War of 3039

Start Date 16 April 3039 End Date 19 January 3040 Result Minor territorial changes House Steiner-Davion fails to cripple Draconis Combine
Factions
(Attacker) Federated Suns Lyran Commonwealth	(Defender) Draconis Combine
Commanders and leaders
First Prince Hanse Davion Archon Melissa Steiner-Davion General of the Armies Nondi Steiner Marshal of the Armies Ran Felsner	Coordinator Takashi Kurita Gunji-no-Kanrei Theodore Kurita
Forces involved
Armed Forces of the Federated Suns Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces	Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery

The War of 3039 was a major invasion of the Draconis Combine by the nascent Federated Commonwealth, an alliance between the Federated Suns and Lyran Commonwealth. Born in the Fourth Succession War, the alliance between House Davion and House Steiner had delivered a shattering blow to the Capellan Confederation, and First Prince Hanse Davion wanted to duplicate this success against the Combine. However when the war began in early 3039 the allied forces did not achieve the success they were hoping for, thanks in part to stiffer-than-expected resistance and a daring counterattack launched by Gunji-no-Kanrei Theodore Kurita. By the end of the year, both sides had gained little from the conflict and peace negotiations brought an end to war, though its repercussions would continue to be felt in the years afterwards.

Background

Hanse Davion had wanted to launch an attack against the Combine much sooner after the conclusion of the Fourth Succession War, but events in the Inner Sphere necessitated its delay. The FedCom alliance was still new and politically unstable, with secessionists in both realms agitating against the new order. Furthermore, Kanrei Theodore Kurita had created a neutral buffer state along two thirds of his realm's border with the Steiner realm by granting rebellious border worlds their freedom and allowing the Free Rasalhague Republic (FRR) to form. On the sidelines, this had forced House Steiner to also commit numerous contested worlds on their side of the border to the new state, thus nullifying their gains in the previous war. The creation of the FRR also caused many Lyrans in the Skye March to agitate for their independence, requiring leadership in both realms to focus efforts on calming tensions.

The Combine had also realized such an attack to be a logical consequence of the Fourth Succession War, and Kanrei Theodore Kurita had been preparing for it for the past years. Theodore worked hard to broker an alliance with ComStar, which was not in favor of seeing the Inner Sphere united under the banner of the FedCom alliance, and with the yakuza clans which operated within Combine space. The Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery was able to recuperate from the Fourth Succession War and the Ronin War much faster than anyone had anticipated, owing in part to a technological renaissance brought about by the Helm Memory Core and an alliance with ComStar. New BattleMech designs such as the Hatamoto-Chi, the Daboku and the CGR-1A9 Charger variant had been created in preparation for the expected attack. ComStar supplied the DCMS with ancient Star League 'Mech designs from their own stocks as an incentive, including (by error or by design) lostech equipment that had not been seen in the Inner Sphere for decades, if not centuries.

While not fully aware of the extent of cooperation between the Combine and ComStar, FedCom leadership was increasingly cognizant that the secretive organization was taking sides against them, from the communications blackouts it instituted during the Fourth Succession War to their suspected role in the attack on the New Avalon Institute of Science in 3029. When it became clear that the Combine was receiving intelligence only ComStar could have provided them, Hanse Davion instituted Operation Flush, sparking a shadow war between ComStar's ROM and both the Ministry of Information, Intelligence, and Operations and the Lyran Intelligence Corps. This "distraction" would ultimately eat up significant resources which could have been used for the coming conflict and contributed to the war's outcome. It also increasingly forced them to rely on the Black Box network created during the Fourth Succession War to circumvent ComStar's monopoly on interstellar communication, a network which had been compromised when the Combine captured several examples and used them to listen in on "secure" communications.

The Battle of Vega (3039).

The War

Robinson Incident

Two weeks before the start of the war, a car was stolen on Robinson with a briefcase containing detailed invasion plans. An immediate massive security lockdown of the entire planet (including the HPG going offline for unspecified technical reasons) followed. Within 24 hours the self-proclaimed "patriotic thief", whose identity was never discovered, surrendered the car to be found by the police, with a note assuring officials that the contents of the briefcase had not been copied or shared in any way.

(See also: Be Not Afraid of Greatness)

Wave One

By March of 3039 all LCAF and AFFS units were in place for the coming invasion, however the leaders of the alliance still needed a casus belli, if only to placate potential domestic and international protest. The justification eventually seized upon were the violent actions taken by the Combine to suppress protests on former Davion worlds it had conquered; that these protests had been instigated and supported by the alliance was a minor detail. On 15 April Prince Hanse Davion made a public proclamation against this barbaric treatment of worlds it still laid claim to and that "steps must be taken to deal with the Kurita tyranny," even as units were already in transit or had even begun their assaults. The next day, the war officially began when Steiner and Davion units made the jump into Kuritan systems.

Although there had been no strategic surprise in this invasion as during Fourth Succession War, a measure of tactical surprise was achieved thanks to the alliance's use of the commercial-military command circuits to secretly assemble units at their jump-off positions. Additionally, the sheer scope of the assault also caught the Kuritans off guard as eight worlds were invaded in the opening phase of the first wave, most within the Dieron Military District and targeting in particular An Ting, New Mendham and Vega. Native garrison forces often melted away in the face of such serious opposition, while rivalries between frontline and militia units on worlds defended by both led to uncoordinated and ineffectual resistance. The situation worsened in late April as another sixteen worlds were attacked, again most from within the Dieron District, followed in early May when worlds of the Galedon and Benjamin Districts were struck. By the end of the month, over thirty Combine worlds were either under the control of or in the process of being conquered by the Steiner-Davion alliance.

The DCMS commander structure was also in disarray at this point, and not just from the sheer shock of the assault and mass of fleeing civilians clogging up the shipping lanes. Cooperation was poor and conflicting orders were given by senior officers who supported either the traditionalist views of the Coordinator or the reformist views of his son. Over the next few weeks Kanrei Theodore Kurita did his best to blunt the invasion and regain the initiative, facing internal opposition especially in the Galedon and Benjamin Districts. In the meantime, the alliance continued to exploit this confusion by operating freely along the border and preparations were made to begin Wave Two in July.

Commonwealth Thrust - Operation WINTERSCHNEE

"Operation Winter Snow" was commanded by General Nondi Steiner and given the task of isolating the Dieron District from the rest of the Combine. It would accomplish this by attacking six worlds in the first wave, including the key Prefecture capitals of Kessel and Vega, eventually linking up with the Dieron Thrust during the second wave to complete the isolation. Because it was the only thrust launched entirely from Commonwealth territory, it quickly became known as the Commonwealth Thrust. It was planned to take three months to complete the conquest of these worlds, and despite fierce resistance these timetables held, pleasing Lyran leadership and setting the stage for further victory.

