CS3056-26

=Chapter 26= 
==Clover Spear - The Story of the '56 War==
Prologue, Book 2, The Hammer Falls
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===War Report: Operation East Sea & Operation Lattikia===
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“..operations against FC forces continue in the stolen regions (Capellan name for the Sarna March) and we have achieved all goals of East Sea, with the limited assistance of the League. We are therefore content to go on the defensive and bleed the inevitable FC counterattack while causing maximum confusion against enemy soft targets through diversionary raids and revolutionary actions (the Capellan euphemism for state sponsored terrorism). We cannot underestimate the size nor intensity that the FC counter attack will take, and we should consider the release of the operational reserve no later than…”
: Excerpt from report to the Chancellor on the Progress of East Sea from the Strategios, Dated 1st December, 3056 (damaged copy was released by Capellan Joint Committee to Investigate the Prosecution of the War (Joint Committee formed from both the House of Scions and Prefectorate.) The document was released to the public in open hearings on 19 July, 3058.
====Operation East Sea, Wave 2====
Bromhead Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: 5th Confederation Reserve Cavalry
Defending Units: Bromhead Planetary Guard
The 5th CRC came this time to finish the job they had begun, and quickly disposed of the depleted planetary guard within a week, and intergrating Bromhead into the Capellan Confederation.
Palos Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: Kincade’s Rangers 
Defending Units: Palos Planetary Guard
The Palos Planetary Guard did its best, but was ground under after 48 hours of a confused fight for the planetary capital.
Manapire Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: Ishihara’s Grenadiers, Albermale Highlanders (1 Btn), Marshagima’s Legionnaires
Defending Units: 3rd Ceti Hussars RCT, Manapire Planetary Guard
The invasion of Manapire went wrong from the start, both in that the intelligence that the 3rd Ceti Hussars was no longer on world (false) and that the local militia would side with the Capellans (also false), in fact they enthusiastically turned out to shoot at the Capellans. The drop went wrong as well, as one of the Albermale Highlander’s Union dropships had a drive failure during the drop and lost most of Bravo Company when the dropship spiraled out of control, and broke up in the upper atmosphere, with only 3 damaged mechs out of 12 surviving the disaster.
On the ground, it was worse, as the 3rd seemingly managed to be everywhere at once, harrying the Capellans from the start, and quickly forcing the remains of the Highlanders to surrender. The two remaining Capellan units holed up in a series of caves in the planetary uplands and waited for reinforcements. 
Frazier, Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: 4th Word of Blake Militia Division
Defending Units: 41st Avalon Hussars, Frazier Planetary Guard
The 41st Avalon Hussars fought gamely, as they were smarting from last month’s raid. They fought well for a green unit, but they were outnumbered by the Blakists, even with help from the Planetary Guard, the 41st held out for two weeks, suffering 15% casualties. The 41st then broke contact and withdrew to Mendham. After two more weeks of crushing guerilla resistance by the Planetary Guard, the 4th secured the planet in the name of the Capellan Confederation.
Quemoy, Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: Kingston’s Legionnaires
Defending Units: Quemoy Planetary Guar
The Quemoy Planetary Guard had no intentions of willingly returning to Confederation control. They fought hard, but after 4 days, most of the militia was either dead or POWs and they had done little in the way of casualties to the Legionnaires. 
Ulan Bator, Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: 2nd Word of Blake Militia
Defending Units: Ulan Bator Planetary Guard
The planetary government saw no point in resisting the CCAF and ordered the militia to surrender without a fight.
Zilang, Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: Green Machine, Lockhart’s Ironsides
Defending Units: 5th Avalon Hussars
The 5th Avalon made the classic mistake of “running to the sound of the guns” and moving all of it’s forces to attack the Ironsides LZ. This gave the Green Machine a chance to catch the 5th’s third battalion in the flank and annihilate it. They didn’t manage that, instead they mauled it, inflicting 30% casualties and forcing the 5th to retreat to their fortified base, where they were besieged by the two Capellan units.
