Trondheim Live, Daily Report
#261
Posted 18 March 2015 - 07:20 PM
#262
Posted 18 March 2015 - 10:23 PM
#263
Posted 19 March 2015 - 04:22 PM
#264
Posted 19 March 2015 - 06:57 PM
In respect to TL,DR and their work here, I went back to Post 90 (http://mwomercs.com/...ost__p__4139254) and put "spoiler shutters" on ALL two dozen or so of my posts here in this thread.
So while I will continue to comment, my "spoiler shutters" will serve to keep TL,DR as neat and tidy as I possibly can, while appending the comments that I believe some may derive some humor or value from.
Thank you again TL,DR. Your thread remains a definitive MWO Forums #MustRead.
Edited by Prussian Havoc, 19 March 2015 - 07:30 PM.
#265
Posted 22 March 2015 - 10:19 PM
No More Room to Give; FRR Fights Hard with Wolf
--Wolf has begun to retake worlds captured by the FRR in their early push out from Rasalhague. At most, Rasalhague managed to secure 7 former worlds, but now sits on just 4. Wolf is determined to reclaim the lost worlds, as any further incursions threaten their supply lines, which are sorely needed in their offensive on the Draconis Combine.
Supply Lines Cut; FRR Gleans Rewards
--With Vipaava falling on the 18th, FRR has managed to capture several Ghost Bear convoys heading to resupply the frontline galaxies attacking Kurita. These supplies are quickly being redistributed to the frontlines around the FRR; with such a long and dangerous route to FRR territory, almost all Inner Sphere support has dried up for Rasalhague.
SL No More; FRR Forms New Pacts
--The Star League hasn't fallen, but the vast resources used to keep the FRR going while it still had connections to the Inner Sphere (and evacuate it when it was clear it couldn't be held) have drained the coffers of the major Houses. House Marik, the primary funder and supplier for the SL, has watched their budget sink into the red faster than the 4th Succession War, as well as obliterating many frontline and elite units against the fiercest warriors the 'Sphere has ever known. With the loss of Marik, Davion has seen fit to pull support from the SL as well, leaving the FRR and Steiner to fund the war effort.
With the Rimward Houses falling to their own conflicts and the Clans still pressing on, the FRR has seen fit to reassess their allies. With Steiner still sending many ships to supply Rasalhague and many Kuritan warriors fighting for the Blue Dragon, perhaps a new coalition is on the horizon.
Around the Sphere:
Jade Falcons Driven Back
--The Falcons were one of the most successful Clans in fighting the Inner Sphere - were. For the past 10 days however, it's been a completely different story. When Jade Falcon took Eaglesham on the 11th, it looked like they finally had a chance to make a real drive for Terra. But soon after Jade Falcon made contact with Kurita and began focusing all their efforts towards the DCMS, they made the fatal mistake of ceasing their attacks on Steiner. Steiner made them pay dearly, cutting off their advance by driving hard into Falcon space and surrounding their premiere Galaxies between Steiner and Kuritan forces. The Falcons escaped through Clan Wolf, but the losses have evaporated almost all hope for the Falcons to reach Terra first. Their focus is now completely back on Steiner, and for better or worse, Steiner is once again in for a long, drawn-out fight.
Wolf Advances in Wake of Bears
--As the Ghost Bears fell to the redirected firepower of the DCMS, Clan Wolf seized on their fellow Clan's struggle to drive into Kuritan space, claiming many worlds captured by Ghost Bear as their own. While progress has been slow and they have yet to advance as far as the Bears' furthest extent, they have effectively cut off the Falcons from driving to Terra directly, and have nearly closed of the Ghost Bear corridor as well - now just a skinny, winding connection of planets itself. Ghost Bear has been beaten back thanks to Kurita's efforts, but they are not out of the fight yet, as they stopped the bleeding at Caldrea and have since made small gains back.
Smoke Jaguars Inch Closer to Terra, Benjamin
--It's not Luthien, it's not Terra, but a Regional Capital of the Draconis Combine may soon be in the crosshairs of the Jaguars. With Dabih falling on the 20th, the Jaguars are indisputably the closest Clan to Terra. They have not made gains nearly as quickly as many of the other Clans, but when facing counteroffensives from the Inner Sphere they have lost far less planets, allowing them to slowly - but surely - crawl their way to the head of the Clan Invasion. And with their successes the envy of every Clan, surely a detour to take Benjamin would just be the icing on the cake. With the loss of Annapolis today, that possibility seems ever more likely.
Kurita Slowly Losing Ground
--While the front with the Falcons may have been eliminated, the three remaining Clans - and Marik - still have a lot of fighting to do with Kurita. Top off with the occasional Davion raid on Ronel and you have a brewing recipe for disaster. With four active, fully-engaged battlefronts from four completely different factions, Kurita has been stressed to well-beyond the breaking point. In recent days the battle-worn DCMS has started to see their offensive gains evaporate as their enemies persistently whittle away at Kuritan defenses, swallowing up worlds one by one. Kurita has faced more enemies than any other faction at one time, and for what its worth, it is holding out as best as could be expected.
The real question is: for how much longer.
Liao Embattled with Davion - Front not Giving
--Davion has made a renewed push against Liao, and the result has been a general deadlock - armies have not made advances on either side of the conflict, and the fighting planetside has turned into a literal meat-grinder. While Liao has conquered and repurposed many worlds to support its warmachine, the halt in gains for the past two weeks has proven to be somewhat unsettling.
Marik Command in Shambles; Still Turning Tide Against Kurita
--Marik High Command is reportedly in disarray. The Captain-General and purveyor of the new Star League has been forced to take a leave-of-absence due to a sudden and serious medical issue, and with his Second-in-Command called back from the lines to deal with political crises on his homeworld, the Marik has found itself without a leader. The effects of this loss has been felt throughout Marik space, especially on the frontlines versus Kurita. Marik was initially driven far back from Terra upon engagement with the DCMS, falling back nearly 30 lightyears from humanity's homeworld. And without the Captain-General, efforts to lead the Star League have fallen apart, leaving the nSL to finally put off meetings indefinitely under orders from the FRR.