Date	Location	Attacker	Defender	Outcome
15 April - mid-May	Alnasi	AFFS First Argyle Lancers LCAF Twenty-Sixth Lyran Guards	Militia Alnasi Militia	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed 25 April, DCMS attacks continue to mid-May FedCom units suffer <10% casualties Low-level guerrilla activity continued into July
15 April - late June	Kessel	LCAF Second Donegal Guards Fourth Skye Rangers Eleventh Lyran Regulars	DCMS Twelfth Sun Zhang	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed, military governorship declared 27 April Lyran units suffer <10% casualties Twelfth Sun Zhang suffer <40% casualties, "retreat" offworld Low-level guerrilla activity continued into June, becomes active in July
16 April - 24 April	Alrakis	LCAF Fifth Donegal Guards Twenty-Third Arcturan Guards	DCMS Eleventh Legion of Vega	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed 24 April Eleventh Legion suffer <25% casualties, retreat to Dromini VI Twenty-Third Arcturan suffer <10% casualties
19 April - 26 June	Vega Battle of Vega	AFFS Third Davion Guards LCAF Third Lyran Guards Mercenary Snord's Irregulars First Grave Walkers Seventeenth Recon	DCMS Fourteenth Legion of Vega Fifth Amphigean LAG (2 battalions)	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed 26 June FedCom units suffer <10% casualties Mercenary units suffer <25% casualties Fourteenth Legion suffer <40% casualties, retreat to Eltanin Fifth Amphigean suffers <60% casualties, retreat offworld General Nondi Steiner establishes new HQ on 5 July
27 April - 13 June	Altais	LCAF Eighth Donegal Guards Mercenary Dragonslayers Gray Death Legion	DCMS First Ghost Second Ghost	FedCom Victory Planetary government surrenders 15 May, Ghost resistance continues to 13 June First Ghost effectively destroyed Second Ghost suffer <60% casualties Ghost regiments retreat to Eltanin Eighth Donegal and Dragonslayers suffer <25% casualties Gray Death suffer <40% casualties
28 April - mid-July	Konstance	AFFS Fourth Crucis Lancers LCAF Fourth Lyran Regulars Mercenary Mobile Fire	DCMS Twenty-Second Dieron Regulars	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed 21 May FedCom units suffer <10% casualties Twenty-Second Dieron suffer <25% casualties, begin guerrilla campaign into July

Dieron Thrust - Operation STURMHAMMER

"Operation Storm Hammer", under the command of Field Marshal Vanessa Bisla, was the second of two thrusts aimed to isolate the Dieron District, striking at worlds in the Al Na'ir and Ashio Prefectures before eventually linking up with the Commonwealth Thrust. While also under Lyran leadership, this 'Dieron Thrust' was instead primarily made up of mercenaries: nine regiments total combined with three regiments each from the AFFS, AFFC and LCAF. Of the nine worlds invaded only one was defended by front-line forces, thus LCAF command did not expect any serious opposition to their conquest. Instead it was important that the invaders quickly dig in for the expected counterattack, after which these worlds were expected to serve as jump-off points for follow-on invasions in the planned second and third waves.

While no invasion was launched against the district capital of Dieron itself, various covert operations were conducted in and around the planet in preparation for a possible assault at a later date. These included attacks by LIC agents against military command and transportation infrastructure during the months of May and June. The most serious of these took place in June when companies of Lyran Marines sought to seize control of the system's nadir and zenith point recharge stations. The first attack on 10 June, against the Olympus station at the nadir point, was only just repulsed before the marines could take the command deck. The second attack on 13 June was against the zenith-point Bastion station, and attempted to use space debris aimed at the station which would force its evacuation. This attack was only thwarted when the station's Helm-upgraded sensors detected and destroyed the space debris. Had these attempts worked, it was expected that the Davion Assault Guards, Thirty-Third Avalon Hussars, Seventeenth Donegal Guards, Third Royal Guards and Wolf's Dragoons would've been used to conquer the planet no later than during the third wave.

With the attacks underway, Tai-shu Michi Noketsuna was ordered by the Coordinator and Kanrei Theodore to hold the district capital and its attendant worlds at all costs on 29 April. Recognizing that simply waiting for the enemy to attack would accomplish nothing, the warlord interpreted his orders such that he released his Ryuken regiments to conduct localized raids into the Terran Corridor linking the Lyran-Davion state. While not inflicting any significant damage, they succeeded in drawing some forces away from the invasion in order to counter them. Noketsuna also activated contingency plans for ISF-backed guerrilla movements to resist the occupation forces and oversaw actions to limit the enemy's covert intelligence operations. Some of these covert actions included attempts to infiltrate Field Marshal Bisla's headquarters on Caph, which also served as the primary supply depot for the thrust. However, the headquarters' physical isolation and the population's anti-Combine attitudes severely limited the effectiveness of these operations.

Date	Location	Attacker	Defender	Outcome
16 April - 9 May	Athenry	Mercenary 1894th Light Horse (BSI) Twenty-First Rim Worlds (BSI)	Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory Minimal resistance Lyran authority declared on 27 April Twenty-First Rim Worlds suffers <10% casualties against militia on 9 May
19 April - mid-May	Kervil	LCAF Seventh Donegal Guards Seventeenth Skye Rangers	Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed mid-May Lyran units suffer <10% casualties LIC discovers evidence of lostech in use by Combine
26 April - early June	Biham	AFFS Eighth Crucis Lancers Mercenary Laurel's Legion	Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory Minimal resistance destroyed by early June Invaders suffer minimal casualties
28 April - late June	Ancha	AFFC Sixth FedCom RCT Mercenary DeMaestri's Sluggers, Fighting Urukhai	DCMS First Shin Legion Militia Ancha Militia	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed 29 April First Shin suffers <40% casualties, begins low-level guerrilla activity into July Sixth FedCom and DeMaestri's Sluggers suffer <25% casualties
28 April - late June	Telos IV	AFFS Twenty-Second Avalon Hussars Mercenary Gamma Regiment, Twelfth Vegan Rangers	Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed 5 May Invaders suffer <10% casualties Low-level guerrilla activity through June
30 April - 5 May	Halstead Station	AFFC Fifth FedCom RCT Mercenary Roman's Bar Hounds, Fighting Urukhai	Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory Minimal resistance destroyed by 5 May Invaders suffer minimal casualties
April - June	Sadachbia	AFFS Eighth Deneb Light Cavalry Mercenary Redfield Renegades	Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory Garrison forces surrender without fight
1 May - late June	Nashira	AFFC First FedCom RCT Mercenary Delta Regiment, Twelfth Vegan Rangers	Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed by 21 May Invaders suffer <10% casualties Low-level guerrilla activity continued into June, becomes active in July
12 May - early June	Pike IV	LCAF Thirtieth Lyran Guards Mercenary Hansen's Roughriders	Militia Pike Militia	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed in early June Invaders suffer <10% casualties

Benjamin Thrust - Operation GAHERIS

Operation GAHERIS was launched in support of the Commonwealth and Dieron Thrusts, keeping Combine forces from coming to the aid of the Dieron District by striking into the Benjamin District. This operation was no less important though as, depending on how the battle went, the worlds conquered here could serve as staging points for an assault on Benjamin itself. Thus there was some trepidation when Field Marshal James Sandoval was given overall command of the Benjamin Thrust. A political appointee, Duke Sandoval nevertheless was a proven commander and made a point to host a gathering of his subordinates at his family estate in improve relations and implement last-minute changes to the plan. Six worlds were attacked in the first wave, and but for minor setbacks their conquest went as planned.

