Skondia, April 19, 3050 I don't care how much it costs. This is the first time you'll ever hear an editor say that. We are offering a double news bounty for any item, no matter how insignificant, which has information about this new enemy. Triple for weapons info. For those of you safe in Marik space, or Liao, or far on that side of the Periphery, those few who haven't heard, we are under attack. Steiner/Davion. Rasalhague. The Draconis Combine: all have lost worlds. All of the Successor Houses are in danger of attack. The foes seem to have various names; the 'Jade Falcons', the 'Wolf Clan', the 'Ghost Bears', the 'Smoke Jaguar Clan'. It is not certain yet whether these are all one enemy or four separate groups from the same source. They all seem to have weapons that hit impossibly well at impossible ranges. Or so it seems. ComStar transmissions seem to be interfered with. Official messages are not getting through. What we hear is side-notes to 'letters home' from people behind the lines who are lucky enough to have survived. We know that sixteen planets have been taken. We know that twenty more are under attack. Rasalhague is worst hit. These 'Clans' are taking on some of the best regular troops in the Known Sphere and turning them into jelly. Nobody knows who's doing it. Or how. Or why. Panic is not the only response, though it sure seems tempting. Apologies to the regular troops who read this. You folks are brave and disciplined and I'm sure your mothers love you. But what I have to say is to the mercenaries. It's our time now. We know better than the regulars what it is like to be scared, to be out of our depth, to be fighting impossible odds, to have nobody to coveryour rear, TO HAVE NO PLACE TO RETREAT TO. We fight hungrier, against worse odds, and meaner than they do. That's standard. We also know how to face the unfaceable. Because we've had so bloody much practice at it, that's how. Now is our time to teach. When you don't know who the enemy is, keep alive and gather intelligence. When he slaughters civilians, attacks without warning, gives challenges for incomprehensible reasons ... keep silent. Mourn if you must, but do what you truly must. FIND OUT. That's what we do. They say that mercs are stubborn in defeat. We are. We are stubborn in lost causes (especially when we have no alternative). It's a lost cause to resist these I almost said people. Are they people? We've heard their voices. The voices seem to sound human. But let's not make any assumptions. They don't fight like human beings. Their tactics are incomprehensible. We don't know yet why they do what they do. We don't know yet how they do what they do. We don't know who they are that do what they do. Stay alive out there, guys. Regulars, mercs, former soldiers, civilians. We're in a war now. If you don't know it, you're like the Terran ostrich which sticks its head in a deep hole to hide from its enemies -- you're fooling yourself. We're in a war now a war of endurance. Like any other war, there will be casualties. Keep the accounts: brothers and sisters. They shall be settled. These 'Clans' have already taken their best shot. They've been whittling at us in secret; now they've struck without warning. They had their chance to surprise us, to do us damage as unknown enemies. From now on, whenever they hit us, we'll be learning more about them. And when they've taught us enough, it'll be our turn to teach them. Back to BattleTechnology 14 Table of Contents Back to BattleTechnology List of Issues Back to MagWeb Magazine List © Copyright 1990 by Pacific Rim Publishing. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com