ALJ Chpt 8

frameless|right|300px|link=A Long Journey
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==Chapter 8 - A Long Journey==
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7 May 2784
Terra (Terran Hegemony)
"You trying to build your own Corp, General?" General Aleksandr Kerensky asked
"No sir, once I realized that those staying behind will basically be defenseless, I started talking to my own people and commanders of other units being disbanded. We all came to the same conclusion, joining your force is the only viable option." Lieutenant General Samuel Mitchell replied
"Have you spoken to Major General Hayes about this concern?" General Kerensky asked
"No, sir, it seems she is too busy to have a meeting with me." Lieutenant General Mitchell replied
"I see. Transporting this amount of people and equipment is going to strain our current shipping, we have already accounted for all the current collars available." General Kerensky replied
"My sister, Commodore Patricia Mitchell is currently in Epsilon Indi on a recovery operation. She had spare collar and if you look closely, I also managed to recruit enough personnel to man any additional ships you might gather for us. If possible, myself and my people would like to stay together. Not sure if you have been informed, but there is a little hard feeling between those that joined you right away and those that chose to remain, I would like to avoid any problems." Lieutenant General Mitchell said
"I have heard the rumors, General Mitchell. I see no reason to deny your request to join us. I will locate the extra ships to transport all of you and authorize the Quartermaster to release your equipment and issue replacement equipment from the storage areas. It is busy with much to do for all of us, expect the orders to reach you in a few hours." General Kerensky replied
Lieutenant General Samuel Mitchell snapped to attention "Thank you, sir. I will begin the preparations."
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8 May 2784
The orders had come down within three hours of his meeting. Today, Lieutenant General Mitchell was overseeing the equipment withdrawal from various staging areas. With General Kerensky's orders, doors were cast wide open and it was like a massive free shopping spree in the worlds largest shopping center. But even then, there was shortage on certain items, so between himself and Master Sergeant Caldwell, they began the task of figuring out what would work as a TOE. They had spent nine hours comparing their personnel numbers with a forwarded database of equipment in staging areas across Terra that they could draw from. Master Sergeant Caldwell had cautioned picking too much uber high tech equipment that they might not be able to support long term. With this in mind, they had set about trying to compile the new TOE, what they produced shocked even them. Neither of them hesitated in submitting the requisition forms with some glee. Surprisingly, the vehicles and even Aerospace Fighters had been fairly easy to group in large numbers to fill out the roster, even surrendering their Goblins and Bulldogs, all while actually finding six Royal Corsairs on the list. Battlemechs was an entirely different matter, there were no large numbers to be had, not in Battalion strength anyway, except a single type, it was going to be a make do with what they could grab where Battlemechs were concerned.
1 Battlemech Regiment (Reinforced) (124 Battlemechs)
1 Regiment of Alacorn Mk VI (108)
2 Regiments of Manticore (216)
2 Regiments of Demon (216)
1 Regiment of Zephyr (108)
1 Regiment of Fury (108)
3 Regiments of Turhan (324)
1 Regiment of Chevalier (108)
1 Battalion of Beagle (36)
2 Battalion of Lightning (72)
10 Battalions Mechanized Infantry with extra 299 men
6 Battalions Jump Infantry with extra 120 men
5 Battalions Infantry with extra 136 men
2 Battalions Engineers with extra 193 men
2 Battalions of Thor Artillery (48)
6 Battalions of Thumper Artillery (144)
3 Battalion of Marksman Artillery (72)
2 Batteries of Long Tom Artillery (16)
2 Battalions of Chapparal Arrow (48)
1 Battalion of Padilla Arrow (24)
1 Battalion of Pollux ADA Artillery (23)
