The following inventory was compiled from TriStar corporate records, TSG quartermaster databases, and direct observation. It represents equipment in active service with the Tennessee Star Guards and affiliated Periphery March defense forces as of 3085.
— Order of the Open Book
SIDELINE: On Naming ConventionsThe Memphis system's Egyptian naming tradition dates to the original colonization — the star was named Ra, the planets after Egyptian deities. TriStar's vehicle designs continue this tradition, lending their equipment roster a distinctive regional identity.
The "M-series" combat vehicles (Malcontent, Malevolent, Malice) represent a deliberate departure — these designs emerged from the post-Fourth Succession War period, when TSG veterans were, shall we say, less than pleased with New Avalon's policies. The names stuck.
The aerospace wing uses weather designations — Tempest, Tornado, Tsunami, Typhoon — reflecting the influence of Lackland's naval aviation traditions on TSG doctrine.
For detailed technical readouts, see the Military Files section.
| Designation | Type | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Krait AH-5A | Hover | Forward reconnaissance, sensor picket |
| Momba AH-5B | Hover | Electronic warfare, communications relay |
| Skink AH-5C | Hover | Laser designator, artillery spotting |
Scout crews call the Krait the "Coffin Racer" with a mixture of gallows humor and genuine affection. The Krait's casualty rate is the highest of any TSG vehicle type, but volunteers consistently exceed available slots.
Light Armor (25-40 tons)| Designation | Type | Engine | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hathor AT-25A/B | Tracked | Taurian 100 Fusion | Distributed fire support |
| Horus AT-40A/B | Tracked | Starheart 240 | Cavalry screening, pursuit |
| Horus AT-48A | Tracked | Starheart 240 | Breakthrough support |
The Hathor is the only Common Heart design that uses non-Starheart engines — a deliberate exception using Taurian-sourced reactors to fill a capability gap.
Medium Armor (50-60 tons)| Designation | Type | Engine | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bast AT-60A/B/E1 | Tracked | Starheart 240 | Main battle tank |
| Malcontent AT-50 series | Tracked | Fuel Cell | Heavy cavalry |
| Malice AW-50 series | Wheeled | Fuel Cell | Multi-role AFV |
| Malevolent AH-50 series | Hover | Fuel Cell | Rapid assault, flanking |
The Bast — "Bad Kitty" to her crews — is the standard main battle tank for the Tennessee Star Guards. "Bad Kitty bites back" is both motto and reputation.
SIDELINE: Disposable Assets?Heavy Armor (60-80 tons)ROM analysis of TSG scout doctrine noted the high casualty rate among 5-ton hover crews. Our analysts concluded this indicated poor training or inadequate equipment.
They were wrong.
TSG scout crews are volunteers who understand exactly what they're signing up for. The Krait's job is to find the enemy and report back. Sometimes "report back" means "die while transmitting." The crews know this. They do it anyway.
ComStar never understood that kind of loyalty. It cannot be purchased or coerced. It must be earned.
| Designation | Type | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Set AW-65A | Wheeled | Mobile fire support, siege |
| Ra AT-80A/B | Tracked | Long-range fire support, artillery |
| Set AT-80A | Tracked | Assault tank, bunker reduction |
| Designation | Weight | Engine | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gnat GN-T1 | 15 | 90 Fusion | Scout, harassment |
| Mongoose MON-80 | 30 | Starheart 240 | Reconnaissance, C3 hub |
| Mongoose MON-90 | 30 | 240 Fusion | Electronic warfare, C3 hub |
The MON-80 was the first production-model BattleMech from Memphis Motive Works. The choice of a 30-ton reconnaissance design over a heavier 'Mech reveals everything about TSG priorities.
Medium (40-55 tons)| Designation | Weight | Engine | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dingo DIN-G01 | 40 | Starheart 240 | Quad cavalry, ambush |
| Dingo DIN-G02 | 40 | Starheart 240 | Biped raider |
| Jaguar JAG-10T | 40 | 320 XL | Strike, pursuit |
| Ridgeback RDG-50A | 50 | 300 XL | Fast cavalry striker |
The DIN-G01 is a quad 'Mech — it walks on four legs. Named for a Sherwood pack predator, the quad configuration provides stability, terrain handling, and a low profile ideal for ambush tactics.
