25 May 2766
Thazi (Outworlds Alliance)
All the rebel prisoners were secured aboard the Olympus Recharge Station under guard by SLDF Marines. For 3 days, engineers from SLS Hatchet, Kimagure Pursuit Cruiser had been aboard the captured Dart Light Cruisers conducting damage surveys. Now, Chief Engineer Whitney was briefing Commodore William Blythe on what they had learned.
"Dart One, has a basically destroyed Jump Core. She will not jump again anytime soon. Entire Core has to be replaced. She has some serious armor loss and damage to her internal structure. Her CIC/Bridge took a good hit, but that could be repaired. Her engine room is a mess, looks like a shot burrowed all the way in and really messed things up in there. One reactor is totally fried. She lost 2 Docking Collars and no spares. Good news, she was carrying several spare reactors and roughly 9,000 tons of replacement armor. She was loaded for an extended campaign with little to no shipyard support. She is chock full of replacement parts, but alas, no Jump Core. We managed to get into her computer systems and we found that she is a new build. This is no left over, someone, somewhere is actually building new Dart Light Cruisers.
Dart Two, we detected some micro cracks in the Jump Core, enough to cause concern, and if it was a SLDF ship, she would be in the yards for replacement of the Core. Like Dart One, she lost a ton of armor, some structural damage, but fixable. She lost a few weapons, but she has spares aboard. One thing about the Dart, she has good cargo space, unlike our Kimagure which can barely carry the food we need for an extended patrol. She could jump in an emergency, but personally, I would not advise it. The damage is not as severe as on Hatchet, but I think any jump will probably end badly. Her engines took a few hits, but we think they can be fixed back up. She lost a single Docking Collar also. We also got into her computer system, unlike Dart One which is a new build, Dart Two was built in 2402. But she has seen some extensive refurbishing, there is a ton of new equipment aboard her. Her computer systems have all been upgraded. Like Dart One, her cargo bay is packed with spare parts and replacement armor, weapons and ammunition. Loaded for an extended campaign away from shipyard support.
Now, for my baby here. I already told you we cannot jump. Not without risk of destroying the Jump Core. In another 2 weeks, we will have the Helium Tank seals replaced. We can replace our armor, but without shipyard support, it will take a long while, 3 months at least. It will exhaust our stock of replacement armor and be a royal pain in the butt to do without shipyard support. It really is not something I am looking forward to. We have to rig up the portable cranes to maneuver the armor plates and those portable cranes are major headaches to use and assemble. They were one of the reasons the SLDF built the Newgrange Yardships. Not to mention forming the damned Ferro-Carbide sheets is a major royal pain in the butt, I cannot stress that enough, another reason the SLDF built the Newgrange Yardships. I am just thankful we are not clad in Lamellor Ferro-Carbide, talk about being difficult to work with. The only other damage is to one of our Docking Collars, it is not destroyed totally, but it is beat up bad enough that I would not trust it, but we ain't jumping anywhere soon so that is minor." Chief Engineer Whitney concluded his briefing
"Would more people help with the armor replacement?" Commodore Blythe asked
"More people are always better, but they need to know what they are doing, experienced working in Zero-G. I could put the Marines to use, but they are going to pitch a major fit about it, they know Zero-G, but I would bet big money not a single one of them have any experience repairing a ship." CE Whitney replied
"Well, we happen to have 212 rebel crew we captured. Surely we could put them to work." Commodore Blythe said
"Sir, with respect and all that, I would not trust a single one of them near my baby. We will handle the repairs. You will just have to put up with my bitching." CE Whitney said
"Fine Chief, I will just pray you complete repairs before we get into another fight out here." Commodore Blythe replied
Waitur (Outworlds Alliance)
The emergence wave caused Ships Captain Martin Zuni no small amount of panic when it was detected, they needed another 8 hours to complete recharging their drive. When the Tramp Jumpship materialized 12,000km away and began broadcasting SLDF IFF, he breathed a sigh of relief. It was not long before his ship was hailed by the SLS Forever Journey, Tramp Jumpship.
