Starlance

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Passing by the other ‘Mech bays wasn’t an optimistic sight. Not even two Lances when the medical casualties were taken into account. But passing Ziska’s bay revealed more than the usual gaggle of technicians around the Raven, and spotting at least two other MechWarriors in the group, Marit went to take a look to see if perhaps the upcoming briefing was being discussed. With Ziska present, betting on the mission objectives or outcome wouldn’t surprise her.

Then another person showed up, and as the first words were spoken, she felt like she might owe Reya an apology. Between the blue bloods of the Green Knights, Reya had moments when she wasn’t bearable. Ingrid, on the other hand, seemed to have moments when she was, and it didn’t look like this was one of them.

”Acceptable morning everyone.” She greeted the group, figuring that was as good as it was going to get in the coming weeks, leaning over for Kerensky’s required daily scratch. ”What’s wrong with being a taxi driver? First ‘Mechs were construction equipment, their pilots were little more than crane operators, a cabbie is still a step up from that. Besides, everyone whose ‘Mech has hands will probably be carrying supplies on the way back from this run. Ready to add ‘lowly freight hauler’ to your resume?” She ribbed the deposed duchess with lighthearted irreverence.

Aces of the Void - Starfighter Squadron RPG

Likewise.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

The mood in the cave was dour, and even Marit was feeling a little down that day. First it was the unrest. Not bad, but hard to police with a BattleMech. While they still had access to the local HPG station, she’d at least been able to keep up with the Sons of Kalev on a regular basis. Knowing all was well back home had at least been a comfort, but now she could only take solace on that front from having remembered to point out that the riots might prevent outgoing communication - either through actions of the rioters, lack of time or deliberate attempts by the government to keep the trouble in house - so no one back home had any reason to take her silence for her death.

Then the local force pulled their power play stunt and casualties went through the roof hatch out of nowhere. Freddie and Lena were especially hard to swallow. A small cynical voice in her head might’ve said the lack of a Golden Boy around was a plus, but being an asshole wasn’t a valid reason to die and a skilled MechWarrior was always good to have, especially in their predicament. But as they say: The show must go on. She could only chalk her own survival and successful escape to luck in the form of being in the right place at the wrong time. When the order came to get out of the city, the lance she’d been assigned to was on the outskirts. They could’ve simply turned around and walked into the woods were it not for a platoon of mechanized infantry and some attached tanks.

The supply situation was another thing eroding the morale like rain on a badly planted field. Food and water were bad enough, but a lack of medical supplies and ammo would be putting a damper on the mood even if they weren’t needed, and though she personally didn’t mind cold all that much yet, a lifetime spent mostly aboard a Buccaneer did her no favors in this situation.

The last straw was the now empty flask of walnut rum in her pocket, having shared the last of its contents with Minhas and Ziska the previous day, the latter for letting her borrow the former for an hour to get Archie’s right elbow actuator working properly after an unfortunate brush against a particularly stubborn building during the desperate flight from Balya Gora.

Marit was jolted out of her musings by the Colonel’s voice calling them to arms. Normally a briefing was a trailer for an event that had the potential to be the end of you, and itself could be anything ranging from a routine to an annoyance and, as she had learned the hard way on multiple occasions, a chance to do some pushups, but now she was just glad something would be happening. The rookie MechWarrior excused herself from the group of technicians and civilians who were moving some boxes and tarps around in an attempt to improve privacy in the bunks and set out toward the ‘Mechbay that held her assigned Archer, the 70 ton machine slumped over as if asleep, looking almost peaceful were it not for the dents and scorch marks in several places. Marit figured she had ten minutes to make sure everything that was supposed to be there was there and how much - well, how little - ammunition she’d have to work with in the anticipated upcoming outing, ten minutes to get her personal gear ready, thirty minutes to wait out of sight if Reya happened to be near Archie and in a sour mood and was still left with ten to get to the briefing. She ignored the grumbling of her stomach, mustering up an encouraging smile for a few kids as she passed them along the way.

