FSRB Chpt 141

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 141==
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March 3070Operation Achilles II
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===FedSuns-Combine War - Dieron Operations - Overview===
With the first troops landing on Dieron and several other nearby worlds the AFFS High Command was cautiously optimistic about Operation Achilles. While no world had actually fallen yet, the AFFS was in a position of strength on each of the 4 worlds that they had hit in their first wave.
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===Dieron Military District Invasion===
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====Dieron====
The AFFS concentrated their landings in Northern Mataeo. The Davion Assault Guards and 4th Davion Guards led the way, landing just far enough away from Fort Cross to avoid any fast moving counter attack, but close enough to tempt the defenders. While the defending 49th Dieron Regulars managed to resist the temptation to attack the Davion troops while they were still landing their attention was concentrated on the 2 columns of AFFS troops converging on their positions. Even as they rushed to their positions around the walls of the fort however the true attack was launched. The 4th Deneb Light Cavalry deployed in a spectacular fashion from dropships which descended right on top of the fortress, with the jump capable Battlemechs and battle armored and jump infantry troops descending into the heart of the fort while most of the defenders were committed to the outer works. Caught between the Deneb Light Cavalry running amok behind their lines and the Davion Assault Guards and 4th Davion Guards battering at their front lines the 49th Dieron collapsed into anarchy. Some elements attempted to break out - but were hunted down swiftly by the follow on waves of the 5th Robinson Rangers and the hover vehicles of the 4th Deneb Light Cavalry's armored brigade, while others attempted to make a stand and were destroyed piecemeal. With only light losses the Davion forces had destroyed an entire regiment of the defending troops and secured themselves a secure base on the world. This foothold was expanded when a flying column consisting of the 8th Striker and Bar Hound regiments of the Fighting Urukhai seized control of the city of Aldega, while the entire 12th Vegan Rangers brigade pushed south towards the key industrial city of Aldinga and the 2nd Davion Guards swiftly overran Rancagua to the east and continued on. As these forces moved out the troops which had taken part in the initial landing stood down and repaired their equipment in preparation for the next strike - the 4th Deneb had suffered the worst casualties with around 2 companies of Battlemechs destroyed or damaged although half of these losses would swiftly rejoin the unit, and a battalion of infantry dead or so badly wounded as to require long term treatment. By comparison the two Davion Guards units and the 5th Robinson Rangers had taken even less damage most of which was swiftly repaired.
With the 3rd & 50th Dieron Regulars deployed trying to stymie the growing foothold of the AFFS on Dieron the Kanrei Hohiro Kurita was forced to bolster their lines with his own 2nd Genyosha regiment or face them being simply overrun. While the mountainous nature of Dieron was preventing the Davion aerospace assets from smashing his troops from the air, they did prove a constant niggling threat that forced the Dragon's forces to move with one eye always on the skies.
On the 24th of March, the 3rd Dieron Regulars and the 2nd battalion of the 2nd Genyosha attempt to make a stand and stop the slow gradual retreat at the city of San Martin alongside large scale elements of the planetary militia. While the initial probes by the 12th Vegan Rangers Delta Regiment (being used to blood the green troops) are repulsed easily they are soon faced with sterner opponents when Gamma Regiment joins the battle while Alpha and Beta begin working to outflank them. Still with the other 1st battalion of the Genyosha deployed to the eastern flanks of the city and the 3rd on the western flanks the progress even for the veteran troops of the Vegan Rangers is slow. Until on the 28th, the Davion Assault Guards move up under cover of night and slam into the 3rd Dieron Regulars while the 4th Davion Guards combine with the Vegan Ranger's Alpha Regiment and the 5th Robinson Rangers combine with the Beta Regiment to overwhelm the dug in positions of the 2 Genyosha battalions guarding the flanks. By evening of the 29th, the DCMS forces are in full retreat (with the bulk of what is left of the militia being left in place in a vain attempt to hold the Davion's advance) that is only prevented from breaking into a rout when the green 50th Dieron and what few militia troops managed to fall back are sacrificed holding a secondary defensive line to allow the more experienced troops to break contract and reform. Roughly only a battalion of the 50th manages to fall back itself and the unit is folded into the mauled 3rd Regulars and 2nd Genyosha.
