This scene is particularly big and needs its own post. It came originally from marauder648 who came up with the idea of the battle and provided most of the work I just played about with it and expanded it. So my thanks to marauder648
Operation Doolittle
Sudeten, Pirate Point between Sudeten and the moon Saar
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
23rd November 3103The Werewolf flashed into existence, her Lithium Fusion battery already charging up to jump in an emergency as the WarShip’s main drives fired. If somehow anyone missed the massive thermal radiation flare of the ships arrival, no one missed what came next as it was broadcast across the entire system.
“Attention defenders of Sudeten and Warriors of Clan Jade Falcon, this is saKhan Declan Kerensky of Clan Mountain Wolf, I bring with me three full Clusters of Mountain Wolf troops as well as the WarShip Werewolf we challenge you for possession of your resources, your Mech’s and Sibko’s. With what forces do you propose to defend your Capital World and dare to face the jaws of the Wolf?”
“You and those of your ilk are little more than dezgra Mercenaries, if you want our world we will face you with everything you have. Not one mongrel will live to see the sun rise!”
The link terminated with a static hiss and Kerensky grinned broadly, turning to the Werewolf’s commander. “I guess that means we will not be granted Safcon, launch the dropships and aerospace fighters, I will be with our forces on the ground, I leave the naval battle entirely in your control.”
“Status change! We have pre-emergence neutrinos!”
“Distance?”
“One million kilometres off our port bow.”
Conducting an in system jump the CJF Falcon’s Nest, a Texas-class Battleship, and one of only two left in known existence made her entrance in a white flash, her engines already firing, DropShips detaching.
“You had best get to your Dropship; we will hold them off and engage any targets of opportunity.”
Kerensky nodded and then saluted “Happy Hunting Star Admiral Scott Conners.”
The three Wolf Overlord C’s burned hard towards Sudeten, the Werewolf fighters flying top cover as well as the Isegrim Smaug that was already firing at distant targets with her sub-capital missiles
The three Overlords hit the ground, their ramps spilling forth Mountain Wolf Mech’s issuing their challenges to the Falcon defenders as they formed up and moved out. Fighters from the Werewolf were busy guarding the ship so it fell to those of the Titan Carrier Hercules’ Strength to watch over the ground forces whilst the Smaug clawed her way skyward on pillars of fusion fire to join the battle overhead.
Landing eighty kilometres north of the Capital city the Wolves moved out en-mass whilst the Falcons scrambled to meet them, alert klaxons blaring in dozens of Mech Hangars and in the fortifications surrounding the Olivetti Works.
---
Onboard the Werewolf the Wolf gunners were enjoying the targeting practice against the Jade Falcon installations and shipping. “Target in range!”
“Fire!”
Brilliant blue beams of particle fire blazed through space, melting the thin hide of Forge 12/Q, a largely automated refining plant for endo-steel. The structure, many thousands of tonnes in mass came apart, disintegrating as its structural integrity failed; brief flashes of fire marking where the particle bolts had ignited the stations atmosphere
“Range to the Falcon’s Nest?”
“She is entering extreme range for our guns now and is turning to bring her broadside to bare on us!” One of the Wolves called out
“Match her course, have the Smaug and Garm stick close to us and provide anti-missile protection, guns rip her open!”
---
As the two goliaths fought over the space around Sudeten with naval weaponry below on the planet the Wolves and Jade Falcons engaged each other with smaller but no less deadly weapons.
“Falcon scum you face Star Captain Iwona Chistu! Step forwards and meet your death!” Oh sure she KNEW she was hamming it up, perhaps she’d watched that Spheroid children’s cartoon a bit too much but still.
“Missile lock. Missile lock. Missile lock. Missile lock!”
A Falcon Night Gyr had answered his challenge and Iwona grinned, keying her Night Wolf’s weapon systems as the two Mech’s thundered forwards. It had not been any formal battle of old, rather a rapidly escalating series of meeting engagements when Stars and Binary’s ran into each other.
