Strat-3 Chpt-31

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==Strategos (A Great Captain Roberts Tale!!) - Part 3 - A Light In The Black - Chapter 31 - The Battle of Bannerhoft==
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===The two fated words that Changes Everything===
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Bannerhoft's system…
…was akin to a nice copy of what the late seventeenth century thought the Solar System looked like. Seven planet-sized bodies, the outer four being medium weight gas giants with moon systems, the inner three being rocky worlds, with the third one being a fairly close-but-inexact copy of Earth in terms of mass, climate, a single moon slightly too close in to be Luna… but Terralike in every useful specification for colonization.
At the height of the Star League, Bannerhoft hosted a significant SLDF garrison, and a population in excess of ten million men, women, and children, with a lifestyle index close to conditions on worlds with names like 'New Avalon' or 'Mars'.
First World conditions less than a jump from the third world hellholes left behind by the Reunification War.
A hell of a lot more should be here, than what was apparent on telescope from the L1 point.
"Farm fields… looks like ruins along the coastlines… someone scooped up the industries." Sikh's voice narrated what the telescopes and cameras were picking up.
"Jesus, everything that wasn't nailed down, maybe?" Luther marveled, "I thought they stripped Johnson but this…"
"Well, they took the cities and the industries, and based on what we can see, most of the people… but they left a nice garrison force!" Sikh announced, highlighting objects in motion and bringing up imagery.
"Holy ******," Luther Bedwyr spat. "The place is a ****** fortress. The Batteries are charged?"
"Yeah… damn, that IS a lot." the AI marveled. "Some of those heavies have the good sensors. Sending imagery and readings back to the Fleet."
"Good girl, keep our other emissions to minimum, but get the charge primed on the drive, we're about useless in the fight that's coming and I'd rather not die horribly, if it's alright with you."
"I found being destroyed to be very uncomfortable, and that's no lie. I'm with you on this-let the heavies have it."
Coming from an orbit over Bannerhoft's moon, were the neutrino signatures and drive flares of an SLDF style light Battle Group, as flares from the nightside showed the lifting thrusts of fighter squadrons escorting dropships.
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===Grim Report of what is to Come===
"Incoming from OWS Capricious, My Khan."
"Confirmed?"
"Confirmed, this is going to be the biggest fleet engagement since the Wars of Reaving… and that is just to take the orbitals of the system. The installations on the planetary moon, and traces of bunker complexes on the surface promise for this to be a glorious conquest… As in, our Ghost Bear and Jade Falcon allies will likely need to call in their bids."
"Preemptively then, I'll say… suggest to them they do so," Khan Alberto Crowe ordered. "Preemptively, no slur to honor but we need to win this outright, regardless of any other consideration. There is nothing more honorable than victory, and this enemy is very Dezgra."
"What about the auxiliaries?"
"Pull the Capricious out of there, her weapons fit will only amuse the enemy for a bit before being destroyed,." Crowe judged. "I would prefer to have my recon assets intact for the next campaign."
"Seyla." 
====Scenario: Battle of Bannerhoft - Summary====
Battle of Bannerhoft
Situation: After four years of preparation, searches, and tightening an interstellar noose, the time to bring the war to the Sons of Plunder's core territory has begun! There's only a small problem.Bannerhoft may have been the original base station for the 9th Royal CAAN, but it's been a couple of centuries. Bannerhoft is, instead, the leading edge of their true defenses, and a breeding farm for human livestock meant for sale both on the domestic market of the 'Star League Remnant' (aka Sons of Plunder), and export sales after processing.If Grankum was defended, nonetheless, Bannerhoft is a fortress, including fortified installations on the planet's surface, and moon.
