FSRB Chpt 167

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 167==
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July 3070Opeartions Achilles, Ajax, and Agamemnon VI 
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===Operations Achilles, Ajax, and Agamemnon - Combined Status Report===
With Operation Heart Attack sucking up most of the resources of the AFFS the still active Operations Achilles, Ajax, and Agamemnon were by necessity scaled back. Active combat operations were continued, but only a handful of new ones were launched and these were primarily with the intent of securing a more suitable border in the event of a peace settlement or for follow on attacks if Operation Heart Attack failed in it's goal of forcing House Kurita to the peace table.
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====Dieron====
The slow and gradual grinding attacks of the AFFS upon the besieged DCMS troops contained within Fortress Dieron continued throughout July. If anything despite the shift in priority to Operation Heart Attack the pace of operations upon Dieron was moved up. The Davion Assault Guards, assisted by the 12th Vegan Rangers' Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Regiments began to launch larger scale attacks on multiple areas of the fortress's perimeter. While the defences continued to hold, casualties on both sides mounted quickly. The difference was that from the AFFS's perspective they could afford these increased losses while the DCMS troops obviously couldn't.
Under the cover of these large scale attacks a number of infiltration attempts are made to open up a route to the heart of the fortress. While one of them is partially successful and results in battle armoured troopers managing to seize one of the major defensive strong points on the north side of the mountain the DCMS is able to thwart any knockout blow from said infiltration's and soon wises up to these efforts. 
In total the AFFS and their mercenary allies end up taking losses of nearly seven companies of battlemechs and similar levels of conventional forces over the course of the month (although at least some of these losses will be made good from supplies as soon as the mechwarrior or armour crews have recovered from any injuries). In return they have managed to knockout around five companies of DCMS troops - who largely will not be returning to the lines in a few weeks or months. 
Across the rest of the planet support for integration within the Federated Suns continues to rise, particularly when at the end of the month Baron Tancred Sandoval and his wife Duchess Yvonne Davion-Sandoval arrive on the planet with a heavy escort drawn largely from the 2nd Robinson Rangers RCT. They are soon being given a tour of the planet, meeting the proto-local government and the Baron at least tours the front lines of the troops facing Fortress Dieron (although at a safe distance and with a heavy escort).
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====Lyons====
The 13th Sun Zhang Cadre finally admits to themselves that they cannot attempt to face off against the 4th Davion Guards RCT in active warfare and proceeds to scatter into the wilderness of the world. Unfortunately for them the local population is largely hostile and aids the 4th Guards in hunting down many of the cadets and officers of the Cadre over the coming month. Still at least two full companies of battlemech's manage to disperse into lance sized raiding bands across the world by the end of July. 
With the dispersal of the 13th Cadre, the few conventional units loyal to the DCMS on the planet facing large scale protests soon either attempt to disperse to join the cadets of the 13th or surrender to the now overwhelming superiority of the 4th Davion Guards. The planet see's a massive boost in morale when the Lyon FTM arrives on planet to take up garrison posting on the 30th. With the arrival of the LAAF on planet the AFFS troops prepare to leave the remaining mopping up to the Lyon FTM. 
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====Ko====
With the pacification of Dyev going so smoothly the AFFS authorizes the 8th Striker regiment of the Fighting Urukhai to move on Ko which intelligence suggests is held by only a single conventional armour regiment and three infantry regiments and is also home to a large pro-Lyran resistance movement. These intelligence reports prove to be correct and at the arrival of the elite mercenary formation in the system the garrison commander promptly packs up his troops as best he can and abandons the system, heading for Kessel. The 8th Striker arrive on the planet and are welcomed by the already forming Lyran government - although there is some awkwardness when they welcome the 8th in the name of the "Archon-Prince Victor Steiner-Davion". 
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====Nashira====
With the arrival of an over strength infantry brigade (six regiments strong, although four of them are newly raised units, which brings the AFFS forces to eleven infantry regiments) and a reinforced battalion of attack VTOLs the writing is on the wall for the insurgents on Nashira. Although they wish to fight on with the example of their fathers and uncles in the War of '39 to motivate them the fact that the AFFS is winning the war is clear to even the most fanatically pro-Kurita rifleman. As such the Tai-sa in charge of the militia defenders requests terms from Colonel Stirling. With the permission of the High Command Colonel Stirling offers generous terms, the militia are allowed to stand down and return to private life if they so wish (although handing in their weapons) or if they refuse to submit to House Davion they will be held at a secure location until a prisoner transfer can return them to the Combine. With these terms agreed the locals surrender to the Davion mercenaries and conventional forces. 
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====Pike IV====
General Marie Stevens's plan to slowly integrate the two opposing factions of the world into the Federated Suns is clearly paying dividends and by the end of the month while officially still an active front the world is securely in the hands of the Federated Suns. However the High Command are more than aware that this is largely the work of the veteran General and as such quietly inform her that her command will be remaining as the permanent garrison of the planet for the foreseeable future. This news is accompanied by her promotion to Marshal.
