MechWarrior 3

Operation Bulldog and Task Force Serpent have completed their campaigns against Clan Smoke Jaguar, but one mission remains: disrupting a surviving Smoke Jaguar officer's attempt to rally the Clan's scattered forces. The player's operation—codenamed Damocles—targets the planet Tranquil. The objectives are precise: destroy a mech factory, a starport, a geothermal power plant, and the Smoke Jaguar command structure. Eliminating the enemy entirely is not part of the directive. Two DropShips deploy the BattleMech force into orbit above Tranquil, but the Blackhammer is struck by naval laser fire and destroyed before reaching the surface. The Eclipse withdraws to safety. The player's lance, deployed slightly off-target, lands alone. Mobile Field Bases land on schedule and the first objective is to link up with them and secure the surrounding area. Of the seven Mechs deployed, two are lost in early enemy contact and one falls near the campaign's end—a novelization adds a fourth lost to a parachute malfunction. The remaining four link up gradually over the course of the mission. Twelve additional Mechs remain aboard the Eclipse but cannot be deployed directly; an attempt to carve a safe landing zone for the ship fails with heavy losses. Despite this setback, the player continues pursuing mission objectives and must ultimately secure a viable extraction point so the Eclipse can return and evacuate the surviving force.