7 June 2766
Eigerland (Outworlds Alliance)
Commodore Trisha Delvaney, commander SLS Salvation, Newgrange Yardship, along with SLS Gareth and SLS Helmet, Essex Destroyers materialized at the Nadir Jump Point. Everyone was getting a little antsy, they were now 4 jumps from Quarte Belle. She was really looking forward to some extended ground time. Her Chief Engineer had a fairly long list of issues that needed addressing in a repair yard, not the least of which was a complete Jump Core replacement. She looked at her communication officer and was surprised when she got a differennt answer to the unasked question "We have alignment on the HPG and we have a a return signal. Praise the god's, we actually can send a message."
This was the first time in over a year that they could actually send a HPG message. "Stand by for message." Commodore Delvaney said as she quickly prepared a message to 10th Fleet, which was based out of Quatre Belle.
To: 10 Fleet
From: SLS Salvation
Completed mission at Rest Stop March 23, 2766. Currently Eigerland enroute Quarte Belle. SLS Gareth and SLS Helmet in attendance. Per Chief Engineer, SLS Salvation needs Jump Core replacement, many micro cracks appearing. ETA Quatre Belle 29 June.
"Send this with a priority acknowledgement request." Commodore Delvaney said
"On it." Typing furiously, he then encoded the message and hit SEND "Message away."
"Begin recharge operations. We are almost home people." Commodore Delvaney said
Spencer (Independent Periphery)
Colonel Brandon Janees, commander 173rd Mechanized Infantry Division, or what was left of it, had bent to the vote made from the suvivors of the Division. They wanted to leave the fighting. Only 3 Star Lord captains had been willing to join them, so he had wished the other ship captains well and allowed them to attmept to return to SLDF command, along with 700 of the Divisions personnel that also wanted to leave. Over the last 2 months, many wounded had been cleared for duty. Currently aboard the 3 Star Lord Jumpships. The vote had been to head for the Tortuga Dominions.
173rd Mechanized Infantry Division
Battlemech Battalion - 4 Company's
Mechanized Infantry Regiment - 3 Battalions
Mechanized Infantry Regiment - 3 Battalions (only 1 Batt has APC, other 2 Batt foot)
Artillery Battalion - 2 Company's
Wayland Mobile Repair Bases - 6
Mobile HQ (Standard) - 1
Coolant Trucks - 11
Flatbed Trucks - 68
BFFL "Buffalo" - 22
Division Support Personnel - 3,852
Unassigned Personnel
69 Mechwarriors (No Battlemechs)
491 Infantry (not cleared for duty)
562 Armor Crew (No Tanks or not cleared for duty)
22 Aerospace Pilots (No Fighters or not cleared for duty)
Star Lord Jumpship - 3
Dictator Dropship - 2
Union Dropship - 4
Lion Dropship - 3
Czar Dropship - 6
Mammoth Dropship - 3
NP29 (Periphery)
"General" Olivia Daniels, commander 54th Mechanized Infantry Division, had been shocked and a little scared when the personnel of the 54th nominated and then voted her commander. She cursed the memory of Major General Tanner Hansen and his stupid command meeting for all officers Major and above that had completely decapitated the 54th. Where the fighting had been bad, it had gone to absolute crap after a tactical nuke took out the Command Staff of the Division. Now here she was, in "command" of a mutinied Division, trying to stay alive and reach the Tortuga Dominion's. She still thought of herself as a Captain, she knew she was not ready to command this large a force. Yes, she had assumed command of her Mech Infantry Battalion during the desperate fighting, and then her Regiment when no one else seemed up to the task, but a Division, she was out of her league and knew it.
Hope IV (Independent Periphery)
The convoy carrying the 280th Mechanized Infantry Division had been at the Nadir Jump Point for 3 days. Today was the day Major General Iris Carman had dreaded. On the bridge of SLS Midnight Rider, Star Lord Jumpship, with Commodore Richard Devall watching, she depressed the radio mic already set to broadcast her voice to every radio and intercom on every vessel in the fleet.
"This is Major General Isis Carman, most of you must be wondering where we have been going and what is going on. Well, I have a confession to make. I lied to all of you. I forged those orders bringing us here to Hope IV, our actual orders had been to report to Armington for disbandment. All equipment to be turned in, all personnel to be sent to a replacement pool for reassignment as individuals.
I could not take the thought of my Division being broken up, not after the hard fighting we had already done together. Not after all the years together. I asked for them to break the Division up by sub command and assign everyone that way, so that we could at least stay together that way and it was denied. Today you all have learned the truth. You are all my family, the only family I have left. The choice is now all of yours to make, I will not be returning to the SLDF. The next 3 days are yours. Any that wish to return to the SLDF, may do so with my best wishes. Those that would like to remain with me, well, our future is not clear, but we will be together and that is my greatest wish. Forgive me for lying to you all, you all know where to find me. Carmen out." She handed the radio mic to the ships communication officer and departed the bridge for her quarters. Only time would tell what her fate would be.