Date	Location	Attacker	Defender	Outcome
24 April - 22 July	Fellanin II	AFFS Support Brigade 2 Mechanized Infantry Regiments 1 Armored Regiment Mercenary Seventy-First Light Horse (ELH) Twenty-First Striker Regiment (ELH)	DCMS Fourth Proserpina Hussars	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed 22 July Seventy-First Light Horse suffer <25% casualties Twenty-First Striker suffer <40% casualties Fourth Proserpina effectively destroyed
May	Klathandu IV	AFFS Seventh Crucis Lancers Second New Ivaarsen Chasseurs	Militia Citizens Brigade, few 'Mech lances	FedCom Victory Planetary government surrenders, arrests and turns over Combine governor
17 May - 16 June	Marduk	AFFS First Robinson Rangers Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT Ninety-Third Mechanized Brigade	DCMS 1 Battalion, Sixth Benjamin Regulars Several conventional regiments Militia Several conventional regiments	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed 16 June DCMS units effectively destroyed FedCom units suffer <25% casualties
April - July	Matar	AFFS First Kestrel Grenadiers First Kathil Uhlans Attached: 2 'Mechs. Airborne Infantry regiments Twenty-Third Federation Primary Relief Infantry Brigade (reinforcements)	Militia One Armor regiment	Planet Contested Organized resistance destroyed, primary objectives seized by 30 June FedCom units suffer <10% casualties Planet contested by hostile population prior to DCMS counterattack
11 April - mid-May	New Mendham	AFFS Davion Light Guards First Chisholm's Raiders	Militia 2 combined-arms battalions	FedCom Victory Organized resistance destroyed mid-May FedCom units suffer <10% casualties
15 April - early May	Sadalbari	AFFC Third FedCom RCT AFFS Fifth Davion Guards	DCMS Second Shin Legion Several conventional regiments	FedCom Victory FedCom forces secure majority of world by early May Fifth Davion suffers <25% casualties, Third FedCom suffers <40% casualties Second Shin suffer <40% casualties, fortify themselves at former Castle Brian

Galedon Thrust - Operation LAUNCELOT

The AFFS' thrust into the Galedon Military District was the least important of the four operations, being assigned just seventeen 'Mech regiments, yet was commanded by Field Marshal Ardan Sortek, most trusted adviser to Hanse Davion. The reason for this is unknown, as well as the true intent for the operation: the aim of the invasion lay along the shortest path to Luthien itself, and plans were in place to shift units between it and the Benjamin Thrust as needed. Nevertheless, the operation succeeded in achieving its limited goals of taking its six target worlds during the first wave.

Date	Location	Attacker	Defender	Outcome
11 April-June	An Ting	AFFS First Davion Guards Seventeenth Avalon Hussars	DCMS Various conventional regiments Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory First Davion suffer <10% casualties Seventeenth Avalon suffer <25% casualties Defenders effectively destroyed Low-level guerrilla activity
18 May - 27 May	Capra	AFFS First Crucis Lancers First Albion Training Cadre	Militia Several battalions	FedCom Victory Defenders effectively destroyed
19 May - July	Delacruz	AFFS Forty-Second Avalon Hussars LCAF Third Lyran Regulars	DCMS Eighth Sword of Light 1 battalion Conventional regiments	FedCom Victory Forty-Second Avalon suffers <10% casualties Third Lyran suffers <25% casualties Eighth Sword effectively destroyed
30 April - 11 May	Elidere IV	AFFS First Ceti Hussars Mercenary First Screaming Eagles	Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory First Ceti suffers <10% casualties Defenders effectively destroyed
5 April - 15 April	Huan	Mercenary First Dismal Disinherited Second Dismal Disinherited AFFS Two infantry regiments	Militia Armored and infantry forces	FedCom Victory Dismal forces suffer <10% casualties Defenders effectively destroyed
2 May - July	Thestria	Mercenary The Dioscuri AFFS Two infantry regiments	Militia Thestria Militia	FedCom Victory Dioscuri forces suffer <25% casualties Defenders effectively destroyed

Davion Mercenary Actions

A year prior to the war, FedCom special forces had been inserted on several worlds to recruit dissidents into anti-Combine insurgent organizations. When the invasion began, these groups rose up in rebellion, with mercenary units sent by the AFFC to assist them, in the hopes of drawing DCMS forces away from the main thrusts. The ruse looked to have worked when the Coordinator ordered significant forces away from the Benjamin Military District to put down these rebellions, however the intervention of Gunji-no-Kanrei Kurita lessened the impact of these reassignments. As such, the rebellions met various levels of success.

Date	Location	Attacker	Defender	Outcome
26 February - 12 March	Galtor III	Mercenary Clifton's Rangers 2 Mechanized Infantry regiments	Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory Clifton's Rangers suffer <25% casualties. Defenders effectively destroyed Planet secured by end of March
10 March - 16 March	Bergman's Planet	Mercenary Lindon's Battalion	Militia Unknown	FedCom Victory Defenders effectively destroyed
16 March - Ongoing	Harrow's Sun	Mercenary Miller's Marauders	DCMS Ryuken-yon	Stalemate Miller's Marauders suffer <60% casualties, stranded on planet Ryuken-yon suffer <40% casualties Resistance effectively destroyed, low-level guerrilla activity continues
March	Lima	Mercenary Simonson's Cutthroats	Militia Several infantry battalions	FedCom victory
March - April	Royal	Mercenary Fuchida's Fusiliers New Ivaarsen Volunteers	Militia Unknown	FedCom victory Fuchida's Fusiliers suffer <40% casualties Defenders effectively destroyed
March - July	McComb	Mercenary Martian Cuirassiers	DCMS Several conventional regiments	Stalemate Martian Cuirassiers suffer <40% casualties Defenders effectively destroyed
March - July	New Aberdeen	Mercenary Cunningham's Commandos	Militia Unknown	FedCom victory Cunningham's Commandos suffer <10% casualties Defenders effectively destroyed Low-level guerrilla activity

Lyran Mercenary Raids

Though focusing the bulk of efforts on Operations WINTERSCHNEE and STURMHAMMER, the Lyran Commonwealth also ordered the Killer Bees and Knights of St. Cameron mercenary units to launch deep raids across the neutral Free Rasalhague Republic into the Combine, an attempted distraction to keep the DCMS off-balance and try and prevent troops posted in Alshain and Pesht Military Districts from redeploying quickly to the main front. Setting out as early as a month before the first invasion wave was launched, the mercenaries struck deep in the Combine before finally withdrawing as the second wave faltered in the face of Combine counterattack.

Inspiring widespread fear in the Combine's civilian population as the mercenaries struck numerous worlds on the most direct paths to important targets such as Pesht and Buckminster, on the surface the raids did succeed in prompting a redeployment of Combine troops to better protect Alshain and Pesht, but in many cases the DCMS merely transferred less seasoned troops into the region as more proficient ones were moved to help repulse the Allies invasion thrusts. The raids also damaged relations between the newborn Free Rasalhague Republic and the Lyran Commonwealth, the Republic Riksdag and the Elected Prince lodging diplomatic protests regarding the Lyrans' violation of their neutrality.