“Star Captain, there are some Falcon tanks moving to the north east, permission to engage?”
“Wipe them out, keep them from flanking us!”
There was a yowl as the Night Wolf’s Advanced Tactical Missile’s got a good solid lock and the Mech shuddered as it began volleying missiles.
---
Behind the Jade Falcon lines at the Olivetti Works Factory a less intense conversation was taking place as a Warrior looked at a prize that even the Wolves knew nothing of. “Sir, they are barely ready, these are pre-production prototypes, the Shrike has only moved from its construction bay to where it is now.”
“But they are armed and operational Quiaff?” He asked looking over the BattleMech that stood beside him it was as if a Jade Falcon had inhabited the design.
“Aff, but I must advise strongly against their deployment, testing has only barely begun and we do not know of any kinks and flaws, yes they can fight but we do not know how well.” The Chief Technician glanced at his comrades for assistance but they did not want to draw the wrath of the Elemental. He didn’t want to push the designs before they were ready.
“They are avatars of the Clan; I will give you three Stars of my finest Mech Warriors. We cannot let the Dezgra Wolves close with this facility; these machines will drive them back in ruin.”
“But…Sir…”
“It is the Khan’s will. Do you wish to go against the orders of your Khan?” The Elemental turned slowly, his Myomer hand flexing, EI tattoos glinting in the harsh factory lighting.
“N-Neg!”
“Good. You have a fine Codex; it would be a shame to rip you apart. You have your orders, brief my men and ensure these Mech’s are ready!”
---
Despite the rush on the planet’s surface to counter the Wolves in space the Jade Falcon WarShip Falcon’s Nest appeared to be far less interested in attacking the Wolves. “Sir they are turning again.” One of the Wolves reported slamming his fist down on his console. The Falcon’s Nest could fight the McKenna in a straight up battle with a chance of victory but the Texas was playing a strange fight.
“What are they playing at…we are tickling one another at this range, we try closing, they withdraw, we withdraw they try closing.”
The ship shook slightly as naval lasers struck the Werewolf burning the WarShip’s armour “minor hit on the starboard nose quarter, the armour absorbed the blow.”
“Sir I am requesting permission to bring half our fighters on board to refuel and re-arm, my pilots have been out there six hours.” The Werewolf’s aerospace and DropShip fighter controller requested from her console the pilots were not the only thing suffering the fuel levels were low on all of their fighters while ammunition levels on the several fighters were almost completely empty.
“Permission granted, the Falcons are content to dance at range anyhow. What about the forces at the Falcons orbital facilities?”
In the holo-tank the prize, the huge conglomeration of factories, plants, forges and slips for fighters, DropShips and Mech’s, the ugly but utterly functional Falcon’s Roost Orbital Assembly Plant glowed a brilliant green. Out of range for now and shielded by a wall of fighters and a dozen assault DropShips that must have had orders to hold position no matter the provocations sent against them.
There was a small cheer from the gunnery section Star Admiral Scott Conners glared at them angrily they were far from a true victory. “Sorry Sir! Enemy Noruff destroyed, it was skirting the edge of our engagement range with two stars of Fighters taunting us, the fighters are withdrawing, we showed them” the commander of the gunners reported triumphantly a smile beaming from his lips.
“Very good, well done, keep firing at any target in range” he said at least someone on the ship was happy.
---
Below Conners’ WarShip battle the fight had turned into a slugging match as the planet’s heavens opened and rain began to fall soaking the combatants. The Jade Falcons were throwing everything at the Mountain Wolf positions. “Target right! Damn it...and front! All Tango Units open fire, gut the bastards!” Star Captain Martin Ward cursed firing his Mech’s particle cannon at a Jade Falcon BattleMech. “Die dezgra scum!”
“STAR CA...”
