ADO Chpt 9

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==HomecomingChapter 9 - Aurigan Dreams (BattleTech CYOA)==
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===Analyzing the unit's strengths & weaknesses===
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“Can you tell me the greatest weakness of the Rimward Sentinels?” asks Mastiff as he, myself and Kamea Arano train in some of the simulators aboard the Durendal.
“A lack of experienced personnel and limited access to spare parts.” I answer.
“Insufficient Light ‘Mechs.” answers Lady Arano.
“Sorry Kamea, but I am going to have to side with Elizabeth on this one.” says Mastiff from his simulated Marauder as he leads myself and Lady Arano in our simulated Atlases, “Now, you are right that the lack of proper scouts is a weakness, but I wouldn’t deem it the greatest.”
“As someone unfamiliar with that weakness, could you explain it to me?” I ask, “Isn’t heavier tonnage better?”
I know that this universe has more similarities with the game than the tabletop thanks to my knowledge of how ‘Mechs work. While it wasn’t as simple as mere slots, I do know that the arm of a ‘Mech can hold 80% of the volume that a side torso can like in the game, unlike the tabletop version where the side torso holds a full third more. Not to mention other similarities to the game over the tabletop like sensor range, biome influencing heat and other things I’ve been avoiding thinking about due to the existential questions that follow thinking about them.
Speaking of which, shutting down this line of thought.“Speed and sensor range,” answers Mastiff, “that’s the short answer anyway. I’ll let Kamea give a longer answer to see how much of my teachings she remembers.”
“Of course.” says Lady Arano, sounding much younger than she does in that-nope, not thinking about it, “Thanks to modern levels of sensors and ECM, you can only really see a target at up to three hundred metres or less when it comes to ‘Mechs, ASFs, and tanks. The exception to this are light weight warmachines where their spotting range can extend up to almost four hundred meters. Given that long range weapons like LRMs or PPCs have a longer effective range than three hundred meters, they need a scout to provide them with targeting data, which is where Light ‘Mechs come in.”
“Good explanation Kamea, but it only covers the basics,” says Mastiff, “Which to be fair to you, it will cover the vast majority of situations that you find yourself in. Rangefinder cockpit modules can increase the spotting range for a ‘Mech and the Star League was said to have some ECM so good that you had to get within close range to even spot the target.”
“So Light ‘Mechs are good for getting targeting data for long-ranged weapons,” I say, “Is there any particular reason that Light ‘Mechs are needed in particular?”
“Strictly speaking, they aren’t required,” answers Mastiff, “Any ‘Mech will do and you could use vehicles or even infantry, but Light ‘Mechs tend to be optimized for that between their specialized sensors, small sensor signatures and their speed. Some people prefer to use Medium ‘Mechs as they favor the greater suitability over specialization for the job and some Lyrans even choose to use Heavies or Assaults for it.”
“Is there a reason that we shouldn’t use Heavies or Assaults for scouting?” I inquire, thinking about how that was the primary tactic in the late-game, no, nada, nay, I am not thinking about that, “Because I mainly have just those to use.”
“Technically, you can use them, but I would advise against it,” replies Mastiff, “It has to do with sensor range, which is different to spotting range. It isn’t a precise science, but heavier ‘Mechs have shorter sensor ranges while lighter ‘Mechs have smaller sensor signatures. A Light ‘Mech could detect an Assault ‘Mech from over five hundred metres away, but that same Assault ‘Mech couldn’t detect the Light ‘Mech until it got within a hundred metres. Provided that the Light ‘Mech doesn’t get into line of sight or gives away its position by opening fire.”
“That makes sense.” I say, “Unfortunately we do have a lack of lighter ‘Mechs.”
“The Griffins can do a decent enough job,” says Mastiff, “And we have vehicles that can also scout. Not to mention, it will be less of a concern for you directly since the only weapon on your Atlas that is beyond your spotting range is your LRM launcher.”
“Worrying about the lack of Light ‘Mechs will be your job, won’t it, Sir Raju?” says Lady Arano.
“For now,” replies Mastiff.
While having Mastiff act as my instructor was an obvious usage of his skills, his command position within the Rimward Sentinels was less obvious. He might be several years younger than he was in that…thing I would rather not think about, but he is still a highly capable mercenary with decades of experience. Experience that my unit is severely lacking so combined with his reputation for loyalty and reliability, I have basically make him my second-in-command
Technically speaking I just gave Mastiff the rank of Major and put him in charge of one of the three combined arms battalions that I am putting together. In practice, he is the most experienced and senior leader in the ground forces with de facto leadership over them, running them on my behalf.
I should probably make that more official so Mastiff has some legitimate authority as my XO, but right now, I am busy enough that so long as Mastiff doesn’t run into any problems, I’ll probably leave it until I have the time and experience to sort out something long term.
“Okay, Light ‘Mechs make good scouts and that is why people use them,” I say, “What about my answer?”
“I’m not sure if you are just referring to your manpower issues or a general lack of experience, but you would be right to value both,” says Mastiff, “Having the hardware isn’t much good if you have no one to pilot it or keep it running. Likewise having people who know what they are doing is important. There is some truth to the old adage of ‘save the metal’, but skilled soldiers are an advantage that shouldn’t be discounted.”
“But surely having a more powerful ‘Mech can off-set that,” protests Lady Arano.
“It can. I won’t deny that,” replies Mastiff, “but it is far from a sure thing in either case. Having greater skill is good, but it is rarely enough to off-set the enemy having three or four times your tonnage. On the other hand, a meaningful skill advantage could be the needed advantage if they only have twice your tonnage. Take us for example. Do you think that you could take me in your Atlas if I was piloting my Centurion?”
“No,” I answer after a moment’s thought because I am still struggling to hit my targets.
