FSRB Chpt 30

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==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 30==
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February 3064Tripoli Overshadowed
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In any other month the launching of an operation involving five RCTs, 3 Mercenary regiments and 3 warships would have been the headline issue throughout the entire Federated Suns. However for almost the entirety of February Operation Tripoli was barely mentioned as instead everyone concentrated upon the up coming Special Session of the Star League Council. 
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===Operation Tripoli===
Although somewhat overlooked, Operation Tripoli launched on schedule and began a series of jumps out from the Broken Wheel Combat Region. At an unnamed system that had been used for such purposes before the task force broke up into it's constituent parts and jumped to their targets.
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The 1st Avalon Hussars RCT, supported by an additional convention brigade, jumped into the system of Morgan's Holdfast and began a combat burn for the planet. Although slightly under strength with only 8 companies of battlemechs it was felt that the additional conventional brigade would give them more than enough firepower to deal with any small pirate bands on the planet. 
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The lightweight 12th Avalon Hussars RCT were reinforced with the Blackhorse Squadron of the Wild Geese and headed for New Port Royal. What limited intelligence the AFFS had on the Tortuga Dominion indicated that there were no pirate bands larger than a single battalion of mixed troops on the planet. 
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The 34th Avalon Hussars RCT, with a full independent armoured brigade and 2 infantry brigades headed for Fletcher's Feast. Word had reached the AFFS that a full battalion of the Tortuga Fusiliers were based on this world and they were prioritised for destruction. Accompanying this attack would be the FSS Kathil. 
The 34th's sister regiment the 36th Avalon Hussars were tasked with seizing control of the New Haiti. Resistance was expected to be light and ineffectual, but an additional demi-brigade of infantry were attached to them along with a VTOL battalion just in case.
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The 42nd Avalon Hussars RCT was considered by most to be the premier AFFS unit taking part in the invasion. As such it was allocated the target of the world of Tortuga Prime itself. Alongside and backing it up were the Ironhorse Squadron of the Wild Geese alongside a conventional brigade of armour and another of infantry. In orbit the FSS Bryceland will be there in support along with 2 full independent aerospace wings. 
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The 21st Rim Worlds regiment of the Blue Star Irregulars would be tasked with taking on the last world of the Tortuga Dominion, New Gascony. Backing them up would be a brigade of infantry and an additional aerospace wing. 
Held in reserve would be the Blue Star Irregular corvette the Kerensky's Blues, the 1894th Light Horse regiment and the remaining squadron of the Wild Geese the Darkhorse Squadron and Headquarter Troops. Along with them two mixed conventional brigades consisting of an armour regiment and 2 infantry regiments and a full independent aero regiment. 
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The Tortuga Fusiliers themselves had some idea that they might be the target for a reprisal raid or for anti-piracy operation. They had heard rumors from sources about Operation Tripoli of course, but had no idea quite the level of force about to be used to hammer them. As all through the Dominion jumpships and even warships began jumping into the systems panic spread like wildfire. Pirate jumpships immedietly hot jumped out of whatever system they were in that were under attack - but often jumped into nearby Dominion systems and found themselves jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. More than 60% of the pirate fleet's jumpships were snapped up either at the original jump points or where they fled to. These flights and captures effectively gutted any attempt by the pirates to flee off world. 
The massed formations of dropships, escorted by assault dropships and heavy fighter cover bored down upon each world simultaneously. The Tortuga Fusiliers had built up an entire fighter wing of 19 aerospace fighters of their own, but with a third of it taken out in space at the jump points when their Leapard CV was destroyed by a broadside from the FSS Bryceland, the remaining 13 fighters were all on Tortuga Prime and facing 2 full fighter wings from the 42nd and a similar number from independent wings as well as the FSS Bryceland's escorting fighters and dropships. Swept from the sky the Tortuga Corsairs, which were effectively wiped out. 
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All across the Tortuga Dominion the AFFS and their affiliated mercenary troops touched down and almost immedietly went on the offensive. With total air superiority the battlemech formations marched out to hunt down the scattered pirate forces. Alongside the Tortuga Fusiliers the many smaller bands found themselves targeted. While that was happening armour and infantry formations secured the landing zones before joining their battlemech comrades in sweeping the worlds clear of pirates. Slaves were freed, settlements and towns secured and war bands of pirates eradicated. 
Only on Tortuga did a real fight occur. The Tortuga Fusiliers main strength was dug in around Raider's Roost. A full battalion of battlemechs and the bulk of an infantry regiment were augmented by almost 2 more companies of smaller bands along with almost a full regiment of pirate infantry from the cities population. These wouldn't be well coordinated or integrated into the main defence forces but they would fight with the fanaticism of cornered rats. However against a full front line RCT backed up with 6 elite companies of mercenary battlemechs and 8 more conventional regiments they stood little chance. The 42nd arrived on the outskirts of Raiders Roost on the 17th February and by the 24th the last bastion of the Fusiliers had been stormed. A few isolated neighbourhoods would remain battle grounds for several more weeks but infantry formations would be able to take care of these low level insurrections.
On the rest of the Tortuga Dominion's worlds the isolated pirate bands found themselves outnumbered 3 or even 4 to 1 and hunted down. Bombed and strafed from the air and attacked on the ground the pirates were unable to flee as the Federated Suns' forces had almost full orbital control. The best offer they had was that they would not face execution, but instead lifetime imprisonment if they surrendered. If they did not surrender then if captured they faced summary execution as pirates. Most chose to fight to the last, but a number did decide that a lifetime in jail was better than death. 