Sakhalin, Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: Bordon’s Blood Drinkers
Defending Units: Sakhalin Planetary Guard
The Blood Drinkers showed the Planetary Guard little mercy, and crushed them within 72 hours, they then slaughtered the survivors when they tried to surrender. The CCAF’s Mercenary Relations department threatened Colonel Wesley Bordon with censure, and possible forfeiture of his unit, but Bordon ignored them and was reputed to have said, “With what coin will you pay the unit that replaces me?”
Kaifeng, Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: 15th Dracon, Kaifeng SMM (Renamed the 1st Citizen’s Honored Brigade), Kaifeng Planetary Guard.
Defending Units: 8th Arcturan Guards (-) (Had taken 10% casualties on Truth)
The 8th’s position was untenable from the start, as the planet was a veritable pro-Capellan hotbed of resistance. The 8th’s commander knew this, and stayed only long enough to evacuate all those that wanted to leave, fighting their way to the dropport and their dropships before boosting off world and retreating to Maetsu.
Tsinghai, Federated Commonwealth - Part 2
Attacking Units: House Matsukai, Redfield’s Renegades
Defending Units: Beta Regiment, 12th Vegan Rangers, Tsinghai Planetary Guard
With the arrival of Redfield’s Renegades, the numbers had shifted to the Marik-Liaos, and Beta’s commander felt it best to fall back on their sister regiment and come back in strength later. Beta regiment left 3 days after the arrival of the Renegades, headed for Old Kentucky. The Planetary Guard declared their loyalty to the Confederation and laid down their arms. 
Sarmaxa, Federated Commonwealth - Part 2
Attacking Units: House Hiritsu, Tooth of Ymir
Defending Units: Grim Determination
With the arrival of the Tooth of Ymir, the numbers were against Grim Determination and realizing the unit was in fact, cut off from the rest of the FedCom, it was decided to negotiate with the Capellans. After a short council of war, Colonel Fiona Trent asked for and received honors of war from the Capellans after paying a ransom of a company of ‘Mechs (most of them captured Capellan salvage), and left the world, which passed quietly into Capellan control and Grim Determination left for Bora. 
====Operation Lattikia, Wave 1====
Van Diemen IV
Attacking Units: 4th Free Worlds “Volunteers” (ex – 4th Free Worlds Legionnaires), Van Diemen IV Planetary Guard
Defending Units: 3rd Republican
The 3rd Republican was caught by near-complete surprise, as it was scattered in penny packets attempting to provide security against a “Capellan/Blakist terror threat” (the post war board of inquiry could find no evidence such a threat had been issued). It was a credit to the 3rd’s experience that they recovered quickly, coalescing around their 2nd and 3rd Battalions, as the 1st was destroyed piecemeal in the first hours of the Marik landings. Both battalions proceeded to hole up in the swamps north of the planetary capitol and waited for help to arrive. Worse, the Planetary Guard led a pro-Marik uprising that simplified the rear area issues for the Mariks.
New Canton
Attacking Units: 3rd Free Worlds “Volunteers” (ex – 3rd Free Worlds Guards)
Defending Units: 1st Kestrel Grenadiers, New Canton Planetary Guard
The elite 1st Kestrel made short work of the Marik troops, destroying almost a battalion of them in a wide ranging mobile fight in the arid plains of the planet’s southern continent over the course of three days. The rest of the 3rd fled back to Marik space.
Elnath
Attacking Units: 1st and 2nd Smithson’s Chinese Bandits
Defending Units: 15th Arcturan Guards, Elnath Planetary Guard
The 15th Arcturan Guards did their best to try to face both merc units, but the weight of numbers was not with them, and after two weeks and 15% casualties, the unit retreated to Wei
====Unsanctioned Operation by Sirus against Skye March====
Wyatt, Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: 1st Sirian Lancers
Defending Units: 17th Arcturan Guards RCT, Wyatt Planetary Guard
The operation was doomed from the start, and the 1st grounded alone, with no plan, and little idea of what to do, the Wyatt Planetary Guard quickly fixed the 1st Sirian in their dropzones, and the 17th encircled them and annihilated them in a two-day battle that saw little more than a battalion survive to surrender.
