Time to finally end 3105. My thanks to marauder648 for the help with the Hell's Horses AFFS fight as I had severe writers block trying to write the piece.
Duke of Saffel Residence
Saffel, Alya Prefecture
District of Dieron, Draconis Combine
4th December 3105
As the Duke of Saffel Dean Singer entered his office within his official residence he knew there was something wrong. There had been people against his appointment to the leadership of Saffel but the danger had never felt so closer. Dean Singer reached for the light switch to his office and it was the last thing he did. Moments later the office, along with the one time Duke of Saffel, was incinerated by an explosion which took out that half of the residence killing fourteen others who were in the building.
With emergency services charging to assist their Duke his personal BattleMech a customized Huron Warrior imported from the Capellan Confederation, at great cost to Singer and the people of Saffel, exited the residence’s reinforced Mechbay firing its silver bullet gauss rifle and pulse laser into the emergency services as he escaped into the night.
Days later the assassin and thief was identified as small time crook Bobby Winchester a known gun and drug runner but someone who had to date never resorted to violence. With the Duke murdered, the leader of the local constabulary and the head of the planetary militia killed in the attack no-one is able to asset control over the planetary government before several transport ships leave the system including one carrying Bobby Winchester and the stolen Huron Warrior. In an effort to support the planetary government Dieron dispatch the Sixteenth District of Dieron Regulars, a green unit, off of Dieron to bring order to Saffel.
Planning Rooms, Celestial Palace
Forbidden City, Sian
Sian Commonality, Capellan Confederation
14th December 3105
The Celestial Wisdom Chancellor Dao Shen-Liao stood listening to his advisers the war against Oriente continued well with attacks on Pella II, Shuen Wan and Anegasaki the Confederation’s goal now clear to Oriente under the Celestial Wisdom’s Banner like Andurien before it. “Our forces are rolling back Oriente defenders even with their Orbital Defence Guns.” Sang-jiang-jun Erin Liao, the Chancellor’s wife, said leading the briefing. “Naval and ground forces from both nations have sparred in the Pella II system. Our naval forces have destroyed the OPS Fletcher in that system but the Fourth Oriente Hussars continues to resist on the planets surface…” she said pausing as a young officer entered nervously she turned to the Chancellor. “Sire, the Santorini Battle Group have been spotted…”
“Excellent where?” The Chancellor demanded the Santorini Battle Group was home to Oriente’s only Thera-class Carrier to kill it had been the Chancellor’s goal for years.
“Over Sarna” she reported seeing Dao-Shen’s rage rising “it appears that they crossed the border at Sakhalin and quickly moved on Sarna they have also struck at Quemoy.” She said reading the briefing. “Oriente has called for our withdrawal from their territory or they will destroy our WarShips and our ground forces on the Sarna Supremacy worlds” she said.
“They cannot hope to take and hold Sarna while we will be on Oriente in weeks.” Dao-Shen Liao stated confidently.
“If the rest of the Free Worlds League joins with Oriente we will lose all of the Sarna Commonality” she warned. “Davion will not sit on his throne and watch as Oriente take our territory. Without Sarna to administer and control its Commonality we will lose the territory completely.” She said continuing her warning.
“We will not surrender!” Dao-Shen Liao snapped “order our forces to dig into their positions on Sarna and prepare the invasion of Oriente!” He said turning leaving the planning room to Sang-jiang-jun Erin Liao and her commanders. As Sian refuses to surrender the District of Oriente land ground forces on Sarna while naval and ground forces from both sides engage each other in multiple systems setting the border between these nations on fire.
Liberation
Grundwald, Hell’s Horses Occupation Zone
30th December 3105
With the FSS Zibler still under repairs in the Summit system the Federated Suns navy units in conjunction with the Lyran Commonwealth military moved on Grundwald and Borghese. While the Borghese system had surprisingly fallen easily to the Lyran forces in the Grundwald system they had found a Halcyon-class Cruiser and an elite cluster of ground forces. With the Lyran Commonwealth’s LCS Typhoon, a Mjolnir-class Battlecruiser, beside them escorting the AFFS units it was time to engage the Hell’s Horses. In the FSS Reinhart Steiner’s command centre Admiral Alexander Duvall glanced over at their guest and nodded for her to continue. “This is Star Colonel Amanda Leroux to defending forces I challenge for control over this system for Clan Mountain Wolf and the Lyran Commonwealth.” She said confidently Duvall had to admit when she had come on board she had not liked the Wolf warrior but she and the others from her Clan who were on board had adjusted well to the structure on board the FSS Reinhart Steiner.
