A Young Woman's Defense of the Inner Sphere[]
- Chapter 45 -[]
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What has not killed us will make us stronger[]
Sian
Sian Commonality, Capellan Confederation
February 17th, 3052
Sun-Tzu's heart beat fast as masked figures hustled him to waiting transport. Explosions could be heard in the distance, and he and his guardians passed several dead bodies on their way out of the Celestial Palace and into Zi-Jin Cheng.
Sun-Tzu forced himself to be calm, despite the current conditions. Panic would see him dead like his mother and Tsen Shang. How an assassin had breached the most well defended part of the Capellan Confederation before an alarm could be raised? The answer could only be treachery.
Betrayal, not brute force, toppled dynasties. Justin taught my family that.
Jen Li and another band of ROM agents were waiting. They broadcast on an open frequency, ordering the skies be made clear for the Chancellor's son to get away. Only Sun-Tzu was not hustled onto the waiting aircraft, instead he was put into a hovercar with Jen Li, the Primus of ComStar.
And what a joke that designation is. There are three others who claim the title, and nearly all have more access to ComStar resources than she does. She is saving my life, which means even in her weakness she is still the most important of them right now.
"How did this happen?" Sun-Tzu asked.
"Romano's sister, Candace. She still had those loyal to her. It is being broadcast all across the world, Romano's 'crime' of attacking the Inner Sphere while they try to defend against the Clans. She's even somehow being blamed for the ComStar problems. The state controls the media, and since they now have access to it…" Jen Li's tone was clinical as she described how his mother's regime was being torn asunder.
He grimaced. The realization of his full responsibility might have crippled another, but Sun-Tzu was energized by them. He needed to get out of here alive, but after that, he would restore his people to their proper place in the galaxy. His mother and grandfather had been weak, foolish, and refused to see the competency and skill of their opponent. Sun-Tzu was different, he would learn from Hanse Davion, learn from the mastermind that was known as the 'Fox' and turn his stratagems against him.
But I must first survive.
The VTOL that he was supposed to be on was torn apart by a strafing Aerospace Fighter. His aunt clearly planned the full annihilation of the Romano branch of his family.
"My sister?"
"Unclear. Her bodyguard is… fanatical, but has never tapped into the rest of Maskirovka."
Sun-Tzu studied the woman, the one-time friend of his mother. "One wonders how you had such access."
"We are ComStar, be glad for it, otherwise you would be dead."
He bowed before that wisdom, figuratively of course. The Celestial Wisdom of the Capellan Confederation bowed to no one.
"What options do we have? Is this just a decapitation strike or is there more?" he asked, hoping for more information.
"We don't know. The good news is that ComStar controls the HPG stations, we control the narrative. They will be able to broadcast when a JumpShip is in orbit, otherwise no planet in the Confederation will hear of it from ComStar. You, however, can rally your people. Candace may be blood, but your nation's propaganda describing her as a Davion lapdog should prevent her from succeeding, so long as they can rally around you."
He knew it would not be that easy. Propaganda was not actually believed, and Romano's purges had been a nightmare to live under. He would need to use every trick he knew to convince his military that he was different than his mother.
"Where are we headed to?"
"Krin." Jen Li eyed him. "Are you up to this, Sun-Tzu? Because if you are not, the Capellan Confederation will be gone, erased from history. In its place a mockery, a shadow of its former self… at best."
"I assure you, Primus Li, the Capellan Confederation is not dead, and what has not killed us will make us stronger. We will not be turned into a Davion colony. You should know that my aunt will have a great many allies. This is not just an attempted coup, but a prelude to a civil war. The only reason we have a hope of winning is that Hanse Davion is busy with the Clans and he may not be able to support his pawn."
"ComStar stands with you, Chancellor."
ComStar would have a way off planet, and a JumpShip waiting at some pirate point to get him clear of this world. He liked the sound of his new title, even if he did not have any confidence in the woman speaking it. His list of allies was short, his information sparse, but he vowed he would make Candace, Justin, and Hanse Davion pay for their audacity.
I am Transformed[]
Weingarten System
Wolf Occupation Zone, Free Rasalhague Republic
February 17th, 3052
Phelan was honored by the trust Ulric had put in him. The Clans put great stock in a Bloodname, and the Ward Bloodname was prestigious.
