FSRB Chpt 216

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 216==
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August-September - 3070Operation Harvest - Wave 3
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===Wave 3 of Operation Harvest - Status Report===
Although on a number of worlds the AFFS and their ComGuard allies were proving successful at liberating the planets from Word of Blake occupation, it evident that the WOB had at least to some convinced them that the Protectorate was indeed the Hegemony reborn. Many worlds Protectorate Militias continued to resist and in some cases continued guerilla resistance even after their WOB masters had been driven off world or destroyed. However this was countered in many cases by those who had never believed the Word of Blake's propaganda. The fighting between organized military forces continued to be bloody and protracted throughout all of Wave 3.
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Existing Operations
====Graham IV====
The situation on Graham IV took a marked upswing for the Federated Suns when word was released that the Mitchell Vehicles plant on the world would be rebuilt - at the expense of Wolf's Dragoons. While only a single line was to be built for the Shogun class assault Battlemech, the hope was that additional lines would follow in due course. The one provision of this is that the company be broken away from it's Terran branch under the control of the WOB. Instead the government of Graham IV would be the primary stakeholder in Mitchell Vehicles (FS). Far from causing any diminishing of the pro-FedSun's sentiment this led to a further upswing in pro-Davion feeling. By the end of Wave 3 the civilian government installed by the AFFS is increasingly popular and feels secure enough to request admission to the Federated Suns. 
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====Sirus====
Wave 3 begins with a rolling artillery bombardment from the combined artillery formations of all the AFFS units on the planet combined with air strikes. Rather than pinpoint a single point in the WOB's defensive lines around Lost Hope, a more general and sustained bombardment takes place for over two weeks. With the 13th Militia and it's local sepoy's having been stripped during the recent fighting of most of their own air and artillery assets there is little they can do except hunker down and do their best to endure the day and night pounding. When the AFFS formations finally surge forward even as the artillery and air strikes shift away from the shattered front lines, they find many of the positions either destroyed or abandoned by shell shocked troops who couldn't withstand the constant attack. 
Marshal May's strike force of the 41st & 42nd Avalon Hussars push past the destroyed outer works and make good progress, running into only isolated opposition - largely from the 13th Militia. Indeed morale within the Sirius Protectorate Guard has almost totally collapsed. A full Level III from the 2nd Sirius Protectorate Guard, the largest single intact formation in the unit in fact, surrender almost immediately when the 3rd Battalion of the 42nd Avalon Hussars begin skirmishing with them. The few die hards end up rallying to the 13th Militia who continue to resist with fanatical bravery. 
With roughly four Level III formations left after the bombardment, along with perhaps a reinforced Level III of Protectorate Guard holdouts remaining to fight alongside them, the 13th Militia is soon forced into isolated positions unable to support the other elements of the Division. Broken up to bolster the Sirius Protectorate Militia and to hold key locations the unit struggles to combine back together under the face of constant attacks and air strikes. Fighting street by street and house by house wherever they are able to dig in, the isolated pockets of the 13th Militia are slowly overwhelmed in a campaign that is reminiscent of Marshal May's actions on Donenac. On the 11th of September the single largest contingent of Blakist loyal forces on the planet - 4 Level II of the 13th Militia and a single Level II of Sirius Protectorate Guard - are destroyed by a full on attack by the entirety of the 41st Avalon Hussars RCT supported by elements of the 10th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT. By the end of September the last holdouts are reduced to a handful of infantry formations fighting from the city sewers that are slowly being hunted down. The shattered dome of City Hall is now topped with the flag of the FedSuns and work begins on rebuilding the heavily damaged city. 
