Golden Rule

Golden Rule Cover.jpg
Golden Rule
Product information
Type Sourcebook fiction
Short story
Author William H. Keith, Jr.
Pages 24 Pages
Cover Artwork Clint Langley
Kevin McCann
Interior Artwork Duane Loose
Anthony Scroggins
Publication information
Publisher Catalyst Game Labs
First published 2019
Content
Era Succession Wars era
Timeline 22 March - 6 April 2990
Series Colby's Commandos Mission
Followed by Eyestorm

The short story Golden Rule by William H. Keith, Jr. was first published in BattleTech: Beginner Box.

From the Back Cover[edit]

“ ONE RULE TO LIVE BY... OR TO DIE BY

It should have been a simple job. Durant Carlyle, Grayson's father, and his fellow Commandos were hired to protect the isolated mining planet of Golandrinas from a local warlord and his own mercenaries. But things are rarely as they seem near the Periphery, and what should have been an easy seek-and-destroy mission turns into something much more dangerous for Durant and his people. And when the true nature of the enemy mercs' mission is revealed, Colby's Commandos will have to learn a new set of rules if they're going to survive...

”

Plot summary[edit]

On the Lyran Commonwealth world of Wotan, a wary Durant Carlyle accompanies his commander Jonathan Colby to negotiate with Georg Suertos, the wealthiest man on the planet who for some reason is seeking two lances of BattleMechs for an off-world contract. At the Suratos owned bar The World Tree the pair are instead directed to meet with his representative Reid, who indicates the mission is to prevent pirate warlord Gerard Duboise and his Deathgeld from capturing Rowe, the planetary capital of the seemingly insignificant Periphery world of Goldandrinas. Though Reid is cagey on the details, Carlyle deduces that Suratos' interest is due to a recent news report that Vickers Mining had found a major mineral strike in the region, with Colby ultimately accepting the contract.

As Carlyle's fears about the secretiveness of their employer and lack of detail about their foes mount as they reach Goldandrinas, Colby's plan is a surprise strike against the Deathgeld's company-sized BattleMech staging depot near their landhold of Trent, to hopefully destroy the enemy's 'Mechs before they can even mount up. Leading the initial recon strike, Carlyle is dismayed to only find two 'Mechs are in the depot, their paint and models screaming Draconis Combine. Approaching a nearby Vickers Mobile Mining Refinery, Carlyle suddenly comes under fire from a Dragon, all but confirming the origins of the Deathgeld. The arrival of the rest of Colby's Commandos seems to even the odds against a lance of defending Deathgeld 'Mechs, downing a Thunderbolt but also badly injuring Colby before their enemy withdraws.

Back on their DropShip Ragamuffin the Commandos discuss the skirmish, that the remainder of the still more numerous Deathgeld will dig in at Rowe and the realization that Reid is likely working for the Combine and set the Commandos up to fail. Unsure of their next moves and why the Combine would be interested in such a world far from their borders, Carlyle reveals the reason the Deathgeld had remained close to the Vickers MMR, the vehicle containing two hundred and fifty million C-bills worth of gold to pay both the mercenaries and fund numerous Combine operations. Musing that as the one holding the money makes the rules, Colby chooses to stay assured their foe will be willing to listen.

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Notes[edit]

  • A German-language audiobook version of Golden Rule was previously available from Audible until Ulisses Spiele's BattleTech license expired.

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