Wargames 1

On Novaya Zemyla, the Company were housed in a small subsidiary Johnson Industries factory that had been taken offline several years ago. Their days were spent training with the other mercenary commands that were part of the Acamar Task Force, under the overall command of GM Security Directory Anton Corrigan. For the training exercises, the task force often sparred with the resident garrison unit, Cunningham’s Commandos, a cocky combined-arms regiment long in AFFC employment.

The factory environment provided an excellent environment to maintain an refurbish the Company’s equipment. Within a few months, most of the Company’s mechs and vehicles were running in better condition than they had ever run before, and Colonel Ferrer also took advantage of the factory resources to conduct extensive refits on four mechs that had been mothballed from previous salvage.

After six months of intensive training, Corrigan decided to cap it off with a large wargame exercise against the Cunningham’s Commandos. For their part, the Company would face the Commandos in three separate battalion sized engagements. At stake would be bragging rights for the remainder of their stay on Novaya Zemyla.

The first engagement occurred in the wooded hills just outside the Company’s factory base.

After-Action Report

Colonel Ferrer directed his mech forces to rush forward and occupy advantageous positions on a large hill, while his infantry and armor units circled around. The Commandos approached much more cautiously and were caught in the open by massed (simulated) artillery fire. As they rushed forward, the Company’s hovercraft units sped out of the surrounding woods in a flanking attack. Several Commando mechs were marked down by TAG-directed Arrow IV munitions, while the mechs in a superior position took sniper shots at will. Eventually, the remaining Commandos were forced to back off and admit defeat.

Wargames 2

The next wargame engagement took place in the arid canyons of the Sidewinder Desert.

After-Action Report

The Commandos split their forces with some advancing along a dry desert riverbed while the rest commanded sniper positions in the heights on the canyons above. The Company advanced en massed through the riverbed, ceding the high ground to the Commandos. An initial clash of hovercraft devastated the hover contingent of both groups. As the Company advanced, they came under fire from the units on the heights, but massed artillery fire broke up this group and gave them a momentary respite that they used to advance several mechs up the canyon walls and into the enemy’s position. With the damage taken from artillery fire, the Commando units proved to be easy pickings.

Wargames 3

The final wargame engagement took place in old city ruins from the Star League era.

After-Action Report

The Company placed recon infantry assets within building ruins for spotting and scouting purposes, while the rest of the unit advanced through the narrow city streets. As (simulated) artillery fire bombarded the Commandos position, they advanced to close range with the Company. The fighting devolved into a brutal street-by-street slugfest with heavy (simulated) damage on both sides. The Company’s infantry assets were alsmost completely wiped out, partially due to proximity to various ammunition and engine explosions, not to mention incidental friendly fire from misplaced artillery barrages. The Company’s armor contingent assigned to this wargame also suffered heavy damage. Nonetheless, the Company was able to inflict more damage on their opponents and were ultimately declared the victors, completing a trifecta for the Company.

Hot Drop

Osz Forest
Acamar

No plan every survives first contact with the enemy. Shrike and Flare lances of the Acamar Task Force were supposed to assault drop in to Acamar to help secure the LZ. Unfortunately, they landed off-target and came under immediate fire from the Legion of Truth, which was rushing in to oppose the landings.

Brigadier Corrigan ordered two lances of the Company’s jump-capable mechs, being carried by Leopard-class Dropships Madman and Nugent, to change course and hot drop on the last known positions of the two wayward lances, in an effort to save them. Colonel Ferrer objected to the order, asserting that the two lances were already likely destroyed. Nonethless, Corrigan asserted his overall command authority.

After-Action Report

All eight mechs were able to make a successful insertion without incident. As the Legion of Truth units rushed to confront them, the Leopards returned and devastated two of their mechs with a strafing run before heading for home.

Staying to the treeline, the Company was able to snipe at the Legion units as they emerged from the rolling hills. However two Stealth mechs did make it into the rear of the Company’s line and were able to damage several of the Company mechs severely by hitting their vulnerable rear armor before both Stealths were destroyed by mass fire. After this threat was eliminated, the remaining Legion of Truth units continued exchanged fire but the fire seemed to have gone out of them. After three of their vehicles were disabled, they withdrew from the battlefield. The LZ secured, Captain Salas was content to let them go.

Unfortunately, as several of the units were utterly destroyed via ammunition and engine explosions, very little salvage was available in the aftermath of the battle. Colonel Ferrer turned down the battered remains of a Lineholder mech, hoping for juicier salvage opportunities in the future.