2 Battalions of Karnov UR VTOL (72)
1 Battalion of Vector Transport (36)
1 Company of Vector Scout (12)
1 Company of Vector EW (12)
1 Company of Vector Attack (12)
1 Company of Cyrano Gunship Royal (9)
1 Battalion of Cobra Transport (36)
2 Battalions of Heavy Track APC (72)
2 Battalions of Heavy Hover APC (72)
18 Sabre, SB-27
36 Ironsides, IRN-SD1
18 Rapier, RPR-101
6 Corsair, CSR-12Vb
5 MASH Trucks
6 Mobile HQ (HPG)
12 Engineer Vehicles
24 Wayland Mobile Bases
6 Coolant Truck, 135-K
6 Coolant Truck Hover
24 Lessups Dump Truck
4 Buffel Engineer Support 
3 Prometheus Bridgelayer 
72 RR-3 Recovery Vehicle 
36 UTR-588 Recovery Vehicle 
3 Battalions of Flatbed Truck (108)
60 Prime Mover
20 BFFL Buffalo
82 Sherpa Cargo Truck
21 Sherpa Canteen Truck
18 Sherpa Fuel Truck
12 Heavy Battlemech Recovery
4 Mongoose, MON-66
4 Nighthawk, NTK-2Q
12 Chameleon, TRC-4B
18 Crab, CRB-27sl
48 Crab, CRB-27
8 Helepolis, HEP-3H
12 Ostwar, OWR-2Mb
6 Cestus, CTS-6Y
6 Thug, THG-11E
6 Crockett, CRK-5003-1
 
After they had submitted their requests, as they watched them being approved and shipping info returning, Master Sergeant Caldwell had to rain on the parade. "Sir, that was really fun and all, but how the hell are we going to transport all this stuff?"
It was only then that Lieutenant General Samuel Mitchell took a long minute to stare at the long list. "I have no damned clue, and General Kerensky is liable to just shoot me. We better run some numbers." Kerensky replied
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10 May 2784
General Aleksandr Kerensky coughed and then laughed out loud as he looked over the massive list his newest recruits had put together. He waved over Admiral Joan Brandt, though retired, she had volunteered to assist Kerensky in gathering and organizing the fleet.
"Take a look at this and tell me what it would take to haul all of this that is within our current limits." General Kerensky said as he handed over the list.
She took several minutes to look things over. "His unit had nine Triumphs, we add three more for a total of twelve. Four Dictators, 3 Czars and two Titans. That gives us a credible combat loaded force, though I am sure we have plenty of combat loaded troops to handle anything you come across, everything else including supplies we cram onboard four Mammoth Dropships and all the remaining personnel and families get crammed into two Jumbo Max Class Passenger Dropships like many of the families and unassigned troops. So we are looking at twenty-seven collars." 
"He said his sister was joining us and he wished his entire command stay with them too. I looked her up, the 83rd Fleet Recovery and Salvage Squadron." General Kerensky replied
Admiral (ret) Joan Brandt took several minutes looking the command up on the computer, "Fifteen empty collars before they deployed." She called up more information before continuing "Confirmed reports of wreckage in Epsilon Indi, no clue how much, so we assume they fill eight collars, leaving them with seven empty. Now they need an additional twenty collars. Blake will not like it, but we can confiscate two additional Monolith Jumpships plus another Tramp Jumpship from the transport assets currently assigned to the forces staying behind. I saw that he has the available crew to man those ships, not enough to man the Dropships, they will have to be shuttled up and docked, then the shuttle crews can leave the ships docked. We really will not know until Commodore Mitchell returns from her recovery operation. They are due back no later than June 15th. A quick cycle thru the shipyards for a maintenance check, they should be ready to depart on your orders by 5 July. All other ships will have vacated the yards by their return."
"Start marshaling the needed vessels so they can begin loading operations. Pull another Mammoth and Aqueduct for additional food stocks and fresh water." General Kerensky ordered
"I will drop the Tramp and add another Monolith from Blake's assets. You can expect a visit from him or General Hayes. They will not be happy about this." Admiral (ret) Joan Brandt said
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