The St. John Affair

A few days later...

Princess reports mech activity against her screening and scout elements. B lance of 5th Company (Electra) lost one of its two SH-Ks and its Whitworth in an ambush. The rest of the lance suffered damage and was in danger of being overwhelmed, but Lance Commander Evelyn "Primetime" Burnett (SH-K) was able to decapitate one of the attackers (using a blade wrested from a Kuritan mech) and cripple the leg of another, causing the attacking DEST forces to pause their assault. This gave elements of 4th Company time to respond, and the remaining Kuritans quit the field, leaving their damaged comrade to cover their retreat. 4th Company pursued until fire from Kuritan reinforcements forced them to fall back.

Lancer losses: SH-K (KIA) + WW (Ejected safely)
Enemy Losses: Quickdraw + PH-K
Salvage: Quickdraw (lacking cockpit and various minor damage)

Other enemy forces: 5-6 units seen in the field, SH-K, T-bolt, PH-K, GDragon, Assassin or Marauder (conflicting reports), Crusader-K (probably, could be another PH-K). Could be more, maybe a third lance. There is a possibility of conventional forces as well, but if so in limited numbers /capabilities.

Princess is currently regrouping to pursue, while 4th Coy scouts and ASF assets maintain contact with enemy mechs. Opfor has withdrawn to a mountain(glacier area some 150 clicks NW of landing site. Her intent is to pursue the enemy with mobile forces, then pin them in place using airlift of heavier elements, but opfor current location makes this a difficult prospect.

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Katana Chief Intel Officer (technically Fishbait, but compiled by Lt. Max Norwell, the de facto Intel Officer for the Katanas) reports that liberated prisoners confirm the existence of a "secret" max security facility separate from the main internment camps. It is located about 195 klicks from the aerospace base currently serving as a forward operating base for the Katanas.

The area has very rugged terrain, unsuitable for landing with Union-class dropships. Airdrops could be an option, but intel indicates the presence of aerospace defenses, possibly including capital class PPCs. There is only one real road leading to the facility, and its very well defended. It's estimated that a full assault battalion would be required to take it without unacceptable losses. A lighter, more mobile force could get in, but losses would be high. Alternatively a smaller group of very mobile jump mechs could be sent through the mountains (Siri could maybe also be suitable, given Takari's exceptional piloting skillz), but without local knowledge it seems a venture with a low chance of success.

Mech's destroyed at the aerodrome have makings from two different companies, leading intel to suspect that the prison facility may be guarded by as many as a full company of mechs, and an unknown number of conventional forces and fixed emplacements. Reports from freed prisoners indicate that the leader of the DEST force is Major Allison Hada, piloting a Hatamoto-Chi. Her command lance consists of a missile-armed Awesome and two Marauders. Remaining enemy mech forces unknown.

Taking the prison facility would be beneficial. Both for destroying enemy mechs, but also because many of the prisoners on the liberation manifest are thought to be located there. It is imperative that no more time be lost if the attack is to take place - and that it be executed with great speed and ferocity - lest the Kuritans start executing the prisoners rather than see them freed.

St. John is another world in the outer reaches of the Combine that was settled by refugees fleeing the expanding Combine. A mix of Scandinavians and other peoples settled on St. John and nearby worlds, creating a little star republic that was eventually absorbed by the Commonwealth. Like so many other worlds in this region it was conquered by the Combine during the Succession Wars. Because of widespread insurrection during the 3rd War, the ISF forcibly relocated much of the population to "temporary" relocation camps. This proved so effective in destroying the planet's economy that it ceased to have any real part in interstellar commerce. The ISF didn't want to lose face over this, so came up with a genius idea: use the now vacated districts of St. John for more gulags for people from other worlds!

The world of St. John is extremely rugged in many places, with very little arable land. Only along the many coastlines and fjords is the place welcoming at all (this is where the gulags are located - the original inhabitants live in great inland shanty-towns). The ISF has countless thousand of guards and special forces on the planet, and at least a full company of ISF (DEST) mechs.

New Caledonia, once a gleaming jewel in the outer reaches of the Commonwealth, became a major battleground during the 2nd War (for no particular reason other than it survived the 1st war relatively intact). In the end the Combine was able to make their claim stick - they simply had the will to stick around despite the casualties and the hardships inflicted upon the civilian population. In no small part this was because of the presence of Hugai Kurita, heir to the then-Coordinator.

Many more civilians died after the end of active combat, as famine mixed with disease to devastate both natives and conquerors with equal abandon. A large group of refugees from other worlds was sent to repopulate the world - which only made the situation worse. To this day there is a deep and bitter enmity between those of Commonwealth stock and those descended from the refugees. And both groups seem to hate their Kuritan overlords.

There are two main areas of population, each with its own garrison of convention and mech forces. THere number of mechs total is thought to be less than a battalion, maybe as little as two companies.

