<<Game Note: This battle within a battle is one reason why it never hurts to approach the GM with an idea for something "outside the box". We were just learning the new Battleforce rules from SO, especially the air-to-ground rules, when I asked to conduct the operation in advance of the attack that would be played out by BF2s Planetary Assault rules along with the campaign system in the original Mercenary Hand Book. The pirate players didn't see it coming and didn't leave any serious forces behind when he sent his A/S fighters and drops ships to intercept the incoming Canopians.
This was fun,... and no one left bases undefended again.>>
May 29th, 3016 - Nadir Jump Point: System “Sierra Papa 3624”
Moments after the jump cycle had completed Admiral Seymour was moving to the comm station to send out the order for the fleet to deploy and prepare for a series of one point five gee burns for the next 24 hours, dropping to one gee for a specified period before boosting again to one point five. It would be somewhat uncomfortable for the crews and passengers of the assault force but it was imperative to close on the planet as quickly as possible and hopefully throw off any interceptor’s calculations.
“Commander, get the two scout dropships a half day between us and the Zenith point. I want to know if anything is headed our way as we burn toward the planet.”
Turning to the flagship’s Captain she gave the deployment order. “Ok, Captain. Assault ships with their fighters out in front, then the troop ships and their escorts and then then supply ships pulling up the rear. I doubt anyone will miss our arrival but I want to be well on our way before they sort out what is going on.”
As the command crew bent to their tasks Admiral Seymour returned to her chair, her thoughts turning to small flotilla that arrived the day before at the pirate jump point two and half days from the planet.
“Ok, ‘Top Hat’, see if you can ruffle some feathers on the plump turkey before we arrive.”
June 2nd, 3016 - Nine hours from orbital insertion “Objective Planet SP-3624”
Operation “Top Hat” consisted of two Scout Class jump ships, chosen for their small jump signatures, carrying two Leopard class drop ships into striking distance of the planet. Aboard the first was a medium battle lance and two Thunderbird fighters. The other, a Leopard CV, carried two venerable MM-2 Dragonfly, two TR-7 Thrush and two more Thunderbird D36 heavy fighters. The two Scouts arrived in system via a pirate jump point less than three days from the planet and would use the moon as cover for as long as it was in the line of sight path as they closed slowly on the planet. Their job was to slip into the atmosphere and hit what reconnaissance believed to be the only thing approaching a star port on the target planet.
Commander Phillip van der Hague noted the weightlessness return as 'Firedrake's' drive cut out and the ship rotated its nose towards the planet. Five hundred meters to port and slightly behind came 'Hurricane' the second ship in the small flotilla. Both ships had completed their burn to within a few hours of the atmosphere from the night side of the planet while their target was passing through the morning sun. If they timed this right they would enter the atmosphere and strike the target thirty minutes before sunset, coming out of the darkening sky to the east. In the meantime they would coast forward as long they could, using thrusters for minor course corrections and attitude adjustments.
June 2nd, 3016 - three hours from orbital insertion “Objective Planet SP-3624”
"It's confirmed, sir." Stated the communications officer. "Eleven drop ships, I can't confirm the types this far out, and twenty-five plus aerospace fighters have formed up near the south pole. They appear to be oriented toward the sun. They are probably planning to intercept the fleet. Admiral Seymour should be six to eight hours out at this point."
"How's our approach?" asked Commander Hague
"They don't seem to have seen us, sir. If they boost even a little way towards the fleet we should have a clear run at the target with no real hope for them to intercept us."
Twenty-two minutes later the communication officer reported the dropships had just engaged their drives and were burning toward the incoming fleet at nearly two gees. Commander Hague smiled to himself as he gave the order to engage the drives to give the fighter pilots and mech drivers some gravity in the final approach before going into battle.
June 2nd, 3016 - 1930 hours, Xiàozhǎng Base
The Xiàozhǎng ground base was part airfield and part small starport. The ferrocrete runway was brand new and only in operation for a few days, heavy equipment and construction spoil were still in place along its length. To the south was small landing pad for spheroid dropships large enough for three or four craft, was holding two Mules this evening. There were four new reinforced hangars completed and six more planned, their place currently occupied by revetments for two squadrons. The perimeter held fuel and munitions bunkers while a control tower and a ground based early warning center dominated the center of the field. Unfortunately for the defenders the fixed defences formed by two flak towers had not yet become operational.
The first any one at the base knew of trouble was when the first pair of Thunderbird heavy fighters rocketed over the field only meters above the ground, their laser's, LRMs and bombs destroying the control tower and early warning facilities. Before the shock could properly register the second pair of Thunderbirds hit the nearest hangers, destroying both and the helicopters sitting inside. Next came the two Dragonfly light fighters which targeted what appeared to be maintenance and warehouse buildings. The two Leopards came in last, making for the landing pads, which were now stirring to life. Before the crews or ground staff could do much, however, both Leopards poured their full weight of PPC, Laser and LRM fire into the two Mules, leaving both tilted and burning amongst bright orange flames and pillars of black smoke.
While the fighters came around for another pass the Leopards circled, the mech carrier lowering its landing gear and heading for the runway. What resistance there might have been faded away as the grounded Leopard discharged two heavy and two medium mechs, which immediately set about blasting what remained of military value on the base and began searching for evidence of who was supporting the "pirates" using this planet. It was then that the fighters watching from above spotted trouble - enemy reinforcements were closing on the base.
It was the two Thrush 7 light fighters, called down from providing top cover, who spotted a mixed company of enemy Mechs charging towards the base. A quick sighting report let the strike commander know he had eight to ten minutes before he had a dozen mechs in his lap. With that the two Thrush fighters began an attack run that left two mechs badly damaged for the loss of a Thrush, batted from the sky by the combined fire of four nearby medium Mechs. As the Thunderbirds joined the attack the four Canopian Mechs collected what evidence they could and darted back to their Leopard, waiting at the end of the runway, powered up and ready for a fast take off.
Harried by the aerospace fighters the mech company was slowed and took serious damage by repeated attacks from the remaining seven fighters. A total of three mechs were destroyed with seven more battered while three more of the attacking fighters took significant hits, two limping away but still able to make orbit. Once clear of the combat zone all the attackers made for orbit, recovered to their carriers and burned away from the planet. If the naval battle went well they would receive word to join the ground forces on the planet and join the operation.
What they didn't know at the time was that the base they had destroyed was the main depot for pirate forces and their allies. The ammunition they torched accounted for nearly half of that available for the defenders. When word came of the fleet's victory the enemy aerospace force had only two small subsidiary fields to use but lacked in spare parts and ammunition for the coming ground battle, reducing their usefulness to a mere harassment force.
Top Hat could be counted an clear victory for the Canopians.