My thanks to marauder648 for deciding the fate of New Extford with an excellent battle-story. Hope you enjoy April 3103
AFFS Command
District City, Kathil
Capellan March, Federated Suns
16th April 3103
Colonel Richard Steiner stepped into the AFFS Command Centre on Kathil this place was familiar to him, but it was not like his regiment… like his regiment had been he thought, even as he thought of what had happened to the First Kathil Uhlans his wounds ached. Under his duty uniform his right arm and the upper right quarter of his chest and lower neck were heavily bandaged from the burns he had sustained on Verlo.
Each time he closed his eyes Richard was back on that damned planet, that night, in the early hours of the morning a firebomb had ripped through the Uhlans base camp shocking their command. Richard still had no idea how it had happened but he and roughly half of the unit had been inside the barracks when the bombs had gone off, thirty-two MechWarriors had died in the resulting fire before they’d even made it to their Mechs.
Suffering from burns Richard had made it to his Templar OmniMech the ice in his coolant vest had aggravated but also calmed the pain from his burns. The Kathil Uhlans had been under heavy attack on the ground from at least two Capellan Confederation Warrior Houses. Richard had marshaled his remaining forces ordering his warriors to retreat to their DropShips and escape the planet. For eight hours he had fought against the Capellans and watched three regiments of his support troops sacrifice themselves before evacuating with less than a combined arms regiment into three DropShips.
Even as he hung in his OmniMech Richard had found no respite their DropShips had been assaulted by the Hell’s Black Angels Aerospace Unit. The Capellan fighters had dived on the retreating DropShips intent on wiping out the Kathil Uhlans. Richard had missed the resulting battle passing out in his BattleMech as he finally blacked out from the pain caused by his wounds. He’d watched the reruns of their escape the arrival of their WarShip the FSS Ellen Davion, a Davion III-class Destroyer, which had made an intersystem jump most likely breaking its KF Drive to do it. The Ellen Davion had dived into the battle slashing at the Hell’s Black Angels DropShips. Undeterred the Capellan Aerospace forces had turned on the single destroyer punching through its defences causing heavy damage in several obviously practiced runs then finally almost in one final attack the Capellans had struck the Ellen Davion with a nuclear-tipped anti-ship missile consuming the half a million ton vessel in a blinding flash. The attack had blinded the Uhlans but it had also affected the Hell’s Black Angels sensors allowing the DropShips to escape.
Now on Kathil the remains of the Uhlans would begin the long process of rebuilding. Richard Steiner while still the Regiment commander would be sidelined for at least six months due to his burn injuries instead of commanding his unit he would be working from the Command Centre on Kathil. That wasn’t to say he wouldn’t be busy the attack on Verlo had been the Capellan’s most successful but it hadn’t been the only one they’d attacked Victoria, Menke, Mitchell, Jonzac and Sidar while the Taurian Concordat had joined them assault MacLeod’s Land and Laconis along their shared border. From what Richard had understood the AFFS was holding the Capellans on Victoria and Sirdar. While Mitchell, Menke, Jonzac and Verlo were confirmed to have fallen both worlds targeted by the Taurians had been abandoned by the AFFS with their troops moved to other areas.
Richard approached the main tactical table which showed a map of the Federated Suns and most importantly the Capellan March. Standing around the table was Field Marshal Nathaniel Hasek, possibly the oldest warrior in AFFS service, despite his age the years did not show on him today the Field Marshal of the Capellan March was in his element directing the Capellan March in a war. “Reporting as ordered Field Marshal” Richard said the old man looked over at him and smiled he was Kym Hasek’s uncle and they knew each other well.
“Welcome back to Kathil Colonel”
“Thank you” Richard said “what’s our status sir?”
