Alexander looked at the sheets in front of him.
The information was boring into his eyes.
Wait.
No.
That was the exhaustion.
Right, he was going to get some sleep.
A commander that thought themselves into exhaustion was of little use to anyone.
+Break+
Right, he was awake now.
The blueprints spread out in front of him had him grinning.
Well then.
The core of his new force was ready for brigade level training exercises.
It was going to change everything, of that he was absolutely certain.
The humble Ute had been transformed to meet the many demands of his quick reaction force, or Light Regiments. It and the 20 Ton Ute were going to change everything if he had his way about it.
In fact, he was going to meet one of his Clan members now to see about the modifications to his Special Force.
Or, well, not that name after the unfortunate fate that befell it and how little it had been of use in the overall scheme of things.
Hmmmm, something special.
His command was already called Triple V after all.
V for Victory.
VVV for 15, the Army Corps that his great forebearer commanded.
The greatest general to have ever existed in Alexanders humble opiion.
"Maxxy, we're ready?" He asked, coming onto the factory floor that was sharing a building with his headquarters.
All the better to give feedback, they were clan after all.
More than that, they were unified in their aim to spread out beyond Tetersen and test the blood that flowed in their veins.
What was the point of having a Clan that took in the blood of the great generals and soldiers of history if they did nothing warlike with them?
Why not, then take the blood of the greatest potatoes instead and just vegetate in one spot?
What was the point of living like this if they had the blood of demi-gods in them?
"Absolutely. Your staff?" Maxxy asked of him.
Alexander shook his head, "I'll get to know situation first before the staff do. Better to explain things that way." He explained as his mind readied itself to formulate some kind of explanation for his choices.
He didn't want them influencing his thoughts on the matter. He had seen the designs of course, but this was the first time that they would be finished and together.
"It's your call." Maxxy replied as he turned and led Alexander onto the factory floor.
What met him was the core of two basic designs, the Ute and the 20 Ton Utility Truck, turned into weapons of war.
Weapons of war in the truest sense.
"From the Ute range, we have the troop carrier, can carry half a Section on the back no problem. 6 men in seats, optional environmental protection canvas over the top, an MG ring in the cab, one driver and one passenger. 9 in total." Maxxy said, pointing at the first one, a standard Ute but with a ring attached to the top with a machine gun and seats on the back. The canvas cover was half pulled back on the railings that ran past the cab and to the back.
"That's the cheapest one, we're retailing that one for 32,000 Kroner."
Alexander nodded, it was the one that needed the least work after all. The Machine Gun was likely half the cost increase.
"Next to it we've got the ambulance version, evacuation and triage. Same design as the troop carrier, but, naturally, we've included a machine gun at the front. It's the Kuritans after all, since when have they respected medics?" Maxxy turned to grin at him and Alexander grinned back. Let them try and bayonet these medics and see what the result would be.
"The standard logistic Ute with a reinforced frame and bed to allow it to carry heavier loads if needed. Slower, but will go anywhere that isn't a jungle."
"Then we've got the first of the gun versions. The LRM Ute there carries an LRM 5 and half a ton of ammunition. Literally no armour except the body panels on the outside though. Do not let this near the shooting or it's not going to survive the experience." The Ute with a turreted LRM 5 on the back loomed over the non-combat versions beside it.
Alexander patted it on the body. "I'm sure we can weld some armour onto it, will make it slower, but more survivable at least." He said with a shrug.
"Well, that's up to you. But our vehicles do need to follow the safety regulations and for a speed of 97.6 kilometres an hour and a 5 ton body, we can't do more than 5 tons. Anyway, next is the Machinegun version, 2 Machineguns, half a ton of ammunition and a ton of armour." The Machineguns were on a turret, the gunner clearly meant to sit inside the cab where it was marginally safer.
"The Laser version with 1 medium laser is over here. Will run and gun infinitely, don't worry about that." Maxxy continued, the only difference between the Machinegun and Laser variant being the shape of the weapons on the turret at the back.
