The Invasion of Huntress

19th February 3060:

DEST commando teams are the first Inner Sphere troops to land on the Smoke Jaguar homeworld of Huntress. They spend several weeks conducting covert intelligence-gathering operations.

12th March 3060:

Inner Sphere BattleMech units begin dropping onto Huntress. Forces land at various locations across the surface (see attached map).

Eridani Light Horse - Mount Szabo/Lootera region

Fox Team - Falcon Eyrie, Eastern Mountains

Knights of the Inner Sphere - near New Andery, Shikari Jungle

Northwind Highlanders - Factory Complex near Pahn City

Lyran Guards - Bagera

While the Knights of the Inner Sphere take on the main part of the forces in the Shikari Jungle and pressing on towards New Andery, another small force has also been landed nearby. Their mission is to destroy or capture an orbital defence gun located on an island at the edge of the Bahg Jana river West of New Andery. This emplacement is believed to be well guarded, although the DEST recon operations were unable to determine the exact nature of the defenders. The safety of further landings may depend upon the success of this mission…

The Clan forces were spread out, expecting attack, but unsure from which direction it might come. The space defence gun was defended by a Point of Elementals and a Point of Roc ProtoMechs, with a Rifleman IIC nearby, poised to provide close air defence if any Inner Spheroid AeroSpace fighters should try to strafe the installation. Three other static anti-aircraft emplacements were positioned around the island, along with two more Points of Elementals, and a Point of Minotaur ProtoMechs. The other Clan units were spread out amongst the woods and crumbling ruins between the river and the small town nearby.

The Inner Sphere strike force moved in from the east, coming from the direction of New Andery. They were difficult to detect at first - an ECM pod was carried by at least one 'Mech, maybe more. A brief visual confirmation of their approach was enough though - the Clansmen began to prepare themselves to repel an assault from that direction. Two Epona GEV tanks rose on whining fans and began to glide across the river towards the town, while Elementals and BattleMechs alike moved toward the best positions their short warning time allowed. Fortunately, attack was difficult from any direction but this one, and so a basic defence had been planned out some time ago. How effective it would be depended on the tactics and composition of the Inner Sphere forces.

The enemy recon 'Mechs came in first, as expected. No-one could afford to send their heavy equipment straight into combat unless there were exceptional circumstances. To have your key units taken out by an ambush they were to slow to escape was not the best way to start a battle. In this case though, the Heavy and Assault 'Mechs were very close behind their reconnaissance screen - large, lumbering forms glimpsed briefly between the distant buildings even as the scouts filtered through the outskirts of the town. There were lots of them, and by coming in so soon after their recon elements, they gave the Clan troops less time to react to their plan of attack. This was obviously the Inner Spheroid intention - quickly check out the Clan deployment, then rapidly move up heavy units to an enemy weak point, supporting their recon units before they were cut off.

Ellis Kotare and Ex were already moving to cover the south flank, their Highlander IIC and Executioner shaking the ground as they strode into position. A point of Satyr ProtoMechs lurked nearby, waiting for an opportunity to use their speed and agility to the Clan's advantage. Mask's Warhawk was holding her position by the bridge at the centre, while MAD had begun to turn towards the north. The ruins of the old village there would make a good place for the Inner Spheroids to try and sneak forward, especially if they had Battle Armour with them. Amongst the rubble, Elementals and Hydra ProtoMechs were ready to counteract any attempts at unobserved infiltration, whether by 'Mechs or by infantry. There had been no sighting of anything except Inner Sphere 'Mechs so far, but there was no telling quite what might be hidden by their counter-measures.

Despite the jamming that made the Clan sensors for the most part useless, a picture of the Inner Sphere deployment was gradually forming out of the visual reports flowing from ProtoMechs, Elementals and BattleMechs. Slightly south of the centre, a Commando, Jenner and Javelin could be seen crossing the dual carriageway into the storage silos and spreading out. As they drifted south through the silos and nearby buildings, close behind them followed a Centurion, with a Wolfhound and fearsome 100-ton Berserker taking the centre of the field, backed up by an 80-ton Spartan. On the edges of the south flank, trailing the recon units, came 3 more assault 'Mechs - an Akuma, Highlander and Victor. Further behind this sledgehammer assault force, and slightly towards the centre, came yet another 100-tonner, an Annihilator. From this position, it would be able to lend firepower to either flank, directing a withering rain of fire from its four autocannon against anything that got in its way. Behind the leading Berserker and Spartan, a King Crab and Gallowglas anchored the very centre of the Inner Sphere line.

