Battletech 3025 Badlands Campaign Week 2, Engagement at Bossman's Oasis and Engagement at Ambush Alley.

After securing the spaceport and repairing their mechs the Taurian 3rd Concordant Cuirassiers and the Desert Foxes Mercenary Company commanders planned their next moves.  They had learned that the Rockhound Mining company had cut a dozen mines into the mountains to the East and Southwest of the spaceport.  Carved out by industrial mining mechs the mining shafts were perfect hideouts for smaller pirate bands.  Some of these locations were home to specific pirate companies while a few were used by independents. These pirates would have to be delt with before they could move against the Brethren of the Black flag and the other larger pirate commands.  

Another problem they were facing was that the spaceport water supplies were getting dangerously low.  The spaceport was home to several non pirate civilians including some technicians who used the facilities industrial mech bays to service pirate battlemechs and equipment as a means of supporting themselves.  There was also a staff of civilians who ran the spaceport that was still used by, pirate, smuggler, and merchant dropships.  They typically hired independent pirates staying at the facility to escort their tanker trucks to a nearby oasis to re-supply but since the Taurians and Mercs had defeated those pirates the facility administrators now looked to the Concordant forces to provide an escort. 

 

Sunday, July 24th, 3025 at Bossman's Oasis on Badlands.  Operational command decided to send a lance of Cuirassier mechs to escort the water tankers to a nearby oasis west of the spaceport called "Bossman's Oasis".  This location was chosen because it was near the spaceport but a good deal out of the way for any of the known pirate bands to be using.  Never the less drone reconnaissance picked up a lance of black painted battlemechs and trucks that appeared to be on their way to the oasis as well.  A, 20 ton Locust, 45 ton Phoenix Hawk, 50 ton Hunchback, and 30 ton Spider made up the pirate force.  The Taurian lance consisted of two 55 ton Wolverines, a 70 ton Warhammer, and a 85 ton Battlemaster.  With a significant advantage in firepower the Cuirassiers chose to press the engagement.    

The Pirate Hunchback, a 4G variant, Moved to engage the Taurian Warhammer and scored several shots on the 70 ton mechs center torso with medium lasers and it's Autocannon 20.  These shots ripped away the heavy mechs armor and damaged it's engine and gyro.  Return fire from the Warhammer and Battlemaster overwhelmed the pirate and knocked the Hunchback to the ground.  

 

with their Hunchback distracting the heavier Taurian elements the lighter pirate mechs decided to make a move on the tanker trucks the Taurians were guarding in a bid to try and get the Concordant force to withdraw.  The two Taurian Wolverines managed to hold them off dealing significant damage to the pirate Phoenix Hawk.   

The pirate Hunchback attempted to stand but fell again allowing the Taurian Battlemaster to easily dispatch the pilot by blowing away it's cockpit.  

The Taurian Warhammer was forced to withdraw however seeing their comrade and lance commander brutally dispatched broke the resolve of the remaining pirates who chose to flee rather than suffer any more losses.  

The Cuirassiers were able to gather the require supplies and salvage a fairly intact Hunchback to bolster their forces once repaired.  

Monday, July 25th, 3025 at Ambush Ally pass on Badlands.  A Desert Foxes reconnaissance drone picked up a force of independent pirates heading for the Ambush Ally pass through the Middle Mountains protecting a convoy four supply trucks of various manufacture.   The pirate force consisted of a, 20 ton Flea, a 25 ton Commando, a 45 ton Vindicator, and a 50 ton Hunchback.  

Due to the distance and speed at which the pirates were moving the Desert Foxes commander decided to use the companie's Leopard Dropship to send a lance of mechs to intercept the pirates.  The Foxes dispatched a force consisting of, a 75 ton Marauder, a 65 ton Catapult, a 50 ton Enforcer, and a 40 ton Cicada.   

Seeing the powerful mechs of the mercenary force the pirates decided to split their force with the lighter mechs and two trucks attempting to move South of the mercenary force while their medium mechs and two other trucks attempted to slip around a hill north of the Foxes position.  

Despite the supply trucks making good time the mercenaries managed to stop the trucks moving south through a combination of shooting and physical attacks.  

The mercenary Enforcer kicked the leg off the pirate Flea then destroyed it with it's weapons.  Seeing this the commando decided to slip past the Mercenary line and escape.