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====Force Listings====
Defending Forces-Space Phase
=====Sons of Plunder Forces (SoP)=====
SLS Helena Cameron (formerly SLS Stratocumulus)-Monsoon Class Battleship (CO: Lord Commodore Albert Simeon) [Regular/Fanatical]
2 Titan Fighter Carrier
2 Achilles Assault DropShip
2 Fortress Combine-Arms Mech Transport Dropship
SLS Infurious - Pinto class (CO: Lord Commander Charlene Dimino Simeon) [Regular/Reliable]
1 Mule-Q (Mule PWS) (Lord Major Charles Rivers Simeon) [Regular/Reliable]
SLS Lord Guffney - Pinto Class (CO Lord Commander Scott Gordon Simeon III) [Green/Reliable]1 Mule Q (Mule PWS) (CO: Lord Major Thomas Deerford Simeon) [Regular/Reliable]
SLS Lord Lovegoode - Pinto Class (CO: Dennis Shore-Simeon) [Green/Reliable]1 Union-CV variant, 2 SLDF squadrons Ironsides Aerospace Fighters (CO: Lord Lt. Colonel Elbert Simeon) [Regular/Fanatical]
SLS Richard Cameron (formerly FSS Kirkland) - New Syrtis Class Carrier (CO: Lord Captain Ling Wa Kholen) [Green/Fanatical]
SLS Bloomington - Essex II class (CO: Lord Commander Dylan Proust-Simeon IX) [Green/Reliable]
SLS Poughkeepsie - Essex I Class (CO: Lord Commander Nancy Forlough-Simeon II) [Green/Reliable]
SLS Mary Dinesen - Aegis Class Block 1 (CO Commander (Reserves) Tina Winchester XI) [Green/Shaky]
SLS Morning Mountain - Riga class (CO: Lord Commander Adrienne Glockling) [Green/Fanatical]
SLDF 1354th Independent Air Wing (54 fighters, 16 EW specialized small craft,)-Lunar base [Veteran/Reliable]
SLDF 56th Interception Air Wing (60 fighters, Lunar base) [Green/Reliable]
SLDF 1154th Combat Air Wing (54 Fighters, 3 Titan carrier CV, Polar orbit) [Green/Reliable]
SLDF 859th Dropship Interception Squadron: 6 Achilles, 1 Vengeance, 36 fighters [Green/Reliable]
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Attacking Forces-Space Phase
=====Allied Forces (AF)=====
Overall Command of Naval Forces: Khan Alberto Crowe, Clan Snow Raven
Invasion Flagship: CSR Ice Storm - Cameron Class Battlecruiser [Elite/Fanatical]
Clan Snow Raven - Ice Storm Naval Star
Ice Storm, Cameron-class BattlecruiserCSRDS Crow's Claw-Titan, Monitor Variant DropshipCSRDS Black Feather-Titan Monitor Variant DropShip
Ark Royal, Conqueror-class Battlecruiser/Carrier [Veteran/Fanatical]CSRDS Gripping Claws Arcadia Class Dropship(3080 update)CSRDS Raven's Cry Arcadia Class (3080) marine boarding and assault vessel
Magpie, Congress-class Frigate [Veteran/Fanatical]CSRDS Bleak Murder - Titan Class Monitor Variant DropShipCSRDS Rookery - Vengeance Class Fighter Carrier Dropship (4 stars)
Drake, Whirlwind-class Destroyer [Veteran/Fanatical]
Muninn, Vincent Mk. 42-class Corvette [Veteran/Fanatical]
Clan Snow Raven - Conqueror Naval Star
Conqueror, Conqueror-class Battlecruiser/Carrier [Veteran/Fanatical]CSRDS Striking Raven - Titan Monitor DropShipCSRDS Overcome - Titan Fighter Carrier DropShip
Raven's Nest, Thera-class Aerospace Carrier (WarShip) [Veteran/Fanatical]2 Mules2 Aqueducts
Kerensky's Hope, Cameron-class Battlecruiser [Veteran/Fanatical]CRDS Rook's Prank-Titan Monitor variant DropShipCSRDS Crow's Claim - Titan Monitor Variant DropShip
Storm Crow, Sovetskii Soyuz-class Heavy Cruiser [Veteran/Fanatical]CSRDS-Striking Distance - Carrier Class DropShipCSRDS-Claws of the Rook - Arcadia Class (3080) Transport DropShipCSRDS-Pecking Order- Arcadia (3080) Transport DropShipCSRDS-Intervention - Titan Monitor DropShipCSRDS-Interference - Titan Monitor DropShip
Lord Death, Aegis-class Heavy Cruiser [Veteran/Fanatical]CSRDS-Ripping Beak - Noruff Assault DropShipCSRDS-Mortal Claws - Noruff Assault DropShip
