Blue Waters

This article is about the short story. For other uses, see Blue Water.
Blue Waters
Serialized short story by Steven Mohan Jr.
Publication
Published6—13 May 2008
PublisherBattleCorps
Pages
  • 19 (Part 1)
  • 22 (Part 2)
  • 41 (Total)
Chronology
EraJihad era
Timeline30 June 3069 — 3 July 3069


Blue Waters is a short story in two parts by Steven Mohan Jr. that was first published online on BattleCorps in May 2008. It was later republished in print in the fifth BattleCorps anthology Counterattack in 2014.

Plot Summary[edit]

Part 1[edit]

published on: 6 May 2008
“ The Periphery Star Guard has had a long and fruitful association with Interstellar Expeditions, and their current contract is no exception. Deep in the shoals of the Periphery, alone on a forgotten world, they must be extra vigilant. ”

As of 30 June 3069, the Periphery Star Guard, after disastrous deployments on Poulsbo and Khon Kaen that cost the mercenary unit some two thirds of its strength, are supporting a dig supervised by the Interstellar Expeditions researcher Dr. Richard Wallace in the periphery. Dr. Wallace is convinced that the wreckage of a Union-class DropShip on the otherwise deserted planet Blue Water (since discovered to be the ancient Rim Worlds Republic planet Monthey, though most keep referring to it as Blue Water) belonged to the mysterious Minnesota Tribe.

Periphery Star Guard Colonel Janice Annapoulis does not get along well with Dr. Wallace. She uses every opportunity to train her unit in new battle tactics (including naval battles), declaring the exercises as patrols, while Dr. Wallace feels they are neglecting their security duty in embarking on maneuvers. A mysterious stranger with Polynesian features, initially mistaken as Dr. Wallace's aide, introduces himself as Maka Launa during an argument. He is derisively critical of Dr. Wallace behind his back, and tells Annapoulis in passing that he is not working for Dr. Wallace. Only later does Annapoulis learn that Maka Launa is really not Dr. Wallace's aide, but a Dig Gypsy—one of a group of adventurers and hobby archaeologists who are allowed to privately travel along with Interstellar Expeditions teams for a large fee. Alarmed, Annapoulis tries to find him in the gypsy camp and is given a data cube that he left specifically for her. The data turns out to be (at least parts of) "Jihad Hot Spots" (see notes below).

Part 2[edit]

published on: 13 May 2008
“ Far away from any help, with her unit spread across the atolls of Monthey, Colonel Annapoulis must make do with what she can against whatever force appears to challenge her. ”

On 3 July, a scheduled supply DropShip arrives but it unexpectedly launches an attack on the research base. Annapoulis thinks that Dr. Wallace must have a spy on his team, as he had previously said he was close to retrieving the DropShip's memory core.

The Periphery Star Guard forces, although outmatched, mount a spirited but ultimately unsuccessful defense, suffering heavy losses. The memory core is stolen by the mystery attackers.

In the aftermath, Dr. Wallace accuses Annapoulis of incompetence and tries to lay the blame at her feet. She angrily retorts that the recovered artifacts clearly suggests the wrecked DropShip was not from the Minnesota Tribe after all, but a Lyran Commonwealth vessel, and thus more or less worthless. After Dr. Wallace has left, Maka Launa approaches Annapoulis again and freely admits that he expected the attack, but claims he has nothing to do with the attackers. He then makes the angry and frustrated Colonel, who may nor may not continue to work for Interstellar Expeditions, an offer on behalf of his (unspecified) master.


Featured Characters[edit]

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Featured Places[edit]

Featured BattleTech[edit]

BattleMechs[edit]

Vehicles[edit]

DropShips[edit]

Notes[edit]

  • The content snippets given about the "Jihad Hot Spots" file featured in this story suggest that it is in fact an early in-universe draft of Jihad Hot Spots: 3070. Mentioned stories include "unaired telecast of a Blakist blood match on Solaris VII[1][2], a meeting of something called the Council of Gems that seemed to be concerned with a very dark branch of Combine politics[3][4], the text of a desperate message from Archon Peter Steiner[5][6]." Also referenced was "Alarion falling silent[7][8]. A garbled transmission of the nuclear attack on Kathil with a Blakist’s ghostly voice rising triumphantly out of the static[9][10]. Freighter crews begging for their lives as cold hearted Snow Ravens turned their guns on civilians (unknown sourcing)." Given the story dates, this draft could not have been completed before 29 May 3069, a remarkable turnaround time. The full version of Jihad Hot Spots: 3070 is dated 3 January 3071.
  • Jihad Secrets: The Blake Documents, p. 71 (Janice Annapoulis profile) establishes that the decimated Periphery Star Guard under Annapoulis was approached by an operative of Peter Abdulsattah (himself a right-hand man for Chandrasekhar Kurita) and signed on for Operation Angel Requiem. This strongly implies Maka Launa was Abdulsattah's (and thus by extension, Kurita's) operative.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 44: "Fallen Idols"
  2. ↑ Blake Ascending, p. 204: "Fallen Idols"
  3. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 48: "Council of Gems"
  4. ↑ Blake Ascending, p. 208: "Council of Gems"
  5. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 44: "Archon's Plea: Never Yield!"
  6. ↑ Blake Ascending, p. 204: "Archon's Plea: Never Yield!"
  7. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 46: "Alarion Offline!"
  8. ↑ Blake Ascending, p. 206: "Alarion Offline!"
  9. ↑ Jihad Hot Spots: 3070, p. 43: "Kathil Attacked!"
  10. ↑ Blake Ascending, p. 203: "Kathil Attacked!"

Bibliography[edit]

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