Operation RESTORED HOPE (short story)

This article is about the short story. For the eponymous operation, see Operation RESTORED HOPE.

Operation RESTORED HOPE
Story information
Pages	5
Type	Short story
Product	House Arano (The Aurigan Coalition)
Content
Era	Succession Wars era
Timeline	18 July - 21 October 3026

Operation RESTORED HOPE is the intro fiction piece for the 2019 House Arano (The Aurigan Coalition) sourcebook.

It is framed as an excerpt from an in-universe publication, and as such the events depicted in the story may be partly or even entirely fictional within the BattleTech universe (see Notes below).

Plot summary

After the conclusion of the Arano Restoration, retired Lieutenant Karen "Sunbird" Andris is summoned before High Lady Kamea Arano, reactivated for military service, and tasked with repossessing desperately needed 'Mechs for the Aurigan Coalition from former Aurigan Directorate MechWarriors (or entire mercenary units) who had fled with their 'Mechs when the Directorate crumbled.

By 21 October 3026, Andris and her unit were said to have "broken the spine of Forever Vigilant and routed Ibex Rampant", reportedly "torching whole fortresses" on Tiverton in the process and rounding up and arresting people.

Now they are moving against the Rimward Veterans Militia in the New Gisborne Province jungle on Highwater. Lieutenant Caleb "Sailfin" Huang of the RVM hopes that Lady Arano's forces will leave the RVM alone, as the RVM were not involved in the other units' crimes. However, the RVM are prepared to meet Andris when she arrives on Highwater with elements of the Arano Royal Guard, Antian Lanciarii, and Irukjandi Company. When Andris demands the RVN to stand down and hand over their 'Mechs, Huang flat out refuses to surrender his Wolverine or any other 'Mech of the RVN. In the following battle, Huang lures Andris's Thunderbolt into an infantry ambush. The RVN's defense tactic might have succeeded if not for a Royal Guards King Crab that had flanked their position just out of sensor range during the discussion between Andris and Huang. The fearsome King Crab vanquishes the RVN infantry in short order, destroys "Arbalest"'s Griffin before she can punch out, forces Anasuya "Plover" Kinsley to eject from her doomed Commando, and brings Huang's 'Mech to its knees. Huang defiantly refuses to surrender and is killed in battle.

In the end, Andris's forces have apprehend six of the RVN's seven evacuation transports while the seventh was shot down. Despite the technical victory she is unhappy with the result, but Irukjandi Company Commander Jakutonis opines that they had to vanquish their enemies completely, as allowing some to escape would only invite later vengeance attacks from them.

Featured Characters

• Karen Andris ("Sunbird")
• Kamea Arano
• "Arbalest"
• Victoria Espinosa (mentioned)
• Caleb Huang ("Sailfin")
• Commander Jakutonis
• Anasuya Kinsley ("Plover")
• Alexander Madeira
• Darius Oliveira (mentioned)

Featured BattleTech

BattleMechs

• Commando
• GRF-1S Griffin
• KGC-0000 King Crab
• SHD-2H Shadow Hawk
• TDR-5S Thunderbolt
• Wolverine

DropShips

• Leopard

Notes

• The story is marked as an excerpt from The Sign and the Pendant, a 3027 publication by one Dr. Norma Ames, Crystal River House (the latter presumably naming the publisher). The House Arano (The Aurigan Coalition) sourcebook purports to be a report by the Magistracy Diplomatic Corps; there is no indication that the story, which is included within the report with attribution to Dr. Ames, should be regarded as anything but a factually accurate, nonfictional report. However, it should be noted that its veracity is technically unconfirmed.
• "Sunbird" Andris appears to serve with the Arano Royal Guard when confronting the RVM. She declares as much to the RVM, pilots a 'Mech painted in Royal Guard livery, and deploys the KGC-0000 King Crab that is famously serving in the Royal Guard. But a Magistracy of Canopus intelligence report suggests this was just a charade or temporary assignment, as Andris was in truth already commanding the secret special operations force that would receive its name (Rampart Company) and see Andris properly installed as its commander after the conclusion of Operation RESTORED HOPE.
• In what may or may not be an in-universe mistake, Andris refers to the Irukjandi Company as the "Irukandji" Company when announcing their intentions, the sole mention of the unit's name in the story. (It is spelled correctly elsewhere in the book.)