Recon Forces
#OWS Capricious (CO: Bedwyr, Luther, AI support Sikh), Bonaventure Class Corvette
#OWS Duplicitous (CO: Seron, AI support Joanna), Bonaventure Class Corvette
Clan Ghost Bear
**CGMS Star of the Tundra - Star Lord Class (Clan) JumpShip
CGDS Icy Winds - Aesir Class PWS/Fighter Carrier DropShip [Veteran/Reliable]
CGDS Frozen Sea - Vanir Class PWS DropShip [Veteran/Fanatical]
CGDS Fjordland - Vanir Class PWS DropShip [Veteran/Fanatical]
CGDS Cold Truth - Vanir Class PWS DropShip [Veteran/Reliable]
**CGMS Compact of the Hungry-Star Lord Class JumpShip
CGDS Ravenous Maw - Aesir Class PWS/Fighter Carrier DropShip [Veteran/Fanatical]
CGDS Devouring Rage - Vanir Class PWS DropShip [Veteran/Fanatical]
CGDS Visceral Wrath - Vanir Class PWS DropShip [Veteran/Fanatical]
CGDS Voracious Rending - Vanir Class Class PWS DropShip [Veteran/Fanatical]
***CGMS Provider of Succor - Monolith Class Jumpship, 4 Aqueducts, 5 Mammoths 
***FRR Siegfried - Vengeance Class Fighter Carrier DropShip (Freebirth) 40 fighters, 2 smallcraft, [Regular/Reliable]
Clan Jade Falcon
**JFMS: Chistu's Teagarden - Clan Monolith class jumpship
JFDS: Von Jankmon's Claw - Triumph Class Pocket WarShip DropShip [veteran/Reliable]
JFDS: Eagle's Fledgeling - Nagasawa Class Assault DropShip [veteran/reliable]
JFDS: Falconer's Wrath - Nagasawa Class Assault DropShip [Veteran/Reliable]
JFDS: Peregrine's EyeMule Q PWS [Veteran/Reliable]
JFDS: Pledge of Honor - Aesir Class PWS/Fighter Carrier DropShip [Veteran/Reliable]
JFDS: Fledgeling's Nest Miraborg Class Fighter Carrier DropShip [Veteran/Reliable]
JFDS: Feeder - Behemoth Cargo Dropship
JFDS: Falcon Provisioner - Behemoth Cargo Dropship (Ordnance)
JFDS: Bartender - Aqueduct Fuel transport dropship
Republic of the Sphere Navy
**MS Courant-Star Lord Class jumpship
RAFS Castrum - Castrum Class PWS [Regular/Reliable]
RAFS Goldenrod - Dragau II Class Assault DropShip [Regular/Reliable]
RAFS Columbine - Dragau II Class Assault DropShip [Regular/Reliable]
RAFS Tulip - Dragau II Class Assault DropShip [Regular/Reliable]
RAFS Bhopal - Mule Q PWS [Regular/Reliable]
Lady Helena Cameron's SLDF Fleet
SLS Tabarinth - M-5.2C Class Caspar Carrier/Destroyer
SLS Betty Laffey - Essex II Class Destroyer Refit - CO Captain Kevin Armington-Betty Laffey in AI support
54 ASF
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=====Scenario Notes=====
Special Note:
#Indicates Outworlds Privateer ships (Alliance Reserves) on detached duty. Included for completeness, these two ships should not appear during the fighting unless the attacking force is losing badly.
***Indicates a civilian flagged or Merchant Caste JumpShip retasked to transport forces into the combat zone, these units will retreat after releasing DropShip assets.
****Units marked with three stars are resupply/logistics elements staffed by Solahma or Reserve forces, and will hold back on the map in a defensive posture, only committing after being attacked until either late in turn 15, or in the event of losses exceeding 50% of the attacking force (whichever comes first)
*(1) indicates first wave of emergence into the Bannerhoft system, Primary immediate mission is to clear the way and secure release zones for dropship forces.
*(2) Second wave arrival on turn 2
*(3) Third wave forces arrive on turn 3 to secure beach-head at the jump points for follow-on ground attack forces and supplement space-battle as needed. Third wave units also act as jump point defense and rear guard in the event that the assault goes pear-shaped and survivors have to retreat.
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