Even as they tried to turn one flank of the Jade Falcons an enemy Bane 4 BattleMech smashed trees aside its broad feet sinking into the wet ground, its pilot ignoring the stinging fire from a Mountain Wolf Ice Ferret and focusing on another target, suddenly almost at once the Bane let rip with its massive ultra-class assault autocannons with a roaring burst of sustained fire. The high explosive shells tore into the Highlander IIC catching the Mountain Wolf BattleMech dead to rights even as the Jade Falcon warrior opened fire with its missiles. Even as the assault BattleMech crumbled and fell over like a dropped sack of cement the Jade Falcon Bane exploded under the combined fire of three Mountain Wolf Wolf Mech’s, Zelbringen was not in force, the Falcons viewed the Wolves as at best Mercenaries, and both sides were not holding back.
There were no battle lines, no neat lines of advance or retreat, just a huge confused and utterly undignified brawl that would remind those of who had seen the ROM’s as being as ferocious as the Trial of Annihilation of Clan Widowmaker, in the woody, soaked hilly terrain the two Clans were ripping into each other with a ferocity born of deep boned hated, no quarter asked, and none given.
With their DropShips fairly close the Wolves were quickly cycling Mech’s back to reload and re-arm and with the Skyreach mountains on their right flank the Falcons could come at them from two directions and the Mountain Wolves were on guard. Salvage teams were already hauling crippled Falcon Mech’s and tanks onto the DropShips as the pressure built all around them there was a feeling that the Falcons were finally starting to get organised rather than attacking in a fury.
“saKhan we have dug in and are holding them off but the Falcons are pushing along the entire front of our perimeter. Ironfur and Golden Eye Stars are firing arrows and supporting the DropShips, losses are…acceptable, at the moment.”
“Thank you Star Captain Andrew Radick, my Command Star will take its place on the line whilst you fall back to rearm.” The saKhan said stepping his Mech into the breach its feet sinking into the soaking mud saKhan Kerensky felt sorry for the ground bound Warg Battle Armoured troopers who had to wade through the mess.
“Aff saKhan.”
---
Elsewhere behind Jade Falcon lines MechWarrior Roshak bit back a curse even as he pounded the top of his Eyrie’s main sensor display. The Mech was achingly new, it had walked precisely eight hundred and three meters since it had been made and was still in its standard matte grey finish with no camouflage applied. The enhanced Star had set out from the Olivetti factory, only having to halt when the Jade Hawk’s right leg actuator froze up, forcing them to leave the machine behind. Down to three Eyrie’s, two Gyrfalcon’s and a Shrike with the Jade Hawk being towed back to the factory on a huge flatbed recovery vehicle they were now finally approaching the battle zone, all be-it from an unexpected direction.
The Mech shook as its jump jets fired, the splayed wings in the left and right torso adjusting and moving almost organically to improve the airflow and stability of the jump before it thumped down, the thirty-five tonne Mech accelerating smoothly up to full speed. With his EI tattoos the Falcon warrior could almost feel branches rubbing against ‘his’ sides as the Star moved through the woods that marked the start of the Skyreach range, of course it was just sensor feedback but it did feel good. The three Eyrie’s ran in a hunched forwards gait, sleek, aggressive and powerful.
“Claw Star, targets ahead, strike hard but do not over extend yourself, these Mech’s are the future of the Clan, do not waste them or you WILL answer to me.”
“Aff Star Captain!”
---
“Targets!” One of the Wolves screamed seeing the incoming contacts from another vector.
“What? There is nothing there but mountains.” The Star Captain said searching the trees through the rain looking for the targets.
“I am getting thermals Sir.”
“Understood, all Grey Stalker elements, prepare to engage!”
“Sir…I am not getting anything in the Warbook on the contacts. Seismic indicate a mix of lights and mediums with one assault but that is all.”
---
The few glimpses by the Wolf Mech’s sensors was all the computers needed, it came up with UNKNOWN for the smaller machines but kept calling the other Mech an Onager, all be it of an unknown configuration the Jade Falcons had been busy.