Marit wondered what they would be doing. Gathering intelligence? Getting supplies? Whatever the away team brought back, one thing was almost certain: If successful, they’d bring some hope. They’d complained about their shitty lot in life for long enough, and now the Colonel has decided that the time has come to do something about it

Deeds, not words.

Aces of the Void - Starfighter Squadron RPG

Who are we waiting for? I think everyone who's still in has posted, no?

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

All aboard the Oneshot train! Great idea @Bork Lazer.

Stage Fright

18th March 3029, 18:32 - Sartu system, Sartu c - Federated Suns

Strapped in, cooling vest working, neurohelmet linked. Don’t. Panic. Marit briefly consulted the clipboard with the cockpit’s layout she’d strapped to her thigh to make up for the lack of familiarity with the half-finished Dervish before firing it up. Nobody felt any need to rush the training, the repairs would’ve taken at least two weeks, and that’s after they found a new arm. Betty then came to life to inform Marit just how much of the ‘Mech was missing or not working, not doing her mental state any favors.

<Reactor: Online. Sensors: Online. Weapons: Error. Left arm: Destroyed.>
ERR: ML left arm - Disconnected.
ERR: SRM 2 left arm - Disconnected.
ERR: SRM 2 right arm - Igniter failure.
ERR: Center jump jet - Propellant feed failure.
LRM ammo: Right torso 0%.
SRM ammo: Left arm N/A.
SRM ammo: Right arm 0%.

“Yeah, I noticed.” She tried to be a smartass with the onboard computer as she dismissed the warnings taking up a good chunk of the display, only to find out her voice was trembling. Not a great start, and she was coming to regret the second bowl of Viili she had after breakfast, which was now looking to get back out due to the nerves.
“Deadstick ready. Up and at ‘em lads and lasses, Davions want their forgotten depot back.”
Then again, the Dervish wasn’t the only thing that wasn’t supposed to be in a fight yet. Most of the Sons agreed she shouldn’t have been there either. Wedge, Bear, Blaze. They were the ones who were supposed to be fighting.
“Half Pint, ready to atomize these fucks!”
Except Wedge was currently so high off her face on pain meds after the medic finished resetting her dislocated shoulder and five times broken arm back into place that all she could do was babble about shapes and colors, Blaze’s Locust was barely able to drag itself back to the pickup point and poor Bear was paste smeared across a mountainside after a failed ejection.
“Ghost, up and running. Marit, are you with us?”
She took a breath to steady her voice before replying to her mother’s inquiry, her heart racing as if trying to bash its way out of her ribcage. “Giggles, I am mobile.” She checked in, catching a glimpse of Half Pint’s Panther giving her a thumbs up.

“Bravo Lance, Kalevala. Alpha has pulled back to the depot. The hostiles have broken off pursuit, but I think they’ll be back soon. Proceed to grid square 327 Romeo 819 Juliet. Let Alpha draw them out of the rocks and into the open, we expect you to have a clear shot at their right flank once they commence their attack. Gods be with you.”
Then again, it could’ve been worse. They got over the initial surprise of unusually competent opposition, they had a good plan and she had her mother beside her and her father in her ear. The four Bravo pilots acknowledged as she subconsciously - well okay, it was intentional - kept her ‘Mech close to Idun’s Catapult.

Her BattleMech.

Despite her fear, the thought brought a warm smile to Marit’s face.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Marit Saarinen

Appearance

Height: 188 cm (6’2”)

Weight: 76 kg (167 lbs)

Callsign: Giggles

Age: 23

Archetype: Rookie out to prove herself.

Guiding Motto: Deeds, not words.

Fatal Flaw: Brutal honesty: Marit will say whatever's on her mind without a care and usually without being asked.

Expertise:

• Artillery.
• Sensor Operations.
• Negotiation.

Nationality: Rasalhague, Draconis Combine. No allegiance.

