Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Nine: Landing
Luthien, July 3rd, 3031
"We've cleared out most of the enemy aerospace assets aside from those that managed to fall back to the planet." Blaze briefed me. "We lost about a third of our fighters, but most of the people were recoverable."
"Good," I told Blaze. "Pilots are expensive, we can replace their fighters over time, but the training and experience is what's harder to replace."
"We've got about fifty or so prisoners that we rescued from the void." Blaze said somberly. "The rest either didn't eject, or deliberately killed themselves rather than be captured."
"At least they're not the Capellans." I told Blaze as I patted him on the shoulder before turning to the matter at hand. "We're going to be setting down here while the 1st and 2nd Kentares Guard go into their designated areas. "They get first priority for the Sting tasking, but we may need Wardog and some aerospace available for CAS."
"You can count on us." Blaze replied, "Just make sure there's enough space here for a runway if necessary." He pointed at the LZ. "There's a field over there that might work."
"We'll have to be careful." I agreed. "Takashi may have the field and LZ mined so we'll be taking things slow." I sighed as I went over my operation plans. "Go get some rack time Blaze." I said with a shrug. "It'll be another couple hours before we drop."
BBP industries, July 3rd, 3031
"Pack up what we can." Paige commanded as her Marines went through and started loading spare parts into the cargo bay of the Age of Discovery. "We've got three of these things to finish when we get back to Kentares."
"Five Excalibur dropships isn't a bad haul Ma'am." Jenkins said to Paige. "Even if only one of them is finished."
"We can finish them on Kentares, and Hull might need the extra lift depending on what happens down there." She pointed at the world in the distance. "Their Dropship collars and drives are intact, and we're taking what we can to finish them before we destroy the shipyards here."
"Yes Ma'am," Jenkins replied. "I've got the prisoners secured on the Manassasand we'll make sure to hold onto them."
"Commodore Frye!" Paige said as she got a wild idea in her head. "What's the status on the Narukami that's in orbit?"
"It looks like it needs a dry dock." Frye answered. "But we can probably have the Age of Discovery tow it out to the jump point."
"Good, because I think that we should bring it with us." Paige said with a mad grin. "I know it'll cost a lot to repair, but it'll be the ultimate slap in the face if we manage to repair it and use it when we leave."
"I'll take a company of Marines over." Frye said with a chuckle in her voice. "If we can get the reactors and jump sail activated then it may be possible to pull something similar to what we did at Ross."
"Good, I think Hull will be willing to spend the money on it." Paige said. "Assuming that everything goes well down on Luthien that is."
"I'll start working on getting everything set up." Commodore Frye told Colonel Paige. "We're going to need to make sure that we have those Excaliburs loaded up before we attempt this though."
Luthien
"We've just cleared the landing zone General." A staff officer reported to Packer. "This is the closest we could land to the Arisaka Munitions Complex."
"We're two hundred and fifty kilometers away." Packer said bluntly. "I wouldn't exactly call this close to the munitions complex."
"It's the best we could do and not get hit by any Alamo missiles on our way down." the staff officer reported.
"I know son, I'm just giving you a hard time." Packer said as walked to the 'mech bay. "We're going to have quite the fight on our hands."
"Yes sir, I think the 7th Sword of Light is stationed here, along with a lot of militia units."
"Good thing we brought a lot of extra ammunition and armor then." Packer shrugged. "We may be outnumbered, but our skill gap isn't that great, and we've got better technology."
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"We're going to use two of our vehicle regiments to handle the 7th SoL." Packer said as he surveyed the battlefield. "We've got Arrow IV systems on standby for TAG whenever you have infantry in position, use whatever you need to in order to make sure that the 7th isn't able to flank us." He told his XO. "The VTOLS are available for tasking as scouts and we've got half of the Stings here for CAS."
"Our Battlemech regiment along with the other Vehicle regiment will be focused on making sure that the militia is kept pinned down until we finish off the 7th Sword of Light." Packer told the staff. "Don't be afraid to call for air support or for Artillery, we're not going to give the dracs the satisfaction of us playing by the same rules that they do."
"If we aren't able to seize the Luthien Armor Works facility here, we may have to use our Stings to bombard it, and I'd rather have the factories to take with us back to Kentares then not. Copy?" Packer finished. "Now get to your positions, I think the 7th are going to try and hit us hard and fast."
"Have our Partisans on standby, we've got incoming conventional aircraft headed our way." General Godbolt commanded her troops as her Alacorn moved across the ground with its fireteam. "We're up against the 1st Sword of Light here people, we need to be very cautious because we don't know what exactly Luthien has here to back them up. I'm expecting the militia units to be bigger and badder than the ones we would find on any other world."
"Aye Ma'am." Came the responses. "Conventional aircraft engaged and neutralized."
"That's good to hear, we've got plenty of enemies to engage, so Battalion commanders, pick your targets and follow what your regiment CO tells you to do."
"I've got a Charger in my sights ma'am." The spotter said.
"Take the shot." The Alacorn's commander ordered. "We need to make sure that it doesn't get close enough to hit us with its fists."
Three rapid "thumps" sounded as the trio of Clan Gauss Rifles ripped through the air towards the assault mech. When they impacted, the Charger jolted backwards as armor crumpled and it's right arm was completely shorn off. With a quick reload the Alacorn fired its trio of Gauss Rifles again, taking the Charger out before shifting to a Jenner and making the lighter 'mech back off.
"Ahh," The gunner crowed. "Why are you leaving? I thought you wanted more!" He fired again after his guns were reloaded and grinned as the Jenner fell to the ground.
"Easy on the bloodlust Corporal." The Alacorn's commander said. "We've got a hell of a campaign ahead of us."
"Takashi Kurita!" Natasha Kerensky hailed on an open channel. "Come out and face me you coward! You did not have the courage to face me or my family in open combat and so you had her killed!" Her Nightstar itself seemed to shake with barely restrained rage.
"You say that and yet you come here to raid my home!" Takashi's voice came back in response as an entire lance of Grand Dragon's walked out backed by the rest of the Otomo.
"If you believe that this is merely a raid you are sorely mistaken." I said as I made my appearance with the rest of Natasha's Clan Marauders. "We are here to ensure that your dynasty is no longer able to lead an interstellar nation. The Kuritan Dynasty has come to an end."
"Duke Hull," Takashi said coldly. "I should have known that you would have the audacity to attack a Throneworld."
"I take refuge in the audacity Coordinator." I chuckled. "Now, this is your last chance to surrender before we grind you into dust." I said. "The rest of my forces are even now making sure that Luthien is unable to manufacture machines of War after we depart here."
"I will end you and your pitiful life Hull." Takashi stated. "You are nothing more than a peasant whom the Davions took pity on and raised out of the dust, and I shall return you to the dust."
"We shall see about that Coordinator." Natasha said. "All I see before me is a coward who is unwilling to face justice for his crimes."
"I am the Coordinator," Takashi said coldly in response. "I am the law."
"Then we shall see you on the battlefield." Natasha said. "In three days time we will see who is really a coward or not."
"What are you doing Natasha?" I asked on a private channel.
"Ensuring that no matter what happens we get our revenge." She said coldly. "He must respond to my challenge, and then we shall clean up the remains from his 'mech and display it as a trophy for all to see."