Callison, Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: 3rd Sirian Lancers
Defending Units: 11th Lyran Guards RCT, Callison Planetary Guard
The 3rd, like it’s sister unit on Wyatt, met much the same fate, but unlike the 1st, quickly bowed to the inevitable and surrendered within hours of grounding on Callison.
====Diversionary Raids====
Glentworth, Federated Commonwealth
Attacking Units: House LuSann
Defending Units: 3rd Illician Lancers, Glentworth Planetary Guard
House LuSann’s raid accomplished little but looting an outlying warehouse of a local beer distributor, as they were only one step ahead of a very enraged and alert 3rd Illician Lancers. The Warrior House barely got out intact three days after they landed.
Solaris
Attacking Units: Dragon’s Breath
Defending Units: 32nd Lyran Guards RCT, Solaris Planetary Guard
The Dragon’s Breath embarrassed the green RCT, running rings around them as they looted a number of AFFC warehouses over a two-week period, and mauling several units of the Planetary Guard.
Cavanaugh II
Attacking Units: Greenberg’s Godzillas
Defending Units: 6th Donegal Guards RCT
An early attempt at a ruse by the Godzillas backfired as the commander of the 6th was a movie buff and knew a special effect when he saw one. His approach was direct, a full on frontal assault against the Godzilla’s LZ, which turned into a rolling fight across the Eastern snow-covered plains of Cavanaugh II. Casualties on both sides were moderate, and the Godzillas left after 4 days with little to show for it.
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===Change in Management===
Office of the Captain General
Atreus, Marik Commonwealth
Free Worlds League
October 11th, 3056
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Thomas Marik was putting in another long night trying to rally Parliament to the idea of approaching the Fedcom and turning over the remaining citizens SAFE had determined were on the FedCom’s list of people they had determined were associated with the Word of Blake, and the associated terror attacks that were still going on in the Commonwealth.
Jesus, between a potential threat to Joshua, as well as the fact we might get drawn into this war of my son in law’s? No, I know what I said in Parliament, but the fact is, a wounded FC is far more damned dangerous than anything, especially with Katherine at the helm. She isn’t playing around, and she has an alarming tendency to do what she likes. Thomas banged away on the keys of his noteputer, crafting yet another message for another influential MP who probably would promise little, and deliver less when the time came to vote. They don’t want war, but they don’t want to do the right damn thing either. “Delivering League citizens to a foreign court is a bad idea…sets a bad precedent they say.” Screw that! If they could see the reports coming out of Skye and Tamarind that SAFE drops on my desk? I would say that Katherine isn’t going to wait for us to make up our damned minds, new supply depots, snap alerts? Jesus. The Lyrans are getting ready for something.
What makes this all even worse is that the Master didn’t even warn me when he was going to pull this little stunt. Just what the hell has he done to get the Capellans in bed with him? What has he promised them? And whom has he suborned amongst my own to make sure I play ball? With the history our nation has, it damn well could be anyone.
Thomas almost didn’t notice the door open to his private office. “I told you I was not to be disturbed!” he snarled. Three figures dressed head to toe in black stepped into his office. They were all cradling very evil looking Roynex submachine guns, equipped with laser sights and suppressors and all the muzzles were pointed in his general direction. The middle figure removed her black balaclava, and shook her dark hair loose, Corrine?
“Hello Uncle, Father sends his greetings..or he would…if you were whom you say you were.”
Thomas made a subtle move for a concealed button “And why would you say that, Corrine?”
“Because the Blakists have thoughtfully provided the evidence of the fact you are a ComStar stooge. So, what was the plan, Uncle? Deliver us into the hands of the Federated Commonwealth? Was Joshua the blood price for the deal, a hostage in case it all went wrong? Oh, and your guards…they aren’t coming. They had a fatal disagreement with me..and some friends of father.”
