[Infinities: Candle in the Dark] Thread for CitD (Needs Name)

[DeputyJones]

Hope this doesn't step on any toes...
~~~
Seele Council Chambers, NERV Headquarters
Pavonis Arcology, Tharsis, Mars
23 December 3021 Inner Sphere Reckoning (alt. 2025)

“This final meeting before the 2025-“ Kazuo stopped himself. “My apologies. This final meeting before the 3021 Christmas Holiday, barring any special circumstance, will now convene.”
The council’s newest member started things off.
“I’ve finished going over the material we have available on the ‘BattleTech' universe,” stated Joseph Fenette. “As per my volunteering at our last meeting before the invasion, I studied both the source materials from this… um, our former universe as well as what has been uncovered thus far from the Catalog. As near as I can tell, we lucked out as far as locations where we could have ended up in this world.” He paused. “Before I continue – Alex, what is the status on that Star League medical data that was recovered from the Catalog?”

“It’s being dissected by all of our B-RAD personnel that aren’t already working on anything critical,” assured the Commander of NERV, Alex Xanatos. “Near as we can figure, the Girls must have appeared on some minor world prior to the Star League Civil War and basically downloaded whatever was on the local planetary version of the Internet before continuing on. You were saying, Joseph?”

“Yes, thank you. We lucked out in where we appeared. Our closest interstellar neighbor is the Outworlds Alliance, followed pretty much equally in distance by the Federated Suns and the Draconis Combine. The Alliance’s territory would actually be much closer to us than even Antallos was, but they lost more than three entire provinces in what is now called the Outworlds Wastes over the course of the three previous Succession Wars.

“Still, the presence of what is left of the Alliance acts as a sort of buffer between most major actions by the other two powers. House Avellar, the hereditary Presidents of the Parliament for the Outworlds Alliance, still claim those former provinces as their domain and oppose any actions they view as House Davion or House Kurita, the Great Houses ruling over the Federated Suns and the Draconis Combine, respectively, taking them over.”

“And yet they apparently have no grievances with any pirates who should choose to plunder them,” snarked Lana.

Jimmy snorted. “Of course not, darlin’. The blue bloods in the Alliance care more about the two wolf packs on their front lawn and posturing to them more than they care about the rabid dogs mauling the kids out back.”

Kazuo cleared his throat. “Yes, yes – Viva la Revolucion! boys and girls, but can we get back on topic, please?”

A chorus of “sorry” answered him.

“Ahem, anyway,” continued Joseph. “My point is that we are at just enough distance away from the Inner Sphere’s major powers to have some breathing room, but not enough that we will not receive any attention at all. Simply put, we need to be able to defend ourselves. And by ‘we,’ I mean both the Convention and everyone on Earth.”

“SMOFcon and the UN are talking about that already,” assured Biwa. “Right now, we need options and plans, both to present to the rest of the Convention and to carry out for ourselves.”

“Agreed,” said The O. “Which is what Mary and I have been working on.” He passed ou a small stack of manila folders to each councilperson. “These are some preliminary ideas we’ve been bouncing back and forth.”

Alex raised an eyebrow as he opened one folder labeled ‘Operation Le Fey’… and promptly shot the other one up as well. “You want to capture Camelot Command and bring it back here? Do you have any idea what kind of resources and… and… I can’t even begin to guess what doing something like this would take!”

“That’s why it’s more something to point out to the rest of the convention and see what prevailing opinion is,” Mary responded. “You have to admit, the facilities and the data it has would be invaluable to us all. The design for the holographic systems and Mark 38 drone fighters alone…”

Alex grunted noncommittally.

Kazuo was frowning over another folder. “’Operation Sweeper Group’?” he asked.

“That was a proposal from the Naval Division, actually,” said The O. “It’s another proposal to put before the convention as a whole. Commodore de la Vega wants both several of her own ships and those of other factions to begin a reconnaissance of the star systems immediately around the ISOT periphery.”

Alex piped in. “You want to use Barge? Are you serious?”

Barge was a project that predated the Boskone War. Started by the Gundam AC subfaction before they’d ever joined with the NERV Foundation, it was almost exactly what one would think – a recreation of the eight kilometer long mobile space station from the series. Unlike that version, however, the now NFV Barge was unarmed, most of it simply empty space, and was intended to be a support craft for future extrasolar colonization missions. Construction virtually halted during the war, but started up again following the subfaction’s joining the foundation as the core of STARS Naval Division.

