CHS4-18

==Chapter Eighteen - Book 4 – Chappy's Howling Siegers==
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===Dropping Blind into a Hotzone ===
DropShip Bounty of Blood
Dindatari Orbit
Dindatari, Outworlds Alliance
March 26th, 3030
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Local Time: 09:50 GST
Well, the enemy did not meet them out in space nor in the orbit let’s hope they decide to wait tell he was on the ground. Even though he always hated those aerospace units dropping bombs on his guys he would always prefer fighting on the ground instead of in the air by someone else’s hand. It made since that their forces did not come out to meet our forces in space the Colonel thought simply because the battleship would have blown them away. 
As the Bounty of Blood penetrated the upper atmosphere the radar tech called out to Lieutenant Douglas Commander of the DropShip “Sir, radar activity heavy and fast coming toward us!” Lieutenant Douglas turned around and clicked on the intercom. //“Attention crew and passengers, enemy has been sighted coming towards us fast and from the looks of it 3 squadrons.”\\ Well, the colonel thought as he sat in the cockpit of his Lancelot taking a swig from his flask the easy day just got a little difficult. "Ok, guys you heard the man prepared for a rough ride. We are going to assault drop as soon as we are able, so stay frosty” Colonel announced through his battle net to all of his command staff across the six DropShips.
As the Dropships made their way to the surface the enemy fighters came into view and started to attack focusing most of their firepower on just two of the six DropShips. 
The Renegades slow but very powerful fighters were coming into range of the enemy fighters and started knocking a few down within seconds of engaging in battle. The Colonel hated space battles with the 0 G atmosphere and not in control of what people do, but what he hated the most was when the Dropships enter the atmosphere in order to delivery military assets to the ground. Why did he hate this part of the invasion? Because in truth it might be the most dangerous for a MechWarrior simply because if a DropShip blows up in the air or crashes all assets inside could be destroyed or seriously damaged. 
Such is the case right now as two of the six DropShips the two that the enemy targeted reported they lost control of their systems and are crashing. Which is terrible for the Renegades since one held most of his tanks and artillery and the other has two companies of Mechs in the bays. Nothing was coming out of the two Dropships although they both looked intact the comms must be down. As the rest of the Dropships landed Radar picked up hits coming from the Northeast, it looked like all the militia had decided to come say hello. That the Colonel thought was the best news he could receive, now if he can crush the militia here the planet should fall in a matter of days.
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===Wrangling with the Militia===
DropShip Bounty of Blood
Dindatari Assault Drop, Upper Atmosphere
Dindatari, Freedom Federation
March 26th, 3030
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The light within the Dropship turned red indicating that the assault drop was going to start within 15 seconds. All mechs powered up and when the light turned green the first four jumped. Along with his Lancelot, a Grand Dragon, Archer, and Black Knight jumped out first. <<“Enemy mechs and fighters coming out of the northeast.”>>, announced Lt. Douglas, <<“Good luck and good hunting.”>> “Roger that” Colonel replied back.
Fortunately, the enemy was still several 1000 meters away, so his command lance and strike lance made the assault drop without any enemy fire on them. Progressing through the hills and light woods the colonel noticed that the DropShips that crashed were able to open their bay doors and slowly the tanks and infantry men were exiting the DropShips. Excellent thought Colonel Sanzgiri, they made it hopefully the Dropships did not take too much damage.
More Battlemechs were jumping out and filling the battlefield. The Colonel then orders them to go around the mountain splitting the force into two groups, the armor and infantry around the south side and the 'mechs around the north side. Staff Sergeant Jeff Manglorkar was the first in the Colonel unit to take first blood by firing two medium lasers into the chest of an Eagle, he was able to follow up with a LB 10-x AC right into the same gaping hole destroying the Eagle’s engine. Right after that though several armor units were destroyed by a pocket titan.
 
