HONOR. DESPERATION. JIHAD. Inhuman cybernetic soldiers invade a peaceful world, bringing terror and misery in the name of a new flag. A young soldier, part of the most maligned military machine in history, struggles to find meaning in his service. And the prince of a star-spanning empire discovers that not even he can protect the people he loves. Ten stories of combat, honor, betrayal, and death fill the pages of Front Lines: BattleCorps Anthology Volume 6. Readers will recognize familiar names in BattleTech lore among the authors: Steven Mohan, Jr., and Blaine Lee Pardoe, who welcome newer writers such as Jason Hansa, Christopher Purnell and Craig A. Reed, Jr. These writers have shaped the direction of the BattleTech universe. In 2009, with these stories, they told the stories that demonstrated the indomitable will that has carried BattleTech readers across more than 25 years of publication.

With his friends and family dead and his father's regiment destroyed, Grayson Death Carlyle, a MechWarrior, must learn to fight for justice in a world turned hostile. Original.

RECRUITS WANTED! Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine transports you to the blistering, hard-hitting BattleMech conflicts that ravage the war-torn future of the 31st century and beyond! A young Jade Falcon cadet must prove her mettle in a Trial of Position against a cunning opponent if she is going to become part of her struggling Clan’s future. Elite aerospace pilots from the Outworlds Alliance and the Snow Ravens meet in a clash for the ages, and a veteran wielding only an implement of peace stands up to defend his home against unusual invaders. In this issue, you’ll sign up for a notorious mercenary unit and fight through your first day on the job. You’ll jockey to be first across the finish line in a hovertank race fraught with danger. You’ll chase the glory days of a once-noted BattleMech manufacturer in a quest to reinvigorate a declining enterprise and secure your birthright. Will you defeat your demons from the Battle of Tukayyid during battle with would-be conquerors? Will you escape from murderous cartel members, or succumb to the elements in the unrelenting, sun-beaten desert? Load your chamber with technical articles, a Northwind Highlanders unit digest, a MechWarrior’s catalog of cockpit must-haves, a snow-filled RPG adventure, a BattleForce scenario, and more—all by BattleTech veterans and new enlistees: Tom Leveen Bryan Young Russell Zimmerman D. G. P. Rector W. T. Brown James Hauser Chris G. Lane R. J. Thomas Phillip Johnston Alayna M. Weathers James Bixby Étienne Charron-Willard Matthew Cross Wunji Lau Eric Salzman Tom Stanley Stephen Toropov

MORE THAN A CENTURY IN THE MAKING… Since the Clan Invasion of 3050 ended in failure, there are those who have not forgotten Nicholas Kerensky’s ultimate goal: The conquering of Terra, and the rise of one Clan above all others…to become the ilClan, and rule over both the rest of the Clans and the Inner Sphere…regardless of what the Great Houses may say about it… THE BATTLE THAT WILL RESHAPE THE INNER SPHERE BEGINS… Now, in 3151, two Clans make the final jump into the shattered remains of the Republic of the Sphere. Their target: the cradle of humankind, and the ultimate symbol of the Inner Sphere…Terra. But Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf will face a powerful, tenacious enemy in the remaining forces of the Republic, led by their resurrected leader, Devlin Stone. The impending battle will engulf the entire planet, and when it is over, only one shall stand supreme...

TRADITIONS RUN DEEP… Most mercenary units fly flags on two flagpoles at their headquarters: one with their unit’s flag, and other bearing the flag of their current employer. However, the Third Regimental Combat Team—a.k.a. the Eridani Light Horse—leaves one flagpole bare, as a reminder of the death of the Star League, and the other pole flies the Light Horse’s unit and regimental flags at half-mast. What triumphs and tragedies shaped the Eridani Light Horse and its traditions? What drove them to become a force to be reckoned with, an elite mercenary unit with one of the longest histories and the deepest traditions in the Inner Sphere? Now, collected for the first time, nine of BattleTech’s finest authors bring the legacy of this storied unit to life like never before. Witness the Eridani Light Horse’s origins in the Star League, and follow their evolution all the way through the Succession Wars and the Clan Invasion to their downfall during the Dark Age and their resurrection in the uncertain future of the ilClan era. Featuring stories from: Joel Steverson Craig A. Reed, Jr. Chris Hussey Randall N. Bills Jason Hansa Daniel Isberner Alan Brundage Jason Schmetzer Michael J. Ciaravella

BEYOND THE WALLS… They are the Fidelis, a brotherhood of warriors whose devotion to honor and courage on the battlefield is unmatched. Their existence known only to a former exarch, they are a fighting force to be reckoned with—a force three knights must consider as they undertake missions that could save the Republic…or cripple it. Lady Crystal Synd embodies the vision of the knight-errant. Devoted wholeheartedly to the Republic and its citizens, she believes in her mission. But what she must do to accomplish it will test her mettle as a knight—and as a human being. Hunter Mannheim is descended from a long line of military leaders, and feels he must continue the tradition of excellence in service and sacrifice in battle. But what he must sacrifice in the name of duty may be more than he can bear. Kristoff Erbe is a man burdened by shame. His father was a collaborator who served as commander of a “re-education camp” for those who defied the fanatical Word of Blake. To this day, Kristoff searches for a way to redeem his family honor. Three knights. Three dreams. For each, one chance lies outside the walls of the Fortress Republic…

A RISKY INFILTRATION... Possessing precious secret information that will lead them down the Exodus Road, the Inner Sphere Successor States can now meet the Clans on their own terms...and behind enemy lines. The Herculean task of amassing enough power means re-establishing the legendary Star League—a union of Successor States and their BattleMechs led by Victor Steiner-Davion. MAY BE BETRAYED BEFORE IT CAN EVEN BEGIN... But with the deadly game of politics make the Successor Lords wary of alliance, and Victor's Machiavellian sister, Katrina Steiner, hatching more vicious plots to further her own agendas, the war against the Clans may only be a distraction from the real danger...