However, all is not lost for Marik. Despite their lack of leadership - as the various units struggle to elect a new Captain-General in his place - Marik has managed to push back, almost completely regaining their lost worlds in the span of about a fortnight. Part of this could be attributed to Marik's flowering relationship with its mercenaries, which sees them renew contracts month after month (and frequently attract newcomers). Part could be attributed to units returning to Marik from the frontlines in the FRR. Part could be attributed to Kurita forced to fight four enemies at once. No matter the reason or excuse, Marik is still pushing on. It'll be interesting to see how long the body of the eagle continues to fight without its head, but all sources predict a total collapse if the leadership is not finalized soon.
Davion Withdraws from Star League
--With Liao refusing to give up the fight and Marik no longer competent enough to organize effectively, Davion has decided to cut their losses and withdraw from the Star League. While they never did manage to significantly contribute to the effort against the Clans as a House, many Davion-aligned mercenaries took up contracts with the FRR to fight the 'good fight' for weeks. Davion was also heavily involved in the evacuation efforts of the FRR, which used up a lot of JumpShips and forced them to limit their offensive against Liao. Now back in Davion territory, the Federated Suns look to open up completely against Liao, holding nothing back or in reserve for the Star League. Their loss on the battlefield will surely be missed by the troops still in the trenches.
Steiner Drives Jade Falcons Back; Sends Help to FRR
--Steiner recently completed a daring operation to cut off the Jade Falcons from reaching Terra anytime soon; forcing the Falcon Galaxies to flee back deep into Falcon space to lick their worlds. Steiner's flanking maneuvers have been pestering the Falcons for months, but when the Falcons engaged Kurita they found out the hard way just how quickly the Lyrans could turn an 'annoyance' into a killing spree. The 'spree' consumed 15 worlds from the Falcons back into the Commonwealth, cutting off the Falcon advance and forcing them to jump through Wolf space back into Jade Falcon. The losses have completely prevented the Falcons from reaching Terra directly, as Wolf now controls much of their corridor. While Falcon may push back hard for their loss of planets and more importantly (to the Clans) honor, for now at least one threat to Terra has been somewhat quelled.
In other news, Steiner has taken up the mantle of the Star League, sending in reinforcements and supplies to the FRR through hidden JumpPoints to Rasalhague. The efforts may not be as substantial as the Star League, but they are no less welcome. The welcoming of Steiner into the Star League (before its suspension) and now their open support for the FRR has renewed diplomatic talks, and plans for further ties between the Houses may yet bear fruit.
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Have any war stories to share? The TL,DR is looking to share them! Send us a message detailing the accounts of the front lines and we'll do our best to bring your tale to the masses!
#266
Posted 22 March 2015 - 11:42 PM
Edited by Connor Sellock, 23 March 2015 - 12:37 AM.
#267
Posted 26 March 2015 - 02:15 PM
That was well writtien. Finest news from the HPG!
#268
Posted 28 March 2015 - 06:32 AM
FRR Insider's Report
Breakout! FRR Secures 10 Planets
--Just over 1 month ago, the FRR was collapsing in freefall. She had just dipped sub-10 planets, her Star League support was regulated to evacuation operations, and the KungsArme was in full retreat. Everything on paper spelt the end of the FRR, and while it took nearly two more weeks for the last planet, Grumium, to fall - fall it inevitably did. All that remained was Fortress Rasalhague, too far behind enemy lines for reliable resupply and virtually cut off from the rest of the IS.
But Rasalhague had readied and prepared for this very moment. The regiments stationed on Rasalhague - snuck in behind enemy lines - were well rested, well-armed, and ready to face the Clans once more. Nearly 3 weeks ago the breakout began, as Grumium was falling to Clan Wolf. Now, in a blitz offensive orchestrated by the Coreward Houses - and supported by several Rimward House units - the FRR is finally back up to above 10 planets. Pomme De Terre and Svelvik have gladly rejoined the FRR, and sources indicate that Outpost will soon be joining them. With this most recent and stunning victory against the Clans, the KungsArme morale has soared to new heights, even as calls come in from various Clans to "surrender in full" (all of which have been ignored or given unacceptable counter-offers).
FRR has a message for the Clans now. We're Back, we're Blue, and we're gonna Beat you senseless.
FRR Continues to Hamper Ghost Bear, Harass Wolf
--With the capture of Pomme De Terre, Ghost Bear's supply lines become just a little bit harder to secure. With the capture of Vipaava, Ghost Bear lost a direct Jump Route through its territory to supply its frontline Galaxies, who have been struggling against the Draconis Combine. Sources indicate that currently supplies are being re-routed around the FRR, through Wolf and Smoke Jaguar. However, with the loss of Svelvik and soon Outpost, the Wolves' available supply chains to Ghost Bear have gotten a lot longer. To top it off, Ghost Bear and Smoke Jaguar are not getting along, and it seems only the threat of the Inner Sphere's offensive is keeping the two from attacking each other. The supplies lines have definitely been a factor in Ghost Bear's recent losses, as they now fall back to planets taken almost 2 months ago.
Wolf has been driving steadily through the Inner Sphere since it managed to fight its way through Ghost Bear back to the front. However, Kurita has not put up an easy fight to begin with, and the Steiner front has been less than forgiving. To top it all off, the FRR now makes serious threats towards Wolf supply lines, and significant resources have been allocated to go back and put down the "little rebellion". That "rebellion" though has claimed 7-8 planets from Clan Wolf, and as the "rebellion" grows, so does Wolf's woes.
