FSRB Chpt 97

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 97==
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October 3068General Update
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===With more Conflicts, more troops are needed===
Even as Operations Rat II and Rat III were smashing through the CCAF the Davion High Command were not resting on their laurels. They continued to fine tune the plans for additional waves into the Confederation as well as beginning plans to prop up the St Ives Compact which by now was obviously faltering. Alongside these plans they also began to begin allocation of the graduating classes which would be ready for deployment to the Regular Army in December. For the first time as well there would be a graduating class from the Lexington Military Academy. This combined arms academy would be graduating enough cadets to form up as either an under strength regiment or as 2 LCT style formations, with particular emphasis placed upon battle armor troopers within the infantry. After some consideration plans were put in place to form the 1st and 2nd Lexington Academy Light Combat Teams in December. The idea was that the 1st would serve as the cavalry formation consisting of light and medium battlemech designs while the 2nd would be the heavier unit with heavy and assault designs predominating. Once these cadets had finished their tour within the training commands the Lexington Combat Guards regiments would get first choice of the cadets, with the Ceti Hussars and Deneb Light Cavalry formations also being given preference - although some talk was also suggested that some of the cadets could be used to form additional Avalon Borderers LCTs. 
Given the active combat going on along the entire frontier the High Command had decided to lower the usual number of commands formed. While casualties had so far been light, there was no guarantee this would continue, so not only did the High Command want to send troops to those units which had suffered losses they also wanted to keep a reserve to continue to do so. However, a number of commands would be raised. Only a single full RCT would be formed, the Point Barrow CrMM. However a number of other commands would also be created. The 1st Avalon Borderers LCT would be joined by no less than 4 new commands to create a brigade - the these new formations would be formed from roughly a reinforced regiment of graduating cadets as well as troopers drawn from the various Reinforced Training Battalions. The plan was for these units to be deployed throughout the interior of the Federated Sun's to allow larger formations to be deployed to the frontiers. The Tancredi Loyalist Brigade would also be expanded with the formation of a 3rd Tancredi Loyalists LCT, while Duke Hasek had already made clear his plans to create a LCT of his own - the 1st Syrtis Hussars LCT. There would be 2 final formations created, the 1st Bromhead Borderer Cadre would be formed up and a 2nd Tikonov Cossacks formed from salvage from the aborted invasion of Tikonov and new production from the world with graduates of the Tikonov Martial Academy and a handful of vetted prisoners from the destroyed Tikonov Republican Guard units mixed in with some local militia volunteers - in a similar manner to how the original Cossack's were formed. 
While on paper the formation of 9 new commands (and 2 additional training commands) during war time would seem to stretch the AFFS beyond reasonableness, the High Command were confident they could manage this. The new commands were all being drawn either from specialized or regional academies or were LCT formations or indeed both. Only 3 actual battlemech regiments would officially be formed - 1 of them a March Militia and the other 2 being cadres to be the basis for expansions later. Neither the 2nd Tikonov Cossacks or the 1st Bromhead Borderer Cadre was unlikely to be beyond a battalion in strength initially, little more than LCTs themselves. None of these formations would be pushed into the front lines, but instead used to garrison rear areas and allow larger and more experienced formations to be freed up to continue the major pushes into the Confederation.
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===Developments in Industry===
On Filtvelt, despite the war a large new complex opened to increase production of agricultural industrialmechs. The Outback FarmMechs plant's new facility was opened with the Harvester Ant ArgoMech production line. The Cattle Master line was just behind this and already plans were being put in place to add more lines. 
The New Earth Trading Companies plant on Markesan saw it's 4th Karnov VTOL line go operational and it's first VTOLs immediately snapped up. The AFFS having seen the benefit of the versatile transport was prepared to buy as many of them as it could get its hands on, and the ComGuards had a similar position. The New Earth Trading Company also saw the second of it's production liens go operational on Kentares in October, producing the Alacorn Mark VI Heavy Tank. The AFFS's portion of this production is quickly routed to the Robinson Ranger RCTs armored brigades. 