What was being proposed was to use the station as a mobile supply depot and base of operations for whatever ships participated in Operation Sweeper Group.

“No, that’s Harry’s godfather,” quipped Biwa, who, unlike most of the others, was grinning at what she reading. She looked over at Mary. “You want to build the Libra? Really? I’ll admit, I’m intrigued.”

“That’s a long-term defense project I hope to propose to daneside nations,” admitted Mary. “I was actually inspired when I read about the Space Defense System from the Terran Hegemony’s era, so we could use that system as a proof-of-concept. It would require a lot of daneside cooperation because it would take a network of more than just two or so to be an effective defensive option.” She paused.”It also wouldn’t really be effective to have a superweapon particle cannon like the original. A VLS for anti-ship missiles is more likely.”

“Well, this is certainly going to take some time to go over,” Kazuo said, looking over the sheets in the folders he’d been handed. “I say we take the holiday to go over them and decide whether and what to submit to SMOFcon just before the New Year when we return.” He grinned. “’New year,’ heh, talk about a loaded statement.”

He got a few laughs. “Are there any more issues to be discussed or can we dismiss for dinner?”

Alex spoke up. “Actually, earlier today the Space Patrol asked us to temporarily use Hakone to house the dropship Distant Home and to offer a place of at least temporary sanctuary for her crew… and I agreed.”

Everyone started talking at once.

“URUSAI!” shouted Kazuo. After everyone had quited down, he turned to Alex. “Explain, please.”

Alex coughed. “The post-battle… debriefing of the pirates that were captured all indicate the same thing. The crew of the Distant Home – a mercenary group called the Buron Cavalry – were just that: mercenaries – and mercenaries with a surprising reputation for moralistic conduct, at that. The only reason they were in the attacking force at all seems to be that the asshole who sent said force hired out their jumpship – which was under separate ownership – right from under them, leaving them essentially stranded on Antallos; which, as we’ve all read the sourcebooks, is not a place for those with morals to make any kind of a prolonged visit.

“With this in mind, the GJ people turned affairs regarding Distant Home over to the Space Patrol. Since then, the Patrol has also been able to determine that Distant Home also never transmitted any… colorful messages as the others all did following Haruhi’s demand for a statement of intent. Simply put, as they were coerced into helping the pirates, there is not anything that the Buron Cavalry can be charged with.”

Alex took a breath. “They are, however, essentially stranded in the Sol System. Great Justice and the United Nations have impounded all of the jumpships. Everyone in the Buron Cavalry is now SOL… unless someone helps them.”

“Just what are you proposing?” asked Mary.

“Until such a time as the members of the Buron Cavalry can find and accept another means out of the system, I propose that the foundation hire them to both train our STARS and…” he looked down at the stack of folders in front of him. “And, if a plan such as Sweeper Group is approved, assist in whatever ways they are capable.”

“Essentially,” said Jimmy, grinning as he figured out why Alex had accepted the Patrol’s request without asking all of them first. “You wanna hire out one of the few merc groups with morals out there on a semi-permanent basis, simultaneously increasing our own defensive abilities while decreasing any potentially enemies possibilities of increasing their own.”

Alex looked away. “I never said any of that.”

The O snickered. “You never denied it, either.”

“I wonder if there’s still time to get you some Gendo glasses for Christmas?” Lana continued.

“Or maybe that Treize outfit de la Vega is always harping on about?” mock-mused Jimmy.

“Ha. Ha. Ha.” He deadpanned.

Kazuo chuckled. “This meeting is adjurned.”  

[M Fnord]

...

If you're interested - I mean really interested - in getting in on the action, email me. Be warned though, I do have whips and will use them if you promise the moon & don't deliver.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[DeputyJones]

Give me a few days to think about it. I'm in a writing intensive class at the moment and even in the class that's not writing intensive I have a twelve page research paper coming up.
In the mean time, feel free to do with this what you will. I'll have no objections.

[M Fnord]

Hm. Well, email me anyway. If nothing else your input would be appreciated; this particular bit doesn't quite fit the framework, but Pavonis is kind of important to the next chapter or so...
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[Bob Schroeck]

You know, I'm sure I heard about this project when you started it, and I know I must have seen some of the other material posted here, but for some reason it had completely vanished from my awareness.

No more. Yesterday, I shotgunned the entire thread over on SB -- not the story-only thread, the big one. Wow. I only wish I had the brainshare to give the Grover's Corners a role in the action...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[robkelk]