DCMS Counterstrike

Almost as soon as the first Lyran forces crossed the border, the DCMS enacted several contingency plans to redeploy troops from the interior to counterattack or oppose any further advances, but they were designed more to oppose heavy raids in force rather than full invasion. As the sheer scale of the combined FedCom thrusts became clear, the bulk of the DCMS was shocked into virtual inaction by the overwhelming opposition they faced, practically confirmed by the Coordinator's desperate "Hold at All Cost" defensive orders.

Not all heeded the Coordinator's orders: a few units choose to adopt an exceedingly liberal interpretation of them and launch offensive strikes to try and convince the Lyran and Davion forces to delay any further thrusts. Similar to the Lyran mercenary deep strikes, the Fourth Arkab Legion and the Eleventh Alshain Regulars launched raids in the Lyran Commonwealth that did little material damage but forced the LCAF to expend resources to hunt them down. The most notable however was the counterraids launched by the Dieron based Ryuken regiments at the direction of Tai-shu Michi Noketsuna.

While the Ryuken's attacks against New Earth, Procyon and Saffel would prove highly successful, thanks to lackluster intelligence reports their strike against Caph would prove near disastrous after the Ryuken-ni and Ryuken-san were shocked to discover two additional elite AFFS RCTs and, in possibly the greatest irony of the war, Wolf's Dragoons were onworld. With the outnumbered Ryuken quickly surrounded, a bold and risky strike at an isolated AFFS staging base hidden in radioactive wastelands broke the stalemate and gave them to opening to escape offworld. Though little more than a footnote in the history of the war, the fighting did serve a cathartic purpose for both the Ryuken and the Dragoons, helping to lay the demons of Misery to rest.

Wave Two and Counterattack

The second wave of the invasion was to build on the successes of the first: consolidate forces on worlds already taken, capture worlds bypassed in the initial attacks, and further tighten the noose around key targets like Dieron. High command sent the "go" order on 3 July via the Black Box network, which due to interstellar lag reached every unit before or around 12 July. Before it could truly begin however, Theodore Kurita launched his counterassault. Perhaps the most daring was an attack by special forces on the headquarters of the Commonwealth Theater, decapitating the command structure, but many recently conquered worlds became the target of DCMS offenses and ISF-inspired uprisings, causing operations in other theaters to come to a halt. The scale of the counterattack, consisting of many heretofore unknown 'Mech forces, was only further upstaged when the Combine launched its own counterinvasion into the Federated Commonwealth. While the allied high commands had seemingly planned for any eventuality, the situation which was unfolding took them completely by surprise.

The loss of initiative was compounded by Hanse Davion's indecisiveness in the face of the counterassault and the Combine's seemingly endless reserves. Two weeks after the "go" order had been given, New Avalon sent out a counterorder via HPG to the theater commanders to halt all operations and for all combat units to remain in place, with additional delays as this order was retransmitted via black box. Several units, having already arrived at their target systems, were forced to stand by and wait as they watched the enemy build up their defenses, much to the chagrin of their commanding officers. Eventually, with conflicting intelligence reports and uncertainty as to the nature of the enemy's disposition, Hanse Davion issued the recall order on 5 October, directing all units to withdraw from the Draconis Combine and return to FedCom territory.

Only after the recall went out was it realized that Theodore Kurita had been bluffing the entire time: even with the addition of the new units the DCMS was spread thin defending its territory and its soldiers sold their lives dearly, while the "counterinvasion" was in truth a series of hit-and-run attacks designed to look like full-scale assaults. It was too late to reverse course however, and the chance for the Draconis Combine to be destroyed was lost, though it would take several more months for the situation to be resolved.

Commonwealth Thrust - Operation WINTERSCHNEE

On 12 July, General Nondi Steiner and the rest of the command staff for Operation WINTERSCHNEE were in the government center on Vega with the intention of announcing Wave Two of their attack. Before it could begin though, a strike force of DEST units staged a daring parachute landing atop the complex. While one team fought its way inside, the second rappelled along the outside of the building and, with security forces tied up fighting the first team, entered the briefing room where the senior officers had gathered. General Nondi was seriously wounded before the attackers were finally neutralized, effectively taking her out of the fight. At the same time, ISF agents knocked out the local communication network and DCMS troops invaded Vega and other planets captured by the Commonwealth Thrust. With unified command effectively cut off, each world was forced to face these counterattacks alone, giving the DCMS the initiative.

Date	Location	Attacker	Defender	Outcome
12 July - 16 August	Vega	DCMS Second Legion of Vega Fourteenth Legion of Vega Second Dieron Regulars	AFFS Third Davion Guards Mercenary Snord's Irregulars First Grave Walkers	DC Victory Defenders suffer <40% casualties, retreat to Baxter Second Dieron suffers <40% casualties Second Legion suffers <60% casualties Fourteenth Legion effectively destroyed
12 July - 13 August	Alrakis	DCMS Eleventh Legion of Vega Eighth Alshain Regulars	LCAF Twenty-Third Arcturan Guards	DC Victory Eleventh Legion suffers <25% casualties Eighth Alshain suffers <25% casualties Twenty-Third Arcturan suffers <25% casualties, retreats 13 August
16 July - 9 October	Kessel	DCMS Second Sword of Light Fifth Sun Zhang Academy Cadre Twelfth Sun Zhang Academy Cadre	LCAF Second Donegal Guards Eleventh Lyran Regulars Fourth Skye Rangers	DC Victory Second Donegal suffers <25% casualties, retreats to Ryde Second Sword, Fourth Skye suffers <40% casualties Fifth Sun Zhang suffers <60% casualties Eleventh Lyrans, Twelfth Sun Zhang effectively destroyed Local resistance continues into December
July 22 - 11 August	Alnasi	DCMS Sixth Alshain Regulars First Sun Zhang Academy Cadre	LCAF Twenty-Sixth Lyran Guards	DC Victory Sixth Alshain suffer <40% casualties First Sun Zhang suffers <60% casualties Twenty-Sixth Lyran suffers <40% casualties, retreats 11 August
19 August - 12 November	Konstance	DCMS Twenty-Second Dieron Regulars Third Dieron Regulars	LCAF Fourth Lyran Regulars	DC Victory Fourth Lyran suffers <40% casualties, retreats 12 November DCMS forces suffer <40% casualties

Dieron Thrust - Operation STURMHAMMER

The first wave of the Dieron Thrust had succeeded in isolating the district capital: communication with the rest of the district was still possible thanks to ComStar, but with FedCom forces blockading the planet supplies were slowly but inevitably being depleted. Though he had been ordered to hold his worlds at all costs, Tai-shu Noketsuna gambled on taking part in the counterattack launched by Kanrei Theodore. Stripping units from worlds which would have come under attack during the FedCom second wave - including Dieron itself - the warlord launched spoiling attacks on FedCom-controlled worlds concurrent with the greater Combine counteroffensive.

Noketsuna's counterattacks launched just as Allied forces were readying themselves for their expected Wave Two attacks and achieved the desired effect of ordering the cancellation of the second wave. The Second Davion Guards had already attacked and captured the planet Altair in July when they received recall orders and were forced to return to Addicks. Perhaps the most contentious loss FedCom forces suffered was Kervil, though DCMS forces only targeted the surrounding worlds. As the extent of the counterattack became apparent, Field Marshal Bisla ordered the units stationed there to reinforce its neighbors, leaving the planet undefended when the Combine reoccupied it in December. In the end Noketsuna's ploy worked, and while his units were bogged down in months of fighting, their sacrifice bought valuable breathing space for the rest of the district.

