FCBR-2 Chpt 13

==Fate Can Be Cruel Chapter 13 - Years 3005-3006==
===January 3005===
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9th January, 3005
Bell (Periphery)
Major Stanford Blake floated beside Colonel Jaime Wolf while they watched their warships and advanced equipment being mothballed. "You sure this is a safe place, Stanford?" Colonel Jaime Wolf asked
"We have been here for 6 months waiting on you and not a single time have we had a visitor. It would seem that this is the outer limit that anyone nefarious travels, they are terrified of the area they call the Void of Death. I have used the updated Star Maps to calculate a route to the Federated Suns avoiding that region of space, though we will come quite close to it." Major Stanford Blake replied
"I wonder what is actually out there that terrifies the bandits so much, but that is not our mission. I selected the Federated Suns as our first contract, even though the Draconis Combine would have been so much closer for us. I still find it hard to believe that they have slid so far in their technology level's. We barely have enough of this low end stuff to refit our equipment with. What have you learned about the mercenary trade?" Colonel Wolf asked.
"We will obviously cause a stir with our arrival, we will be quite a large force, but not unknown, there are several mercenary commands our size. Northwind Highlanders have 5 Regiments, Screaming Eagles have 6 Regiments, Illician Lancers have 4 Regiments, Crater Cobra's have 3 Regiments, 12th Star Guards have 4 Regiments, McCarron's Armored Cavalry has 6 Regiments to name a few of the largest or best rated. So we will not be overly large. But I will do my best to prevent prying eyes." Major Stanford Blake replied.
"I do not doubt that, Stanford. Please make sure the techs disable the warships, I do not want to lose them." Colonel Wolf said.
"I have already issued those orders, Jaime. It would be a miracle for anyone to be able to make them operable without all the special equipment we are removing." Major Stanford Blake replied.
===April 3005===
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11th April, 3005
Delos IV (Federated Space)
"This is Colonel Jaime Wolf of Wolf's Dragoons, we mean you no harm, but please do not approach my fleet. I would like a message sent to New Avalon, we are here seeking a contract with the Federated Suns." Colonel Jaime Wolf announced.
When the message went out to New Avalon, the Comstar personnel also sent a High Priority message to Terra. This was promptly copied and a duplicate message was relayed to Kilborne where a Merchant-Class Surveillance ship operated by Hegemony Security relayed the message towards Thazi.
13 April 3005
Thazi (Hegemony)
The message quickly arrived on Rebecca Ebon's desk. She was the Director of Hegemony Security. Anything that Comstar found interesting, she wanted to know about it as soon as possible. She read the message and word that a unknown force had appeared at Delos IV offering to enter service with the Federated Suns perked up her curiosity. {Delos IV was not that far from the Hegemony borders, where the hell did they come from?}, she wondered to herself. She made a note to task a working group to find out everything they could on this mysterious unit.
===March 3006===
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17th March, 3006
Thazi (Hegemony)
Rebecca Ebon watched the battleroms taken from Battlemechs belonging to the Blackwind Lancers and Marion's Highlanders when they battled Wolf's Dragoons on Halloran V. This was the first look at the mysterious command in action. The battleroms had been purchased at great expense and taken to Versailles where they were placed on a transport for the trip back here. She sat up and hit the pause button, there on the screen was a Battlemech that she had seen only once, it was kept on Drachenfeld and had been brought with the Wolverine's when they left Clan space. It was an Imp, a design created in Clan space and never seen before in the Inner Sphere. She sped thru the remaining videos and identified 5 additional Imp's each with a different number painted on it. She gathered her notes and flew from the room.
Two hours later, Rebecca Ebon was in the conference room along with all the Hegemony High Command that was present. Director-General Mark Cameron signaled to her to begin. "Thank you for coming so quickly, but this cannot wait a single second. You have all been briefed on the unknown mercenary unit, Wolf's Dragoons, that mysteriously arrived at Delos IV a year ago, well I can now tell you exactly who they are.