No more. Yesterday, I shotgunned the entire thread over on SB -- not the story-only thread, the big one.

URLs, please?

(I still have one day in my upcoming two-week vacation where I have nothing planned...)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[M Fnord]

No more. Yesterday, I shotgunned the entire thread over on SB -- not the story-only thread, the big one.

URLs, please?

(I still have one day in my upcoming two-week vacation where I have nothing planned...)

http://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/ ... ot.228310/

http://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/ ... ot.223278/
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[DeputyJones]

In the end, I've decided I don't really have the time to work on the CitD project. Thank you for the offer of including me, Mal, but again I just don't see myself having the necessary time for at least the next several months. Maybe I'll reconsider then.
Still, I'd like to throw out a few things I've made in what little spare time I actually find myself with. Feel free to use them, toss them, or modify them up the wazoo.
~~~Basic Proposal: Operation Sweeper GroupA fleet of spacecraft of the various factions, both armed and not, will perform a basic sweep of the star systems directly surrounding the ~50LY ISOT perimeter out to a distance of xLY. The aim of the operation is to identify occupation of these star systems, whether current or prior.In the case of the former, basic covert observation shall be carried out and, depending on a vote of a council of the factions present in the fleet based on these observations, either make initial contact or return to Solspace.In the case of the latter, a survey – the detail of which should be decided by fleet leadership – is to be held and, if feasible and of potential value to Solspace security and/or development, salvage is to attempted. Of particular interest are computer components, HPG equipment, and BattleMech and other military technologies.

~~~Excerpt from “Jane's All the Galaxy's Spacecraft” by Jane's
Information Group (online edition, 2065):
Leopard OZ (NERV)
Light DropShip
SPECIFICATION:Manufacturer:
DeLorean Motor Company (Hakone Aerospace Yard)First
Launch: 25 June 2026 (3032) [OZ1; 15
March 2027 (3033) [OZ2Fuel:
Deuterium hydrogenPerformance:
4.5 g (standard thrust), 7.0 g (maximum safe thrust) [increase by .2 for OZ2s]Propulsion:
Fusion thrusters (2), repulsorlift motors (2) [latter in OZ2 and OZ3 models only]Dry
Mass: 1,776 tonsSecondary
Craft: 6Crew: 9
(6 minimum)
Based off of the Leopard class ships captured during the Invasion of
'25, the Leopard OZ is the second Tellurian-built dropship to see use in
the Inner Sphere. The first ship of the class, NFV Leopard herself, was
barely completed in time to serve with the forces of the counter-invasion of
Antallos. This first ship her class was not even a new ship at all, but the Jolly Roger of the Fischer’s Fusiliers,
captured by the U.S. military, and who were barely managed to convince to part
with it (and even then for a considerable sum). Most agree that the U.S. only
agreed parted with it because they were putting so much more effort into their
studies/reconstruction of several captured Union dropships. The heavily
damaged dropship would be upgraded prior to its rechristening ceremony, using
data from the undamaged Refuge in
Audacity shared by the Soviets to repair her and a general upgrade of her
existing non-weaponry load-out using Tellurian and Fen technologies.The original refit model is officially identified as the Leopard OZ1. DeLorean makes a reasonable
profit each year refitting existing Leopard
class dropships into this configuration. Later Leopard OZ2 and OZ3
models would be built from the ground up. These models are equipped with the
repulsorlift “thrustless” launch and landing motors first demonstrated on the Detroit class as well as improved armor
reverse engineered Inner Sphere technology and several alloy formulae from the
Whole Fenspace Catalog. Like their venerable predecessor, the OZ1 and OZ2 embark four mecha and two aerospace fighters. The two
subclasses serve as light dropships in both military and merchant
organizations, the latter of which usually replace some of its possible
fighter/mecha complement with more cargo.The OZ3 model, increasingly
popular among merchants and private owners, is a departure from the others in
terms of layout, though it retains an identical size and shape. Removed are the
PPCs and two of its three missile racks, though the laser defenses are
identical. The space for four mecha is likewise removed and replaced with a
smaller area for ground vehicles. The OZ3
rearranges the rest of the internal deck layout to make use of the space freed
by the removed weapons systems, creating more living/work/cargo area and making
it possible for use as a more general purpose craft than an assault dropship,
while still having the ability to defend itself. The compartments/rooms on OZ3 models are designed to be highly
