Time to dive into 3108
3108
Naval battle
Grunwald, Arcturus Theatre
Donegal Province, Lyran Commonwealth
4th January 3108 “Bring us to port!” Kommadore Aime Muller shouted as her Indefatigable-class Battleship the LCS Diligence was hit by Naval Autocannon and Naval Gauss Rifle fire from a Halcyon-class Cruiser and a Jade Lion-class Battle-cruiser. The Hell’s Horses had arrived in the system an hour before and both WarShips had moved to engage the Diligence and Peter Steiner-Davion that had been sent to blunt the Hell’s Horses advance. Both of the Horse WarShips were concentrating on the Peter Steiner-Davion cutting into the WarShip’s armour unfortunately for them the Indefatigable had a massive amount of armour compared to the Clan vessels and it gave the Diligence free movement around the area. “Open the Cruiser to space!” She commanded as the vessel turned naval lasers and missiles slammed into the rear of the Halcyon smashing the Cruiser’s engines. The Diligence turned as quickly as a 1.8 million ton WarShip could its weapons arrays tearing open the Hell’s Horses Cruiser.
“Peter is reporting heavy damage to their port fore quarter” one of the crew reported the two Horse WarShips had realized they could not win and had gone all out to destroy one of the Lyran Battleships targeting one area of armour with all their firepower. In space the Peter Steiner-Davion began a slow roll as the Halcyon passed by the vessel continuing to fire despite its destroyed engines. As the Hell’s Horses WarShip passed close to the Lyran Battleship its broadside gauss rifles and lasers tore through the cruiser’s already damaged armour blowing open the side of the ship the massive opening of the ship altered the Halcyon’s course sending the remaining wreckage towards open space.
Even as the Halcyon was dispatched the Jade Lion continued to attack making runs past the Peter Steiner-Davion’s fore quarters engaging the larger vessel with naval autocannon and particle cannon fire smashing the armour there. “Hull breaches reported on Peter!”
“Inform Peter to cut all forward thrust and deaccelerate as quickly as they can but DO NOT turn remain on course!” Aime Muller commanded “have them prepare a concentrated burst of weapons fire on the enemy vessel as we pass” she ordered turning to the helm station “helm officer bring us on a direct course with the Peter, I want you to put us on a course that will take us directly past their nose! Weapons pass to all battery crews as we come past that Jade Lion I want them to gut her with everything we have left ignore the remaining aerospace fighters and DropShips.” She commanded as the giants of the deep manoeuvred the Diligence turned again heading on a direct course for the front of the Peter as the Jade Lion came in once more the two massive battleships past each other less than one hundred kilometres apart as the Jade Lion closed suddenly both battleships were in the same area of space and both were concentrating on the remaining Jade Falcon Battle-cruiser. The weapons fire from the two WarShips combined would be too much for a WarShip that carried three times the armour as the Jade Lion. Missiles lasers and gauss rifles tore into the Jade Lion’s armour ripping through the skin of the WarShip and shattering its internal bulkheads. In a single weapons salvo the once proud Battle-cruiser was shattered and turned into a floating hulk its wreckage drifting into space.
There were cheers throughout the LCS Diligence as the final Hell’s Horses WarShip was dispatched by their gunnery crews but Aime Muller remained calm and in command. “Let’s mop up these fighters and head towards the planet they are going to need our help with the Clusters that made it through our blockade. And get me a line to the Commanding Officer on the Peter they need to stay here and make sure no more Horses enter the system.”
Several days later the LCS Diligence arrived near Grunwald. With their naval support gone the two Horde Clusters that had made it to the planet had charged directly at the two Commonwealth Guard units on the planet causing massive damage to the Third Commonwealth Guards causing the command to collapse but at great cost with both Clan units also crippled in the fighting. With Diligence in orbit the remaining Horses agreed to accept an offer of Hegira and retreat from the planet with the salvage from the Fifth Horde Cluster left broken on the planet. In one battle the Lyrans had showed the attacking Horses that they were ready to stand up to them and defeat them.