“I could do it.” declares Lady Arano confidently.
“Do you, Kamea?” replies Mastiff with an amused snort, “Perhaps you could if you got lucky. Your Atlas has enough armor that it would be a struggle to bring you down at range, However, I would have an AC/10 and an LRM/10 against your dozen volleys from your LRM/20. With a faster ‘Mech, I would just need to stay out of close range while wearing you down from afar. With our relative skill level, that is well within my ability to achieve.”
“Want to test that in the sims?” asks Lady Arano and I can almost hear the smirk on her face, “I bet I can take you.”
“With our employer’s permission, we can see if you can put your money where your mouth is later.” Mastiff rebukes his student mildly, “Now, my point is that having a better pilot can be just as good as having a better warmachine. You hear about MechWarriors and other soldiers triumphing against superior odds for a reason and there is a reason that militaries value having good pilots over good ‘Mechs in their elite units. Having sufficient manpower is important and so is having skilled manpower.”
“And access to spare parts?” I inquire.
“Also very important.” replies Mastiff, “It can be a fatal mistake to think that having enough C-Bills to buy a part is the same as being able to get that part. Having a reliable source of spare parts to keep your equipment running and to repair your machines is vital, especially having a stockpile immediately at hand as you never know when you will be cut off and in urgent need of repairs to be done.”
“I can do logistics.” I say, “My training as a MechTech has given me an understanding of logistics and what it takes to keep a bunch of warmachines running and ready for battle.”
“That’s a good starting point,” says Mastiff, “More than one mercenary company has been dissolved because its owners knew more about winning battles than keeping the outfit operating long term. Now speaking about knowing how to operate a ‘Mech, how about I bring some targets into the simulation and we’ll see how much you have improved at shooting your weapons, Elizabeth.”
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===Recruitment===
The first month on Coromodir goes smoothly and the Rimward Sentinels really begin to take shape into a real fighting force. The Aurigan Coalition might be a sixth-rate Periphery power, but High Lord Arano does rule over a dozen worlds, including some meaningfully populated and industrialized ones, and that influence shows as he and Lord Espinosa assist me in putting together my mercenary unit.
While most of our recruits are still green, Lord Espinosa is able to give me a solid handful of experienced personnel to work with. While none of them are good enough to be considered elite, a decent chunk of my new manpower meets the standards of the regular and veteran ratings. Even though I do pick up some mercenaries looking for work, the majority of my new recruits are sent my way by either House Arano or House Espinosa.
The infantry and vehicle crews are drawn from the excess surplus thanks to their prominence in the local military forces of the region. Meanwhile my MechWarriors are primarily drawn from the Aurigan nobility, the sons and daughters of families who either lack ‘Mechs or don’t have enough for all of their offspring. A similar situation to Vance and Vanessa where their non-heir status means that despite their noble titles, I am their best chance for actually piloting a ‘Mech and becoming a MechWarrior in truth.
The real catch is getting ASF pilots given their rarity compared to infantry, tankers and even MechWarriors. The scarcity of ASFs in the Aurigan Reach means that there is a reduced need for ASFs pilots and unlike with MechWarriors, there is no cultural obsession to counteract that missing need. That said, Lord Espinosa is able to scrape up enough pilots that I am able to muster up a dozen or two squadrons worth, which is enough to fill out my Union-CV Fighter Carrier. With the rest of my ASFs, we get some promising recruits, but I am looking at several months minimum until they are fit to fly and most likely longer if I want them to meet military standards.
Yet I cannot complain. Thanks to the assistance of my benefactors, I have gone from barely having a company of ‘Mechs with supporting elements to having a functional combined arms regiment with sufficient shipping to transport all of them. I could have done it on my own, but it would have taken longer and I doubt I would have gotten a decent contract so quickly. Barring any major screw ups on my part, I have passed the point which most mercenary outfits fail to meet, where I am big enough to secure my own future.
I’ve even expanded beyond a combined arms regiment with an extra battalion of infantry for security purposes. While I hadn’t originally planned to do so, Lord Espinosa suggested it while offering to have his own security people help train them and mentioning the fact that I had the heir presumptive to the Aurigan Coalition in my employment. Given Kamea’s importance to the future of our nation, I could hardly disagree with him even if I wanted to and while it isn’t something I would have come up with on my own, a battalion of infantry for security purposes is undeniably appealing. Especially since it doesn’t cost me much between the trainers that House Espinosa is providing and the relatively low cost of infantry equipment.
In theory, our training period should last until the end of our garrison contract, where we will begin to get some pirate hunting missions. In practice, it was mid-April when High Lord Arano came up with something for us to do and given it involves retrieving a certain LosTech DropShip that crashed on a moon, I was happy to accept that change in plans.
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==Author's Chapter Notes==
;Word from the Author: Elizabeth’s return to Corodmor is at an end as she heads off to retrieve the Argo from its resting place. This chapter is showing that Elizabeth is continuing to train as a MechWarrior, explaining how I am using some of the mechanics from the HBS game over the tabletop and showing how the Rimward Sentinels are coming along. With the former, the game pretty much has it so heavier tonnage machines are better due to limited numbers and smallish maps. With only four mechs and limited space to work with, the benefits of Light ‘Mechs are unfairly limited. They are still limited in this story, but they have some meaningful benefits over an assault or heavy mech thanks to no arbitrary limits on deployment numbers or map area and have some roles to fill.As for putting the Rimward Sentinels together, by getting the support of Tamati Arano and Santiago Espinosa, Elizabeth is able to bypass some of the early difficulties of recruiting enough people in exchange for depending on her benefactors. It might not be the personal assistance of the First Prince or the Archon, but the Aurigan Coalition is a decently sized realm and filling out the manpower of a combined arms regiment over a few months is something that its ruler can do.
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