“Wolf you are on a Federated Suns WarShip do not attempt to fool us.”
“You will see that this vessel and the others with it are identified as Lyran Commonwealth vessels. I am a Mountain Wolf Cluster commander and I am fully in control of this battle.” She said turning to the air-boss “deploy aerospace fighters on all vessels. Order our DropShips to assume combat formations.” She said from the belly of the FSS Reinhart Steiner aerospace fighters with AFFS, Mountain Wolf and Lyran Commonwealth insignia launched from the craft. Several of the Federated Suns aerospace fighters had been replaced with those from Clan Mountain Wolf as had several of their DropShips. “As you can see my forces are my own.”
“You will accept a Batchall Quiaff?” The warrior asked a single Halcyon-class Cruiser and support DropShips would not be enough to turn back the assault forces against them.
“Aff” Amanda Leroux said carefully intent on not drawing the Inner Sphere forces under her command into a Clan bidding war.
“I bid a single Halcyon-class Cruiser, four DropShips, their attached support units and the First Horde Cluster to the defence of this system.” The Hell’s Horses commander responded a couple of moments later.
“I respond with a single Avalon II-class Cruiser, its support craft and the First Commonwealth Guards Regiment to capture this system. I will not be hobbling my forces further with a smaller bid.”
“Well bargained and done” the Horses commander said surprisingly quickly without even a single barb about the lack of a smaller bid.
“Contact the FSS Jackson Davion and Star Captain Rygard Carns” Amanda Leroux commanded moments later there was a connection between the two WarShips. “Star Captain your vessel and crew will lead the battle into this system.” She said as per the Lyran, Federated Suns and Mountain Wolf agreement there were Mountain Wolf warriors embedded on board every WarShip, DropShip, fighter squadron and ground force battalion. In each communication with the defenders of the systems the Mountain Wolves would lead meaning that any challenge came from the Mountain Wolves and every captured unit would go to the Mountain Wolf Clan helping rebuild it. Amanda Leroux was sure that both the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth would end up with at least some of the salvage but the Mountain Wolves would gain the first choice and the best of their captures.
With the FSS Jackson Davion and her escorts moving away from the AFFS fleet the Avalon II class cruiser began launching her fighters as did her escort group. The three escorting Pocket Warships moved forwards at high speed, trying to close the range.
“Sir we’re getting a good clean data-link between all elements. ID scans show a pair of Outpost Defenders, one Titan and an Arcadia running escort, the cruiser the CHH Nightmare's Edge is at the centre of their formation following at 600 km distance.”
“Time to intercept?”
“At current speed, thirty minutes.”
Aboard the Titan class Carrier Bon Homme Richard it was as scene of organised chaos on her forward hangar bay. Under way there was gravity and this made life easier for the tech’s as they hauled weapon pods and linkages from their magazine elevators.
“Technician Jones, I do not care if the ghost of the Great Father himself appeared and bid you to halt, you WILL get my Star’s fighters reequipped before launch.”
The Technician, a long standing member of the Richards crew knew how to deal with arsey aerospace pilots; he had been doing it for twenty years.
“My men are trying their best, but we only have enough weapon pods to rearm six of your craft! The remainder will have to go into battle in the Charlie configuration.”
“Explain why.”
‘Because we were not expecting you do to anything more than be a ****** shuttle for Elementals you arrogant ass.’ Is what Jones wanted to say, instead he gestured to the row of tiger stripe painted Kirghiz fighters that aerotechs were swarming over whilst exoskeletons helped with the heavy loading. “Simple logistics and the operational role of Lightning Star prior to the deployment in system. We are trying our best, I can give you two Primes, two Deltas, one Bravo and an Echo but the rest will have to go out as Charlies. Is that acceptable Quiaff?
“Aff” Inwardly Star Captain James Hawker growled, instead he just nodded. After arriving in orbit his Star had been acting as a quick deployment force, carrying Elementals from point to point at the beck and call of the Horde, demeaning but important work. Now with half stores aboard there simply wasn't the equipment to fully arm ten of the big fighters.
“Very good Star Captain, now can you please get out of the bloody way whilst we sort your fighter out. She will be an Echo and neg you do not get a say in the matter.”