Diplomatic Meeting, Mountain Wolf Command
Wolf City, Gallery
Halfway Province, Lyran Commonwealth
19th January 3108 Led through the caverns of Gallery Archon Jessica Steiner marvelled at what the Mountain Wolf population had done under the windswept surface of Gallery building a massive habitation and construction habitat in the months since their retreat from Arc Royal. Intelligence reports suggested the Mountain Wolves had taken inspiration from the Jade Falcon Clan and graduated their cadet warriors earlier than normal to raise two further clusters of warriors. Intelligence had thrown around the term “child soldiers” but according to the reports she had read the Mountain Wolves had not gone to the same extremes as the Falcons only graduating those of the age of sixteen without the normal trials of position. Entering Khan Evan Kell's office the Archon was glad to see the young Khan was waiting for her sitting behind her desk in the uncluttered office.
“Welcome to Wolf City” Evan Kell said not rising from his chair
“Thank you Khan Kell” Jessica said moving across to another chair she noted that her Elemental escort and bodyguards had waited outside leaving her and Khan Kell alone. “How is your Clan dealing with life on Gallery?”
“Having the sun above us instead of rock would be better but this is needed for our rebuilding” he said looking back at the Archon. “My people understand their current position and are ready to serve the greater good.”
“Speaking of which that brings me to the reason I am here.” The Archon said looking at the Khan “your Clan could do much more for the Lyran Commonwealth and for your own people.”
“I am listening” Evan calmly replied
“The Mountain Wolves officially become part of the Lyran military with the full benefits and support of any other brigade of the Commonwealth.” Jessica began seeing the Mountain Wolf Khan had remained quiet she continued “essentially I suggest the Mountain Wolves officially become members of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. You will be your own brigade with warriors taken from your own training program…”
“But we will not be Clan!” Evan Kell seethed interrupting rising from his chair “we have protected your Commonwealth we have fought beside you, protected you! And is the treatment my Clan can expect? I think not Archon Steiner the Wolf Accords protect my Clan’s independence, and complete autonomy; I will not give that up for anyone!” She said finally turning his back to the Lyran Archon “it is time for you to leave, Archon Steiner, before I say or do something that I will regret.” He said finally refusing to turn towards the Lyran Commonwealth remaining facing away from Jessica Steiner until the door was opened by a Wolf Elemental. Unlike the escort she had when she arrived the Elemental now wore a full set of Battle Armour minus its missile unit. Archon Jessica Steiner was escorted through the facility to her DropShip which was then escorted to the JumpShip by Wolf Isegrim Assault DropShips.
By the time Jessica Steiner left the system she had learned that the Wolf Potemkin-class WarShip Full Moon and the Clan’s forces on Odessa and on the Jade Falcon border had abandoned their positions returning towards Gallery. Realizing her mistake Archon Jessica Steiner quickly past word across the Lyran Commonwealth that the Mountain Wolves should not be approached or stopped during their transit across the Commonwealth hoping that allowing them to regroup on Gallery would mend some of the wounds she had opened.
Counter-attack
Addicks PDZ, Draconis March
Federated Suns
22nd January 3108As word is passed of the AFFS assault on Royal Draconis Combine forces assault the systems of Helen, Towne, Murchison and Addicks. The DCMS find elements of the Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT and the Fourth Davion Guards RCT in the systems along with the FSS St George, a Congress II-class Frigate, in the Addicks system. As the DCS Akagi and the DCS Electra dispatch the FSS St George DCMS ground forces land on Addicks assaulting the AFFS ground forces on the planet bringing war to the Draconis March.
By the end of January Murchison, Towne, Skat and Markab are in the hands of the Draconis Combine as the Combine extends their offensive catching an unprepared AFFS flatfooted while Addicks and Helen are the scene of heavy fighting between the DCMS and AFFS and their hired mercenary forces.
