Lyran Alliance

Their leaders united the economic power of the Lyran Commonwealth and the military might of the Federated Suns into a massive stellar empire: the Federated Commonwealth. But great power bred great corruption, and civil war now threatens this uneasy coalition. This field manual provides a profile on every Lyran Alliance regiment, including their loyalties, as well as 'Mechs and equipment unique to this powerful House.

A RISKY INFILTRATION... Possessing precious secret information that will lead them down the Exodus Road, the Inner Sphere Successor States can now meet the Clans on their own terms...and behind enemy lines. The Herculean task of amassing enough power means re-establishing the legendary Star League—a union of Successor States and their BattleMechs led by Victor Steiner-Davion. MAY BE BETRAYED BEFORE IT CAN EVEN BEGIN... But with the deadly game of politics make the Successor Lords wary of alliance, and Victor's Machiavellian sister, Katrina Steiner, hatching more vicious plots to further her own agendas, the war against the Clans may only be a distraction from the real danger...

BETRAYED BY THEIR OWN KIND… The mercenary code was broken by the Gray Death Legion during their desperate fighting on the planet Caledonia. At least, that is the ruling of the courts. And the judges decide to hit below the belt—Grayson Carlyle, revered leader of the now outlawed mercenary band, is stripped of his title and holdings, and the legion is banished from Glengarry, the planet they've called home for years. AND ON A HUNT FOR JUSTICE... All seems lost, but Carlyle and his legendary troop of hardened warriors know they've been set up—and they have a trump card yet to play. Their dangerous scheme just might work, with the help of House Steiner—and enough guts and firepower to restore the name and the might Gray Death Legion to its rightful place of honor. But should they fail, they could lose a great deal more than their reputation...

HEAVY IS THE HEAD THAT WEARS THE CROWN.... Along with the throne of the Federated Commonwealth, Prince Victor Steiner-Davion inherited a number of problems. Foremost among them is the Clans' threat to the peace of the Inner Sphere—and a treacherous sister who wants to supplant him. The expected demise of Joshua Marik—heir to the Free Worlds League, whose very presence maintained peace—also endangers harmony. Victor's idea is to use a double for Joshua, a deception that will prevent war. But secret duplicity is hard to maintain, and war erupts anyway, splitting the Inner Sphere and leaving the Federated Commonwealth defenseless. And when Victor thinks things can get no worse, word comes that the Clans, once again, have brought war to the Inner Sphere...

ONE EMPIRE. TWO RIVALS. Bitter rivalries within the Star League threaten to plunge the entire Inner Sphere into chaos, as Victor Steiner-Davion and his sister, Katrina, maneuver their own forces to the brink of civil war. At the same time, their young brother, Arthur, is beginning to gain his own supporters in the Federated Commonwealth—including the powerful Draconis March, who see their own path to power within the younger warrior. ONE BATTLE FOR SUPREMACY. And even as the clouds of insurrection begin to rumble within her own domain, the cunning Katrina devises a ruthless campaign of destruction that can crush the growing rebellion, rid her of the young upstart Arthur, and strike at the very heart of her hated brother Victor...

SIGN ON THE DOTTED LINE… Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine puts your loyalty to the test amid unrelenting BattleMech combat that spans the war-torn battlefields of the 31st century and beyond! The head of a security team must seek unusual allies to keep the First Prince of the Federated Suns safe from assassination. An aging Elemental warrior imparts lasting lessons to a young cadet when pirates threaten everything he holds dear. A young IndustrialMech pilot must use the only weapon he knows in the face of rampaging occupiers. In this issue, you’ll visit the Unwearied Second’s 1,000th birthday celebration, a gala attended by the upper crust of Lyran society. Then roll up your sleeves and dive into testing a dangerous but poweful experimental weapon system. Stand firm with the Nova Cats, who try to hold back the inevitable tide of destiny, and travel to the Mercenary’s Star to navigate through scams and con artists in order to find the right outfit to call home. Sign your contract and seek victory, with the help of mercenary-advice articles, technical readouts, unit digests, an in-depth look at the true nature of the “Death to Mercenaries” edict, and more—all by BattleTech veterans and new recruits: Tom Leveen Geoff “Doc” Swift Charles Gideon Robert Schubert James Bixby Alan Brundage Kelvin Casing Jason DeSouza James Kirtley Craig A. Reed, Jr. Alayna M. Weathers Alex Fauth Jason Hansa Ken’ Horner Chris Hussey Daniel Isberner Ben Klinefelter Matt Larson Wunji Lau Lorcan Nagle Eric Salzman Stephen Toropov

THE PRICE OF VICTORY... David McCarthy returns to Kathil a hero—one of the few surviving members of the First Kathil Uhlans, who fought so fiercely in the war to defeat the Clans. But David returns from Clan space with haunting memories of the cost of victory… With the Federated Commonwealth on the brink of civil war, David joins the planetary militia on Kathil—and steps into a powder keg. Opposing forces wrangle for control of the planet and its orbital shipyards, which berth a portion of FedCom’s mighty WarShip fleet. The Eighth Regimental Combat Team—loyal to Archon Katrina—refuses to turn over control of the planet to the militia. Caught in the power struggle between supporters of Katrina and those of her brother, Victor, McCarthy vows that he won’t fail the people of his homeward, even if that means leading his untested MechWarriors against the Eighth’s superior firepower—and dredging up a past he’d rather forget...