customizable, both during initial construction and in later refits, whether
owner or professionally done.Used primarily in the Grantville Cluster and the Outworlds Alliance, the
three models of the Leopard OZ are occasionally
seen in other Inner Sphere and Periphery nations as well. As of 3060, OZ2 and OZ3 models are produced at a pace of roughly five per year on
average.~~~Possible Events/Points of Interest in Need of Addressing3022 AD: The Federated Commonwealth Alliance Document is signed (I don’t really see the Fen-Earth’s arrival or actions disrupting or otherwise affecting this)3023 AD: Hatchetman Battlemech fielded (I don’ see this being affected either, but I do see somebody from A-Baoa-Qu reading about it, looking at his Zaku, and saying “I did it first.”)3028 AD: Star League memory core discovered on Helm (Do the Fen want to prevent this, or maybe make the discovery even sooner to help the Inner Sphere prepare for the Clans?)3029 AD: Comstar covertly attacks the New Avalon Institute of Science and Myndo Waterly named Primus (Comstar is a tricky issue. On the one hand, a priority for the Fen is no doubt the prevention of any kind of success for a future Operation Scorpion analogue, and they definitely want to prevent the formation of the Word of Blake and its Jihad. On the other hand, Comstar played multiple parts during the Clan Invasion – if they are affected too heavily by the Butterfly Effect, the foreknowledge of the Invasion will become increasingly useless. Of course, with Clan Nova Cat being affected as they are, those butterfly wings are already a’flappin’, but the Fen don’t know that.)3030 AD: Comstar gives Star League battlemechs to the Draconis Combine (If prevented, this would doubtlessly cause the War of 3039 to continue longer in that the Federated Commonwealth would be able to capture significant Combine territory before being halted.)3034 AD: Free Rasalhague Republic recognized by Draconis Combine (The in-story book quotes indicates this still happens, so I have no comments) and Neil Avellar II marries Rebecca DeSanders (Important only because it is a major political marriage of the Convention’s closest interstellar neighbors; again no real comments to make.)3038 AD: Comstar exploration vessel Outbound Light encounters Clan forces (Butterfly Effect question: does it still happen this way?)I’ll stop here, as anything past twenty years being exactly the same as canon is a pretty low chance.~~~Forces of STARS Naval Division (As of Invasion of 2025)*Indicates status as Under Construction**Indicates status as Nearing Completion***Planned Only/Under Development-Armed Craft (includes fighter/mecha carriers)-Leader-Class Patrol Ship NFV Marshal NoventaLeader-Class Patrol Ship NFV General VenteiLeader-Class Patrol Ship NFV General SeptemLeader-Class Patrol Ship NFV Colonel Une**Leader-Class Patrol Ship NFV Marquis Weyridge*[Quirk “Dynamic Entry”: Not noticed until several ships entered another star system for the first time, in a quirk the origins of which are a mystery, whenever a ship of this class does enter a different star system it broadcasts the theme from the Police Academy movies on all frequencies, making it unsuited for many covert operations.]Fraternity-Class Assault Shuttle NFV Milliardo PeacecraftFraternity-Class Assault Shuttle NFV Quatre Winner*Fraternity-Class Assault Shuttle NFV Trowa Barton*[Note: Carries three M.S., has two forward locked lasers, and one dual machine gun turret on top; Quirk “Lightning Baron”: The first shuttle of the class refuses to enter FTL speeds unless “Greased Lightning” is audibly playing in the cockpit. Premature ending of the song causes FTL to end, but craft will remain at FTL velocities if the song ends normally.)Long-Class M.S. Mothership NFV Long Mei Lin*Long-Class M.S. Mothership NFV Long Shi Lin*Long-Class M.S. Mothership NFV Chang Wu Fei***(Note: Can be refit with reentry pods or sensor packages rather than its eight M.S. units)M.S. Carrier Submarine NFV Aquarius***Leftenant-Class Dual M.S. Carrier Shuttle NFV Otto***Leftenant-Class Dual M.S. Carrier Shuttle NFV Walker***-Unarmed Craft (i.e., NERV Foundation Merchant Fleet)-Sorority-Class Transport Ship NFV Catherine BloomSorority-Class Transport Ship NFV Relena Peacecraft**Sorority-Class Transport Ship NFV Iria Winner*(Quirk “Absolute Pacifism”: The Relena Peacecraft refuses to operate at all if there are any weapons aboard. Any attempt to use something aboard as a makeshift weapon results in annoying ‘accidents’ occurring to the perpetrator until they disembark.)Monolith-Class Transport Shuttle NFV Sally PoMonolith-Class Transport Shuttle NFV Hilde SchbeicherMonolith-Class Transport Shuttle NFV Dorothy Catalonia**Monolith-Class Transport Shuttle NFV Lucrezia Noin*(Note: Shuttles of this class can carry one M.S., two A.S., or two to three fighters, the final depending on width and height requirements.)Custom High-Speed Shuttle NFV Heero Yuy (Colonel Tuberov’s shuttle from series)**Custom Diplomatic Shuttle NFV Sylvia Noventa (Lady Une’s shuttle from series)Custom Stealth Shuttle NFV Duo Maxwell***Khushrenada-Class Personnel Shuttle NFV TreizeKhushrenada-Class Personnel Shuttle NFV Mariemaia*

