Hello everyone, and welcome back to Brighton! (Not in the Dark Ages... let's avoid confusion about that from here on)
On the 24th of June 3063, the Gunmetal Gladiators were informed through their Liaison from the SIMC that the enemy had established a supply base around their Dropships in the valleys to the East, and had made moves to secure a major highway intersection, fortifying it and using it as an artillery base to harass military and civilian targets in the direction of the major population centre to the West.
In light of this information, a plan was put together to move, in force, with the entirety of the Gunmetal Gladiators Mercenary 'Mech Company supported by two Companies of Infantry from the 21st Provisional Garrison Regiment, the local militia regiment they had been hired to support, against the enemy artillery base at the highway intersection in the town of Yantianxiang. This was intended to stop the artillery strikes and, if possible, destroy the enemy artillery capability entirely, and to secure the highway intersection, cutting off the enemy's best path through the mountains towards the city, its drop port, and its HPG.
The Map the Gladiators were shown under a modular tent in the afternoon of the 25th.
The plan was disseminated at 1300 on the 25th of June, for execution at 0700 on the following day. In the night, the Gunmetal Gladiators prepared their 'Mechs and moved to the line of departure with 2 Platoon, 1st Coy of the 1st Battalion, 21st PGR, the infantry mounted in hover tanks to help them keep up. At the same time, 3 Platoon was infiltrating forward to observation posts North of the line of departure, to establish observation on the enemy positions in and around Obj Wyvern overnight (giving the players a chance to reveal some targets before they exposed themselves at all).
Come daybreak, the forces of the St-Ives Military Command were in their places, troops smoking their last cigarettes and checking straps on backpacks or cooling vests before taking their positions.
The SIMC and GG forces at the start line pre-measure lines of sight and ranges, to determine an early plan of attack.
The Gunmetal Gladiators take up a position to the West of the SIMC forces, and receive the first report of enemy movements on the hill at Obj Wyvern - enemy armour, specifically two Lances of Manticore Heavy Tanks, were spotted moving into position atop the hill under cover of darkness by the dismounted militiamen. A fortunate spotting roll prevents the GG and SIMC from rolling up the Highway as planned, right into the teeth of the waiting armour.
Forewarned of the enemy armour awaiting them, the SIMC troop carriers tuck in behind cover, and the GG prepare to flank the hill from the West.
The Gunmetal Gladiators take the report in their stride and, utilizing her superior Leadership as well as the C3 equipment available to her lance, Cat issues a hurried order to the militia - hold back, take cover, and await our signal. To her company, she issues another. They are to close with the enemy utilizing a covered approach, and engage them to draw their fire, allowing the SIMC militiamen to assault from the South.
Marching their 'Mechs into the waist-deep river and allowing the low ridge to the North to hide the rest of them - a feat accomplished only with some judicious squatting on the part of the company's three (!) Atlases - they close to Medium range with the enemy on the hill, limiting the targeting penalties they would incur from engaging at outside of a kilometre.
The GG, utilizing the Active Probe on their Raven to scan ahead into the small built-up area and ensure it is clear, sneak up along the bottom of the river, avoiding detection from the hill until they all burst forth in unison to unleash a deadly first volley!
The forces trade fire, missiles and projectiles streaking through air ionized by laserfire. On the East side of the hill at Objective Wyvern, a Capellan Mechanized Infantry Lance rushes to reinforce the armoured position, targeting the SIMC volunteers in the woods to the South.
Edgar, monitoring all channels using his C3 suite, manages to get through to the SIMC forces just as he hears something on the known Capellan channels he is guarding - the enemy are aware of the attack, and their Battlemech quick reaction force is enroute. If the Gladiators and 21st cannot reduce the commanding enemy position at Obj Wyvern in time, they may not be able to eliminate the enemy artillery or seize the town. The clock is against them now. (In game terms, we rolled 1d6 every turn after fire was first exchanged, adding the results towards a target number that, when reached, would trigger the arrival of the QRF)
The SIMC forces, hearing the signal to advance, fired up their hover transports and rushed forwards from the South, dismounting infantry into cover as they approached to double their firepower at close range and avoid the troops being killed as well, should the transport be destroyed.