GM's plant on Victoria also saw the Nightstar assault Battlemech design enter production on the 18th of October. As with this plant's entire production the new battlemechs were sold to both the AFFS and ComGuards on a 50/50 split. 
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===Capellan Invasion of Grand Duchy===
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====Fighting on Andurien====
In the Grand Duchy of Andurien the battle lines around Jojoken begin to crack. Neither of the Northwind Highlander regiments which make up the bulk of the defenders are inclined to make a last stand in the ruins of the city and they inform the Anduriens that they will be pulling out at the end of the month. At the urging of her military advisers Duchess Dalma Humphrey's accepts the Highlanders offers to evacuate her and her family from Jojoken. A small force from the 1st Andurien Defenders will accompany her while the bulk of the regiment continues to fight on in her name.
====Bad News on Conquista====
This decision to evacuate the government/rulers of the Grand Duchy is bolstered when reports arrive from Conquista and Lopez. The Shin Legion has dropped onto the world of Conquista and joining forces with the almost shattered 3rd Liao Guards launched a full scale attack upon the 3rd Defenders. Although the Andurien unit had put up a strong resistance initially with reports coming in of the Liao invaders growing momentum the 3rd had eventually broken and fled the planet. 
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====Fighting on Lopez====
Absorbing the remaining 3rd Liao Guards into their own ranks to make up for their losses the Shin Legion had then struck at Lopez. Now actually over strength by almost a company on their technical full strength the Shin Legion were pressing the 2nd Defenders hard there and hope was fading that the unit would be able to resist for much longer. The 2nd Defenders although a veteran unit were still rebuilding from their earlier battles. In a bruising week long battle they had been reduced to a single reinforced battalion and although they had cost the Shin Legion at least a battalion's worth of battlemechs the Capellan unit still had twice their numbers. Worse, most of the 2nd Defender's were damaged while the Shin Legion had at least a full battalion of fresh battlemechs to throw into the fight. 
====More worlds fall====
Even as the 2nd and 3rd Defenders are being hammered, the 4th Tau Ceti Rangers move on from Mosiro and at Lord Baxter's urging launch a lightning attack and take the 2 worlds of Deschenes and Kanata. The Magistracy also launch attacks using Ramilie's Raiders and seize Pillpalla.
Civilian morale already failing collapses during October. Even worlds that are not targeted begin to lose hope having seen the war engulf the Grand Duchy. Ingonish and Villanueva although not struck promptly surrender to the Canopians to avoid invasion at the end of October. Huge waves of refugees continue to flee, either into the Free Worlds League or many into the friendly Federated Suns.
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====Lord Baxter's Frustration====
Even as these reports come in Lord Baxter's own assault continues to grind through Andurien's capital city. Block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood the defenders are pushed back. Finally on the 30th October, the 2 Northwind Highlander units break off and head for the dropships. The 1st Defenders at a prearranged signal go on a counter offensive directly into the heart of the enemy offensive to buy the Highlanders and the Duchess herself time to evacuate. Even as the Highlanders and various Andurien dropships are blasting off packed with as many refugees as they can fit into them the 1st Defender's fall back on the palace to make their last stand, abandoning the rest of the city that they are now too stretched to hold alone. 
Marcus Baxter, furious when he hears of the escape of the Duchess as well as the casualties inflicted upon the 3rd McCarron's Armored Cavalry by the counter attack orders an orbital bombardment upon the palace before he launches his own final assault which is scheduled to take place in early November... In the meantime he also sends word to the 2nd, 4th, and 5th McCarron's Armored Cavalry to pull out of their garrison postings and head for Andurien space. Judging by the reports he's getting he knows they can't hold for much longer and refuses to watch them die in last stands... And he will need them for his own plans. He contacts the commanding officers of the 4th Tau Ceti Rangers, Shin Legion, and 15th Dracon all assigned to the Andurien Theater and invites them to attend Andurien to discuss how best to respond to the reports from back in the Confederation. The commands on Andurien itself are also invited to discuss matters with the new Duke of the Andurien Commonality, or so he has taken to calling himself even as the Ducal Palace is hammered by orbital strikes as October ends...
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