Taken, now to Secure; FRR Struggles with Planet Acquisitions
--The FRR has reclaimed a large swath of territory deep behind the Clan Invasion, trapping numerous Clusters as they come back to fight the FRR and allowing their Inner Sphere brethren to push back the lines creeping to Terra. However the war behind the lines is just beginning, and an even greater challenge awaits as even more planets are captured. While the FRR has blasted through the defenses of Clan Wolf and Ghost Bear, they must now secure their holdings. Many of these planets have had their defenses blasted to rubble by both sides, and as such repairs are hasty and meager at best.
To top it off, the population has been under Clan rule for months, and while almost all will surely be grateful for the liberation, Clan civilians, laborers and technicians reside in small numbers on these worlds. Reports indicate that while no significant uprising has started on any world, dissent is mounting and protests are publicly organizing on several of the most recent captures, including Balsta. Security forces will need to be allocated to keep the peace, and that will take away from the firepower of the frontline units. While this might not be significant right now, it could hold dire consequences. Should the FRR get too greedy and fall into the trap of not securing her holdings, the KungsArme could find itself losing its small gains far more rapidly than they ever have in the initial invasion.
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Have any war stories to share? The TL,DR is looking to share them! Send us a message detailing the accounts of the front lines and we'll do our best to bring your tale to the masses!
#269
Posted 28 March 2015 - 10:15 AM
Around the Sphere
Clans Driven Back on All Fronts
--Across the Clan Invasion Front, advances by the Clans have been few and far between over the past week, but surprisingly few losses as well. That stalemate was broken this weekend as shots rang out on the latest thrust by the Inner Sphere, catching the Clans offguard and largely driving them from their holdings. Clan counterattacks were largely held off by sheer numbers as even the greenest mechwarrior was sent to the front in what looks to be one of the bloodiest weekends since conflict began.
Jade Falcons Falling Apart
--Jade Falcon has been collapsing in on itself for a few weeks now, but the blows dealt to it in just the opening salvos have hit hard. All week the Falcons have been steadily losing ground to Steiner, as the reinforced and much more organized House has made a point to "teach Jade Falcon a lesson it won't soon forget". That lesson apparently is don't mess with the fist, as on Friday Steiner solidly handed Jade Falcon defeat after bloody defeat all day long. Jade Falcon has very strong pilots and commanders, but they simply don't measure up to the sheer numbers Steiner can throw at the Falcons at the drop of a hat. Add up Steiner's frequent strategy of dropping multiple Atlases right on the Falcons doorstep (affectionately known as "Steiner Scout Lances") and the result is disaster for the Falcons.
There has been one silver lining for the Falcons. Despite all their losses, the 228th Independent Battlemech Regiment managed to secure Ballynure from Steiner last night while on contract with the Falcons. The Falcons may look at mercenaries as the lowest of the low, but given the 228th's track record on the battlefield and the current situation - the Falcons have to bitterly accept whatever help they can get.
Wolves Plagued by Multiple Fronts
--The Wolves have long been viewed as a one-front Clan, more than capable of handling one Inner Sphere House, but struggling and falling when it had to deal with two. With three Houses - FRR, Kurita, and Steiner - taking the fight to Wolf, their impressive gains over the past few weeks are drying up like the Falcons. It was Wolf who succeeded where Jade Falcon failed in facing House Kurita, and it was Wolf who dealt the deathblow to the FRR's last Rimward worlds. But like Jade Falcon, with Kurita and Steiner on the offensive (and the persistent FRR poking at their supply lines) Wolf has no room to mount any offensive. Wolf will try to fight a defensive war, and hope the IS burns through their reinforcements before they can be pushed past Tukayyid or see their supply lines cut.
Ghost Bears In Hibernation?
--Ghost Bear has been a bit of an enigma in the entire Clan Invasion. At times they have burned through the Inner Sphere when every other Clan struggled to even land on IS planets. Other times, they've been so thoroughly trounced they appear as 3rd-sting mercs rather than "bred for battle". For the past two weeks the story has been the latter. While the IS has struggled to push past Caldrea, Ghost Bear has not made an advance beyond Trolloc Prime, forming an interesting stalemate across 2-3 planets. With their supply lines cut by the FRR, their situation appears even more dire than one would suspect already. To add fuel to the fire, relations between the Bears and their neighboring Jaguars appear to be heavily strained, and it is indicated that if the IS wasn't so hell-bent on taking back worlds, inter-Clan war may soon be on the horizon.
The question that brings to mind is: If the Jaguars poke, will the Bears wake up again?
Smoke Jaguars Face Fierce Fight with Fire-Breathers
-- Smoke Jaguar and Kurita are fighting some of the bloodiest battles of the push by the Rimward Houses. No strangers to each other, Smoke Jaguar has nevertheless found itself pushed out of the immediate planets surrounding Luthien as the Kuritans push hard to reunite the Capital with the rest of the DCMS. Reconnecting could see a flood of reinforcements sent to Luthien, which would help make the capital a fortress like Rasalhague for many years to come.
Kuritan CounterAssault - All Fronts make Gains
--Kurita turned up the heat alongside their brothers in the FRR and Steiner against the Clans, making gains against Wolf, Ghost Bear and Smoke Jaguar. Efforts have been coordinated through the three Houses to throw simply everything they have at the Clans, and with the FRR and Steiner running distractions against Wolf and Bear, only the Jaguars have made any real threat to the Kuritan strategy. Thus Kurita has thrown most of its sizable weight at the Jags, and the results have paid off massively in the return of several planets around Luthien already. Kurita hopes to reconnect to Luthien, but even the High Council has remarked that, "Any gain against a Clanner is a good gain." The DCMS has at times been the most successful House in repelling the Clan Invasion.
