LUU Chpt 1-17

==Let Us Unite - Chapter 17 -==
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
----
===Demands to the Occupiers===
Date: January 24th, 2863Location: Altair jump point, Draconis Combine
Five ships winked into existence at the jump point, two warships and three JumpShips immediately detaching their dropships and beginning the 'descent' towards the planet below.
 
"This is Colonel McFadden of the Terran Hegemony Armed Forces to all Draconis Combine forces on Altair." the leader of the Black Watch broadcast. "You are occupying a Terran Hegemony world and are being asked to depart. If you choose to stand your ground, then we will grind you into dust and scatter you upon the wind. But this world is ours."
 
<<"I am Tai-Sho Franklin Kurita. You trespass on that which the Dragon has laid claim to. We will face you with flame and blade. Long have we waited for a worthy foe! Let us see if you have the mettle to match what came before!">>
 
"Well, that went well," McFadden glanced at Major Bryn Capell. "You ready for a fight?"
 
"Been ready," Capell cracked his neck. "It's been a while since I've had a good fight, and training the nuggets just hasn't done it for me."
 
"This is Commodore Jones. We're expecting aerospace launches and nukes once we get closer to the planet. Our fighter screens will be held in reserve until we need them."
 
"Copy that, Jones. We're going to stick to 1g for now. I'd rather not be exhausted once we reach the ground."
 
"And it'll give our intel boys and girls enough time to get settled in and start reporting," Bryn muttered just loud enough for McFadden to hear.
 
"Speaking of which," the Colonel turned to her XO. "Go ahead and send the confirmation signal."
 
"Yes, Ma'am." Bryn grinned, his fingers racing over the keys of a terminal before hovering over the 'enter' key.
 
Taking a deep breath, he pressed down, and a signal was sent to several locations on the planet below. The Terran Hegemony Intelligence Corps had spent years preparing for this, and this was the moment that they would be activated.
 
Down on Altair, dozens of cells activated. While some of them were known by the ISF, it wasn't enough to prevent them from beginning their operations.
 
All across Altair, the military supplies were sabotaged. Most not in obvious ways, but the troops below would begin seeing a drastic drop in morale and performance.
 
The THIC had first focused on the food supply; as many rations and the packaging as they could get their hands on were doctored with things that wouldn't kill them, but that would make the soldiers who ate them violently sick.
 
They had infiltrated the munitions plants long ago and had begun sabotaging the batches of autocannon shells that were stockpiled. They could never affect every single item, but they didn't need to. If one in every ten AC/5 shells were a squib load with insufficient powder, it would cause catastrophic damage to any 'Mech that used them.
 
While this would be costly to fix and prevent them from using captured enemy stores after they'd taken the planet, the Terran Hegemony judged that the cost was small compared to the cost of liberating their people.
 
At long last, the Terran Hegemony was returning, not as conquerors, but as liberators.
 
----
===Wolves lurking on the Borders===
Date: March 7th, 2863
Location: Cabanatuan, Lost World
"It is surprising to me that they abandoned this system without fully inspecting it," Galaxy Commander Alexis Ward of Clan Wolf glanced at the system scans. "That they left the supply depots untouched is a miracle."
 
"I doubt they were aware of them," Star Colonel Malcolm Demos stood behind her. "It is not as if the SLDF shared records of our hidden facilities with the Combine."
 
"That is true," Alexis looked at the DropShip repair and refit facility hidden beneath a mountain on the lone habitable world below. "but this will be useful to us if only to repair minor damages and conduct maintenance on our DropShips."
 
"This can also serve as a temporary base while we make inroads in intelligence gathering." Star Colonel Samantha Murphy crossed her arms. "While we are capable of waging war, we will need to relearn some of what we lost in the recent years. While our Clan Watch is capable of sniffing out rebellion and issues among the Clans, they have had insufficient training on how to conduct such things on outside influences. Our training manuals are good, but they only go so far."
 
"There will be much we must rediscover," Alexis replied. "But we are now close enough to the Combine that we may be able to do some preliminary work."
 
"We do have the Jarnfolk JumpShip that was willing to accompany us," Murphy added. "I will request that we be allowed to insert a few members into their trading parties. They are known to the periphery of the Commonwealth and the Combine, so that will be how we begin our search for information."
 
"You have authorization to conduct intelligence operations," Galaxy Commander Ward nodded. Star Colonel Malcom, you will be in charge of restoring the facilities below. I will begin the construction of a localized base. There is no point in straining our warriors and soldiers with the void if we are not going to deploy anytime soon."
 
"Understood," the two Star Colonels snapped to attention and saluted before leaving the Warship's bridge.
 
"Soon, the curtain shall be peeled back, and we will see who or what lies behind the curtain." Alexis muttered. "All we need is time."
----
===Secret Talks===
"General Marik," Bradley inclined his head at the figure across from him. "I'm on a time crunch here, and the Terran Hegemony is not planning on dealing with the Free Worlds League yet. So, I'm going to be blunt here. What are you here for?"
 
"The Free Worlds League is tearing itself apart," Gerald sighed. "I'm here to ask if there is any way that the remnants of those who follow the Mariks can be allies with your resurgent nation."
 
"I am not authorized to negotiate with you in this manner," Bradley raised an eyebrow. "If you wish, I can send you to Terra with a promise that you will meet with no harm and the opportunity to speak with the Director-General."
 
"All I need is the chance," Gerald smiled. "It is how victory is often won, after all."
----
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
Chapter 1-17