Bio:
Marit was born in 3007 into the Sons of Kalev, a mercenary company in good standing with the MRB mostly staffed by personnel of Rasalhague origin, operating on behalf of House Davion. A daughter of one of the Sons’ MechWarriors, Idun Lindgren, and a mission control officer, Joakim Saarinen, she fits the definition of a “mercenary brat” to the letter. Living among mercenaries on their dropship, the Kalevala, from day one and expected to eventually inherit the C1 Catapult passed down the generations of the Lindgren family, she’d been learning about BattleMechs and their operation since she was six. She first drove a BattleMech on her own at 15, saddling a clapped-out Locust the Sons used for training under her mother’s tutelage. She took part in her first mission in mid 3027. A band of supposed pirates raiding a remote military depot, the Sons retroactively coming to suspect they were in fact Taurians belonging to one noble or another, turned out to be much more effective than anticipated, leading to a sudden shortage of pilots and combat-ready BattleMechs. Marit was put into a mostly-restored Dervish the Sons dragged out of a lake they dropped it into a few months beforehand, even though it was missing its left arm and the SRM launchers weren’t working when she deployed, but who needs that anyway with two tons of missiles and two LRM 10 launchers?

What followed was a month of rebuilding damaged ‘Mechs and hiring new MechWarriors, followed by a fairly standard few months for a rookie mercenary MechWarrior, until fortune smiled upon the Sons of Kalev and the Saarinen family in late 3027, when Idun’s Lance managed to beat the brakes off a lone Marauder that wandered into it as it tried to reinforce its friends that were getting pummeled by the Sons. As one of the most experienced MechWarriors of the company and the one whose leadership led to its capture, it was decided it would become Idun Saarinen’s new ‘Mech. This event bumped up the date Marit would inherit the Catapult from “At some point in the future.” to “Whenever we get the Marauder running again.” meaning the pressure was now on to prove that she could be trusted with it. Eager to prove herself - in what in hindsight may have been a pretty stupid decision - Marit decided to leave the Sons of Kalev for a while to strike out on her own and signed on with Gawain's Green Knights. Babysitting a backwater Capellan world - whatever her displeasure at aiding the Confederation - should've been easy paycheck. Oh, how the tables can turn…

Personality:
Marit is a free spirit, eternally chipper, chatty, upbeat and completely lacking a brain to mouth filter. Notorious joker with a penchant for singing on the job and distaste for hot weather. With the Rasalhague people's placing high value on family connection, be it between actual family or a fighting unit, Marit treats the whole mercenary company as such, manifesting itself in a tendency to be on everyone's good side, handle internal conflicts peacefully and deescalate where tempers have already flared.

An inexperienced MechWarrior comfortable in the fire support role - though she’d be the first to admit a trained monkey could drive a LRM carrier - trying to live up to her ancestors, she can sometimes try a little too hard to prove she belongs, often to the amusement of more experienced MechWarriors, and in some instances to the detriment of the mission.

BattleMech

Class: Archer-2R

Type: Heavy (70 t)

Appearance: For the duration of its stay on Espia, the Archer is painted an old camo pattern from centuries ago with low-vis Green Knights insignia on the shoulders and above the cockpit.

Equipment: At some point in the past, the 'Mech's usual dual LRM 20 launchers were replaced with a combination of an LRM 15 launcher and two LRM 10 launchers in the right and left torso respectively, using the three tons saved to add three heatsinks (engine and each leg).

As part of the SERE kit, Marit has a semi-automatic shotgun loaded with slugs plus a bandolier with 16 spare ones strapped to the side of her ejection seat.

Edit 13/06/2022 - Fixed a typo.
Edit 17/06/2022 - Bio adjustment to make more sense within the game's timeline.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Inheriting a Catapult when her mother transitions to the Marauder. In the meantime, she wants to prove she can be trusted with it and won't screw up on day 1 and and ruin the 'Mech that has been passed down the family for generations. Trying to "earn it" so to speak.

That, and I thought rare 'Mechs had to be rolled for.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Marit Saarinen

Appearance

Height: 188 cm (6’2”)

Weight: 80 kg (176 lbs)

Callsign: Giggles

Age: 21

Archetype: Rookie out to prove herself.

