View source for Unholy Union

{{InfoBoxFiction
| name               = Unholy Union
| image              = 
| author             = [[Christopher Hussey|Chris Hussey]]
| pub_date           = 24 September 2008
| product            = 
| type               = Short story
| publisher          = [[BattleCorps]]
| illustrations      = 
| pages              = 43
| era                = [[Succession Wars era]]
| startdate          = 14 September [[3028]]
| enddate            = 25 December 3028
| series             = 
| precededby         = 
| followedby         = 
}}
'''''Unholy Union''''' is a short story by [[Christopher Hussey|Chris Hussey]] that was first published online on [[BattleCorps]] on 24 September 2008. It was later republished in print in the fifth BattleCorps anthology, ''[[Counterattack]]'', in 2014.
 
== Teaser Text ==
{{quote|''Although the marriage of [[Hanse Davion]] to [[Melissa Steiner (31st c.)|Melissa Steiner]] and the [[Fourth Succession War|war of conquest that followed]] are the most well-known events of [[3028]], that wasn't all that happened that year. Deep in the [[Periphery]], two other lovers were meeting and setting great plans in motion...''}}

== Plot Summary ==
Merchant [[Kelly Hunt]] delivers a message from King [[Hendrik Grimm III]] to [[Redjack Ryan]] on [[Butte Hold]] on 14 September 3028. In the message, Grimm explains how the [[Fourth Succession War]] will forever alter the political landscape in which their pirate realms have flourished. Despite their animosity he invites Ryan to [[Oberon VI]], offering a mission that will set the two of them up to survive the future. Grimm claims that he is acting as a middle-man of the [[Draconis Combine]], who seek to hire the pirates to support the defensive efforts. A similar message reaches [[Maria Morgraine]] aboard her [[JumpShip]] ''[[Hath No Fury]]'' at the zenith [[jump point]] of the [[Blackstone]] system on 1 October. She deduces that Grimm really wants to send her after her ex-lover Ryan.

On 8 October, Ryan and his Lieutenant [[Agnar Haggerty|Agnar "Satan's Son" Haggerty]] meet with Hendrik III at Grimfort, Oberon City, and learn that part of the plan is that Ryan's unit must dispose of Maria Morgraine's unit. Ryan agrees. In a radio conference three days later, Hendrik Grimm III suggests cooperation and a possible future alliance to Maria Morgraine in exchange for the elimination of Ryan's unit. After terminating the comm line, Grimm discusses with a [[Lyran]] visitor how the two pirate bands will wipe each other out and how Grimm's agent will take care of whoever survives.

On 11 November, [[Morgraine's Valkyries]] capture a weakly defended depot on [[Toland]], setting the stage for [[Ryan's Rebels]] to be lured into a trap. Only then does she explain the plan to her command staff, who are decidedly unhappy and have to be convinced at gunpoint to go along with Hendrik Grimm III's plan. As a safeguard, Maria explains that the ''[[Winged Vengeance]]'' has standing orders to go on a rampage throughout the [[Oberon Confederation]] should they not receive word within a month.

Two days later the pirate bands clash when Ryan's forces attack the depot as per their orders, but when Ryan realizes how Grimm played them both he convinces Maria Morgraine that they have both been lured into a trap. Agnar Haggerty then attempts to shoot Ryan but is himself shot by Tack Hadder, a [[MechWarrior (pilot)|MechWarrior]] from Ryan's lance, before he can kill Ryan.

At that point elements from the [[30th Lyran Guards|Thirtieth Lyran Guards]] spring a trap of their own on the pirates. With his own ''[[Quickdraw]]'' previously disabled by Maria Morgraine's ''[[Grasshopper]]'', Ryan switches to Haggerty's ''[[Orion]]'' and calls his DropShips to evacuate them. The pirate groups split up and make for their respective pickup zones.

Ryan's unit is cut off from their DropShips by a full company of enemy 'Mechs. Karen Grander, pilot of the ''[[Summoner's Gale]]'', Ryan's ''[[Leopard (DropShip class)|Leopard]]''-class command DropShip, coordinates the evacuation effort by the DropShips ''[[Bonny T]]'' and ''[[Black Caesar]]''. Just as Ryan is overrun she saves him with a strafing run and picks up the ''Orion''.

Returning from Toland aboard the ''Hath No Fury'' on 1 December, Redjack Ryan and Maria Morgraine reconcile and agree to merge their pirate realms into one larger realm, the [[Greater Valkyrate]], and plot their revenge against Hendrik Grimm III.

On 25 December, Hendrik Grimm III realizes that the [[ComStar]] reports he received, together with the lack of a report from Agnar Haggerty, indicate that his plan has failed. Worse, Ryan and Morgraine have joined forces against him and hit a secret munitions factory on [[Placida]] that produced almost half of the ammunition for the Oberon Confederation's infantry troops and also some 'Mech ammunition. Only Kelly Hunt could have supplied this information to the Greater Valkyrate forces, and Grimm orders the merchant be brought before him...

== Featured Characters ==
{{columns-start|num=2}}
* [[Redjack Ryan]]
* [[Maria Morgraine]]
* [[Hendrik Grimm III]]
* [[Agnar Haggerty|Agnar "Satan's Son" Haggerty]]
* [[Pers Stromsky]]
* [[Kelly Hunt]]
{{column}}
* [[Kommandant]] [[Harris Ivor]]
* [[Tack Hadder]]
* [[Karen Grander]]
* [[Dag Staham]]
* [[Kate Malger]]
{{columns-end}}

== Featured Units ==
* [[Ryan's Rebels]]
* [[Morgraine's Valkyries]]
* [[30th Lyran Guards|Thirtieth Lyran Guards]]

== Featured Places ==
{{columns-start|num=2}}
* [[Blackstone]]
* [[Butte Hold]]
* [[Oberon VI]]
* [[Toland]]
* [[Apollo (system)|Apollo]] (mentioned)
* [[Crellacor]] (mentioned)
{{column}}
* [[Icar]] (mentioned)
* [[Lackhove]] (mentioned)
* [[Placida]] (mentioned)
* [[Steelton]] (mentioned)
* [[Wotan]] (mentioned)
{{columns-end}}

== Featured BattleTech ==
=== BattleMechs ===
{{columns-start|num=2}}
* ''[[Assassin]]''
* ''[[Awesome]]''
* ''[[Catapult]]''
* ''[[Centurion (BattleMech)|Centurion]]''
* ''[[Enforcer]]''
* ''[[Grasshopper]]''
* ''[[Griffin]]''
* ''[[Hunchback]]''
* ''[[Orion]]''
{{column}}
* ''[[Quickdraw]]''
* ''[[Shadow Hawk]]''
* ''[[Stalker]]''
* ''[[Thunderbolt]]''
* ''[[Trebuchet]]''
* ''[[Valkyrie]]''
* ''[[Vindicator]]''
* ''[[Warhammer]]''
* ''[[Zeus]]''
{{columns-end}}
=== DropShips ===
* ''[[Leopard (DropShip class)|Leopard]]''-class [[BattleMech|'Mech]] carrier [[DropShip]], ''[[Summoner's Gale]]''
* ''[[Union (DropShip class)|Union]]''-class 'Mech carrier DropShip
* Unspecified DropShip-class, ''[[Black Caesar]]'', ''[[Bonny T]]'', ''[[Sigrun]]'', ''[[Winged Vengeance]]''
=== JumpShips ===
* Unspecified [[JumpShip]]-class, ''[[Hath No Fury]]''


[[Category:BattleCorps publications]]
[[Category:Short Stories]]
[[Category:Works by Christopher Hussey]]