To the north, a Strider and Hammer led the way, Anvil, Chameleon, Caesar and Komodo moving rapidly forwards behind them. Although lacking in huge and lethal Assault 'Mechs, the sheer number of 'Mechs concentrated in this tight grouping meant that they were potentially the greater threat. This became even more apparent when you took into account their speed compared with the lumbering Assault 'Mechs on the other flank.

All in all, it was a lot of firepower facing the Clanners, but they were not anxious. Although three of the garrison unit's 'Mechs were second-line equipment, they also had two OmniMechs, both of which were powerful assault-class machines. They still outclassed most of the Inner Spheroids on a one-on-one basis. It was a pity, then, that they were not fighting one-on-one. But then, that would have given less chance for glory, which was not the Clan way. It was certainly not the Smoke Jaguar way. Besides, the ProtoMechs should give the Spheroids a surprise or two…

This was already proving to be the case. Kotare sent a Protomech point up either flank to try and blunt the Inner Spheroid advance. Evading the enemy scouts moving through the silos, the point of fast-moving Satyr ProtoMechs sped forward acros the carriageway to engage the Highlander and Akuma. As the Inner Sphere 'Mechs stopped to deal with this distraction, the Victor was able to slip past the Satyrs, trying to maintain the momentum of the attack. Although the Victor was through, the Akuma and Highlander were forced to engage in a short but vicious battle with the recon ProtoMechs. Having never encountered anything like a ProtoMech before, they had no idea of their true capabilities. They just could not risk leaving the rapid-moving mini-Mechs to rampage freely through their rear echelons. Although their massive firepower virtually guaranteed victory over the Satyrs, this encounter delayed the two lead assault 'Mechs significantly. The Akuma backed up against a building to guard against any of the ProtoMechs trying to cut through its rear armour, and the Highlander paused several metres away, the Satyrs between it and the rest of the advance. The Victor was still moving forward, but was not fast enough to make up the lost ground. The Javelin and Commando had been their advance recon elements, and coming out of the silos and up against two Clan assault 'Mechs was more than they could handle - especially with the additional surprise of a point of Rocs. Both now lay in smouldering heaps of wreckage. The 95 ton Executioner had let loose with three large pulse lasers and four extended-range medium lasers, destroying both 'Mechs in less than ten seconds. The supporting Centurion was a little more lucky, and although it took heavy damage, it was able to fall back behind the partial cover of the silos. The Jenner was able to halt its advance before it succumbed to the same fate as its companions, and with the damaged Centurion attempted to lay down suppressing fire to keep the Clanners contained until the Berserker could arrive.

On the northern flank, the Inner Sphere advance was far more successful. Here, a ProtoMech strike force of Hydras tried to break up the strong Inner Sphere thrust, while a supporting point of Elementals sought cover in some trees at the edge of the ruins. As they moved forward, the Inner Spheroids rapidly deployed their forces to counter this unexpected ProtoMech threat. The Caesar split off to the north to move round the far end of the building, leaving the other large 'Mechs - Chameleon, Komodo and Anvil - to meet the Hydras head on. The Komodo with its 10 medium lasers designed for anti-Elemental work, and the Anvil with its two large pulse lasers, were probably two of the worst units the Hydras could have come up against - especially at the near point-blank range at which they now found themselves. The two Inner Sphere scouts responded in different ways - the Hammer turned to help against the Hydras, but the Strider kept moving forward down the battlefield… and right into the line of fire for the Marauder IIC, which sliced into the recon 'Mech with extended-range particle cannon. Desultory return fire spattered the Marauder IIC, causing little damage that the pilot need note. In front of the Marauder, an Epona skimmed forward, but the Gallowglas chose this moment to enter the fight, destroying the accelerating GEV tank with a single volley of fire. As the back of the tank exploded, the burning wreckage nose-dived and ploughed a long furrow, grinding to a halt only metres from its destroyer.