Steiner Joins the Fray in Force
--For once Steiner isn't tardy to the party, opening up in a big way against the Clans as they take initiative on opening up a second front against Clan Wolf. Steiner has been a one-front House for some time, fighting a slowly losing battle against Jade Falcon through Lyran territory. That has changed however, and now Steiner's reinforcements and much more organized leadership has not only forces for one front, but enough for two offensive fronts, AND sending several companies to the FRR to help in their offensive to boot. While Clan Wolf isn't their biggest priority, their support for the FRR and help from Kurita has made the front very manageable for all three Houses. Rumor has it that these actions - done in partial coordination with the FRR and Kurita - will lead to something greater. Those rumors have been floating around for some time now, but experts believe that this time, those rumors might have a claim.
Liao Slowly Regains Initiative
--It's been a slow, uneventful war on the Liao/Davion front, as Liao regains the initiative and continues to push against Davion. While some Liao units have gone to the Clan front on occasion, most are quite satisfied fighting Davion, and with no talks of peace the war drags on with little development. Of interest, Liao has traded several planets with Marik, in peaceful transitions that saw only proxy fights for border worlds. The intent was to allow Liao to march slightly more coreward into Davion, but it appears those trades have not worked as intended. Marik/Liao relations seem fairly stable.
Marik Stabilizes Front with Kurita, Runs Tests with Davion, Steiner
--Marik has marched back to striking distance of Terra, and there the front has died down towards an unannounced ceasefire. Marik seems content on winning back their holds and not pushing their luck against a driven Kurita, who could at this time easily re-allocate units from the Clan fronts to Marik. Marik is still dealing with a crisis of leadership, and thus pushing into Kurita has been deemed an "unwise move". Instead Marik has engaged in multiple skirmishes with Liao, Davion and Steiner, the nature of which has appeared to be mostly benign. Marik may use this time to its benefit to reorganize its forces, and decide on how it should move forward as a House.
Davion Endures
--The fight is never over for Davion, and through it all they endure wave after wave of attacks. Liao and Kurita still make driven attacks on Davion worlds, and Marik occasionally decides to skirmish with Davion defenders - but overall, is not concerned with taking Davion territory. Through it all Davion has fought on, often losing horribly but never giving up the fight. As one of the most populated Houses with one of the largest militaries, it has struggled to effectively use their numbers to overwhelm their enemies. Perhaps that time will change; perhaps it won't. Irregardless, Davion will continue to move on as it always has; it will endure any fight, and eventually, it will have its day too.
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#270
Posted 30 March 2015 - 04:01 PM
Trondheim Live, Daily Report Presents:
Planet Harvest; 01/04/3050
From the Journal of Commander Klappspaten, Blue Vengeance
We were on Harvest on the 4th.
KungsArmé Command wanted to evacuate civilians that were caught between the frontlines, somewhere close to the polar region. The first DropShip that was sent to get them out was hit by one of those orbital cannons and went down hard. No survivors.
1st Blue Vengeance was the closest unit at that time, so we changed course to take it out. We approached the cannon so close to the ground, I swear I could hear the trees scratch the hulk of our Leopard.
It seems the invaders didn´t expect an attack so far from the main battles, or at least that’s the only reason I can imagine why the troops guarding the cannon where just a bunch of random pilots from different outfits, in machines that clearly had seen combat. They didn't even see us coming, so our initial attack caught them by surprise. When our Scout Company jumped over the Bases' walls, resistance was minimal and hardly organized. Our scouts wrecked havoc on them, destroying three auxiliary power generators before they had to bail. With this early success we thought we could easily march in and route the clanners, but boy where we wrong.
My job was to lead a diversionary strike with two heavy lances on the left flank, to hopefully create an opening in their defense and let our lights sneak in and take out the Orbital Cannon. But the clanners were cautious and wouldn´t fall for it. They dug in and gave us hell from afar.
Sniping ain't our way of fighting so I ordered my group to advance under cover and get in close. "This has got to look real if we want them to take us serious," I told my pilots, and off we went. At first we met little resistance much like the Scout Company before us, but then Rot 5, who was at the front of our formation shouted over the comm: "They're buying it!"
That was the last I heard from him before his Thunderbolt was literally thrown back by the sheer firepower that hit him, merely a wreck, a complete loss. I saw his ejector seat fire, but there was no way in hell he had survived. And then we hit a full formation of 10 Clan Omni-Mechs, supported by the defense turrets. I pushed my Thunderbolt up the hill and immediately stood in front of two Loki, a Mad Cat and a Daishi. 'Fu-- it' I thought, and fired my 4 large lasers at the Daishi, hitting him dead center...but that metal monster just ignored me. I was so pissed I gave him another Alpha, pushing my heat in the red zone and nearly making me pass out. The volley had hit him dead center again, and this time he didn't ignore me. 'Now he had to deal with me' I thought, and immediately regretted my life choice.
His return-fire tore my right shoulder completely open. I must have still had my broadband scanner active, because not 2 seconds later I heard his voice, challenging me. "You fight with valor small man," he told me, "If you survive this battle I shall make you my bondsman." For a retort I fired again, cycling my lasers to keep the heat under control. He started to step back and I followed him, firing. It was as if I were caught in the eye of the storm; just him against me. I ordered my men and women to break through their lines, throwing all we had at the Orbital Cannon. But I had to finish this.
I put everything on one card as my third alpha strike boiled the last bit of armor from his center torso, but it wasn´t enough. That monster just took a direct hit of four large lasers right in his internal structure as if it was nothing! And as my mech shut down from overheat I was sure that I was done for.
The answer I was expecting came a lot less deadly than I anticipated. His ACs spread their fire all over my torso and he fired only one of his PPCs and even that brought his mech to a shutdown. Maybe he was already overheating when I engaged him, or maybe my last attack had damaged the shielding of his reactor. I had a chance!
My hope died fast as I realized that his mech would probably cool down before mine...and sure enough, I was right. "Indeed, if you survive this, you shall be my bondsman!" he told me as he carefully lined up his shot. His ACs dug in into my right side torso, where no armor at all was left. The right arm of my Thunderbolt flew away, cleanly cut off by the relentless assault; but even though it was a struggle, I kept standing.
