FSRB Chpt 162

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 162==
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June 3070Operation Agamemnon V
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===Agamemnon Operations - Progress Report===
With his pony express Jumpship lines of communication shredded by the Federated Sun's Navy and with most of his HPGs non-functional Warlord Lo Dok To was forced back unto purely his black boxes. Which while able to give him a relatively good grasp of what was going on made coordination over interstellar distances a nightmare. With responsibility for almost half of the DC-FS border he found his ability to react to the Davion's further hamstrung as the month went on and jumpship after jumpship was seized. He also knew that the WOB repair teams were working their way towards Luthien, not towards him. Which meant that his worlds would be the last ones to see HPG communication resumed. A handful of reports suggested that this was not a problem for the worlds seized by the AFFS who's HPG stations were being not only reoccupied but repaired by Comstar.
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===Galedon Military District Invasion===
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====Capra====
The removal of Marshal Stromp and her 1st Kestrel Grenadiers RCT, 1st Lexington Combat Guard, and 1st FedSuns Dragoons RCT at the start of June did nothing to help the faltering 12th Galedon Regulars. With the 8th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT and the 2nd Lexington Combat Guards RCT still in the hunt they were massively outnumbered and knew that it was only a matter of time until they were cornered and defeated. The end came on the 17th of June when Chu-sa Lynette Cole the senior surviving officer finally snapped at the constant harassing air attacks and running battles and ordered what remained of the unit to take up defensive positions for a final stand.
Hurriedly digging into a rocky ridge the 12th Galedon Regulars found the air attacks against them redoubled. Between the 2 formations the AFFS forces on planet had no less than 8 air wings and almost all of them were soon involved in a 36 hour bombardment of the ridge the 12th had dug in on. For the last 6 hours they were joined by the artillery battalion of the 2nd Lexington. On the morning of the 19th, the 2nd Lexington Combat Guards moved in to destroy the battered survivors while the 8th Deneb Light Cavalry ensured that the 12th Galedon couldn't attempt any breakout. Within 3 hours the battle was over and the last of the Galedon Regulars on the planet had surrendered. Although a great deal of ordinance (particularly air dropped bombs) had been expended the final stand of the DCMS on Capra had cost the AFFS little more than moderate damage to a number of battlemechs and a few wounded infantry and armor crews. Most of the 3 hours of the battle had simply been the AFFS troops moving up along the ridge to find and take the survivors into custody.
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====An Ting====
The 7th An Ting Legion, abandoned by their DCMS allies and hammered by vastly superior and better equipped AFFS forces are at breaking point as June begins. Dug in as best they can around the An Ting University and Cerant city they can see the AFFS formations assembling for the final push. When the 4th Federated Suns Armored Cavalry openly prepares it's full weight of Battlemechs to crash into the 7th An Ting's lines while the 2nd & 4th Ceti Hussars deploy to ensure that they can't break out something finally snaps. The 7th asks for terms. Both to save themselves but also the city that many of them call home and have friends and families in.
Swiftly a deal is reached. All An Ting citizens captured by the AFFS and Clan Sun Jaguar will be released or at least held in relative comfort until the end of the hostilities. The government of An Ting will be allowed to continue - subject to said government agreeing to petition to join the Federated Suns. Similarly the An Ting University will NOT be dismembered and distributed to some other world deep within the Federated Suns. Instead it will have it's teaching staff and cadet force overhauled by the MIIO and DMI before being allowed to continue to graduate classes for the AFFS in the future - in a similar manner to the Tikonov Martial Academy. The surviving members of the 7th An Ting will be tested and those found prepared to serve in the AFFS will be used to form the core of a new 1st An Ting Borderer regiment which will only be activated at the end of the current war.
The 4th Ceti Hussars are tasked with overseeing the transition and garrisoning of the planet while the 4th FSAC and 2nd Ceti Hussars refit and resupply. During this period the 4th FSAC trades a number of it's assault and heavy Battlemechs and tanks for lighter and more maneuverable units. A number of 4th Ceti Hussars are transferred into the 2nd Ceti Hussars to bring that unit up to a stronger combat ready force for future engagements. Similarly the Clan Sun Jaguar forces on the planet continue to refit and rearm.
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====Kaznejoy====
With the completion of the first of the newly built airbases at Fort Darwin the AFFS transfers the bulk of it's fighter strength from dropships in orbit to these facilities. Which they are soon using to launch almost constant air attacks at the DCMS formations dug in around Gondovia. With the rebuilt 5th Davion Guards aerospace forces now back up to the standard 3 wings, the Air Cossacks Wing and the Roughriders aerospace forces combined with the 2 independent fighter wings have a slight numerical advantage over the defending aerospace forces of the DCMS. Where they have a major advantage however is in skill and in equipment.