The second Epona had kept its distance, in order to take full advantage of the range advantage its twin LRM20s provided. Unfortunately for the Jaguars, a lucky volley smashed through the front armour, missing the air skirts but sending shrapnel spraying through the plenum chamber, lift fans splintering themselves against the fragments. The GEV grounded heavily, but the crew - though shaken - continued their job. Having lost their mobility, they were a sitting target - but on the bright side, they were in a near-perfect position for defending the bridge. Taking the most of this opportunity, the Epona's crew prepared to let loose their LRMs against any hostile target which presented itself, sending 120 LRMs towards the Inner Spheroids in less than a minute.

Back on the south flank, the Jenner and the Centurion kept up their fire, while the Berserker and Spartan swung towards them from the centre. The Rocs kept to cover, while the Warhawk moved in to support the Highlander IIC and Executioner. Further towards the centre, the Wolfhound darted further forward, before breaking left as if to flank the forward Clan 'Mechs. It was brought up short when, unexpectedly, a point of Elementals sprang from the trees as it passed. Nearby, a point of Minotaur ProtoMechs had appeared, and were spreading out into a skirmish line.

Things were not going well for the Hydras. Caught in a crossfire from the Komodo, Chameleon, Hammer and Anvil on one side, and the Caesar from the other, the ProtoMechs were completely overwhelmed. The Inner Spheroids sustained light damage, but closed in to extreme short range to complete the destruction. After teaming up with the Komodo to take out one of the Hydras, the Hammer left its larger companions to finish the others, catching up with the damaged Strider and taking cover from the Marauder IIC behind a ruined factory. The Chameleon and Caesar claimed one Hydra apiece, while the Anvil's large pulse lasers tore apart the last two.

To the south, the badly damaged Centurion pulled back out of sight of the Clanners, onto the carriageway, and across behind the silos. The Jenner was not so lucky - it was unable to disengage before being destroyed by the Rocs, although it managed to take one of them with it. The Berserker came charging through the silos, trying to close the range between itself and the two Clan Assault 'Mechs, and the Victor came ever nearer down the far south flank. As the remaining Rocs began to move out to block the Victor, their smaller ProtoMech companions finally met their fate, three Satyrs at the hands of the Akuma and two to the Highlander - which managed to slice the legs from its victims, immobilising them before finally destroying them. Stepping over the smashed and broken Satyr remains, the two Assault Mechs resumed their advance, breaking into a run to try and make up for lost time.

In the centre, the Wolfhound found itself taking on 2 minotaurs and 5 Elementals. Luckily, its path crossed that of the Spartan, which paused to lend its firepower to that of the Wolfhound. Elementals began to fall as the Assault 'Mech's guns mowed them down. Then it turned to the Minotaurs… To the rear of the Wolfhound, the Gallowglas strode past the burning Epona, trading fire with two other minotaurs, destroying one of them. Behind it, the huge shapes of the King Crab and Annihilator could be seen crossing the carriageway. Fortunately for the Clanners, the trees and buildings still blocked their line of fire.

The Executioner and Highlander IIC seemed to be holding their own on the south flank. With no clear targets of its own, and wary of any Inner Spheroids trying to break past behind it, the Warhawk slowly began to back up, retracing its steps to the bridge while keeping its guns pointing towards the battle. It had taken the odd hit, but the damage was slight, little more than cosmetic at this stage. As it drew level with the immobilised Epona, it halted, waiting for an enemy to present itself.

Seeing the demise of the Hydras in the far distance, the Rifleman IIC began to move forward. If any of the Inner Spheroids got through the main Clan force, they would need to be intercepted as soon as possible. Activating jump jets, the 'Mech leapt partway across the river, landing on the narrow peninsula where the river split into two. Just to the North, the second point of Rocs leapt from the Orbital Gun the whole way across the river, ready to try and replulse the Northern Inner Spheroid thrust. They rapidly moved forward, away from the river, taking cover in the farm and nearby ruins.

Their opponents flowed around the smashed Hydras, the massed weaponry of the Spheroids easily dispatching a point of Elementals in the trees to the left of their line of advance. The Komodo led the way, running down the far northern flank, Caeser close behind it, follwed by the Chameleon, then the Anvil. This was clearly the greatest threat to the Smoke Jaguars; abandoning the hiding Strider, the Marauder IIC paced backwards a short way, then turned to its left, keeping the fast-moving Inner Spheroids in sight. The Chameleon split off, moving around some ruins to face this 85-ton Clan 'Mech, and a few seconds later, the Caesar followed suit. Having been slightly ahead of the Chameleon, this brought it out on the other side of the ruins, forcing the Clan pilot to split his concentration. As the distance between the Komodo and the Rocs rapidly decreased, lasers began to flicker between them. The flare of a medium laser ablating armour away from the torso of a Roc gave a hint of what was to come.