"I'm assuming that the lasers are too expensive for you to make all of your designs Laser variants?" Alexander asked, thinking about reduced his logistical load would be if he could just make all of his weapons energy based.
Less of a consideration when moving ammunition from his depots to the front after all.
"Well, yes. Some planets have a set budget after all. But, if they want a better vehicle, we do have the Small Laser variant. 2 Small lasers and half a ton of armour, right next to the big laser variant. Lots of damage that one." Maxxy pointed down the row of vehicles.
Alexander grinned.
Well, that might just be his favourite, he wouldn't lie.
"That is certainly excellent. I like these designs very much indeed Maxxy, very much indeed."
Maxxy grinned at him, "I thought you would."
"There's a few more designs, but they're all basically the same concept, gun on truck. So we'll skip to the 20 Tonners, or as we've been calling the militarised versions, the Hussite War Truck." Maxxy walked them to the trucks lined up behind the Utes.
From the angle that they had been at, the trucks hadn't seemed all that special.
But up close they were certainly intimidating.
The flat face, the slits that made it look like they had visors over their wide eyed faces.
The front was certainly intimidating.
Certainly.
Alexander found himself lost for words as he looked up at the visage of what could only be a knight from an era long past.
"Right, this here's the base design of the Hussite." Maxxy said, unaware of Alexander's thoughts.
I will find you a worthy foe. He said in his mind as he allowed himself to be pulled away, his promise to the war machine ringing in the depths of his soul.
"Since it's so big, and it's, you know, a truck. What with its cab and trailer setup, we figured we'd just armour up the truck as much as we can, then sell a modular trailer for anyone to figure out on their own." Maxxy said, waving his hand at the singular cab, what with the small laser on its cab and armour all over its facings.
Next to them were a series of trailers, each ten metres long, as long as a light or medium Battlemech really. The different signs over each proclaiming them to be energy trailers, or ballistic trailers, or missile trailers. The conspicous lack of weaponry was clear though.
"Is it so modular that you won't sell the weapons with it as well?" He asked, looking at the machines with a raised eyebrow.
"We're going to make them plug and play really. We make all the weapons at this point after all. Buy a trailer, choose the weapons you want with it and then we ship them off for you to sort at you leisure. Mainly because we've got the PPCs and if we put those on and preserve the armour, it will go over the 20 ton limit and the regulations prevent us from doing that." The designer explained as he jabbed an accusing finger at the trailers in question.
"So they stay maximum armour, we install the ports for the power or ammunition that they want, then they can plug in the weapons themselves once we sell them. Regulations allow for aftermarket modifications after all." His face was guilless as he grinned.
Alexander nodded and pretended to be serious as the man spoke about the chance to avoid the gaze of the regulatory bureaus that oversaw vehicles in the Commonwealth.
"We've got 5 plugs for each, they can load up the trailers with as much weaponry or munitions as they want, not our problem. If you want 5 medium lasers and remain legal, no problem. If you want 5 PPCs and add 35 tons of weight which will slow you down to a crawl, also not a problem. We're not the ones doing it so we're legal." Maxxy said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"That said, since there will be aftermarket modifications, it's not going to be covered by warranty when wear and tear break down the frame, but everyone knew that already." He continued.
Alexander nodded, he would certainly be doing that after all.
Maybe keeping it simple for maximum damage?
One big gun and 4 small guns per trailer?
In any case, yes.
He could use these, he would be speaking to his men about this.
The Dracs would find a fist in their faces, then another and another until they broke.
Being too prideful to bend had its consequences after all.
+Break+
Christine followed along behind her boss, the now Graf Vu, the man looking for all the world like he had no idea what was going on as he wandered slowly down the factory floor.
One hand clasping the other's wrist behind his back, the man hummed and smiled as he looked left and right at the mass of Clan Wolverine as they worked away at the factory lines.
