BattleTech: No Greater Honor (The Complete Eridani Light Horse Chronicles), page 1
BATTLETECH: NO GREATER HONOR
THE COMPLETE ERIDANI LIGHT HORSE CHRONICLES
BATTLETECH ANTHOLOGY #18
JOEL STEVERSON
CRAIG A. REED, JR.
CHRISTOPHER HUSSEY
RANDALL N. BILLS
JASON HANSA
DANIEL ISBERNER
ALAN BRUNDAGE
JASON SCHMETZER
MICHAEL J. CIARAVELLA
EDITED BY
JOHN HELFERS AND PHILIP A. LEE
CONTENTS
Foreword
1. Conflicts of Interest
Joel Steverson
2. No Tears
Craig A. Reed, Jr.
3. Dying Dignity
Chris Hussey
4. The Hand That Feeds
Randall N. Bills
5. There’s No “We” In “Mercenary”
Jason Hansa
6. Failings in Teaching
Daniel Isberner
7. View from the Ground
Alan Brundage
8. No Dust, No Wear
Jason Hansa
9. The Day When Heaven Was Falling
Jason Schmetzer
10. Strong as Steel
Michael J. Ciaravella
Battletech Glossary
BattleTech Eras
The BattleTech Fiction Series
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FOREWORD
When it comes to one of the most prestigious and enduring mercenary commands in the Inner Sphere, no word carries more weight than “tradition.” The concept of tradition itself speaks to a longstanding history, and precious few military units in the BattleTech universe can claim that distinction.
The Eridani Light Horse, however, has been around since the very beginning. And by the “beginning,” I mean two things: the original, first edition of BattleTech, published in 1984 as BattleDroids (the name “BattleTech” first appeared on the game’s second edition a year later), and the fall of the First Star League, the most pivotal event in BattleTech history.
The first-edition game contained very little background information about the BattleTech universe, just six pages of brief detail on BattleMechs and the general state of the Inner Sphere. However, within those six pages, you can find a single short paragraph about a mercenary unit called the Eridani Light Horse. Those six sentences fired the imagination of a generation of BattleTech fans, giving birth to almost four decades’ worth of stories surrounding this outfit.
But perhaps the most important aspect of the Light Horse is its roots in the Star League Regular Army, which began as the Third Regimental Combat Team in 2702, a formation of two striker regiments and two light-horse regiments. Nearly half a century after the Third was formed, the unit’s commander was assassinated by agents of the Prince of Rasalhague, who deemed the RCT an occupation force, not Star League peacekeeping troops.
In response to this heinous act, the Third deployed to all ten worlds in its assigned district. When the Prince sent troops to evict them from Trondheim, the Third fought with such a terrifying swiftness near the city of Eridani that an eyewitness journalist claimed the Star League forces routed the Prince’s army “like spirited Eridani stallions chasing after fat Luthien cows.” The description stuck, and thus the Third adopted the nickname “Eridani Light Horse.”
This Star League pedigree, coupled with tragedy during the Amaris Coup, led the Light Horse to a crossroads after the fall of the Star League. While Aleksandr Kerensky, Commanding General of the Star League Defense Force, felt his best course to prevent future war from engulfing the Inner Sphere was to take the survivors of the SLDF into the Deep Periphery, the Eridani Light Horse believed the best way to honor the Star League was to remain in the Inner Sphere and carry its legacy like a torch. Although the unit transitioned to mercenary service, its leaders and members maintained an unparalleled reputation for precision, professionalism, and martial excellence. This, along with the Light Horse’s flagpole ceremony honoring the fallen League, served as a tangible reminder of the valor and values the Star League had stood for.
For this collection, we challenged our authors to take us through every facet of the Eridani Light Horse’s legendary history. Among these pages you will witness the early tragedies during the Amaris Coup and the fall of the Star League. You will follow the survivors through the vicissitudes of the Succession Wars, the sudden return of the SLDF’s descendants during the Clan Invasion, and the uncertainty and destruction of the Word of Blake Jihad. Then you can witness their glorious return in the waning days of the Dark Age, and into the new ilClan era. Each story demonstrates that throughout the centuries, no matter how ruthless the opponent, how deep their losses, or how close they were pushed to the brink of disaster, the Eridani Light Horse remained steadfast and resolute—a lasting testament to their history, and to the bravery and honor of the soldiers that filled their ranks.
For the sake of tradition, let’s all sit back, pour one out for the Star League, and honor its memory together while looking ahead to the future.
—Philip A. Lee, Co-Editor
Catalyst Game Labs
February 2022
ONE
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
JOEL STEVERSON
ULTRACOM RUINS
ZEBEBELGENUBI
FEDERATION OF SKYE
LYRAN COMMONWEALTH
12 NOVEMBER 2772
Blinking back tears as she watched the Eridani Light Horse Regiment’s procession enter the quad, Major Astrid Karlsson logged a mental note to put in a commendation for Captain Calhoun. The quartermaster had worked his magic yet again. After five years of vicious fighting, the regiment was bedraggled and threadbare, yet somehow Calhoun had scrounged up dress uniforms for the honor guard.