Well, not as much as Kerensky, of course, but still up there.
The road to the final round had not been overly strenuous. He defeated an Aerospace pilot, then he got lucky against an Elemental. It was a fifty-fifty shot as to whether he would have had to fight augmented or unaugmented. Fighting against an Elemental unaugmented was a great way to lose. He had a plan if it had come to that, but since he had been fortunate, he chose augmented and quickly put his opponent down. He was glad the Elemental had survived; it had not truly been a fair fight.
When he won the right to select the form of combat against Vlad in the finals, he selected unaugmented.
"We are MechWarriors, quiaff? And yet you fear to face me in one, freebirth."
"Aff, we are MechWarriors, but the Clans abhor waste. Every 'Mech is needed in the fight against the Inner Sphere. Khan Kerensky understands this, so I would not deprive him of your 'Mech. Instead, I will beat you with my hands."
Phelan appreciated the Clan's focus on limiting waste. War, the way the Inner Sphere fought it, was crude and barbaric. Non-Elemental infantry died in droves when fighting 'Mechs. Artillery was often indiscriminate and caused so many civilian deaths. Guerrilla warfare kept the people of a planet in a state of heightened alert and suspense as to what their future held. Acts of terrorism created an undercurrent of fear in society.
No, the Clans' way is superior. I just wish Mortimer could understand. He blames all the Clans for the actions of a few. It would be like judging every House by the actions of House Liao! If only the Inner Sphere would just fight the way the Clans have, everything would be better. Let the superior warrior win and make the rules instead of this chaos where lesser-skilled warriors can win through dishonorable means!
Vlad sneered and the fight began. He moved first, explosive and direct. Vlad crossed the dirt in three long, loping strides and lashed out with a right hook. Phelan slipped to the left, avoiding the blow. He feinted his own strike and then attempted a kick to Vlad's leg. Vlad checked it, and Phelan had to block a vicious strike to his face.
They broke apart and then came together again. Phelan circled while Vlad came on, hook, then low kick, then a flurry of punches. Phelan smirked at his opponent, drawing him further into a rage.
"Freebirth!" Vlad cursed and began another blistering attack.
It reminds me of Victor, all those years ago, in the snow. Credit to Vlad, he actually knows how to fight. Katherine did too, and has covered herself in glory. I wonder, even with my size advantage back then, if we hadn't been broken apart, would she have pieced me up like she did the Diamond Shark Khan? Like she did to so many Jade Falcon warriors?
Phelan had never slacked in his martial training. He knew how to fight, and he also knew how to plan. Clan warriors used simple and direct attacks. They were effective – essentially all were masters of the old Terran martial art forms that focused on striking. That was the Clan way, direct, powerful, and effective. But there were other ways to fight.
Vlad moved in a fury, still tight and somewhat controlled, but less so than before. Phelan retreated and then waited for the opening he knew would present itself. Vlad extended too far with one punch, and Phelan launched himself. He sprang off the balls of his feet, twisted his body in mid-air, and snapped his legs around Vlad's right arm in the same moment.
They hit the ground together in a jarring impact. Phelan was already moving and was not distracted by the impact. His hands clamped behind Vlad's elbow, completing the flying armbar and instantly pulling back. The trueborn's joint snapped with a meaty pop, and Vlad bit back a howl of agony.
Vlad tried to come up with his left hand to hit Phelan, further mangling his already injured arm. Phelan released the hold, blocked, and the two tussled for a moment, but the outcome was now foregone. Vlad had only the use of one arm, and Phelan utterly dominated him in the circle.
"I am not going to kill you, even though I have been advised I should. Clan Wolf needs every warrior it has in order to stop the Inner Sphere's dishonorable tactics and bring enlightenment to the Great Houses. Just remember, it was a freeborn who defeated you, and let you live."
He had done it. He was no longer Phelan Kell. He was no longer Phelan Wolf. He was Phelan Ward. Bloodname of House Ward. Carrier of a legacy that had survived the Exodus and been passed to him. It was worth more than any other accolade he had ever won in the Inner Sphere.
Later, Ranna congratulated him in a very pleasant way. Afterwards, as they lay together, she propped her head up, resting on her hand.