“OPERATION DOWNFALL is in effect.” Nathaniel said naming of of the Federated Suns Counter-attack strategies. “Units based off St Ives had successes on Brighton and Taga. While reinforcements are being routed to Sirdar and Victoria” he said Richard flinched his wife Duchess Kym Hasek was on her way to Victoria with Federated Suns Naval forces. “The New Hessen Mercenary Regiments have launched an attack on Ningpo and Algol” Nathaniel said as further worlds lit up “while Jaylen Davion has forced her way onto Grand Base with the First St Ives Lancers” the Field Marshal said with a predatory grin. “The Capellans were not expecting the whole March to rise against them.” He said triumphantly as a support officer entered handing Richard an information pad he quickly looked over it.
“Or perhaps they did.” He said connecting the pad to the main computer screen the map updated “secondary attacks from the Capellans. Sirdar has fallen the Eighth Syrtis Fusiliers RCT are no more while Foundation Industries WarShip Vidar has been destroyed.” He said naming the independent Riga-class WarShip registered as a mercenary unit by the company. “Secondary Capellan and Taurian strikes have struck Broden, Columbine, Vard, Pojo, Muridox and Larsha.”
“So the battle is joined” Nathaniel Hasek said his predatory smile never dropping once, he didn't know the Taurian motivation but they'd pay the price too, “shall we see how well the Capellans dance Colonel?”
“As long as we start with the easy steps, sir” Richard joked thinking of his arm and back.
“Every step with a Capellan is an easy one you just aim for the bastard’s toes” Nathaniel said laughing looking up at the map their long peace with the Capellans was over his final campaign had begun.
Battle for New Extford
New Extford
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
20th April 3103
The SLS Firedrake’s engines rumbled slightly as she burned towards New Extford, a world that had been under Jade Falcon occupation for too long. Her CiC was quiet, crew quietly muttering orders into their mics as the Patriot class heavy cruiser went to battle.
“Sir Captain Moore on the Marshal Ney reports that the screen is in position.”
“Thank you, CAG?”
“All our birds are in the black Sir, the assault forces have their own organic cover and the Otaka’s going to stay with them in case the Clan dropper’s break off and make a run for them.”
“Excellent. Comms. Give Captain Tanaka my regards, tell her that she may engage as needed and she does not have to conform to the maneuvers of the flagship.”
That had been a serious risk, the Otaka was a capable warship but against a battle-cruiser she was out of her league, still the Clan group appeared to be sticking in close formation, their four DropShips leading the way whilst their fighters had yet to launch.
“What do we have on the Jade Lion?”
“Not much Sir, the Foxes are not talking about them but she’s reading basically as a modified Black Lion.
Captain Kurt Thobal nodded, looking at the sensor display and the long range cameras that were locked onto the distant Falcon Warships, back lit by the blue and green of the world they were defending.
He had the superior force, even if the enemy capital ship out massed both of his vessels, they had more fighters, more and he was sure better assault DropShips. But his fighters were spread between his group and the assault force carrying SLDF's Second Division, Third Brigade, The Crater Cobras and the Second Dismal Disinherited Regiment to the planet.
The fact that there were Mercs present had gotten the Falcons backs right up, a request for a bid had been met with static as the Clan force broke orbit and moved out. But they had not gone hell for leather for the vulnerable JumpShips and their precious cargo, but for the obvious challenge of the WarShips escorting them.
“Sir! Enemy craft are launching fighters!”
“Get me an ID on the type.”
“Reading…10 Scytha and 10 Hydaspes from the Jade Lion and..Carrier’s launching…reading them as Avar’s Sir!”
There were some mutters on the bridge, Clan Sea Fox had been producing the Hydaspes en mass and had found a ready market with the other Clans who were snapping them up as soon as they were produced.
“CAG?”
“We can handle that, we’ll have Gold Group engage the Scytha’s and just pick the rest off.”
“Signal the escort group, they are weapons free to engage targets of opportunity, but they will concentrate fire when I say.”
“Weapons, spin up the missiles, conventional warheads only, release of Special Weapons is not authorized.”
“Aye Sir! Spinning up the birds now!”
Whilst it took a few words and a series of computer commands the results were far more impressive.
