A New Contract – Dec 3018
Colonel Richard Bedford was keenly aware that his brigade needed more time to incorporate the new replacements and aerospace fighter wing but bills had to be paid. The repair and sale of the captured salvage had brought in a flood of C-Bills but almost the same amount went right back out again to repair the equipment the brigade retained, especially the new aerospace wing. After the ledgers were balanced the brigade was not any further ahead financially than it had been nearly two years ago, although it was larger and more powerful. Between August and November, the brigade also built up a stock extra combat loads of ammunition and other consumables that cost more than 2.4 million C-Bills. The brigade had come very close to expending all of its available supplies in the last of the July battles and Colonel Bedford did not want the brigade to find itself needing to purchase emergency supplies from the client in the middle of a battle. The addition of the aerospace wing placed the brigade behind in tech support once again and new teams were being hired to fill the gaps wherever they could be found. Even so, the deficit would not be made good until January or February of 3019.
As negotiations for a new contract were being finalized in late November the colonel was also aware that the brigade had now spent two years in the employ of the Lyran Commonwealth. While the reputation gained was gratifying, and put to good use in recouping supply and transportation costs as well as salvage claims, Bedford was keen to avoid any appearances that the brigade was becoming ‘attached’ to the Lyran military. The new garrison contract was accepted, in part, to give the brigade a stable base to operate from. If training a new garrison force for a Lyran planet helped the unit brush up on its own skills while it absorbed replacements so much the better. As always, garrison contracts were not lucrative but as long as they didn’t find themselves in the forefront of another planetary campaign they should have no troubles. While signatures were applied to the contract in early December the brigade was already packing up for the move to Alexandria.
Contract Between House Steiner and the 1st Mechanised Brigade.
Mission – Garrison; Planet Alexandria
Duration – One year; Jan 1, 3019 and concluding Dec 31, 3019
Fees – 34,776,000 C-Bills, with 25% paid in advance
Command - Liaison
Transportation Reimbursement – costs x 1.5
Supply Reimbursement – costs x 1.25
Salvage – Mercenary Claims
Regimental Treasury End Dec 3018 – 218,148,805 C-Bills (includes contract advance)
Combat Supplies: 8 combat loads
General Supplies: 3 months
Situation Update, Dec 2nd, 3018:
While the Lyrans were reorganizing their forces from the campaign on Lyons in the autumn of 3018, other Lyran forces lead by the 6th Lyran Regulars and 22nd Skye Rangers, with twelve conventional regiments, landed on Alexandria. The Kurita regiments that had been on the planet had been withdrawn after the defeat on Lyons in case the Lyrans made a lunge towards Ko, Atria or even Kessel. They had not yet returned when the Lyrans landed in November and the garrison of three militia and infantry regiments with three tank battalions did not stand much chance against their attackers. By the time the 1st Mechanised Brigade began their journey to Alexandria in the first week of December the last defenders were being rounded up. As the planet currently had more than 14 regiments on the surface and naval task forces in orbit, the brigade hired commercial dropships and civilian jumpships for the three week journey to their new posting. The 1st Mechanised Brigade was to oversee the re-equipping and rebuilding of a new garrison now that the planet had returned to the Lyran Commonwealth. The mercenary unit was scheduled to land on the planet the day before new years and all concerned were looking forward to a grand celebration for both the new year and liberation from Combine rule.
1st Mechanised Brigade – Table of Organisation and Equipment
Regimental HQ Battle Group:
- Reg’t Tac HQ Platoon: 1 Mobile HQ, 1 Pack Rat ML, 2 Pack Rat LRPV, 2 SRM squads
- Reg’tl eI&R Platoon: 4 Hi-Scout Drone Carriers
- Reg’t Cmd Lance: 4 heavy Mechs (Archers and Crusaders)
1st Battalion + (1st Rifles):
- Bn Tac HQ: 1 MCV, 1 Pack Rat ML, 2 Pack Rat LRPV
- Bn Cmd Lance: 4 medium Mechs (Catapults and Hunchbacks)
- A Coy: 1 HQ pltn, 3 inf pltn (14 squads, 14 APC whl (srm), 2 APC whl (lrm)), 1 maint/supply pltn.
- B Coy: 1 HQ pltn, 3 inf pltn (14 squads, 14 APC whl (srm), 2 APC whl (lrm)), 1 maint/supply pltn.
- C Coy: 1 HQ pltn, 3 inf pltn (14 squads, 14 APC hov (srm), 2 APC whl (lrm)), 1 maint/supply pltn.
2nd Battalion + (11th Hussars):
- Bn Tac HQ: 1 MCV, 1 Pack Rat ML, 2 Pack Rat LRPV
- Bn Cmd Lance: 4 medium Mechs (Trebuchets and Shadow Hawks)
- A Sqn: 2 Partisan LRM aslt tanks, 10 Manticore hvy tanks, 4 von Luckner K-100 hvy tanks
- B Sqn: 6 Scorpion lt tanks, 3 Scorpion SRM lt tanks, 4 Goblin LRM med tanks, 3 Vedette med tanks
- C Sqn: 4 Scimitar hov tanks, 8 Saracen hov tanks; 4 Pegasus hov tanks
3rd Battalion + (17th Lancers):
- Bn Tac HQ: 1 MCV, 1 Pack Rat ML, 2 Pack Rat LRPV
- Bn Cmd Lance: 4 heavy Mechs (Marauders and Catapults)
- A Coy: 2 Trebuchet, 2 Shadow Hawk, 2 Wolverine, 2 Phoenix Hawk, 2 Hunchback, 2 Rifleman, 2 Centurion, 2 Wyvern, 1 maint/supply pltn.
- B Coy: 4 Valkyrie, 4 Javelin 10N, 2 Javelin 10F, 2 Firestarters, 4 Panther, 1 maint/supply pltn.
- C Coy: 4 Locust 1M, 4 Locust 1E, 4 Hermes 1B, 4 Jenner 7F, 1 maint/supply pltn.
Artillery Command [-] (1st Horse Artillery):
- Bn Tac HQ: 1 MCV
- A Coy: 12 Long Tom (LT-MOD-25), 1 maint/supply pltn.
1st Service Battalion:
- Bn Tac HQ: 1 MCV
- 1st (Field Hospital) Coy: 3 MASH trucks, 6 ParaMed APCs (tr), 3 Flat Bed Trucks, 4 Ferret VTOL (ParaMed mod.)
- 2nd (Maintenance) Coy: 4 Hvy Recovery Veh., 4 Recovery Veh., 4 Hvy ARV (hvy APC mod), 4 Coolant Trucks
- 1st Transport Coy: 9 Flat Bed Trucks, 3 Tanker Trucks
- 2nd Transport Coy: 9 Flat Bed Trucks, 3 Tanker Trucks
- 3rd Transport Coy: 9 Flat Bed Trucks, 3 Tanker Trucks
1st Aerospace Fighter Group +:
- 101st Wing Tac HQ: 1 MCV
- 504 Sqn (Nottingham): 8 Sholagar 21L light aerospace fighters
- 501 Sqn (Gloucester): 8 Shilone 17AC medium aerospace fighters
- 302 Sqn (Krakow): 2 Slayer 15A, 2 Reiver F-100, 4 Chippewa W-10 heavy aerospace fighters