05/12/3049. Day 14, 07:00

Lt. Samara Hellstrom and her team arrived at the military airport in Perdix and were flown to Fort Enyo on Ares continent by fast VTOL. Their mechs were loaded into a cargo airship for later delivery.

The four pilots were driven through the complex by Private Gregory Brown, which gave them a brief tour of the Strata Institute of Science and the planet’s military academy.

05/12/3049. Day 14, 07:30

Lt. Samara Hellstrom and her lance were brought to the HQ of the base, which was built into a raised rocky outcrop (to attempt to protect against orbital bombardment). Two guard dogs at the entrance to the HQ complex took an immediate dislike to Jacques Dubois who fended them off and knocked one unconscious before the chagrined trainer got the second under control.

Following that unusual interuption the pilots were taken to Lt. General Elisa Hayes. The general introduced herself and quickly gave them their new orders which were to assist with the development of improved battlemechs using technologies that had recently become available.

05/12/3049. Day 14, 08:00

Private Gregory Brown drove the pilots to Testing Facility L1 in Fort Enyo where they met Lt Simon Clark, head officer of that facility. Lt Simon Clark was the epitomy of military scientist, an academic first and uncomfortable with the military structure that he was forced to work within. He took an immediate liking to Layne-Lars Kinnesson, a kindred spirit.

He filled the lance in on the plan, which was to use Hellstrom’s Hellions field experience to assist with the development of optimised light battlemechs, and to use them as test pilots.

Layne-Lars Kinnesson had been selected as the perfect tech pilot for one of the two captured Raven battlemechs, which was currently stripped of its weapons and some electronic warfare equipment. Lt Clark and Layne-Lars Kinnesson inspected the ‘mech and began some initial design before he let the subordinate technicians take over under Layne’s instruction. The team went on to pull an all-nighter but by morning had laid down the core plans for the Raven RVN-3XML design, and requisitioned the needed parts.

Lt. Samara Hellstrom and Jacques Dubois had been identified as ace pilots and experts of ‘close and burn’ tactics, and so were assigned to the project of making a ‘super locust’ heavy-recon battlemech. Two 35 ton locust-styled chassis were already made, but lacked weapons systems. With the assistance of the two pilots a simple plan for “more medium lasers” blossomed into a more complex approach and a final base plan for a mech with 8 medium lasers and enough double heat sinks to fire all eight while running without building up heat. Parts were requisitioned, mostly a truck load of medium lasers. The name weta was suggested for the super-locust mechs.

After initially sneaking off to avoid Lt Clark, and then checking his quarters, Ruin Dmitar was ordered back by Lt. Samara Hellstrom and press-ganged into helping the development of a jump capable quad mech for a firing platform. Ruin Dmitar‘s experience as a sniper and pilot was critical. This was the project that was furthest behind, the ’super locust’ project was using conventional weapons on a platform that was essentially a enlarged locust, and the raven project was refitting a captured enemy unit. The jaguar project was finishing the design of a new quad chassis and troubleshooting any problems that arose.

Another lance of mechwarriors was present, Hellstrom’s Hellions opposite numbers from the Lyran Embassy Guards. Where Lt. Samara Hellstrom was assigned to optimise light mech designs, Lt. Sarah Richter and her lance were there improving medium mech designs using the new technologies available. The Lyrans were led by Lt Sarah Richter (Centurion Pilot), Albrecht Hahn (Hunchback Pilot) who was the communications officer and resented Layne-Lars Kinnesson being assigned the prized raven, Lara Schmidt (Dervish pilot) technical officer, and Jonas Lange (Hatchetman pilot) medical officer and a former lancemate of Lt. Samara Hellstrom.

05/12/3049. Day 14, 19:00

This was taken as the end of the work day. Layne-Lars Kinnesson remained at her post, lost in her work. She also discovered that the rivalry between the SIS and NAIS meant that some SIS staff considered her a hero for showing up the NAIS.

Lt. Samara Hellstrom also remained and oversaw some remaining matters.

Jacques Dubois and Ruin Dmitar headed out to explore the base and find the officer’s mess.

Lt. Sarah Richter took the opportunity to pull Lt. Samara Hellstrom aside and they spoke in private about INFORMATION CLASSIFIED.

05/12/3049. Day 14, 20:00

At this time Jacques Dubois gave up on the officer’s mess, which was closer to a gentleman’s club than to any of the drinking establishments he was used to. He sought out the gym and training area, and found the local equivalent to the fight-club he had found at the Drunken Rat Saloon in Argyre.

05/12/3049. Day 14, 21:00

At this time Lt. Samara Hellstrom returned to the barracks and encountered her former lancemate Doctor Jonas Lange. Dr Lange had recovered from the injuries he had suffered during the set-up intended to discredit Lt. Samara Hellstrom before she left Lyran space. Despite his severe injuries (requiring two cybernetic legs to rehabilitate him) he was fond of and grateful to his former commanding officer for getting the ambushes lance safely off-planet. He also informed her that INFORMATION CLASSIFIED.

05/12/3049. Day 14, 22:30

At this time Jacques Dubois returned to the barracks.

05/12/3049. Day 14, 23:30

Still at the officer’s mess Ruin Dmitar was slipped a note by an unidentified individual, and shortly afterwards he left the officer’s mess and avoided detection for the next 90 minutes.

06/12/3049. Day 15, 01:00
At this time Ruin Dmitar returned to the barracks.