"Merchant Jumpship, this is SLS Forever Journey, how copy over."
"This is Merchant Vessel Daring the Odds, I have you load and clear Forever Journey." Ships Captain Zuni replied
"Roger Daring, we are looking for a intel dump of the area."
Ships Captain Zuni thought about this for a few seconds, "Forever Journey, how about you shuttle over to my ship and I can show you what I know."
There was a longer pause before the answer cam back "Roger Daring, expect our shuttle in about an hour. Forever Journey out."
Just a hair over an hour later, the SLDF shuttle entered Daring the Odds' shuttle bay where 4 SLDF officers exited and we led to meet Ships Captain Zuni. On the grav deck, Ships Captain Zuni introduced himself "Ships Captain Martin Zuni at your service."
"I am Major Stanton Emerson, commander SLS Forever Journey. This is Colonel Elizabeth McCord, Major Jose Ferrera and Major Tim Ronstein, 298th Battlemech Division."
"Your missing a bunch of ships Major Emerson. Only 2 Dictator and a Czar Dropship, that is all that is left of a Battlemech Division?" Zuni asked
There was a slight pause before Major Emerson answered "We are detached from the Division. Recon mission. So, what can you tell us about the immediate area?"
"Before we go there, I need to pass on a message." He pulled out the encoded message given to him by Lieutenant General Colin McGregor and handed it over "This was given to me by Lieutenant General Colin McGregor of the 126th Mechanized Infantry Division, I met up with them at Sorsk. When I told him about another SLDF unit I suspected was heading to Pilon to help out another SLDF unit trapped, he made me promise to pass on their location to the SLDF. I have now done so and can get back to my business."
Major Emerson tucked the message into his pocket "Thank you, we will make sure this gets to the proper people. Now, what does the immediate area look like?"
"Well, a few months ago, the rebels were kicking the crud out of the SLDF on Pilon. They also held Boulsi and Thazi for sure. I got searched by a Outworlds Pinto at Coyle. Talking to a few other Merchant Captains I met along the way, it looks like the rebels are pushing inward towards the center of the Outworlds Alliance. If the SLDF hugs the outer systems, they should be able to get to Pilon and the other SLDF troops there without much fuss." Ships Captain Zuni said
"Can you show me the exact route you took and systems you passed thru, it would be of great help to us." Major Emerson asked
"Sure" Captain Zuni said as he pulled up a Star Map on his portable pad. He traced out the route he took, rebel sightings for over 45 minutes.
"Thank you Captain Zuni, you have been a huge help. And on behalf of the Star League Defense Force, thank you for fulfilling your promise to relay to the SLDF the location of our missing units. You going to be in system long?" Colonel McCord said
"I jump in 6 hours. Now that the I have passed on the message, I will be heading into the Federated Suns. It is a little too hot out here for me to risk my ship and crew." Ships Captain Zuni responded
"Well then, you and your crew stay safe and again, thank you." Colonel McCord said
Twenty minutes later, after the SLDF shuttle had cleared the shuttle bay of Merchant Vessel Daring the Odds, Colonel Elizabeth McCord spoke up. "Well, now we have a damned problem. We stick our necks out and relay this message to the SLDF, we are looking prison time or worse getting shot for desertion. But I am not sure I can live with myself leaving those soldiers out there to die without help. So, let's here it, what do we do?"
