TBntG-3 Chpt 9

=The Bull and the Genie=
==Chapter 9 - Book III - The Clan Invasion==
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==Dunkirk==
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===Harsh News, Rash Actions===
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"The Clans are attacking the HPG stations, General," the Davion officer told Mary. "They haven't done that before." 
 
"No. And that means they really want us in the dark." Mary frowned. Her units were mostly behind the lines. The RCT(M)s were designed to fight fast, beating an enemy with superior mobility and firepower—which didn't work against an enemy whose heavy mechs were as fast as your mediums. So she'd been put behind the lines, organizing militias and such. 
 
And now, all of a sudden those ships that were running away and were "damaged hulks" are here. "Give me estimated enemy positions." The holograph appeared, showing their advancing forces, arrows, and glowing dots showing the position of units and warships. Red images showed enemy known positions, gold new positions. 
 
Including Galax. 
 
Galax is at least five jumps from the last reported concentration of Clan forces. Five weeks. That means… 
 
"They were never retreating," she murmured. "The moment we launched our attack—Flash warnings, all commands. Expect imminent Clan attacks, disperse space forces." 
 
"General, isn't that—" 
 
Mary whirled on the Davion officer. "They're killing our HPG's so we can't coordinate. The only reason they'd do that now is if they were launching something big." She gestured. "A battlegroup at Galax. A Samarkand group at Numenor, only there's nothing worth hitting at Numenor—all they did was smash the aerospace forces, land, hit some minor infrastructure, and since we haven't heard anything since, I bet they hit their HPG as well." 
 
"But then we should fight—" 
 
"With what?" Mary asked. "Ninety percent of our parasite warships are with the offensive, and the same goes for Comstar's Navy. Every force we have here could barely handle a that Samarkand group, much less the ones that hit Galax!" 
The officer stared at her, and then his face changed as he worked through it. "But if their navy is here… Our forces were fighting their second line units. Where are they…" 
 
"Yeah. Where are they?" Mary stared at the monitor. The base was a second line base, but they'd brought their own equipment. I've got an RCT and a collection of militias, scattered over twenty worlds, because the big boys are off winning the war. Only now… 
 
"General?" the com tech was with the Northfield militia, and she was actually trembling—hell, she looked like she was about to cry. "FLASH traffic from New Avalon." 
 
"Let me see it." Mary had to tug at her hand for a moment, until the tech realized that she was hanging on to it. 
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FLASH TRAFFIC 
ALL COMMANDS 
MULTIPLE CLAN WARSHIPS HAVE ENTERED NEW AVALON SYSTEM. 
 
RPT, MULTIPLE CLAN WARSHIPS HAVE ENTERED NEW AVALON SYSTEM. 
ESTIMATED FORCES INCLUDE: 
1 MCKENNA CLASS BATTLESHIP 
 
1 TEXAS CLASS BATTLESHIP 
 
2 POTEMKIN CLASS TROOP CRUISERS 
 
1 BLACK LION CLASS 
 
5 UNKNOWN DESTROYER CLASS SHIPS 
 
3 SAMARKAND CLASS CARRIERS 
 
UNCONFIRMED PRESENCE OF OTHER WARSHIP CLASSES 
 
MULTIPLE CONVENTIONAL JUMPSHIPS, UNKNOWN NUMBER OF DROPSHIPS, ASSUMED TO INCLUDE MULTIPLE REGIMENTAL SIZED, RPT, REGIMENTAL SIZED GROUND COMBAT UNITS. 
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Mary was still staring at the disastrous words when two other messengers ran in. The same news, roughly same-sized units, from Luthien and Tharkad. 
 
"Ho—how can they?" 
 
"They have to have stripped their cupboard bare for this." Mary stared at the information. 
 
"We've received orders to progress to reinforce New Avalon—from the district commander." 
 
"What?" Mary stared. "Is he insane?" 
 
"We have to protect our capital!" 
 
"We won't survive to protect it. Three Samarkands—that's over two hundred aerospace fighters! Alone! Our dropships assets were stripped bare for Liberation, remember?" 
"You would flee?" 
 
Mary tried not to scream. "They can't have enough to invade the entire front. They just can't or they wouldn't be getting clever like this. They could just hammer us. That has to be the lion's share of their forces. Less what they have to hit units trying to reinforce the capitals. This isn't a serious attempt to invade, it's an attempt to get all of our forces in one place to kill them."
 
"That looks like an invasion." 
 
Mary shook her head. "You need to read about the Reunification War. The Star League landed hundreds of thousands of troops, and it took years. They can take the capitals, the cities, but not the world, especially if we deny them what they want." 
 
"General?" Mary turned to the comofficer. "Yes?" 
 
"We just received orders from the First Prince. "Oh, God. We're doomed. He's going to demand we—" 
 
"No attempt is to be made to relieve the capitals. His forces—all forces in the offensive are now heavily engaged, along with attacks on their JumpShip forces. They are attempting to break contact with the Clan forces. In addition, Contact with high command and the First Prince is likely to be lost—we've already lost HPG contact with Tharkad." 
 
"And his orders?" 
 
The comofficer took a deep breath. "So long as our military survives, our nations survive. I wish no doomed last stands. Preserve your forces, and withdraw beyond the enemies reach." 
 
Mary nodded. "Okay, we know where their big forces are, but not where everyone is, and if I were them…" She glanced up at the board. Where to go, where to go… Then she turned to the Davion officer. "My orders were in line with the First Prince's and you seem to have lost your high command, will you assist me?" 
 
He swallowed. "Yes." 
"Right. First order to all militia commands. Do not contest landings within cities. The Clans haven't played around with full scale ortillary, but they also didn't take out HPGs until now. All commanders are to prioritize the survival of their units to provide support for the relief of the worlds, including retreating to fall back positions" Mary touched studs, and worlds within two jumps of New Avalon blazed red. "All forces in this area are to immediately debark, priority given to officers and men over equipment. We know where their warships are now, and unless they can work magic, we can predict how far they can jump. Priority to all units sighting enemy warships is to identify and report their location." 
 
"Where are we retreating to?" someone asked. 
 
"We're taking a page from their book." Mary said, and illuminated one system, one actually closer to the Clans than New Avalon. 
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===Baiting the Trap===
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"Tell Comstar they're about to get guests. Now, gentlemen, I don't want to give the Clans too much, so as we're leaving, get a list of things they might need, and vital components for any factories that make them. They're to be removed, but the factories themselves are not to be destroyed. I want the people to know, very firmly, that we are coming back."
The orders continued flowing, as day turned to night, and even as Mary continued making plans, the first dropships took off, becoming part of one of the greatest retreats in modern history as Taurian and Federated Commonwealth forces tried to extricate themselves from the trap that the Clans had hoped would end the war—and incidentally, refusing to take Frederick's bait.
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===Words of Caution ignored===
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The problem with the Clan Invasion was that it depended on nearly everything going right. Frederick knew that and warned his superiors, but they believed in the immutable destiny of the Clans, and so ignored him. He did his best, but well, even the greatest general in the history of the Clans could not command destiny.Noontide Shadows, the High Point of the Clan Invasion.El Paso Press. 3140
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Book 3 - 09