Date	Location	Attacker	Defender	Outcome
13 July - 4 September	Biham	DCMS Fifth Ghost Sixth Ghost	AFFS Eighth Crucis Lancers Mercenary Laurel's Legion	DC Victory Eighth Crucis suffers <25% casualties, retreats to Murchison Laurel's Legion suffers <40% casualties, retreats Fifth Ghost suffers <25% casualties Sixth Ghost suffers <60% casualties
14 July - 10 December	Athenry	DCMS Twelfth Dieron Regulars Twenty-Seventh Dieron Regulars	Mercenary 1894th Light Horse (BSI) Twenty-First Rim Worlds (BSI)	DC Victory Twenty-Seventh Dieron suffers <40% casualties Twelfth Dieron suffers <60% casualties BSI forces suffer <40% casualties, retreat to Lambrecht
19 July - 26 September	Ancha	DCMS First Shin Legion Eighteenth Dieron Regulars	AFFC Sixth FedCom RCT Mercenary DeMaestri's Sluggers, Fighting Urukhai	DC Victory Sixth FedCom suffers <25% casualties, retreats to Addicks Eighteenth Dieron suffers <60% casualties First Shin, Urukhai effectively destroyed
19 July - November	Nashira	DCMS First Genyosha Second Genyosha	AFFC First FedCom RCT LCAF Seventh Donegal Guards Mercenary Delta Regiment, Twelfth Vegan Rangers	DC Victory Seventh Donegal suffers <25% casualties, retreats to Lambrecht First FedCom, Vegan Rangers suffers <40% casualties, retreats to Errai Second Genyosha suffers <40% casualties First Genyosha suffers <60% casualties
19 July - 16 November	Pike IV	DCMS Fifth Sword of Light Twenty-Fourth Dieron Regulars	LCAF Thirtieth Lyran Guards Seventeenth Skye Rangers Mercenary Hansen's Roughriders	DC Victory Seventeenth Skye suffers <25% casualties, retreats to Lambrecht Thirtieth Lyran suffers <40% casualties, retreats to Lambrecht Roughriders suffer <60% casualties, retreats to Lambrecht Fifth Sword suffers <40% casualties Twenty-Fourth Dieron suffers <60% casualties
20 July - 2 October	Telos IV	DCMS Second Benjamin Regulars Forty-First Dieron Regulars	AFFS Twenty-Second Avalon Hussars Mercenary Gamma Regiment, Twelfth Vegan Rangers	DC Victory Twenty-Second Avalon, Vegan Rangers suffer <40% casualties, retreat to Errai Second Benjamin suffers <60% casualties Forty-First Dieron effectively destroyed
23 July - 11 December	Sadachbia	DCMS Ninth Dieron Regulars	AFFS Eighth Deneb Light Cavalry Mercenary Redfield Renegades	DC Victory Eighth Deneb suffers <40% casualties, retreats to Addicks Renegades suffer <40% casualties, retreats Ninth Dieron effectively destroyed
August	Halstead Station	DCMS First Sword of Light Seventh Sword of Light	AFFC Fifth FedCom RCT Mercenary Roman's Bar Hounds, Fighting Urukhai	DC Victory Sword of Light forces suffer <40% casualties Urukhai suffer <40% casualties, retreats Fifth FedCom effectively destroyed, retreats

Benjamin Thrust - Operation GAHERIS

Kanrei Theodore took a personal interest in the counterattack against the Benjamin thrust. This included bringing in forces from the Galedon Military District as well as deploying units of the Ghost Regiments and Amphigean Light Assault Groups, while at the same time sending several Benjamin District units to reinforce the Dieron District. When the counterattack started, not as many of the AFFS units were in transit their next targets as few such attacks had been planned for the second wave; attacks on Homam and Irurzun which were underway at the time were called off, though only on Homam had combat operations truly begun.

With the DCMS counterattack underway, the hold order had been given from New Avalon to all offensive operations by the allied forces. However, Field Marshal Sandoval recognized the chance to seize several poorly defended worlds and took it, not only violating standing orders but also requisitioning units from the Dieron operation in his official capacity as commander of the Draconis March. While Sandoval succeeded in his gamble - and indeed the worlds he took represented some of the few lasting victories the FedCom alliance retained from the war - there was serious political blowback from his maneuvering.

Date	Location	Attacker	Defender	Outcome
19 July - 18 October	Sadalbari	DCMS Seventh Ghost Eighth Ghost Second Shin Legion	AFFC Third FedCom RCT AFFS Fifth Davion Guards	DC Victory Fifth Davion suffers <40% casualties, retreats to David Third FedCom effectively destroyed, retreats to David Seventh Ghost suffers <40% casualties Eighth Ghost suffers <60% casualties Second Shin effectively destroyed
19 July - 22 October	New Mendham	DCMS First Amphigean Light Assault Group Second Amphigean Light Assault Group	AFFS Davion Light Guards First Chisholm's Raiders	DC Victory Light Guards suffer <40% casualties, retreat to Breed First Chisholm's effectively destroyed, retreats to Breed First Amphigean suffers <40% casualties Second Amphigean <60% casualties
1 August - 13 October	Marduk	DCMS Sixth Benjamin Regulars Eighth Galedon Regulars	AFFS First Robinson Rangers Tenth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT	DC Victory First Robinson suffers <25% casualties, retreats to Breed Tenth Deneb suffers <40% casualties, retreats to Robinson Eighth Galedon suffers <40% casualties Sixth Benjamin effectively destroyed
4 August - 14 October	Klathandu IV	DCMS Third Benjamin Regulars Second Galedon Regulars	AFFS Seventh Crucis Lancers Second New Ivaarsen Chasseurs	DC Victory AFFS forces suffer <25% casualties, retreat to Xhosa VII DCMS forces effectively destroyed
23 August - 3 September	Fellanin II	DCMS Second Arkab Legion Fourth Proserpina Hussars (remnant)	Mercenary Seventy-First Light Horse (ELH)	DC Victory Seventy-First Light Horse effectively destroyed, retreats to David Second Arkab suffers <40% casualties Fourth Proserpina effectively destroyed
24 August - 7 September	Homam	Mercenary Twenty-First Striker Regiment (ELH) 151st Light Horse Regiment (ELH)	DCMS Local Militia	DC Victory ELH forces suffer <10% casualties, ordered to withdraw to David Local resistance effectively destroyed
August	Cylene	AFFS Fourth Davion Guards	DCMS Local Militia	FedCom Victory Fourth Davion suffers <10% casualties Local resistance effectively destroyed
30 August - September	Markab	AFFS Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers	DCMS Local Militia	FedCom Victory Fifth Syrtis suffers <25% casualties Local resistance effectively destroyed
20 September - 4 December	Matar	DCMS Eleventh Ghost Twelfth Ghost	AFFS First Kestrel Grenadiers First Kathil Uhlans Twenty-Third Federation Primary Relief Infantry Brigade	DC Victory First Kestrels suffer <60% casualties, retreats to David First Kathil effectively destroyed, retreats to David Twelfth Ghost suffers <40% casualties Eleventh Ghost effectively destroyed
September	Murchison	AFFS Eighth Crucis Lancers	DCMS Local Militia	FedCom Victory Eighth Crucis suffers <25% casualties Local resistance effectively destroyed
September	Skat	AFFS Twelfth Deneb Light Cavalry	DCMS Local Militia	FedCom Victory Twelfth Deneb suffers <10% casualties Local resistance effectively destroyed

Galedon Thrust - Operation LAUNCELOT

Although Combine intelligence was unaware of the exact size of the Galedon operation, the presence of Field Marshal Sortek in command convinced the leadership that it could not possibly be a diversionary attack. Significant numbers of frontline troops were routed from the Galedon District's Periphery border and from the Pesht Military District to confront this thrust, stopping it and leading to the eventual recall order being issued. While such troops could have arguably been better used in the other theaters of operation, the distances involved meant they would have arrived too late to help.