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====New Home====
Precentor Lane Brandenburg-Curi 's slowly fighting withdrawal north to the planetary capital of Findler was brought to a grinding halt when word reached him on the 12th of August that the 11th Avalon Hussars RCT, taking advantage of their huge numerical superiority over the scratch force of militia and Blanc's Coyotes, had swept into the city and destroyed the WOB garrison in a three day battle. The remaining Coyotes eventually surrender when their dropships are seized on the third day of the "siege". With the capital no longer a safe refuge he instead directed his remaining troops to being working their way into the most defensive regions of the Great Spine Mountains, while some worked their way south west in an effort to create a redoubt along that coast or perhaps even fall back to the two southern continents. The Davion Heavy Guards RCT and 1st Robinson Chevaliers in a series of assaults on the hold out formations within the mountains managed to prevent them having the time to dig in properly - although at the cost of heavy losses to both commands. The Davion Heavy Guards lost a full third of their remaining forces, while the Chevaliers lost half of their current strength in these battles. 
At the same time, the Clan Sun Jaguar forces on planet along with the 27th Avalon Hussars RCT continued to harass and attack the 2nd New Home Protectorate Guard. With nowhere to escape to, with the Davion forces holding the city of Fidler ahead of them and the mountains to their west filled with Davion troops the 2nd New Home collapsed by the end of August and the survivors largely surrendered. Although a handful of light BattleMechs managed to escape and this led to the Sun Jaguars hunting them down throughout September. 
With the holdout forces being reduced behind him Precentor Lane Brandenburg-Curi's hopes of creating a redoubt along the south west coast were dealt a heavy blow from which they were unable to recover. Worse, the Davion Old Guards and 1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs used their dropships to combat "hop" the Great Spine Mountains and attack his remaining forces even as they were attempting to break out from the mountains. Both elite rated commands were equipped with some of the finest equipment the AFFS could produce and swiftly turned a fighting retreat into a rout. Although the Blakist aligned troops fought hard to break contact and escape, on the whole almost all of their tanks, battlemechs and battle armoured troops were pursued and destroyed. 
The only significant setback for the AFFS was the escape of Precentor Brandeburg-Curi himself, along with several Level IIs of elite jump infantry. The Precentor managed to break away with this small force from his main body of troops and reach a port on the coast. Seizing a ship he managed to reach the continent Goldwynn where he and his troopers headed into the interior to take refuge amongst the farming communities and continue the fight from there. 
At the end of Wave 3 the world of New Home had been largely secured by the AFFS and Sun Jaguar forces on the planet. Although at heavy cost. Of the units assigned to the fighting only the 11th Avalon Hussars RCT and 1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs were still considered capable of active offensive operations along with the Sun Jaguar's Alpha Galaxy. Both units of the Davion Guards, the 1st Robinson Chevaliers, and the 27th Avalon Hussars RCT had been reduced to a level that further combat operations risked them being effectively destroyed. 
Small scale guerrilla operations continued across most of the world but while across the majority of the planet's land masses these were diminishing, on the continent of Goldwynn these were already increasing. The 11th Avalon Hussars were hurriedly transferred to the agricultural continent, while their sister formation the 27th Avalon was moved to Arbergeiht as a precaution in case the WOB troops shifted to that nearby continent. The remaining units stayed on Spina Planetia and continued to root out the remaining WOB holdouts and refit. 
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====Keid====
On the planet of Keid, the various AFFS and Clan forces on the planet continued to root out any remaining WOB elements while doing what they could to rebuild the shattered Keid City. The Clan elements of the combined task force mostly concentrated on rooting out any remaining WOB troops, while the AFFS prioritized rebuilding Keid City and it's vital spaceport. Given the situation on Keid the planet's AFFS forces were also earmarked for reinforcements for any campaign that wasn't going as well.
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====Procyon====
For the first half of Wave 3 the various AFFS formations on Procyon spend their time refitting their ground forces while conducting heavy air attacks upon the Castle Brian within the Unspoiled Islands. At the same time Marshal Jack Roberts requests from High Command the dispatch of wet navy assets to the planet in order to support any attack upon the island chain. 