He obviously had expected me to have an XL engine, but I hadn´t...for once, being poor actually paid off. And I still had 3 large lasers. "If you survive this!” I shouted, "I will just kill you again!"
Megajoules of energy breached his engine shielding as my lasers went straight into the hole in his torso, then over and into his cockpit as his mech collapsed on itself. I had survived, yet there was still a battle to be won.
As I stepped over his destroyed mech I couldn't believe my eyes, the tough sonova- had crawled out of his partially-molten cockpit, and despite one of his arms missing he fired his laser pistol at my 'Mech. I laughed as the right foot of my 'Mech stomped him into the concrete, reducing him to a mere stain.
We needed two more attacks to finish off the Orbital Cannon. It was just a motley crew of clanners, already beaten and recovering from fights across the planet - and they had given us the toughest fight of the whole offensive. But in the end they failed, just as all of them will fail.
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Have any war stories to share? The TL,DR is looking to share them! Send us a message detailing the accounts of the front lines and we'll do our best to bring your tale to the masses!
Edited by Trondheim Live Daily Report, 30 March 2015 - 05:27 PM.
#271
Posted 30 March 2015 - 05:26 PM
Trondheim Live, Daily Report Presents:
Planet Hainfeld; 02/01/3050
Journal from an unknown pilot, Blue Vengeance
"Engaging..." The voice of my commander was cut off by static as the sound of gunfire rolled over the mountains.
I started the engine of my FS9-E and opened a channel to my lance as the lights indicating the status of my lasers and machine guns went from red to green: "It's time people." I didn't wait for their answers and switched back to the command channel.
"Right fla... kill... Masakari... right flank!" The comms were still impaired, but what I could hear sounded nasty. My comrades, my friends were dying out there, and I wanted to get into the action; but I had my own task to complete. "Dagger in position," I said, and hoped that the transmission would make it through the mess. I pushed the throttle forward and brought the Firestarter into an easy pace, my lance taking their places in the formation behind me.
"Dagger wait, enemy is not fully engaged yet!" The boss must have had fallen back a bit, because he came through loud and clear. "Hammer, right flank, multiple targets. Take that Dai-" Only static followed from his comms.
'Hell, here goes nothing,' I punched the throttle to full speed: "Dagger Lance we're going in hot! Stay below the ridges and don´t stop, this is going to be nasty!"
The base's secondary defensive gate came up so fast it looked like it jumped at us, only to fall away below our feet as our Jumpjets flared. At the highest point of my jump I could see the battle at the other side of the base. Hammer had suffered a few losses, but there were a lot more smoking Clan Mechs lying on the ground than IS machines; at least, for now. As soon as we landed on the inside and accelerated to full speed we came under attack, first by turrets, shortly followed by two Mad Cats. I didn´t know if I should be happy or not they were here and instead of the main battle. I fired my lasers once and plowed past him, dancing from left to right like a rabbit, twisting my torso so rapidly that I was quickly nauseated. But it worked, and those Clan Heavies couldn't stop us.
We had done the same thing all day in the simulators, but this time was serious. Our forces were quickly becoming depleted from today’s attack, and if we wanted to take this planet we needed to end it fast. We jumped over the tank barriers and there it was, the first of three generators that we had to sabotage. The clanners wouldn't know what hit ´em, and if we managed to take out the Cannon they were powering, we could land forces literally on top of their defenses and end the fight. We made short work of it and moved to the next.
The Mad Cats had been on to our scheme though, and by the time we moved on we faced more serious resistance. Two Ryokens and one of the Mad Cats from earlier had moved between us and the second generator. And if that wasn't bad enough, a go**amn DropShip flew in above of us, dropping in another reinforcement.
"Punching out!" On the 360° HUD I could see the Spider of my second-in-command explode, his ejector seat evaporating as it flew in a burst of pulse laser fire with the man inside. That image distracted me just enough for them to line up a shot and blow off my 'Mech's right arm. The loss of tonnage threw me out of balance and I had to take a few sidesteps to keep standing on the slick asphalt. Turns out that saved my life, as the gunners in the DropShip over me opened fire with an impressive array of ship lasers, any one of which could've eaten my Firestarter whole and kept going. They missed close enough to boil off the rest of my camo paint scheme. Before I chanced a second volley I ducked behind a building, the two others in my lance scattered but following behind me.
We raced on and to the second gen. I rounded the corner and punched down the trigger on my machine guns, a storm of bullets digging deep into the structure of the generator. My surviving lancemates arrived and opened fire and the generator blew up in a nice satisfying ball of fire.
We were pretty banged up, but there was still one generator left. Rather than evacuate, we charged through the enemy lines - which had moved towards us to protect their last generator. We were right in the thick of it, shooting everything we had at their Mechs as we passed by, our Heavies coming up behind us to support but way too far back to make a difference. I knew I wouldn't make it, so I let instinct take over and turned turned to face a true light killing monster, a Vulture with more Streak SRMs pods than I could count. His torso was smoking though, so at least I figured I had a chance.
I lashed out with the lasers first, digging into a hole in his rear and widening it, exposing his vulnerable internals. I quickly followed up with my MGs, the stream of bullets wreaking havoc within his Mech.
But he wasn't the only clanner there, and I was slammed against my restraints as a pack of SRMs from another 'Mech slammed into my left side, jarring me off course. That’s when the Vulture turned to me, protecting his back and firing everything he had at point blank. The volley from him tore the right leg of my Firestarter out from under me, and I felt the 'Mech buckle under the weight. I was fortunate the auto-ejector worked fast enough to punch me vertically instead of firing me headfirst into a nearby building.
I watched from overhead as the third generator exploded, the Cannon going offline with it. I was out of the fight, but my people had made it through.
I knew there was another wave of BVNJ 'Mechs waiting just at the gates to reinforce the line, and from the garbled radio chatter there were already DropShips inbound ready to drop another company behind the clanners' position. The fight was over, and by the way they abandoned their positions the clanners knew it too. All that left was a formality and Hainfeld was back in the Republic.
