CHS4-15

==Chapter Fifteen - Book 4 – Chappy's Howling Siegers==
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===Be Careful what you wish for===
CO office Colonel Ginny Ebaugh,HQ 1st Sirian Lancer
Planetary Capital City
Shiloh, Free Worlds League
March 10th, 3030
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Local Time: 1200 GT
Colonel Ebaugh eyes were tired, she toss the last report down on her table and sighed. Standing up and stretching her aching body she said out loud, “Three months into this war and looks like they are going to ignore the Free World League this time, I don’t know if I should be happy or offended.” She proceeded around her desk and thought to herself that it was lunch time, she was hungry and was going to the restaurant down the block. The door almost hit her in the face as her aid rolled into the room not expecting his commander to be by the door.
“Oh, I am sorry, Colonel, I did not realize you was standing by the door.”
“Lieutenant, what in the heck are you doing, I was headed out for lunch what is your rush?”
“Colonel, Lyran Commonwealth DropShips are inbound they are around 7 days out according to our long range sensors.”
“Shit,” the Colonel said. “What about our outpost they should have made contact way before now?”
“Ma’am, they weren’t due for a check in for two more days, when we tried to contact them there was nothing but static.”
“We will morn them later after we defeat these Steiners, do we know who is coming? And how many dropships are coming?”
“No Ma’am we still don’t know who they are, but it looks like eleven dropships are inbound.”
“Okay Lieutenant, order the unit on high alert, we won’t redeploy anyone until we can tell where the dropships are coming down.
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===Actions taken in Defeat===
DropShip Aether, Command Bridge
Six days out from Shiloh Orbit
Shiloh, Free Worlds League
March 11th, 3030
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Hauptmann General Ryan Hawkins loved being in combat but there was several things or phases if you will that he hated, first was right now the spiral down to the planet from the Zenith Jump Point sometimes took forever, like this one which is 25 days of full thrust. Assault Drops are not fun either since you have no power to alter course from the enemy firing on you, and finally the other last thing he did not like in combat is his troops dying. As he contemplated this his aid knocked on the door jam. “Sir, I have communique from our operatives on the ground.”
“Thanks, just lay it on my desk and close the door, I am going to look over this report, don’t disturb me until I am done.”“Yes, Sir.”
When Hawkins was first given the task to invade Shiloh, he had four of his most trusted operatives penetrate the planet and gather information. It has been two months since he heard from them, so it was good to get this now.
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Hi Dad.
Mom is upset, she has all her chickens spread out on the farm and just heard you are coming home. She has not figured out where to put the coup for the chickens, but the eggs are still in the house, Rosters are spread over certain areas to. Love you cannot wait for you to get here hurry up before mom figures out exactly when you will be here, I want her surprised.Your son,
Jeb
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As Hawkins read that letter, he thought about what it really meant. The commander of the 1st Sirian Lancers still has her troops protecting all major towns on the planet and the troops are still in the capital. In three days, the commander of the Lancers will see the pattern of the Dropships and predict where those ships are landing. If she saw all twelve together, she would have over a day to move mechs to the capital. So, he decided to have the four Dropships with all his BattleMechs land in the capital and then split up the other 8 around the planet maybe this will keep the commander at bay and not move any heavy equipment to the capital.
Colonel Ginny Ebaugh ordered her troops out to the possible 10 sites that the DropShips appeared to be heading. With double the defense force at the power plant 200 miles south of the capital, since three drop ships seem to be targeting it, which made since because it was the main power source for region. In the back of her mind though she thought something was not right about how the DropShips deployed and made their approach obvious.
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===The Waiting===
DropShip Aether, Mech Bay
Hawkins in his Atlas Cockpit
Entering Shiloh atmosphere
March 17th, 3030 
Local Time: 1145 GST
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The waiting, he hated the waiting, he also hated the dropping out of a functioning DropShip being hit by flax and lasers before he landed. The BattleNet came alive with the commander of the dropship.<<“General Hawkins, this is command deck we are approaching the upper atmosphere is maneuver Beta still a go?”>>“Yes, notify all commands and get us to assault drop ASAP”
<<“Roger that sir, command deck out.”>>Now for the wait before all hell breaks loose., he thought to himself
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===Unexpected change in plans===
Power Plant
Col. Ebaugh in her Commando
Shiloh, Free Worlds League
Local Time: 1201 GST 
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Col. Ebaugh was tapping at her console the enemy had entered the atmosphere around 15 minutes ago, Where the hell are they?
