FSRB Chpt 99

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 99==
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November 3068Operation Rat III Second Wave
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===Operation Rat III - Wave 2 Launches===
With Operation Rat II battering it's way down through the Liao Commonality the Chancellor and his military advisors were desperate for good news from any front. Yet the front lines between the CCAF and Operation Rat III were not the place to look for good news. As November began the AFFS had the 2 key worlds of Menke and Victoria under heavy siege and had occupied 9 other worlds. This situation was even worse than the dark days of 28-30 when at least the CCAF was only threatened on a single front. Now ever single Commonality (with the exclusion of the "new" Andurien Commonality) was under threat and facing invasions.
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===Wave 2===
====Menke====
The situation on Menke for the continued to go from bad to worse for the 2nd & 5th McCarron's Armored Cavalry. Down to a little over 2 battalions between their 2 regiments they were being hunted by a force that outnumbered them 7 or 8 to 1. No matter their skill, no matter their home field advantage it came down to a game of simple numbers in the end, and the AFFS forces on planet had more.
In any other situation the regiments might have simply ignored the orders coming to them from their commanding officer, Marcus Baxter to attempt to leave the planet. After all it was their home. Their landhold. Where their homes, families and income came from. Yet their home had become a death trap for the mechwarriors of the 2nd and 5th and they knew it. Yet given the overwhelming firepower arrayed against them and the AFFS's total aerospace superiority (as well as rumors of a Fox warship somewhere in system) they couldn't simply make a break for it. 
The solution as suggested by Zhong-shao Rhamses McCarron was as revolutionary as it was unpopular. Indeed the remnants of the 5th nearly went into open rebellion at the very suggestion. However faced with the choices of dying inch by inch in the jungle or following Rhamses's suggestion the remaining officers of the 2 trapped units relented. They did however to a man and woman demand that the young Zhong-shao himself act upon his own idea. 
Therefore the patrol from the 9th Illician Rangers were astounded when the Emperor class battlemech piloted by none other than 1 of the 2 heir's to the world walked quietly from the jungles into their sights, with all of it's weapons powered down. Rhamses requested that he be brought before Marshal Silver to discuss an arrangement. 
When brought before the AFFS Marshal the young "major" was blunt and to the point. He offered that the 2nd and 5th McCarron's Armoured Cavalry would quit the world without any further fighting and indeed would give oaths to the fact they would not engage the AFFS or it's mercenary allies in any further fighting on any other world for the current conflict and in return he wanted safe passage for the two units and also the dependents of the various Big Mac regiments. The FedSuns would get the world of Menke without any further fighting and in return McCarron's Armored Cavalry would be allowed to leave unhindered with their equipment, Mechwarriors and families. 
This was far above the pay grade of the Marshal and he quickly kicked it up the chain to New Syrtis. As much as George Hasek was tempted to deal with the matter personally he took the advice of his staff and proceeded to contact the First Prince with the offer. After less than 24 hours consideration Victor Davion gave his assent to the deal - although insisted that the St Ives also be included in the list of factions the Armoured Cavalry wouldn't be able to fight for the current conflict. 
The rest of November then was spent on Menke not in furious combat and jungle guerrilla warfare, but instead in the former owners of the world packing up their personal items and families and preparing to leave. While they kept their possible destination a secret, nobody was fooled. They were heading for Andurien. 
A final act by the AFFS against the by now reviled McCarron's Armored Cavalry was completed when the brokered deal was released to the people of Menke just prior to the evacuation of the former overlords. No doubt some MASK agent on Menke would be able to feed back to Sian the disloyalty of one of his premier commands... Any attempt by the Chancellor to punish them would only weaken both the Big Mac and the CCAF as well. The 2nd & 5th McCarron's Armoured Cavalry weren't ignorant of the Chancellor's response to this news and took their leave from the world knowing they'd have to run a gauntlet to reach Andurien, reviled now by foe, friend and former allies. 