Next to her was Major Ursula, the newly appointed aide to Huu representing the interests of the LCAF.
Not that he should have accepted, he had created it all on his own, from his own efforts even. None of which the LCAF had a hand in, thus, they didn't deserve a right to have a say in what was happening. Strangely, he wasn't at all interested in keeping everything closed away, being more interested in sharing everything he had with as many people as possible.
The exact opposite of an entrepreneur in the Inner Sphere from what Christine understood.
"And that there is the line where we make the trucks. As you can see, it's basically a mirror of itself on the other side. The logistics need to be swapped around a little but it's working out pretty okay I think." Huu was saying as his arms started to make themselves known as he waved them about to point at the various different things he was seeing.
Christine had heard this before so she was focusing on the fact that he was now a Graf of the LCAF. Which in turn meant that he was going to be in the sights of everyone and anyone that mattered for dozens of light years around.
They were going to be sending all sorts of honeypots to get what information they could, or straight up industrial spies.
She had her work cut out for her, but her mind was still stuck on the fact the Clan was going to need to once again adjust their strategy to deal with the way their plan for secrecy would be worthless going forward.
Relying on obscurity was worthless when one had everyone beating a path to your front door.
It was a good thing that the Clan was inside Utility Mountain already. Setting themselves up inside the facility as the main source of the workforce ensured that it was impossible for spies to make their way in.
At some point there would be more factories than there were Clanners and some new countermeasures would need to be made, but that day wasn't today.
They, at least had some countermeasures floating around.
The problem was this Ursula who was standing in the middle of what could be called her Clan's greatest achievement. Standing in the middle of it and making herself a nuisance with the way she was looking at everything.
Christine hated her already.
Ursula meanwhile was looking at her and she knew that she knew that she hated her given the way that the woman's eyes were narrowed at her behind Huu's back.
Whether it was because she knew what Christine was thinking, or that she was trying to cement her place in the hierarchy the Clanner had no idea.
After all, it wasn't as if she knew the woman, but she did know that she came straight from the staff of Hauptmann-General Aurelius von Randt. Worse, she was a new promotion from the way that von Randt had no idea about her name. Which naturally meant that she was looking at someone that was thrust into the heights of staff command and then ripped out of it to handle an industrialist.
A transition that would make anyone paranoid.
Still, that didn't mean that just because Christine empathised with the woman meant she was going to care about her.
"So, you… um… person whose name I need to remember. What is your job going to be exactly? So I can, you know, put you where you would be best suited." Huu said and it took everything she had to not cringe.
Ah, no, Huu, don't be yourself.
Ah, he did this so much.
Ah, this was going to make Ursula even harder to deal with. The woman was already feeling abandoned and isolated, ah.
"Ah, don't worry about me forgetting your name. I forget everyone's name. I'll learn it after I say it like 30 or 40 times maybe. So don't get offended or anything okay? I'm just really bad with nams, my brain just isn't wired for them." He continued, waving his hands vaguely at the two of them, turning his entire body around and walking backwards.
Christine sighed.
It was true.
But the speech he gave every time about it was probably making the situation worse. Worse, she couldn't exactly work out a way of saying, 'his brain is just really bad at remembering names' and not have it sound like a cop out.
She hid her next sigh.
Right, she supposed at this moment in time she empathised with this Ursula woman more than she hated what she represented.
She had been in those exact shoes after all.
+Break+
Alexander looked at his men and women as they stood around the sand table. Not that it contained sand, but given its purpose of allowing soldiers to plan out an operation with easy erasure of previous formations and features, it wasn't like the name would change in the thousands of years it had been in existence.
"Bear with me, I know you understand this but we do need to be on the same page." He started as their commanding officer.
His officers, hand picked from the Clan looked back at him with resolute nods.
He was asking them to leave the only home that they had ever known to fight the great enemy. He who had denied succor to Kerensky and even had the gall to attack SLDF bases during the Great Father's destruction of the traitorous Amaris.