"I am not sure if I should thank you or curse you for not killing Vlad. As sibkin, I would have been disappointed in his death; as a Warden, I worry over the future of our Clan with the likes of Vlad in its ranks. His hatred for Spheroids, Freeborn, and yourself is bottomless."
Phelan shrugged. "I had already won. It wasn't to humiliate him; we need every warrior we can get."
"Language," she poked one of his bruises.
Phelan winced, then laughed.
"Even after almost two years, it is still hard to get used to! As I was saying, the war with the Inner Sphere is not going well. Clan Wolf is the only one who is actually on schedule. As we outpace the rest of the Clans, the Inner Sphere will focus on us. The likes of my father, Jaime Wolf, Katherine Steiner-Davion, the elite of the Inner Sphere will face us."
She kissed him. "The Clans will prevail, how can we not? Our warriors make decisions not politicians."
Phelan frowned. "I agree, warriors should make decisions not politicos. Yet, consider this, most of the leaders of the Great Houses are warriors. Takashi, Theodore, Candance, Hanse, and even Sun-Tzu apparently knows how to pilot a BattleMech. They are dangerous, quiaff?"
"Aff, well, or so you say. They are also old." She held her hand up. "No, not now. Cease lecturing me, Phelan Ward, we have better uses for our time!"
With a roguish grin, he readily and enthusiastically agreed with her.
Fighting the Jaguar[]
Arkab
Benjamin Military District, Draconis Combine
March 9th, 3051
Hohiro Kurita had not been given the honor of a batchall from the descending Smoke Jaguar forces.
Not that they know I am here.
Before the schism, ComStar had provided intelligence to the Clans. Precentor Mori could not have hidden information such as a force dispersal, but she could feed intelligence to his father, and had done so as the Clans continued their invasion. He knew it was a delicate knife's edge his father had been forced to balance, since it could not be obvious that they had a mole.
Now that Precentor Mori had taken over ComStar's Draconis Combine–located assets, the Clans were piloting just as blind as the Inner Sphere. Hohiro had previously gone on missions to retake worlds, but now he had been ordered to defend worlds that would likely come under attack.
The Kanrei is wise. The Clans expect further counterattacks, so will guard their borders near Pesht and Luthien, never suspecting that we have examined their line of attack and where they will strike.
To that end, there were JumpShips waiting with full charge hidden around one of the uninhabitable planets within the system. If they guessed wrong and other worlds were in danger, they could attempt to interfere with the attack. That posed additional risk, for the Clans were an odd collection in Hohiro's mind. They claimed honor but bombed Edo. They had WarShips to sweep the atmosphere of DropShips, but did not use them. At what point, once they were stymied, would they use those ultimate weapons?
For now, it did not appear they would, but he knew there was always that specter. None of that was a concern today, the Clans had obligingly descended, expecting only to fight the Sixth Arkab Legion but the lack of a batchall was a concerning omen for the future.
Instead, they would also be facing the 2nd and 3rd Genyosha, along with two combined-arms regiments, roughly a Division IV worth of troops under Precentor V Katherine Luarca. The fact that the ComStar Precentor had the same first name as Katherine Steiner-Davion had amused Shin. The ComGuards were not battle-tested, and the units had been cobbled together from multiple worlds, as Precentor Mori did not want to leave the HPG stations undefended.
Based on their calculations, the number of DropShips coming down represented anywhere between fifty to seventy 'Mechs, with at least some Elemental support – a number that would have crushed the defending regiment with little difficulty. Now, the odds had swung completely in the other direction. Hohiro had over 350 'Mechs, nearly 100 Aerospace fighters, and strong vehicle support. With most of his forces using Star League–era weaponry, the technological gap had narrowed considerably compared to normal Inner Sphere arms.
He knew that on Numki, a similar ambush group had formed, with the 5th Ghost Regiment attached to another Division IV formation of ComStar forces. That force had less overwhelming firepower, but he was the grandson of the Dragon, and so was given command of the far stronger force.
If it were just these Smoke Jaguars, the Dragon would have little to fear from these invaders any longer, but we are like a mighty lion hunted by a large pack. Clan Ghost Bear also gnaws on our worlds, and the Star Adders have struck at our very soul. To add to our litany of sorrows, the Draconis March teems with betrayal. Father says it is not the Fox's doing, but it has enraged us.
