Operation INTRUDERS COMMUNION

Operation INTRUDERS COMMUNION
Conflict details
Part of	Fourth Succession War
Start Date	9 April 3029
End Date	9 April 3029
Planet(s)	Bethel
Location(s)	Oakland, Fort David, TerraDyne Corporation
Result	Capellan Victory
Attacking Forces
Affiliation	Capellan Confederation
Commanding Officer(s)	Justin Xiang
Command(s)	4th Tau Ceti Rangers Special Forces Unit Alpha Maskirovka-Special Services Branch
Defending Forces
Affiliation	Federated Suns
Commanding Officer(s)	Captain Andrew Redburn
Command(s)	Delta Company, 1st Regiment Davion Light Guards
Other Forces

Operation INTRUDERS COMMUNION was the codename for a successful raid conducted in April 3029 by the Capellan Confederation during the Fourth Succession War.

Background

The CCAF force that raided Axton during Operation RIPOSTE (First Battalion, Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers, and a platoon of Death Commandos) recovered files from a small NAIS laboratory at Fort Vanders revealing the location of another covert NAIS military research laboratory within the TerraDyne Corporation facilities at Fort David on Bethel which had continued Professor-General Sam Lewis's research on advanced Triple Strength Myomer and made a significant breakthrough. TerraDyne Corporation was minor a Federated Suns manufacturing concern producing components for civilian computers. Davion security at Fort David significantly relaxed when Professor-General Lewis was recalled to New Avalon at the outbreak of hostilities in 3028 to supervise Kearny-Fuchida Drive research, which allowed a Capellan deep-cover agent to be activated, confirming that Lewis's assistant had achieved the breakthrough and had not been able to reach him with the news, initiating preparations for Operation INTRUDERS COMMUNION in early 3029.

Objectives

A Capellan raiding force was assembled on Sian in March 3029 and began training to raid the Federated Suns world of Bethel, while a Command Circuit of six JumpShips was put into place, reducing the travel time between Bethel and Sian to three days along with a second return circuit of eight JumpShips to prevent pursuit. Once the force arrived in system, they would burn toward the planet with Xiang's lance of Maskirovka commandos in the Leopard-class DropShip Gan Ju hiding in the radar shadow of the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers' Overlord-class DropShip. The Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers would then conduct a feint at Oakland, landing to the west of Bethel's industrial center, while the second force on the Gan Ju would break off and land at Fort David, raiding the NAIS research laboratory hidden in the TerraDyne Corporation facility seizing research materials and incapacitated scientists. By March 20th, Capellan intelligence had confirmed that the Davion force guarding Fort David was Delta Company, First Battalion, Davion Light Guards under the command of Captain Andrew Redburn.

Key Engagements

Feint Approach

On 9 April 3029, the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers' Overlord-class DropShip was detected moving on a trajectory to land at Oakland, site of a reactor assembly plant and the industrial center of Bethel. Justin Xiang's Maskirovka team on the Gan Ju, hiding in the shadow of the Ranger's Overlord remained undetected. Under the orders of Captain Redburn, Delta Company's 27 'Mechs loaded onto their Overlord-class DropShip Defiant, redeploying rapidly to oppose the Ranger's landing at Oakland. Shortly after Delta Company had landed at Oakland and begun unloading, the commandos on the Gan Ju were detected splitting off and heading directly to Fort David. Captain Redburn recognizing the threat to the NAIS lab, turned over command of the twenty-three 'Mechs that had unloaded to Company XO Leftenant Robert Craon and making a low arc, high speed 15 minute hop, burning back to Fort David with an ad hoc Lance of 'Mechs that had not disembarked from the DropShip: two Valkyries piloted by Gerard de Ridefort and Mech Warrior Bisto, a Jenner piloted by Odo St. Armand, and Captain Redburn's Centurion.

Battle of Oakland

Having arrived at Oakland first, Leftenant Craon deployed the company in a ragged crescent west of the industrial facilities in Oakland, taking advantage of the cover provided by the woods and hills hiding his 'Mechs and three ancient Von Luckner tanks in camouflaged positions connected land line cables to maintain radio silence. Hoping to blunt the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers' first attack, he reasoned if the Rangers were executing a diversionary attack, they would be reluctant to push on if resistance was unexpectedly stiff. If the Rangers advanced on a broad front, Archer and Demon Lances would attack at long range. If the Rangers moved too close, the short platoon of Von Luckner tanks would fire upon them from behind a farmer's low rock wall as the rest of the company hit their flanks. If the Rangers attempted to bypass Delta Company, they would use their superior mobility to hit them hard on the flanks as the Von Luckners moved up the road to block any retreat.

