Xmucane
Sarna News
- Bad ‘Mechs - Sentinel
- HEXTECH Review - Wave 3 Brings More Urban Options To Your Battlefield
- Your BattleTech News Round-Up For March, 2024
- Crashing 'Mechs With Jennifer Brozek, Author Of The Rogue Academy Trilogy
- Getting The Word Out With Rem Alternis, Catalyst Community & Marketing Director
- Read more →
| Xmucane | |
|---|---|
| Vessel Profile | |
| Type | WarShip |
History
The Xmucane was a WarShip that served in the Star League Defense Force black water navy as the SLS Xmucane during the Star League Civil War. During the liberation of New Earth in 2776 as a part of Operation CHIEFTAIN the Xmuncane was serving in the Ninth Fleet.[1]
When Stefan Amaris launched his coup to gain control of the Terran Hegemony under the name Operation APOTHEOSIS, Admiral Dmitrios Rummolo had been traveling from the Hegemony to the Periphery to take command of the Ninth Fleet, and had been caught up in the coup; Rummolo and his flagship SLS Wales had been in the New Home system when Rim Worlds Republic forces attacked, and Rummolo had led the defense of the system. He had then gathered up ships that had survived the initial attack and led them to a hidden Hegemony installation, founding what became known as the Secret Fleet. Ten years later, with SLDF forces liberating Hegemony worlds from occupation, the Secret Fleet had linked up with the SLDF proper, and Rummolo had taken up command of the Ninth Fleet in time to lead the campaign to liberate New Earth.[2]
Rummolo led an unconventional campaign from the outset; having obtained approval to destroy the HPG in the New Earth system, as the need for security - and the need to prevent the SDS network sharing information on SLDF tactics, techniques and procedures - outweighed the need for the HPG, which could be replaced on a temporary basis by mobile HPG systems. The attack on New Earth began with three civilian vessels[2] who had been operating as a part of the Secret Fleet for some time, the DropShips DeBritta, Memphis Tale and Rojo Caballero, each of which had been modified to carry capital missiles.[1] Although all three modified civilian DropShips were swiftly destroyed by Amaris Empire Armed Forces aerospace fighters, they managed to destroy the HPG and cripple several important command and control nodes.[2]
As the DeBritta, Memphis Tale and Rojo Caballero were making their strike, Admiral Rummolo brought the Ninth Fleet to the nadir jump point and quickly crushed the defenses there before jumping the fleet to the zenith jump point and destroying the defenses there. The Ninth Fleet had secured the zenith jump point well before news of the strike at the nadir point could reach the defenders at the zenith jump point. As the Ninth Fleet recharged their jump engines Admiral Rummolo called in elements of the Fourth Fleet to secure the remainder of the system as Amaris' forces retreated back to make a last stand at New Earth.[2]
Rummolo's plan for taking New Earth called for the Ninth Fleet to jump to the L1 Lagrange point above New Earth and then, pushing through the SDS drones to enter low orbit above the planet, where their fighters and assault craft would divide their efforts between attacking the orbital defenses and various ground-based targets, while the WarShips would operate close to the atmosphere, attacking ground targets directly. That plan proved successful - operating so close to the planet was completely against standard naval doctrine and many of the Ninth Fleet's WarShips took damage as a result, but the Caspar drones experienced even more problems, with many burning up in the atmosphere.[2] However, the Xmucane wasn't a part of the battle; making the jump into the L1 Lagrange point was a chancy maneuver at best, and two WarShips experienced technical problems and failed to jump. The Xmucane jumped - and vanished. The remains of the Xmucane were never recovered; speculation amongst the survivors of the Ninth Fleet was that the Xmucane was stranded somewhere in deep space with a crippled drive.[1]