Battletech - Operational Turning Points - Capellan Crusades.pdf

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[OPERATIONAL TURNING POINTS: CAPELLAN CRUSADES]
CELESTIAL ASCENDANCE ............
OUTSIDE CHANG-AN
LIAO, REPUBLIC OF THE SPHERE
8 MARCH 3113
Sao-shao
Marcus Chen always considered himself a loyal son
of the Confederation, a servant of the Chancellor. For as long as
he could remember, his father had regaled him with tales of his
family’s dedication and stalwart service to the Celestial Throne.
His grandfather had participated in the liberation of the St. Ives
Compact after the Chancellor’s proclamation of
Xin Sheng,
and he
proudly recalled his mother’s sacrifice to protect the citizens of
Tsingtao against the Davions during the Jihad.
For Liao.
Imbued with a sense of purpose, he spent his entire adolescence
working to be worthy of the
janshi—the
warrior caste. Where other
children had volunteered at a hospital or with the Capellan Star
Scouts, Chen spent his obligation cleaning latrines at the Capella
War College. When he reached his majority at fifteen, his service
choice and test scores ensured placement at the very academy he
spent years cleaning. Even now, Chen clearly recalled the day of his
acceptance. His entire family had gathered to hear his father read
his college acceptance letter as tears streamed down his cheeks. His
grandfather, then frail with age, hugged him hard, his eyes full of joy.
For my family.
Many years had passed since that day. At the War College,
Chen pushed himself even further, harder, and faster than his
peers. He relished the look on their faces when it was him, not
them, who was selected as the training squadron’s
gong-sao-
shao—recruit
flight leader—or when he was assigned a coveted
position in the Dynasty Guards after graduation. During the
Victoria War he cut his teeth driving his aerofighter into the heart
of the First Andurien Guards on Kujari, spilling blood to help drive
the invaders from the Confederation.
While his performance during the war earned him a promotion
and a Liao Sunburst of Gallantry, Chen cared little for either. Twice
the Maskirovka approached him since Kujari, and twice he rejected
their offer.
Then it came, the offer he had been waiting for.
The day he was brought before the Chancellor was the proudest
moment of his life. He knelt before the Celestial Throne and swore
the oath he had spent a lifetime preparing for, joining the ranks of
the Red Lancers as one of Sun-Tzu Liao’s personal bodyguards.
And now, after less than a decade serving to protect the
Chancellor’s life, he was helping to end it.
For my Confederation.
Alone on the bridge of the
Xi’an,
Chen turned his attention to the
twin console monitors attached to the captain’s duty station where
he sat. The left monitor was piping a feed from an external camera
mounted outside the ship’s number two dropchute. Despite the
distance and cloud cover, he could see fire, explosions, and other
signs of fighting on the surface. The Confederation’s assault against
the Republic’s position was already in motion. The right-hand
monitor displayed an internal feed from one of the ship’s many bay
cameras. Positioned high up against a wall within the DropShip’s
cavernous ’Mech bay, the camera’s lens framed a single BattleMech
cubicle and the ship’s sole occupant, a massive
Emperor
BattleMech.
No ordinary machine, the inert war machine was resplendent
in shimmering gold and the livery of the Confederation. The ’Mech
was a representation of the Celestial Throne, and it belonged to
none other than Chen’s Chancellor, Sun-Tzu Liao.
It was also the Chancellor’s deathbed.
Chen watched as the ’Mech’s pilot, his beloved Chancellor,
helmeted and clad in a golden combat suit, entered the
Emperor’s
cockpit. His heart sank as he watched the ship’s drop mechanism
spring to life. To maintain secrecy, the drop process had been
automated to reduce the number of crew stationed onboard.
Besides Chen, only six other people were aboard the
Xi’an,
none
of them in the ’Mech bay. Only Chen knew who had come aboard
the ship in the dead of night and what would happen next. He
understood what was being asked of him and what he still had
left to do.