“So why not just shoot me now?” Thomas felt a lightness in his bladder, but he had had little to drink. So not much came forth from there. Even so, his sweat glands went into overdrive.
“Because, you traitor, I wanted you to know, one, the Regulans and the Guards are with us. We’re moving against that nest of traitors you call the Knights of the Inner Sphere. We’ve already subdued those not with us. All of this should be wrapped up in a couple of days.”
“And after that?”
“That is not your concern, Scum.” and Corinne in one smooth move, pointed the muzzle of her Roynex towards Thomas. Her weapon spoke three times. Thomas’s chest erupted in a series of explosions of guts, blood, and bone as he slumped in his office chair, dead.
She turned to one of the masked men. “Get this office cleaned up, burn this..rubbish. Inform the Blakists we will honor our deal and intervene in a limited fashion on the side of the Capellans. But inform them, I will not commit my nation completely to war without some…guarantees.”
The masked man hissed “This was not the deal.”
“I give a damn. The deal is what I say it is or would you like me to do to you what Thomas was about to? I promise I would be a lot professional about it.”
“And your uncle, you know his life would be…endangered, if you were that stupid.” replied the masked man.
Corrine made her way to the left corner of the desk, and sat down on the corner of the desk, hefting her submachine gun contemplatively. “And whose realm are you in, Blakist? Best you mind your manners. If my father gets so much as a hangnail? You will pay the price.”
She turned to the other figure “Markos, pass the remaining orders. We need this wrapped up..and the troops on the move into FedCom space. And send an HPG to my cousin-in-law on Sian…”
===Sian Receives Good News===
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Chancellor’s Throne Room
Forbidden City
Sian, Sian Commonality
Capellan Confederation
November 11th, 3056
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There has been some fortuitous developments overnight, and I intend to make the most of them. Now if my bureaucracy and the Prefectorate would stop fighting me on it. The throne room had been emptied for the briefing on current military operations, with only James Teng, the Strategic Military Director, Alexa Shang, and the House Master of House Immara, Alexander Zhao allowed to remain.
“I am surprised we have managed to achieve all of the goals for East Sea so early. Major Shang, you have attended many Strategios meetings in my stead? Why do you think this so?”
“Celestial Wisdom,” Alexa spoke, her voice far more precise than most days “We have been fortunate beyond belief, but that cannot last. We know the FC is gearing up for a long war with us. We know that they outclass us in numbers, and in industrial might. And they will soon return home with better technology. We have already received reports that certain RCTs are being released from combat operations in the Tamar March. We can only guess where these units will be sent, but to the stolen regions is one very good guess. We cannot hold all of the planets we have seized forever, but we can make the Davions bleed on one, well-prepared planet.”
“And which planet would you choose, Major Shang?” Chancellor asked
Alexa smiled cruelly. “I suggest, Celestial Wisdom,” fixing Sun-Tzu’s gaze with her own one good eye “that we choose Sarna. It is already an ill omen for the Davions. And, we can release all of McCarron’s troops to properly fortify the planet.”
Sun-Tzu smiled. “Excellent Major Shang, make it so. Cut the orders as soon as possible. Oh, and another matter, I wish to know the circumstances behind the slaughter of Capellan nationals on Sakhalin by one of our mercenary units? Bordon’s Blood Drinkers they are called, I believe?”
“It was claimed by the Blood Drinker’s commander that the planetary militia had used infernos on Colonel Bordon’s men, and that they had used a flag of truce as a ruse de guerre.”
“And what did the Mask find out?” Sun-Tzu leaned forward in his seat, a look of warning on his face.
“According to their report? No such weapons even belonged to the militia, and the catalyst for the massacre was some of Bordon’s men acting like medieval conquerors and trying to take liberties with various prisoners of war.” Alexa's eye narrowed in disgust.
Sun-Tzu saw red. “Even servitors have rights! No, I want this Bordon fired, and no..I want him permanently dealt with. Send my Death Commandos to make sure of it.”
