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Chapter 81 - A Long Journey[]
29 July 2787
Mackolla (Federated Suns)
"We have our destination, the AFFS wants us on Imbrial III, and from what I have seen on the Combine advances it is directly in the path of the Combine advance. I want SLS Cutlass recalled from Morgan's Holdfast, get her properly crewed and outfitted fully then send her forward to link up with us. We cannot afford to keep our secret any longer, have Warrant Officer Cooks haul a Tracker in and get her converted into that Figther Carrier version he wants. We have the pilots and crew now so let's put them to use. Tell him to avoid using the ships transit drive while the AFFS folks are here. To them it is just a Merchant Class Jumpship.
I don't want to risk that Mule; I have thought hard and long about it. SLS Second Chance is to be outfitted with Alamos and so will SLS Cutlass, then the Tracker Carrier when it is completed. That should give us some air support when we need it. Tell the special forces folks that I want them with us. That will give me almost a full Regiment of Battlemechs as a rapid response force if the DCMS breaks our lines. We load out on the Monolith, both Star Lords and that old Liberty Jumpship that brought the newest folks out here. That gives us 25 collars to work with so pack the Dropships to the gills before we have to start loading out Mammoths. Once they drop us off, our ships get the hell out of dodge, we can call for help with our Mobile HPGs. But damned if I want them caught in system and they get destroyed.
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Liberty Class JumpShip (resembled modern Invader)
Full supplies to sustain us for a long fight. As much as we can haul. We are going to disperse and hide as hard as we can, I do not want to be a target for orbital fire. Once we make planet fall, we will determine the best locations and how we can form up defensive lines. I thought about bringing an Aerospace Wing at first, but we are too short on collars. But they can come in with SLS Cutlass and the Tracker Carrier when completed. Lieutenant General Jefferson is in command while the 322nd Armor Division is deployed. He is fully briefed and current on everything. We boost in three days; I know most of the stuff has been loaded up but let's triple check everything." General Samuel Mitchell said
As the various commanders headed for their respective units Lieutenant General Paul Jefferson said "Sam, the only thing I am not briefed in on is what Major General Hayes wrote to you."
"That letter, I never did tell you what it said did I? Well, it said she was working on getting more folks out here to carry on the SLDF mission of protecting civilians. That something big was going to happen in the very near future that she could not stop from happening but was going to take a page out of my playbook and use that. Whatever the hell that means anyway. That was about it." General Mitchell said
"That is not a whole lot to go on. So, I guess I will keep the home fires burning and my eyes open for whatever the hell she sends our way." Lieutenant General Jefferson replied
1 August 2787
Dropships began boosting for the waiting fleet of Jumpships located at the Nadir Jump Point guarded by SLS Second Chance, Vigilant Corvette. The 322nd Armor Division was going to war again. A war they had all hoped to avoid fighting in.