Defend the Trans-Mahn

After establishing an LZ, Corrigan’s task force was able to set up an operations area designated as Com-Z in the nearby city of Huss, after evicting the small occupying force with little effort. The Company’s infantry units assisted in clearing out opposing infantry forces from Huss, but suffered no casualties in the sparse fighting.

The Company was held in reserve as Brigadier Corrigan pushed into the Trans-Mahn valley, seeking to drive through Calvin Noru’s forces toward the capital of Kalskag. However, the Company was left as a reserve unit to fill holes in the line and to secure Com-Z.

Corrigan was initially unprepared when Noru shifted more of his reserve forces into the Trans-Mahn and called upon the Company to help reinforce his position there. The Company quickly marched two mech companies to the front, leaving the remainder of the Company to guard Huss.

After-Action Report

A small (and unfortunate) town lay between the two opposing forces. The Legion concentrated their forces near the town and sent their single assault mech, a vintage Champion, as well as a Von Luckner tank to defend against the lance of Company mechs flanking to the west of the small town. The remainder of their two mech lances and armor company focused on the two lances of Company mechs approaching from the south.

Initially, the swift J Edgar hovertanks of the Legion caused some problems for the Company’s mechs, outflanking them and getting into their rear areas. However, with concentrated fire, the Company was able to disable one of the three hovertanks and damage the motive systems of another. The main Company assault then faced withering fire from the Legion’s mechs and vehicles near the town, but were able to use the treeline to their advantage as they sniped at their opponents. Combined and coordinated fire brought down two mechs, while a lucky shot from Mechwarrior’s Dulcine Penetrator ignited an ammo explosion that eviscerated a third opposing Orion mech. Meanwhile, Lamberti used the maneuverability of her Phoenix Hawk mech to flank the armor units in town, drawing their fire away from the main Company advance, although she did take some considerable damage.

On the left flank, the lance proceeded cautiously against the firepower of the assault mech and the heavy auto-cannon of the Von Luckner. However, with a serious advantage in numbers, they soon made short work of both units and then swung around to join the main column. Seeing that they were about to be surrounded the Legion units then made a hasty withdrawal, but not before the Company was able to down a Warhammer mech through leg damage.

Foray to the Rear

The Company’s redeployment was able to stymie Noru’s advance through the Trans-Mahn valley, but the repositioning left several gaps in the line which Noru exploited. Sending his fast hovercraft detachments through the line, he sought to create chaos in Corrigan’s rear areas.

One of these hovercraft detachments headed straight for the ammunition dumps near Huss, which were guarded by several Company units.

After-Action Report

Major Toselli stationed a lance of Zhukovs on the western entrance to the ammunition depot, while his own lance of Manticore tanks secured the southern entrance. He kept his lance of mobile Pegasus hovertanks in reserve as well as most of this infantry, although he did plant several TAG equipped recon squads in the forested hills overlooking the depot.

The enemy forces came in fast and hard. Altogether, there were twenty fast-moving hovercraft. As it became clear that they were intending to overwhelm the forces at the southern entrance, Major Toselli made the risky decision to call the Zhukovs in to reinforce his position. Meanwhile, he sent out his Pegasus lance to harry and slow the attackers, while his infantry called in indirect fire.

In part, the strategy worked. The Pegasus counterattack was able to break up the enemy’s assault and draw of some units. However, they faced overwhelming fire and two of the hovercraft units were disabled and a third destroyed, although they gave at least as good as they got. Another part of the attacking force was distracted by harrying the infantry units, but with their camo suits, they were difficult to pick out in the dense woods. The remaining forces charged piecemeal at the gate, but lacked the overwhelming fire to break through. They managed to immobilize one Manticore and bang up the others pretty well, but concentrated fire return fire from the Manticores destroyed several vehicles. By the time the Zhukovs entered the fray, the enemy forces were down by half and decided on a fighting withdrawal with their primary mission unaccomplished.

Flat Out Assault

Needing to break the stalemate with Noru’s forces, Corrigan developed a daring plan. As Noru’s forces pulled back to the town of Flat, Corrigan ordered most of the Company to spread out on the eastern flank in an apparent attempt to envelop the town. While the majority of the Company kept Noru’s forces busy in Flat, a smaller contingent of fast mechs and vehicles would race behind the line toward the capital of Kalskag to destroy Noru’s palace and command center.

In order for the plan to succeed, the Company would need to sell their attack on Flat well, even though they would be outnumbered.

After-Action Report

The fighting in Flat was vicious and hard. As the Company approached the perimeter, they came into contact with roughly a company of mechs and two companies of conventional armor, with several hard-hitting assault designs. Realizing that he might need to make a tactical withdrawal, Colonel Ferrer ordered his troops to light several buildings on fire. With a favorable wind direction, the Company then advanced under the cover of this smoke.