The invading force of AFFS troops and mercenaries took the time to refit. While they couldn't leave the world until the Big Mac, they could at least prepare themselves for any future deployments. Ensuring they would be ready and as fully equipped and supplied as they could be.
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====Victoria====
The defenders of Victoria at least had no intention of betraying their oaths to the Chancellor and continued their fanatical resistance to the invasion. Although outnumbered and surrounded as well as isolated from each other the Prefectorate Guard and the remaining 2 battalions of the 3rd Victoria Rangers continued to fight on against the odds. 
The green Victoria Rangers, although disheartened by the loss of their 2nd Battalion at the Earthwerk's plant continued to maintain their existing numbers by drafting promising cadets from the Victoria Academy of Arms and Technology into any battlemech's they could repair or salvage with the help of the technical school of the academy. Loses in these cadets lances however were astronomically high with few of them lasting more than a single engagement. The 2nd FedSuns Dragoons and the 1st Cunningham Commandos, former brother regiments renew their old bonds in this fighting and prove that the 2nd joining the FedSuns Dragoons has done nothing to reduce the effectiveness of the 2 units fighting together. They are soon able to pin the remaining Rangers in place, while allowing the newly arrived 11th Avalon Hussars to attack from the southern flank of the pocket around the Victoria Academy. Once again the 4th Battalion of the 11th leads the way and breaks through a scratch company of cadets to allow the rest of the 11th to pour into the rear lines of the Rangers. Even with their lines broken and a large scale formation of AFFS regular's in their rear areas running rampant the 3rd fought on, forting up wherever they can and are prepare to sell themselves dearly. Repeated calls from the AFFS officers to the "gallant defenders and cadets of the Academy" to surrender are refused point blank. Leaving the attacking AFFS forces no other option but to systematically clear the tunnels and caverns one pocket of resistance at a time. Using overwhelming firepower and superior numbers the Davion troops and mercenaries are able to destroy the 3rd for little additional loss. Many of these losses come from the attempts by the attacking troops to spare the defenders lives if at all possible, but even with these efforts few of the 3rd survive to be taken prisoner and even less of the cadets. 
The Prefectorate Guard can do no less than follow the example of the "lesser" regiment of the 3rd Victoria Rangers and fighting on despite the terrible odds against them. Over the course of November they fight a bloody fighting retreat as they fall further and further back towards and eventually into the Shengli Arms factory. Again and again lances of the Guard would turn on their attacks and launch suicidal counter attacks to allow the rest of their formations to disengage and fall back to the next prepared position. Even the addition of the 2nd FedSuns Dragoons to the 1st Crucis Lancers RCT and 3rd Dragonlords RCT did little to hasten the process of reducing the fanatical defenses. As November ended the Prefectorate Guard still remained in possession of roughly a third of the now ruined Shengli Arms facility although reduced to a scratch battalion of troops huddled in the ruined production lines. Refusing the almost pro-forma offer of surrender from Marshal Rand-Davion of the 1st Crucis Lancers they swore they would "do the 3rd Rangers proud" and "show the Davion Dogs how Capellans can die". The AFFS formations began preparing for a last push in the first week of December...
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====Grand Base====
The 5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry had barely landed upon Grand Base in the hopes of rebuilding and resupplying before news came that their tormentors had followed them. Worse they had been joined by the 4th Avalon Hussars RCT. While the 4th might be green, they were an expanded regiment of battlemech's with a full RCT in support and their addition to the invasion made an impossible situation almost ludicrously one sided.
Marshal Rudolph Chapman immediately released his own reinforced regiment of elite troops and their supporting forces to attack the 5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry, while also sending out heavy patrols to the Death Commando training establishment's upon the world. The 4th he ordered to strike out and seize secondary targets while also supporting his attacks upon the 5th. Within 2 weeks he had managed to secure the planet and reduce the 5th to half it's original strength, namely to 2 companies of battered battlemechs. At which point he managed to pin them with a battalion of his own troops while bringing up and entire combat command of the 4th Hussars. Faced with annihilation the Reserve Cavalry surrendered.