As elsewhere, many Allied units were en route to or had already begun attacking their Wave Two targets when they began to receive the hold and later recall orders, causing some consternation. The First Crucis Lancers had already arrived at Beta Mensae V when the hold order came and spent a month waiting at the nadir jump point before being ordered back to Federation space; the unit chose to take a circuitous route in the hopes of confusing Combine intelligence and raided Kaznejoy to relieve the pressure on other fronts. The First Ceti Hussars and Second Screaming Eagles likewise spent several weeks waiting in parked orbit above Misery before returning Glenmora.

Date	Location	Attacker	Defender	Outcome
17 July - 17 October	Capra	DCMS Fifth Galedon Regulars Third Proserpina Hussars	AFFS First Crucis Lancers 1 'Mech battalion, 2 combined-arms combat commands First Albion Training Cadre 1 'Mech battalion	DC Victory AFFS forces suffer <25% casualties, retreat to Kesai IV Fifth Galedon suffers <40% casualties Third Proserpina suffers <60% casualties
24 July - 11 August	An Ting	DCMS Ryuken-yon Ryuken-roku	AFFS First Davion Guards Seventeenth Avalon Hussars	DC Victory Seventeenth Avalon suffers <40% casualties, retreats to Cassias First Davion suffers <25% casualties, retreats to Cassias Ryuken-yon suffers <25% casualties Ryuken-roku suffers <60% casualties
25 July - August	Igualada	Mercenary First Dismal Disinherited Third Dismal Disinherited	DCMS Local Militia	DC Victory Mercenaries suffer minimal casualties, ordered to retreat Local resistance effectively destroyed
26 July - 5 August	Elidere IV	DCMS Ninth Ghost Tenth Ghost	Mercenary First Screaming Eagles	DC Victory Screaming Eagles suffer <60% casualties, retreat to Glenmora Ghost regiments suffers <10% casualties
3 August - 3 September	Delacruz	DCMS Eighth Sword of Light Second An Ting Legion Fourth An Ting Legion	AFFS Forty-Second Avalon Hussars LCAF Third Lyran Regulars	DC Victory Forty-Second Avalon suffers <25% casualties, retreats to Kesai IV Third Lyran effectively destroyed, retreats to Kesai IV Eighth Sword suffers <40% casualties An Ting Legions suffer <25% casualties
7 August - 25 September	Huan	DCMS Thirty-Second Galedon Regulars First Night Stalkers	Mercenary First Dismal Disinherited Second Dismal Disinherited Third Dismal Disinherited	DC Victory First Dismal Disinherited suffers <25% casualties Second Dismal Disinherited suffers <60% casualties Third Dismal Disinherited suffers <40% casualties Mercenary forces retreat to Cassias Thirty-Second Galedon effectively destroyed Night Stalkers suffer <40% casualties
9 August - 7 September	Thestria	DCMS Sixteenth Galedon Regulars First Proserpina Hussars	Mercenaries The Dioscuri	DC Victory The Dioscuri suffer <25% casualties, retreats to Cassias Sixteenth Galedon effectively destroyed First Proserpina suffers <10% casualties
26 August - September	Kaznejoy	AFFS First Crucis Lancers	DCMS Seventeenth Galedon Regulars	FedCom Victory First Crucis suffers <25% casualties, continue on to Waldheim Seventeenth Galedon suffers <25% casualties

Davion Mercenary Actions

Unlike the other first wave thrusts, operations on the seven worlds targeted for mercenary-supported revolutions generally succeeded in taking the pro-Davion and underdefended worlds in short order, the only sticking point being the Davion military intelligence's failure to discover the presence of the Ryuken-yon on Harrow's Sun, stymieing all attempts to solidify control. That changed little with Combine counterattack. While the Kanrei actively directed his troops to strike at every world targeted by the Allies, with the DCMS were already dangerously overextended to support OROCHI, the seven worlds taken by the Davion mercenaries were mostly ignored. Aside from the ongoing fighting on Harrow's Sun, only two came under direct attack, the Combine ultimately successfully in retaking all three.

By the time the Combine had the resource to strike at the others, the War had effectively been concluded and the dug-in and reinforced mercenaries were able to repulse any DCMS raids and keep their charges in Davion hands, save for Galtor III. Miscommunication during the Allies recall resulted in Clifton's Rangers digging in despite the AFFS believing they had retreated, the FedSun government secretly supporting the world despite it being in Combine-held space after learning of this. However when the Combine realize they had "lost" Galtor III in the midst of sensitive POW negotiations, the FedSun government ordered the Rangers to pull out to try and avoid a diplomatic incident. Refusing to abandon the world, the mercenaries broke contract to remain behind before being destroyed in 3042 after a bitter 15 month defense, one and a half years after the War of 3039 nominally concluded, when the Combine sent three frontline regiments to brutally subjugate Galtor III.

Even with the tragic and contentious loss of Galtor, ultimately the mercenary actions were among the Allies most successful, accounting for three of the seven worlds gained by the Federated Suns.

DCMS Counterinvasion - Operation OROCHI

Theodore Kurita knew that, if the Combine simply tried to hold the allies at bay as his father originally ordered, eventually their superior reserves would overwhelm them. Operation OROCHI therefore was a bold - if potentially disastrous - ruse designed to convince the FedCom leaders that the Combine's strength was such that it could both defend its borders and invade their territory. The equivalent of ten battalions of 'Mechs, supported by several mercenary units, would penetrate deep into enemy territory and conduct raids on ten FedCom worlds, with the goal of convincing the defenders they were actually full regiments en route to invade Robinson. Perhaps the most daring of all was that the Kanrei himself led the attack, operating with the Second Battalion of the Ryuken-go. Had the operation failed and the allies seen through the ruse, it potentially would have spelled the doom of the Draconis Combine but in the end the operation succeeded beyond anyone's imagination. Vital to the operation's successes was the creation of a command circuit of dragooned merchant JumpShips operating between the uncolonized systems separating Combine and Federation space, the majority of which belonged to the yakuza clans.

