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An urgent request for help was received from the colonists on MENDER
(grid 467954). This colony has recently failed economically, and the corporations
were withdrawing their colonists. Mender has 10 Planets, an Asteroid Belt
amd the M25 is 20au. The habitable third planet is called Eastlight. These
colonists said they were being raised by pirates.
4 colonial bases on the equatorial continents and 4 small orbital (class
1000 ship-sized), mainly used for mapping, GPS, communications and weather
prediction.
The Union Government agreed salvage rates - and a charge for the assistant.
Government is setting up an arrangement with Corporations.
The readily available fleet:
| 2144 |
Yesha |
DDI |
3200 |
A1 Pltn, 57 Bn |
Gum |
Hansa Gerber |
3195
|
| 2142 |
Mivtahim |
CLI |
3200 |
B Coy, 57 Bn |
Gum |
Edward E Smith PhD |
3183
|
| 2005 |
Z2005 |
LSSI |
3201 |
A1 Pltn, 91 Bn |
Gum |
Bragg |
3181
|
| 2015 |
Z2015 |
LSSI |
3202 |
A2 Pltn, 91 Bn |
Gum |
Maurice Lippmann |
3179
|
| 1971 |
Kidon |
EVI |
3204 |
B Coy, 70 Bn |
Gum |
Tarry |
3184
|
The command of the force was Captain Lippmann as the most senior captain
available. He organised the force into:
> Force Alpha Z2205, Z2015 and Kidon (Command Lippman)
> Force Bravo is Yesha and Mivtahim (Command Smith)
LSSI Pod mix
Z2005 - Shuttle Ops, Hospital, Refugee, Marine Regt
Z2015 - Marine Regt, Refugee, DEW Pods
Escort Carrier Mix
5 x HELL ships
Other units
ZSS Martian Redwolf RV on M25 of Mender - spotting and communications.
Mission Chronology
| 9/302 |
Orders issued from Gum H 9/302 - fleet burns for M25. |
| 9/310 |
Arrives Gum M25 |
| 9/302 |
ZSS Martain Redwolf @ Colli receives orders |
| 9/305 |
Martian Redwolf - burns for M25 |
| 9/313 |
Martian Redwolf - arrives M25 of Colli
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| 9/321 |
Martian Redwolf arr Mender Recce from M25 |
| 9/323 |
Main Fleet arrives M25 Mender
Capt Lippman issues ultimatum to the pirates - in effect:
- We are the Xyonists
- Desist and surrender
- release prisoners
|
| 9/328 |
Force Alpha arrives off Eastlight |
| |
Pirate Captain Hawk stalls in communications - claiming to be legitimate
salvage operators.
Force Bravo delayed until after halfway point of force Alpha.
Pirates detect detect size of enemy force 1/2 a day out and Veer
off - stand off couple of million km in orbit around Eastlight.
Fleet manages to penetrate pirate jamming and contact Alix Chiang
of Hilltop Base and Harry Devlin of Monster Cove Base.
|
| 9/329 |
Surprise silent running assault on Force Alpha by silent running
approach of shuttles that slingshot round the planet.
180 Pirates and 9 CSR assault the Z2005.
43 captured, 137 downed - of which 23 killed the rest wounded etc
Of marines Locals 1 dead 11 wounds
Embarked regt 4 dead, 36 wounded
|
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This was followed immediately by a space combat - 5 Pirate C5A
closing on Force Alpha.
Force Alpha moves away toward force Beta to RV and evade enemy.
Meanwhile 5 Pacs launched from Kidon to slow down pirates, the pirates
trying to slow and attack force Alpha. The 5 pirates fail to slow
down Force Alpha and take damage from the pacs - they fall back
into orbital positions.
|
| 9/320 |
Fleet regroups with force Beta, recovers pacifiers and
then pursues C5s round the planet but they've vanished. |
| |
[The fleet didn't realise that while on blind side of
planet the pirates had done short burns in random directions - scattering
- then going on silent running before coming into view] |
| 9/321 |
Fleet thinks the pirates may have crashlanded their
ships and were in hiding on the planet. Marine landing at Verdana
base, and on Western Continent. Marines search Constance lake. Orbitals
brought back on line. |
| 9/322 |
Humanitarian aid delivered to Verdana base. |
| 9/327 |
Magnatometer produced by Monster Cove Base. |
| 9/332 |
Lake Homer magnetic anomaly detected - marines recover
'ancient artifact'. |
| 9/335 |
Finish searching lakes on southern continent for hidden
pirate C5As |
| 9/336 |
Pirate SS Wolverine is running short of food so it microburns
towards M25. Not detected by fleet. |
| 9/340 |
2nd Magnetometer constructed. |
| 9/340 |
Pirate SS Nightmare running short, crew mutiny and it
microburns for M25. |
| 9/340 |
LSSI2105 Arrived at M25. Report combat and captures.
Rendering assistance. Reports large force hiding on planet. |
| 9/341 |
Mivtahim detected a microburn - pirate SS Cloak and
Dagger intercepted and captured |
| 9/343 |
Yesha detected a microburn - pirate SS Brazen Chariot
captured |
| 9/345 |
Kidon joins the search for microburns. SS Wolverine
detected and captured. SS Dark Angel still missing. |
| 9/350 |
Receive orders from HQ to complete the mission as fast
as possible and return to base for further ops pending. |
| |
SS Nightmare detected and captured. |
| 9/360 |
Search for remaining pirate called off. Fleet burns
for M25 |
| 9/368 |
Fleet arrive at M25.
|
| 9/373 |
Fleet arrives at M25 of Gum. Op Shepherd Complete. |
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