Unbeknownst to them (by a reaction rolled for the hostile force), the enemy had already decided to focus on the Battlemechs before them, planning to mop up the militia afterwards. Perhaps they did not know exactly how many 'Mechs were coming out of the sunrise towards them, but this meant that the particularly vulnerable militia did not suffer nearly as badly as they might have, even after another lance of Capellan mechanized infantry turned up in the hills near a gas station to the East.
Moving in unison with their employers, elements of the Gunmetal Gladiators rush the hill at Obj Wyvern, hoping to force a conclusion to this fight in time to face the enemy 'Mechs charging in from the North East.
The 'Mechs, supported by the infantry and their carriers with the handy ability to indirectly fire on targets, pressed the hill and after a round or two of short range fire, shattered the morale of the remaining Capellan forces. The Capellans, watching their tanks burn under sustained laser and missile fire, began a hasty retreat towards the town, while the SIMC hover vehicles gave chase. Behind them, the SIMC militiamen set about tending to their wounded, taking prisoners, and looting destroyed enemy vehicles.
As reports come in of hostile 'Mechs on the North-East, the Capellans attempt one last ditch attack with their mechanized lance into the flank of the SIMC militia. They inflict some casualties, but, being isolated from the rest of their retreating force, are cut down in the open.
The Gunmetal Gladiators, receiving hurried reports from seismic sensor operators among the SIMC, see a number of new sensor contacts resolve to the North East - the QRF has arrived. Being only two Lances of enemy 'Mechs, they are still outnumbered by the GG and SIMC in the area, but the fortified town could give them a significant advantage in a firefight. The GG, sensing their opportunity slipping, dispatch their Light 'Mechs, accompanied by Weinstein in her Nightsky, to the North, hoping to destroy the Chapparal Artillery Tanks before they can get away.
The GG Heavy and Assault 'Mechs take up positions on the hill to fire into the town, while their lighter comrades rush North and engage the now-exposed artillery position.
Davidson pushes forwards to identify the enemies, and is immediately hammered by enemy fire. The Capellans, feeling daring, have positioned several 'Mechs on the rooftops, including a Sha yu, an Ostroc and a Jinggau, some particularly Capellan models. These 'Mechs mercilessly tear Davidson's Warhammer apart, ripping off weapons and damaging its gyro as they only narrowly fail to destroy its engine. This proves to be the only serious casualty the GG will take, however. Their return fire tears into the Capellans in turn, bringing down the Jinggau. The Capellans, understandably, wither under that weight of fire, and choose the better part of valour. The Jinggau is grabbed by a functional 'Mech, and the lot of them begin a fighting retreat.
The Capellans crowd the road towards their landing zone, hurrying back to conserve their forces. The last casualty of the battle will be a Chapparal Artillery Tank, caught by fire from the Light 'Mechs as it rushes to join its comrades in flight.
At this point, the SIMC and GG forces stopped their pursuit, choosing instead to turn to repairs and casualty clearing. They had once again gained the initiative in the campaign on Brighton, and would use the time they had bought wisely, salvaging and repairing for what may be a final push into the enemy's dropzone.
The final tally - only three SIMC militia squads put out of commission, for almost two companies' worth of Capellan casualties, not to mention prisoners of war and the inevitable salvage!
The Gunmetal Gladiators walked away from this with some repairs to do, but also with a number of hover transports, a tank, and some Arrow IV artillery to their arsenal. The cost of upkeep of those will be high, not to mention the fact that they do not have the staff to operate all of that equipment at once, but it is a good start to becoming a next-level company, should they be able to hold onto it all.
Returning to base, the usual after-combat activities occurred, with the MechWarriors taking some rest while their AsTechs get to work. Notably, Davidson and two others had a deep discussion about what they would do when they eventually retired, Davidson in particular contemplating whether his little undercover adventure was worth the risk.
As well, Khalid, the cameraman, has become something of a malingerer, using his work as cameraman and editor to dodge other duties around the camp, and the romance between Shigeko and Marchand has deepened, with the former having found a cute necklace while salvaging the damaged hover vehicles and giving it to the latter as a gift.
That is all for this session, but tune in next time to find out if the Gladiators can close this contract off with a great success, or if Brighton can expect yet more war on the horizon!
