ALJ Chpt 15

frameless|right|300px|link=A Long Journey
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==Chapter 15 - A Long Journey==
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6 April 2785
Mackolla (Federated Suns)
While the ground forces tried to sort out their differences, at the Nadir Jump Point, work on putting the two Bastion System Defense Stations together was proceeding at a quick pace. The hardest part was making sure the halves were perfectly aligned before the two Elephant Tugs pushed them together, the tiniest of error could be catastrophic, possible damaging the stations beyond repair. So it was a slow and delicate procedure with the utmost of care. Commodore Patricia Mitchell had taken SLS Second Chance, Vigilant Corvette, over to the Zenith Jump Point's Olympic Station for a maintenance checkout plus she wanted to check out the stations repair facilities. It did not take long to note quite a few deficiencies with the personnel onboard as they watched them awkwardly move about their tasks.
"How long has it been since this station has actually performed a full maintenance cycle on a vessel?" Commodore Mitchell asked
"Outside quick maintenance checks, it has done so in my time here. Usually we work on the odd Dropship but have never performed a full on service of any vessel. Most folks prefer to take their ships to the manufacturer for those." The stations Chief Engineer replied
"That is going to have to change, but outside of Second Chance we don't have anything they can service outside of Dropships. Get a team over here to start a training regime for these folks but until then I want every move they make watched and triple checked by our own people." Commodore Mitchell said to her own Chief Engineer
"Aye, ma'am. I will have one my people shadow their every move." 
"We are going to have to figure out how we are going to service our own ships, Panpour or Delavan are the closest locations that can service our Jumpships and that is a problem. Six months to get there, 3-6 months for the work and then six months back. Two years out of service, we don't have enough ships to even think about a rotation schedule." Commodore Mitchell said to no one in particular but she got an answer from her Chief Engineer.
"Nor do we have the money to pay for the work."
"Yeah, that is a huge problem we need to sort out. We no longer have the SLDF footing the bills and since we own all this equipment, the Federated Suns is not going to foot the bill either." Commodore Mitchell said
"We are on the edge of the Periphery, so we could always do some salvage work."
"Chief, we have to find something to salvage first. That takes time and money we do not have." Commodore Mitchell replied
"There are wrecks all over Taurian space. I was in 19th Fleet before I was assigned to you. I don't know exact locations, but I know there is one location where rebel Jumpships were hauled to after capture and staged, charges were detonated up against their cores to make sure they could not ever make a jump again. Must be twenty or thirty ships sitting out there." Chief Engineer James Kellog said
"If they cannot jump, we cannot patch and bring back here." Commodore Mitchell replied
"We just need a core grinder. We rip the head or tail off, cut the core loose and have one of the tugs pull it out. Grind that core up, haul it to a shipyard and sell it off." Chief Kellog said
"You make it sound so easy, we don't have a core grinder nor the money to buy one. Back to square one Chief Kellog. But that is excellent information for the future." Commodore Mitchell replied, we are going to have to sell some ships, she thought silently.
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7 April 2785
"To make this work you going to have to break up the 322nd or the garrisons will be too weak to delay an enemy until the cavalry arrives. We are too weak on the infantry front to staff the garrisons plus Mackolla enough. We all know the Battlemech Regiment is our cavalry so there are no hard feelings there but we have to have a min of two Infantry Regiments on each planet to have a hope in properly garrisoning a planet. Back by an Armor Regiment of course but armor is not our problem. Infantry is our problem." Colonel Albert Crapo said
"We will have to recruit and train more then." Lieutenant General Samuel Mitchell replied
"Your talking up to two years before we see a single new crop. I have looked at the so called boot camp this planet run, it trains a platoon every three months. Most barely know how to operate their weapons much less any tactical training. Just enough to handle providing peacetime replacements for the militia Battalion. We need the troops right now or this experiment of yours is doomed." Colonel Crapo replied
"Okay, okay, calm down before you stroke out. All of you look like your going to blow a blood vessel. We do what we have to do. Let's try not to loot too bad but start tossing out the idea's that I obviously mentally cancelled out." Lieutenant General Mitchell said
Colonel Otto Brown spoke first "Give me the Fury's, a single Thumper Battalion and my Regiment can easily hold our own until the cavalry arrives." 
Lieutenant General Mitchell walked to the large easel and wrote on it.
1st Garrison Brigade
-109 Fury 
-24 Thumper
-1 Infantry Regiment (Foot)
"Wish I would have known you were going hard core. I will take some Demon, but I want a Battalion of Turhan for my grunts. With a side of Thumper but I will need it garnished with that extra Mech Inf battalion." Colonel Albert Crapo said with a smile
Lieutenant General Mitchell wrote this on the easel.
2nd Garrison Brigade
-108 Demon
-36 Turhan
-24 Thumper
-1 Infantry Regiment (Foot)
Colonel Blanca Petrone went next "You don't have anything that really fits my Jumpers. But if I get both Regiments, using those Cobras backed by the Cyranos, I will play bloody hell with anyone hostile."
Again Lieutenant General Mitchell wrote on the easel.
3rd Garrison Brigade
-36 Cobra VTOL
-9 Cyrano VTOL
-2 Jump Infantry Regiments
Before any others said anything Lieutenant General Mitchell said "Okay, that gives us garrisons for 3 systems besides Mackolla. Gamlestolen, Arundel and Bamburgh. Until we get more infantry, that is our limit for now. I will submit the list of systems to AFFS High Command and inform them that we are officially taking over garrison responsibility for those systems. I have no idea if we will be getting AFFS rank or not, it was not discussed nor if they are going to officially rename us. For now, let's get a real training camp setup for recruits here and we will do the same on the other three systems. With luck, we will be able to fill out our garrisons with local's in a couple years. So, let's get to work, I will issue the orders to create your commands and get them deployed, as soon as you get mobilized, get to training." 
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9 April 2785
This question had been eating at Colonel Colin Blaine since they embarked on Terra, so today he planned to find out exactly what General Kerensky had loaded onto their Dropships using those massive convoy's that made his task easy, but complicated the loading process. The containers had all been carefully marked either GK or 322, to make sorting later much easier. The first container had been unloaded and he stepped closer as they popped the deal and opened the door of the container revealing a large section of machinery. One of the techs stepped in and returned with a packing list. Colonel Blaine opened the packing list, read it and then closed it back up. He ordered the container sealed and all other containers to be set aside and kept sealed. He had to go locate his cousin.
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