EXCERPTS FROM INTERVIEW, MARCH 15, 3050 GENERAL CHRISTIAN MANSDOTTIR, DEFENSE MINISTER, FREE REPUBLIC OF RASALHAGUE ABOARD THE JUMPSHIP MJOLNIR EN ROUTE FROM THULE To RASALHAGUE BATTLETECHNOLOGY ACE REPORTER MADDELENA BRANDT REQUESTED ANASSIGNMENT TO WHAT WAS TO BEA ROUTINE FACT FINDING TOUR By RASALHAGUE DEFENSE MINISTER GENERAL CHRISTIAN MANSDOTTIR. HE WAS TOURING SYSTEMS WHICH HAD BEEN HIT BY THE NEW "Hi-TECH BANDITS" IN THIS LAST WINTER. BRANDT AND THE DRZOPSHIP CARRYING THE MINISTER GOT A LITTLE MORE THAN THEY WERE READY FOR AS THE GHOST BEARS ATTACKED THULE ON MARCH 6TH WITH THE MINISTER ON PLANET. ONLY PROMPT ACTION BY THE FIRST DRAKON AEROSPACE ININGASSIGNED TO THE MINISTER'S PROTECTION WON HIM FREE AS A FLIGHT OF THREE FIGHTERS OF AN UNKNOWN TYPE RESEMBLING STUKAS OR CORSAIRS HARRIED HIS RETREAT. BATTLETECHNOLOGY: MADDELENA BRANDT, SIR, FOR BATTLETECHNOLOGY. I'LL ONLY TAKE A MOMENT OF YOUR TIME. GENERAL MANSDOTTIR: YOU'LL TAKE IT NOW OR LATER, MY DEAR LADY, SO IT MAY AS WELL BE NOW, JA? BUT A MOMENT ONLY. YOU CAN SEE OUR NEED FOR WORKING TIME JUST NOW. BATTLETECHNOLOGY: YOU ARE THE FIRST MILITARY STRATEGIST TO SEE THIS FORCE IN ACTION, GENERAL MANSDOTTIR... GENERAL MANSDOTTIR: AND ALMOST TO FALL PRISONER TO THEM, YES. BATTLETECHNOLOGY: WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION OF THEM AS A FIGHTING FORCE? GENERAL MANSDOTTIR: THE AEROSPACE FIGHTERS THAT ATTEMPTED TO PREVENT THE DROPSHIP BRAGI FROM LEAVING THULE WERE ABLE TO TARGET AND FIRE AT THREE TIMES THE RANGE OUR FIGHTERS HAD. SO TECHNOLOGICALLY, THEIR AEROSPACE WAS BETTER. THE PILOTING AND GUNNERY PER SE DID NOT SEEM THAT FAR BEYOND us. THE GROUND REPORTS ARE ANOTHER STORY, AND A FAR GRIMMER ONE. BATTLETECHNOLOGY: CAN YOU GIVE US ANY PERSPECTIVE ON THEIR CAPABILITIES? GENERAL MANSDOTTIR: THE COASTAL CITY OF BJORNHAVEN CONTINUED TO TRANSMIT UNTIL THE TELEVISION STATION WAS OVERRUN. THEY SHOWED A FIGHTING FORCE THAT LOOKED LIKE ORGANIZED CHAOS. THEIR UNITS WEREN'T SPECIALIZED AS OURS ARE; ONE UNIT HAD THREE MEDIUM 'MECHS, SOMETHING LIKE A LOCUST, AT ABOUT TWENTY TONS, AND AN ASSAULT 'MECH WITH A PPC WITH A VASTLY EXTENDED RANGE. THE RANGE OF THEIR WEAPONS IS LONGER THAN OURS BY AN UNKNOWN FACTOR. THE REST OF OUR FINDINGS ARE STILL BEING RESEARCHED. BATTLETECHNOLOGY: CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE REPORTS OF A SORT OF SMALL 'MECH OR LARGE ROBOT THAT FIGHTS EVEN AFTER LIMBS ARE BLOWN OFF OF IT? GENERAL MANSDOTTIR: IF WE HAD REPORTS OF SUCH A FIGHTING UNIT, THEY WOULD BE CLASSIFIED. BATTLETECHNOLOGY: BUT ARE THERE SUCH REPORTS, SIR? GENERAL MANSDOTTIR: As I WARNED YOU, Miss BRANDT, MY TIME IS LIMITED. EXCUSE ME. (TURNS TO AN AIDE). 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