CHS4-16

==Chapter Sixteen - Book 4 – Chappy's Howling Siegers==
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===First Battalion's Plight===
Planetary Capital City
Shiloh, Free Worlds League
March 17th, 3030
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Local Time: 1330 GT
Colonel Batten took his 1st Battalion to the edge of the southside of the capital, most of his men where already there and about seven out of the forty Battlemechs he had, were moderate or heavy damage the rest were good, but no one had the chance for resupply. So, depending on what type of enemy 'mechs will depend on his success.
((“Command, 1st Company I really hate this Locust, when will we get better and bigger mechs boss.”)) Captain Trydal said.
“Stop bitching and just do the job with the mech you have, and don’t play the pudding song.” Colonel Batten replied.
As Batten waited for the enemy, he stole a quick moment to think on his company commanders.
1st Company, Hauptmann Trydal, smart kid, loves the pudding song too much, he is a better LRM heavy mech pilot but he needed to learn to adapt to all types of mechs. So overall an average pilot.
2nd Company, Hauptmann Bugti, quite kid, not always around but when you need him, he shows up. Above average pilot
3rd Company, Kommandant Onishi, perfect commander. great pilot
He was still thinking about his men when his radar started to go wild.
“1st Battalion the enemy is here let’s go say hello.” Batten announce of the BattleNet.
The first thing he noticed after leaving the city and moving into the plains for better sensor coverage was most of the enemy 'mechs were heavy and assault which was not good for his light and medium battalion.
“Command, Batten here. We have a big problem, the enemy outclasses us by a several tons, they are mostly heavy and assaults.”
<(“Col Batten, this is Hawkins. I will send some Aerospace Fighters for quick reinforcements, but most of Regiment is on the other side of the Capital, will send 2nd battalion but ETA is unknown at this time.”)>
“Roger, Sir. We will do our best, Batten out”
Batten changed the net freq to his own Battalion number, “Ok Rangers, we are on our own for a few let’s give them hell.”
The enemy was charging so Batten had 1st Company go south to try and flank right with the 3rd Company going Southeast and try to flank the enemy on the left. As the 1st Company tried to use the hills as cover a couple of the enemies mechs were able to track them and got lucky with a hit on a Commando’s Ammo exploding the mech by blowing off the arm and damaging the engine enough for an engine explosion.
Then an enemy Griffin was able to destroy Trydal’s mech with a PPC to the Chest that had some ammo damage already from the previous battle, Trydal was able to escape though. The Rangers were getting slaughter four more mechs went down as the enemy kept pushing. At this rate the 1st Battalion will be destroyed Batten thought, where are those planes.
Right about then the fighters came streaking in and started to dive bomb the enemy mechs destroying three 'mechs in the process. Even with the help of the Aerospace Fighters the 1st Battalion was getting hit hard. Batten ordered focus fire, having the lances gang up on a mech. His first Company commander just lost his mech along with the whole lance that was with him.
Ten minutes into the battle the 1st Battalion had taken heavy losses but at least now the enemy was taking losses also specially with the help of the Fighters bombing when they can and then using their laser when the enemy was in close proximity to the Rangers, all they needed to do.
Batten thought was old out a few more minutes for the 2nd and 3rd Battalion to show up.
Another moment pass
The Rangers were giving out as much damage as they were receiving. His third Company commander Onishi’s mech was destroyed luckily, he was able to get out of the Battlemech. Onishi’s mech was destroyed by a Gauss slug and two large lasers from an Atlas, even after two bombing runs the enemy Atlas was still standing tall.
Another minute pass and still no reinforcements nor any comm chatter on the nets. More 'mechs on both sides fell one amazing thing was a Ranger Firestarter pilot Private 1st Class Julia Lekov, was being chased by a spider into a ravine unfortunately on the other side of the ravine was that same Atlas. She fired ever thing she had, and every single shot hit but only took some armor off the Atlas at the same time the Atlas fired its weapons all of its weapons missed except for the SRM 4 which ended up not doing much damage to the Firestarter thanks to the piloting skills of Lekov and she was able to get away from the Atlas.
Another minute went by, and four more Rangers went down the force has been reduced by half with no leadership other than what is left of the lance commanders. As the fields start to catch on fire a large cloud of smoke started to fill the battlefield.
Thankfully the planes were still dropping the last of their bombs and conducting Strafing runs on the enemy.
The MedEvac VTOLs where in full operation, down one of their own due to the last battle they were in were still running strong and brave. The MedEvac VTOL with the callsign of Med103 was on their tenth run, thankfully this MechWarrior they were about to pick up was not injured and alive, their last pick up was not so lucky. Trydal wave at the VTOL coming down to rescue him, as he climbed in he noticed there was two dead bodies covered up on the side of the VTOL. He was curious who they were, so he snuck a peak, and it was two lance commanders from the rank on their shoulders but he did not recognize them. Their name tags showed that only one had a callsign ‘Manchu” Trydal did not know him but he still mourned for him and the other Lance Commander. There were several other MechWarriors on the VTOL and since it was full, they decided to go back to the makeshift hospital. As they flew over the battlefield dodging their own Fighters and stray lasers, he saw the destroyed mechs on both sides but what he found strangely comforting was the Fighters diving and bombing or coming in close and firing all their lasers. Without those fighter jockeys the 1st Battalion would have been completely wiped out. In fact, he saw that the enemy was slowly retreating he looked at the medic and ask. “Could you tell the pilot I need the radio?”
 
<<“1st Battalion, 1st Battalion, this is Hauptmann Trydal up in the MedEvac. The enemy is retreating stand down we are hurt too bad to give chase. When he looked over to the city he saw a battalion of Ranger mechs on the verge of exiting the outskirts of the city to help the 1st Battalion, but it was too late.”>>
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===The Aftermath===
Field Hospital
Planetary Capital City
March 18th, 3030
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The battle was won but the cost was great, over half of the 1st Battalions 'Battlemechs destroyed, four MechWarriors killed ten others are in the hospital. As General Hawkins walked through the makeshift hospital that was servicing both sides of the conflict, he shook the hands of every one of his troops. Thankful that they were alive, and ready to go back out on the field to win glory for themselves and for the Lyran Commonwealth, reports show that the 1st Sirian Lancers lost their commander a Colonel Ginny Ebaugh in the second battle. The Lancers are scatter throughout the planet with no real leadership now. Which really makes them dangerous especially for guerilla warfare. However, within a few weeks the planet was under complete control of the Lyran Commonwealth.
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Book 4 - Chapter 16