FSS Jackson Davion
“Hostiles are launching fighters. Visigoths from the Outposts, they are forming up into a Star. Another ten from the cruiser, Titan is launching now Sirs. Reading…One star of Sulla’s one Star of hrm…Tyre’s and..shise..one of Kirghiz Sir”
On the holographic displays the Clan ships and fighters took position, the Titan hanging well back, she was no warship and despite its great size, was achingly vulnerable, the two Outposts and the Arcadia though were coming forwards along with every fighter the Horses had. It was no ill-disciplined rush either, they were keeping close together, their fire lanes overlapping.
“Sensors what are those launching from the cruiser?”
“Pelican class shuttles sir…damn that’s a lot of them…count is 18..22..28..30!”
Captain Leonard Kyle glanced at his Mountain Wolf companion “The Pelican is an assault shuttle and primary mover; they can carry Elementals but they are not built for breaching operations.”
“How many Elementals?”
“Twenty five depending on weight of course. Twenty-five standard suits.”
“And you say they’ve no mag clamps?”
“Aff, they could deposit troops on the hull but they cannot lock onto us and cut their way inside.”
“CAG! Keep an eye on those damn shuttles; I don’t fancy getting boarded today.”
“Roger that Sir.”
“Sir! We are within range and have a good feed from our escorts.”
“Very good. Guns, target the cruiser, she’s the threat, have our escorts engage their DropShips and fighters. That Kirghiz Star’s a priority target.”
The ships fighters were all brand new, the Admiralty wanted to put their best in combat and test them, and a mixture of Corsair 12D’s and Cutlasses formed her air group, but still it was 32 fighters against 50.
A dozen affirmatives rang out before the Jackson Davion shuddered slightly as her guns and missiles began their firing sequences. Guided by the Naval C3 her guns were tracking the Clan cruiser as it lumbered forwards behind its escorts. It seems the Clanners knew about the C3 on the Suns warships, they were all moving forwards, even the cruiser was at a full 1.5g burn her gauss rifles spitting in the dark. But at this range and with C3’s inherent advantages the Federated Suns cruiser scored the first hits as a pair of NAC rounds detonated on impact with the Clanner’s hull. The Avalon’s missiles were having a harder time though, only one got through the barrage of AMS fire and her flak belt as the Clan cruisers shorter ranged guns also engaged the inbound missiles.
“Enemy forces are continuing to close Sir.”
“Good, Helm! Bring us to Red 119, down 15. Guns fire as you bare!”
As the Jackson Davion began her turn to Starboard the CHH Nightmare’s Edge kept on charging forwards. The Halcyon was taking hits but her thick armour was absorbing them for now whilst giving back as best she could against her bigger and faster opponent.
CHH Nightmare's Edge
Gripping the arms of his chair as the Edge rocked from another hit, this one further along her dorsal hull, Star Commodore Karina Dwelley grinned “Release the hounds! Have Stalker flight follow them in!”
On the holo-display the fighter brawl was a confused tangle of signals as the fighters threw themselves into the battle against their opposite numbers. The Arcadia Gravewalker was the biggest return amongst the melee, her commander Star Captain Tara Bolt throwing the assault ship around with all the skill and grace she and her crew were renowned for. Still it was a tough fight, the three Federated Suns assault ships were big and shockingly well-armed. They were also feeding data to the cruiser and she was taking full advantage of that and her gunners knew their business. Still her surprise should stop that. The Pelican’s surged forwards, ECM’s going live in an overlapping barrier of howling and more importantly concentrated electronic noise, thrusters blazing as they opened the throttle and charged. Not all of the shuttles were carrying Elementals, most were down on the world below but still the 75 on-board the Nightmare’s Edge were more than willing to attempt a boarding action.
FSS Jackson Davion
“Sir! We’re being jammed!”
“What? What the hell’s going on!”
“Not our systems but the C3’s lousy with interference. Attempting to re-establish links now Sir!”
“Assault shuttles inbound!”
“Sir! It’s those shuttles! They are jamming the link between us and our escorts.”
“Helm! Continue the turn, increase thrust. All hands stand by for heavy thrust. Helm put our stern to them, Guns! Target those damn shuttles with the missiles.”
