Synopsis: Netbattletech Hardcore - Pseudonym for Armageddon Book 2 - Ground War

In the tumultuous future of 3070, humankind has spread out across hundreds of light-years, colonising literally thousands of worlds. At one time, the known galaxy was ruled over by a benevolent regime – The Star League - based on Terra – old Earth – but no more. The human sphere fragmented, resulting in literally hundreds of large and small factions’ battling over the planets of an area of space called the Inner Sphere. Into this ever changing warzone came the Clans, genetically engineered warriors from far off toward the galactic north, the remains of the Star League Defence Force that left the IS when it all went to hell. Bread for war and with far superior technology, they fought their way into the IS, claiming that Terra was their birthright, and they would not stop until it was reclaimed.

The centuries preceding 3070 saw great leaps forward in the arts of war. The pinnacle of this refinement became the Mechwarrior, trained in the piloting of devastating weapon systems called Battlemechs; stories-high humanoid combat machines with the destructive output of a battalion of regular tanks. A few short decades before, a lance of four ‘mechs could take over an entire planet, however with great improvements in manufacturing after a ‘dark age’ of technology in the IS, hundreds of these awe inspiring combat machines could clash on any of hundreds of worlds, laying waste to each other, and often to the planets themselves.

One such world was The Stepps, a near barren, desert planet, once in the possession of The Minnesota Tribe – a relatively small government in the grand scheme of things – but recently conquered by the Outworlds Alliance; and the Tribe wanted it back! However MT were stuck on the Northern Nadir jump point, unable to breach the naval defence cordon OA had set up around The Stepps and begin a surface campaign, until the unexpected arrival of a derelict ship gave them the leverage they needed to proceed.

The ship belonged to an old ally, House Jurai – the governing body of the Tortuga Dominions - another relatively small government, in a rather large galaxy. Jurai - until recently also at odds with MT – found itself stripped of a large portion of its Mechwarriors after a natural disaster at a far off Nadir point. Thrown headlong into the battle between OA and MT, the surviving Juraians decided to assist the Tribe with advanced naval technology and their few remaining pilots, in return for continued assistance with defence of their own realm.

Now the leaders of MT have the daunting task of assaulting a planet well defended and provisioned while they were delayed in landing, and the HJ leader in-system, Tokomi Arizona, wonders what is so all-fire important to MT that they’d throw so many men and machines at a planet that seems like so much dust and sand. And then there is Arizona’s family problems; a pregnant daughter, with a temper to match her father’s, racing off across the galaxy in pursuit of her wayward husband, who just happens to be one of the MT pilots dropping to contest the planet below, although Arizona has yet to discover his identity. But that would only be a matter of time... and then...

It would all end up as one hell of a furball, or Ari didn’t know his F.U.B.A.R.’s!