FSRB Chpt 202

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 202==
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May 3070Interlude: Sherwood
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===Audience of Barons===
Court of Elders, Government Plaza
City of Marion, Sherwood
Broken Wheel Combat Region
Minette Operational Area, Crucis March
Federated Suns
The Earl of Sherwood Jonathan Tyler strode up to the podium within the Court of Elders and reflected that even here, in the very heart of man's civilization upon Sherwood nature had it's place. Trickling water features and natural light coming in through the skylight that made up the entire ceiling of the Court gave the feeling of openness that one seldom found in government buildings anywhere else, while the carefully grown and cultivated plants and small tree's that circled the walls of the chamber spoke to the genius of the building's gardening staff. Even the floor and fittings were carefully hand crafted works of art, made from local Sherwood Bronze-Oak, with the few essential pieces of technology were cleverly disguised and fitted into the rich tones of the wood as seamlessly as humanly possible. Having seen the cold marbles, metals and synthetics of other world's ruling parliament and palaces the Earl couldn't help but feel that here on Sherwood his people had done it right. 
As he reached the podium he reflected ruefully that while he approved of his people's way of doing things and culture, perhaps many amongst the Baron's who sat at their chairs watching him did not feel the same way about him. Perhaps wearing his Davion Light Guard's uniform and insignia of a Lt. Colonel had been a mistake, drawing attention to the fact that while he was the hereditary Earl of Sherwood he had spent much of his life off world serving in the AFFS. As he met the eyes of those Baron's closest to the speakers podium he rejected that thought. Given the reason for his request for leave and his trip home wearing his uniform was not only the right thing to do, but indeed the only thing to do. 
"I thank the assembled Baron's of Sherwood for allowing me to speak before them. I realize that it was not possible to schedule this address in the usual manner, however our nation is at war and I am a serving member of the AFFS and as such my time is not always my own. So I appreciate the flexibility that the Court has shown in allowing me to appear before them on such notice." With the formalities out of the way, Earl Jonathan Tyler continued. "I realize also that some see my service within the AFFS as abandoning or perhaps neglecting my duties here, to the world and people of Sherwood."
The silence within the Court seemed to become deeper and the already tense atmosphere seemed to crackle. "To those of my critics amongst you who feel that way I have but one answer. You are wrong. Look around you Barons... Look around you at our beautiful world. It has been a beacon of prosperity within the Federated Sun's Outback region for centuries. Our cities have grown. Our people have spread across the face of the planet. We have been protected and allowed to prosper within the Federated Suns and now, now look at that prosperity! With the First Prince's policy of investing in the infrastructure, economies and educational institutions of the Outback, our world is prospering like never before! A new state of the art maglev train network is spreading across our world, linking our scattered cities and towns! New opportunities for sales of our agricultural and pharmaceutical products are springing up as other nearby worlds also begin to see their economies expand! Our agricultural and aqua-cultural facilities expand and are more efficient than ever, while our local agricultural Universities see off world investments and students who could never have afforded to travel to study here bringing fresh ideas and opportunities! Indeed just last year the NAIS jointly sponsored a new Woodland Ecology Center here on Sherwood! Jumpship traffic within the system is up almost 250% and for the first time those ships are not tramp freighters, but regularly scheduled shipping lines! Many of the ships have even been built at nearby Filtvelt! Just one more sign of the growing trade between our worlds and our neighbors is the construction of not one, but two jump-stations, the first of which is scheduled to go online next year..." 
He looked out at the assembled leaders of his planet. "Sherwood has been the beneficiary of the protection of the Federated Suns and now our world prospers like it hasn't since the Star League under First Prince Victor's rule. It is time Barons, past time, that Sherwood stops looking inward and steps forward to aid our fellow worlds within the Federated Suns as we have been aided... It is in that spirit that I bring before this Court a proposal to raise and form the 1st Sherwood Foresters, a LCT sized formation drawn and raised from the hardy and strong people of Sherwood. I have already spoken with the Marshal of Armies and have been given assurances that he and the First Prince would look favorably upon the formation of such a unit. I pledge to donate the cost of a full company of Javelin-O OmniMechs should the Court approve this and have already sourced a similar number of MechWarriors from within the Light Guards and other units I have served with, many of them son's and daughters of Sherwood who like me have seen the truth of our duty to not just our world but to our nation, who will form the core of this new unit. I am sure that the rest can be found from the local planetary militia, the Tyler's Terrors... I have been informed that should we raise a LCT formation the AFFS will agree to similar arrangements as are already in place for such units as the New Ivaarsen Chasseurs, Kestrel Grenadiers and the like... We can do this Baron and it is my firm belief that we must do this... We must show the peoples of the entire Federated Sun's that we within the Outback stand with them in the defense of the realm... That we are just as devoted to the greater good of the Federated Suns and prepared to fight alongside our brothers and sisters no matter what world they were born upon. We have always been a rare thing within the Outback, a world that didn't just survive but indeed thrived... Now let us go further!"