~~~

TO: Heinrich McCrery, Ph.D., Project Dir(ector)FROM: Catherine Avellar, President, OWASUBJECT: Case Obsidian(CLAS)SIFIED – PROJECT DIRECTOR’S EYES ONLYDoctor McCrery:In the event of Case Obsidian, i.e., in the event of the complete destruction of (Ju)mpShip Dragon’s Teeth is to proc(eed) merchant identity so as   (capi)tals of the Hegemony, Combine, Commonwealth, League, and Confederation and disembark those who their devices only when they can confirm the presence of the gover (deca)pitation strike is
-          Excerpt from deteriorated document recovered by UFP archaeologists from Masada Base subbasement office, Planet Glitnir, former Traders Domain, Outworlds Wastes

~~~

“Under no circumstances will the Seele Council support any reformed Star League or any attempt to restore such an organization. The inherent weaknesses present in the make-up of the old Star League were apparent since its founding, blatant in its final years, and a reformed Star League would merely suffer from those same flaws and fail in much the same manner as its predecessor.“What we will support are any attempts at peaceful, equal, cooperative ventures between interstellar nations – such as represented in the formation of the Federated Commonwealth – and the possible formation of an interstellar, United Nations-like organization.”-          Official Position of the Seele Council as given by Council Chairman Kazuo Jenkins, 2026

[M Fnord]

In the end, I've decided I don't really have the time to work on the CitD project. Thank you for the offer of including me, Mal, but again I just don't see myself having the necessary time for at least the next several months. Maybe I'll reconsider then.

Hm, pity. Well, keep in touch and keep watching the skies. I'm hoping to be through with the Antallos invasion and ready to skip ahead to the Twoflower mission by the one-year anniversary of posting. Kind of a tight deadline, but stranger things have happened.

Basic Proposal: Operation Sweeper Group

This is one of those ideas that is both neat and reasonable... but there's no good place for it in the narrative. Which drives me nuts because I have at least one idea like this a day. %P

Leopard OZ (NERV)

Now this may very well make it into the mix. Poppa likes.

Possible Events/Points of Interest in Need of Addressing

I don't know how much in the way of spoilers I should be blabbing about on an open channel but...

Pretty much everything canonwise past about June 3023 is going to go out the window most likely. The Fourth Succession War - the Last Succession War I should say - will happen very differently from the canonical Cappie roflstomp. The Helm core is up in the air at the moment; the Fen aren't going to go after it per se, but I'm looking at an antagonist who hasn't been introduced yet to get involved with that mess, and I might tie it in with LSW shenanigans. Comstar as a group is in for some serious teething issues in the years to come, and as for Myndo... Ah, I intend to take Myndo and do something with her that will horrify people who know Invasion-era fluff. It will be glorious. %D As for Rasalhauge, I will note that the story text doesn't refer to Free Rasalhauge, it refers to Rooseveltian Rasalhauge. This is important and may provide clues as to who's meddling in God's ptomaine this time around.

(CLAS)SIFIED – PROJECT DIRECTOR’S EYES ONLY

That's... obviously a reference to something, but I don't place it, sorry.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[DeputyJones]

Nah, that last part was completely me. The planet and its location, as well as the OWA president mentioned are both canon. Catherine's president during the Reunification War, and with the actions of General Amos Forlough during that time I figured any national leader facing an enemy with those kind of scruples - ie, a lack of any - would have some kind of last 'fuck you' plan in the event the OWA was completely massacred. Seriously, the way that asshole of a general acted during the war you'd think he was doing an ethnic cleansing rather than a subjugation.
