Glasgow rising...

Glasgow Fort Facility, City of Fiana: June 15th 3030

   Pride swelled in the hearts of the people again; how long had it been since they felt that? So many had gone out to fight the Davion invasion, so many failed to return. The best of Glasgow's children sacrificed on the alter to stem the tide with their lives. This is what it meant to be Capellan. "Never give in, always fight". The Motto of The Fort endured even now. With the loss of their meager fighting force ground up in the 4th succession war, they had waited for the next wave but it never came. Always watching, ready to do what they could if the enemy set foot on their beloved soil, the people of Glasgow held firm in their resolve but not until now did they have the means to fight back. Word had gone out that some of their people had come home to rebuild but who were these others they brought with them? 

   The betrayal of the Northwind Highlanders had devastated House Liao's ability to defend the borders. So many lives lost because of a broken promise. But not all of the Highlanders were without honor. Many had chosen to stay and fight, to keep their vow to House Liao and now they needed a new home. They were not many, but the ones who stayed began to gather here at The Fort.

   Rumor has it that they were found by a small unit that risked everything to track these brave soldiers down and bring them back here to fulfill their duty to the Capellan people. They are called The Lost Patrol, led by a young native of Fiana named Max O'Connor, he was the last graduate of The Fort and now they use it as a base of operations until the larger facility being built in Tara can be finished. With the old MekWerks factory being refurbished to build Mechs again, Glasgow would finally be able to defend herself as in the old days of the Star League.

   ComStar had lent their aid in tracking down the loyalist Highlanders still in Capellan space and offered to transport them here. Suspicious of the robed acolytes, the people were grateful of their actions, even if they did not understand why they would do this. The people of Glasgow are an independent and isolated group and they do not trust easily but actions always speak louder than empty words and this is what they look for to judge someone. For now, allies were needed and ComStar had sent dropships and technical support that overloaded the small spaceport in Edinburgh, the capital. What Glasgow needed were MechWarriors and Mechs. Word had gone out to recruit anyone who could serve and wanted a chance to pilot the multi-ton war machines.. The Fort had been the only MechWarrior training facility on Glasgow for centuries but it could only take in 10 students per year, and most of the graduates left to serve in other Capellan units stationed on other worlds. Glasgow's location in the heart of the Capellan Confederation had meant there were other planets that could shoulder the burden of protecting the inner worlds, but now the borders had changed and Glasgow was on the front lines.

   Recruitment posters went out to all the cities and outlying towns for young men and women to make their way to Edinburgh to begin the selection process. Glasgow would rise to the occasion and the people would do their duty as true Capellans.

   

Saga of the Lost Patrol

The Lost Patrol by Big Country

"Lost Patrol"

We lay the night in anguish
Snakes drawn out by the tide
The compass of decision
Falls always on one side

But many went before us
And still the cries are clear
There is no beauty here
Just the stench of wine and beer

We save no souls
We break no promises

We can do nothing more than move
Headlong through the gloom
The thorn between our lips
Is the missionaries tune

Men with open arms
Turn their faces half away
Observe as we approach
We have not come to save

We stand as thick as vines
Though the fruit is torn away
There is no beauty here friends
Just death and dark decay

We save no souls
We break no promises

We save no souls
We break no promise

Way back in 1987 my Brother in Law, friend at the time, Greg and I came up with this unit for Battletech based on the song Lost Patrol by Big Country. The haunting melodies tugged at our Celtic roots and spoke to us on a deeply spiritual level. We never really got around to running a full game with our unit, real life got in the way, but now I want to create a blog dedicated to our unit so that I can share my vision of the Battletech universe with other fans. We all have a special way of seeing the world around us and this is my effort to show you mine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

The Lost Patrol, mission one

The money was good, they said, it will be easy, they said, they only have old tanks, they said. When would Max learn to stop listening to politicians? The contract was straight forward; raiders had been harassing the locals a few times a year, they got tired of this and collected enough money to hire Mercs to protect them. Looked like something right up the Lost Patrol's alley. They were a small and untried unit recently formed in the last year, but they boasted some powerful equipment. This alone made them attractive to potential employers who could overlook their inexperience in return for the firepower they bring to the table.
   It was their first real job after forming up on Glasgow and they had already bitten off more than they planned for. Not a good start to a new unit but rarely does a Merc's life pan out as they thought. Its a dangerous job and you can't make the big bucks if you don't stick your neck out. The trick is to pull it back intact so you can enjoy your hard won money later.
   Once the contract was signed and registered with the commission, the unit loaded their equipment on their Leopard Class Dropship and they headed out to the jump point. Transition to the planet was uneventful and after landing at their new temporary base of operations, the Patrol offloaded their mechs. Max and his Marauder established a secure zone before the other 3 mechs came out of the ship. Even though this was supposed to be a cake walk, Max wasn't taking any chances. Once he was satisfied it was safe to offload the rest of the unit, he called back to the ship to have their Rifleman walk out and establish an over-watch on the ship and landing pad. Jensen was one of the best gunners Max had ever seen, so he knew the unit was in good hands as he saw to the rest of the unloading.
   They had four Mechs, one Aerospace fighter and two Galleon support tanks which gave them a lot of firepower and flexibility. The other mechs were an old but serviceable Hoplite piloted by Max's wife, Carrie and an ancient Clint, piloted by his best friend Chuck.