Capellan Confederation Extraction Raid, July 3027

October 4th, Merak, Free Worlds League
Sang-wei* Natalka Makanin, Capellan Liaison Officer:

"Our contact in the Free Worlds League, Duke Garth of Irian, is having difficulties with certain legal aspects of the League's bureaucracy. Despite public uproar against the Gray Death Legion, he has informed me that other nobles are opposing his attempt to seize Helm, the Legion's homeworld and the believed site of the Star League cache. I do not know whether the Duke is attempting to delay us so that he can claim the cache himself, or whether his bloated and inefficient government is truly responsible. In any case, we will proceed to Helm concealed in the holds of cargo dropships and establish a camp in the wilderness regions of the planet until such time as we can openly move against the Legion's base."

*Sang-wei is the CCAF equivalent of the SLDF rank of Captain.

February 17th, Helm, Free Worlds League
Sang-wei Natalka Makanin, Capellan Liaison Officer:

"We have made planetfall on Helm, and have been assigned a warehouse to return our 'Mechs to operational status. One Company of League Battlemechs is already onplanet completing their rest and refit period. Orbital scans we made of the Gray Death Legion's base show that the Legion's main Battlemech force is still on the run, and only conventional and support forces are present. Once we complete preparations, we will exact vengeance for the millions dead on Sirius V, then scour the region for the Star League cache."

March 22nd, Helm, Free Worlds League
Sang-wei Natalka Makanin, Capellan Liaison Officer:

The Duke of Irian has arrived in-system with a company of his Guard and a fleet of merchant jump- and dropships to carry away any Star League materiel discovered. With him is Precentor Rachan, the ComStar official who uncovered the general location for the cache. We will set out tomorrow to Durandel and Helmhold Castle to crush the Gray Death Legion's home, and exact vengeance for the millions dead on Sirius V.

We will advance towards the town of Durandel with three Lances in line abreast. Sao-wei* Ch'oe and his Star Lance will hold the center, with Sao-wei Becker's Typhoon Lance on the right and your Red Lance on the left. I will coordinate from the rear with Hive Lance and your understrength Wolf Lance. Your VTOLs will act as spotters and pursuit, but your infantry will not be required. We will not be taking prisoners from these heathen renegades.

Enemy strength is estimated at a reinforced company of light and medium vehicles, supported by one or two companies of militia infantrymen. When the main line is fully engaged, I will lead Hive Lance around one flank while your Wolf Lance encircles the other. If you break through, ignore the Legion forces and go straight for Durandel. Burn it to the ground.

Operation Burning Justice
Primary Objective: Level Durandel and Helmhold Castle.
Secondary Objective: Annihilate the Gray Death Legion's support forces.
Tertiary Objective: Find leads on the location of the SLDF cache.
Your Force: 6 Battlemechs, 2 VTOLs.
Allied Force: 12 Batlemechs.
Expected Resistance: 16-20 Vehicles, 4-12 Infantry Platoons, Citizens of Durandel.
Terrain: Foothills, scattered woods, rural town.


*Sao-wei is the CCAF equivalent of the SLDF rank of Lieutenant

March 25th, Helm, Free Worlds League
Colonel Julian Langsdorf, Free Worlds League Commander

"We believe we have located the Gray Death Legion's dropships. They snuck in-system in the wake of the Duke of Irian's own dropships, then landed in a mountain pass here. They have attempted to conceal the dropships, but their choice of landing zone has restricted their lanes of fire and made them vulnerable."

"Boomerang recoonnaissance aircraft have confirmed that at least two lances of the Legion are still camped in Durandel. Based in recordings from your battle there yesterday, these are the Command and Fire Lances. While they are digging through the wreckage of their home, we will move out and capture their dropships, trapping them here."

"Captain Prosser's Hammerstrike Company will conduct the assault, and Major Phillipro's infantry will support. Precentor Rachan has also loaned us two Packrat Long Ranged Patrol Vehicles equipped with powerful broadcasters, which will allow us to flood radio channels with static and jam all communications. This will also affect our own communications, but it will prevent the Legion dropships from coordinating with Colonel Carlyle's 'Mechs."

"Lieutenant Colonel Ley, we have acquired sufficient small aircraft to deploy your paratroopers. The pilots know the terrain, and will be able to approach the dropships in the mountains without exposing you to fire. A traitor, Graff, from the Legion's Scout Lance, is willing to sell out the dropships in exchange for his life. He'll open the hatches so your men and women can storm them. Since your 'Mechs aren't fully repaired from yesterday, we will hold them back as a reserve."

"We will maintain communication using flares. A green flare is the command to attack. Two green is the signal for Colonel Ley's paras. When you take the dropship, fire a blue flare. One red flare reports a spotting of the Legion's heavy 'Mechs. Ulrich Ulvson, if you see that, take your 'Mechs that way to delay them until we can regroup. Two red flares is the signal for a withdrawal."

"Are there any questions?"

(OOC)

Brad, Peter, and Brian, you guys are still out in the field, the Gray Death Legion 'Mech Company has successfully pushed past you and is moving to protect their dropships from the Marik Battlemech Company attacking them.

You managed to critically damage Colonel Carlyle's Marauder, and Aaron destroyed a Crusader and killed its pilot, which earns you guys 250,000 C-bills, but the Legion still has at least six more 'Mechs, an Archer, a moderately damaged Warhammer and Wolverine, a Rifleman, and a pair of Shadow Hawks.