“An incident like this will only reinforce the FedCom resolve. Celestial Wisdom, but were we to punish Bordon…”
“It would have advantages and disadvantages. It would help to mollify the Commonwealth. On the other hand, it would get more difficult to hire more mercenaries. See this is handled…delicately. Kill all the officers and NCOs of the unit..the rest, can be formed into a new penal infantry battalion. I am sure they will serve the Capellan state well there.” Sun-Tzu snapped the fingers of his left hand, as if the idea had come from thin air.
“And for the general situation? We ultimately cannot win this war, but we can bleed the Davions to the table, if our luck holds. If not, we may be greeting Davion troops on Sian by the new year.” James Teng stated flatly.
“Ours of theirs, Major Shang?” Sun-Tzu growled.
“Ours, Celestial Wisdom, but even that is a middle case scenario.” Alexa admitted sheepily.
“Then Major Shang, I expect you to perform an extraordinary service to the Capellan State and ensure that my cousin assumes my throne. He is all that is left of my effort to give the Capellan people their pride back.”
“The people have their pride for now, but it will not, and it cannot last forever when the Davions come.” Alexa stated starkly.
“Then we must bleed the Davions to the table, Major Shang, we must bleed them to the table.”
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===A Mission to Belly of the Beast===
Oflag 113
Kaumberg
Donegal Province
Federated Commonwealth
December 1st, 3056
“It is a poor omen to be called to the camp commandant’s office” Taman Malthus swore softly. He’d been at Oflag 113 for four months, along with a collection of other captured Jade Falcon officers. The other side of the camp was for the Steel Vipers. When that had been found out, there was a near riot in both camps that the Lyrans had put down rather…harshly, and 5 POWs (the Inner Sphere term for bondsmen) were killed and the Senior Prisoner Officer, who had been an elderly Star Colonel named Jessup, had been sent to another camp..one more dreary than this..or so Malthus had been informed.
And we spend our days being worked like laborers in the unceasing forests of this place. I see trothkin lose their minds as to the enormity of this place. And, to the isolation. They do not let us couple, they do not let us spar for fun. We are left with nothing but work and more sedate Inner Sphere pursuits. They had someone come in here to try to teach us Lyran German!
Yesterday, Malthus had been informed that he had a vistor coming, and that he could use the Camp Commandant’s office to greet him. An unknown luxury here, privacy. So, to whom do I owe this small joy? LIC?
The door threw open to reveal a small figure, about 1.5 meters tall, wearing a Fedcom Officer’s duty uniform, with a cloak attached to the issue poncho. So he does not want to be seen. He must be LIC. And no school rag..how..interesting, but he is wearing spurs. Davion in a Steiner uniform, so who is this mysterious guest?
A hand threw back the hood of the poncho to reveal the personage of none other than Kai Allard-Liao himself. “Greetings Taman, I am damn glad to see you alive.”
Taman barked a laugh “It might be poor taste to say I wish I had died with my men in glorious battle, but you fought well, and I cannot complain about my treatment here. Though many amongst the camp’s residents wish to be proper bondsmen and serve their new Clan. They do not understand the concept of being a ‘Prisoner of War’.”
Kai nodded. “Taman, I have a problem. You may not be aware, but my mother is dead. She was slain by an assassin. One bought and paid for by my cousin.”
“Sun-Tzu Liao? Yes we hear much about that. They allow us unfettered access to your news services on the camp datanet. I thought of you when I heard of her death. She was a warrior, and for her to die like that, is…unClanlike.”
“Aff, Taman, Aff. It seems I need a travelling companion, one who is possessed of a certain set of skills. And one whom I know and trust implicitly.”
“When do we leave and where are we to go?” Taman smiled, flexing his muscles.
“As soon as you can pack. We are headed to the belly of the beast, Sian.”
Taman smiled and laughed “Oh, Kai, this promises to be a tale for the Remembrance, indeed.”
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