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====Umjiri====
With the knowledge that the DCMS formations are using transport heavy VTOLs to move their formations around the AFFS change their tactics. Roving patrols of Aerospace Fighters are soon sweeping the skies to ensure that the enemies ability to move around at will is drastically curtailed. 
The first casualty of this lack of mobility is the 6th Arkab Legion's 2nd battalion which when out manoeuvred on the 12th of July and now without it's ability to magically disappear and reappear is crushed by the Davion Old Guards and the Cunningham Commandos. A similar fate befalls the 6th Ghost's 3rd battalion's 2nd company when it is pounced upon in mid air during an "escape" from an ambush by the 1st Davion Guards on the 14th.
With the net closing around them the two DCMS forces on the planet's officers secretly met and agreed to a plan to evacuate their forces from the planet. Knowing that the AFFS has a full squadron of Avalon class cruisers in orbit the two units agree to a staged break out attempt. On the 27th a large number of dropships blast off from the planet, mostly civilian dropships while following in their wake is a number of military dropships assigned to the two DCMS units. Unsurprisingly the four Avalon cruisers and their escorting dropships concentrate on shooting down or crippling the military flotilla, ignoring the civilian dropships. However almost all of the various military personnel remaining to the 6th Arkab Legion and 6th Ghost are in fact stowed away in the cargo holds of the civilian dropships - along with what military equipment could be hurriedly loaded. While they have had to sacrifice much of their actual equipment the two regiments mechwarriors, armour crews and infantry are able to escape. 
With the withdrawal of the regular DCMS forces the few remaining conventional units and militia surrender to the AFFS on the 31st.
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====Hagiwawa====
July opens with the AFFS formations launching a full scale offensive against the DCMS lines. The 3rd Crucis Lancers RCT and the 1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs launch a coordinated attack upon the 27th Benjamin Regulars, while the 1894th Light Horse attack the massively under strength 24th Benjamin Regular and the 10th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT attacks the similarly under strength 28th.. 
For three days. the green 27th Regulars actually manages to hold the line (backed up by three conventional brigades who are fed into the meat grinder) against the AFFS units battering it, taking heavy casaulties but never quite breaking. Later intelligence reports will suggest that the reason for this was simply that the green as grass troops of the 27th simply didn't realise just how bad their situation was. Only when the 24th & 28th Benjamin Regulars on their flanks are crushed (the 24th breaking and falling back in a rout while the 28th is effectively wiped out as a combat command) does the 27th Regulars finally crack. As the survivors of the 24th & 27th Regulars attempt to fall back with the remnants of the conventional brigades who had been aiding in holding the Davion's back the light battlemechs of the Light Cavalry and Light Horse regiments sweep down on them and harry them all the way back. 
The single remaining conventional brigade of troops that remain uncommitted to the fight are infected by the panic of the few survivors of the 24th & 27th Benjamin Regulars who manage to reach their lines around the capital city. When the light battlemechs and fast tanks of the 10th Deneb Light Cavalry arrive at the city they are able to rush the defenders and break their lines despite not being equipped for this sort of fight. With the Deneb Light Cavalry pouring into the city and the other Davion units not far behind the organised defence of the city collapses. 
While holdouts will continue to fight until the end of the month, the matter s now beyond question and when what is left of the 27th Benjamin Regulars surrenders on the 30th of July the world is declared secure for the FedSuns. Although mopping up operations are expected to last for at least another 2-3 weeks.
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====Iruzun====
The 2nd Dragonlords RCT and 4th Crucis Lancers RCT arrive in orbit and proceed to land on Iruzun on the 3rd of July on the North Umbrian continent. With the majority of the defenders deployed to protect the South Umrbian continent and the capital of New Gotham City the AFFS begin to secure their lodgement on the planet. 
This plant however goes awry when the 1st Proserpina Hussars combat hops using Tonbo super heavy VTOL transports. Furious and filled with hate towards the AFFS for the loss of their homeworld and the destruction of the 10th Hussars, they hit a dispersed combat command of the 2nd Dragonlords and proceed to inflict horrendous casualties on the unit. As further 2nd Dragonlord formations rush to the rescue of their comrades the 1st Proserpina Hussars defeat them in detail, destroying over half of the RCT's remaining strength for only light losses until the massed formation of the 4th Crucis Lancers bearing down on them forces them to withdraw back across to South Umbria. The 1st Hussars even mange to drag back a decent amount of salvage which they hand over to the 16th Galedon Regulars which allows them to form an 2nd company to their 3rd battalion with local volunteers. 
With the heavy losses inflicted in this attack upon the 2nd Dragonlords reducing them to minimal combat effectiveness, Major General Andrew Giggins is forced to accept that his command of the 4th Crucis alone can't hope to secure the world. He sends word of the reverse to Robinson and New Avalon while concentrating on building large scale air bases for the various aerospace wings attached to the Davion forces. Soon a heavy combat air patrol is deployed to prevent a similar surprise attack occurring again. 
On the 24th of July, the 1st & 42nd Avalon Hussars RCT arrive in system from Donenac and begin a burn in to join the dug in 4th Crucis Lancers and surviving 2nd Dragonlords troops. They are joined on the 27th by the 20th Avalon Hussars RCT from Reisling's Planet. 