Guiding Motto: Deeds, not words.

Fatal Flaw: Brutal honesty: Marit will say whatever's on her mind without a care and usually without being asked.

Expertise:

• Artillery.
• Sensor Operations.
• Negotiation.

Nationality: Rasalhague, Draconis Combine. No allegiance.

Bio:
Marit was born into the Sons of Kalev, a mercenary company in good standing with the MRB mostly staffed by personnel of Rasalhague origin, operating on behalf of House Davion. A daughter of one of the Sons’ MechWarriors, Idun Lindgren, and a mission control officer, Joakim Saarinen, she fits the definition of a “mercenary brat” to the letter. Living among mercenaries on their dropship, the Kalevala, from day one and expected to eventually inherit the C1 Catapult passed down the generations of the Lindgren family, she’d been learning about BattleMechs and their operation since she was six. She first drove a BattleMech on her own at 15, saddling a clapped-out Locust the Sons used for training under her mother’s tutelage. She took part in her first mission when she was 20. A band of supposed pirates raiding a rmeote military depot, the Sons retroactively coming to suspect they were in fact Taurians belonging to one noble or another, turned out to be much more effective than anticipated, leading to a sudden shortage of pilots and combat-ready BattleMechs. Marit was put into a mostly-restored Dervish the Sons dragged out of a lake they dropped it into a few months beforehand, even though it was missing its left arm and the SRM launchers weren’t working when she deployed, but who needs that anyway with two tons of missiles and two LRM 10 launchers?

What followed was a month of rebuilding damaged ‘Mechs and hiring new MechWarriors, followed by a fairly standard few months for a rookie mercenary MechWarrior, until fortune smiled upon the Sons of Kalev and the Saarinen family in 3029, when Idun’s Lance managed to beat the brakes off a lone Marauder that wandered into it as it tried to reinforce its friends that were getting pummeled by the Sons. As one of the most experienced MechWarriors of the company and the one whose leadership led to its capture, it was decided it would become Idun Saarinen’s new ‘Mech. This event bumped up the date Marit would inherit the Catapult from “At some point in the future.” to “Whenever we get the Marauder running again.” meaning the pressure was now on to prove that she could be trusted with it. Eager to prove herself - in what in hindsight may have been a pretty stupid decision - Marit decided to leave the Sons of Kalev for a while to strike out on her own and signed on with Gaiwan's Green Knights. Babysitting a backwater Capellan world - whatever her displeasure at aiding the Confederation - should've been easy paycheck. Oh, how the tables can turn…

Personality:
Marit is a free spirit, eternally chipper, chatty, upbeat and completely lacking a brain to mouth filter. Notorious joker with a penchant for singing on the job and distaste for hot weather. With the Rasalhague people's placing high value on family connection, be it between actual family or a fighting unit, Marit treats the whole mercenary company as such, manifesting itself in a tendency to be on everyone's good side, handle internal conflicts peacefully and deescalate where tempers have already flared.

An inexperienced MechWarrior comfortable in the fire support role - though she’d be the first to admit a trained monkey could drive a LRM carrier - trying to live up to her ancestors, she can sometimes try a little too hard to prove she belongs, often to the amusement of more experienced MechWarriors, and in some instances to the detriment of the mission.

BattleMech

Class: Archer-2R

Type: Heavy (70 t)

Appearance: For the duration of its stay on Espia, the Archer is painted an old camo pattern from centuries ago with low-vis Green Knights insignia on the shoulders and above the cockpit.

Equipment: At some point in the past, the 'Mech's usual dual LRM 20 launchers were replaced with a combination of an LRM 15 launcher and two LRM 10 launchers in the right and left torso respectively, using the three tons saved to add three heatsinks (engine and each leg).

As part of the SERE kit, Marit has a semi-automatic shotgun loaded with slugs plus a bandolier with 16 spare ones strapped to the side of her ejection seat.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Checking in, Archer driver in the works.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Are we married to the default loadout listed in the document you provided, or can we mess with it and if so, under what rules?