much more difficult to keep balanced than a five-way one.
With the astonishing success of the AFFS on the Capellan front and the less dramatic success of the LCAF on the Draconis front during the Fourth Succession War, the balance of power tipped in the direction of the Federated Commonwealth. The formation of the Confederation tipped the balance of power still further, putting a new power on the Periphery border that was, if not directly allied with the Federated Commonwealth, at least far friendlier to them than to Kurita or Liao. The balance was tipped still further when the Black Knight Legion destroyed the Capellan Confederation, forcing its Chancellor into exile and leaving its worlds in the the hands of Federated-Commonwealth-friendly Candace Liao-Allard.
By the time Myndo Waterly ascended to the Primacy, during the last months of the Fourth Succession War, it was obvious that Comstar's influence was at risk, a realization that was reinforced by House Davion shrugging off Comstar's most powerful weapon, the Interdiction, and continuing to prosecute the war despite it. In order to maintain the balance of power on which its influence depended, Comstar would have to abandon the remaining shreds of its neutrality and back the weaker side in the conflict.
The first step was to demand, as a condition of lifting the Interdiction, the right to station troops at Comstar installations throughout Federated Commonwealth space, ostenably to protect the installations from incidents like the one that brought the Interdiction down on the Federated Suns to begin with. It is unclear at this point whether even that incident was real, or whether it was arranged by Comstar explicitly to allow them to impose the Interdiction.
The surprising thing about the "Com Guards", as they were called, was neither the 'mech designs they used - though CAFALL quickly identified Kintaros, Crabs, and other Star League era designs - nor the number of 'mechs, but the combination of these two pieces of information. The implication was that Comstar not only possessed Star League battlemech technology, which could be expected, but that at least the majority of the large number of 'mechs they deployed were machines that they had possessed for some time. There was no way they could have been acquired from other sources - no one had the technology to build them, save the Confederation - nor could Comstar have built so many so quickly. This implied a degree of planning that gave the lie to Comstar's justifications of their actions.