TBntG-3 Chpt 47

=The Bull and the Genie=
==Chapter 47 - Book III - The Clan Invasion==
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===Twilight of the Dragon: 2 - The Landing===
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====Preparations====
Luthien, Draconis Combine
The invasion of Luthien was an organized affair. The fleet had orbital supremacy, the few hiding submarines unable to penetrate the interlocked ships and dropships that were protecting the landing force. As they entered orbit, hundreds, then thousands of com and recon sats were deployed, so many that the forces on the ground could destroy a hundred and not damage the network—and this network gave the ground forces what every soldier dreamed of, up to the minute and down to a single square meter, views of the world around them. Even better, by using ORTCONSYS (Ortillery Control System), a new design that the UMC had intended to use against the Clans, command mechs and vehicles could directly call ortillery without having to pass through any intermediate authority, allowing for timely bombardment. It was known that General Cheng had grumbled about that, as it was one of the surprises she'd intended to spring on the clans.
 
For two weeks, the fleet bombarded the world—not indiscriminately, but every command post and troop concentration that was not colocated with civilian concentrations either remained quiet or died by fire. Some of those that were close to civilians, were, if the commanders agreed they were important enough, were either attacked by headhunter drop infantry units or orbital bombardment.
 
They didn't get all of them. Most of the officers didn't believe they'd even gotten the majority of them—even the BDS knew how to hide…
 
But hiding units couldn't maneuver. Hiding units couldn't prepare to hit the landing force.
 
And because of that, there was no need to go for a risky landing.
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====The Days when the few could take a world is long gone====
Victor Steiner-Davion sat in his mech as the transport headed to the ground. He would be the first wave, but they weren't dropping His sensors showed the landing area, fifty miles from the palace complex, five miles from the nearest urban region. The plants had been torn to shreds, the NPPC and laser bombardment had liquified parts of the ground—and there was no possibility of anyone surviving that kind of bombardment, at lest not close enough for a surprise attack. Fighters orbited overhead, and the pathfinder infantry had landed, setting up observation posts around the LZ.
It's odd. The stories, the drills of drops from low orbit—had been the rule of thumb in the old days. But the SLDF books held that as a dangerous tactic, risking your mechs spread all over the place, to be destroyed in detail. It was just that nobody had the firepower to do… this. At least until today.
 
<-"Coming up on LZ"-> the pilot said, and a few moments later the entire ship shuddered, and the hatches were opening. Victor and the rest of his company quickly advanced, joining the other two and heading to their assigned perimeter position, infantry waving chem lights to guide them in. Behind them, the Union waited until they were away, then boosted up, another lander dropping to the hot ground.
 
<-"We've got light resistance at LZ 5, some people hiding in tunnels. Nothing we can't handle."->
 
>>"Artillery fire at Charlie, ask if Ortillery can handle it…"<<
 
Part of Victor listened to that, but the bigger part kept his mind on the sector his company was assigned to.
 
But there was no surprise as the loaned clan anti-artillery laser batteries were set up, then the rest of the mechs, infantry, and armor landed. Engineers prepared more landing points for the logistics and medical dropships.
 
Victor's palms itched. This was the time when you would advance, taking the enemy by surprise.
 
But General Cheng didn't think like that. The attack, the real attack wouldn't begin until a few days had passed, when the entire Division had grounded and shook itself out, with the other two divisions tasked with the assault, also ready. Behind them there were three more divisions and as much as Victor understood it, he had to admit it was annoying. The first divisions would attack up to the city line, and then go on pause, letting the fresh divisions move in.
 
But then, those divisions were mechanized infantry divisions and they'd actually drilled in a 1:1 replica of Imperial city, built by Comstar.
 
Once, A lance of mechs could decide a world's fate. Once, having a mech made you a member of the nobility…
 
Once. No more. The Clan War had started the process and this would end it. War was now a matter of divisions and corps, and a lance was… just four mechs, no more, no less.
 
Victor didn't know if he should be happy or sad that a number of men in the division, new mechwarriors, were talking about what they'd do after the war… And after they turned their mechs back to the quartermaster's corps, instead of holding onto them for their children.
 
Two hours later, when the main body had grounded, and they were pulled back for rest, Victor still hadn't answered that question.
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====Exploiting flaws in a invasion Plan====
General Cheng and Star Colonel Frederick were disappointed in one respect. They had both hoped that the insult of the landing of foreign forces on Luthien would see the DCMS launch attacks against the LZs.
 
They did not. But they were only slightly upset, as this allowed them to finish landing the first wave with little in the way of disorder. Within a week after the first landing, the three corps (Two UMC, one Clan) had firmly ensconced themselves on the primary continent, with several divisions landing on the secondary continents.
 
Thanks to captured and defecting DCMS soldiers, as well as signals intelligence, the high command was aware that the Black Dragons intended to catch the invaders within killing zones, both directly outside of and within the cities, making use of the hundreds of regiments of lightly armed and poorly trained civilians who would assault the invaders in human wave attacks. Their own forces would be screened by the civilian wave assaults, making it hard for the invaders to target the most dangerous groups.
 
However, there was a fundamental flaw to this plan, one that Mary and Frederick quickly exploited…
 
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Book 3 - 47