South flank; trying to gain a breathing space, the two Clan 'Mechs turned and strode back behind some nearby trees, the Berserker in hot pursuit with hatchet raised ready to strike. As the Highlander IIC came round the copse and into the Spartan's field of view, the Inner Spheroid broke off its attack on the Minotaurs to take on this more dangerous enemy. The ProtoMechs had been softened up, and hopefully the Wolfhound could handle them now.

A brief exchange of fire between the Assault 'Mechs ended abruptly when the Highlander IIC's fire touched off the ammunition stored in the Spartan's torso. The Spartan's body burst apart in a ball of flame, shrapnel defoliating several nearby trees and raining down over a wide area, pattering off the scarcely damaged Smoke Jaguar's armour. Through the smoke, the huge, hunched shape of the King Crab could be seen, as it loomed around the end of the silos. Further towards the carriageway, the Centurion cut back between the silos, following the Berserker's route. A different angle than its previous advance, this kept it out of sight of the Clan Assault 'Mechs - for the moment, anyway.

The Victor, slightly delayed by the Rocs, moved slowly forward towards the retreating Clanners, while its two companion Assault 'Mechs came charging up behind it. The Victor shrugged off the ProtoMech attacks, concentrating on the Executioner in the distance. The Executioner returned fire, but was starting to look uncomfortable. Through various circumstances, it had borne the brunt of most attacks so far, and had lost virtually all armour across the whole of its body, arms and one leg. In stark contrast, the Highlander IIC was in almost pristine condition. The Rocs were in worse trouble than the Executioner though - the combined firepower of the Highlander and Akuma cut down three of the Rocs, and the lone survivor cut away from their line of fire, moving to the side and going to ground near the Jenner's wreckage. As this last Roc moved out of the Highlander and Akuma's sight, the Centurion emerged from the smoke between the silos, heading almost straight for it...

Finally able to catch its foe, the Berserker swung its hatchet in a glittering arc, slamming it into the Executioner's shoulder. The Smoke Jaguar returned the compliment, with a blaze of laser fire biting into the Inner Spheroid. It was clear who had come off worst - the Executioner's left torso had been completely caved in by the blow, the arm falling away, depriving the Assault 'Mech of its three large pulse lasers. It would clearly not last much longer - the only question was how much damage it could dish out and how long it could hold the Berserker before it was overcome.

Past the smouldering wreckage of the Spartan, the Wolfhound had been overcome by Minotaurs and Elementals, its body smashed, its pilot dead - revenge for the Minotaur it had destroyed before succumbing. The two minotaurs and lone surviving Elemental had no time to celebrate though, the King Crab emerging from the smoke in front of them, twin 20mm autocannon levelled. Behind the nearby trees, the Gallowglas had started to retreat, moving back past the Epona wreckage, trying to maintain optimum range for its guns and keeping the enemy ProtoMechs away. The tactic paid off - unable to weather the Gallowglas's attack, another Minotaur lay broken and unmoving between it and the Strider and Hammer, which were now emerging from behind the factory ruins. With the Marauder IIC occupied, these two light, fast 'Mechs were once again free to try and advance towards the bridge.

The Marauder IIC was indeed occupied, trading fire with the Caesar and the Chameleon - so far with little damage from their combined attacks. It had its back to the bridge, as did the nearby Warhawk and Epona. With the Marauder to the north of the bridge, and the Warhawk to the south, there was a clear route for the Strider and Hammer, between the trees and straight onto the bridge. The Marauder may not turn to try and stop them, facing two enemy 'Mechs already, but the Warhawk and Epona…

Even if they were able to get past the Smoke Jaguar Assault 'mech bridge guardians, there was the as yet undamaged Rifleman IIC to contend with. In its position on the far end of the smaller island, it was an equally good position whether it wanted to support the Rocs with covering fire, or enfilade the bridge. 3 points of Elementals stood ready to oppose anyone who crossed the bridges onto the islands, and although they had been easily defeated in earlier encounters, this time there would be no-one to back the light 'Mechs up…