The Sixth Arkab Legion was mostly light and medium 'Mechs, with some of their fastest vehicles also deployed. The Jaguars had opted for an aggressive approach, and the 'Mech regiment swiftly retreated. The Jaguars loped forward and scored a few strikes at max range, but managed only one 'Mech kill before they retreated to the cover of hilly terrain.
The signal was given, and the 2nd and 3rd Genyosha activated their 'Mechs and began closing the net around the Jaguars. In some ways, it was similar to Wolcott; in others, it was not. The thick swamps and vegetation of Wolcott were not found on Arkab, so the Jaguars spotted them several kilometers before they were in range.
The Jaguars paused for several seconds, not expecting to fight so many foes, but then they rallied and moved swiftly toward the 3rd Genyosha, hoping to break the encirclement. Aerospace Fighters were being scrambled and racing toward the battlefield, while the 3rd Genyosha, fully equipped with the Star League–era ComStar 'Mechs from Terra, began disciplined volleys of fire.
Lead elements of the Smoke Jaguar charge disintegrated under combined fire. The Jaguars were not dissuaded, and the Clan 'Mechs were fast. Hohiro plodded along in his 'Mech, while the faster elements of his regiment moved ahead to engage the enemy before the 3rd Genyosha could be overrun.
Hovercraft from the ComGuards bolstered the line and added their missiles and lasers to the mix. The Aerospace fighters strafed the Jaguars and dueled in the skies. The Smoke Jaguars had only two Stars, or twenty Aerospace fighters, while each of the Genyosha regiments had a strong Aerospace presence along with the ComStar forces. The skies were cleansed of enemies in short order, but the attacking Jaguar Cluster began taking its toll on the 3rd Genyosha.
The battle was half done by the time Hohiro reached maximum range, where he began firing his twin Gauss Rfiles. He tore apart an already damaged Vulture with brutal precision. It spun around as its left torso disintegrated, fell with a crash, and did not rise.
The time is now.
"I am Hohiro Kurita, victor of Wolcott. I address the Clan commander. You are outnumbered and face defeat. I am an honorable warrior; come, and I will face you in single combat. If you lose, your MechWarriors will eject, and I will grant Hegira and take your 'Mechs as salvage. Should you win, the world is yours, and I will be your bondsman, but my forces will leave in good order and in their 'Mechs."
Shin had not approved of the plan, because it involved the future heir of the Draconis Combine. But it had to be him, for only this could potentially tempt the Smoke Jaguars. The risk was limited, as every opposing 'Mech had taken significant damage, but he had not.
<<"I am Star Colonel Thilla Showers of the Nineteenth Strike Cluster. Bargained well and done, Kurita.">>
The enemy piloted a Dire Wolf that listed slightly to one side – its internals exposed on one leg. Pockmarks dotted its right and center torso, and it was missing its left arm. The circle was set, electronic markers were added to his computer, and the exchange began.
Thilla fired her extended-range lasers first, and even at this extensive range, they managed to strike true, melting armor off his right leg and right torso. Seconds passed as they advanced, and he thumbed the trigger of the Gauss Rifles. The enemy pilot was skilled and attempted to twist out of the path of the heavy slugs, but the damaged leg hampered her movements, and they crashed into the massive 100-ton 'Mech with thundering impact.
Her Ultra Autocannon spat a deluge of death, but the caliber was not nearly enough to pierce his King Crab's extensive armor.
For now.
His LRMs mostly sailed off track, but a few peppered her center torso. Hohiro knew what a Dire Wolf was capable of, and he knew he was lucky that she had already lost one of her arms, as the only two ER Large Lasers she had left sliced into him again. He had slightly changed his forward movement, forcing his undamaged side to take the brunt of it before twisting back and sending two more Gauss rounds at her.
_OmniMech_(in_the_arctic_climate_by_Oswald).png){kind=link}
Dire Wolf Assault OmniMech
One clipped the undercarriage of her 'Mech, doing minor damage at best, while the other buried itself in the healthier-looking leg. Hohiro remained calm, but was displeased with his shot placement as he sent LRMs at her again, this time scoring better hits as the Dire Wolf's armor buckled and more internals were exposed across its torso.