The world would however remain a hothead of resistance as Death Commando instructors and potential recruits continued to fight a guerilla war from the worlds deadly jungles. Faced with these attacks Marshal Chapman took advangate of the status of his regiment and sent a personal request to the First Prince. Even as his unit and the 4th began to prepare to move off world the new garrison was dispatched: the 2nd & 3rd Jaguar Guards Clusters of Alpha Galaxy of Clan Sun Jaguar is heading for the world to hunt down the Death Commandos on planet. These are warriors raised and trained in the jungles of Huntress.
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====Muridox====
The 3rd Ceti Hussars RCT struck out from the newly secured world of Rollis and headed for the planet of Muridox as part of the Second Wave. While relatively worthless in itself the target is in fact not the world, but it's garrison. The 1st Victoria Rangers, barely a battalion strong is the only uncommitted unit of the Commonality "brigade". It is the High Command's intent to destroy this unit and with it the morale of the entire Victoria Commonality. 
However, with his command little more than a battalion in size, Sang-shao Green is no fool and releases the PR disaster the destruction of his command would be for the FedSuns given the surrender of the 2nd Rangers on Rollis and the imminent destruction of the 3rd on Victoria. As such he doesn't wait for the 3rd Ceti Hussars to land, but instead retreats off world taking with him the cream of the world's Home Guard which he folds into his own command as 2 additional companies of troops. He falls back to Drozan to link up with the Marshigama’s Legionnaires in the hope that combined the 2 units might be able to launch a counter attack. With the loss of not only their own garrison but the best of their Home Guard the world of Muridox falls to the 3rd Ceti Hussars with barely any fighting. 
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====Pojos====
The 8th FedSuns Dragoons RCT also fresh from Rollis launch an attack on the world of Pojos in the Second Wave. Attacking the minor world they swiftly rout the defenders and crush any thoughts of further resistance with their trade mark heavy and assault weighted battlemechs. Indeed such is the swiftness of their victory the High Command quickly send orders for the unit to press onto the world of Quimberton and leave the defense of Pojos in the hands of a mixed conventional brigade that had moved up in support of the 8th. 
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====Quimberton====
The 8th, running low on supplies attempts a similar attack to the one that reduced Pojos in a matter of days as they land at the tail end of December. However the local Home Guard are commanded by a Sang-shao of the "old school" of Romano Liao. With surrender not even an option he launches his mostly infantry with a handful of armoured companies into the 8th's landing zones with an almost horrific disregard for casualties. In a 5 day battle the 8th manage to effectively wipe out the bulk of the Home Guard, but only after having almost all of their battlemech's heavily damaged and their infantry brigade devastated by the heavy losses that the Quimberton Home Guard inflicted when things got almost hand to hand. Although only 2 full companies of battlemechs and a similar percentage of their armour regiments are lost the 8th FedSuns Dragoons RCT is effectively removed from future active operations until they can recover and rebuild. The entire unit however is awarded the Limp Sword Flag and Marshal Weintaub is personally awarded the Syrtis Medal of Honor and made a Knight of the Capellan People by Duke Hasek himself. Quite a turn around from 3061 when the Marshal referred to the Duke as "the traitors blood run true".
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====Columbine====
The 1894th Light Horse advanced to the world of Columbine in the Second Wave. Facing little more than Home Guard formations of weekend warriors the elite mercenary regiment routed those formations rash enough to contest their landings before sweeping the rest of the militia clean from the world in a matter of weeks. By the time the follow on conventional AFFS brigade arrives on the 21st November there is little for them to do. 
