FSRB Chpt 208

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 208==
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June-July - 3070Operation Harvest - Wave 2
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===Wave 2 of Operation Harvest - Status Report===
With Caph once again being reintegrated into the Federated Suns and the world of Graham IV following it closely the AFFS could point to some tangible results from Wave 1 of Operation Harvest. Although on almost every world that the combined AFFS-ComGuards-Clan Forces hit the Word of Blake was putting up ferocious resistance. Worse, most of the Protectorate Militias raised from the local planets were fighting alongside their Blakist masters with determination. Either out of loyalty to the WOB, fear of retribution, a mistaken belief that the Protectorate was a reborn Terran Hegemony or just from WOB propaganda most of the locally raised troops were fighting as well as could be expected with their limited experience and second line equipment.
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====Graham IV====
The work of rooting out the remaining WOB personnel and troops on Graham IV continued into June and July, with large scale infantry formations mounting heavy patrols through the world's urban and rural areas, often accompanied by elements of the 1st Ceti Hussars RCT. Zeta battalion of the Wolf's Dragoons was withdrawn from the garrison following the incident with Mitchell Vehicles and instead was dispatched to nearby Procyon at the beginning of July. 
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====Sirus====
Having lost control of the sky and orbitals of Sirius VI-a, the Word of Blake 13th Militia and their Protectorate Guard allies had been under constant air attacks for almost two months by the middle of Wave 2. Which was when the AFFS troops launched their first major ground assault. Marshal Edwin May of the 42nd Avalon Hussars RCT holds his own RCT in reserve against any counter attack, while launching two simultaneous large scale assaults upon the WOB positions. 
Against the 3rd Sirius Protectorate Guard he sends the overwhelming (if somewhat green force) of the 2nd & 3rd Avalon Hussars RCTs. With overwhelming force the two Avalon Hussar commands attack the regional capital of Dogtown on the Hinterlands continent and steamroll over the 3rd Sirius Protectorate Guard in a two week battle. While much of the small city is leveled in the fighting due to the Protectorate forces turning almost every building and office block into a mini-bunker or redoubt for the infantry heavy 3rd Sirius, both the 2nd & 3rd Avalon Hussars officers use their large scale battle armor formations to clear out each of these makeshift fortresses one by one while their BattleMechs and tanks crush any large scale enemy positions. By the end of July, the 3rd Sirius Protectorate Guards few remaining formations surrender in the face of total destruction.
To clear the approaches to Lost Hope, the planetary capital, Marshal May throws the 41st Avalon Hussars RCT into a full on assault on the positions of the 1st Sirius Protectorate Guard to the south of the city. He pins the 13th Militia and the last remaining Protectorate Militia formation in the city by holding his own 42nd Avalon Hussars RCT nearby along with heavy patrolling and air attacks from the 10th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT, while the 41st Avalon Hussars took advantage of their extensive OmniMech numbers to outfit a full reinforced battalion of BattleMechs for long range firepower. Hammering the 1st Sirius's lines again and again they finally broke through on the 22nd of July and proceeded to drive the 1st Sirius Protectorate Guard back in a retreat that swiftly became a rout when the patrolling 10th Deneb swung in on their flanks. Only a sortie by the 2nd Sirius Protectorate Guard allowed the remnants of their sister regiment to reach friendly lines intact - although at heavy cost to themselves. 
At the end of Wave 2, Marshal Edwin May reorganized the forces under his command to concentrate them around the remaining WOB position's around Lost Hope. He concentrated the 41st & 42nd Avalon Hussars as his primary hammer to break the enemy lines, while the 10th Deneb Light Cavalry prepared to exploit any breath through and held the 2nd Avalon Hussars in reserve. The 3rd Avalon Hussars redeployed to provide rear area security. Facing off against his forces, the 13th Militia remaining largely intact (although their air wings were almost totally gone as was most of their artillery) with a combined force drawn from the 1st & 2nd Sirius Protectorate Guard which combined came to roughly a reinforced Level IV WOB Division. Between both forces the WOB forces have roughly a regiments worth of 'Mechs. Compared to over three reinforced regiments of BattleMechs within the AFFS forces arrayed around them. 
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====New Home====
Marshal Jon Davion used the Davion Old Guard and Davion Heavy Guard RCTs to smash the WOB lines in a series of week long hammer blows, shifting between the two Davion Guard formations while putting pressure on the rest of the WOB front line. Making this situation worse for the WOB troops was the 11th Avalon Hussars forces loose in their rear. This resulted in the WOB's commanding officer having to deploy his ace in the hole card much sooner than anticipated. The until now hidden Blanc's Coyotes surged out and attempted to pin the three battalions of light and medium BattleMechs of the 11th Hussars against the WOB's own lines. This backfired however when the 11th concentrated almost two full battalions of BattleMechs and heavily mauled not only the recon elements of the Coyote's Charlie company but also the strike units of Able Company. Only a frantic defense by Baker Companies assaults and heavies prevented the entire Coyotes being destroyed. As it was they retreated mauled back north into the coastal plains, harried the entire way by Hussars. 
