Served Cold

 is a storyline mission in Battletech.

Synopsis
Your goal is the destruction of an enemy DropShip, the Newgrange. Officially, the ship is certified for commercial flights in the Directorate, the Capellan Confederation, and the Taurian Concordat. Unofficially, it's a gunrunning ship delivering weapons and 'Mechs to the Directorate. Since 'Mechs can't attack Newgrange directly due to its armor, your goal is to attack the refueling depot used by the DropShip. The resulting blast should destroy it.

In return, Lord Karosas has promised to set his hostility to Lady Arano aside, stemming from the suffering brought upon his family by the Directorate and the loss of his children, and decipher the hidden drive found onboard the Argo.

Walkthrough
The initial objective is to destroy the fuel depot before a turn timer runs out. After destroying the objective, a heavy lance drops in that must be eliminated. (The heavy lance will also arrive when three turns remain on the timer.) As this is a hot map, take cool running mechs. Melee fighters with flamers are particularly effective.

Destroying the initial defending lance and turrets is not required, but any remaining mechs make the fight with the heavy lance that much harder. Light lance consists of Commando COM-2D, Panther PNT-9R, Shadow Hawk SHD-2H, and Wolverine WVR-6R

Heavy lance consists of Firestarter FS9-H, Centurion CN9-A, Dragon DRG-1N, and Catapult CPLT-K2, led personally by Lady Victoria Espinosa. The kill team can be a major pain to take care of properly, so prioritize declawing them - take out the lighter mechs and then focus on crippling the larger ones. Make sure you bring at least two heavy mechs or you will be outclassed.

Outcome

 * Not only is lord Karosas satisfied with the quid pro quo, you have also managed to capture Lady Espinosa and put her in the brig onboard the Argo. She also reveals that the ship you just destroyed wasn't necessarily a smuggling vessel - but the mysterious cargo is small price to pay for the support of House Karosas.