Chapter One Hundred and Ten: Aggression
St. Ives Jump point, April 2nd, 3026
"Listen up." Hull greeted the command staff of the Ducal Guard. "We're definitely up against whatever elements of the 1st St. Ives Lancers made it off of Northwind, and I've gotten reports from Dunham that there's probably at least a battalion of the 2nd St. Ives Lancers on the planet as well."
"We shall crush them." Yvonne slammed her hand down on the table.
"Don't get cocky Hazen." I told our Ducal Guard CO. "Just because they're not in the same equipment as us doesn't mean that they're not able to fight well or effectively, and on top of that, this is their home turf, so we're going to have to be careful that a MASK cell doesn't try and nuke us like they did on Northwind."
"Aff." Yvonne responded, chastened slightly. "What is the plan then?"
"We have Stings and enough Aerospace that I'm not concerned about us making it to the ground." I started, "It's what we plan to do after we get to the ground that we need to plan out."
"Mathis," Natasha spoke up. "Do you have any ODST trained infantry in your Battalion?"
"Natasha," Mathis shook his head. "Did you think I would accept anyone that wasn't certified or qualified in all of our training?" He laughed. "All of us are certified tank crew operators and 'mech pilots as well."
"I have an idea." Natasha spoke up with a wicked grin. "And this one is something you will appreciate, Mark."
Northwind, February 5th, 3026
"Colonel Godbolt, orders are to leave you here to continue assisting in rebuilding efforts until the rest of the Highlanders are back on planet." Packer relayed the message to his fellow CO.
"Copy that Packer." She replied as she sat down. "Where are you headed next?"
"We're moving to Capella." Packer said bluntly. "We know that Paterson wants to move onto Sian, but before the Interdiction, he was on Capella, and with Hanse Davion moving to Capella with the 2nd, 5th, and 8th Crucis Lancers along with some Warships, we know that they might need the extra help taking the capital of the Capellan Confederation."
"Give 'em hell for me Stephen." Godbolt growled out. "That madman needs to pay for what he did."
"We're lifting off tomorrow so let me know if you need anything from me before we leave." Packer reminded her. "I can spare some extra recovery vehicles if necessary."
"I think we're good here." Rachel said after she browsed her slate looking for her logistical information. "We've got rations and the Civilians here are more than willing to sell us extra food."
"Just remember that we might have some issues with another potential attacker before the rest of the Highlanders get here." Packer reminded, "I'd be wary of some potential "Ronin" stepping in to try and attack while we're gone."
"I'll hold down the fort." Godbolt said. "Hull left me orders to go back to Kentares when the Highlanders get here though."
"Then follow them." Packer said. "And if you need to leave someone behind for a bit, Carter is a fantastic XO for any remaining units." He sighed, "I tried to get her, but she applied for the 2nd Kentares instead of the 1st when she transferred out of the Marksman."
"I'll consider myself lucky then." Godbolt said with a sad smile. "I'm just glad she made it out alive given that she's infantry."
"Aren't we all Rachel, aren't we all." Packer agreed.
Capella, February 10th, 3026
"You mind explaining why MASK keeps trying to kill you?" Peterson asked the CO of the Branford's Grenadiers. "Because that's the fifth cell we've taken out since you surrendered."
"I guess growing a brain means that I need to die." The other man sagged. "I'm not committing suicide with me or my men, and if Chancellor Liao wants us dead, he could have just ordered us to go fight and die for a Davion World, but to send MASK after nearly seven hundred years of loyal service then…" De Salvo trailed off. "You fought against us, but you made sure that my pilots were treated well and that all of my men, and the local militia were given great care."
"What are you trying to say?" Peterson asked.
"If the Chancellor is so insane as to believe that he can kill units loyal to the Confederation, then he has another thing coming." De Salvo stood up and ranted. "Is Romano truly sane as she seems?"
"Saner." Peterson said, "I've met the young woman herself."
"I will pledge myself and what is left of my regiment to you, as long as you allow us to try and save what is left of a once great nation." De Salvo knelt. "Once we have deposed the madman on the throne of Sian, I would like to at least offer the chancellorship to Romano or Candace, in the hopes that they preserve what they can."
"I accept your personal oath." Peterson responded, "But I cannot trust your men."
"I will verify their trustworthiness myself." De Salvo said. "Just allow us the chance to do this one thing, and we will gladly join your forces for the rest of eternity."
"We'll begin training while we wait for some reinforcements." Peterson finally said after some thought. "If and I really mean If your people prove themselves trustworthy, then we'll allow you the shot at revenge."
"That is all that I can ask for." De Salvo stood up. "You are a man with honor Colonel Peterson, despite what the media here tried to frame you as."
Capella, February 15th, 3026
"You're sure you have no access or knowledge of where any WMD stockpiles might be?" Peterson triple checked with De Salvo.
"None whatsoever." He replied. "And that fact worries me a bit."
"Hathaway!" Peterson grabbed the closest comms device. "Run a check on our POWs, they might get hit before the rest of us in case of an attack, and I want to make absolutely sure they make it out."
"Sir," Hathaway responded. "We just got hit with some sort of nerve gas, anyone that wasn't sealed in Mithril or in one of the dropships is either dead, or wishes that they were."
"Fuck!" Peterson swore while his microphone was muted. I'm ordering a full quarantine of your area, we can't risk the rest of the planet." Peterson began running damage control while multitasking. "De Salvo, we got a Battalion and a half of your battlemech pilots out of that compound before it was struck, they were already on a Triumphdropship headed over here, but we just lost all of the Militia POWs we had."
De Salvo swore in Chinese and Spanish for several minutes. "Where do you need me?"
"Help me run damage control." Peterson said before turning to a staff officer. "Get everyone sealed up in Mithril, and get me Jones, he's Dunham's XO, he should have some intel for me to use now."
"Hathaway, are you still there?" Peterson double checked.
"Still here sir, I'm having some of our engineers going over the structure and locating whatever device was used now."
"Well, make it fast, if that was their test, we don't know what their main target would be."
"Yes sir," Hathaway responded. "We'll do the best we can."
"Peterson, Captain Bruce has been trying to get in touch with you." A comms officer spoke up.
"Put him through."
"Peterson, what's left of the Rashpur-Owens Incorporated jumpship factories up here just had charges go off. The lines are offline, you may want to make sure that Ceres Metals is covered and protected."
"I've got most of the RCT covering those factories." Peterson replied and then it clicked. "Where the Fuck is Jones?!"