With their rear area situation falling apart behind them and under constant attacks, the WoB 6th Militia Division began to slowly work it's way north as well, falling back on the Great Spine Mountains and using the highways constructed during the old Star League to fall back. The commanding officer of the 6th Militia, knowing to his men as "The Schoolmaster", ordered most of the conventional infantry and heavy tanks within the three remaining Protectorate Guard to be concentrated in the 4th New Home Protectorate Guard, and assigned that unit the role of sacrificial rear guard - which was subsequently destroyed by the Davion Old Guards in a three day battle. With his own 6th Militia and reorganized 1st & 2nd New Home Protectorate Guard he retreated, taking advantage of the 72 hour hours that his rear guard had bought him to attempt to break contact with the AFFS forces. Something he was only marginally successful at as the 27th Avalon Hussars and 1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs bypassed the last stand of the 4th Protectorate Guard. This kept the pressure on, while elements of the Chasseurs screened his advance parties and fought delaying actions. 
Taking his own 6th Militia and the best of the Battlemech equipped Protectorate Guard in the 1st New Home Protectorate Guard, Precentor Lane Brandenburg-Curi retreated into the Great Spine Mountains and worked their way slowly north, taking advantage of the Star League built highways that crisscrossed the mountains. The 2nd New Home Protectorate Guard was dispatched to try and make their way through the foothills at speed with the bulk of the remaining armor vehicles and lighter BattleMechs to reach the capital city Findler.
Jon Davion's combined task force continued to harry the WOB troops northwards as Wave 2 ended, his own Heavy Guards supported by the 1st Robinson Chevaliers deployed to fight their way through the mountain passes of the Great Spine Mountains while the rest of his task force hammered the retreating 2nd New Home Protectorate Guards' flanks. The Sun Jaguars in particular took to these ambushes and attacks in the broken terrain of the foothills of the Great Spine Mountains with obvious relish. Ahead of the retreating WOB forces the 11th Avalon Hussars' three Battlemech battalions were joined by their fourth battalion and supporting forces and raced ahead to besiege Findler and it's garrison of scratch militia and the remaining Coyotes. 
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====Keid====
With the enemy forces already starting to crack under the attacks of the various Clan Nova Cat and Clan Sun Jaguar clusters, Marshal Steiner throws his own 1st Revenant Guards RCT into the lines around Keid City. Following directly behind the heavy and assault machines of the Revenants are the light and medium BattleMechs of the 6th Crucis Lancers. Mostly equipped with jump capable BattleMechs and omnimechs and specialised in urban warfare, the 6th Crucis exploit every weakness in the WOB lines to the maximum - aided by a large contingent of AFFS battle armor troopers and Clan Elementals. The 4th Robinson Rangers RCT is deployed in reserve.
Under heavy pressure, the WOB 21st Militia Division holds the line, rushing scratch Level II formations from one breakthrough to another. The Division is soon in penny pockets reinforcing the greener troops of the two Keid Protectorate Guard's in their attempts to hold the AFFS and Clan troops from breaking through. For most of June, the 21st Militia and it's allies hold the front line, but when the 2nd Davion Guards shift to the siege lines at the beginning of July (leaving the garrisoning of the planet to the 2nd Ceti Hussars) and join the 6th Crucis in pressing every potential breakthrough the line finally breaks. 
From the 3rd of July until the 6th, the 21st Militia fights to reform their lines, rallying the remaining elements of the Protectorate Guard as best they can. However, on the 6th of July either the nerve of the unknown Precentor commanding the force or the morale of the troops breaks. Within hours of midday on the 6th July, the few remaining cohesive elements of the Militia and a handful of their Protectorate Guards fall back on their carefully hoarded dropships and attempt to run the warship blockade over the planet. Using a large collection of civilian dropships and shuttles to screen their retreat, the 21st perhaps hopes that at least some of their retreating forces might break past the Davion and Clan warships in orbit and reach hidden jumpships to flee to Terra.
This hope is cruelly crushed under the broadside batteries of the orbiting warships and the Clan and AFFS aerospace fighter wings that come streaming down on them. Having learned their lesson, the allied ships don't hesitate to fire a full battery of NAC/30s into a "civilian" Mule class dropship if it is part of the general WOB flotilla trying to run the blockade. Not a single WOB dropship breaks through and the handful of shuttles that manage to break past the blockade are soon hunted down by fighter squadrons dispatched to hunt them down. 