While awaiting this support elements of the 6th Dragonlords and the 10th & 11th Chisholm Raiders conduct a series of probing attacks and more conventional assaults upon the nearby islands to the one which holds the Castle Brian. Island by island the largely battle armored formations of these units clear out the nearby islands and following them engineers begin building air bases out of the jungles. They are supported in this by Zeta Battalion which is eager to prove itself following the issues regarding their conduct on Graham IV. 
At the end of September specially modified Mammoth class cargo Dropships land and disgorge four Rapier Patrol Destroyers onto the sea's of Procyon. After a brief period working up these destroyers head for the Unspoiled Islands to support the landings on the largest island where the WOB continue to hold out in their Castle Brian. The Castle Brian's surface elements are beginning to show heavy damage from a near two month long bombing campaign, but every officer and trooper of the AFFS formations know that this is merely the tip of the iceberg of the defensive works. None are looking forward to the fighting it will take to reduce it.
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====Zosma====
On Zosma the sweep by the AFFS formations continues, but it is by now evident that the WOB has effectively abandoned the planet. The 6th Robinson Rangers RCT is designated as the planetary garrison while the rest of the AFFS formations lift off in mid September. 
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New Operations
====Pollux ====
The 5th Davion Guards RCT led the way against Pollux, joined by the 4th and 39th Avalon Hussars RCTs and the 3rd FedSuns Dragoons RCT. The formations jumping in at the start of August and expecting to make planet fall by the 8th. With four RCTs facing them the Pollux based WoB 19th Militia Division mobilized the three Protectorate Guard Divisions they could raise. Unfortunately, for the 19th Militia, the planet broke out in riots and rebellions at the news that a liberating force was inbound from the Zenith jump point. Even worse, large elements of the infantry heavy formations of the Pollux Protectorate Guard joined them. 
Having serious doubts about the loyalty of the roughly two Protectorate Guard Divisions remaining loyal to them, the Militia was forced to deploy rapidly to put down the revolts. While assigning the 1st Pollux Protectorate Guard, which had remained largely loyal, to oppose the landings. The heavily under strength 2nd & 3rd Pollux Protectorate Guards were assigned to support them. As the 1st Pollux prepared to resist the invaders, the 19th Militia descended upon the rebellious troops and rioting civilians and began subjugating the areas that had broken into rebellion. 
Becoming aware of this the AFFS formations broke into two sub-formations. The 5th Davion Guards RCT diverted from the original landing zones and instead landed on the largest rebel enclaves in order to protect them. The rest of the AFFS troops continued onto the main landing zone and were soon heavily engaged with the 1st Pollux Protectorate Guard. Both sub-formations were supported by heavy aerospace forces who began sweeping the skies clear of WOB fighters. 
At the landing zone, the 1st Pollux found itself massively over matched by no less than three RCT's at or nearly at full strength. While the 4th Avalon Hussars and 3rd FedSuns Dragoons RCTs were only rated as regular, the veteran 39th Avalon led the way, with the other supporting it. The 1st Pollux Protectorate Guard soon called on the 2nd & 3rd to support their flanks as they found themselves having to overextend to avoid being outflanked, but only the 3rd Pollux responded. The 2nd Pollux, disgusted with the actions of the 19th Militia in slaughtering their former comrades and the civilians who had came out in support of them instead attacked the 1st Pollox's flanks instead. Seeing the 2nd Pollux Protectorate Guard attacking their sister division, the 4th Avalon Hussars swept in alongside them and proceeded to roll up the entire northern flank of the Protectorate Guard positions, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy for only light losses to themselves. 
Just when the 1st Pollux Protectorate Guard managed to dig in and hold their lines the 39th Avalon Hussars delivered a hammer blow to their central elements while at the same time the 3rd FedSuns Dragoons launched a full scale assault on the wavering 3rd Pollux. Within four days of landing the three AFFS formations had the Protectorate Guard formations in total rout. 