"I almost had a panic attack when he handed that message over and gave us a brief idea of what it contained. Now we have the message and those folks out there are cut off from any help. Me and my people are not afraid to fight the rebels, we just refused to be broken up, just your Infantry folks Colonel. I say we head out that way, if the SLDF troops are still alive, we help them out. If not, well we continue on like we planned. We can always bail on them once the fighting is over" Major Tim Ronstein said
"I vote to go help them. When we accepted that message from Zuni, we tied our fate to those troops out there. I don't want to live with myself if we do not at least try." Major Jose Ferrera stated
"How about you Major Emerson, how long to reach Pilon from here?" Colonel McCord asked
"I cast my lot with you folks, as did my crew. I go where you tell me to go. If I remember that Star Map right, it is 9 jumps to Pilon, if I recharge off the reactor and bump the rate up some, I think I can get us there in 2 months time." Major Emerson said
"Then it is unanimous, we head for Pilon and try to help out the stranded troops out there." Colonel McCord said as the others nodded in agreement
Shrim (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. Sensors quickly detected the Tramp Jumpship seconds before it jumped from the system. "Pull up the senor logs, see if we can identify that Tramp Jumpship." She ordered
"We got a single pulse from the ships IFF, SLS Seeker, Tramp Jumpship assigned to the 335th Royal Dragoon Regiment." Her sensor officer replied
"They wasted no time in leaving, but then again, being a solo Jumpship way out here, I can't say I blame them. Begin recharge operations." Commodore Delvaney said
Achnoly (Outworlds Alliance)
SLS Seeker, Tramp Jumpship materialized at the Zenith Jump Point. Once the sensors declared the Jump Point clear, Major Kelsey Linnes ordered "Commence recharge operations." Then turning to Captain Xavier Poutry "That was a close one, not sure what was incoming, but it was a huge ass emergence wave, had to be SLDF warships. I doubt the sensors grabbed anything, we were too deep into the jump sequence. But we will take a look."
Captain Xavier Poutry nodded, he and his Battlemech Company (reinforced) were all that was left of his Battalion. SLS Seeker had 3 Union Dropships aboard, once belonging to 3rd Battalion, 335th Royal Dragoon Regiment. His Company actually was put together from the survivors of the Battalion. Loaded on the Union's were 9 Warhammer WHM-7A, 4 Thunderbolt TDR-5Sb and 3 Archer ARC-2Rb along with 5 Mechwarrior with no rides and the full support personnel of the Battalion. After eating a few nukes, the 335th Royal Dragoon Regiment had been ordered to report to Stratford for disbandment. The order was greeted with hostility from the survivors of 3rd Battalion. After convincing Major Linnes to take them somewhere else after the 4th jump, they had broken off from the small convoy carrying the rest of the Regiment.
Shiri (Outworlds Alliance)
When the orders had come to depart Ictus and report to Stratford for disbandment, 1st Regiment, 4282nd Brigade, 428th Battlemech Division had been stunned. The 428th Battlemech Division had fought a hard fight on Ictus against very long odds and emerged victorious. As repayment, they were being disbanded, and this had not set well with anyone in the Division, but it was much worse in the 1st Regiment. They contained the remains of all 3 Battlemech Regiments in 4282nd Brigade. It had taken some time to convice Colonel Alberta Collins to make the leap with them, but finally they had done so. Taking control of SLS Blade Runner, Star Lord Jumpship, they had left the convoy carrying the 428th Battlemech Division to Stratford. No one knew their final destination, but at least they were still together. Loaded aboard the 4 Dictator, 1 Lion and 1 Mammoth Dropship were:
1st Regiment, 428th Battlemech Division
Battlemech Battalion - 22 Nighthawk NTK-2Q, 14 Lynx LNX9Q
Battlemech Battalion - 13 Shootist ST-8A, 17 Guillotine GLT-3N, 6 Bombardier BMD-12D
Battlemech Battalion - 36 Phoenix Hawk PXH-2
Battlemech Company (Reinforced) - 10 Pillager PLG-3Z, 6 Thug THG-11E
Regiment Support
Wayland Mobile Repair - 12
Coolant Trucks - 36
Mobile HQ (4 standard, 2 HPG) - 6
Cargo Trucks - 68
MASH Trucks - 3
Dispossessed Mechwarriors - 27
Support Personnel - 2,592