By the end of July, Keid City has been secured, although it is a shattered wreck. However the bulk of the world is still intact and it's key agricultural and mining concerns are still intact. Efforts begin to rebuild Keid City and it's key spaceport as soon as possible.
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====Procyon====
Marshal Jack Roberts of the 20th Avalon Hussars RCT leads his own unit and the 28th Avalon Hussars directly against the already mauled 1st Procyon Protectorate Guard. With most of their remaining BattleMechs damaged the 1st Procyon falters and is soon in full retreat having already been hammered by the 5th Robinson Rangers. When the 2nd Procyon Protectorate Guard moves to support them the Beta regiment of the 12th Vegan Rangers attack their flanks and pin them in place.
The WoB 20th Militia Division shifts it's focus and attacks the 20th Avalon Hussars RCT and manages to stop them continuing the pursuit of the 1st Procyon, but the 5th Robinson Rangers their former tormentors shift past the heavily engaged 20th Avalon Hussars and join the 28th Avalon in the pursuit. By the time the running battle grinds to a halt from mutual exhaustion the 1st Procyon has been reduced to little more than a ragged remnant that is folded mostly into the 2nd Procyon, while both the WOB's 20th Militia Division and the AFFS have each suffered heavy casualties.
Alpha and Gamma regiments of the 12th Vegan Rangers have managed to keep the 3rd & 4th Procyon Protectorate Guard forces engaged in light skirmishes during June. While this battle is going on, but in July the AFFS shifts it's focus and strikes hard against the 4th Procyon. The 6th Dragonlords, much of it's damaged equipment repaired surges forward and joins the Vegan Rangers' Gamma regiment in a full scale attack, while from orbit the jump capable assault BattleMechs of the Zeta Battalion announce their arrival from Graham. 
With panic stricken cries for help coming from the 4th Procyon, the 20th Miltias gathers up roughly a Level III of his remaining force and moves to aid them while calling on the 3rd and even the 2nd Procyon to engage the AFFS troops to their front in skirmishing to prevent their joining in the attack. The badly damaged 2nd Procyon attempts to follow this order, but when launching probing attacks at the 28th Avalon Hussars finds itself attacked by the fresh 11th Chisholm Raiders. While the green LCT is hardly a match for the by now veteran 2nd Procyon Protectorate Guard unit in skill, they are equipped with pristine equipment and their troops are unblooded and fresh. With the 28th Avalon Hussars operating as a base for them to attack from the 11th Raiders surge forward and crush no less than two full Level III of Protectorate Guard troops. 
As July ends, the WoB 20th Division is reduced to barely a third of it's full strength, stretched out reinforcing both the 2nd & 4th Procyon Protectorate Guard units to prevent their total collapse, while the 3rd Procyon is the only formation broadly intact. In a surprise move the remaining WOB forces withdraw with almost no warning, using dropship "hops" to redeploy their entire remaining force to the Unspoiled Islands. The AFFS was taken almost completely by surprise by this move given the hard fighting so far that the WOB had committed to and managed to knock out only a handful of transport dropships and overrun only a single Level III of the already shattered 2nd Procyon Protectorate Guard during the withdrawal. 
A handful aerospace fighters harrying the retreating WOB forces pass close enough to their landing zones to realize why the WOB have retreated - deep within the thick woods of the Unspoiled Islands lies a rebuilt or refurbished Castle Brian. Judging by the construction scars in the jungle work was still ongoing on the site, but it was now largely intact.
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====Zosma====
The AFFS arrived at Zosma in strength, deploying the 22nd Avalon Hussars RCT, 6th Robinson Rangers RCT, and no less than three Chisholm Raiders LCTs - the 6th, 7th, and 8th. Swiftly landing outside of the main domed cities of the world they deployed to begin siege works, but were shocked when the planetary defenders - consisting of a single under strength 1st Zosma Protectorate Guard division surrendered. Intelligence had suggested that the planet was held by the 22nd Division of the WOB Militia, but the locals informed them that less than a week before their arrival the 22nd Militia had already departed their world. Swiftly deploying the battle armour and infantry formations into the domed cities the AFFS troops began a door to door search to make sure they weren't being lied to but it was soon apparent that the locals were telling the truth.
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===ComGuards Operations===
====New Earth====
The 1st & 5th ComGuard Armies despite on paper having a strength of between them twelve divisions could barely muster half that strength in effective units by the start of June. The defending WOB troops were suspected to be in equally bad shape, but were continuing to fight with fanatical hatred of their estranged brothers and sisters in the ComGuards. With the WOB also prepared to openly use nuclear weapons in defence of this key planet the prospects looked grim. 