The Marik jamming is still in effect, so you have no long-range communications. The flares you are using for communication also have not signaled either the capture of the dropships or a retreat. Your external microphones pick up the sounds of battle in the pass where the dropships are grounded.

Since Aaron was crushed by the Legion Archer after he ejected, Brad is now in command. You guys can communicate with each other, but not with anyone else.

Brad
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5/8/5

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Peter
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6/9/4

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Brian
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4/6

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TP, I still need you to tell me how your guys are deploying. I sent you the e-mkail last week to thetalkingtp.

(This is for Brad and Peter. However, they do have radio communications with everyone else so you guys know what's going on too.)

A faint dusting of snowflakes covers the ground as the column of 'Mechs reaches the entrance to Lee's Pass. Several hundred meters wide, the trail seems miniscule next to the towering mountains all around. The leading League machines, gleaming grey armor patches conspicuous against battered purple plate, move up into the shadows of the mountain. Just as you pass into the world of sheer rock cliffs, a distant explosion echoes through your external microphones, followed by a second. The column hesitates as the staccato drumming of autocannon and crackle of particle projectors joins in.

"That's the Ducal Guard, looks like the fancypants parade pilots drew the short straw."

"Maranov kicked off early, he was supposed to wait another hour at least."

"Can the chatter, Hammerstrike Company. If the Irians want to set the pace, we'll have to hold to it. Throttle up to sixty klicks."

A gleaming Warhammer races past, the insignia of a FWLM Colonel stenciled on the shoulder. A chorus of rogers responds to Colonel Langsdorf as the rest of the column speeds up, lighter Stingers and Wasps moving to the front.

March 31st, Helm, Free Worlds League
Colonel Julian Langsdorf, Free Worlds League Commander

"Our attacks in Drango and Lee's Pass are stalled. The Gray Death Legion is using a series of tunnels, likely connected to the Star League cache, to shift quickly between the passes and slow our advance. Captain Maranov got himself killed in Drango Pass, and managed to lose half his company there. Some should be salvageable, and I've ordered the engineers working on the cache entrance to shift their efforts towards salvage and recovery in these passes, as well as clearing the mines laid in Drango Pass."

"It is unlikely any tunnel system extends as far as Vermillion Pass, so Sao-wei Becker's force will continue their advance. We have our Boomerang spotting planes back in the air, and will be able to maintain communications between our three forces. We will resume our push through these passes in the morning, giving Becker time to catch up."

"There is some good news. Maranov's replacement reports that in their clash with the Gray Death Legion, they destroyed a Warhammer and beheaded Colonel Carlyle's Marauder. These are the Legion's two most powerful machines, and the loss of Carlyle will break their morale. They certainly retreated quickly from Lee's Pass after their initial salvo, despite holding good positions. The loss of one of their Shadow Hawks here means they have less than two lances remaining, while we can still field two full companies once we meet up."

"Crush the rogue mercenaries tomorrow, and we can claim the stockpiles of Star League equipment they are trying to loot."

April 1st, Helm, Free Worlds League
Colonel Julian Langsdorf, Free Worlds League Commander

"The breakthrough made by the Capellans and the 6th of October in Vermillion Pass has kept the Gray Death Legion under pressure. Our engineers have finished clearing Drango Pass of explosives and completed field repairs in Lee's Pass. Duke Garth has informed me that he has authorized a five percent bonus, subject to the approval of Sang-wei Makanin, for the 6th of October."

"Precentor Rachan has expressed his displeasure with the lack of progress on the southern cache entrance, but the destruction of the Gray Death Legion takes priority over any archaeological efforts. Contact was lost with the platoon guarding the captured Legion dropships sometime last night, and this morning two additional Unions were spotted on the plains west of the Vermillion River. Also, when our engineers swept Drango Pass, all of the recoverable machines had already been retrieved by the Legion. Although we inflicted more casualties at Vermillion Pass, the Gray Death could still field up to a company of Battlemechs between the spares in the recaptured dropships and salvaged machines, including the Warhammer supposedly destroyed in Drango Pass."

"Sao-wei Becker is leading two lances of Capellan troops and October mercenaries south along the Vermillion River. These forces will maintain pressure on the Gray Death and capture the fords our reconnaissance aircraft have located along the river. Captain Prosser will lead Hammerstrike Company's two lances across the fords, while Senior Lieutenant Marklowicz will take the surviving Ducal Guard lances across the sandbar to the north. Vladimir Strakowsky, you will accompany the Ducal Guard to ensure accurate reports are made. If something is reported as destroyed, I do not want to see it on recon photos a day later. Dismissed."

April 1st, Helm, Free Worlds League
Colonel Julian Langsdorf, Free Worlds League Commander

"The fords over the Vermillion River have been captured by the Capellans and mercenaries. Well done. The plan remains the same. Hammerstrike takes the southern crossings, the Irians take the sandbar. Any seriously damaged machines should fall back once the main force arrives. Langsdorf, out"

April 3rd, Helm, Free Worlds League
Sang-wei Natalka Makanin, Capellan Liaison Officer

"Well done, 6th of October. Our scientists and technicians are emptying the Gray Death's cache of LosTech, and the butchers of Sirius are fleeing for their lives. I will be forwarding my recommendations on to my superiors, do not be surprised if you are contacted within the month with an offer of contract renewal."