Date	Location	Attacker	Defender	Outcome
6 July - September	Le Blanc	DCMS Fourth Ghost Third Battalion Mercenaries Three battalions After July, only two Ghost companies plus mercenary support	AFFS Robinson DMM Three regiments Reinforcements Second Ceti Hussars RCT	FedCom Victory DCMS forces effectively destroyed, mercenaries surrender Second Ceti suffers <10% casualties Robinson DMM suffers <25% casualties
15 July - 4 November	Breed	DCMS Third Ghost Fourth Ghost First & Second Battalions	AFFS Second Robinson Rangers Second NAIS Cadet Cadre Ten conventional regiments Reinforcements (1 Nov) First Robinson Rangers RCT Second Robinson Rangers	DC Raid Succeeds Bulk of AFFS 'Mech forces withdraw 30 July to Robinson First Robinson suffers <25% casualties Second Robinson suffers <40% casualties Second Cadet suffers <60% casualties Fourth Ghost suffers <40% casualties withdraws 7 August Third Ghost effectively destroyed, retreats to Osmus Saar
3 August - November	Xhosa VII	DCMS Ryuken-go Second & Third Battalions	AFFS Militia Reinforcements (early Nov.) Seventh Crucis Lancers RCT Second New Ivaarsen Chasseurs	DC Raid Succeeds Second Battalion suffers <25% casualties, continues to Exeter Third Battalion suffers <60% casualties, retreats to Fellanin II Seventh Crucis suffers <25% casualties
11 August - 5 September	Clovis	DCMS Ryuken-go First Battalion	AFFS Clovis DMM Training cadre (3 regiments)	DC Raid Succeeds Ryuken-go suffers <10% casualties, continues to Doneval II
September	Dobson	DCMS Fourth Ghost Third Battalion (one company and mercenaries)	AFFS Second Chisholm's Raiders	FedCom Victory Second Chisholm's suffers <25% casualties Third Ghost suffers suffers <25% casualties, continues to New Ivaarsen
21 September - 28 September	Cartago	DCMS Ninth Benjamin Regulars One Battalion	AFFS Clovis DMM Three infantry & light armor regiments	DC Raid Succeeds Ninth Benjamin suffers <25% casualties, withdraws to Proserpina
September - October	Doneval II	DCMS Ryuken-go First Battalion	AFFS Doneval Militia Reinforcements (late Oct.) Fifteenth Deneb Light Cavalry RCT	FedCom Victory Ryuken-go suffers <60% casualties, retreats to Fellanin II Fifteenth Deneb suffers <10% casualties
September - October	Exeter	DCMS Ryuken-go Second Battalion	AFFS Militia Reinforcements (late Sept.) First NAIS Cadet Cadre Reinforcements (early Oct.) Fourth Davion Guards RCT	DC Raid Succeeds Ryuken-go suffers <40% casualties, retreats to Fellanin II First NAIS suffers <25% casualties Fourth Davion suffers <10% casualties
August - October	New Ivaarsen	DCMS Fourth Ghost First & Third Battalions and mercenaries	AFFS First New Ivaarsen Chasseurs	FedCom Victory DCMS forces effectively destroyed, retreat to Osmus Saar First New Ivaarsen suffers <25% casualties
August - October	Rochester	DCMS Fourth Ghost Second Battalion	AFFS None Reinforcements (late Oct.) Third Ceti Hussars RCT	FedCom Victory Fourth Ghost suffers <40% casualties, retreat to Osmus Saar Third Ceti suffers <10% casualties

Dieron Counterstrike Continued

Coinciding with the Kanrei's Operation OROCHI, Tai-shu Noketsuna on Dieron received intelligence that Operation STURMHAMMER commander Field Marshal Vanessa Bisla had ordered additional forces advance from their bases in the Terran Corridor to join the Dieron thrust, prompting him to send forces to take advantage of the redeployments. More a continuation of the Dieron raids launched during the first wave than a direct adjunct to Operation OROCHI, the strikes against the high-risk targets of Fomalhaut and Quentin would prove wildly more successful than expected, with the Thirty-Sixth and Fortieth Dieron Regulars able to capture and hold both planets until the conclusion of the War and the signing of the Exeter Accords. The capture of Quentin and Independence Weaponry, the seat of the Federated Suns assault 'Mech manufacturing, would prove to be the Combine's biggest prize of the conflict and more than mitigate the worlds lost to the FedCom forces.

Secondary Factions

While not directly involved in the defense of the Combine, the Free Worlds League and Capellan Confederation both sought to take advantage of Lyran and Davion preoccupation elsewhere to launch raids and strikes against the future Federated Commonwealth.

Free Worlds League Operations

As the War of 3039 officially began, the Free Worlds League was in the final stages of the ten-year Andurien Secession, the bloody conflict to bring the Anduriens back into the fold helping to foster an increased sense of pride and nationalism in many League units. With this increased pride also came a desire to avenge the League's embarrassing defeats in the Fourth Succession War, making the raids that followed a foregone conclusion.

FWLM Wave One	FWLM Wave Two
Menkalinan	Hsien
Phact	Alioth
Old Kentucky	Cor Caroli
Raballa	Callison
Chamdo	Marcus
Capella	Hall

Wave One

Still heavily engaged in the Andurien conflicts, the initial League strikes were relatively small scale raids within the final weeks of the Allies first wave, the most extensive and successful being the recapture of Menkalinan. In a rare intelligence coup, SAFE alerted the FWLM to the withdrawal of the LCAF garrison on Menkalinan shortly before the outbreak of war, FWLM troops retaking the world within six days. While SAFE ensured the recapture of Menkalinan, it failed the Second Oriente Hussars on their so-called "Phact Finding" mission. Striking Old Kentucky, Chamdo and Raballa after the transfer of their frontline forces to the Kurita front, the Hussars ran into a frontline LCAF RCT on Phact itself, resulting in an epic three week chase before they could escape on July 10, 3039.

The most surprising of these raids however was the Ninth Marik Militia's impromptu strike against the important Liao world of Capella on July 12th. Deployed to extricate the Second Oriente Hussars from Phact, when the Hussars escaped on their own, the Ninth's CO decided to launch "raid in force" against regional capital, inflicting heavy losses against the unprepared Blandford's Grenadiers before withdrawing in good order.

Wave Two

Emboldened by the relative success of their raids during the Allies first wave, the FWLM High Command made the fateful decision to launch invasions against six additional worlds during the FedCom forces planned second wave, seeking to capture or recapture them for the League. Unfortunately the League military incorrectly assumed they would face minimal to no resistance, unaware of the DCMS counterattack and that the Allies postponement of many of their strikes had freed up numerous units to repulse their attacks.

In most respects the Hsien, Alioth and Cor Caroli invasions of July to September 3039 were relatively successful, and the troops assigned able to flee ahead of the returning LCAF and AFFS forces. The League forces that assaulted Callison and Marcus were not so lucky, grossly outnumbered and outclassed, they suffered heavy losses as they were ejected by October. The most infamous however was the reborn Black Widow Battalion's total rout of the Eighteenth Marik Militia on Hall on Christmas Day 3039. Cementing again Natasha Kerensky's fearsome reputation, though nobody in the Inner Sphere realized it at the time, the fighting on Hall was a preview for the future, the first instance of a Clan-style Cluster defeating a Star League-configured regiment.

