Battletech The Price Of Duty

A STRUGGLE TO SURVIVE… Former hauptmann Ronan Carlyle is a man without a nation. After his former commanding officer declared herself governor-general of a reborn Tamar Pact, Ronan, a loyal Steiner officer, led a group of soldiers and techs including his sister, Isobel, back for Garrison for reassignment. But on Garrison, his troubles multiply. The senior Lyran officer brands the 26th Arcturan loyalists traitors and cashiers them, stranding nearly 200 former LCAF soldiers, technicians, and crewmen on a Lyran world with no way off-planet. Forced to scrounge up a way to survive, Ronan and Isobel hatch a plan to get the former LCAF members back to their homeworlds by salvaging ’Mechs. But when a Lyran scout battalion goes AWOL over an off-world mission squashed by their commanding officer, the LCAF is shocked to discover the Arcturan loyalists have built up the largest contingent of combat equipment outside the militia. Ronan’s people need cash. They have skills. And there’s history in his name… Thus, the Gray Death Legion is reborn. First as a way to get funds for his people to leave. But they fight the Lyran unit—winning by use of unorthodox tactics—and discover they don’t want to disband…instead, the reconstituted mercenary unit wants to find its next employer…

NOWHERE TO RUN... The Gray Death Legion is in the employ of the Free Worlds League, and has even been given a landhold on the planet Helm. But dark forces conspire against them, and the Legion soon finds themselves declared renegade war criminals, fair game for anyone to attack. Now they are on the run on their home planet, trying desperately to reach safety before the might of House Marik falls upon them. They are about to discover the true motives of those who engineered their downfall. And what they discover will change the Inner Sphere forever...

WATCH YOUR SIX! Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine brings you more hard-hitting BattleMech action from the heavy-metal wars of the 31st century and beyond—but don’t let your guard down! A loyal Republic of the Sphere MechWarrior must make a life-or-death decision when catastrophic news from Terra throws everything into chaos. A sheriff on a Periphery backwater planet investigates mysterious murders terrorizing a community. A desperate survivor of the Clan Invasion seeks revenge against the Jade Falcons while he still has the chance… In this issue, you’ll travel to the Hanseatic League in the Deep Periphery, where the Scorpion Empire will stop at nothing to obtain a priceless Star League-era relic. Then witness the first Marauder built in the new millennium walk off the assembly line, face a so-called zombie ’Mech arisen from the grave, and discover how to effectively weaponize a BattleMech’s operating system. No matter the situation, you can stay out of harm’s way by reviewing a most-wanted list of criminals and assassins, a roster of the Marian Hegemony’s Legion of the Dead, technical readouts, unit and planet digests, playable scenarios, a campaign set in the resource-poor wilds of the Third Succession War, and more—all by battle-hardened BattleTech authors and some new boot-camp graduates: Bryan Young Chris Hussey Marc Follin Jaymie Wagner James Bixby J. D. Neal Jeremy A. Reynolds David Stier Geoff “Doc” Swift Étienne Charron-Willard James Kirtley Matt Larson Lorcan Nagle Eric Salzman Zac Schwartz Tom Stanley Stephen Toropov Chris Wheeler

RECRUITS WANTED! Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine transports you to the blistering, hard-hitting BattleMech conflicts that ravage the war-torn future of the 31st century and beyond! A young Jade Falcon cadet must prove her mettle in a Trial of Position against a cunning opponent if she is going to become part of her struggling Clan’s future. Elite aerospace pilots from the Outworlds Alliance and the Snow Ravens meet in a clash for the ages, and a veteran wielding only an implement of peace stands up to defend his home against unusual invaders. In this issue, you’ll sign up for a notorious mercenary unit and fight through your first day on the job. You’ll jockey to be first across the finish line in a hovertank race fraught with danger. You’ll chase the glory days of a once-noted BattleMech manufacturer in a quest to reinvigorate a declining enterprise and secure your birthright. Will you defeat your demons from the Battle of Tukayyid during battle with would-be conquerors? Will you escape from murderous cartel members, or succumb to the elements in the unrelenting, sun-beaten desert? Load your chamber with technical articles, a Northwind Highlanders unit digest, a MechWarrior’s catalog of cockpit must-haves, a snow-filled RPG adventure, a BattleForce scenario, and more—all by BattleTech veterans and new enlistees: Tom Leveen Bryan Young Russell Zimmerman D. G. P. Rector W. T. Brown James Hauser Chris G. Lane R. J. Thomas Phillip Johnston Alayna M. Weathers James Bixby Étienne Charron-Willard Matthew Cross Wunji Lau Eric Salzman Tom Stanley Stephen Toropov

ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine is your go-to source for brutal, heavy-metal BattleMech action across the battlefields of the 31st century and beyond—and now it’s bigger than ever before! This special double-size issue is jam-packed with the true currency of the Inner Sphere: mercenary troops! To reclaim a priceless personal memento, the Gray Death Legion must teach a young noble an invaluable lesson. The Northwind Highlanders, facing the loss of everything they hold dear, must defend their homeworld by forcing House Davion to pay in blood for every centimeter they gain. When the Crescent Hawks discover a lost family member might still be alive, they will stop at nothing to find her and bring her home. In this issue, you’ll search for the fabled city of gold in the former Rim Worlds Republic, witness the Kell Hounds interview a new recruit with an unusual connection to Morgan Kell himself, and learn the trials and tribulations of a novice mercenary on a long-haul space journey for the first time. Experience the true cost of losing a personal ’Mech in battle, evade competing mercenary units fighting over your secret cargo, and raid a lost vault for invaluable treasure on behalf of a prestigious collector. Whatever the job, there’s always soldiers of fortune ready to sign on the dotted line, and they can build their legend with content such as advice articles on how to run a mercenary unit and negotiate favorable contracts; Unit and Planet Digests for intel on the competition; technical readouts on unique ’Mechs; various downtime entertainment options; playable scenarios to test your tactical chops; and much more—all by veteran BattleTech authors and a new addition to the roster: Michael A. Stackpole Bryan Young Chris Purnell Jason Schmetzer Daniel Isberner Alan Brundage James Kirtley Robin Briseño James Bixby Giles Gammage Jason Hansa James Hauser Tom Leveen David Martin Lance Scarinci Jaymie Wagner Russell Zimmerman Alex Fauth Stephan Frabartolo Johannes Heidler Ken’ Horner Wunji Lau Lorcan Nagle Eric Salzman Zac Schwartz Ed Stephens Stephen Toropov

THE GAUNTLET IS THROWN… Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner have united two Great Houses of the Inner Sphere in a marriage that upsets the balance of power among the stars. Though some hope this may bring an end to centuries of war, Maximilian Liao of the Capellan Confederation has enlisted the aid of two highly placed Davion traitors to destroy Hanse Davion and the Federated Suns from both within and without. But in the distant star chambers of the Capellan March and Draconis Combine, the warlords of Maximilian Liao are honoring a different and more deadly vow: to wage an unholy war that threatens to rip apart the vulnerable worlds of the Federated Suns. As Davion ’Mech commander Andrew Redburn and his mercenaries streak into battle, an explosive clash of metal and men signals the return of a formidable foe. Interstellar legend Yorinaga Kurita has returned to stake his claim as the most bloodthirsty warrior of all. For both men, it is do-or-die combat that could ensure the triumph of a glorious new alliance—or result in total annihilation…

BRACE FOR IMPACT! Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine is your ultimate target for tales of hard-hitting, explosive BattleMech action across the battlefields of the 31st century and beyond! Trapped on a forgotten planet, a lone MechWarrior fighting to survive must stay one step ahead of the relentless barbarians hunting her down. Amid a naval battle for the ages, a damage-control technician will do his part to put an end to the greatest evil in human-habited space. And during the Wars of Reaving, a Clan technician given the opportunity of a lifetime must guard her secret, even if it leads to her grave… In this issue, you’ll travel to the edge of the Periphery, where a dying, sun-baked world breathes its last gasp; you’ll follow a daring criminal cult in search of dangerous victims in the Capellan Confederation; and you’ll have to outsmart or outfight other pirates to keep them from stealing the perfect score out from beneath you… Plus, brace yourself for the exciting conclusion of the serial novel Lone Wolf and Fox, by Bryan Young. No matter where you go in the Inner Sphere, conflict will inevitably find you, and the surefire way to defend yourself against it is with articles on arms dealers to either buy from or hunt down, spacefaring threats both real and imagined, and the best methods for transporting your weapons of war. Then go deeper into the trenches with unit and planet digests, technical readouts, a cautionary tale of ten playable pilots, and more—all by BattleTech authors both new and old: Bryan Young Craig A. Reed, Jr. Steve P. Vincent Devin Ramsey Benjamin Joseph David Razi Russell Zimmerman Jennifer Bixby Alex Fauth Ken’ Horner Wunji Lau Jamie Kaiju Marriage Mike Miller Lance Scarinci Zac Schwartz Tom Stanley Jaymie Wagner Chris Wheeler

ENTER THE ARENA! Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine is your spotlight for tales of brutal, one-on-one BattleMech action in the no-holds-barred gladiatorial arenas of the 31st century and beyond! A patsy expected to take a fall must utilize every asset at his disposal to avoid becoming another Solaris tragedy when backroom intrigue spills into the arena. A law enforcement agent with ties to organized crime must fight an unsanctioned duel to help stage a daring rescue. Coming out of retirement, a washed-up has-been with an abysmal win-loss record seeks one last bout for a final chance at glory. In this issue, you’ll begin your journey on the Game World of Solaris VII, where two gladiators must take dangerous risks for a shot at revenge in the name of the Federated Suns. You’ll witness a debt-collection attempt gone wrong, where survival is more valuable than seizing a ’Mech as collateral. And you’ll blast your way into the first installment of the serial novel Violent Inception, by Russell Zimmerman. Whether you begin in unranked matches in the Reaches, or you’ve worked your way up to the famed Class Six arenas, Solaris is where legends are made and fortunes come to an abrupt end. And the best way to climb the ladder to become the Grand Champion is to arm yourself with advice on survival and ’Mech-scale melee weapons, Stable Digests, technical readouts, and more—all by defending-champion BattleTech authors and some new challengers in the arena: Russell Zimmerman Michael J. Ciaravella Tom Leveen Mark Hill Chris Hussey Devin Ramsey Craig A. Reed, Jr. Robin Briseño Matthew Cross Daniel Isberner Matt Larson Wunji Lau Lorcan Nagle Eric Salzman Zac Schwartz Stephen Toropov