Turn 56 - From Far Away
In early January you have a meeting with Admiral Benjamin and Jeremy. They are bringing to you a proposal for the next raid on the Dracs. And this one is a doozy, with multiple objectives.
To start with, it will require all of your current lift capacity, except for the 1
Tramp supporting efforts in Calliope and the two
Monoliths running supplies to the NRI. So, 4
Monoliths and 2
Tramps, for a total of 42 collars. Moreover, there would be multiple jumps involved in the attack.
Every single major dropship combatant would be committed to this attack, all of the
Royal Sovereigns, all of the new
Majestics, all of the new
Shannons, even
HMS Renown would be involved. Plus it would involve a landing on Nowa Warszawa itself.
The total TO&E for the operation is as follows
- Wave One
- Dropships
- Renown Class (1)
- Royal Sovereign Class (10)
- HMS Royal Sovereign
- HMS Empress of Nowy Gdansk
- HMS Ramillies
- HMS Resolution
- HMS Repulse
- HMS Revenge
- HMS Centurion
- HMS Barfleur
- HMS Bellerophon
- HMS Penelope
- Majestic (7)
- HMS Majestic
- HMS Prince George
- HMS Victorious
- HMS Prince Jeremy
- HMS Jupiter
- HMS Mars
- HMS Caesar
- Shannon Class (9)
- HMS Shannon
- HMS Northampton
- HMS Imperieuse
- HMS Orlando
- HMS Australia
- HMS Undaunted
- HMS Narcissus
- HMS Galatea
- HMS Aurora
- Roadrunner Class (5)
- HMS Manley
- HMS Colhoun
- HMS Gregory
- HMS Little
- HMS Stringham
- Lightning Class (10)
- HMS Lightning
- HMS Tempest
- HMS Grom
- HMS Błyskawica
- HMS Sturm
- HMS Vihar
- HMS Stuhi
- HMS Tufan
- HMS Bura
- HMS Jara
- ASF Formations
- 10 Standard Carrier Wings
- Ground Forces
- 1st Rapid Reaction Force
- 1st SpecOps Regiment, 1st Brigade, 1st Armored
- 1st SpecOps Regiment, 1st Brigade, 2nd Armored
- Wave Two
The actual OPLAN is divided into multiple phases.
- Phase One
- Jump to Zenith point
- Engage any forces present and scan the inner system to ascertain enemy force disposition.
- Wait for Jumpships to complete a safe charge cycle and jump out
- Strike orbital shipyard complex
- Precise target to be chosen based on scan data
- If possible target is to be destroyed en passant
- Roadrunner class vessels are to act as if they are combat logistics ships during this period.
- Raid Nowa Warszawa
- Strike force is to proceed to Nowa Warszawa orbit and drop Roadrunner class vessels.
- 1st RRF and the 2 SpecOps Regiments are to be dropped off, with the Roadrunners returning to orbit
- 1st RRF and both SpecOps Regiments are to remain mobile, evade enemy units, and strike targets of opportunity for 24 hours
- 1st RRF will regroup for pickup by the Roadrunners at this time
- If contact has been made with the Home Army, both SpecOps Regiments will remain on planet to engage in harassment operations in coordination with the local resistance. Otherwise on scene command will decide whether or not to withdraw them.
- Orbital Forces are to secure the L5 region and sanitize planetary orbit of any hostile infrastructure.
- Phase Two
- Second Wave will jump in at the L5 pirate point to pick up Strike Force
This is a high risk, high reward operation with the potential to seriously disrupt Drac operations. The NRR has indicated a willingness to launch a raid of their own at the Nadir point to further distract and disrupt the Dracs.
The downside is that your daughter and two of your grandchildren will be at risk in this operation, and you can tell that Jeremy is fully aware that he is proposing a plan that puts two of his kids at direct risk, not to mention his little sister who will be in overall command of the operations naval side.
[] | Approve Operation Golden Devil |
[] | Deny Operation Golden Devil |
The volcanic eruption which has been bubbling away outside of Griffsport has entered a new, far more active phase as the geochemistry of the lava shifts, indicating that the mantle currents have brought different materials into the hot spot. The eruption is now characterized by highly energetic streamers of lava shooting into the sky, interspersed with the more typical oozing flow. The nearest observation points are briefly closed out of an abundance of caution, but geologists quickly are able to quantify the new behavior and report that the existing volcano defenses are more than adequate. You bring in teams of scientists from other institutions to verify these findings, and they all concur that while visually spectacular there is actually no actual elevated risk, and the existing defenses are quite capable of handling even a several magnitude greater surge in activity without blinking an eye.
This does result in a surge of tourism to view the volcano, which sees some nice economic effects in Griffsport.
Of course, this also inspires the Department of Periphery Studies to renew their protests for Volcano Privacy Rights. You draw the line at allowing them to build another diet soda volcano outside the Palace, however. You remember the last time they tried that. Instead you quietly encourage schools in the area to have students make
small mentos volcanoes, which they then deliver to the Department of Periphery Studies to make the protestors happy to have volcanoes to play with.
You do get welcome news from Calliope, the defense forces posted there have managed to capture another Drac supply convoy en route to Tarentum, this time loaded with Drac mechs, almost all
Stingers. Nine entire
Mule loads full. Completely useless, from your point of view, being small, relatively slow, lightly armored and lightly armed bug mechs, but it is over a regiment’s worth of machines, complete with spare parts.
Of the three
Tramps involved, unfortunately two were constructive losses, the jump cores being slagged by self-destruct systems triggered by fanatical ISF agents. The third was captured intact, the mostly civilian crew managing to overpower the ISF agents and their officers before the self-destruct could be triggered.
You took no losses in the engagement, HMS Warrior being essentially unopposed. She is now responsible for 3 jumpship captures on her own, a rather impressive result for a comparatively obsolete vessel.
Unfortunately you do receive word from the NRI that terrorist attacks in support of the revolt on Tarentum have begun to occur on Ravenna and Nova Roma itself. Pirate activity has also picked up, making it impossible for the NRI to send any forces to aid in your operations, indeed your analysts believe it is only a matter of time before they start begging for the deployment of ground forces to aid them in putting down the rebels.