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[Kael Posavatz]

Sept 28, 2013
I intercepted this transmission earlier today. It seems to be from the future...

***NEWSBREAK***
INVASION POSTPONED
By:Adapt Pi-Gamma-Iota

Operation Revival--the invasion and liberation of the Inner Sphere from the degenerate successor lords--has been indefinitely postponed following the results of the Trial of Refusal called by Khan Ulric Kerensky of Clan Wolf.

Outvoted 16-to-1, the final force Clan Wolf faced was bidded down to elite clusters from four clans. Khan Ulric selected the Third Wolf Battle Cluster of Clan Wolf Beta Galaxy to oppose the forces fielded by those Clans voting in favor of launching Operation Revival, the codename given to the planned invasion of the Inner Sphere.

Combat was initiated with a combat jump over the Mars Field Proving Grounds on Strana Mechty. Led by Star Colonel Darren Fetladral, the jump placed Third Battle's ground elements squarely among the Ghost Bear's elite Icewind cluster led by Khans Nornian Tseng and Ursula Jorgensson. In the battle that ensued OmniMech's engaged at often point-blank ranges, but the Clan Wolf forces had surprise on their side and announced targets and opened fire before many of their OmniMech and Elemental forces had even grounded.

At the same time, in a move most believe planned by Khan Ulric, the Third Battle Cluster's DropShips set down upon the First Jaguar Jager's assembly area. The Jagers were all but destroyed, the few survivors refused to accept Hegira and attacked only to be defeated by coordinated defensive fire from the DropShips. When asked about a possible breach of Safecon by Clan Wolf forces Star Colonel Darren remarked after the battle: "All forces opposing the Third Battle Cluster had made it planetside and deployed safely, quiaff? What more could they have wanted?"

Star Captain Sumner Johns then proceeded to once more prove why his aerospace fighter binary is widely considered one of the best in Clan space. Despite the hefty odds against them, for a loss of six and a half points The Tiamat Flyers swept the skies clean for Third Battle Cluster's ground forces. Threatened by both active aerospace forces and the Clan Wolf DropShips, the DropShips of the opposing forces all accepted Hegira and departed.

Under threat of both Jade Falcon's elite Gyrfalcon Guards Cluster and the famed Cobra Den, Star Colonel Derran Fetladral had his Striker Trinary--the only trinary by this point still at full strength--reboard their Union-class DropShips. The Third Battle Cluster played for time as the DropShips reorbited, then lunged towards the Jade Falcon Forces. The DropShips manuvered for the Cloud Cobra cluster--but the Cobras were wise to the wolves' tactics and focused fire to bring down the DropShips. As soon as they did so the Third Battle Cluster's Battle Trinary wheeled and charged into their teeth, leaving only Assault Trinary and Command Supernova to engage the Jade Falcons.

The Cobra Den managed to bring down the DropShip Scorcher, but Trinary Striker made a second combat landing behind the Cobra forces. Trapped between the two elite trinaries supported by Star Captain Sumner John's surviving star of fighters and the guns on four additional DropShips, the Cobra's Den was reduced to less than fifty-percent effectiveness and accepted Hegira when it was offered.

The Third Battle rallied together and assault the Gyrfalcon Guards, coming to the rescue of their Star Colonel. However, the Guards were nearly fresh and aside from Striker Trinary and the Tiamat Flyers, many of the Third Battle's forces had expended all of their ammunition and missiles. Star Colonel Fetladral then initiated a fighting retreat and his cluster fell back on their DropShips. The Falcon's pressed, but with the additional firepower that the DropShips lent, were unable to take the surviving Clan Wolf forces and eventually withdrew.

Clan Wolf losses are near-total. Only three fighters remain operational. Supernova Command has been reduced to three operational OmniMechs and seventeen elementals. The three OmniMech trinaries have less than a star of effectives among them. The better part of two more stars are classified as semi-effective (that is, they have at least one operable weapon remaining). Additionally there is the total loss of one DropShip, and a second that is little more than scrap.

In the Grand Council the ilKhan, Leo Showers (Smoke Jaguar), is reported to have accused Khan Ulric Kerensky of deliberately misrepresenting his bid. When asked about this point later Khan Ulric had this statement to make.

"Our bidding process and the Batchall are clear and straightforward so there can be no confusion. My bid of the Third Battle Cluster and any support elements clearly indicated that its DropShips--and JumpShips, had the defenders brought the point up--were part of that bid.

"The commanders of the DropShips belonging to Clans Jade Falcon, Smoke Jaguar, Ghost Bear, and Cloud Cobra were bound by duty and honor to declare themselves non-combative if they were so. They did not.

"Non-combative forces are simply that, non-combatants. They have no reason to be in a position to accept Hegira since it is their duty to make sure that everyone understands that they are non-combatants. In accepting Hegira they unambiguously declared themselves to have been legitimate targets and therefore part of the forces bid by the faction voted to initiate Operation Revival."

With Operation Revival shelved it is unlikely that any invasion of the Inner Sphere will occur in the near future. The delay and results of the Trial have robbed the ilKhan's 'invade now' block of much of the immediacy brought with the revelation of ComStar's Outbound Flight.
Furthermore, some are starting to classify the outcome of the Trial of Refusal as a draw--pointing to neither side having sufficient strength left to overcome the other--rather than a clear-cut victory.

What effect this will have on the Clans is less than clear. Also unclear is how the loss of their Khans will affect Clan Ghost Bear, and how Clan Cloud Cobra's cloisters will interpret their loss. But the feeling among most here in Clan Space is that Khan Ulric Kerensky's victory has done little more than to by the Inner Sphere a little more time.

This is Phi-Gamma-Iota, signing off.





A little something I came up with while waiting for my Puma, Nova, Timberwolf and Dire Wolf. They are coming soon, but not soon enough, quiaff?