Albaracht (Uncolonized System)
After 2 weeks on the planets surface, they had replenished their water supply, run it thru their purifiers and basically just enjoyed being on solid ground. Now, Colonel Patrick Quieg watched the last of his people reboard the Dropships for the 6 day trip back to the Jumpship. A platoon of volunteers had remained on board to make sure the ships captain did not strand them here. Next stop, Hope IV and then the Tortuga Dominions.
NP32 (Periphery)
Lieutenant General Nathan Baxter, commander 359th Battlemech Division and Major Jenny Davidson, commander 509th Battle Regiment had decided to make for the Torgtuga Dominions. Once there, they would allow the personnel of their commands decide if they wanted to continue or leave. They still had at least a 6 month journey to get there. Both had spent many days studyng the Star Maps. Major Jenny Davidson wanted to travel to Drachenfeld, a fairly new colony and possibly start a new life. Her 509th Battle Regiment had already agreed to go with her. Lieutenant General Nathan Baxter on the other hand, was not sold on the idea, not yet anyway.
Argos (Uncolonized Periphery)
Colonel Irma Fuentes, commander 19th Hussar Regiment, Major Oscar Venezuela, 9917th Marine Regiment and Major Cassien Thomas, 9th Royal CAAN Regiment were aboard Colonel Fuentes' SLS Heaven Bound, Tramp Jumpship. Their combined commands gave them enough defensive firepower that traveling the empty periphery did not worry them all too much, short of triping over a warship anyway. When the alarm sounded, they all headed for the ships bridge, on entering they saw Commodore Jack Helmsley looking at the ships plot board.
"What is happening Commodore?" Colonel Fuentes asked
"Emergence wave inbound, by the readings, picking up 2 distinct readings, each roughly 300,000 tons. So we could have incoming warships. We have 2 more days to complete recharge operations, so we could be screwed." Commodore Helmsley said
"Well, guess we better kick the Dropships loose and get what Aerospace Fighters we have launched." Colonel Fuentes said and then to Major Venezuela and Major Thomas "I guess you two should get your Marine suited up, at least you can fight the way you trained, I pilot a Battlemech so I am just a weakly trained grunt for this."
"Here they come!" Shouted the sensor operator "Should be about 14,000KM away from us."
Three minutes later, 2 Tramp Jumpships materialized at the Nadir Jump Point and everyone breathed a small sigh of relief that it was not warships. Each Tramp had 3 Jumbo Dropships attached and none were broadcasting SLDF IFF, so that made them hostile. Major Venezuela then spoke "I will take a company over and take out one Tramp, Major Thomas, care to lead one of your company's over and take the other?"
"Sure, it has been quite awhile since we did any boarding actions. I don't see the need to take both of my full Battalion." Major Helmsley replied
"Colonel Fuentes, have your Aerospace Fighters do some passes on those Tramps while we get suited up and make the trip over please. If we are lucky, they will surrender without a fight." Major Venezuela said as he and Major Thomas moved to leave the bridge for the hanger deck.
One hour later, both Major Venezuela and Major Thomas were aboard seperate shuttles heading for the 2 Tramp Jumpships. The 6 Jumbo Dropships had detached and attmepted to make a run for it, but were quickly shown the folly of that by the 14 Aerospace Fighters, Titan Dropship and several Lee Dropships. All 6 had surrendered after a few shots were landed on them and Major Venezuela had ordered another company of Marines into shuttles to board the Dropships.
With a Lee Dropship hovering within easy weapons range of each Tramp Jumpship broadcasting surrender orders, neither Tramp Jumpship responded to the calls for surrender. They would have to do it the hard way. As the shuttle's carrying Major Venezuela's marines reached their assigned Tramp, he watched as his marines went EVA and on reaching the Tramp Jumpship, they punched in the mandated SLDF security override codes and entered the airlocks. Fifteen minutes later came the call "Ship secure, we have 2 marines WIA, 4 enemy KIA, 6 WIA and 23 prisoners."
Major Thomas's Marines had it much easier as their Tramp surrendered once they knew boarding was about to occur. Two hours later, the Jumbo Dropships were redocked with the Tramp Jumpships and both Major's made a quick inspection of the Jumbo Dropships. What they found was surprising.
Jumbo 1
144 Stinger STG-3R
108 Firestarter FS9-H
3,000 Tons spare parts and ammunition
Jumbo 2
144 Phoenix PX-3R
2,000 Tons spare parts and ammunition
Jumbo 3
72 Battlemaster BLR-1G
3,000 Tons spare parts and ammunition
Jumbo 4
108 Archer ARC-2R
1,500 Tons spare parts and ammunition
Jumbo 5
144 Talos TLS-1B
2,000 Tons spare parts and ammunition
Jumbo 6
9,000 Tons combat rations