Verthandi is a world populated by peoples of almost pure Scandinavian descent. It was settled, not directly from Terra, but from a number of other Rasalhague worlds by refugees seeking to escape the growing Combine. In time it became part of the Commonwealth. It is a small and unimportant place in a distant corner of the galaxy, so the inhabitants have been mostly left to their own devices.

Verthandi is a warm and wet world, dominated by great seas, soaring mountains, and vast jungles and swamps. The population is in the mid hundreds, but much of it is spread across the planet. There are few truly metropolitan areas, and only the capital boast a population of over a million and a decent spaceport.

The planet is currently under attack/occupation by the Combine. At least a battalion of mechs, maybe slightly more, backed by ISF security troops are on the ground and have secured control of the capital of Regisport and surrounding areas. The force is said to be led by Mohammed Ricol, head of the Ricol clan.

Kaesong has quite a bit in common with Casere - both are heavily populated industrial worlds where the environment has suffered because of pollution. But unlike Casere, Kaesong has little in the way of military value - its factories are geared towards private consumption. It's not the needs to the Dragon that has ruined the planet, nor the necessities of war, but the kind of greed you normally associate with Lyran merchants.

Kaesong's factories produce a good portion of tradable consumer goods for the district and beyond. It is helped by its shallow gravity well and well-known pirate points. The system is always alive with dropship traffic, and the Combine has largely given up policing it. After all, if an enemy wants to sneak in, what is he to do? Kill civilians? Blow up some worthless factories?

Nevertheless the Dragon maintains a military presence here. The current DCMS mech garrison has been scaled down, but there is said to be at least a battalion's worth, maybe more, of mercs on the planet. These merc are from at least two different companies - and may not be deployed in the same locales.

Casere was a marginally habitable world settled by peoples from Italy. It was never part of the Principality of Rasalhague, but was annexed by the growing Combine. It was brought into full bloom by Star League terraforming. It was the target of mass bombardment during the 1st War, and changed hands several times, with devastating consequences.

Some industries did survive, however, relocated deep into the underground to avoid the falling bombs. These remaining industries have been both a boon and a bane to Casere: centuries of mining and pollution, combined with radioactive fallout, has caused catastrophic deterioration of the planets weather patterns and climate. Hurricane winds, flooding and droughts are more common than not. Soil erosion has reduced agricultural output to about a tenth of what it was. Rising sea levels have turned the coast-lands into stinking mires. But the world continues to churn out essential war matériel, so there will be no respite.

Casere has quite varied terrain, but currently most of the inhabitants have been relocated to hastily built hillside cities, overlooking the once-prosperous coastlands. Here they are protected from the worst ravages of the weather by thick concrete walls, while they either toil in the factories or try to survive on government vouchers.

Casere has a potent militia guarding the three key urban areas (Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona) with their adjourning factories and spaceports. Each is located at least 2000 kilometers away from each other, and the garrisons are lacking in redeployment capability. Casere is through to be the base of the 3rd Sword of Light.

The "core" of the Rasalhague Military District, other industrially and militarily. Military high command is located on Radstadt. Many of the worlds along the border once belonged to the Commonwealth, but were conquered by the Dragon in this war or that. More recently Alessandro Steiner's many campaigns have reclaimed some of these worlds, such as WEINGARTEN, MORTIZ and but more remain within the Combine. A major offensive is currently underway on KANDIS, but seems to have become bogged down. At any rate the Commonwealth has managed to relieve pressure on the key world of TAMAR, and is poised to either push deeper into Radstad prefecture or expand the bridgehead.

RASALHAGUE is the economic and cultural heart of the long-defunct Rasalhague realm, but it's still a political and economical powerhouse in the region. It is in a curious position in that it is allowed certain freedoms and liberties not found elsewhere in the Combine, but also watched more closely by the ISF (yet a bit more gentle than usual) than any other world outside Luthien. Attacking Rasalhhague is other militarily unwise - and a political disaster, as it would rally the normally independent-minded people of Rasalhague behind the dragon banner.

RADSTAD, deep in the heart of the prefecture, is the headquarters of the district navy and the largest strategic reserve. Any attack here would be sheer folly, as would any attempts to hit worlds within 1-jump range of Radstadt.

SKOKIE and VOLDERS are Lyran worlds still held by the Combine, right on the flanks of the Tamar pocket. They are well defended, both by mech forces and conventional (not militia but DCMS) regiments. There is nothing subtle about attacking these worlds - mech on mech action is virtually guaranteed.

Located closest to the core along the Steiner border. It is awash with military activity. So close to Terra distances are short, with most worlds no more than 1 or 2 jumps from a major garrison. There exists ample transportation capacity, with both mech and aerospace assets in high readiness. Rubigen contains several systems that were once part of the Commonwealth. The prefecture has been on the receiving end of Alessandro's campaigns, but he has made relatively little headway here.