I thought I left it pretty open on just what that last middle finger for the OWA was supposed to be, but looking at it agian, the use of 'devices' and 'decapitation strike' pretty much limit it to some sort of NBC weapon, doen't it? Ah well, just scrap that idea. *shrugs*
Edit: The only thing related to Roosevelt and aliens I can find is the book And Having Writ....

[M Fnord]

Huh. Well, I admit it seemed a little OOC for the Outworlders to pull off a suicide decapitation strike with WMD, based on my (admittedly shaky) understanding of the lore that sounds more like a Taurian thing to do. If anything I'd expect refugee Outworlders to run for it a la Battlestar Galactica.

(Idea That Probably Won't Make It Into The Narrative #1290: Fen explorers find a thriving colony of ex-Outworlders on the far side of the Grantville Cluster, on a world called Kobol...)

Edit: The only thing related to Roosevelt and aliens I can find is the book And Having Writ....

I'm either too subtle for my own good or blackaeronaut's been gone from the scene too long. Maybe both. In any case, Rooseveltian Rasalhauge is entirely his fault, even though he doesn't know it.
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[Proginoskes]

I'm reasonably sure the peoples of Tellus (Danesiders and Fen both) will not worry about disrupting the Progress of History: not only is it utterly impossible to avoid completely (thanks to psychic dreams, Tellus has already changed the course of the Clans), but I can easily imagine many Fen deliberately setting out to screw foreknowledge as quickly and as violently as possible, just on general principle.

[Rajvik]

Amen Prog.
 

[M Fnord]

I'm reasonably sure the peoples of Tellus (Danesiders and Fen both) will not worry about disrupting the Progress of History

Excerpt from “The Tough Guide to the Sea of Time” by Anonymous (Internet distribution, 3041):

“A lot of people, and I mean a lot a lot of people, thought in the first couple weeks after Vorax’s bully-boys showed up that once riled the forces of Earth and Fenspace combined would simply roll the fuck over obstacles. Not because we had superior tech or better tactics or moral clarity or any of the fifty thousand other bullshit answers most people will give you. No, we were going to swan up and start conquering because we were omniscient.

Remember the whole thing about BattleTech earlier? Well we had all the books, which we meant we had all the knowledge which supposedly put us in a superior strategic position to you poor barbarian Spheroids. Or something. There was a lot of unwarranted smugness going around, and not just from your average Fen in the street for whom unwarranted smugness is almost a way of life. No, serious people who really should’ve known better thought because we had all these BattleTech books we could predict exactly what was going to happen for the next thirty years.

(If you’ve managed to buy or pirate some of the BattleTech material that’s gone public in the last couple years - and if you’re the kind of person who reads drivel like this you almost certainly have - and then compared, say, the material’s version of 3029 to what actually happened you can see how well this prognostication worked out. Brav-fucking-O.)”
Mr. Fnord interdimensional man of mystery

FenWiki - Your One-Stop Shop for Fenspace Information

"I. Drink. Your. NERDRAGE!"

[robkelk]

... but I can easily imagine many Fen deliberately setting out to screw foreknowledge as quickly and as violently as possible, just on general principle.

I authorize, for this alternate only, Stellvia Trading buying out FASA just so they could put all the books back into print quickly... and sell copies in the Inner Sphere.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[DeputyJones]

Just edited the Leopard OZ entry above.

Also, got a bit of something for a discussion. Say that a number of Leopard OZs are named after cat-themed or otherwise cat related material - who would own a ship by what name and what would they use them for? I got some starters here...