They would finish the job that the SLDF had never accomplished.
"The Draconis Combine's way of war is essentially the same as that of their Imperial Japanese forbearers a thousand and some years ago." Alexander started, beginning to move some of the blocks (helpfully coloured in red on the sand table), the blue ones representing the Commonwealth remaining stationary.
"They will attack with a strong force from the front with as much pre-planned overwhelming fire as possible. Their men will then charge forward the moment the artillery finishes to get in amongst their foe, sow confusion, penetrate the rear, then destruction in detail." The figure moved in front of the Commonwealth troops. Some blue blocks were knocked over but the core remained stable.
"Meanwhile a blocking force will circle around on their foe to find geography that is as narrow as possible to establish a roadblock and cut off the supplies and reinforcements going to their enemy." A second red block force was sent around.
"The foe will then panic when their supplies vanish, which is death to a mechanised army, will try to retreat to consolidate their supply lines and come up against the blocking force. Wherein they will be stopped, the main force will pursue and then obliterate them once they are fully surrounded." The blue blocks rushed to meet the blocking red blocks, as the main red blocks followed up to surround and obliterate the blue ones.
"This is the Combine way of war. Hook and hook and constant hooks behind their foe. Our forebearers identified and used their method of war to annihilate them 1000 years ago. Of the 3 Field Armies ever destroyed in the field of Imperial Japan, 1 was by Zhukov. 2 in a span of 12 months was by General Slim, whose tactics and strategy we will implement to annihilate their successors, the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery."
Their eyes burned, he knew that his burned as well.
Burned with the hatred of the Combine.
Enemy of the Great Father.
Enemy of their home, the Lyran Commonwealth.
Enemy of all that was good and free.
+Break+
Excerpt from Defeat Into Victory by Field Marshal William Slim analysing the reasons for the defeat of Burma Corp and the foundations for the success of the 14th Army.
Tactically we had been completely outclassed. The Japanese could—and did—do many things that we could not. The chief of these and the tactical method on which all their successes were based was the 'hook'. Their standard action was, while holding us in front, to send a mobile force, mainly infantry, on a wide turning movement round our flank through the jungle to come in on our line of communications. Here, on the single road, up which all our supplies, ammunition, and reinforcements must come, they would establish a 'roadblock', sometimes with a battalion, sometimes with a regiment. We had few if any reserves in depth—all our troops were in the front line—and we had, therefore, when this happened, to turn about forces from the forward positions to clear the roadblock. At this moment the enemy increased his pressure on our weakened front until it crumbled. Time and again the Japanese used these tactics, more often than not successfully, until our troops and commanders began to acquire a roadblock mentality which often developed into an inferiority complex.
There was, of course, nothing new in this idea of moving round a flank; it is one of the oldest of stratagems, and there were many answers to it. The best answer would have been to do the same to the Japanese before they did it to us, but we, by reason of our complete dependence on motor transport and the unhandiness of our troops in the jungle, could not carry out these hooks successfully in any strength. They were only possible for forces trained and equipped for them. Another counter would have been to have put in the strongest possible frontal assault on the enemy while the flanking force was still distant in the jungle and he was divided. Japanese tenacity in defence and our lack of artillery, however, was such that before our assault had made much progress the flank blow was likely to be delivered. If we could have arranged our forces in more depth we might have held off the hook when it approached the road, but we never had enough troops to allow this. In any case, if we had, we could have employed them more profitably offensively. Lastly, there was at least a partial answer in supply by air, which would, temporarily at any rate, have removed our dependence on the road, but that needed aircraft and we had literally none. Equipped and trained as we were in 1942, we had no satisfactory answer to the Japanese roadblock.
+Break+
Total RP Turn 8 2991 + 1 Year 0 Months
36 RP 12×3 Ute Factory
24 RP 12×2 20 Ton Utility Truck Factory
Lyran Bonus = 1 + 0.3
Total RP = 60×1.3 = 78