Heavy (60-75 tons)| Designation | Weight | Engine | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dervish DV-10T | 60 | 300 Fusion | Fire support, missile platform |
| Thunderbolt II TDR-60 | 60 | Starheart 240 | Multi-role heavy |
| Marauder MAD-10T | 75 | Starheart 300 XL | Command, heavy assault |
| Designation | Weight | Engine | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Battleaxe II BTL-AX80 | 80 | Starheart 240 | Assault, breakthrough |
| Highlander II HGN-80 | 80 | 320 Fusion | Heavy assault, command |
| Bastion BST-100A | 100 | 300 Fusion | Assault anchor, defensive |
| Marauder II MAD-10T | 100 | Starheart 300 XL | Command, heavy assault |
SIDELINE: The Dragoons Grudge — And Its EndWolf's Dragoons built the original Marauder II in 3012, and for decades they controlled access to the design. The Dragoons treated the TSG as a "minor league" operation, never taking the Periphery March mercenaries seriously.
The MAD-10T Marauder II was TriStar's response: a 100-ton assault 'Mech that matched or exceeded the Dragoons' design, built entirely from Periphery March resources.
When the Clan Invasion revealed the Dragoons' true origins as Clan Wolf operatives, Periphery March leadership's frustration turned to cold fury. Every slight, every missed opportunity was reframed as deliberate distancing by Clan intelligence operatives.
Tennessee Star's death at Luthien — covering the withdrawal of the Dragoons' Beta Regiment — ended the enmity. Jaime Wolf attended the memorial on Memphis. The grudge was buried with the man who had earned the right to carry it.
| Designation | Weight | Engine | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tempest | 30 | 150 Fusion | Interceptor, patrol |
| Tornado AS-40A | 40 | 200 Fusion | Ground attack, close air support |
| Tsunami AS-60 series | 60 | Starheart 240 | Multi-role, air superiority |
| Typhoon AS-80A | 80 | Starheart 240 | Strike, DropShip escort |
The Tempest's racing heritage gives it exceptional thrust-to-weight. One of the earliest Common Heart designs (3005), the Tempest has trained generations of TSG pilots.
| Designation | Weight | Configuration | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mule II | 16,700 | Spheroid | Military transport (modular) |
| Mule II CV | 16,700 | Spheroid | Fighter carrier |
| Mule II Battalion | 16,700 | Spheroid | Combined-arms transport |
The Mule II is not a refit. She never was. Sixty years of development (2960-3018) produced an entirely new military transport that merely resembles the civilian Mule for operational security. The "refit" designation is deliberate misdirection.
| Designation | Weight | Collars | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise 3023 | 275,000 | 5 | Merchant carrier (armed) |
The Enterprise class represents one of the most closely-held secrets in the Periphery March: locally-assembled JumpShips. The five-collar capacity is strategically significant — most Inner Sphere JumpShips carry only 2-4 DropShips. The 14 PPCs provide genuine defensive capability, not token armament.
SIDELINE: The Common Heart ProgramEvery aerospace fighter, most BattleMechs, and many combat vehicles produced under Common Heart use the same 240-rated fusion engine. This seemingly limiting choice actually provides enormous flexibility.
A 60-ton fighter and a 40-ton 'Mech use identical power plants. Spare engines stockpiled for one system work in another. Technicians learn one engine, maintain the entire fleet.
The Starheart 300 XL — added post-Clan Invasion — enabled the Marauder and Marauder II. Both use the same engine, maintaining logistics commonality even at the assault weight class.
"Good Enough for Long Enough" is not a compromise. It is survival.
The Tennessee Star Guards and affiliated Periphery March forces operate a military specifically designed for their strategic situation: defensive operations, long logistics tails, and independence from New Avalon support.
Key characteristics:
1. SELF-SUFFICIENCY: Most equipment is locally produced or can be maintained with local resources. Dependence on outside supply is minimized.
2. COMBINED ARMS: TSG doctrine emphasizes integration of all combat elements. 'Mechs, vehicles, infantry, and aerospace work together rather than operating independently.
3. C3 INTEGRATION: Communications and coordination are prioritized over raw firepower. TSG units know where their allies are and can concentrate force rapidly.
4. DEFENSIVE OPTIMIZATION: The force is designed to defend the Periphery March, not to conquer distant worlds. Assault assets are limited; reconnaissance and screening forces are extensive.
5. DUAL-USE INFRASTRUCTURE: TriStar's commercial assets can be converted for military use rapidly. This multiplies effective strength during mobilization.
This is not an army designed to challenge the AFFS directly. It is an army designed to make conquering the Periphery March more trouble than it's worth.
So far, it has succeeded.
— Quartermaster Corps, Tennessee Star Guards
Compiled for internal distribution
Annotations by Order of the Open Book