The soldiers at the head of the column wore crisp, olive-drab uniforms with verdant half-jackets and side caps, knee-high boots in butternut and matching leather gloves. The ELH insignia—a piaffing, chestnut stallion on a gold circle with a gilded border—stood brightly atop the lotus-blue Radstadt World Sash running from right shoulder to left hip. Belted, ceremonial daggers completed the ensemble. Their vibrant uniforms stood in stark contrast to the dreary ferrocrete of the quad and the blackened ruins surrounding it.
A solitary flagpole rose from the center of the courtyard. The Rim Worlds Republic flag—a cobalt shark emblem upon a maroon field bordered in white—fluttered in the light wind. The flagpole was flanked by a wrought-iron brazier on the right and a mahogany lectern to the left. A mixture of soldiers, militia, partisans, law enforcement, emergency services, and civilians filled every available meter of the yard.
As the last of the procession took their places, Colonel Ezra Bradley stepped to the lectern. The ELH’s commander moved with an almost imperceptible limp as his artificial left leg swung a hair faster than its organic companion. Near constant combat for the last five years had aged him considerably. His hair was more gray than auburn now, and thick worry-lines etched his face like aged parchment. Crow’s feet flared from the corners of his light-grey eyes as he squinted against the bright lights and waited for the teleprompter to spin up. The dedication ceremony would be streamed worldwide.
“Today is about duty,” he said in a baritone rumble. “Duty is the obligation we have to one another through our shared belief in something greater than ourselves that compels us to act no matter the cost. It gives us courage when we are fearful, hope when we are in despair, and something to believe in when all else has failed.
“This campus was once Ultracom—the Ulsop Robotics Training Complex—where the Star League Defense Force trained soldiers to operate our Space Defense Systems; a nearly-impregnable network of space- and ground-based weaponry, space stations, and autonomous drone ships that safeguard key Terran Hegemony worlds.
“Technological prowess made the Hegemony a paragon of exceptionalism. A symbol of all that humankind could accomplish. The Modern Chivalrists Movement spread Hegemony values throughout the Star League. The Cameron Star became a symbol of manifest integrity. Confident in the protection of our armored fortresses, the Hegemony dispatched the SLDF to squelch the New Vandenberg Uprising.
“For all our accomplishments, we failed to uncover the traitors in our midst. We were betrayed by Stefan Amaris, the dastardly leader of the Rim Worlds Republic. The Usurper assassinated First Lord Richard Cameron and launched his reign of terror with simultaneous assaults on all Hegemony worlds. In a month, he’d stolen Camelot from Arthur.”
Angry murmurs spread through the crowd. Bradley waited for them to die down before continuing, “When the Rim Worlders conquered this world, they made Ultracom their planetary command center, and forced Ulsop engineers to train their soldiers on SDS operations. The resistance tried to stop the training, but they failed. They had a duty to protect the Hegemony, so they tried again. They failed a second time, yet still they tried again.
“After eight failed attempts, they were finally successful in the spring of 2768. They smuggled three tons of SRM inferno missiles into the complex. Forty trainees died in the initial blast, and the resulting fire razed half the complex and injured another one-hundred -thirty occupiers.”
Bradley slowed his cadence and poured anger into his next words. “The Rim Worlders responded by executing all three hundred Ulsop trainers and turned the ruins into an extermination camp where resistance fighters, dissidents, and anyone else they disliked spent their final days in conditions intended to cause a lingering, painful death.”
A soft whimper drew Astrid’s attention to the left. Captain Maeve Ramirez was visibly trembling. Astrid gave a slight smile, hoping Maeve would understand the offer of sympathy, but the younger woman didn’t seem to notice. Astrid logged another item for her mental to-do list.
The SLDF had finally retaken Zebebelgenubi three weeks ago. The Seventy-First Light Horse had temporarily transferred from XI Corps to V Corps to bolster the assault. Astrid’s battalion had been rounding up straggling Guards’ forces when they discovered the Ultracom camp. Her rapid scout company—Maeve’s High Flyers—were the first on site. The prisoners were so emaciated they resembled worn skin stretched over too-large skeletons more than people. A third suffered from diseases long since eradicated on all Hegemony worlds, implying the Rim Worlders had been testing bioweapons on the camp’s population. Maeve’s company found thousands of men, women, and children clinging to life surrounded by rotting corpses. When the prisoners had become too infirm to dig their own graves, the Rim Worlders simply stopped burying them. As the camp’s horror came into focus, Maeve summoned every medtech in the regiment, but if half the prisoners survived it would be a miracle.
“Six years of occupation is simply interminable,” Bradley said, resuming his normal diction. “I can scarcely imagine how difficult it must have been to persevere. The Rim Worlders desecrated your world. This hallowed ground was a monument to the Star League’s preeminent defensive apparatus, and they twisted it into something vile and perverse. I’m sure there were times when giving up was an incredibly tempting option, but you persevered, and Zebebelgenubi is free of tyranny once again.