---
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#272
Posted 30 March 2015 - 06:05 PM
Trondheim Live, Daily Report Presents:
Of Mandrakes; 03/02/3050
From the Great and Powerful Löjtnant Mandrake "Pope" Rootes, in reference to himself
Löjtnant Mandrake "Pope" Rootes looked back unto the stalwart but broken defenses of Lothan's Capital as he boarded the DropShip "Tyr" in his Catapult-K2. His unusual career progression was more or less forced upon him by the might of the invading Clan forces. Where it would usually be an outstanding honor to be given an officer's patent by the KungsArme as a line member of a Mercenary Unit, he now finds himself the leader of a Militia Company normally tasked with defend and stall operations. Basically, he was the only "Commander" they could find at the time, and decided he would do.
The dwindling numbers of the 'Arme have seen surges in volunteers on almost every frontline world (and frontline world to be) when the dropships arrive in retreat from their most recent losses. Half the populace would rather fight for what is theirs than be subdued and pressed into ideological communism, but this sheer abundance in manpower led to other problems. The 'Arme's stockpiles were empty, of both materials and supplies necessary to feed such an army.
Fortunately, the Great Houses bonded in this time of need, and loads of "supplies" arrived from Marik and Steiner through Steiner space. Almost all of the mothballed spare parts and mustered-out Mechs the League and Commonwealth had in stock. It wasn't good, but it was something. And as it has always been - given the "ingenuity" (more like creativity) of the Inner Sphere - engineers soon had battle-ready Jenner's with spare Raven arms, and a Militia refitted with a ton of medium 'Mechs ready to defend the remaining worlds. Mandrake's own K2 had one arm from a C2 and leg myomers from both an Atlas and one of the spare Jenner’s that couldn't be made to work properly again.
Lost in his thoughts, Mandrake didn't realize that he blocked the ramp. Being second to last to board the DropShip's 'Mechbays allowed his mind to wander as the others settled in. Only now that the Dragon behind him prodded his back with one of his arms did he put the legs into motion again and secured his K2 in Bay 11, turned on the safety and powered down.
This would be a long flight, and a lot of hardship would await them on the other side, but that has come to be routine in the KungsArme forces. High Command had come up with a new and daring plan, and one which would either see the remnants of the FRR through this crisis - or lead to their utter destruction.
The coordinates supplied by SLDF Command, three JumpShips plotted their course from Lothan, Ramsau and Diosd deep into Clan-owned space, towards Fortress Rasalhague. 85% of the remaining KungsArme were to supplement the elite defenders already there and form strike groups to hit the enemy right in the heart. The remainder and all of the volunteers they could spare were to remain and defend their home planets against the incurring Clan forces while the ‘Arme took back what was rightfully theirs to begin with.
The plan is desperate, reeks of madness, but it just might work. After all the clanners’ arrogance is their greatest weakness; they would never expect us to hit them in the back, not given their beliefs and traditions. In a mad hope to draw away Clan troops from the front lines, those brave men and women - including ourselves - will risk their lives on the hopes of garrison clanners being unable to defend their captures. Even if they fail (and the risk of failure is extremely high) they will have bought time for the remaining Houses to scramble an offense, push back the Clans and hopefully, end this war.
Done reflecting on what was and is to come, an unbearable hunger overcame Mandrake. He settled on eating a sandwich, with eggs from Freeborn chickens, and cheese made from the milk of Freeborn cows on bread made from Freeborn wheat. Sitting there in solitude, he was looking forward to spitting in the face of the clans. This plan would work, he was sure of it.
And if it didn't, well he wouldn't live to regret it.
---
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Edited by Trondheim Live Daily Report, 30 March 2015 - 06:05 PM.
#273
Posted 31 March 2015 - 08:51 PM
FRR Insider's Report
Behind Operation: Leiptr
--Operation: Leiptr has been in the making for months. Ever since the loss of Rasalhague, deep behind enemy lines, the hope was to reconnect the Capital to the rest of the FRR – before it could be lost forever. It soon became clear however, that Rasalhague was not the most threatened part of the FRR remaining. The KungsArme was falling away in pieces, then chunks, as the Clans plowed through them like water through sand. Thus plans began to be made – failsafe’s – should the FRR fall. One such plan was Operation: Leiptr, a plan to reallocate all remaining forces to Rasalhague, abandon the Rimward worlds, and launch a breakout from deep within conquered Clan territory. The plan was as ambitious as it was unfeasible. The FRR no longer had the means to move such massive amounts of troops and material to Rasalhague – its depleted ‘Ship fleet would take years to move the supplies necessary to accomplish even a minor conquest, much less a full-blown invasion from the deep periphery. Not to mention, the FRR had no means by which to jump that deep behind enemy lines without getting noticed by the Clans themselves. The plan was quickly scrapped.
Enter the New Star League, and the massive influx of men and equipment to the FRR to stem the flow of the Clans. For a time, this stemmed the tide and even forced the Clans back a few worlds. For a short time, there was a glimmer of hope. Soon however, the Clans pushed back and total collapse became all but inevitable. The nSL was still the ‘Wild Card’ though. They still had the men and materials, and more importantly, the capability to do something with it…all that was needed was a way to get back to Rasalhague. The nSL dug that up too, through coordinates provided by Steiner of old, planetless star systems frequently used in the old days for transportation but fell into disuse during the “Dark Ages” of the Succession Wars.
Operation: Leiptr was dug out of the trash.
Through the efforts of the nSL, the remaining FRR planets were stripped of everything useful: factories, civilians, material, industries, commerce…everything that could be stuffed onto a DropShip was taken. Then those DropShips – and hundreds more, filled to the brim with Elite fighters from across the Inner Sphere – were sent through the hidden Star Systems to Rasalhague. Already an Evac-Point before being cutoff, Rasalhague was physically crawling with people and supplies. Hardly an inch of continent wasn’t occupied. Even though the nSL collapsed behind them, the men that made it through pushed on, intent on delivering a fatal blow to the Clans.