On the holo-display the Clan ship was starting a turn even as one of her Outposts burst apart, gutted by the guns of the Stalwart, but the Clanner fighters were everywhere, his Air group was holding its own but they were outnumbered and unable to break off, when they did, more Clanner’s jumped onto them after waiting and with a wedge of assault shuttles charging on in with the risk of up to 750 Elementals being carried it was just a risk that could not be born. The Jackson Davion’s engines flared to life as she slewed to her new course, pulling ahead of the slower Nightmare’s Edge. She was fast. The Pelicans were faster.
Even as their WarShip ‘mother’ was embattled the Suns cruiser’s escort group were finally overcoming their foes. The Arondight class was built for this kind of battle, a freewheeling brawl and their cannons were spitting as fast as they reloaded, heavy armour taking fire despite repeated attack runs from the Horse fighters. With one Outpost down and the other bleeding air from a 20-meter crater in her side from an internal explosion the Federated Suns Pocket Warships turned their guns on the flank of the Nightmare’s Edge even as the Clan ship fired into the Jackson Davion’s stern.
Not every Pelican carried Elementals, and the Jackson’s anti-fighter defences were filling space around the cruiser with a blizzard of Gauss shards, missiles and pulses of laser light, swatting them from space in short lived puffs of flame and spinning debris. But enough got close to deposit their cargo across the upper hull of the Federated Suns cruiser. Of course such a manoeuvre was not without risk, disembark too quick and the suits mag boots might not grip and you’d be sent spinning away from the rapidly maneuvering cruiser with no hope of rescue. This happened to eight Elementals, whilst another two didn’t even leave the hull, one hit too hard and shattered his knees and was immediately WIA, the other got hopelessly wedged as he bounced along the hull between the main hull and a radiator vane. The sixty-five surviving Elementals had been spread liberally over the dorsal section of the Jackson Davion the assault far from coordinated. This made things easier for the Jackson’s defending Marines but the Clanners were ALL in Gnome battle armour which despite its age was still a deeply formidable design.
With the Suns cruiser turning to bring her vulnerable stern out of the fire the Nightmare’s Edge was pouring into it the two cruisers were getting into a more traditional broadside battle, hammering one another with every weapon at their disposal. It was as much a battle of wills as a battle of endurance. But with her hull battered and air bleeding from a dozen gashes in her flank and spine the Nightmare started to turn away first, cutting thrust, letting the Davion ship pull ahead, the range opening rapidly.
“Stalkers! This is Stalker lead, anyone still with me?”
“Aff, Stalkers seven, eight and two!”
“Good! The Edge cannot take much more, we will attack the cruiser’s stern. If we can damage her engines then the Edge will be able to withdraw.”
All four remaining Kirghiz were in a bad way, but they were still armed and flying, their Tyre escorts having suffered heavily trying to cover them from the faster and very agile Davion fighters. The alert receiver on Hawker’s fighter blared as the Jackson Davion’s gunners locked onto the new threat even as the Pelican's wheeled overhead, strafing ineffectually at her hull with their missiles.
The four assault fighters bore in, their pilots jinking and throwing their 100 tonne craft around, jammers trying to throw off the cruisers gunners even as they were fired upon.
Stalker Eight erupted into a fireball as a Barracuda missile slammed into its belly; Two was bisected by a concentrated blast of laser fire before they got through the main flak belt. Near wingtip to wingtip the two Kirghiz opened fire as one. Hawker’s HAG-40’s spraying clouds of hyper-velocity slugs over the Jackson’s stern.
FSS Jackson Davion
“Sir! The jamming’s gone! Link re-established!”
“Finish that Clanner bastard off now!” Hard a port!”
There was a flash as something was hit. White vapour started pouring from a breech on the Jackson’s stern. Hawker spotted it, but so too did the cruiser’s engineering detachment. It was fuel, the cruiser’s semi-modular fuel tanks had taken a hit and it was leaving a trail of rapidly expanding frozen hydrogen slush behind them. The leaking tank was jettisoned a moment later and it was already several hundred meters astern and under the Jackson when the inevitable happened. A particle bolt passed through the Hydrogen and it ignited in what could be called a deflagration. The difference between a deflagration and explosion is that the former is a rapid burn. In this case along the trail left by the fuel tank, following it to its source.