“Okay, it seems we have some new Falcon toys to deal with. They will be our salvage. Move out!” saKhan Declan Kerensky ordered as the rain continued to beat down on the both sets of combatants.
Two Stars of Wolf Mech’s, all be it with some in a damaged state moved out to engage the six Falcon unknowns and it was a ‘learning experience’ for both sides. The Wolves learned about the firepower of the other machines whilst the Falcon Warriors had to adjust to their machines abilities, outnumbered the Falcons stuck together before launching a counter attack.
“Kevin on your right, small winged bastard!”
“Aff!” The Adder’s foot stomped down as the Mech turned hard, pulse laser blitzing bright blue bolts at the Falcon machine, cutting a gouge across its stylized chest before it fired its jump jets, the wings on its back shifting eye blink fast.
“They’ve got Partial Wings; they will out jump us in this weather and terrain!”
As the Falcon Mech landed out of sight there was a yell on the radio. “Stravag! That bastard just kicked me!” One of the Mountain Wolves shouted his Linebacker was in trouble, one of the Jade Falcon Mechs had come out of the woods and rain and engaged the OmniMech. Blazing away with its short ranged weapons the Falcon Mech stomped to a halt before raising its left leg and raking down the side of the Linebacker’s leg. Two meter long talons of dense, hardened metal gouged chunks out of the Linebacker’s leg, the Mech jumping away before the heavier Wolf machine could turn.
“Seems the claws are not just decorative…honourless scum!” The Wolf reported struggling to keep his Mech upright.
“Target down! Target down! Nailed the bastard!”
Star Captain Marc Vickers Warhawk shook as the big Falcon unknown raked it with a volley of lightweight autocannon fire. His Bravo config machine’s Gauss rifle thundered a shot back, taking the Falcon machine in its right torso, his fire being returned by a pair of ER Large lasers as the Clan Mech jumped backwards trying to disengage.
The Mech clearly had the Falcons laser heat sinks fitted, as it jumped and fired it was shrouded by plumes of jade green light that showed up clearly as the sun set. It was quite striking, but it made the Mech easy to track in this rain even without the aid of his machine’s sensor system. Vickers bit back a curse as his next Gauss shot missed, the Falcon machine having no such issue as it pelted his Mech with more laser fire.
“Sir! The Falcons are pulling back; we got one of their lights and damaged the rest.”
‘Ahh…so that’s why you’re jumping…’ Vickers thought as he glanced at his unit’s details. The Falcons had targeted wisely, going after his damaged elements, killing a Linebacker, a Mad Dog and Kit Fox. A good exchange for them.
“Let them go, but I want that one we downed towed back to the DropShip if needs be, our Scientists will want to see this.” Vickers ordered looking at the downed Mech. Above the Jade Falcons and Wolves the rain which had been pelting them throughout the battle seemed to instantly dry up Vickers almost laughed.
“Aff Star Captain!”
---
Even as there was a lul in the battle and the weather below in space the battle continued between the Werewolf and Falcon’s Nest. “Sir we are cycling the CAP, they will be space born in ten minutes.”
“Understood, keep an eye out for any Falcon adventurism, not that they are being bold.”
“Sir! I am getting pre-emergence neutrinos!” Another crewmen called out from across the command centre.
“Where?”
“Above Sudeten Sir, at the planets jump point” the Mountain Wolf reported as the Werewolf’s powerful sensors detected the new ship arriving.
“So that is why they were playing the waiting game…twelve hours of fencing whilst they waited for reinforcements.” Conners cursed angrily wishing he’d taken his McKenna and slaughtered the Falcon’s Nest before now and damned the circumstances.
“Emergence in 3…2…1” the warrior called out as another one-and-a-half million tonne warship burst into reality, her IFF broadcasting loud and clear, Identifying her as the CJF Turkina’s Might.
“Sir! We have an unidentified Warship; it appears to be a Texas class…or based on one at least.” One of the Wolves said looking at the Werewolf’s sensor readouts the ship was a Texas but it wasn’t.