At first the offensives met with mixed success. The forces took 10 worlds, before Clan Wolf returned with some of their frontline Galaxies to take back 5. It looked like for all their effort, the FRR’s fight may be for naught. But the FRR never gave up hope, and in fact, as Clan Wolf would soon learn; those initial attacks weren’t serious efforts to take planets. That was just the scouting party.
When Operation: Leiptr was activated the FRR had roughly 8 worlds, including Rasalhague.
In three days 20 worlds were captured.
Operation: Leiptr is now winding down; its goal of rapid-acquisition of Clan worlds has been more than accomplished. Even now more worlds are being taken, with Feltre falling earlier today. Now begins the task of Operation: Fæst; securing the worlds taken, and ensuring that when – not if – the Clans come calling for those worlds, the FRR ensures that they bleed a heavy price for every foot of soil they try to claim.
No matter the future, the FRR knows this: The Clans will never be able to forget this stain on their “glorious conquest”, no matter how much Space Oxi-Clean © they use.
Here’s to You, the Conquerors
--The TL,DR would like to honor those brave men and women who forgot and died for their homeland, making it possible for the FRR to not only stand, but stand 28 planets strong now.
For those who fight on, we honor you and your units by acknowledging your units conquests. The following list shows which units have command of the defense of the planet, at the time of this recording.
[ISEN] stands on Ferleiten
[Bnl] stands on Dawn
[-DD-] stands on Spittal
[ESK] stands on New Oslo
[ASE] stands on Hermagor
[6REX] stands on Selvik, Outpost
[331] stands on Susquehanna, Mozirje, Predlitz
[1stH] stands on New Bergen, Vipaava, Pomme de Terre
[-SO-] stands on Skallevoll, Balsta, Liezen, Kirchbach
[VRGD] stands on Leoben, Radje, Goito, Rodigo, The Edge
[OLD] stands on Engadin, Alleghe, St. John, Bruben, Lovinac
We thank you for your service, and hope that you will continue to serve in the name of the Republic.
Clan Wolf Cut Off
--Clan Wolf has become the second Clan to face being divided in two, thanks to the efforts of the Free Rasalhague Republic. With Operation: Lieptr in full-swing, the FRR drove deep into Clan Wolf’s territory, capturing as many planets as it could feasibly land on at any given time. The advance was so rapid many Clan troops hardly had time to get to the battlefield before being overrun. The advance spread out like a wave, consuming planet after planet in an ever-expanding arc of influence. It wasn’t long before they reached Leizen, the last world standing between the FRR and Jade Falcon on Mozirje. It fell like the rest, in a quick but merciless battle where technological superiority met sheer overwhelming numbers and firepower. Kirchbach fell soon after, but by that point the main damage was already done. With Leizen in FRR hands, the frontline Galaxies of Clan Wolf – engaged in a desperate struggle with the Draconis and Steiner – were cut off from resupply.
Since Kirchbach, Feltre has also fallen; deepening the wound to the Clan’s already stretched forces. The Wolves will likely lose more worlds, as they struggle with Trials with the Falcons to pass supplies through Falcon space. Fortunately for the Wolves, they do have some luck on their side; the Jade Falcons have suffered much at the hands of Steiner, and largely have put up no resistance to Clan Wolf’s trials for fear of depleting their own resources even further. Clan Wolf is still in the fight, but like their Ghost Bear brothers, the future looks bleak.
All 4 Clans in Strike Distance from FRR
--With Leizen and Mozirje captured, the FRR has a border (and even claimed a world from) with Jade Falcon. This marks one of many times now the FRR has become THE poster-child for the fight against the Clans, as every direction they expand is into Clan Space. Sure, Kurita and Steiner have fought valiantly, and both have supplied the FRR with the means needed to even make such a monumental effort. But it is the FRR that is not only fighting all four Clans – it’s taking all their worlds too. Only Smoke Jaguar has not lost a planet to the FRR’s drive, and that can largely be attributed to the direction of the FRR’s expansion, which has been Anti-Spinward and Rimward (the Jaguars are Spinward of the FRR). While the FRR hasn’t tried to take a Jaguar world yet, the Jaguars have made at least a probing attempt to take a world from the FRR…their efforts were unsuccessful, to say the least.
Though the successes are real, the FRR’s Allting Council and KungsArme Commanders have not shied away from the possibility of retaliation for their success from all the Clans. Even now they remind their troops to be prepared and ready themselves – for should retaliation come, it will come swiftly, and with abandon.
FRR Takes First Opportunity to Secure Holds
--With the Clans running tails between their legs, now is the first opportunity for the KungsArme to secure their conquests. Various parts of the frontline units have been slough off as the lines have advanced, either too damaged to continue frontline duties or too battle-fatigued and in need of R&R. These parts have been left planetside while the main force advances on, organizing and forming a “planetary militia” under the command of the largest representing KungsArme unit present. After some much-needed rest and refit, these militias have done their civic duties: inform the population of their conquest, clean up the destruction, repair the damage done to defenses and reoccupy them, mourn the lost, calm any potential uprisings or protests (and if necessary, take out ‘targets-of-opportunity’), and rearm the local population. These planetside militias have been of varying sizes and strengths, depending largely on the severity of the battle fought. In turn, the harsher the battle, the bigger the militia – and likely, the longer their time spent on-planet.
Inevitably, the FRR’s KungsArme will have to answer for the forced militias. Many have seen their “liberation” as tyranny by a different master – after all, in order to keep calm on some worlds, Martial Law has been invoked to varying degrees of severity. The KungsArme has stated repeatedly that their militias are not meant to hinder or harm the population, but protect and rebuilt it in a time of great confusion and mistrust. Ultimately, the KungsArme hopes to remove the militias entirely, with the planet’s own people serving in defense of their home. But in these times of great trials and strife, the FRR can ill-afford to have insurrection within their ranks, much less from the planets they’ve “liberated”.