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====Kaznejoy====
The 6th Chisholm Raiders LCT was reinforced by the veteran 22nd Avalon Hussars RCT in order to ensure that the 13th Ghost would not be able to resist the invasion force. The defending DCMS unit had concentrated it's forces at the planetary capital of Jalna'ir and had dug in knowing that it was only a matter of time before they were attacked. The 22nd Avalon Hussars along with an extra attached mixed conventional brigade landed in the surrounding area and soon had the city under siege. Meanwhile, the 6th Chisholm Raiders landed at the spaceport of Kamalabad and seized the remainder of the continent of Grangi with only minimal resistance. While the bulk of the unit remained to garrison Grangi the 6th did dispatch it's heavy armour units and battle armor battalions to aid the 22nd Avalon Hussars as well as their artillery company. Attempting to avoid losses the 22nd continued a slow grinding campaign against the 13th Ghost, hammering the defenders with air and artillery strikes while probing the defensive lines for weaknesses.
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====Kaznejoy====
With total air superiority over all but the capital of Gondovia and complete control of the orbitals the AFFS has effectively blinded to anything over the horizon from the capital city and it's bases. When the AFFS launch a full scale air assault on the morning of the 12th of July the local fighters swarm up to reinforce their air patrol while the various defensive units are ordered to stand ready in case the enemy fighters break through. 
Which leaves them totally unprepared for the arrival of the mercenary regiment Hansen's Roughriders from their long detour. Hitting a lightly defended part of the perimeter (on the opposite side of the defences from the known AFFS positions around Fort Darwin) the Roughriders break through the line with almost no difficulty before running amok within the DCMS lines. By the time they withdraw in the early hours of the morning of the 13th, they have effectively destroyed the 43rd Galedon Regulars (with the survivors folded into the 45th Galedon Regulars) and done a huge amount of damage to the supply depots of the defending troops. While the official DCMS after battle reports suggest that nearly half the Roughriders were destroyed during the battle the elite unit suffered slightly less than two companies of casualties in the attack. 
Morale within the DCMS units on Kaznejoy takes a major hit and the destruction of much of their supplies soon begins to effect their ability to even contest the air space above Gondovia under constant attacks. Despite the losses caused, the commanding officer feels he has no other option but to resume patrols of the deserts around Gondovia and throw out outposts beyond his air cover. These units immedietly begin to take heavy casualties from Davion aerospace fighter attacks and by the 20th, the 45th Galedon Regulars conventional troops are point blank refusing to take part in these "death patrols" - demanding that 11th Ghost perform them. To say this has a toxic effect on inter-unit relations is an understatement. 
The commanding officer of the garrison is therefore almost delighted to hear reports that the AFFS formations from Fort Darwin are approaching Gondovia. At least the arrival of a besieging force will hopefully reunify his command. Sallying  a handful of spoiling attacks at the encroaching enemy lines the garrison prepares to resist the attack. By the 29th of July, the city is fully besieged by the AFFS formations on the planet...
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====Matsuida====
The defensive lines in the capital of Mystique city are beginning to be reminiscent of a child's drawing. However, the greater strength of the AFFS formations on the planet allow them to concentrate forces as required. With this ability the AFFS concentrate the 1st Crucis Lancers RCT and 1st FedSuns Dragoons battlemech formation (their conventional forces remaining in the lines) and strike at the areas held by the 3rd Ghost on the 8th. The initial strike severs the narrow connection along the dockyards between the 3rd Ghost and the rest of the DCMS troops. Cut off and surrounded the 3rd Ghost is slowly reduced using overwhelming firepower that almost levels the dockyards and fish canning industrial plants near them. Despite effectively being abandoned by the Ryuken regiments on the planet the 3rd Ghost fights in the best traditions of the DCMS and sell their lives dearly block by block, asking for no quarter and giving none. They manage to hold out until the 10th when their final battlemech falls in the ruins of a fish processing factory. They manage to inflict their own numbers of losses onto the two Davion units before they are destroyed. 
However, with the destruction of the 3rd Ghost, the AFFS can now concentrate on the remaining garrison of the Ryuken-yon and Ryuken-go. These two experienced formations put up a strong fight but find their line slowly pushed back and casualties mounting. The civilian population is slowly turning against them as well - given that they blame the DCMS formations for retreating into the city and bringing about this destructive urban warfare. By the end of the month the two formations are shattered but still holding out in the hills overlooking the harbour. Between them they can muster roughly a battalion of damaged battlemechs and maybe twice that in conventional forces. They have however bled the AFFS formations attacking them white.
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====Beta Mensae V====
The 8th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT arrived in the system and with their double strength fighter wings swept forward. The system which had had almost no contact with the rest of the Draconis Combine since it's HPG went dead and the JumpShips stopped coming had a small militia force which stood up to resist the AFFS troops. Woefully outnumbered, outgunned and outmaneuvered the militia force was only able to resist for roughly a week before being crushed. The 8th Deneb Light Cavalry suffered few losses beyond some damaged tanks and Battlemechs.
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