A New Game

A New Game
Short story by Steven Mohan Jr.
Publication
Published	16 December 2010
Publisher	BattleCorps
Pages	11
Chronology
Era	Clan Invasion era
Timeline	15 March 3050

A New Game is a short story by Steven Mohan Jr. that was first published online on BattleCorps on 16 December 2010. It was re-released as an e-book on 20 July 2019 as a Clan Invasion Kickstarter reward.

Teaser Text

“

The arrival of the Clans was an existence-altering event across the Inner Sphere, but no one had more personal experience than the soldiers trapped fighting them.

”

Plot Summary

Unknown invaders have taken Richmond, Tarnby and Idlewind with seemingly little effort and in a very short time, and only rumors and snippets of radio intercepts and BattleROMs have been smuggled out with escaping JumpShips. In a field camp in the rye fields of Komache Fields outside the city of Schwartzstadt on Schwartz, Tai-sa Mark Graham of the Ninth Pesht Regulars awaits the unknown attackers who are now inbound to Schwartz.

All of Graham's planning for the upcoming battle is rendered moot when the attacking DropShips unexpectedly head straight for Schwartzstadt, reducing the defenders' response time to minutes instead of the expected six to twelve hours. In the ensuing battle against the attacking Clan Smoke Jaguar, Star Colonel Thilla Showers challenges Graham, observing that the defenders have so far adhered to zellbrigen so that she is going to return the courtesy. Graham had in fact instructed his MechWarriors to stick to the one-on-one duels based on what he had learned about the attackers beforehand, in order to stall for time. From Thilla Showers's viewpoint, Graham behaves honorably so she eventually challenges him to single combat for ownership of the planet and all remaining military forces. Graham gladly obliges, fighting to delay until most of the Ninth Pesht Regulars have boarded their DropShips. As the DropShips lift off, he explains to a furious Thilla Showers that when she beats him in their duel, then he will surrender all military forces that still remain on the planet. He thinks to himself that the Clans, for all their superiority, will have to learn to play a new game if they wished to fight in the Inner Sphere.

Featured Characters

• Chu-sa Connie Wills
• Tai-sa Mark Graham
• Star Colonel Thilla Showers

Featured Units

• Ninth Pesht Regulars
• Nineteenth Striker Cluster Clan Smoke Jaguar
• First Alshain Regulars (mentioned)
• Fourth Pesht Regulars (mentioned)
• Idlewind Stormtroopers (mentioned)

Featured Places

• Schwartz
• Idlewind (mentioned)
• Richmond (mentioned)
• Tarnby (mentioned)

Featured BattleTech

BattleMechs

• Banshee
• Daishi
• Katana
• Koshi (implied)
• Masakari (implied)

Aerospace Fighters

• Lightning
• Shilone

DropShips

• Overlord-class 'Mech carrier DropShip
• Union-class 'Mech carrier DropShip
• Leopard-class 'Mech carrier DropShip

Notes

• At this point, the DCMS had no clear naming structure for most Clan OmniMechs, referring to them initially by number. References are made in the story to a 25-ton Go (by inference, a Koshi); an Ichi (clarified to be a Daishi in the text), a Ni (meaning "two"; at 85 tons, most likely a Masakari), and a Shi, described as a medium 'Mech.