There should be three Dropships in view of optics by now. Then the radio screeched and the voice on the other end sounded confused.
<<“Col Ebaugh come in, Col Ebaugh come in please”>>
“Ebaugh here identify yourself.”
“Sorry, Ma’am, but we were wrong four dropships including the ones that were supposed to come to you are headed to the capital. The other dropships have taken to an orbit posture. In fact, looks like they are landing right on top of the ca…………….“ the man’s voice disappeared in a sea of static. They must be jamming the signal... she thought. She opened the battalion BattleNet signal.
“Lancers we have been tricked we must make full haste to the capital; it is under siege.”
Even at full haste due to some of the slower mechs it will still be around 3 hours before they arrived.
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===Battle for the Capital===
DropShip Aether, Mech Bay
Hawkins in his Atlas Cockpit
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Local Time: 1230 GST 
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The bay light turned from red to yellow meaning the assault drop was about to take place. When the command deck called Hawkins and notified him that the maneuver worked the closest mech group was around two to three hours away, but the enemy was able to concentrate most of the infantry around the government building in the middle of the city. Also, the Fighters arrived and had started to drop bomb on the infantry and city. 
The light turned green the mech bays open and because he is who he is the commander of the 4th Skye Rangers, Hawkins was the first 'mech to jump out. 
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====Dropping into Chaos====
Capital City, Shiloh 
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Local Time: 1330 GST 
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As Hawkins fell through the air preparing for the sea of infantry hell, he saw his Aerospace Wing swoop in and start their bombing run. The general really did not want to destroy the capital but unfortunately the Sirian Lancers were set up inside buildings all over the city. With the bombing hundreds of troops were dying. As he got closer to the ground some of his other MechWarriors landed early due to their dropships being closer to the ground. One of his troops, Maria-Lourdes Rondolo landed off target landing on a building crashing through the roof and causing the rest of the building to cave in on the Zeus.
“Recruit Rondolo! Are you ok?” General Hawkins yelled in the microphone.
Maria shook her head and took notice of her situation; her Zeus right arm was critical damage.
<<“General, I am ok a little shaken and my machine’s right arm is damage, but I am ok.”>>
Some laser fire bounced off Hawkins’ Atlas, only a little armor was destroyed but nothing of importance. He continued to watch as the fighters dropped bombs in the city destroying both men and buildings. Several infantry troops targeted a Hunchback that had just landed and was moving out to engage them. The Trebuchet that was next to the Hunchback took a hit from an Autocannon to the head but stayed upright. The pilot Private 1st Class Myong-Suk Sletvod took a hit to his body when a piece of metal cut his arm from his elbow to his shoulder he was still moving forward looking at his arm when a Zeus came barreling out of a destroyed building, right then an Autocannon, meant for Sletvod hit the Zeus in the head knocking Rondolo unconscious and causing the Zeus to fall back into the destroyed building. Another Autocannon fired out and took out the gyro of Private 1st Class Cardenas' Hatchetman.
General Hawkins saw all this happen in a matter of minutes while he was still dropping, he had wanted to be the first on the ground, but some dropship pilot got frisky and dropped his troop lower causing damage to the Dropship.
“Wing commander, this is Hawkins target sector 3245 to 2745 there are some heavy infantry artilleries chewing us up there.”
“Roger Zipper, this is Cieoco will be bombing them to hell in 2 minutes”
Sure, enough the building and troops were gone from that area 3 minutes after Hawkins order the bombing run.
Hawkins even though he knew what was coming still was not ready for the carnage. The enemy infantry was so busy focusing on the mechs that had dropped, that they did not notice the DropShips had stopped dropping mechs instead started coming down hard and fast for a landing.