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====Vard====
The 21st Rim World's sister regiment of the 1894th Light Horse arrive on Vard and face little more opposition than the other Blue Star Irregular command. Indeed even less, in that the Home Guard formations which had long been allowed to languish given Vard's interior position on a quite front until recently, are barely able to form up before the 21st have made planet fall. A few carefully planned displays of the Rim World's martial abilities and on the few units which have managed to deploy to face them and the rest of the Home Guard simply melts back to their homes. Leaving the 21st to await the arrival of the follow on conventional units of the AFFS to begin securing the planet.
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====Larsha====
Faced with the 4th Syrtis Fusiliers and knowing Leftenant General Chad Dean's reputation from the holo-news the planetary duke of Larsha immedietly ordered his actually rather experienced regiments of Home Guard troops to stand down rather than face the no doubt brutal reprisals and attacks into cities that the notorious former mercenary unit would launch. Even given the high quality (for Home Guard) of his troops and their equipment due to their status right on the periphery border the Duke is under little illusion that they can defeat the elite RCT. He is also aware that Larsha's hopes of regular CCAF reinforcements are somewhere between nil and zero. The almost reluctance with which the General accepts the surrender of his world reassures the Duke he has made the right choice!
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====Randar====
The final 3 attacks of Operation Rat III's Second Wave are kept back right until almost the end of November. On the 20th of November the 1st Kathil Uhlans RCT hit the world of Randar alongside the 8th Syrtis Fusiliers RCT. Although landing late in Operation Rat III's Second Wave the 2 RCTs swiftly overwhelm the Home Guard units that are all that Randar has to defend itself with, taking only minimal losses. Combined with the other late target of the Second Wave these 2 formations are a dagger pressed at the throat of the Capellan Commonality's capital world itself. 
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====No Return====
At the same time the 1st Kathil and 8th Fusiliers are hitting Randar, the elite 7th Crucis Lancers are landing on No Return with the support of Khan Nevversan, her Golden Keshik and 1st Sun Jaguar Guards Cluster. Allowing the Khan to take the lead as a mark of honor the 7th have little more than mop up duties to perform as the Sun Jaguars smash the local Home Guard formations into scrap in a matter of days. Not even in the worst nightmares of the local Home Guard had they ever envisioned facing Clan warriors and the planet surrenders with almost indecent haste. 
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====Minnacora====
The attack upon Minnacora almost seems an after thought when the 15th Avalon Hussars RCT arrive from Capricorn III. Without the overwhelming numbers or Clan warriors of the other late invasions the unit is unable to fully pacify the world within the single week after they land and the end of November, but the world is effectively secure and well on the way to officially surrendering. Although the green 15th does take some losses against dug in Home Guard formations.
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===Summary===
The initial attacks of the Second Wave of Operation Rat III were devastating enough. Yet with the last 3 worlds attacked the Strategios is rocked to their core and the Chancellor lapses into a frenzied rant at their incompetence that remind many of his mother and grandfather before finally collapsing into an almost comatose state for 2 days. These 3 attacks leave no less than 4 full RCT and a Clan formation at the gates of Capella itself. A world held currently only the the Holdfast Guard and the "cowardly" Syn's Hussars who's commanding officer has just been shot. To call the defense of the Commonality Capital faced with this potential invasion threadbare is an understatement. The Warrior Houses Ma-Tsu Kai and Ijori are ordered to rush to Capella and the 1st Capellan Defense Force newly arrived upon Sarna is ordered to turn around and rush back to Capella. Orders are sent out to form a new force upon the world of Capella, the '"Capellan Sacred Volunteers - a scratch force of infantry with little training and few weapons beyond obsolete small arms who are ordered to defend "every inch of the sacred soil of Capella to the last drop of their blood!". 
The AFFS has taken 10 new worlds in the Second Wave and also secured Menke from the First Wave. While Victoria is still technically holding out nobody in either the CCAF or the AFFS or the Inner Sphere at large expects this to continue for more than a week into December. The loss of Grand Base is a major blow, but one that is almost ignored given the now real and very imminent threat of an invasion of a further Commonality capital world at Capella.
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