He weathered the storm of her response. Her own medium pulse lasers were now in range, and he struggled with the King Crab's controls as raw damage threatened to topple him in the sand. His gyroscope whirled like mad as he forced his 'Mech to stay upright and hammered her with another wave of Gauss Cannon strikes and LRMs. One struck her engine, and a flare of heat flashed on his thermal imaging.
Come on. Fall!
It did not, and a blisteringly accurate counter salvo sent warning lights flashing in his cockpit. Internals were exposed on his right torso. His Large Pulse Laser and SRMs finally came within range, and the accurate weapon stitched a line of holes across her 'Mech, and two missiles tracked forward accurately, exploding against the Dire Wolf's legs. He fired his twin Gauss Rifles, and this time was rewarded even more heavily. Both shots connected with her right torso and sheared the entire section off her 'Mech. Losing so much tonnage, combined with an already damaged leg and engine problems, finally caused the enemy 'Mech to lose balance and topple.
He opened the comm link.
"You have fought honorably; it would be wasteful for your life to be lost."
<<"I will not be a bondsman to an Inner Sphere, nor will I allow you to have this 'Mech.">>
The engine heat was spiking higher and higher, and then it exploded along with the rest of the Dire Wolf, no ejection seat. The surviving Smoke Jaguars also ejected. The salvage they had taken here would make up for the losses they had suffered. But more importantly, another Cluster had been taken from the Clans. It represented a not-insignificant portion of their military might. It was a good day for the Draconis Combine.
Fan Ruined by Following the RUles[]
Graus
Tamar March, Lyran Commonwealth
March 13th, 3052
Morgan Kell had a sizeable force under his command. The Kell Hounds' 1st Regiment had been given a few advanced toys, and all but one battalion was equipped with cutting-edge tech developed in the last few years, as well as a few Clan upgrades courtesy of Jaime Wolf. His own 'Mech, the Archer, had Clan-spec LRMs, double heat sinks, more armor, increased munitions, and some other useful enhancements.
He was also bringing along two armored regiments of FedCom troops, and a Rabid Foxes team. MI6 had one of those secretive black boxes he technically was not supposed to know about, given his status as a mercenary. The ability to get information out, even if it was slower than HPG network travel, was critical if the Clans retook the planet.
The batchall started, and he sent communications down, then waited for the minutes to tick by as it took time for a response to arrive. The defender was a Star Captain with four stars at his disposal, three of which were 'Mechs.
Let's see if they will play.
"I am Colonel Morgan Kell. Born in 2986, I have seen war across the Inner Sphere. I command the Kell Hounds and have more than enough forces to destroy your inferior command. However, I am told the Clans abhor waste, quiaff? Let us decide this as warriors. You against me within a Circle of Equals, just the two of us. Should you win, my 'Mech regiment is yours. Should I win, your command is mine. I cannot offer the armored regiments that are with me, as they are not part of the Kell Hounds, but I understand your people do not view armored vehicles as proper warrior weapons."
He waited for a response. When he received it, it was filled with frustration.
"My Khan will not allow me to bargain my command away in such a manner, even if I am confident in victory. I will still face you as honor demands, but your victory will be just one warrior against another."
Too much to hope for. Damn you Katherine, you really ruined this for me, didn't you?
It was not an angry thought, for he greatly respected the young daughter of Melissa and her storied accomplishments.
"I have no wish to delay the conquest of this world. The stakes will be as follows. If I win, your command will fight in the open on ground of my choosing, separated from my command by a kilometer. If you win, you may choose the ground. In either case, our drop will be uncontested so that I may bring my 'Mech to our duel."
Morgan had a few artillery pieces and a decent collection of longer-range weapons in the armored companies, as well as his own 'Mechs. The Clan 'Mechs would end up charging through completely open terrain into the guns of the 1st Regiment, which had over eight times as many 'Mechs. The twenty-five Elementals would never hope to get within range. While he would not be able to capture intact OmniMechs and Elementals as he would have hoped, it would be an almost bloodless victory for the Inner Sphere forces.
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Archer Heavy 'Mech
<<"Bargained well and done, Colonel Kell. Lucrewarriors such as yourself will never prove yourselves true warriors. Still, you have regained a parcel of your honor by agreeing to this honor duel.">>
Morgan just smiled in response to the taunt.