Hatches along the cruisers bow and forward flanks popped open as multi-tonne missiles were fed into the launch tubes from their rotary ammunition holders. Each missile came to life in a heartbeat, its computer talking with the cruisers, feeding it targeting data, range, speed, predicted course.
Two hoses connected, the hydrogen slush fuel pumps pouring thousands of gallons of the freezing cold liquid into the missiles tanks in the space of a few seconds.
“Data link is good, all missiles fulled and ready to fire.”
“Excellent, link targeting data with the escorts.”
“Data coming through now.”
“Very good. Open fire!”
A simple press of a button was all it took. Each launch tube was lined with electro-magnets that would give the multi-tonne weapon a push out of the tube, thrusters flashed on the Killer Whale missiles sides to turn them towards the target as they drifted a dozen feet from their mothership before their rockets ignited, pushing them to full speed in a few seconds, their motors leaving behind a faint grey trail of ‘smoke’ from their spent fuel.
“Missiles away! Reloading now, all birds running hot, no malfunctions! Four minutes until DropShip screen!”
The escorting Overlord A3’s Churchill and Alexander added to the barrage as did the Legacy of Fire; an impressive looking Nekohono’o.
Thousands of kilometers ahead the missiles raced on, their data feed overriding their LADAR and Radar, focusing on the mass of the Jade Falcon their path taking them over the dropship screen before the Clan Warship.
As the range dropped the escorts immediately opened fire with a blizzard of anti-missile fire, whilst the swift and agile Avar’s dove on the missiles.
“Nine missiles destroyed sir; one is reading a…make that ten, destroyed, and they are through the screen.”
Now it was up to the Jade Lion’s defenses and they didn’t disappoint. Of the 21 missiles launched, only three survived to impact with the Clan Warship’s hull, Buckling but not breaching the hull in brief flashes of fire.
“Ready to fire again Sir!”
“Fire, target the escort group, we won’t get through those defenses with all them in the way.”
“Sir! Missiles launched from the Jade Lion no radiological alarm.”
The Captain nodded, even the Clanner’s didn’t want to let that gene out of the bottle.
“Fire the screen launcher, and weapons free on point defenses!”
“Aye Sir! Sir! Enemy missiles are actively pinging the Alexander!”
Captain Thobal bit back a curse, the Overlord A3’s lacked an AMS of their own and despite their missile heavy armament and they were also vulnerable to missiles themselves.
“Signal the Alexander and have her move closer so she is shielded by our AMS and I want a screen deployed now!”
The Screen launcher system ‘fired’ a heavy canister into space, it split open like a blossoming flower, filling the space calculated that the hostile missiles would go through with decoys, electronic jammers, chaff and other still classified devices, all working to jam, confuse and entice the inbound missiles. Six of the Clan’s missiles fell for the decoys and electronic sirens, their on-board systems registering a massive target that filled their radar ‘eyes’ and made their computer brains register they had found their target. Bright flashes of detonations bloomed in the darkness of space but two missiles kept going, both slightly below the main flight and slightly astern, their radar seekers firmly locked on the return they were getting from the Alexander, their heat seeker heads reading the thermal bloom of its thrusters.
One missile never made it, cut in half by a long blurt of AMS fire at extreme range but the final missile kept going, completing its one service for Clan Jade Falcon as the pointed head of the missile rammed into the Overlord A3 at Mach 10.
Even as it was crushed into oblivion the fuse activated and the missile detonated, the huge shaped charge detonating, venting its fury against the Overlord’s hull as it and the remaining fuel detonated in a blinding flash.
“Damage report from the Alexander, one of their AR-10 tubes is jammed shut, the hull is buckled and ‘we have a new porthole in the upper starboard side’, no fires reported and she is holding position.”
“Very good, keep firing!”