Although the Company was outnumbered, they had a few advantages. They could call on sustained artillery fire to harry their opponents. Furthermore, the opposing units were drawn from several of the different groups supporting Noru and were not well coordinated in their attack. On the right flank, the Company units were bogged down in a fight with a lance of assault mechs and supporting heavy tanks, while the majority of Noru’s forces held up the line on the left flank, using the protective cover of the terrain. Initial strikes by the Company’s hover lance were effective at directing Arrow IV strikes, but two of the hovercraft were destroyed. The fight turned into a slugging match between two heavy forces.

On the right flank, Chips’ Zeus was destroyed by a runaway containment breach on her fusion engine, although she was able to eject, while Feyzi’s Cestus had its gyro destroyed from a gauss rifle shot. The Company paid her back well though, destroying three of the four assault mechs and several of the supporting tank units. They also killed the nominal commander of the detachment when Lt. Constantin’s Crockett caved in the opposing Pillager’s head with a gauss rifle shell.

On the left flank, the Company was equally hard-pressed. They lost two mechs and Raz’s Marauder was on its last legs, although they managed to take down an equal number of opposing mechs and several more tanks. A shot from one of the Manticore tank’s lit the ammunition bins of an opposing Warhammer and the resulting explosion also destroyed an adjacent Crusader mech. This fortuitious shot spelled the end of the battle. With their right flank buckling, and the lead elements of their left flank destroyed, Noru’s forces called for a fighting withdrawal deeper into the town.

The Company was not able to savor their victory. They knew reinforcements would be coming soon, but they had accomplished their mission of pinning Noru’s forces in place. They recovered their personnel and were able to salvage a few units before hastily retreating back to their mobile command base.

Striking at the Head

While Colonel Ferrer led the assault on Flat, Captain Salas was charged with leading a lightning strike against the capital of Kalskag. The mission objective was to destroy Noru’s command center and palace as well as any other targets of opportunity.

After-Action Report

Under the cover of night, the Company units advanced stealthily into the city, only being discovered as they approached Noru’s command center. Two mech lances and a lance of hovercraft headed directly for Noru’s palace while the remaining lance approached the command center. The forces played a cat and mouse game across the city streets. The lance approaching the command center was able to draw the attention of the defending units. As soon as they departed, the Company’s VTOL contingent swooped in a dropped a full four platoons, including Ghost platoon, on top of the command center. The Company’s infantry contingent quickly took control of the command center. Ghost platoon begin planting explosives throughout the building, while the remaining squads collected intelligence reports.

Meanwhile, the remaining Company mechs and hovers were laying waste to Noru’s palace despite significant opposition. As the VTOLs added their fire, the palace collapsed and the Company’s units quickly faded into the darkness, although they did lose one unit in the battle. Several blocks away, Captain Salas’s command lance continued to draw the defending units away from the command center in a tense battle, avoiding direct confrontation. Nonetheless, he did lose a Wolverine mech due to a lucky shot on its vulnerable knee joints. When he got the word that the command center was ready to blow, he ordered the VTOLs to retreive the infantry and pulled back further into the shadows.

The VTOLs swept in and collected the infantry units and sped off into the night. Moments later, the command center exploded in a shower of fire and light.

Classic Extraction

The Company’s assault on Flat helped to weaken the defenses considerably and within a week Flat had capitulated and half of the Second Provisional Acamar Cavalry had surrendered. Combined with the assault on his HQ, this event was the end for Noru. His fragile coalition broke apart amid infighting. The Legion of Truth, led by General Sline, came out on top and imprisoned Noru. The remaining pirate groups fled to the wilderness.

General Sline made a mistake in trying Noru, however. The Kasparov Knights were a legitimate mercenary group hired to defend Noru’s landhold. They had remained neutral in the infighting but given this threat to Noru, they banded together with the First Provisional Acamar Cavalry to attack the Legion of Truth and free Noru. They crushed the Legion and then fled the planet.

With the major opposition now gone, Corrigan began working with the Acamar Merchant’s Freedom guild to set up a new stable government. Several pirate bands remained threats. They had retreated to the outlands but continued to probe the perimeter, looking for easy raids.

The Scarlet Guards were the largest of these groups and in a savage confrontation in the Tomahn Moraine, they managed to down to task force aerospace pilots. The Company’s VTOL and fast hover contingent was tasked with rescuing the pilots, while the rest of the Company mobilized to bring the Scarlet Guards down.