A few days later, he was in his Archer, and within the Circle of Equals was the enemy Summoner. They were both in 70-ton 'Mechs, so in theory this was an equal fight. With the engagement starting just within five hundred meters, his medium lasers were out of range, but he could still fire his LRMs.
The battle began, and the Clan warrior fired first, letting loose with an Alpha Strike while jetting into the air, no doubt anticipating that Morgan would fire immediately and making himself a harder target. Morgan wondered what the Clan pilot was thinking as he juked his Archer to the left, and every single weapon, from the LB 10-X autocannon to the LRMs to the ER PPC, missed his 'Mech.
As the enemy 'Mech landed, Morgan's own LRMs fired and reached his opponent just as the legs touched down. The missiles proved incredibly accurate, and the Summoner was wreathed in explosions. A normal Inner Sphere pilot would have fallen to the ground, but the Clan warrior was indeed skilled and managed to stay upright despite landing in a hail of missiles in her 70-ton 'Mech.
The Summoner stepped forward and began closing the distance as he unleashed another wave of futile fire. Only two of the fifteen LRMs streaking toward Morgan actually hit, and he knew that was more happenstance than anything else. Meanwhile, Morgan sent another forty missiles at the Clan warrior, and the explosive force upon the enemy's armor began to buckle the Ferro-Fibrous material.
The comm channel blinked. "My targeting computer is malfunctioning. It is said another word for you filthy lucrewarriors is 'warriors of fortune.' Truly, some strand of fate or luck has made that name fitting for you."
Morgan laughed, but did not respond. The Clan warrior continued forward under the blistering barrage of missiles, no doubt hoping to manually target at closer range. This allowed Morgan's set of medium lasers to burn through even more armor, hastening its own destruction as the distance closed.
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Summoner Heavy OmniMech
The Summoner made a last-ditch effort to use its 'Mech as a battering ram, but Morgan shuffled his 'Mech sideways and, with accurate fire, lanced through into the internals of the charging Summoner's leg. As the Summoner tried to adjust for Morgan's Archer's turn, the damage to the leg caused it to buckle and teeter over, further damaging the 'Mech in the fall.
It was a fine 'Mech, and Morgan knew that cockpits could be replaced. Part of him considered offering to spare the warrior, but there was little mercy left in him after the losses his family had suffered. He moved his Archer forward with all the grace of a premier MechWarrior and then stomped down his 'Mech's foot through the enemy cockpit.
The battle afterward went just as he had predicted. The Clan warriors were brave, but charging into the teeth of over a hundred 'Mechs and two hundred armored vehicles with just fourteen 'Mechs and twenty-five Elementals could only end one way.
The irony is almost enough to make me laugh![]
Blackjack
Tamar March, Lyran Commonwealth
March 14th, 3052
Perspective of Katherine Steiner-Davion
As much as I would love to just cool my heels on Blackjack until the war was over, I knew that my father would never let me do that. Nor would my reputation as a patriot of the Federated Commonwealth stand up under the scrutiny if I did.
Even if my task force is still grossly understrength.
The reality was that, despite the overperformance we had accomplished on Butler, it had been almost a year since the last real fight I had been a part of. No doubt people would be talking – that I had just gotten lucky, and that Icar and Wotan, which had ended in retreats, were more common for me. I had to get back into the field, or I'd quickly gain a reputation for cowardice; there really was no choice.
However, being understrength was a concern. My 1st Royal FedCom Guards were half-strength for their Aerospace contingent, and I would not be receiving any reinforcements. The planned replacement Aerospace fighters had been repurposed for other theaters, mostly thanks to ComStar. I couldn't fault the strategic decision, even if it frustrated me.
I had received some other reinforcements. Trickling in from other Lyran worlds, I had received a battalion of 'Mechs, a battalion of armored tracked vehicles, and two battalions of hovercraft. From Outreach, I had been thrilled to get a heavy armored battalion and another company of Assault 'Mechs, the good ones with updated tech. They weren't as good as Clan 'Mechs, but they did incorporate all the NAIS goodies recovered from the memory cores in the late 3040s. I also received another two battalions of my beloved Spitfire Cannons from TharHes Industries. Other units had not had nearly as much success as I did, so it seemed the preference was for me to make use of them.