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===Unit Profile - 1st Sherwood Foresters LCT===
====History====
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=====Formation=====
Born from the patriotism of the Earl of Sherwood, Leftenant General Jonathan Tyler, the 1st Sherwood Foresters are drawn largely from the population of that rare thing: a long standing prosperous Outback world. While under the First Prince's investments within the Federated Suns' Outback region other worlds have been growing in economic prosperity, the world of Sherwood has stood out for centuries as one of the most economically developed worlds within the region. The Earl's of Sherwood have since their initial embodiment just after the Periphery Uprising, that would lead to the Amaris Civil War and then the Succession Wars, been strong supporters of not only House Davion but also the AFFS. Leftenant General Tyler is no exception to this family tradition. 
Returning from service with the Davion Light Guards he made an impassioned speech before the Court of Elders for that body to support him in raising a new Regular Army formation from Sherwood for the AFFS. The initial support for the motion within the Court was a close run thing, but given the huge upsurge in pro-Davion and pro-FedSun's feeling within the wider Outback and on Sherwood in particular many Baron's found their constituents lobbying them hard to support the Earl's initiative. In the face of such widespread support within the general population a large majority of the initially skeptical Baron's threw their support behind the Earl's proposal. In many cases with even greater fervor than longstanding supporters of the project. 
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====Tactics====
Mobile Warfare
====Officers====
As of 3070, the commanding officer was Leftenant General Jonathan Tyler.
The heart and soul of the new formation was undoubtedly the newly promoted Leftenant General Jonathan Tyler. An experienced MechWarrior and accomplished tactician he had risen through the ranks of the AFFS until finally assigned to the Davion Light Guards battlemech regiment. Serving in the Swift Foxes he had finally been promoted to Lt. Colonel and second in command of their Battlemech regiment before he had returned home the following year to raise the 1st Sherwood Foresters. A longstanding Davion-patriot he had championed the cause of House Davion and the Federated Suns within the often forgotten Outback for years. First Prince Victor's investments within the region and the huge economic turn around these had resulted in had in his mind clearly vindicated his strong loyalty to not only House Davion but to the First Prince in particular. Many of those who had been called to the colors from within the Sherwood Planetary Guard and even from within the Davion Light Guards had done so largely based on his charismatic speeches during the raising of the unit. However any amongst the enemies of the Federated Suns who assumed he was nothing more than a noble who could give a good speech to the crowds would soon come to learn that he had risen to his rank within the Light Guards on a notable talent for mobile warfare. Lt. Colonel Hanse Zibler was one of the five MechWarriors who had followed his former commander from the Light Guards to the Foresters. While lacking his superior's gift for politics and speeches, he was a consummate professional soldier and Tyler was confident enough in his abilities to give him total control of the training and integration of the LCT's battlemech forces. Zibler swiftly merged the elite professional soldiers of the Light Guards with the more relaxed MechWarriors of Tyler's Terrors into a cohesive whole that excelled light cavalry tactics.
