Chahar Profit

Owned by Chahar Traders, the Chahar Profit was a Lyran Commonwealth JumpShip which would achieve notoriety for its misjump and resulting rescue from Draconis Combine territory during the lead up to the Second Succession War.

Star League era to First Succession War

The future Chahar Profit was constructed during the early years of the Star League, a period when a number of JumpShips were regularly equipped with so-called "Piegon"s, mini jump-capable distress beacons. Though hideously expensive even for the Star League era and piggy-backing off its parent vessel's KF core, duplicated elements of the ship's field initiator were capable of detaching and performing a jump even if the rest of the vessel was rendered incapable of doing so. Though the "pigeon" system eventually fell out of favor after the development of the Hyperpulse Generator, the system aboard the Chahar Profit was never removed and would remain intact centuries later.[1]

Over the objection of companies such as Chahar Traders, the desperation of the First Succession War would see then-Archon Jennifer Steiner commandeer the majority of commercial freighters and transports like the Chahar Profit for the use of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces in 2789. After the First war concluded, Jennifer's grandson Marcus Steiner would finally release those pressed into military service in 2824. In returning them however, Marcus ordered that each must make at least three mercy runs to carry food, water and other vital supplies to Lyran worlds that had been neglected during the First Succession War. [2] [3]

When Chahar Traders initially refused, the Archon responded by making them an example, imposing huge fines but also broadcasting the schedules of all their ships across the Commonwealth, making vulnerable to any bandit or competitor who wanted to take advantage. Horrified, Chahar Traders quickly had a change of heart and agreed to the Archon's terms. [3] [4]

The Rescue of the Chahar Profit

In late 2826 the Chahar Profit was performing one of the mercy runs mandated by the Lyran government, delivering a heavy load of corn and other foodstuffs intended for the starving population of the border world of Chandler. At that time the ship was under the command of Kaptain Vanessa Reiche. [5] [4] [6] [7] [8]

On January 11th 2827 the Chahar Profit performed what should have been its final jump from Toffen to Chandler when the ship unfortunately misjumped (either due to a computer glitch or an error on the part of the ship's astrogator) into the Draconis Combine system of Darius. Almost immediately set upon by Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery AeroSpace Fighters patrolling the jump point after the JumpShip's arrival, the Combine fighters demanded the Chahar Proft power down its engines, strafing its Jump Sail to ensure the crew's compliance. [5] [4] [7] [8]

Unable to flee and equally unwilling to end up as slaves, the crew desperately considered its limited options when Crewman Fitz suggested the use of the ship's "Piegon". With Kaptain Reiche highly sceptical the ancient system would successfully jump, Fitz bet her ten cases of Glengarry Black that he could make it work, Reiche hurriedly recording a distress call as the Combine fighters prepared for a second pass and their attendant Union-class moved to board them. [5] [4] [7] [8]

Though causing heavy damage to the Chahar Profit, the "pigeon" successfully jumped back into Lyran space with the ship's desperate plea for aid. After news of the Chahar Profit's fate reached Archon Marcus Steiner, despite his conflict with Chahar Traders and the ongoing tensions between the Commonwealth and the Combine in the lull between the First and Second Succession Wars, he ordered that the ship must be rescued no matter the cost. The Archon responded by reforming among the most elite LCAF unit of the First war, The Stealths. [5] [4] [7] [8]

Though verging on 62 years old, the unit's former CO General Raymond Hempsted heeded the Archon's call, selecting only those who had served under him in battle previously as suitable for the task, a choice that limited the size of the newly reborn Stealths to just one BattleMech company. With the average age of the company's MechWarriors being 63, many in the Commonwealth questioned if the rescue would succeed. [5]

After weeks of vigorous retraining for the mission, the Stealths were ready, accompanied by a equally elite unit of AeroSpace Fighthers, a crack company of marines highly skilled in boarding operations, and as a precaution, a replacement JumpShip crew in case that of the Chahar Profit could not be rescued. With the attention of the Coordinator Jinjiro Kurita and the bulk of the DCMS focused on the Combine's Periphery border and the advance of the mysterious "Minnesota Tribe", the Stealths' transport the LCS Yo' Mama made the jump into the Darius system on Feburary 21st 2827. [5]

Immediately upon arrival in-system all, DropShips save the one carrying the Stealths detached and sped toward the Chahar Profit and Kurita forces guarding it, as the Yo' Mama made a high-thrust burn towards the planet itself. Two days after arriving in the system, the Yo' Mama launched the Stealths in a near perfect drop trajectory, the Lyran unit's 'Mechs landing just outside the planet's capital city where the Chahar Profit's crew were being held. [5]

Despite two days warning, the Kurita forces hadn't seriously considered the threat of the Lyran forces, and the Stealths' light and medium BattleMechs easily repulsed the local militia troops as they reached the city's prison and rescued the Chahar Profit's crew. Many of the Stealths' 'Mechs had functional hand actuators which clutched specially constructed "barrels", armored capsules with heavily padded interiors into which two crew members were strapped. The selection of this rescue method was prescient, as the local 'Mech battalion had finally been roused and attempted to block the Lyran 'Mechs escape. [5]

Despite the extremely difficult task of punching through the Combine defenders while protect their charges in the "barrels", the Stealths succeeded in reaching their DropShip without losing or injuring a single member of either their number or of the crew of the Chahar Profit. Meanwhile their comrades at the system's Jump Point had succeeded in recapturing the Chahar Profit and repairing and preparing her to jump to safety, her vital cargo intact. Shock arrival of the Chahar Profit and the Stealths would trigger an ecstatic welcome from the people of Chandler. [5] [6] [4] [7] [8]

References

  1. ↑ Strategic Operations, p. 124 "Aerospace Technologies - JumpShip 'Pigeons'"
  2. ↑ 'House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 47 "History - First Succession War - Patterns of War"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 55 "History - The Second Succession War - Reconstruction Efforts"
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 39 "History of the Lyran Alliance - Second Succession War (2830-2864) - Reconstruction - Preludes to War"
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth), p. 56 "History - The Second Succession War - Rescue of the Chahar Profit"
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 64 "Second Succession War - The Minnesota Tribe and the Chahar Profit"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 41 "History of the Lyran Alliance - Second Succession War (2830-2864) - Timeline: The Commonwealth and the Second Succession War"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Handbook: House Steiner, p. 43 "History of the Lyran Alliance - Second Succession War (2830-2864) - A Plea across the Stars"

Bibliography

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