The allocation of those reinforcements was tricky, as my 1st Royal FedCom Guards, the 4th Davion Guards, 39th Avalon Hussars, and 2nd Crucis Lancers, all cobbled together, were enough for a single RCT, despite supposedly being about four RCTs on paper. Our equipment losses had just been that severe after facing basically two Galaxies back-to-back.
The Chahar PMM wasn't quite as badly off, and the Kathil Uhlans 'Mech Regiment was only down about 30 percent in strength. From a 'Mech perspective, at full strength my task force should have had over six hundred 'Mechs. I had little more than two hundred, and a fair bit of that was cobbled-together salvage. Nick Westfield would be getting a medal if I had to force my father at the point of a gun to approve it. Without him, our fighting prowess would be significantly diminished.
From an armored vehicle perspective, I was supposed to have fourteen regiments' worth. Instead, I had three before reinforcements. With the resupply, I had four, and with the captured ComStar equipment I could maybe squint and call it five armored regiments.
The bright spot was my artillery and infantry. We were fully staffed in infantry regiments thanks to the sheer number of volunteers on Blackjack. The limiting factor was anti-'Mech equipment like portable SRMs and field guns. Small arms fire, sniper rifles, and mine-laying equipment could all be manufactured on Blackjack, and the industry had oriented itself to make sure we were more than well equipped with those armaments.
Behind every blade of grass…
But small arms fire was useless against 'Mechs, and transporting infantry regiments for invasions made logistics trickier due to the additional needs of food and water during transit. I loved my infantry on the defense, but offensively they weren't as easy to use given the current nature of the war.
My next major resupply would be in July, when I would be receiving a vast number of field guns, munitions, thirty 'Mechs, and two regiments of armored vehicles. They were arriving before the end of the two-year safe haven status for Blackjack, which was August 11 of this year. That itself was an important issue, as many believed Blackjack would fall under attack as soon as the Clans were allowed to, in order to avenge their loss.
I had essentially two RCTs at my disposal to strike out with, assuming I mixed all my units together. In the early stages of the war, a single Cluster of the Clans could run right through an RCT with little difficulty. Now, two Clusters should be an equal fight, if the RCT was a proper frontline unit and not one of the older formations where Vedettes were the backbone of their armored regiments.
I had also hoped Jaime Wolf's son, Mackenzie Wolf, would have returned with the WarShip cache by now. I had been promised a WarShip and the accompanying Aerospace fighters, along with a new 'Mech. The most optimistic estimate had been this month, but who knew what had happened in the void. There wasn't even a guarantee the WarShips could be transported properly, with time and lack of maintenance potentially impacting their capabilities.
I can't stall, not when the Kell Hounds are on the march and word from Borghese is that the Jade Falcons have renewed their advance deeper into our territory. Twycross is too heavily defended, but other worlds are ripe for the picking.
Pulling up the star map, I picked a planet that would make the Jade Falcons wary. By invading Apolakkia, I positioned myself still within range of Twycross in a single jump, but also allowed for the possibility of heading Coreward. Apolakkia also had dense forests like Butler, which would make it quite painful for the Clans to root me out if they tried their previous tactic against me. The forests weren't ideal for my armor, but if I needed to go to ground, I was confident I could last for quite some time.
The Falcons have to be running low on 'Mechs. Reports from our embedded teams reveal that the Falcons are only holding on to the HPG centers and surrounding areas, typically the capital of a world. Their writ extends only that far, as everywhere else there is passive non-compliance with producing war material for them, or outright bombings and assassination attempts. They may have 'taken' a world, but on most planets, save for Twycross, it isn't actually producing anything for them.
Their garrisons were simply too small to enforce their will now that ComStar wasn't administering the worlds. Their air of invincibility had faded as well, and that also inspired resistance efforts. I wanted to avoid being too cocky here, but every military instinct honed from my two wars was telling me the Jade Falcons were not in a good spot.
I mentally prepared myself for the Ainsworth Assault. She would object to me personally seeing to the attack, but it was too critical for me not to go personally. From Apolakkia, I would then need to be there to assess what to do next. It would all depend on what was happening on other fronts, as well as the Falcons' response.
The irony is almost enough to make me laugh! I don't want to be on the frontlines fighting. I agree with my capable bodyguard, which makes it annoying to argue against her view. Being X must be laughing himself silly at the circumstance I now find myself in.