Capellan Confederation Operations

Much like the Free Worlds League, the Capellan Confederation had regained a measure of pride when it successfully repulsed the combined Andurien-Magistracy invasion and also considered taking advantage of the distraction of the invasion of the Combine to launch raids into Davion-held space. Unfortunately the increased paranoia in the wake of Chancellor Romano Liao's ascension left the Strategios too scared to take its own initiative, fearful the Chancellor would either order their execution for their presumption if the raids failed or rashly order a full invasion of the Federated Suns if they proved successful. Recognizing they needed somebody with both a good personal relationship with the Chancellor as well as the wherewithal to actively launch the raids, the Strategios approached Archibald McCarron of the famed McCarron's Armored Cavalry. With the Big MAC uneasy at the restful period following the Andurien invasion, McCarron needed little prompting to be convinced to launch a series of deep raids into Davion space in May 3039.

Planets raided by McCarron Armored Cavalry	Planets struck as part of CASE JULIET
Alcyone	Grand Base
Addicks	Victoria
Andro	Menke
Bethel	Ares
Gallitzin
Kathil
Monhegan
Monongahela
Orbisonia

Attack of the MAC

In total eight relatively minor Federated Suns worlds were targeted over the next several months as the Cavalry's hit-and-run raids extended deeper into the Davion space towards the important factory world of Kathil. Spending little over a week on each world inflicting as much damage as possible, initially the AFFS forces assumed the MAC would attempt to hold their worlds, leading to a confused response. However, after the AFFS realized the goal of Big MAC's strike was Kathil, Duke Morgan Hasek-Davion dispatched CASE JULIET, his own counterinvasion force, and set a trap for the mercenary unit onworld.

Landing first on September 2nd, Barton's Regiment were outnumbered but unconcerned, striking at the seemingly sluggish Eighth Syrtis Fusiliers while awaiting the other MAC regiments. Holding back until after the First and Third MAC landed, the Davion forces sprung their trap, revealing the Alcyone CMM and First Kittery Borderers were also onworld. Now heavily outnumbered, the shocked MAC held out for few more days before conceding they were overmatched. As the fighting on Kathil bogged down, Archie McCarron learned of the FedCom strike against their homeworld of Menke and immediately recalled the bulk of his troops, but gave an unsatisfied Colonel Marcus Barton authorization to continue to operate behind enemy lines as he saw fit.

Barton ultimately opted for a totally unexpected and highly questionable attack against Addicks, the command center of the entire Addicks PDZ. With Addicks a major staging point for units taking part in the invasion of the Combine, Barton easily concealed his two 'Mech Battalions among the multiple RCTs and regiments onworld. Painting his forces to resemble some of the Davion units stationed on Addicks, Barton's forces launched their attack on November 14th, rampaging through the spaceport for three and half hours before making a break for their DropShips, escaping but suffering extremely heavy losses in the process, most notably a Union-class DropShip with all hands and a JumpShip whose KF drive burned out after a desperate quick-charge.

After their eventual return, McCarron's Armored Cavalry were hailed as heroes by the Capellan media, boosting the morale of the Capellan military at the cost of the AFFS counterinvasion and the damage it inflicted.

AFFC Counterassault (Case Juliet)

While the McCarron Armored Cavalry raids reaching as deep as Kathil came as a surprise, Capellan March commander Duke Morgan Hasek-Davion had been making preparations for CASE JULIET since 3038 in case the Capellans chose to test if the AFFS had weakened itself to strike House Kurita. Originally a retaliatory strike against vital manufacturers on Grand Base, Victoria and Menke, Sarna March commander General Roman Steiner also prepared to target Ares after consulting with Hasek-Davion and the AFFS high command as well.

Though highly risky as JULIET involved almost all the available Capellan March defenders, Duke Hasek-Davion and General Steiner knew a simultaneous strike of this magnitude would send a clear message to the Chancellor and rebuke McCarron for his raids. Demonstrating to the CCAF the weakness of its defenses, a lesson some considered possibly better saved for a renewed war against the Confederation, Hasek-Davion considered it a price well paid to prevent a larger Capellan strike during the War of 3039.

The Confederation however found the price bitter indeed, suffering much greater physical losses compared to those inflicted by the Big MAC on the Federated Suns. The Capellan leadership would spin MAC's victories for a morale boost: "proving" that the Davion military was not invincible, publicly hiding the fact that military production on all four worlds had been crippled for months if not years.

Aftermath and Legacy

The bulk of combat operations had died down by December 3039 with a few exceptions (most notably on Galtor III where fighting would continue into 3042) as FedCom units largely withdrew back to their territory. Though many within the allied high commands still lobbied for the renewal of hostilities, arguing that the Combine had reached its military limit, the risk of getting bogged down in attrition warfare against an enemy who had displayed surprising strength seemed too high. On 19 January 3040 the Exeter Accords were signed, officially suspending all hostilities between the Federated Commonwealth and Draconis Combine. In the end a paltry number of planets had exchanged hands, with Cylene, Lima, Royal, Murchison, Markab, Skat and McComb taken by the Federation while the Combine had conquered Fomalhaut, Saffel and Quentin.

The failure of the LCAF and AFFS to properly coordinate their offensive led to the decision to integrate the military forces of the two nations well before they officially became one nation. The Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth officially came into existence in 3041, with the next years spent unifying the two militaries into one whole. Likewise the intelligence agencies for the two allies, the LIC and MIIO, came under the oversight of the Intelligence Secretariat to better coordinate their covert operations.

The victory of Combine forces helped to restore pride and honor lost during the Fourth Succession War and improve the public image of House Kurita in the Inner Sphere. The daring victory also helped smooth over the rocky relationship between Kanrei Theodore and his father the Coordinator, allowing them to present the public image of a unified front to their House's enemies. House Kurita also won a symbolic victory with their conquest of Quentin, where Independence Weaponry produced the Davion-favorite Victor assault 'Mech. Following the loss of that factory world, the AFFC had to import their Victors from the St. Ives Compact where HildCo Interplanetary had recently rebuilt a Victor production line. But the Combine victory was not without cost. Though the Kanrei's dragooning of the Combine's merchant shipping made Operation OROCHI possible, it had a devastating effect upon the realm's economy which would take years from which to recover.

The War of 3039 was notable for being the first conflict in decades, if not in centuries, where vintage Star League-era technology provided by ComStar as well as new or rediscovered technologies were employed on any significant scale. Thanks to the Helm Memory Core both sides had begun the process of resurrecting many weapons and devices which had become extinct, and while some were still in the prototype stages others had achieved full functionality, though their scarcity still limited them to certain elite units only. Both sides had access to primitive versions of double heat sinks, ER Large Lasers, Medium Pulse Lasers, ferro-fibrous armor and Endo Steel, as well as complete examples of CASE, TAG, Narc Missile Beacons and Guardian ECM. The Federation also fielded prototype versions of the UAC/5 and LB 10-X autocannons and Gauss rifles, as well as Triple Strength Myomer, while the Combine also had access to Beagle Active Probes. The allies also fielded new Listen-Kill Missiles among their units, although the Combine was able to quickly render the technology ineffective.

Bibliography

• 20 Year Update
• Blood Legacy (novel)
• Heir to the Dragon (novel)
• Historical: War of 3039
• Technical Readout: 3039