Without breaking his gaze from the monitors, Chen watched
the
Emperor
leave the ship. One second it was in the bay, silently
standing at attention within the protective belly of its transport; the
next, it was falling through Liao’s atmosphere, where for the briefest
of moments the descending ’Mech caught the sun’s gentle caress.
Chen watched in awe as the golden
Emperor
radiated light like an
exploding supernova, glowing brighter than any star. Then the
moment was gone, swallowed by the clouds as the ’Mech plunged
towards its destiny.
For a moment Chen sat high above the clouds. He looked
through the ship’s thick ferroglass portals and watched Liao’s sun
continue its march over the horizon, piercing the clouds here and
there to illuminate the battered city of Chang-an below. It was a
beautiful sight to behold and afforded Chen a few more moments
of serene quiet as he rested against the captain’s chair before setting
the DropShip to reach orbit. As the
Xi’an’s
engines pushed the ship
into space, Chen kept his eyes fixed on the exterior video feed as
Chang-an and the surface of Liao grew smaller.
The ship’s communication system piped to life. It had been
preset to pick up a very specific broadband signal, one that would
signify execution of his final order. Chen flipped the command
console’s comm switch, and the bridge speakers boomed to life.
“This world belongs to the Capellan people,
my
people!” Sun-
Tzu’s voice was strong and powerful. It carried the will of the entire
Confederation behind it.
Chen’s chest swelled with pride, and any doubts he may have
once harbored about the Confederation’s future were washed away.
He knew the truth of what the Chancellor had planned, and
what it would mean to the Capellan people, but in that moment
even pride did nothing to erase the burden of guilt that tore
through his very soul. His Chancellor was alone, unprotected and
beset by enemies. For a moment every fiber of Chen’s being was in
civil war with his swore duty and Sun Tzu’s orders, but with the very
future of the Confederation at stake, Sun-Tzu had given his beloved
people the ultimate sacrifice. He would do no less.
Chen rubbed the cravat around his throat. It was the same cravat
he was presented the day he swore an oath to protect the Celestial
Throne, to protect Sun-Tzu Liao from harm. Today, he would fail one
to save the other.
Chen keyed in the ship’s communication system. The DropShip’s
com-system was preset to send all of the ship’s recorded data to
a predetermined location inside of the local pirate jump point
where a courier waited, bound for Sian and the Confederation.
The courier would bring news of Sun Tzu’s sacrifice to the Capellan
people. The transmission took only a few seconds to complete
before his control screen confirmed packet delivery. Chen leaned
back into his seat, almost half slumping in the Zero-G, and closed
his eyes.
For my Chancellor.
1
[OPERATIONAL TURNING POINTS: CAPELLAN CRUSADES]
INTRODUCTION ...........................
elcome to the next installment in the series of
Operational
Turning Points
campaign books, designed to give players
the opportunity to fight in a landmark conflict between
the Capellan Confederation and the Republic of the Sphere.
Operational Turning Points: Capellan Crusades
uses
Touchpoint
Tracks to let players fight a full-fledged, multi-world campaign.
The general information contained in the
Atlas
and
Combatants
sections gives players the tools needed to fight
an infinite number of engagements, while the
Tracks
section
gives details on some of the larger and more pivotal battles
of the planetary struggle. These can also be used with stand-
alone games set in the Republic era.
The
Atlas
section presents a global view followed by some
quick facts about some of the planets visited in this campaign.
Included in this section are terrain tables broken into various
categories. These tables can be used as a random chart to
determine the maps used in the tracks or simply as a guide to
provide ideas on the types of terrain found on the world. This
section also contains a list of various additional terrain types,
environments, and other rules that can be used to enhance your
game experience. All players should agree whether to use any or
all of these features before play.
W
The
Combatants
section gives details on the units that
participated in the conflict and can be used by players who wish
to add authenticity to their game. While the units that actually
participated in the battles are noted, in most cases the numbers
on each side are left undetermined. This allows the players to
pursue the tracks with different forces as they wish. The rough
ratio of forces on each side is provided as a guideline. Players
should feel free to balance the forces in each track as they see
fit, whether by battle value, tonnage, total number of ’Mechs, or
whatever else suits them.
