FSRB Chpt 102

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 102==
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December 3068Capellan Front
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==FedSuns-Capellan War==
===Calm before the Storm===
As December began the Capellan Confederation Armed Forces braced themselves for a Third Wave, however as the days passed no further attacks came. Instead reports from holdout forces on Davion conquered planets and the few garrisons who were still resisting reported that the AFFS was consolidating their positions and refitting/repairing their equipment, no doubt in preparation for further attacks. However just as the CCAF began to breath in relief the AFFS launched 4 limited attacks with mostly second line or mercenary formations, while completing military operations on 2 more. 
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===Remshield===
The Valexa CMM landed on Remshield in mid December and immedietly began attacking the local Home Guard formations. The Home Guard formations had been built up since the world was reclaimed by the Confederation and built up around CCAF retiree's who were given land grants on the planet and as such was not only better equipped than most similar Home Guard formations but also had a hard core of veterans around the formations. Against a March Militia formation 10 years ago this would have given them a decent chance of defending the planet or at least holding out for some time. However the modern day March Militia's had been reequipped with cast offs from more prestigious regiments which had been largely replaced with brand new equipment, and indeed in a many cases the March Militia's had been the recipient of a fair amount of modern equipment either rebuilt or even new construction. Having suffered losses in the reprisal raids of 3063 and been brought up to strength in the last 5 years the Valexa CMM had more than it's fair share of new equipment and now used that tech advantage to their benefit.
Facing a much better equipped opponent with more recent battlefield experience even the better than average Home Guard on Remshield found itself swiftly outclassed. The Valexa CMM hit the Home Guard again and again and didn't relent. Finally around the 28th of December the Home Guard formations were forced to break up into smaller groups and go to ground in the no doubt vain hope that reinforcements might arrive to save them. The Valexa CMM settled in to root out the remaining Home Guard at their leasure. 
===Ulan Bator===
This world was hit early in December when the Wild Geese mercenary company had followed the fleeing Harloc's Raiders from Second Try. Faced with once again fighting the elite mercenary unit which still outnumbered them massively the Raiders didn't even try to defend the planet before falling back again. This time they decided to fall back deeper into the Confederation and headed straight for Harloc to attempt to reclaim their homeworld from the 2nd St Ives Armored Cavalry. Leaving Ulan Bator to be occupied by the Wild Geese. 
===Tsingtao===
Leaving the 2nd to hold Sakhalin, the 3rd Lexington Combat Guards moved swiftly to secure the world of Tsingtao. Again like at Remshield the world was held only by Home Guard formations which while more fanatical than those at Remshield were worse equipped and trained. In a series of swift battles the mostly infantry formations were routed and destroyed by the Guards within 2 weeks, although the unit dropped to around only 2 battalions of battlemechs during the fighting. 
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===Palos===
The arrival of the 5th Dragonlord RCT added a huge amount of firepower to the existing AFFS presence upon Palos, although the 5th was a newly raised formation that was still considered green by the High Command. However the risk to the unit under the careful eyes of the elite 1st Kestrel Grenadiers and veteran 1st Lexington Combat Guard was considered slight. Rather than give the Dragonlords their own sectors the 2 more senior units temporarily absorb the 5th into their own ranks as back up for their own battle hardened troops. Lance and Company sized formations of Dragonlords march into battle alongside the Grenadiers and Combat Guards and continue the relentless drive to destroy the Dynasty Guards, while the large formations of battle armored troops of the 5th are used to bolster the Grenadier's own large scale battle armor formations in the heavy urban fighting.
The Dynasty Guards put up a good fight, but in previous battles they have already been reduced to around a battalion and even the addition of the local Home Guard does little to provide much in the way of effectiveness. Worse the AFFS troops have adapted their tactics and are now making it a particular point to knock out any Dynasty Guard troops, tanks or Battlemech's that show themselves in preference to their militia allies. Every lost Guardsman or woman cannot be replaced. While the Guard do manage to use this to their advantage on a number of occasions by having Home Guard formations appear as Guards, there is little scope for this given the poor equipment and training of the Home Guard compared to the "real" Guard.
