TBC35

==Chapter 35 - The Broken Commonwealth==
===Battle of Kowloon, 3149 Four Hours into the battle===
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December 3149
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The enemy's pocket  warships tried to keep fighting, as did their aeropilots, but deprived of landing grounds, and with only a limited life support for the fighters, it was just a matter of time.
Meanwhile, the dropships might have been truly mighty war machines when used by surprise in the hands of the Word of Blake seventy years ago, they aren't now.
Combat shuttles returned to the Squadron's ships, to have their electronic warfare pallets offloaded and assault modules installed.
You see, each Sampan class cutter carries 25 infantrymen in powered armor.  These are marines, and they get lots of practice in dynamic entry thanks to frequent drills to resolve emergency calls in the deep belts.
This is including the occasional criminal or madman who needs to be restrained.
It's easier to kill a man, than to take him alive. Especially in space. Coast Guard marines are trained in both.
The assault shuttles handled their loadout swap in under fifty minutes and moved to engage in 'search and rescue'-aka board and capture operations, while supplemental forces are being rallied and moved forward to rendezvous with additional Marines, medical personnel, and prisoner transport vehicles leased from the various Rockjack communities.
The part of the battle involving Capital Weapons, JumpShips, Fighters, and dropships, is over.  The part involving the safe rescue and recovery of enemy and friendly personnel has just begun.
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