ORESTES on the Steiner border is a former Lyran world, captured by the Combine many years ago. It bears the scars of war, but it is also both heavily populated (and strictly controlled), a major manufacturing center, and a key logistics waypoint. It is also one of the most heavily defended planets in the Combine.e

RUBIGEN is a small, dark and icy world in the heart of the prefecture. Formally it is the military headquarters of the local Tai-Sho, but in practice he directs operations from Orestes, which is located right on the front lines. Rubigen is also famous for its naval officers - abotu 15% of all Combine flag officers hail from this unassuming planet.

The worlds or NOX and THUN have been pointed out as potential targets for battalion-level raids, mostly because the Lyrans feel they have decent intelligence which rules out the presence of massive defending forces. The presence of smaller mech garrisons cannot be ruled out, however. Furthermore, rapid response by mobile reinforcements (aerospace interceptor elements included) is to be expected.

The world of SKANDIA deserves special mention: it is currently in a state of open rebellion against the Combine. Intel indicates the Skandians have amassed a small (battalion?) level mech force, and have hired a number of smaller merc companies as well. There is "at least" a full regiment of DCMS mech on site, hunting the rebels. Lyran intelligence fully expects the Combine to crush all opposition. According to reports the commanding officer is Takari's brother, Tai-Sa (Colonel) Kuma Tanida, although it may be he's subordinate to an unknown Sho-Sho (Brigadier).

Marawi is a bitterly cold and windswept place, only marginally suitable for human colonization. Only in the equatorial areas along the southern shores of Lake Lanao is the planet habitable at all - elsewhere the people are forced to live in domed or underground settlements called "barangays". The world was originally settled by the Maranaos, a Muslim ethnic minority from the Philippines. For lack of funding they were forced to accept Marawi as their new home - anything better within range was essentially out of their economic reach.

Marawi is largely self-sufficient and able to feed its quarter-billion population. Taxation, however, has placed a great strain upon the economy, and there is a large group of very poor and very desperate people on the planet. Much of the economy has collapsed, to be replaced by black market barter as a means of avoiding taxation and government "regulations". Anti-Kuritan sentiment is very high, but without any outside allies or funding the "rebels" are nothing more than ill-equipped and disorganized terrorists.

Located in the heart of Rasalhague, Marawi is not an important world, but it does fall under the protection of Tai-Sho Tanida. It's mech garrison was recently shipped to the Kirchbach prefecture, more specifically the world of Harvest. Only a token force remains, backed by garrison of ISF troopers and conventional militia.

The resource-rich world of Csesztreg is a sparsely populated world in the Kirchbach Prefecture of the Rasalhague District. Settled almost exclusively by peoples of Hungarian ancestry, Csesztreg had generally poor relations with neighboring worlds. Marginalized, it developed rather slowly, and did not attract much outside influence, which kept its culture relatively uniform. It became part of the Lyran Commonwealth early on, attracting significant investments into the mining and manufacturing industries once it became known the planet was rich in valuable metals and rare minerals.

Csesztreg was a post-garden world upon discovery, a place turned dry and cold, with only a shadow of its formerly vibrant ecosphere. The first settlers lived around the remaining inland seas and waterways. During the Star league days terraforming techniques allowed the Commonwealth to at least temporarily reverse many of the climate changes, adding vast amounts of water in the form of icy comets to the ecosphere. In a few tens of thousand of years - the blink of an eye on a planetary scale, but a long time for a human colony - the man-made changes will have disappeared and the slow death of the planet will continue.

The world was the target of nuclear bombardment during the 1st War, then was conquered almost without opposition by the Combine in the 2nd. It has not been an easy world to assimilate into the Five Pillars. In their own way they are as independent and set in their ways as their Scandinavian neighbors. Only the core urban areas and the main resource mining operations are truly controlled by the Combine. The rest of the sparsely populated world is home to a Hungarian-speaking folk who desire nothing more than to be left alone.

Csesztreg is comprised of vast open savannas, majestic deserts, and great mountains. It's geology is old, with heavy erosion clearly visible everywhere. It is well suited for all sorts of mech warfare, except for the mountains and badlands, where only lights and jump-capable mediums should operate.

The Zala region is the key to Csesztreg. It contains about 35% of the total population of 145 million, the capital of Zalaegerszeg, the main aerodrome, much of the best agricultural land, and access to the main rail networks that connect to the mining districts. It is reported to be defended by a reinforced company/short battalion of Kuritan mechs, plus a small militia mech force (two lances at most, mo mech above 55 tons). A number of militia regiments are located in and around the capital, but Lyran intelligence does not expect they will put up more than a token fight unless civilian centers or key installations are directly attacked.