The 19th Militia which might have been able to stabilize the situation, found itself with it's own problems. The 5th Davion Guards RCT, one of the most favored RCTs within the AFFS had received more than it's fair share of the Clan tech battlemechs and omnimechs coming from Clan Sun Jaguar. A full company of Warhawk class Assault Omnimechs led the way, supported by an additional company of Guillotine IIC battlemechs and screened by a mixed company of Clint IIC battlemechs and Mist Lynx omnimechs all concentrated in the 2nd Battalion. The other three battalions and the supporting armour regiments might not consist of Clan tech war machines, but they had nearly two full battalions of omnimechs and the best battlemechs and tanks that the FedSuns could build, while the infantry brigade had a heavy battle armour contingent. 
The 19th Militia fought against the 5th Davion Guards for almost 72 hours of almost constant combat operations before the sheer number of Omnimechs in the AFFS formation, and their ability to repair and reequip as required, began to tell. With more and more revolts breaking out all around them the 19th struggled to disengage and fall back and then word of the routing of their remaining Protectorate Guard allies reached them. The 19th, deciding to abandon the lost cause that Pollux clearly was made a break for the planets main spaceport and sent orders for all elements of the Pollux Protectorate Guard elements which were mobile enough to join them there.
Unfortunately for the 19th Militia, their arrival at the spaceport coincided with the defeat of the last of their aerospace assets and the combined AFFS aerospace brigades began launching heavy attacks on their troops as they boarded the dropships. With nearly two Level III's worth of Pollux Protectorate Guard units inbound the 19th's commander had to decide on whether to risk fighting off the air attacks to let them join her or abandon them and blast off with what was left of her own unit. She chose to abandon her allies and as soon as the remaining 19th Militia were loaded she blasted off. The entire way into orbit her dropships were harried and attacked by AFFS fighters, so that barely two fifths of their number actually managed to reach orbit. 
The remaining Pollux Protectorate Guard elements, abandoned by their overlords promptly surrendered. Which allowed Marshal Linda Archer of the 5th Davion Guards to order the bulk of her aerospace assets to pursue the fleeing WOB dropships. Estimates were that barely a third of the 19th Militia managed to escape the fighting by the time they jumped out.
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====Devil's Rock====
The AFFS assigned the 1st Kathil Uhlans to lead the attack on Devil's Rock, along with the 1st El Dorado Tercio RCT, 1st Woodstock Borderers, Clan Sun Jaguar's Delta Galaxy, and two regiments of the Northwind Highlanders - Mulvaney's Regiment and Stirling's Fusiliers. At least for the first wave. 
Facing them was the Word of Blake 9th Militia and the 1st & 2nd Devil's Rock Protectorate Guard Divisions. While the two Protectorate Guard formations were less than many other worlds possessed, the Devil Rock's units had a much higher number of Battlemechs assigned to their ranks and within those battlemech formations was a much higher percentage of heavy and assault battlemechs. Precentor Alice Phuong had also concentrated a double strength fighter wing for her 9th Division and hoped to use it to keep her forces from the constant air attacks that had destroyed so many of their fellows. Deploying her Protectorate Guard formations into defensive positions near the various cities, she intended to use her 9th Militia Division as a mobile force. 
The AFFS formation, escorted by a full aerospace regiment from the Federated Suns Navy as well as their own integral fighter wings and brigades made planet fall near the Hades Mountains and engaged in light skirmishing against the 9th Militia. The AFFS troops used this as a chance to help the 1st El Dorado Tercio in particular blood it's green troops on their first combat deployment. They would deploy a full "LCT" formation from the unit and always accompany this with a strong force from the more veteran formations. 
Having got used to this, Precentor Phuong expected the same when a combined arms formation from the Woodstock Borderers deployed against her battle lines. However when no such covering force appeared she initially thought that the AFFS had made a mistake. Throwing two Level III formations against the Borderers probe she was shocked when the regular rated formation not only held their own but counter attacked. The 1st Woodstock Borderers had a history ever since their initial inception as the Woodstock Militia of fighting above their official skill level and had been build around a hard core of AFFS veterans. Reeling from the 1st Woodstocks unexpected resilience, the 9th Militia took heavy losses when Delta Galaxy conducted a risky combat drop from their dropships on the damaged Level III formations. 