Outnumbered heavily against 3 almost full strength RCTs, the Dynasty Guard can do little during December except sell their lives dearly. Finally on the 29th of December their Home Guard allies break and begin surrendering en-mass when the reality that no help is coming hits home. With their lines shattered and AFFS forces pouring in to isolate the remaining holdouts the Dynasty Guard attempt to fall back on the planetary capital building, but only a company of them make it. With so few defenders left the heroic last stand envisioned fizzles out in an overwhelming attack by 2 battlemech battalions of the 5th Dragonlords backed up by a 8 mixed battalions of combat vehicles and battle armor.
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===Victoria===
Similarly to their sister regiment the Dynasty Guard, all the Prefectorate Guard could do on Victoria was make a last stand. All hope had by now faded and even the most fanatical of the troops knew that no help could possible arrive in time. Allocating his own 1st Crucis Lancers RCT and the 2nd FedSuns Dragoons RCT to the final attack with the 3rd Dragonlords RCT in support Marshal Rand-Davion orders the attack on the 11th of December. The engineering elements of the 3 regiments are all detached in preparation for the attack and are even reinforced by engineers from the 11th Avalon Hussars. After 2 days of brutal tunnel fighting the AFFS units have managed to drive the remaining Capellan's into a few small isolated chambers within the factory complex - which they promptly collapse on top of the last holdouts. Delaying until the 11th to launch the attack had allowed the Davion engineers to carefully map out the remaining tunnels and prepare charges to bring down a number of Capellan held areas roofs. Most of the CCAF troops die in the cave in, however Marshal Rand-Davion orders that the engineers begin digging out any survivors that they can. No soldier deserves to die alone in the dark he tells his troops and soon volunteers from all of the AFFS formations on planet are digging out the few Capellans who have not been crushed.
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===Madras===
The Sirdar CMM is brought forward to attack the world of Madras in late December. On the 23rd of December the AFFS March Militia lands on the planet, just in time to receive the surrender of the garrison and planetary ruler. With word having leaked out that no fewer than half the Capellan Hussar Brigade has been destroyed and word coming through forbidden news sources of the CCAF facing defeat on almost every front the local Duke is under no illusions as to the likelihood of his world being able to hold out even against a second line formation like the Sirdar CMM.
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==Summary==
This combined "demi-wave" has resulted in only 4 new worlds falling to the Federated Suns, however it has also included the loss of both Victoria and Palos which had been hit in previous waves. Worse the 2 of the 4 worlds which had fell had done so with barely a shot fired, while the other worlds Home Guard had put up only ineffectual and short lived resistance. To both the High Command on New Avalon and to the Strategios on Sian the implications were clear. The CCAF had been stretched to breaking point and the outer shell of resistance had now been cracked. While a number of "fortress" worlds such as Sarna and Capella were being prepared to resist the invasions the CCAF was no longer able to contest the AFFS' attacks on a broad front. All that had potentially stopped dozens of worlds falling to the AFFS in December had been their own halt to refit their equipment, rest their troops and extend their supply lines. When, and it was a "when" not an "if", Victor Davion launched a third full wave the results were likely to be catastrophic for the Confederation.
Worse when the Marshigama’s Legionnaires were ordered from Drozan to take up post on Housekarle in order to prevent or delay a drive from Operation Rat III towards Sian they instead relocated to the Andurien Commonality and offered their services to Duke Baxter. The message to the Strategios was clear, morale was now collapsing within the CCAF even in units that had not yet been fed into the meat grinder. Ion Rush and Talon Zahn requested a meeting with the Chancellor in order to explain the reality of the strategic situation to him. While neither man had so much as whispered the word surrender in their request the Chancellor responded with rage and refused to see both of them. Neither man was arrested or removed, but their once free access to the Chancellor was now gone.
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