As the range dropped the weapons fire picked up. The Carrier class DropShip Argus was ripped in half by a quartet of missile strikes that set off her fuel tank whilst the Claymore Tegetthoff, was dropping back, her hull breached and heavily damaged by a missile strike. The Aerospace fighters on both sides rolled in to engage as the surviving trio of Clan assault DropShips, a pair of Eisigrim’s and a Noruff went to full thrust and began engaging the SLDF’s ships.
“Sir…” The comm’s officer stopped his report as the ship rocked slightly as a PPC burst melted hull armour.
“The Otaka reports that the DropShips are entering the atmosphere and she is en-route to our location.”
“Understood, guns keep targeting the Jade Lion and keep firing!”
The blackness of space was light up by brief puffs of exploding missiles and long jagged lines of laser light. Outnumbered the Jade Falcon assault DropShips clung together in a group, their interlinked AMS cutting down most of the missiles directed their way, but even then they were taking damage. But giving it too. The trio rolled, burning retro’s hard, catching the Arondight Marshal Ney flat footed and a volley of missiles at no more than a few dozen miles, point blank in space terms saw the big assault DropShip burst like an over inflated balloon. She was joined in death moments later when the Noruff Daughter of the Tempest was hit hard by a pair of Kraken-T missiles, the ship rolling bow over stern in an unrecoverable dive that saw the G-force spiraling wildly before the ship ripped itself apart, spilling metal and its crew across the battlefield.
With her escorts being overwhelmed the Jade Lion altered her course, rolling to present her guns not to the Firedrake but the onrushing assault DropShips and Otaka.
The Combine built ship’s weapons were spitting as soon as they charged or reloaded, massed batteries of PPCs, gouging into the Isegrim Honour and setting her aflame as her ATM ammo in the wing detonated. A NAC round slammed hard into the Jade Lion’s side, smashing a turret into ruin before the Clan warship completed her roll and opened fire.
The Izuma II was a capable warship, fast, well-armed and heavily protected for a ship its size, but she was still only a corvette.
At short range the guns of the Jade Lion hammered into the Otaka the impacts physically knocking the smaller ship aside before something was hit. One of the Otaka’s autocannon’s took a hit a moment before it fired. The gun, the shell and propellant all detonated in a thundering flash of heat and supersonic fragments. Bulkheads activated but the force of the blast was too great, the explosion ripping into the read to use shells which detonated moments later. The explosion gutted the forward port side of the corvette and she rolled debris and ribbons of fire streaming from her hull like blood from a wound as her damage control parties worked to save the ship.
But despite this success the Jade Lion was hurting, weapons had been disabled, there was fire on several decks and her support was almost gone.
“Sir! She’s running!”
“Thank god…what is our status?”
“We’ve compartments open to space, the fire on the port side is out, but the secondary reactor’s murmuring. Department heads reporting casualties twenty-four confirmed dead, at least sixteen crew reported missing and numerous injuries.” They’d been hurt but they were still going.
“Land forces?”
“They are away and deploying, reporting heavy contact.”
“Understood… give that Clan bastard a few more missile volley’s to keep her honest and then stand down, recover our fighters and look for any life pods.”
The fighting on New Extford was bloody almost from the start. The two Clusters almost ignored the SLDF regiment and instead threw themselves in a fury at the Second Dismal Disinherited Regiment, leaving only a thin screen to harass the Crater Cobra’s as they made their advance.
At first it seemed that the Clan’s would overrun the landing zone but frantic calls for air support yielded success and the tattered remnants of Gold Flight, one made purely of Eisensturm assault fighters dove through the atmosphere, strafing and bombing the Clan forces even as the Crater Cobra’s slammed into their exposed flank.
Pushed back the Clusters withdrew in an orderly fashion behind a suicidal rear-guard but under constant air attack and with the SLDF forces holding onto their tail the Clanner’s didn’t have time to regroup or re-arm. With both clusters reduced to below 50% their surviving officer requested Hegira. The mauled remnants of the Dismal Disinherited were at first unwilling to grant this but the SLDF commander on the ground, seeing that the Falcons had backed into very defensible terrain realized that crushing the Clan forces would take time and cost too much blood and accepted.