“This flag,” Bradley gestured at the Rim Worlds Republic flagpole, “is a symbol of hatred, violence, and oppression. We will eradicate it, and then dedicate this space to the intrepid souls that survived internment here. Governor Moretti will be following me and speaking to the memorial plans. First, please join me in observing a moment of silence in recognition of the thirty thousand people who lost their lives here.”
A trio of soldiers from the ELH’s ad hoc honor guard swiftly lowered the Rim Worlds flag and wordlessly dropped it on the brazier. Hungry flames devoured it in a few seconds. When the last vestiges had been incinerated, the soldiers attached the Star League flag—the Cameron Star in white and black on a sapphire field—to the halyard.
“Thank you,” Bradley said. “Now please stand for the Star League Anthem.”
Astrid found Maeve waiting for the next shuttle back to their field headquarters. She had just missed the previous flight of VTOLs. They would have twenty minutes of relative privacy before their ride returned.
“If you ever want to talk, please know I’m here for you,” she said. That sounded awful. Why am I so bad at this?
Maeve dropped her eyes and slowly shook her head. When she finally looked up, hot tears rolled down her cheeks. Any other time, Astrid would have encouraged her to see a combat fatigue therapist, but that luxury wouldn’t be available until they rejoined the Sixteenth Army in January, and the ELH took care of its own.
“I don’t know what I’d say,” she managed at last.
“That’s fine. I probably won’t have any answers for you, but I am a good listener,” Astrid said. She hesitated for a moment, mulling her options. It had all sounded good in her head, but the intense pain in Maeve’s hazel eyes tangled with her own demons until everything in her head was a discombobulated mess. How can I compare my pain to hers? Great job, Astrid. Now what are you going to do? As the silence stretched into uncomfortable territory, the words tumbled out, “When the Nineteenth… Uh, when Oren… I mean…”
“It’s okay,” Maeve said. She took Astrid’s left hand and gave a gentle squeeze. “I know what you’re trying to say.”
Astrid nodded her thanks.
“Avenge the Nineteenth,” Maeve said.
“Burn the Usurper,” Astrid replied by rote. That’s not where I was going.
A year and a half ago, the ELH’s Nineteenth Striker Regiment dropped on Talitha in an attempt to destroy command, control, and communications facilities at what was previously the Eighth Army Headquarters. A Rim World spy leaked their plans to the Talitha garrison, and the Nineteenth was wiped out. Astrid’s nephew had been one of the first casualties. She drank herself to sleep whenever she could for the first month. Purging that vice had taken considerable effort. It’s been eighteen months and I’m still struggling.
“I just don’t want to see you repeating any of my mistakes, Maeve,” Astrid said, trying to salvage her pep talk.
Maeve made a sound somewhere between a cough and a monosyllabic laugh.
“Trust me, I make plenty of them,” Astrid admitted. “I just have ten more years of experience at hiding them.”
“Hiding what?”
Astrid startled, and her cheeks flushed. Nothing like demonstrating poor situational awareness for the old man. She turned to Bradley, but following field etiquette, didn’t salute.
“Good evening, sir,” Astrid and Maeve spoke as one.
“As you were,” Bradley replied. “My apologies, I didn’t intend to intrude.”
“Oh, uh, we were just talking—”
Maeve cut in, “Major Karlsson was just offering her recommendations on a personal matter.”
Bradley smiled knowingly. “I was briefing General Badler when word of this camp came in. The pictures gave me nightmares. I didn’t make it here until last week, and all the bodies had been buried by then. I can only imagine how horrible it was in person.”
“Thank-Thank you, sir.”
“I think turning this place into a memorial will help a lot of people heal. How is your company handling it?”
“It’s been difficult for us all, sir. Some are handling it well, or at least giving the appearance, but a few are definitely struggling.”
“Is there anything your company needs?”
“Aside from a million dead Rim Worlders?” Maeve said, then stiffened. “Sorry, sir, that was supposed to be a joke.”
“Is it? My wife tells me I don’t have a sense of humor. It’s fine, Captain. I understand where you’re coming from—” Bradley glanced at Astrid, “—but hating the enemy isn’t the solution.”
“Sir?” Maeve asked.
“They have monsters among them, the Amaris Dragoons for one, and a command structure that encourages their predilections, but the average RWR soldier isn’t all that different from any other soldier. We estimate that up to a third of their forces have been conscripted.”
Maeve looked a bit abashed. “I…hadn’t realized that.”
“It’s not something that’s been emphasized in briefings,” Bradley said. He gave Astrid another quick look and continued, “The last few years have been difficult for us all. The hardships will continue to get worse. The road to Terra is very, very long, but we have a duty to the citizens of the Hegemony.
“Today’s ceremony was meant to give people closure, but for some I suspect all it’s done is stirred up strong, uncomfortable feelings. I was thinking it might be helpful to your peers if there was a support group—nothing formal, just a gathering when there’s down time. Since you were the first field officer on site, I thought you might want to volunteer to lead it—assuming the major can spare you, of course.”
Astrid marveled at the confident smile that had appeared on Maeve’s face. She’s completely turned around. He makes it seem so easy, and he also gave me a message while spending the whole time talking to Maeve.