“Get me the saKhan immediately!” Connors ordered on the tactical holo-display the Falcon’s Nest came about, engines flaring brightly as the two Falcon WarShips moved to trap the larger McKenna between them.
“Link established.” On his headset the Werewolf’s commander heard the distinctive sounds of gunfire.
“What is it? I am a bit busy at the moment.” saKhan Declan Kerensky ordered under the sound of further gunfire as his OmniMech was damaged by the Jade Falcons.
“saKhan we have had a new enemy WarShip jump in system, it is another battleship, type unknown. We are significantly outgunned up here.” Conners reported
“Can you hold them?” The saKhan asked his frustration clear through the headset they had never come here to conquer Sudeten but the Wolves were caught up in the fight disengaging now felt wrong.
“Neg, not without endangering this ship and risk losing the entire raiding force, we need to withdraw.” The Star Admiral reported as his WarShip shook heavily from long range capital missile fire from the Jade Falcon vessels.
“Damn…understood. All Mountain Wolf Forces, this is saKhan Declan Kerensky, the situation has changed and we are now going to withdraw. We have bloodied the Falcon’s nose and claimed a fine bounty of captured equipment. Fall back as planned and then lift off. Nothing heroic, our Clan needs warriors, not dead martyrs.” He ordered on the ground around the saKhan several Wolf Mechs opened fire with long range missiles loaded with FASCAM munitions these had been held back for the entire battle until now. The Mountain Wolves proceeded to coat the battlefield in mines even as they fell back.
“Star Admiral, how much time have we got?” He asked as more weapons fire struck his OmniMech.
“Two hours, maybe two and a half before they are both within firing range, their first Texas had withdrawn to effect repairs and is now moving to intercept with its comrade.” Star Admiral Connors reported watching the screens as if the two WarShips would
“We will be there, the Jump drive is charged?”
“Aff, then we can burn to a pirate point and leave.”
“Aff, I will make sure that all our forces are aboard before we depart.”
The Mountain Wolf forces withdrew, star by star, binary by binary back to their landing zones continuing to deploy FASCAM munitions all across the area. The Wolves had deployed so many mines that it would take the Falcons months to clear them all and even then the area would still be a hotbed for accidental deaths caused by remaining FASCAM munitions which lay hidden. The Mountain Wolf’s sudden and well planned withdrawal caught the Jade Falcons by complete surprise allowing more of the Wolves to escape a fact that would result in the death of the Jade Falcon Galaxy Commander in the weeks that followed.
Despite their preparation, the Wolves did not get away freely, leaving the better part of two Trinaries behind on the surface of Sudeten, whilst also suffering heavy losses among their Elemental’s and Warg equipped units which had gotten bogged down in the retreat and overrun by the Jade Falcons. True to his word Declan Kerensky was the last to board his DropShip in his heavily damaged Dire Wolf. Another vicious aerospace battle saw the Titan class carrier Hercules’ Strength destroyed in a ramming attack whilst the Isegrim Howler was disabled and later captured by Falcon Elementals.
Dogged by Jade Falcon forces the Mountain Wolf DropShips retreated from the planet whilst the two Falcon battleships maintained their pursuit of the Werewolf. Finally the Wolves reached their pirate point and were able to jump clear of the system escaping the Jade Falcon trap.
In material terms the costs were about even. For the loss of two Trinaries as well as moderate damage to the Werewolf as well as the loss of two DropShips with a third having to be decommissioned due to heavy damage the Mountain Wolf forces destroyed about a Cluster’s worth of Falcon forces, destroyed four DropShips and one orbital factory as well as claiming a few Stars worth of salvage. The damage to the Falcon’s Nest was not so extensive requiring a month’s repairs. The Falcons also claimed that they revealed their newest battleship the Turkina’s Might in a pleasing fashion, her guns firing in anger for the first time against a live target. More important was that production at Sudeten was not overly affected by the raid, even if they did spend considerable resources digging additional defences round vital facilities.