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Having used hugely overwhelming firepower and numbers the troops of Operation Tripoli were able to seize all 6 worlds of the Tortuga Dominions by the end of February with light casualties. The reserve forces were not required to be called in. Unlike previously when the 9th FedCom RCT attacked the Dominions the AFFS forces did not begin withdrawing after having crushed the pirates. While the bulk of the units involved began heading back to their garrisons within the Outback, the 34th Avalon Hussars RCT deployed to hold Tortuga Prime while other conventional brigades were deployed to each world to hold them for the Federated Suns. Specialist Federated Suns troops would then move in to begin rebuilding and restructuring the society of these worlds in the long term. For the time being the 34th Avalon Hussar's would be backed up by the full Blue Star Irregular's brigade although in the long term they were slated to return to Firgrove. 
Questions did begin to be asked given the setting up of garrison posts and the sending of the specialist troops on whether the Federated Suns were intending to annex the Tortuga worlds or were merely nation building for a new non-pirate Tortuga based political entity in the Periphery. Arguments were made for both options throughout the Federated Suns particularly within the Outback. The basic requirement however was that whatever option was chosen that there be no return to pirate raids based there. 
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===Outback Industry Base Coming Online===
On Novoya Zemyla the Kallon's plants first full production run of Enforcer III and Jagermech III from January are dispatched to help form the 1st New Aragon Reinforced Training Battalion and the 1st Mitchel Reinforced Training Battalion. Some of these mech's are a little temperamental as the first production models for a new factory but this is actually seen as a good thing for these formations as it will help train the pilots and their astech's in maintenance and repairs. 
While on Filtvelt the new Wangker plant begins producing Corsair aerospace fighters. These will be sent to replace the few losses from Operation Tripoli and a full flight dispatched to the new Broken Wheel CrMM's fighter wing. 
The New Independence Weaponry plant on Kestrel's second line becomes operation this month and the first Victor class assault battlemechs are walking off the production line by the end of February. The first full lance are dispatched to the 1st Kestrel Grenadiers RCT. 
Robinson BattleWork's plant on Robinson itself also see's a new line for Phoenix Hawk battlemechs coming into production. The laser weapons for this design will be imported from Tancredi and will very quickly prove to be of superior production. Combined with similar reports from the lasers on the Sagittaire class battlemechs produced at the same plant the Duke of Robinson will throw his full weight behind increasing production at Precision Weaponry plant. He orders large quantities of these superior lasers for use in all of the battlemech's produced in his plants on Robinson and Woodbine. 
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===Departure of Friends and Meeting of Old ones===
Just before First Prince Victor was to leave New Avalon to head for St Ives his bodyguard and her own new Keshik formation returned to New Avalon. The former captain and now saKhan Tiaret Nevversan returned to accept the First Princes's offer on behalf of her new Clan Sun Jaguar. In private she also made sure to assure Victor that she retained her previous personal loyalty to him not merely as a vassal saKhan. Both publicly to the High Command and to the saKhan privately Victor expressed his delight at the elevation of the captain to the role and pointed out she would be the ideal bridge between the Federated Suns and it's new members. 
Given the time constraints of the First Prince having to be at St Ives she accompanies him as he leaves New Avalon, falling into her own role as his personal bodyguard as well. During this time she explains that Khan Showers intends for the time being to form one massively under strength front line Alpha Galaxy with two Keshik Trinaries and 2 front line clusters. Backing this up will be a second line Omega Galaxy formation with a single cluster of second line troops. At the current time Clan Sun Jaguar has no active warships or any real prospect of them. These formations and their accompanying civilians will arrive at Defiance and wait there as more Jaguars trickle in to flesh out their numbers before heading for the 3 worlds that the First Prince had allocated for them. All of this is subject to the First Princes's consent of course. Which he gives, informing her that he has also ordered the 20th Avalon Hussars RCT, the Sandbaggers, to the three former FedSuns worlds which are to be the site of the Sun Jaguar enclaves with orders to begin constructing the basics of infrastructure. These facilities won't be luxurious but they will provide homes and clean water for the soon to be arriving Clan colonists. Once the basics are set up the First Prince has ordered the 20th to move onto the Tortuga world's to use their skills there. 
Arriving on St. Ives, the First Prince is met by First Lord Kai Allard-Liao at the spaceport. The two old friends are obviously under some strain but happy to see each other and have a frank discussion in preparation for the coming council. 
===Charges of FedSuns Aggression brought to the Star League Council===
When the session is formally opened on the 28th of February things almost instantly go horribly wrong. Almost before the First Lord is finished his introduction the Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao makes a formal motion to censure the First Prince of the Federated Suns for his unwarranted aggression against the peaceful peoples of the Capellan Confederation and calls upon the SLDF to help evict AFFS occupying units from sacred Capellan soil, and in a secondary addition also the occupied worlds of the noble peoples of the Draconis Combine. First Prince Victor is unable to hide the incredulity from his face as he rises to answer the charges. He points out that both of his operations have been in response to heavy raids conducted by foreign troops upon his realm which were deliberately calculated to inflict not only military damage and casualties but civilian also. As such he had no other option but to respond and he had done so. In perhaps a less than diplomatic statement he also announces that anyone is welcome to try and remove his troops from these now Federated Suns planets, but if they do they better bring their own body bags. 
February ends with the great and good of the Inner Sphere roaring and shouting at each other...
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