The
Tracks
section presents several key battles that occurred
during the Capellan Crusades, though they are not the only
ones. Players wishing to incorporate these tracks into their
Chaos Campaign
campaigns should use the Warchest Points
(WP) listed in brackets. Optional points are awarded only if the
group achieves at least one Objective while using the selected
option. Objective points are cumulative as they are achieved
unless otherwise noted.
The
Annex
contains three official Record Sheets. The first is
the customized
Tian-zong
of Jasminda Xiang, followed by the
custom
Orion IIC
piloted by Burton Davion. The third record
sheet is Kai Allard-Liao’s legendary
Centurion, Yen-lo-wang.
CREDITS .....................................
Project Development:
Ben H. Rome
BattleTech Line Developer:
Randall N. Bills
Products Developer:
Ray Arrastia
Writing:
Joshua C. Perian
Editing:
Philip A. Lee
Production Staff
Cover Design and Map:
Ray Arrastia
Layout and New Artwork:
David Kerber
Evolved Faction Logos:
Jason Knight
Record Sheets:
Johannes Heidler
Factchecking/Playtesting:
Aaron Cahall, Rich Cencarik,
Joshua Franklin, Johann Haderer, Keith Hann, Andreas Rudolph,
Chris Wheeler, Patrick Wynne
Special Thanks:
To Ben for putting up with my nonsense—you’re
still legend; Paul and Ray for their stalwart service and strength of
character; Herb for keeping the BattleTech flame alive through our
Dark Age; Phil for his help and the wonderful writing from which
most of this Turning Point is based. Finally, this one goes out to Kai
Allard-Liao: gone, but never forgotten.
For more information about the Capellan Crusades, please see
Historical: Wars of the Republic Era.
©2015 The Topps Company Inc. All rights Reserved. Operational Turning Points: Capellan Crusades,
Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, BattleMech, ’Mech, and WK Games are registered trademarks and/or trademarks
of The Topps Company, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Catalyst Game Labs and the
Catalyst Game Labs logo are trademarks of InMediaRes Production, LLC.
STAR LEAGUE ERA
CLAN INVASION ERA
JIHAD ERA
®
SUCCESSION WARS ERA
CIVIL WAR ERA
DARK AGE ERA
2
[OPERATIONAL TURNING POINTS: CAPELLAN CRUSADES]
ATLAS ........................................
Governor:
Janis Ty Dith
Legate:
Andreas Kamali
Star Type (Recharge Time):
K5V (196 hours)
Position in System:
3
Time to Jump Point:
4.85 days
Number of Satellites:
1 (Elias’ Promise)
Surface Gravity:
1.05
Atm. Pressure:
Standard (Breathable)
Equatorial Temperature:
30ºC (Temperate)
Surface Water:
55 percent
Recharging Station:
Nadir
HPG Class:
A
Highest Native Life:
Reptiles
Population: (3111)
3,800,000,000
Socio-Industrial Levels:
B-C-C-D-A
The ancestral home of the Capellan Confederation’s ruling
Liao family, the world was first lost to the Capellan people
during the Fourth Succession War. Nearly three decades later,
Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao briefly liberated the world for the
Confederation during Operation GUERRERO before losing it
again to Republic of the Sphere forces in 3084. Liao’s people live
in two worlds. Torn between the populace’s Capellan heritage
and Devlin Stone’s ambitions for a new nation, Liao became a
focal point for many of Stone’s less popular policies. Throughout
the 3090s, Liao was a major target for the hated Resettlement
Directives, and the planet’s elected Senator, Melissa Allard-Liao,
became a vocal opponent of the policy until its repeal. Still a
hotbed of discontent, Liao would become the flashpoint for the
Confederation’s invasion of the Republic of the Sphere.