Even as the Nightmare’s Edge finally succumbed to the relentless pounding of the Jackson’s guns the Federated Suns ship was suddenly ‘kicked’ from behind as a tank with nearly 800 tonnes of fuel in it exploded just behind her. The blast threw the ships stern up and her bow down, one engine smashed by the sudden blast, its vents wrecked whilst the blast was still close enough to act like a sub-kiloton explosion melting and burning parts of the hull, the energy of the explosion also sending a heavy shock through the cruisers hull which threw crew against the hull and knocked systems out of alignment.
Further astern the Nightmare’s Edge was tumbling to port, bleeding air as her thrusters fired to try keep her upright whilst her crew abandoned ship. Her back was broken, her armour punctured whilst internal fires raged along her starboard hull section. Of her fighter group, eighteen would survive to pull back, leaving no Davion survivors. The crippled Arcadia Gravewalker was barely active, held together by the efforts of her crew and what little armour remained along her hull. Only the Bon Homme Richard was undamaged, the Titan hanging back the entire time, only moving forwards now to pick up escape pods and lifeboats.
Aboard the Jackson Davion her crew began the serious task of saving the ship. With one primary thruster down and with shock damage across the ship as well as having a badly battered hull the cruiser was in a serious way, if not at risk of being lost. The Clan borders had been met and there was still fighting along the upper hull. Some Elemental’s had forced their way inside and caused considerable damage before being contained and eliminated. Only when the Nightmare’s Edge erupted in a ball of light as her fires finally reached her magazines did the survivors finally surrender and accept being made Bondsmen.
Space belonged to the Allied forces but it had come at a heavy cost. All thirty-four fighters were gone, although eighteen pilots had managed to eject safely and were recovered. The Arondight class dropship Fire and the Flame was so badly damaged that she had to be abandoned and scuttled, whilst the other two were mauled and could barely dock for repairs themselves. The Jackson Davion herself had taken moderate damage but her engines had taken a heavy amount of damage and the shock damage had in the words of her chief engineer “Utterly frakked the jump drive. At least for a while anyhow.” Until it was repaired and precision calibration carried out, the Jackson Davion was going nowhere.
Ground Battle
Grunwald, Hell’s Horses Occupation Zone
30th December 3105
From space to the ground the First Commonwealth Guards Regiment dropped through the sky towards the ground. The regiment was actually more like a reinforced combined-arms force with five battalions of forces between their combined units. The Lyran forces despite having the upper hand in space knew that they would be facing a tough ground battle and immediately this became clear as capital missiles rose from the surface striking towards their DropShips. The Lyrans defence systems activated but they were not enough to stop the incoming missiles and several DropShips took heavy damage as they came into land. Fortunately the Lyrans had been ready for this attack and the crews had prepared their vessels for heavy combat taking every precaution. As the Lyran DropShips landed Lyran BattleMechs charged from the DropShips firing on the Horses who were arrayed against them between Lyran BattleMechs and vehicles were others carrying Clan Mountain Wolf’s insignia carrying on the same trend used against the Hell’s Horses in space.
Surrounding the Lyran Commonwealth landing zones were warriors of Clan Hell’s Horses who filled the air with weapons fire tearing into the Inner Sphere forces while artillery missiles slammed into their BattleMechs and DropShips. From above Lyran and Mountain Wolf aerospace forces now dominated the skies but on the ground the fast moving Hell’s Horses forces were continuing to fight hard causing casualties in the Commonwealth Guards.
With continous aerospace fighter attacks and as more Lyrans and Mountain Wolves deployed into the warzone the Hell’s Horses were slowly overwhelmed by the firepower being brought onto them. Lyran aerospace fighter attacks also quickly located and neutralized the Hell’s Horses DropShips crippling their ability to maintain their units and eliminating their ability to withdraw from the planet. Within hours the Horde Cluster’s ability to fight had been diminished by lack of ammunition and supplies forcing the Horses to withdraw across the planet while being constantly harried by aerospace fighters and fast moving BattleMech forces. By the end of the third day the remaining two trinaries of the First Horde Cluster surrendered to the Mountain Wolf commander the remaining warriors taken as bondsmen to that Clan while the salvage was split evenly between the Lyrans and Wolves.
With the FSS Jackson Davion crippled in the system victory on the ground goes a long way towards justifying the FSN’s presence in the system. With the FSS Zibler under orders to return to the Federated Suns for extensive repairs the FSS Intrepid, a repair ship, and the FSS New Avalon, a Whirlwind II-class Destroyer are ordered to rendezvous in the Tikonov and then head to the Lyran Commonwealth to support the remaining units.