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====Composition====
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The core of the new unit was formed around a company of MechWarriors drawn from the Davion Light Guards. Including the Earl seven of these MechWarriors were originally from the world of Sherwood and had served alongside their feudal overlord through his rise through the ranks. The remaining five MechWarriors were also longstanding friends and comrades of Jonathan Tyler and all had agreed at his request to formally emigrate to the world of Sherwood following the formation of the unit - in many cases bringing their extended families with them. Around these twelve elite warriors the Earl built up a full reinforced battalion of battlemech pilots drawn from volunteers from the local Planetary Guard - Tyler's Terrors along with a strong selection of conventional forces. Indeed many of these militia soldiers were retired AFFS personnel who had returned home to Sherwood after honorably completing their tours of service and who upon hearing Tyler's call for volunteers answered the call. Sufficient volunteers were swiftly assembled over the three months after the call for the raising of the unit to fully form the battlemech elements of the unit. The two cavalry battalions and the VTOL battalion of the armor contingent of the were also likewise easily obtained from transfers from the militia, however Sherwood had few heavy and assault tanks or artillery. Similarly Sherwood lacked any battle armor formations which could be relied upon to fill out the rolls or sufficient aerospace assets to form the attached fighter wing. At least initially the infantry contingent of the Sherwood Foresters was the 132nd Sherwood Jump Infantry Regiment - which would begin training in battle armor tactics in order to upgrade to the new standard. The aerospace fighter wing was a more difficult matter and eventually the 1st Sherwood Fighter Wing was formed from volunteers who agreed like the five MechWarriors from the Light Guards to emigrate. 
Initially the plan had been for the 1st Sherwood Foresters to be raised and to garrison the world of Sherwood while integrating themselves into a fully functional Light Combat Team, however the initial call for volunteers was so successful that enough recruits were found not only to form the 1st Sherwood Foresters LCT but a cadre for a 2nd Sherwood Foresters LCT. As such the garrisoning of Sherwood was left to the 2nd Sherwood Foresters LCT while the senior formation moved to the world of Defiance to begin training there at the Combat Training Centre located on that world. This resulted in the 1st Sherwood Foresters LCT being one of the few units mustered into the AFFS to initially be given a rating of regular rather than green - no doubt helped by the elite troops of the Davion Light Guards who made up the core of the unit. 
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Unit Data (3070) 3070: 1st Sherwood Foresters 
- CO: Leftenant General Jonathan TylerAide: Lt Colonel Hanse Tyler
;1st Sherwood Foresters: The reinforced battalion of the Sherwood Foresters consists of three light companies (with a full company of Javelin-O Light OmniMechs split amongst them) and a single company of fast medium designs - built largely around a mix of Phoenix Hawks and Legionnaire class BattleMechs. Unusually for a new unit, particularly one drawn from the Outback, the unit is almost entirely consisting of new BattleMechs. 
;1st Sherwood Fighter Wing - Aerospace Wing Commander: Major Felicia Lusignan : The 1st Sherwood Fighter Wing is the only unit within the LCT that is entirely non-Sherwood born, although all members have officially emigrated to the world. It's aerospace fighter's are a single flight of Dagger-O's and the rest are all either Sabres or Sparrowhawks.The 1st Sherwood Fighter Wing is the only unit within the LCT that is entirely non-Sherwood born, although all members have officially emigrated to the world. It's aerospace fighter's are a single flight of Dagger-O's and the rest are all either Sabres or Sparrowhawks.
;1st Sherwood Armoured Regiment</U> - Reinforced Regiment/Green/Reliable - Commanding Officer, Colonel John Little : The unfortunate name of the CO of the armored contingent of the Sherwood Foresters has led to a number of jokes at the unit's expense. Perhaps as a result of these the various armored battalions that make up the unit are working hard to improve their skill level. Their driving still leaves something to be desired - with the exception of the VTOL contingent - but their gunnery levels are already improving rapidly. Much of the light armor of the unit consists of the Musketeer Hover Tank, while Yellow Jacket gunships are the preferred VTOL of the battalion of air cavalry. One deviation from the standard LCT format is the inclusion within the unit of a company of Jabberwocky Engineering industrial mechs, forming a small engineering contingent. While administratively these are a part of the Armored Regiment they often act more as a 5th company for the Battlemech Battalion. 
;132nd Sherwood Jump Infantry - Regiment/Green/Reliable ' - Commanding Officer, Colonel Robert Tyler : The 132nd Jump Infantry despite it's name and initial equipment is in the process of converting over to a standard AFFS battle armor regiment. Under the command of one of the Earl's many distant cousins the unit is already developing a preference for the Infiltrator II battle armor and is experimenting with HALO drops as well as warfare within forest or jungle settings.
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