LIAO
Governor:
Frieda Kim Sun
Legate:
Gregory Wolff
Star Type (Recharge Time):
F8IV (179 hours)
Position in System:
3
Time to Jump Point:
12.01 days
Number of Satellites:
1 (Grace)
Surface Gravity:
1.03
Atm. Pressure:
Standard (Breathable)
Equatorial Temperature:
41ºC (Very Hot)
Surface Water:
70 percent
Recharging Station:
Zenith, Nadir
HPG Class:
A
Highest Native Life:
Reptile
Population:
3,035,000,000
Socio-Industrial Levels:
A-A-D-C-D
Once stigmatized by the rest of the Capellan Confederation
for resurrecting the now-defunct Sarna Supremacy after the
dissolution of the Federated Commonwealth, the world of
Sarna has come a long way since its forced reintegration into
the Confederation in the late 3060s. The Confederation took a
light touch with Sarna, due to it once being a bastion of anti-
Capellan sympathizers, and allowed the secessionists to simply
fade away as the fruits of
Xin Sheng
took hold. Surviving the
Jihad relatively unscathed, Sarna took on new importance with
the loss of Liao and its Conservatory of Martial Arts, with the
Sarna Martial Academy rapidly rehabilitated into the primary
officer training institution for the new Sarna Commonality.
Due to its status as a commonality capital, Sarna saw massive
fighting during the Crusades.
SARNA
3
[OPERATIONAL TURNING POINTS: CAPELLAN CRUSADES]
ATLAS ........................................
Governor:
Marcus Banh
Legate:
Dingane Ramirez
Star Type (Recharge Time):
G3IV (184 hours)
Position in System:
3
Time to Jump Point:
8.53 days
Number of Satellites:
2 (Arils and Arlis)
Surface Gravity:
1.0
Atm. Pressure:
Standard (Breathable)
Equatorial Temperature:
45ºC (Very Hot)
Surface Water:
76 percent
Recharging Station:
Nadir
HPG Class:
B
Highest Native Life:
Reptiles
Population:
1,630,890,000
Socio-Industrial Levels:
C-D-C-F-B
A former Sarna March world with split loyalties towards
the Confederation, Wei was the site of major fighting during
the Capellan Confederation’s invasion of the Republic in 3081.
As Operation GOLDEN FORTRESS turned against the CCAF, the
newly constituted Second Hastati Sentinels attacked Wei and
the defending Tau Ceti Lancers. Hammered by the RAF, the
Lancers were only saved by the timely arrival of Phyr’s Hussars,
which allowed both battered commands to escape. Incensed by
the damage inflicted by the Republic, Wei became a hotbed of
anti-Republic sentiment after the war.
WEI
Governor:
Aklina Petrov
Legate:
Lerato Nazarov
Star Type (Recharge Time):
K2II (193 hours)
Position in System:
5
Time to Jump Point:
4.85 days
Number of Satellites:
3 (Okhotsk, Lopatina, Nogliki)
Surface Gravity:
1.02
Atm. Pressure:
Standard (Breathable)
Equatorial Temperature:
13ºC (Boreal)
Surface Water:
43 percent
Recharging Station:
Zenith, Nadir
HPG Class:
A
Highest Native Life:
Mammals
Population:
85,020,000
Socio-Industrial Levels:
B-C-D-C-D
A cold, bleak world known for its mineral wealth, Sakhalin
was a founding member of the original Sarna Supremacy, and
later a linchpin in the reformed Supremacy after the collapse
of the Sarna March in 3057. Reabsorbed by the Confederation
after the capture of Kaifeng, Sakhalin was assimilated back into
the Confederation in 3066 and survived the Jihad unharmed.
Fully absorbed in Capellan society, Sakhalin would later
serve as a base for Capellan-sponsored pirate raids into the
Republic after the failure of Operation GOLDEN FORTRESS.
Today, Sakhalin is an important border world between the
Confederation and the Republic.
SAKHALIN
4

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