The 11th Ghosts fighter wing is the strongest DCMS formation in skill but is operating at just over 60% of it's full strength. Plus it's equipment has always been somewhat ramshackle due to the lack of long term supply priority for the Ghost regiments. While the newly formed 43rd & 45th Galedon Air Wings were mostly equipped with light fighters such as the Sabre and a handful of Sai Aerospace Fighters. Compared to the top of the line equipment in the 5th Davion Guards in particular the comparison is extremely lopsided. The AFFS fighter wings also contain a number of OmniFighters such as the Dagger-O and Huscarl-O which give them an even greater advantage.
The air above the deserts between Gondovia and Fort Darwin is crisscrossed with dueling fighters. Both sides send out light BattleMechs and vehicles to either rescue or capture any downed pilots, but find these and other patrols the target of strafing runs by the enemy fighters if they are given half a chance. For the first 10 days the battle hangs in the balance, but as the month progresses the tide shifts more and more to the AFFS fighter pilots. With a steady supply of new aerospace fighters and spare parts they are more able to absorb the losses and continue the fight.
With their fighter losses mounting and unable to contest the high desert air the DCMS commanders order their pilots to forget trying to hit the AFFS base but instead to concentrate on maintaining a CAP above Gondovia itself on the 16th. This allows the AFFS fighter wings to sweep the desert clean of any isolated Kurita bases and patrols in a matter of 2 days. After which the Hansen Roughriders mercenary unit moves out on a long sweep through the deepest parts of the desert. 
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====Valentina====
On the 6th of June, the 19th Galedon Regulars finally launch their signature attack to break the Screaming Eagles lines. They hit the 2nd battalion of the Screaming Eagles and for nearly 2 hours, the Eagles battle line bends and falls back almost breaking. Just as it looks like the 19th might be successful in breaking the Screaming Eagles into 2 formations the 1st Conroe Borderers launch their counter attack directly at the advancing Galedon Regulars. At the same time the 3 other Screaming Eagles battalions on the flanks snap forward into a counter attack. 
The 1st Conroe suffers nearly 40% casualties in their frenzied counter attack, reducing them from 5 companies to 3, while the 2nd battalion of the Screaming Eagles suffer even higher losses. Yet the 19th Galedon Regulars finds itself caught in a killing zone between the surviving AFFS troops in front of them and the others closing on their flanks. When they finally mange to disengage they have lost over 4 companies of battlemechs and almost the entire destruction of their conventional forces. 
Almost as soon as the Regulars manages to reach it's dropships it flees the planet and heads for Galedon. The Screaming Eagles and 1st Conroe Borderers take possession of the planet of Valentina for the Federated Suns. 
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====Matsuida====
The first wave of AFFS troops arrive at Matsuida under the command of Marshal Stromp. The 1st Kestrel Grenadiers RCT, 1st Lexington Combat Guard and the 1st FedSun's Dragoons RCT arrive on the 3rd. Less than a day later Marshal Rand-Davion leads his own 1st Crucis Lancers RCT and the 4th Syrtis Fusiliers RCT to join Marshal Stromp's first wave. A final wave of AFFS troops arrive on the 7th, under the command of Marshal Jon Davion who takes overall command of the invasion bringing with him his own Davion Heavy Guards RCT and the 6th Crucis Lancers RCT. Along with his own task force Jon Davion brings 2 full armoured conventional brigades and 5 infantry brigades.
To counter these the DCMS has the 2nd Galedon Regulars, Ryuken-yon, Ryuken-go and the remanants of the 3rd Ghost as well as a host of conventional forces, a mix of regular and militia. The 2nd Galedon Regulars is at almost full strength, while the 2 Ryuken regiments both are at 70% of their full strength and the 3rd Ghost has roughly 2 battalions of mechwarriors - including survivors from the 7th Ghost.
The Davion task forces each take a different target. Marshal Stromp's forces land slightly in advance of the others under heavy air cover and immedietly begin pressing the defensive lines of the 2 Ryuken regiments who have dug in to the south and west of the capital of Mystique Bay. Meanwhile, Marsha Rand-Davion conducts a close assault drop upon the green 2nd Galedon Regulars to the north east. His own 1st Crucis Lancers land and immediately throw themselves at the enemy lines while the 4th Fusiliers conduct their signature death from above attack upon the Regulars. By the end of the 2nd day of fighting the 2nd Galedon Regulars is beginning to come apart and they have been forced back again and again. While they have inflicted losses on the two Davion units their own losses are mounting and their morale is crumbling.