 
Hawkins watch in horror as the DropShips landed on the enemy infantry all four DropShips landed at the same time with a loud crunch killing hundreds of enemy troops by smashing them to death or burning them to death with the engines.
As the rest of the 4th Skye Rangers started to pour out of the Mech Bays the enemy tried to make a stand, by forming a firing line on the northeast side of the city. They were able to cripple several mechs before Hawkins’ force overpowered them. Meanwhile the fighters were flying back for another bombing run and now the DropShips were able to target ground forces with their side laser/LRM/cannons. They always say the first ones on the ground always get hit the hardest, hence the reason Hawkins wanted to go first. As he watched the Zeus tried to get back up but a dedicated heavy guns infantry unit that was hidden hit the Zeus in the head ripping the head off. Zipper saw the body of the pilot Rondolo draped over a destroyed beam her body itself was laying there cut in half. About 50 feet away Leutnant Huggett piloting the Hunchback that made first contact blew up because the engine safety shutdown failed. Hawkins and the first MechWarriors that drop were in the middle of the city with the capital building to the left it was chaos, and carnage. Dead bodies litter the streets. He had just lost three mechs right here in the center. 
Reports from the other dropships were extremely better with no loses yet. General Hawkins tracked his next target it looked like there was an infantry unit on the roof of the capital building, and they were tracking something. As soon as General Hawkins fired his PPC, medium lasers, and SRMs the infantry fired off their cannon, while the infantry unit died by Hawkins perfect aim, one of the Skye Rangers medical EVAC VTOLs on its way to rescue a MechWarrior. The VTOL fell from the sky crushing Leutnant Jeanette Finnoy, the very MechWarrior that the Medical EVAC was trying to help. 
The battle continued and then within a matter of minutes the enemy broke and started to scatter. From the time Hawkins dropped out of the Dropship until the enemy turn tail and ran it was 45 minutes.
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====Flame of Battle and Hard Decisions====
Capital City, Shiloh 
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Local Time: 14:10 GST
Colonel Renard Lake the commander of the 1st Sirian Lancer infantry division was in trouble. Him and what was left of his command lance was on top of the capital building when all four of the enemy’s dropships just dropped out of the sky and landed. The view that Colonel Lake saw almost caused him to have a mental break. Something happen though when those dropships landed, the jamming was over and he was able to finally call his commander.
“Colonel Ebaugh come in, Colonel Ebaugh come in this is Lake.”
Colonel Ebaugh had her lancers at full speed running through the plains of yellow just south of the capital she had about hour left but she already lost a mech due to the idiot pilot tripping over some farming equipment tearing the foot, knee, and hip actuator she was shaking her head in disappointment when her radio crack expectantly since that net was associated with the units within the capital.
“Colonel Ebaugh come in, Colonel Ebaugh come in this is Lake.”
<<“Lake, this is Ebaugh looks like the jamming has lifted report.”>>
“Ma’am, we have taken heavy loses. These devils have landed right on top of my men in the middle of the town.” In the background she could hear the fighting going on, one of his staff members yell and she could hear it as the Colonel paused from his report.
“Sir! We have a lock on a ship flying towards us” said the unknown soldier.
“Don’t ask permission fire on it NOW!” “Sorry about that Colonel Ebaugh, anyway I have lost almost 2 regiments of troops and………..”
The radio went dead but it was not the jamming starting again, it was as though Colonel Lake was not there anymore.
The radio went live again with a new female voice.
“Colonel Ebaugh this is Lt. Col Raimundi commander of the 8th Battalion, the commander is dead the Capital roof which is where he was at is destroyed. I think I am the highest ranking officer what is your orders, Ma’am?”
Colonel Ebaugh thought about it for a second and then said, <<“Retreat. Move out of the city, we will be there in an hour thank you for trying we will take it from here.”>>
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Local Time: 14:30 GST
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Hawkins looked at the carnage and knew he did not have time to clean the city up. He ordered his troops to form a picket line in the south side of the city since there was a battalion of mechs coming up from that area.
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Book 4 - Chapter 15