Assistance with MQTT Embedded Client using MSP432 micro

Need assistance importing MQTT functionality to the MSP432 micro-controller using the ESP8266 wifi module. Referencing Paho Embedded-C architecture, all the foundations are there but I'm getting strange results from the supplied library functions. Specifically, serializing the data for connecting, sending / receiving. The examples are written for mbed, Arduino, Linux, or ESP8266 specific micro-controller and the library itself is quite portable, but I'm getting strange results on my end. I've been studying MQTT documentations (HiveMQ, Mosquitto, various slides) for a few days now with no luck, still confused on the final format of the message over TCP. My current progress: MSP432 wired to ESP 8266, successfully opens a TCP socket with MQTT broker. Connection is received by my cloud broker server logs Minimum goal: achieve full understanding of the MQTT packet serialization, I'll be breaking down source code in the mean time. Even hard-coding messages would suffice in the mean time, so if you have a functioning MQTT system i would find value in an example send broken down by: 1) Raw message information so I could write my own libraries to handle it. 2) Serialized data, with each component of the raw-data identified. Best Case: Have an experience person who happens to own the MSP432 and ESP8266 micro walk me through the steps to set it up correctly Acceptable: Anyone with experience using MQTT from a micro-controller, and can help me piece together the format and give me some clarification. Anyone who has the infrastructure ready may be able to set a break-point in their code and look at the memory location and feed me the pieces in format. Is the final sent TCP packet just a long string with form: Byte:1 = Message type DUP QoS level RETAIN Byte:2 = Length Byte:3 = | -------------------------- | ...... | Variable Header | Byte:n | _____ info_______ | Byte:n+1 | ----------------------------| .............. | PAYLOAD | << Encoded in UTF-8? What are the implications of this? Byte:m |__________________| So my final TCP packet would be like: ESP8266SendTCP(Byte1+Byte2+....Byte M) then wait for a CONNACK? So I could simply piece together a make-shift library for my application to get me started?