After this setback the WOB forces were more careful, and began slowly filtering their own Protectorate Guard Divisions through the front lines. Both to bolster their lines after the losses the 9th had suffered, but also to give them vital combat experience. As Wave 3 came to a close this low level fighting continued, however Precentor Phuong was horrified when intelligence reported a second AFFS formation in bound at the end of September. The 22nd Avalon Hussars RCT, 6th, 7th, & 8th Chisholm Raiders LCTs from Zosma had been joined by the 2nd Davion Guards RCT and 2nd Ceti Hussars RCT from Keid.
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===ComGuards Operations===
====New Earth====
With the arrival of the 26th Avalon Hussars RCT on New Earth the ComGuard's newly reformed 5th Army lifts off and leaves the garrisoning of the planet in the hands of the AFFS. At no stage is a return of Lyran Alliance government mentioned. 
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====Epsilon Eridani====
The ComGuards' 2nd & 4th Army spend most of Wave 3 refitting and absorbing replacement personnel. Between them they have 11th Divisions that are almost all at full strength and are a mix of veteran and elite troops. They are joined on Epsilon Eridani by the 4th Crucis Lancers RCT which takes up the bulk of the garrison duties. The ComGuards draw heavily on the Battlemechs being produced by the Kressly Technologies factory. In mid-September, the two ComGuard Armies lift off for Alula Australis. 
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====Bryant====
The ComGuards' 3rd Army begins to request additional omnimechs and beagle probe equipped battlemechs to be assigned to it. Almost as soon as these battlemechs are arriving they are immediately dispatched into the storm driven interior in efforts to help hunt down the WOB troops hiding there. A deadly game of ambush and counter ambush develops and casualties begin to mount. The ComGuards also begin deploying "blocking forces" at key locations within what are being referred to as the "stormlands", largely consisting of assault and heavy battlemechs backed up by large scale battle armour forces. 
Using both these tactics the WOB forces plaguing the 3rd Army begin to suffer mounting casualties. The fighting does however continue, with no signs of the WOB troops giving up.
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====Alula Australis====
The heavily industrialised world of Alula Australis (also known as Xi Ursae Majoris) was the garrison posting of the 23rd Division of the Word of Blake Militia. In addition to this regular formation the WOB has prioritized the building up of no less than five Protectorate Guard Divisions. While the units were short on battlemechs - having only roughly a single Level III formation each within their ranks - they were extremely well equipped with Free Worlds League manufactured battle armor. 
Escorted by the AFFS's 2nd Independent Squadron (consisting of 25 Fox I class corvettes, many of them sporting at least some damage from the invasion of New Earth), the ComGuards 5th Army launch an initial planetary invasion on the 20th of August. Two ComGuard's Divisions, the 76th the 103rd, force a landing in the face of heavy opposition on the continent of Hume. Repeated WOB attacks on the contested landing zones force an eventual withdrawal from these positions under heavy fire on the 28th of August - which is only acheived with the orbiting warships launching covering fire. With the bulk of the enemy's more mobile forces deployed to Hume, the ComGuards force a second landing on Locke. Even this comes at heavy cost. 
Having finally managed to establish a lodgement on the planet, the ComGuards 5th Army begin to deploy outward, securing additional strategic depth. However, at almost every town, mine, or industrial park they find themselves engaged heavily by defending battle armor forces supported by armour and battlemechs. The ComGuard's battlemech forces are forced to deploy their own Lorica class battle armor forces to counter these defending forces. Progress slows to an almost total stop. With losses mounting the 5th Army requests support from the 2nd & 4th Armies in mid September. While they await for the promised reinforcements they dig in their own formations and begin launching air attacks on any enemy troop movements. They also disband the 76th Division and use it's survivors to bring their other formations up to nearer full strength.
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