The Wolf's Dragoons are Clan. From their name, I will assume that they are from Clan Wolf. Before you, I have placed a briefing folder explaining everything in our records about the Clan's taken from Hegemony records and those from Wolverine records. Their arrival can only mean one thing, the Clan's are coming." Rebecca Ebon said.
"How sure are you of this conclusion?" Commanding General Michelle Mitchell asked.
"Unless Wolf's Dragoons got really lucky and raided Clan space, I am 100% sure. If you will turn to the monitor." She clicked on the screen where a Battlemech was shown. "This is an Imp. It was designed and built in Clan space. The Wolverines brought one with them and have kept it stored on Drachenfeld. Since it was only a single copy and they quickly managed to build the Pulverizer, however they never manufactured any others, nor enough spare parts for it, but I myself have seen it. I have identified a total of 6 Imp in service with Wolf's Dragoons, each easily distinguished from the other. All in their Zeta Battalion. Plus I have several battlefield communication recordings where Dragoon pilots use certain terms that I have only heard or read about from Clan space. We have a huge threat coming, when, I cannot tell you, but it is coming and we need to get ready." Rebecca Ebon said.
"Okay, so if these Clans return, what are we facing?" Commanding General Michelle Mitchell asked.
"The SLDF left with over 400 warships. So you can safely assume and plan on facing at least 200 warships. The Wolverines brought our advanced ER Large Laser with them, so we know they have those. There were 19 Clans left after the Wolverines left. Safe bet would be 20-40 Divisions of troops." Rebecca Ebon replied.
"Director-General, given this development, I think we need to remobilize the Hegemony Armed Forces. It will take 5 years to enlarge the Training Command and get them ready for a full mobilization effort. If they give us 10-15 years, I think I can have the Hegemony Armed Forces back up to our full strength before we demobilized. But I need to start the process right now." Commanding General Michelle Mitchell said firmly.
Director-General Mark Cameron looked at each of the gathered officers and each nodded agreement. "Very well, General Mitchell, you may begin mobilizing the Hegemony Armed Forces. We will not tell the Houses anything until we are ready. Bring the industry online, but do not go to a wartime footing yet. We will slowly ramp up to meet your needs so that we do not impact the economy any more than we must."
As the meeting broke up, Director-General Mark Cameron thought to himself silently, {I need to make sure I leave a Hegemony that my successor can be proud of.}
29th March, 3006
Drachenfeld (Hegemony)
Jessica Hallis read the messages that had come in almost on top of each other. The first one was from Rebecca Ebon, though she ran Hegemony Security, she was still a member of the Wolverines. Though now fully assimilated into the Hegemony, they still considered themselves Wolverines and acted as such.
Jessica,
I have proof that the Clan's are returning to the Inner Sphere. I have identified several Imp Battlemechs being used by Wolf's Dragoons, mercenary command that arrived at Delos IV a year ago. I can only assume that they are an advance party from Clan Wolf.
Rebecca Ebon
The next was from Commanding General Michelle Mitchell, she opened the sealed message and read it.
Upon receipt of this message, you are directed to enact Emergency Order Ten immediately. Notify this office of your needs and we will assist. 
Michelle
Jessica Hallis had to think hard to remember what Emergency Order Ten was, it had been a long time since she had read all the contingency plans. Finally it came to her memory.
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Emergency Order Ten
Per notification, using agreement with Khan Sarah McEvedy, Clan Wolverine year 2848, Clan Wolverine will begin activating the following commands to be placed under the Hegemony Armed Forces.
V Corps
331st Royal Battlemech Division
151st Mechanized Infantry Division
153rd Mechanized Infantry Division
184th Mechanized Infantry Division
80th Royal Jump Infantry Division
135th Royal Striker Regiment
208th Striker Regiment
257th Battle Regiment
541st Battle Regiment
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She picked up the phone and made a call. "Gerry, activate the remaining Iron Wombs, I want all 1,000 of them online as quick as possible. How are the kids doing?"
''
"I will have them prepped for use in a month. The kids are doing fine." The voice from the phone replied.
"Excellent, this will be a long term use ,Gerry, so tell the scientists to be ready for a multi-year project." Jessica Hallis said.
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