Hey, Folks, new feature for the blog today. We're going to cover Shrapnel #1. Shrapnel is an anthology series of short fiction and other Battletech related articles released every quarter. Now, I'm planning on covering 1 of these are month, so eventually we'll catch up. This is a spoiler free review, and rather than individual ratings of each story or article, I'll provide an overall star rating at the end.
Note, the Anthology is managed with considerable skill by Philip A. Lee.
Table of Contents
From the Editor’s Desk
Philip A. Lee
A brief history of Shrapnel and how we got to here. This was fascinating for me as a long time enjoyer of the universe and I'm sure someone who's new to it will find this edifying.
Grimm Sentence
Chris Hussey
Our anthology opens with the last days of Hendrik Grimm, pirate and Bandit King. After a long career of being a general purpose bit of criminal scum, Hendrik has found himself in the jaws of Clan Wolf during the opening of the invasion.
Hendrik isn't going out without a fight, and he turns the circumstances to his favor and makes a very game stand against clan Wolf. However, fortune does not favor him, and he must deal with an unexpected betrayal.
Secrets of the Sphere
Michael J Ciaravella
This ones a short conspiracy theory about the potential existence and disappearance of a long lost heir to the Cameron throne. Set in 3150, on the eve of the Ilclan era, this is a fascinating yarn about a potential challenger to the throne Alaric has decided is his.
The Flames of Idlewild
Blaine Lee Pardoe
During the initial Smoke Jaguar invasion, Paul Moon and his cluster land on the planet Idlewild to take it from the detrrmined DCMS defenders. This is a very good look at how a Trial of Possession and the bididng process works. There's an interesting interplay between personal honor and duty on both sides.
Airs Above the Ground
Jason Hansa
During the Ghost Bear Invasion, a small group of bear warriors are left behind to supervise a captured world. The natives have been resisting invaders for generations, and the Bears have to get a little creative to deal with the crisis.
Beautiful scenic descriptions intertwine with horrors unimagined as a desperate battle ensues to protect the world from terrorists. This is one of many stories showing the different ways in which the clans deal with their captured worlds. This might be my favorite story in the collection and is an absolute page turner.
Sniper Rifles: Death from a Distance
Craig A Reed, Jr.
This is an rpg article providing stats for a variety of sniper rifles for A Time of War. There are some interesting quirky things, and if you're a gearhead, its a fun read.
Yesterday's Enemy
Lance Scarinci
This is one of the stories of the Crescent Hawks (one of the most famous mercenary commands that numbers at a company strength), feature players in the first two Battletech computer games ever created. (Watching my brother play these games while he was in high school kicked off my love of the universe).
During the battle of Luthien,the Hawks, alongside Wolf’s Dragoons, the Kell Hounds, and the sworn bodyguard of the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine square off against the Nova Cats and the Smoke Jaguars. This is one of the bloodiest battles of the clan invasion, and Jason has to decide whether this is the time to settle a debt of family honor.
Missing Duke Spurs Demonstration
Patrick Wynne
This is another shorty, with a brief news report of Duke Tancred Sandoval not being where he's supposed to be. The population of Bueller (and one assumes other places in the Draconis March) have questions that they are asking very loudly, in public.
If Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot (A Kell Hounds Story)
Michael A. Stackpole
This is part one of a serialized fiction. In 3010, Morgan Kell, legendary mechwarrior and founder of the Kell Hounds stumbles into an unexpected situation as an associate goes missing from his hotel room.
This kicks off a furious manhunt, intrigue and mayhem as Morgan tries to track his missing friend down. It looks a lot like Morgan's past has caught up with him through his friends. Part one ends with a delightful setback as Morgan goes deeper looking for his friend.
Unit Digest: Eridani Light Horse 11th Recon Battalion
Michael J Ciaravella
This is a unit brief for the last surviving ELH unit in the Inner Sphere. This picks up with the end of the 2nd Star League through the founding of the Republic. It's a compelling story of desperate times and the situations they force people into.
Tales from the Cracked Canopy Blind Arrogance
Craig A Reed, Jr.
This is one of the most touching stories in the Anthology. It details the end of the legendary Waco Rangers before their final action on Outreach to kick off the Word of Blake Jihad.
This is a tale of desperation, bold action, and making tough choices. Its also a story about recognizing a toxic relationship and doing what you need to in order to eacape that toxicity.
“Mother of Resistance” Dead on Vipaava
Patrick Wynne
This is another news brief, this time about the death of a Rasalhagian freedom fighter. These snippets are enough to make me grab ahold of Sarna to try and figure out who the featured individual is.
Chaos Campaign Scenario: Target of Opportunity
Aaron Cahall
This is a track for the Chaos Campaign rules framework for Battletech and Alpha Strike. Featuring an interesting step on the “Where's Tucker Harwell” bingo card, Target of Opportunity is a fun scenario to try once, and if there are more scenarios like this in the future, an entire chaos Campaign can be built around theseTouchpoints.
Wars and Rumors
Kevin Killiany
The story of mercenaries caught between the press of history and the future. The Juggernauts have to make choices about their future and where it goes in relation to the larger events of the BattleTech Universe. There are a couple of splendid turns and twists along the way that may catch you by surprise.
This anthology concludes with an era recognition guide and the submission guidelines for putting yourself into the BattleTech Universe.
Overall
5 stars. This volume has a lot of Clan invasion related stories, though the Republic and Ilclan stories are also helpful. I think, if you are a fan of Battletech as a universe , you will find something to pull you in deeper.
This is a splendid start for the series.
You can get your copy here.
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