MRBC Updates 01-05-3145 (Extract)

Carson’s Carnivores

Carson’s Carnivores were contracted by Margrave Karl Pelzer’s breakaway Kamenez Archonette to support his forces in securing the world. While the Carnivores were initially successful against the Lyran loyalist forces on world, the arrival of reinforcements in the form of Magyari’s Irregulars saw the situation turn against them. After several battles that cost them a number of ‘Mechs and other units for little gain, the Carnivores chose to retreat off-world.

Despite this, the Carnivores seem to have not been too badly affected. The unit made up for some of its losses through salvage and supplies offered as payment by the Kamenez rebels. In addition, the unit has incorporated survivors from the Liberty City Royals (see separate entry) in order to make up losses. At present, the Carnivores are at approximately 90% strength and have managed to keep their considerable reserves of parts and supplies topped up.

Baradin Island Prison

Irisz - I found this brief write-up on the Baradin Island prison complex while doing some research. It's quite a bit out of date, but it gives some background on what we're looking at - Nikola

Located off the western coast of Fletcher's single supercontinent, Baradin Island was not initially seen as a promising site for colonisation. Cold, isolated in a stormy ocean with little arable land and the only significant local lifeform being a crocodile analogue, the only real interest that surveys of the island generated was in the form of mineral resources. Mining operations were first set up in the late 25th century and, while initially yielding  promising results, the mines were played out by the early 2700s. The mines were abandoned, with much of the infrastructure left to decay.

The Capellan annexation of Fletcher following the fall of the Star League bought a new life to the island. The Confederation saw it as a potential location for a maximum security prison, especially in light of their crackdowns on remaining Hegemony loyalists. Baradin Island was chosen for its isolation and harsh climate in order to discourage escape or, at the very least, reduce of an escapee actually making it to the mainland.

MIIO Report FLETCHER-6732/44-B

We captured this individual and his BattleMech while he was trying to get off-world. The information we gathered from him does mesh with the files 'donated' by SIS regarding an illegal BattleMech dueling circuit on Fletcher, and suggests that it's still active. As much of a potential risk as it represents, we also don't have the resources at the moment to shut it down. Best we can suggest is coordinating with the Fletcher Planetary Guard to try and contain the situation, and hope that it doesn't spiral too far out of control. Given that Fletcher is in the current line of advance of the CCAF, the last thing we need is a BattleMech armed gang war on our hands.

Fortunately, we were able to get information back from our agents on Galatea within the MRBC (or, at least, what's left of it) to confirm our suspect's identity and back story. Anton Trang is a long-time mercenary who has had numerous short stints in a number of bottom-feeder mercenary commands. He's had a life-long problem with authority and a habit of skirting around acceptable conduct, which should have made him unemployable. Unfortunately, in today's climate, your average Merc command can't afford to be choosy, which kept him in regular pay until recently.

Underground Dueling on Fletcher (part 2)

(From Off the Circuit - Illegal BattleMech Duels, Free Galatea Press)

The origins of the second incarnation of Fletcher's underground BattleMech dueling circuit are far less clear then the first, even though its lifespan was far longer. What is known is that the first battles were occurring by the late 3080s, sometime after the signing of the Treaty of Tikonov. At this point, the circuit was not well organised and rather small, with relatively few participants. Many of them were fugitives already, including survivors of Mercenary units that had worked for the Word of Blake during the Jihad and been declared outlawed.

In its earliest days, the biggest boost to the reborn circut was actually a side effect of the fledgling Republic government and one of its key programs. Despite the successes of the Military Resources Redemption Program (MRRP), a not inconsiderable amount of BattleMechs and other equipment managed to slip through the cracks in a number of ways. In some cases, 'Mechs that were officialy destroyed were actually salvaged, while others saw numerous destroyed 'Mechs cobbled together to make functional wholes. In some cases, MechWarriors who refused to give up their machines either passed them on to criminal groups, or simply deserted rather than hand them over.