The DCMS commanders on planet still have the 3rd Ghost which is still free and could be redeployed to save the 2nd Regulars. However even as they consider it Jon Davion begins landing his own forces and launching attacks against the 3rd Ghost. However he doesn't bring down most of the conventional forces, instead he lands them in support of Marshal Stromp and Marshal Rand-Davion who use the additional troops to maintain their own attacks.
With the 3rd Ghost now pinned fighting hard against the Davion Heavy Guards and 6th Crucis Lancers to the north and north west of the city, the 2nd Galedon Regulars finally collapses under a full scale attack spearheaded by 4 companies of the 4th Syrtis Fusiliers led by none other than Leftenant General Chad Dean. When the charismatic (and some might say mad) Leftenant General is badly injured when his Templar-O is brought down, the Fusiliers go berserk and smash into the Galedon Regulars with a fury that the already shaken green unit cannot match.
With the 2nd Galedon Regulars shattered and streaming back into Mystique City the remaining DCMS forces try and break of contact and retreat into the city as well. They are only partially successful. The AFFS forces keep up the pressure on them and the 3rd Ghost for instance has to leave a sacrificial rearguard consisting of what is left of it's conventional forces and 2 companies of battlemechs in order to reach the city mostly intact. The Ryuken regiments similarly face a hard fight to withdraw.
Unfortunately, the city proves little sanctuary as the AFFS units give the DCMS forces little time to reorganize. The heavy battle armor formations of the 1st Kestrel Grenadiers, supported by the assault, and heavy Battlemechs of the RCT don't give up on the pursuit but crash right into the city on the heels of the fleeing defenders. The Davion Heavy Guards and the 1st Crucis Lancers similarly keep fighting right into the city.
By the end of June, the DCMS have lots over half of the capital and the 2nd Galedon Regulars already shattered formation has been merged into the two Ryuken regiments in order to keep them at least operational (although even now between them they have less than a single regiments worth of battlemechs and mechwarriors). The 3rd Ghost despite requests to receive some of the surviving Regulars are ordered to recruit from the planets Yakuza if they wish reinforcements.
The AFFS forces have also taken losses - the heaviest hit being the 4th Syrtis Fusiliers which is withdrawn from the lines to repair and refit having lost a full battalion in their mad charge and prior combat drop. Leftenant General Chad Dean is medically evacuated to Robinson. However, their RCTs and battlemech regiments continue to push the DCMS lines at every opportunity. In the urban combat the free conventional infantry brigades also begin showing their value, infiltrating and holding territory seized by their battlemech brethren. A handful of mechanized infantry formations and light armour units form into columns and spread out bringing more and more of the world under the banner of the FedSuns.
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====Bergman's Planet/Thestria/Elidere IV====
With reports that these 3 worlds have been abandoned not only by the regular DCMS formations but have also been stripped of most of their militia formations in order to bolster the defences of other key worlds, the AFFS High Command takes a gamble and assigns the 1st Ceti Hussars RCT to dispatch a combat command to each of these worlds to seize them. Alpha Command takes Bergman's Planet, Bravo Command takes Thestria, and Charlie Command Elidere IV. For once the reports are right. All 3 worlds fall after only token resistance to the 1st Ceti Hussars RCT. First Prince Victor himself sends the 1st a message of congratulations and makes a point of telling them that they have again vindicated his ancestors faith in their formation.
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====Misery====
The Wolf's Dragoons return to Misery in June. Having suffered nearly 60% fatalities the last time they came to this world and fought the DCMS they had demanded the honour of it's conquest which had been happily granted. The only condition the High Command had imposed was to add some conventional forces to aid them. In the end these reinforcements wouldn't be required as the mere arrival of the infamous unit promoted the few remaining militia on the planet to surrender immedietly. It was an anti-climactic return for Zeta, but one that the High Command was more than satisfied with.
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====Arlington====
The 11th FedSuns Dragoons RCT was released from garrison duty on Barlow's End and ordered to seize the world of Arlington in June. Facing off against only a handful of mostly infantry militia units the green Dragoons took a week or 2 to find it's stride, but was soon able to report that they were in full control of the planet with only a small number of Battlemechs damaged and conventional forces lost.
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====Gandy's Luck====
The newest formation of the Draconis March (if not the AFFS now that the 1st Tercio had been founded) the 1st Robinson Chevaliers were thrown into action on Gandy's Luck. Formed from individual companies from various DMM formations they unit had a wide variety of skills. Deciding to take advantage of this the CO of the unit - Colonel Aristide Sandoval-Lee breaks her regiment into it's component companies and deploys them to destroy the few isolated militia units that resist the AFFS invasion. To the most difficult targets she assigns the 1st battalion's 1st company - the "Kentares Chevaliers". Although doing little to help integrate the unit's diverse companies it does prove an effective tactic and the planet is swiftly pacified.
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