~~~
NFV Leopard (Class: Leopard OZ1 {Original}) [Owner:
STARS Naval Division]
NFV Snow Leopard (Class: Leopard OZ2 {Original}) [Owner: STARS Naval Division]NFV Smilodon (Class: Leopard OZ3 {Original}) [Owner: NERV Foundation]
USS Black Panther (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: United States Marine
Corps Forces Special Operations Command]Sylvester T. Katz (Class: Leopard OZ3) [Owner: Warner Brothers Studios]Pussyfoot (Class: Leopard OZ3) [Owner: Warner Brothers Studios]Sword of Omens (Class: Leopard OZ2 or OZ3) [Owner: Supers {Team
Thundercats}]Bill the Cat (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: Paratheo-Anametamystikhood Of Eris Esoteric... allegedly]
Fred Perry (Class: Leopard OZ2 or OZ3)
What’s New, Pussycat? (Class: Leopard OZ2 or OZ3) [Owner: Filkers?]USS Spot the Cat (Class: Leopard OZ3) [Owner: United Federation of Planets]USS M'Ress (Class: Leopard OZ3) [Owner: United Federation of Planets]Figaro (Class: Leopard OZ3) [Owner: The Walt Disney Company]Crookshanks (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: Wizarding World - DMLE Ship]Mrs. Norris (Class: Leopard OZ3) [Owner: Wizarding World - Hogwarts School Field Trip Ship]Catbus (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: Wizarding World - Nachtwald Defense Force]Salem Saberhagen (C;ass: Leopard OZ3) [Owner: Wizarding World - MOM General-Use Ship]Greebo (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: The Watch]Nuku-Nuku (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: Panzer Kunst Gruppe]Cheshire (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: Supers]Felis Sapiens (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: Jupiter Mining Corporation (or) Red Dwarf Fen]Emperor Krosp I (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: Foglios - Sparks Subfaction]Kitty Fantastico (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: Buffy/Angel Fen]Samurai Pizza Cats (Class: Leopard OZ3) [Owner: SPC, Inc {Travelling Catering Business }]Cat Scratch Fever (Class: Leopard OZ2 or OZ3) [Owner: Catgirl
Industries?]
SCSS Year of the Cat (Class: Leopard OZ3) [Owner: StellviaCorp]
GSS Kzinti Lesson (Class: Leopard OZ2) [Owner: Gwynedd System Defense
Command]
Can't Think Of Who Would Own Them: Top Cat, Chiyo-chichi, Felix's Bag of Tricks, Puss in Boots, Mr. Bigglesworth, Meowth, Hello Kitty, Garfield (and related characters), Cool Cat, Eek! The Cat, Doraemon, and Bagpuss.

[robkelk]

Put StellviaCorp down for an OZ3, which they'll name Year of the Cat in a fit of irony.

(And with all those cats about, Hakone Aerospace Yard is going to be code-named "Scratching Post"... )
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[DeputyJones]

And with all those cats about, Hakone Aerospace Yard is going to be code-named
"Scratching Post"

It probably doesn't help that the yard manager is Mr. Baxter...

[ECSNorway]

Gwynedd System Defense Command may purchase an OZ2 for testing. The GSS Kzinti Lesson.
--
Sucrose Octanitrate.
Proof positive that with sufficient motivation, you can make anything explode.

[Bob Schroeck]

Who would get (or name) the Bill the Cat?
Edit:  Another Warner's ship: The Pussyfoot.
And if someone created a "Leopard hunter" ship, would it be the Pepe le Pew class? 
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[DeputyJones]

Hmmmm...Who would name their Leopard OZ Bill the Cat?
...Check The List! =^_^=

[Bob Schroeck]

Heh.

Of course.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[DeputyJones]

Edit: Added about eleven ships-with-owners and a collection of names I can't imagine who would own to Leopard OZ list.

[robkelk]

Can't Think Of Who Would Own Them: Top Cat, Chiyo-chichi, Felix's Bag of Tricks, Samurai Pizza Cats, Puss in Boots, Mr. Bigglesworth, Meowth, Hello Kitty, Garfield (and related characters), Cool Cat, Eek! The Cat, Doraemon, Catbus, Bagpuss, and Nuku-Nuku.

Samurai Pizza Cats: somebody who makes a living delivering food... but pizza isn't really Ninjaburger's style, so it would have to be somebody "new." OZ3

Catbus: the Potterites. Not the Harry Potter fen per se, but the other modern-magic fen in the faction. OZ3

Nuku-Nuku: the Panzer Kunst Gruppe, on account of N^2 is a cyborg too. OZ2 (As for it not being their style, consider how many other Leopard OZs are out there, and consider the benefits of camoflague as applied to WWII "Q-ships"...)
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[HRogge]

Cat Scratch Fever (Class: Leopard OZ2 or OZ3) [Owner: Catgirl Industries?]

"We have all the parts for a new Leopard dropship... we just need to find them and put them back together again!"