“Lances target the Pocket Titan he is too good to ignore.” Colonel announced. Everyone said Roger and started to target not only that Battlemech, but all mechs around that sector. With that being said not only did the Pocket Titan go down but so did a Charger and a Raven. As more of the Renegades poured out of the Dropships the enemy militia new it was a hopeless battle even though they had air superiority, but the militia with only 6 Lances of mechs against a battalion of mechs and armor pouring out of the DropShips was just too much for them. As predicted, the Colonel watched as three mechs in the back of the fire line turned and ran. This battle might be over today if this keeps up the colonel thought. As he was fantasying about that, one of the Fighter Squadrons from the well discipline Elephant Ballet dove and fired everything they had at the Behemoth Cargo DropShip several of the aerospace fighter blew up due to the anti-aircraft fire but to them it was worth it as the DropShip landing struts gave way and the massive ship toppled over in a fire ball that reached out and licked the surviving fighters flying over the wreckage. “All units press, make them surrender or destroy them NOW” the Colonel said over the battle net. “Roger” was all he heard back. Then another unexpected twist of bad news when Major Alex Maxwell came across the battle net. “Damn it!!! Sorry I stepped in quicksand my Rifleman is sinking fast, cannot move or control any functions!!! I am punching out!!” 
Damn the colonel, thought the commander of Alpha Company taken down by quicksand that might not be good for the major’s career. At that moment a large laser hit his cockpit bouncing off in a glancing blow, damn he better be careful, or he might be done before this started. The colonel lined up his targeting site and launched everything he had towards an Archer and took out the Archer’s right leg and right arm. Other than the quicksand mech the only other pieces of equipment that were being destroyed was his armor Battalion, already seven tanks were smoking holes on the ground.
As his unit pressed, the militia broke and finally the rest of them took off north by northeast. “Renegades do not pursue let’s set up the base and repair our equipment and tend to our wounded, we destroyed half their force in a matter of minutes. Victory will be ours in a few days,
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===Declaration of Liberation===
Outside the Capital
Operation Liberate
Dindatari, Freedom Federation
March 26th, 3030
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Things could not be any better. The enemy ran and ran hard back to their capital which was fortified but still should be easy to overcome according to the Intel. If his forces can overcome and overpower the militia in this battle the planet will fall. The Colonel always wondered after seeing the plan for conquest why the Federation would be worried about these small insignificant planets, that at the present pose no threat to anyone. After fighting though he did see the need for it now. If the Freedom Federation had overlooked these planets, later on they could be a threat after the General’s forces were spread thin in the center of the nation with all front line units out on the edge. This way the new militia built by the fed will have been here and will have shown that freedom is better than the tyranny of the Draconis Combine or the lack a dazzle attitude of the Outworlds Alliance.
“All right Warriors, let’s kick butt destroy heads and legs and win this planet.” Colonel said over the BattleNet. “We are a green for the attack so GoGoGo!!!” As the mechs and armor companies started across the massive corn and wheat fields towards the out skirt of the capital radar from a satellite feed showed that the enemy had concentrated their torrent defense on the outskirts/corner of the city with the rest of their unit spread out through out a 45 by 45 radius. Sometimes he just did not understand militia.
As his company moved through the corn field destroying someone’s lively hood, he notice the fighters before he heard them. Two enemy squadrons start to fly out of the clouds setting up for strafing runs against his mechs. “Renegades, bandits at 12 o’clock about 500 meters up” Colonel Sanzgiri said. <<“Roger”>> everyone came back. Colonel then announced, “Company form the V formation and protect each other destroy all fighters they are keeping their mechs from us at this moment.”
With his 'mech in at the tip of the V formation the unit moved toward the city. The armor battalion moved around to the south side of the city outflanking what defense the militia tried to muster. The two enemy squadrons made their attack run and paid dearly for it. Five Renegade 'mechs were downed by the fighters with all pilots surviving but only three fighters survived the onslaught of Renegades and those three fighters had to head back to the airfield for repair. With air support gone and over half of the militia destroyed three days ago they did not stand a chance; however, they did not fold, fought until the last unit standing, but in the end the planet was liberated by the Federation.
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===News Reports from a around the Inner Sphere===
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NNN News (Niles News Network)
April First and the Freedom Federation has just liberated the ninth planet, this time from the Draconis Combine. The only comment from the War Department was that the timetable is ahead of schedule. We here, at your fair and balance news media have no idea if that means the war will end sooner or if they will just make plans to liberated more planets and bring complete freedom to all of the inner sphere.
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INN news (Interstellar News Network)
Monthly round up Report 
The war is going into the fourth month of the new year with no end in sight. The self-called Freedom Federation has now conquered nine planets both in the Draconis Combine and the OutWorlds Alliance. No one knows when the unprovoked tragedy will end. 
On the FedSun and Combine battlefront the FedSun has conquered ten planets. The Combine at first seemed caught with their pants down again just as they had in 3028. There are some signs of their defense stiffing and even rummers of a counterstrike.
On the FedSun and Capellan front, the Confederation is running scared with seventeen planets falling and units abandoning their post it looks like the Confederation will be completely destroyed sooner than previously thought.
The Free Worlds League as also joined into the destruction of the Confederation and has conquered two worlds with rumors of more operations in the future.
Lyran Commonwealth is fairly quiet with the formation of the Free Rasalhague Republic there are only a few planets of opportunity and the military are putting forth their best effort. For the millions of civilians that are caught in the cross fire we are truly saddened.
 
The Draconis Combine Coordinator has called upon COMSTAR to intervene against his enemies.
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VotD (Voice of the Dragon)
Even though the military might of the Combine is doing well against its enemies, today our mighty Coordinator has called for COMSTAR to intervene and interdict a com lockout against the FedSun and Federation nations.
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===Talk abound Friends and Leaders===
Communication between First Prince Davion and General Chapman
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"Matthew, if the Combine gets their way our communication will be down. The Archon of the Commonwealth, my mother in law has given me a device called the K-1 its lost tech, that will help.", Hanse Davion
"My Prince, the Chapman family and all its assets has a means of communication without COMSTAR for hundreds of years, its slower but effective. In fact its roughly the same technology that the Archon has given you. You forget that some of my people have never been caught up in this fighting over the centuries and have not lost any tech that the original star league had.
Matthew, why have you not shared this technology with me?", General Chapman
"My Prince, there are secrets that even I cannot reveal.", concluded CHapman
General Chapman sat back after he sent the last transmission. As much as he wanted to tell his best friend everything about the Chapman Family and the legacy, he just couldn't. Matthew shook his head the Prince must understand he has state secrets that he can’t tell anyone. Shifting gears, he decided to read intel reports of the next planet to liberate.
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Book 4 - Chapter 18