Even as these battles are taking place, the highly mobile 4th Deneb Light Cavalry and 2nd Davion Guards supported by both regiments of the Fighting Urukhai are sweeping across the more isolated valleys and seizing control of town after town and several major cities and mines. The DCMS simply lack the reserve to fight both the main thrust of the invasion and also prevent the rest of AFFS units from snapping up undefended areas of the planet.
On the 30th of March, Warlord Isoroku Kurita informs the Kanrei that he must evacuate. With only the 1st Genyosha untouched by the fighting and all of the other units either destroyed or badly mauled he cannot ensure the heir to the Dragon's safety if he remains. Hohiro argues that his flight will be a dishonor and will break the spirit of the defenders, but Warlord Kurita explains to his kinsman that the Davions cannot be allowed to capture him. The Tai-sas of the 1st & 2nd Genyosha agree in a hurried conference. After nearly 3 hours or arguing it is agreed that the few remaining aerospace fighters will escort a fast dropship carrying the Kanrei and his staff while 3 additional dropships will also act as decoys. The DCA forces remaining in the outer system are ordered to assist in this evacuation and cover Hohiro's retreat. Given the precarious nature of the DCMS position on Dieron, the evacuating is scheduled for the start of April.
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====Quentin====
As well as blooding the 4th Avalon Hussars almost 3 full weeks of constant raids, probes and minor assaults on their lines had worn even the veteran warriors of the 45th Dieron down to the bone. Although their own losses had been light in comparison to the nearly battalion of Battlemechs that they had cost the 4th Hussars the defenders were operating on too few hours sleep over weeks not days and most of them were taking various stimulants to keep awake.
Which was their state when the 17th Avalon Hussars RCT launched a full scale assault upon their lines at 3am on the 19th of March, with the combined aerospace regiments of the 4th & 17th launching heavy bombing runs all along their lines to add to their confusion. Even with their troops worn down and staggering from air attacks the 45th managed to hold onto their defensive works for nearly 3 hours until the 3rd Federated Suns Armored Cavalry joined the attack hitting at a quite spot on the line and bursting through.
With their lines finally broken the 45th and their militia allies fell back... To the next line of defenses they had created. They were only able to hold the secondary line for a few hours before being forced to retreat once more... To the tertiary line. At which point the AFFS offensive finally stalled.
By the end of March, the defending 45th had been mauled and forced back to their final line of defenses but they had held out and cost the AFFS dearly in men, machines and material. While the Dieron Regulars material losses could be replaced Mechwarriors and troops couldn't be. They were down to around 4 companies of Battlemechs of which only 3 were part of the original unit, the rest former militia or security forces. Their conventional forces had suffered even more serious losses.
On the other side the 4th Avalon Hussars RCT had been reduced to around 70% of it's full strength, with the more experienced 17th Avalon Hussars RCT which had started the campaign at around 70% reduced to half strength. The 3rd FSAC was still at 70% of it's strength and refitting it's battlemechs furiously in preparation for one more big push to break the back of the defenders. To aid in this the Armored Cavalry even drew on battlemechs from the two Avalon Hussars units that were in better shape than it's own to speed this up.
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====Saffel====
March on Saffel started with a blitzkrieg style attack by the 1st Sheraton Knights upon the hastily assembled militia who were attempting to prevent them from reaching the capital city. In a 4 day battle of manoeuvre the armoured elements of the Knights continually pinned the militia in place while the battlemech forces swept around and rolled up their flanks. After 4 days and with the suburbs of Iwanji in sight the local government surrendered and ordered the militia to stand down. Saffel had returned to Federated Sun's control. 
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====Altair====
With what was obviously an overwhelming force descending upon them the local militia suffered a total breakdown of morale. Retired DCMS officers and NCOs attempted to enforce discipline on panicking militia soldiers and in some cases either shot their own troops or were shot themselves. As the first of the dropships became visible in the sky the planetary government had had enough and began broadcasting their surrender - as well as requests for protection from any overzealous militia who might attempt to execute them and force the world to resist. The 33rd Avalon Hussars made planet fall and swiftly moved to round up any dissidents or overwhelm any resisting militia units while dispatching a strong force of infantry and attached marines to take possession of the systems shipyards. 
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