Colonel Nakambe watched the Clan forces pull back, they were all damaged, all showing signs of the hard but honourable battle they had fought. Their blind fury against the Mercs had saved his command from too many casualties but still, there were many Mech’s that required hours of work whilst the Dismal were just that, in a dismal state, battered and exhausted with three dropships crippled on the ground, one fatally when a crazed Turkina had stormed up a disembarking ramp and opened fire inside. The detonating supplies and ammo had pulped the Mech but the Overlord he’d boarded would never fly again.
“Send word to the fleet, they can contact command and say that New Extford once again belongs to the Lyrans.” While victory had come at a cost at New Extford Kandersteg and Atocongo had fallen to combined SLDF/LCAF forces with far less casualties and damage. In both the Timkovichi and Santana systems the Inner Sphere liberation forces had been stopped dead by the Jade Falcons.
Clan Jade Falcon’s leadership realize that they have over extended themselves and are unable to fight off the Inner Sphere forces. The Jade Falcon Khans call their garrison forces from their periphery holdings effectively abandoning them to the wilds of the periphery. They also allow the Sea Foxes to trial for five additional worlds adjacent to those that the Sea Foxes had seized from the Hell’s Horses freeing up additional Jade Falcon garrison forces for use elsewhere in their Occupation Zone. With recent territory increases the Sea Foxes find that their Clan Touman is over extended and are unable to heavily garrison their planets the trader Clan finds that they do not need to secure their worlds as heavily as the Jade Falcons or Wolves instead allowing their newly acquired planets a little autonomy.
Holding Area, Razor Teeth (Sovetskii Soyuz-class Heavy Cruiser)
Arcadia, Wolf Empire
24th April 3103
Along with nearly her whole company Captain Dana Carlyle sat cross legged on the floor on the gravity deck on board the Razor Teeth. Her battle armour team had been ambushed by a group of Clan Wolf Elementals that had raided Rahne striking at the Gray Death Legion. She’d been knocked out in the opening Wolf short range missile salvo and missed nearly the entire battle only coming to as the survivors of her company were forced into the Wolf DropShip and taken off planet. They’d all been informed they were now bondsmen of Clan Wolf. As she sat on the deck Dana focused on the floor she should have remained a doctor she had no right being here she thought as a pair of Wolf boots stepped in front of her. Dana looked up at the massive mountain of flesh and muscle in front of her “I am Star Captain Franklin Shaw you are my bondsmen” he said in a deep voice Dana did not move “come with me” he said still she didn’t move in one rapid movement Shaw yanked her up onto her feet. Around her several Legionaries raised with her Shaw moved faster than she had ever seen anyone move before rapidly striking three of her warriors with rapid jabs and kicks knocking them down.
“NO!” Dana shouted “I’ll come don’t hurt them any further” she demanded immediately Shaw rounded on her with a back handed slap that knocked a tooth from her mouth.
“First rule of being a Wolf speak properly” he demanded as she looked back at him defiantly. He then took a step closer “second rule never make another demand on me.” He ordered “now follow me.” He said walking out of the room Dana glanced at the other warriors of the her company one last time before being led away and into another room. This room was different from the other instead of an open space instead there were tables and a large viewscreen on the wall showing another WarShip “you will be transferred on board the Provider.” He said
“What will I do there?”
“The Provider is our science vessel you will work with our scientists there.” He said his voice softer now no longer speaking as the Wolf warrior.
“I am a warrior” she protested
“But you were trained as a scientist on Terra” Shaw replied “the Wolves can use scientists more than another battle armour operator” he said. “The Provider will be your home for a time we were forced to move our scientists on board the WarShip due to problems with some locals but you will be safe there.” He promised her Dana looked at the WarShip on the screen thinking that perhaps finally she would do what she had wanted to do, what she’d been trained to do even if it was for the Wolves perhaps this was her path.