Two Wasps from Eagle Lance reported the landing of the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers Overlord, west of Oakland, disembarking medium-weight 'Mechs. Archer and Demon lances initiated the ambush, opening fire on the Rangers' lead element, commanded by Captain Christine Jax, who responded by ordering her 'Mechs to bypass through woods to the north. Leftenant Craon ordered his Valkyries, Stingers, and Jenners to intercept Jax's force to the northeast while the tanks moved down to a point where the main road crested a small hill behind the Rangers. Delta Company's light lances took the Rangers by surprise hitting them fast and disabling a Marauder before their opponents were able to effectively respond, which for moment looked to be turning around, until a rookie 'Mech pilot spotted the Von Luckners and reported to Captain Jax that a company of heavy tanks was in their rear. Unable to confirm and afraid of being cutoff, she ordered her force to withdraw allowing Cat, Archer, and Demon Lances flank the Rangers from the north, herding the mercenaries toward the Davion tanks that disabled a Wolverine by destroying its hip actuator. Leftenant Craon called off the attack when Jax's force neared the Ranger's main body, two of his 'Mechs were heavily damaged but repairable and five were lightly damaged. Leftenant Craon called forward technicians to quickly repair his damaged 'Mechs as well as strip and disassemble the disabled Wolverine and Marauder for transport. The Rangers did not make any further attempts on Oakland.

NAIS Laboratory Raid at Fort David

The Maskirovka team was able to reach Fort David first, dropping a team of eight dismounted commandos, led by agent Alexi Malenkov, on the roof of TerraDyne's three-story building to pump incapacitating gas into the building's ventilation system for five minutes. The Gan Ju landed and disembarked the 'Mech lance composed of two Ravens piloted by agents Kwok and Ivanov, a Vindicator piloted by agent Livinsky, and Justin Xiang's custom Centurion, Yen-Lo-Wang. The Ravens took up security positions overwatching the main approach while Livinsky's Vindicator covered a trail providing access to the back of the facility, while Justin Xiang dismounted to join the commando team at the entrance to the facility. The commando team discovered the Triple Strength Myomer research lab on the first level and took possession of a finger flexor myomer bundle before exfiltrating from the lab.

Captain Reburn's lance landed outside of Fort David shortly after the Capellan raiders had breached the NAIS lab, and were engaged immediately after the first 'Mech crossed through the main gates of the TerraDyne Corporation facility, the pair of Ravens ambushed MechWarrior de Ridefort's Valkyrie from a grove of trees, spraying his 'Mech with SRMs. Redburn's lance returned fire, destroying one of the Ravens and heavily damaging the second, which made a hasty withdraw. Captain Redburn sprinted into the factory complex, ordering St. Armand in his Jenner to engage the Maskirovka commando team that had exited the building and his pair of Valkyries to engage the nearby Vindicator while he moved upon the Capellan Centurion. St. Armand was wounded and his Jenner disabled by a PPC hit from the Vindicator, which in turn was flanked and disabled by the pair of Valkyries, forcing the pilot, Agent Livinsky, to eject. The two Centurions, piloted by Captain Redburn and Justin Xiang, inflicted heavy damage on each other, however Redburn's 'Mech suffered a destroyed leg, allowing the Xiang and the commando team to withdraw to their DropShip and make for their JumpShip. The Capellan DropShips were allowed to depart without pursuit.

Outcome

Operation INTRUDERS COMMUNION was a Capellan victory, the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers' diversionary force at Oakland allowed the Maskirovka team to successfully infiltrate the NAIS lab at Fort David, taking possession of a function Triple Strength Myomer bundle that was rushed back to Sian on a Command Circuit, analyzed, and put immediately into production retrofitting CCAF 'Mech regiments within months. The 'Mechs of Warrior House Imarra's regiment were the first to field TSM-refits by early August of 3029. The victory was short lived, the Triple Strength Myomer although fully functional had a catastrophic flaw that caused the fibers to react and burn when exposed to a chemical gas developed by the Davions, which was used effectively against the 'Mechs of House Imarra during the raid on Sian in October of 3029.

Notes

There is a discrepancy in the dates associated with this operation in the novel Warrior: Coupé which indicates that the Maskirovka team landed at Fort David on April 9th in Chapter 11 and engaging the Redburn's ad-hoc lance while the dismounted commando squad was still in the building, which is covered from the Davion perspective in the subsequent chapter dated April 14th.

Bibliography

• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 1
• NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2
• Warrior: Coupé