The newly arrived 5th Army, already battered after just a month on the planet launch a further assault straight at what their intelligence suggests is the key defensive base for the defending 6th Division of the WOB Militia. For once it's correct. Throwing three out of their four remaining combat effective Divisions into the attack they take the enemy by surprise and make strong headway. This time there are no nuclear mines waiting for them, but the 6th Militia make no effort to surrender. They dig in and make the ComGuards pay for every single one of them. 
At the same time the other remaining WOB force on the planet, the suspected 7th Shadow Division launches a suicidal assault on the remaining forces of 1st Army. Although outnumbered almost 6:1, the Shadow Division deploys chemical weapons to try and even the numbers. Almost two full Level IIIs of 1st Armies remaining eleven die drowning on their own blood in their tanks and BattleMechs before finally the single un-engaged Division of 5th Army swings in to support them in putting down the monsters of the 7th Shadow Division. Even with that support the attack reduces the 1st Army to a single composite reinforced Level IV Division. 
The handful of surviving New Earth Protectorate Guard largely surrender when the regular WOB forces are destroyed. By the end of Wave 2 New Earth is listed as secure by the ComGuards. The 1st ComGuards Army is ordered to merge into the 5th Army and it's single functional Division is allowed to retain it's identity, while the remaining troops are used to repair damaged 5th Army formations. The two no longer combat effective 5th Army Divisions are merged into a single under strength Division. After this reorganisation the 5th Army consists of four full strength Divisions and two under strength Divisions. 
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====Epsilon Eridani====
The fighting on Epsilon Eridani continues as a war of attrition around Lake Arous. The ComGuards' 4th Army continue to fight the dug in 5th & 14th Divisions as well as the remaining Epsilon Eridani Protectorate Guard units. The 4th Army, awaiting reinforcements, attempts to keep the fighting limited, but the WOB forces take advantage of their larger proportion of BattleMechs to push the fight whenever they can find a local advantage. For much of June this fight goes hard against the 4th Army.
However, in July the ComGuards 2nd Army, fresh from it's conquest of Carver V arrive. With five battle hardened and almost full strength Divisions the 2nd Army wastes no time in attacking along and across the shores of Lake Arous, swiftly routing the 2nd Epsilon Eridani Protectorate Guard and seizing control of the vital city of Dori. Leaving the 4th Army to hold the foothold the 2nd Army swing around the lake, slowly clearing it of enemy positions before a pincer attack on the capital city of Madison. There the remnants of the 1st & 2nd Epsilon Eridani Protectorate Guard made a stand and fought for almost three weeks before finally being crushed.
While Protectorate Guard formations are making their last stand in Madison the remaining troops of the 5th & 14th Divisions hurriedly redeploy to Kressly Technologies plant. There they strip the factory of all finished and nearly finished BattleMechs, loading them into waiting dropships before heading for orbit. The WarShips CSV Defender of Versailles and CSV Determination move to block this withdrawal from the planet, but the remaining WOB fighters deploy in a screen, many of them with nuclear tipped anti-ship missiles. In a brief, but savage fight the CSV Defender of Versailles has it's back broken and is left a wreck, while the CSV Determination lives up to it's namesake and despite taking crippling damage manages to close with the WOB dropship convoy and slam several broadsides into fleeing dropships before finally having to be abandoned due to the fires approaching it's ammunition storage bays. It explodes roughly half an hour after the call to abandon ship is ordered. Before exploding, the CSV Determination had managed to wipe out the remaining troops of the 5th Division when it took out an Overlord dropship and two Assault Triumphs. However the 14th Division manages to extract nearly three Level III's worth of troops as well as roughly four companies of BattleMechs worth of equipment. 
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====Carver V====
With the deployment of the 2nd Army their place is taken by the AFFS's 12th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT. The 12th quickly deploys into smaller formations to garrison the planet and to make sure there are no WOB holdouts..
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====Bryant====
The 3rd ComGuard Army continued it's frustrating game of cat and mouse with the WOB formations on planet during June and July. In frustration, three Level IIIs were formed entirely of BattleMechs and deployed into the storm wracked central areas of the planet in a hunter seeker operation to at least hopefully track down the bases from which the raiders were operating from. Casualties within those formations swiftly mounted as they began a game of hide and seek in the storms with enemies who knew the terrain. To have your BattleMechs crippled during this fighting was an effective death sentence and there was almost no real ability to extract downed mechwarriors. However at least the enemy formations were likewise being made to pay a price for their continued raids. 
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