---
Have any war stories to share? The TL,DR is looking to share them! Send us a message detailing the accounts of the front lines and we'll do our best to bring your tale to the masses!
Edited by Trondheim Live Daily Report, 31 March 2015 - 08:53 PM.
#274
Posted 01 April 2015 - 05:51 AM
TL,DR Editor-In-Chief revealed to be clanner scum!!!
Early this morning as us writers came to work at our office in downtown Gantarius on Alnasi, we noticed something particularly odd about the coffee. Normally our coffee is the same as it always has been in true Viking fashion - black as space, bitter as my ex-wife, and caffeinated enough to wake up Sloth himself and have him do the Tango. But alas, this morning something was different! Oh sure the coffee was still there, but next to it was something so horrible, so outrageous we immediately forgot about our caffeine fix.
There was cream and sugar next to the coffee machine!
We flew right into a true Viking rage, grabbing the offending pair, cast them out into the street and lit them on fire for all to see and know how they wronged us. But the deaths of Sir Cream and Lady Sugar were not enough. We needed to make pay the one who invited them to darken our mini-kitchen with their lies and slander. We needed to hunt down a clanner!
....right after our coffee.
Ahem, WE NEEDED TO HUNT DOWN A CLANNER!!!
We searched high and low. We searched on the tables, we searched in the janitors closet, we searched the desk of that hot Kuritan secretary who always gives us the 'holier than thou' look but we know she works at the Massage Parlor three blocks down...yes that one. Frustrated and in need of another cup of coffee, we sat in our thinking chairs and thought about who it could be. Just then our Editor-in-Chief walked in the door, steaming mug of coffee in hand. He gave us one look, said "I don't wanna even know," and went into his office, white tapped up mug in hand.
We immediately went back to our brooding (thinking!) when a miracle happened. This wonderful, blissful aroma gave our nostrils the smallest kiss, telling us it knew we would find out eventually. We beat up that sissy and kicked him outside, but the scent of something still hung in the air. We considered it for a moment before realizing - HAZELNUT!!
We burst into the Editor's office and before he could say anything, removed him from his broken coffee mug - still filled with coffee - and held him in the corner while we had the intern taste-test the coffee. He bled as soon as the coffee touched his mouth, as a true Viking would if something as prissy as cream and sugar were to touch his lips. We dumped the rest down the Editor's throat, and behold, not a single drop of blood! We proceeded to tear apart his office,for even that was not evidence enough to convict him properly of being clan filth. Finally with no evidence, we decided to rip all the tape off his coffee mug and scatter the pieces so he'd spend the rest of the day putting it back together as punishment. But as we ripped off the tape of the coffee mug, behold! THIS symbol was on the side!
We had to put spoilers on because the image is too graphic for children under the age of 18.
We found our Clanner, and the threat has been purged. Unfortunately, the loss of our editor will mean the loss of overall quality in the TL,DR reports from now on, but we will never stop giving you the news, no matter how bad it hurts!
...also, the TL,DR is now looking for a new editor! As we're all writers we're not too sure what the requirements should be for a good editor, but at the very least he must drink black coffee!
(or else)
Edited by Trondheim Live Daily Report, 01 April 2015 - 05:58 AM.
#275
Posted 01 April 2015 - 06:22 AM
(stay away from Sarna.net goddamnit)
<--- Pay NO attention to that! Really!
Edited by Wolf Clearwater, 01 April 2015 - 06:23 AM.
#276
Posted 01 April 2015 - 06:51 AM
Wolf Clearwater, on 01 April 2015 - 06:22 AM, said:
(stay away from Sarna.net goddamnit)
<--- Pay NO attention to that! Really!
Don't stress too much, it's the media. They don't do research. I'm sure you'll get the position.
#277
Posted 01 April 2015 - 02:11 PM
Trondheim Live Daily Report, on 31 March 2015 - 08:51 PM, said:
ClaymoreReIIik, on 19 March 2015 - 03:45 AM, said:
"Excellent! Open fire in all directions!"
That is all.
Edited by Hayashi, 01 April 2015 - 02:12 PM.
#278
Posted 04 April 2015 - 01:45 PM
#279
Posted 08 April 2015 - 08:20 PM
There are many on BOTH sides of our game who wish you a full and speedy recovery. Listen to the Doc's guidance! ...he is definitely NOT a CSJ MedTech sent to safeguard your return with the latest eugenics nanomeds!
Spoiler now active.
Edited by Prussian Havoc, 09 April 2015 - 02:52 AM.
#280
Posted 08 April 2015 - 08:26 PM
Prussian Havoc, on 08 April 2015 - 08:20 PM, said:
...well, it can be one of a number of things:
1). Recent KungsArme successes have so very far outpaced TL,DR's capability to report on them, that a number of articles have all been rendered OBE even before they could be brought to the masses of gamers from among BOTH sides of this gaming-conflict.
2). Internal "unpleasantness" from having fallen for a Clan Jade Falcon "Black Ops" attempt to discredit TL,DR's Editor-in-Chief, has demoralized all remaing TL,DR staffers.
3). #RealLife occured and TL,DR rightly got bumped to a back burner.
4). "Prussian Havoc" is just alone in his desire for his next "fix" of TL,DR reporting. Everything is fine and TL,DR was just about to hit "Post" on its next set of articles!
5). (Someone else can fill in their own rational here!)
JustWatiningTo[\Spoiler]
We'd like to think #1 and #2 are the reasons, but its more along the lines of #3....yeah.
That and being suddenly unable to comfortably sit in a chair for extended periods puts a damper on one's' mood. Hurray painkillers!
(PS: If something doesn't kill me, expect a post or two tomorrow)
(PPS: Firefly. That is all)
Edited by Trondheim Live Daily Report, 08 April 2015 - 08:28 PM.
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