Battletech Front Lines

HONOR. DESPERATION. JIHAD. Inhuman cybernetic soldiers invade a peaceful world, bringing terror and misery in the name of a new flag. A young soldier, part of the most maligned military machine in history, struggles to find meaning in his service. And the prince of a star-spanning empire discovers that not even he can protect the people he loves. Ten stories of combat, honor, betrayal, and death fill the pages of Front Lines: BattleCorps Anthology Volume 6. Readers will recognize familiar names in BattleTech lore among the authors: Steven Mohan, Jr., and Blaine Lee Pardoe, who welcome newer writers such as Jason Hansa, Christopher Purnell and Craig A. Reed, Jr. These writers have shaped the direction of the BattleTech universe. In 2009, with these stories, they told the stories that demonstrated the indomitable will that has carried BattleTech readers across more than 25 years of publication.

HONOR. DESPERATION. JIHAD. Inhuman cybernetic soldiers invade a peaceful world, bringing terror and misery in the name of a new flag. A young soldier, part of the most maligned military machine in history, struggles to find meaning in his service. And the prince of a star-spanning empire discovers that not even he can protect the people he loves. Ten stories of combat, honor, betrayal, and death fill the pages of Front Lines: BattleCorps Anthology Volume 6. Readers will recognize familiar names in BattleTech lore among the authors: Steven Mohan, Jr., and Blaine Lee Pardoe, who welcome newer writers such as Jason Hansa, Christopher Purnell and Craig A. Reed, Jr. These writers have shaped the direction of the BattleTech universe. In 2009, with these stories, they told the stories that demonstrated the indomitable will that has carried BattleTech readers across more than 25 years of publication.

JUMP BACK INTO THE COCKPIT! Picking up the battle standard for BattleTech fiction, Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine continues the tradition of hard-hitting stories set in the war-torn interstellar future of the 31st century and beyond. Fire up your ’Mech’s fusion reactor, secure your neurohelmet, and wade into battle with stories from the merciless front lines of the Clan Invasion and other eras, conspiracy theory articles, game scenarios, and more from veteran BattleTech authors, fan favorites, and some new recruits. Featuring: Michael A. Stackpole • Blaine Lee Pardoe Kevin Killiany • Craig A. Reed, Jr. • Chris Hussey Jason Hansa • Lance Scarinci • Michael J. Ciaravella Patrick Wynne • Aaron Cahall

SOMETHING LURKS IN THE SHADOWS… During the chaos of the Word of Blake’s Jihad, the MechWarriors of the Federated Suns will go to any lengths to defend their nation from the Blakists’ unholy terror—including making deals with the devil. But that devil might just be a literal one: an all-black Marauder, hidden for several decades, that carries an aura of dread that infects everyone who encounters it. Many blame it for causing unexplained disappearances, technical failures, and even madness. But what is the so-called Dark One? Is it merely a ghost story told to scare pirates on the edge of the Periphery, or does something truly evil live beneath its cold, blackened armor? This anthology collects the first three of Lance Scarinci’s stories about the Dark One, along with a brand-new fourth story exclusive to this volume.

MORE THAN A CENTURY IN THE MAKING… Since the Clan Invasion of 3050 ended in failure, there are those who have not forgotten Nicholas Kerensky’s ultimate goal: The conquering of Terra, and the rise of one Clan above all others…to become the ilClan, and rule over both the rest of the Clans and the Inner Sphere…regardless of what the Great Houses may say about it… THE BATTLE THAT WILL RESHAPE THE INNER SPHERE BEGINS… Now, in 3151, two Clans make the final jump into the shattered remains of the Republic of the Sphere. Their target: the cradle of humankind, and the ultimate symbol of the Inner Sphere…Terra. But Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf will face a powerful, tenacious enemy in the remaining forces of the Republic, led by their resurrected leader, Devlin Stone. The impending battle will engulf the entire planet, and when it is over, only one shall stand supreme...

ALL OR NOTHING... On 1 May 3052, twenty-five Galaxies from seven Clans clashed with twelve armies of ComStar’s Com Guards on the pastoral planet of Tukayyid. For twenty-one days, one of the largest campaigns in BattleMech warfare unfolded to decide the fate of the Inner Sphere. The Battle of Tukayyid is one of BattleTech’s most pivotal conflicts. Now, explore this crucial campaign through eight different points of view—from the enigmatic ComStar, whose relatively untested forces are the Inner Sphere’s last defense against the seemingly unstoppable Clans, to each Clan, as their leaders and MechWarriors attempt to achieve victory on their own terms. The fate of the Inner Sphere hangs in the balance…and it all comes down to one planet… Featuring stories by: Jason Schmetzer Michael J. Ciaravella Randall N. Bills Blaine Lee Pardoe Steven Mohan, Jr. Bryan Young Chris Hussey Joel Steverson

The Federated Suns stand at the edge of a precipice… Violent expansion of the Capellan Confederation and the Draconis Combine has cost recently crowned First Prince Julian Davion more than just countless strategic worlds. The war’s toll claimed a mentor and close friend, and righteous vengeance burns bright. To rally his people and preserve the future of the Federated Suns, Julian funnels the fires of justice into an ambitious yet risky campaign to retake a vital system: New Syrtis, the lost capital of the Capellan March. Success would dislodge an ancient enemy from their strategic foothold in Suns space, but failure may cost Julian the nation he inherited. However, the Capellan people have fought dearly for their prize and will do anything in their power to hold onto it. Will Julian’s gamble save the very soul of the Federated Suns, or is the invasion of New Syrtis doomed before it even begins?

VICTORY AT ANY COST… Jump into your BattleMech cockpit, fire up your fusion engine, and charge into the fray with two all-new BattleTech novellas from Philip A. Lee and bestselling writer Blaine Lee Pardoe. A Splinter of Hope: Violent expansion of the Capellan Confederation and the Draconis Combine has cost recently crowned First Prince Julian Davion both his mentor and countless Federated Suns worlds. To rally his people, he funnels the fires of justice into an ambitious yet risky campaign to retake a vital system: New Syrtis, the occupied capital of the Capellan March. However, the Capellan people have fought dearly for their prize and will do anything in their power to hold onto it. Will Julian’s gamble preserve the future of the Federated Suns, or is the invasion doomed before it even begins? The Anvil: Khan Malvina Hazen of Clan Jade Falcon is known throughout the Inner Sphere as a merciless, bloodthirsty tyrant. The next target for her scorched-earth, take-no-prisoners tactics is the Lyran Commonwealth world of Coventry: a persistent stain on the Jade Falcons’ history. But not all Falcons follow Malvina’s lead. Ordered to take Coventry at any cost, Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu wishes to see her Clan victorious, but no victory is worth the Jade Falcons losing their very soul. To stand up to tyranny and find an honorable path forward for her Clan, she must balance the razor’s edge between duty and honor—or die trying.