In the middle of the field the pirate Hunchback and Vindicator advanced on the heavier mercenary Marauder and Catapult while the trucks they were escorting swung wide to the North.  The Marauder took heavy damage while the pirates managed to avoid the firepower of the mercenary mechs.  Despite this with the loss of the lighter mechs and their transports the pirate Vindicator decided to withdraw while the Hunchback pilot charged ahead trying to get past the mercenary defenders.  This left the Hunchback isolated and surrounded by heavier enemy mech.  Rather than fight it out the pirate wisely decided to surrender himself and his mech.

Even considering half the pirate forces "escaped" their surviving forces were scattered and the Desert Foxes salvaged a fully operational Hunchback 4G with only minor damage to it's armor making this a solid victory for the mercenaries.  

 

 

Battletech 3025 The Badlands War Campaign

 

Thursday, July 7th, 3025 near the City of Grover on Althea's Choice, Taurian Concordant.  Pirates have raided a munitions plant owned by Cross Industries.  The owner of the plant, Alton Cross, had contacted Lt. Chance Antares of the Desert Foxes mercenary company, the only mech force on planet, to attempt to intercept the pirates before they can escape.

The Mercenaries engage the Pirates heading south presumably to rendezvous with their dropship.  The Pirates have been making their way through a broken plateau but must cross an area of open ground to reach their destination.  The Desert Foxes have chosen this location to engage them.  

Though the Mercenaries damaged several of the Pirate mechs the Pirates managed to evade them and escape the battle.  It was later reported that no dropship was detected taking off from the planet after the skirmish and the status of the bandit lance was unknown.  

Tuesday, July 11th, 3025. City of Grover on Althea's Choice, Taurian Concordant.  The 3rd Company of the 3rd Battalion of the Concordant Cuirassiers arrived on planet two days ago to take place in training exercises with the Desert Foxes.  The Battlemechs of both companies are being re-fitted with non-lethal weapons for the exercise.  The operation command is contacted by Alton Cross, of Cross Munitions, a local aristocrat, who informs them that his ancestral Trebuchet Battlemech had just been stolen by a force of Pirates consisting of two lances of battlemechs.  A Union Class drop ship has been detected entering the upper atmosphere that has refused any attempts to contact it.  Based on the ships trajectory and the heading of the Pirates who stole Cross's Battlemech it looks like they are part of the same operation.  Cross demands the Taurians do something to recover his mech and offers the Desert Foxes a substantial reward if they provide assistance.  With only one lance of four Battlemechs each both the Cuirassiers and Foxes move quickly to intercept the Pirates.  

The two forces engage in a broken plateau Southwest of Grover.  The Pirate force consist of two lances plus the stolen Trebuchet.  

With only two minutes until the dropship gets in range the Mercenaries and Taurian forces move quickly to engage the Pirates.  

A pair of Pirate Jenners cause havoc among the Taurian ranks and a Cuirassier Shadowhawk is taken down.  

After about a minute of intense fighting several of the Pirate Battlemechs have been heavily damaged.  The Pirates decide to retreat and abandon the Trebuchet they had stolen.  The pirate piloting the Trebuchet attempts to bail and escape on foot but is apprehended by the Desert Foxes Cicada Battlemech.  

Tuesday, July 18th, 3025.  Rockhound Mining Company Spaceport on Bandland, Pirates Haven Star Cluster.  After interrogating the pirate captured on Althea's Choice it was discovered that the Pirates who had recently raided the planet were part of the Brethren of the Black Flag based on the planet Badlands in the nearby Pirates Haven Star Cluster.  He also revealed that several independent pirate commands were based on the planet.  

Subaltern Douglas Owen, commander of the 3rd Battalion of the Concordant Cuirassiers ordered his 3rd company, already stationed on Althea's Choice to conducted a punitive raid and scouting mission on the planet Badlands.  Alton Cross hired the Desert Foxes Mercenary Company to assist with the raid.  Both companies were outfitted with a Trojan and Leopard class Dropship for transport to and on the planet.  The Taurian Defense Forces also Provided an Invader Class Jumpship for transport to the system.  

The operation command decided to attempt to make landing at the former Rockhound Mining Company Spaceport based on intelligence provided by the captured pirate.  According to the pirate the facility was home to at best a single company of independent pirates who often signed on with other pirate commands for individual raids.  As such they did not fight as an organized force and would likely abandon the facility if pressed.  

On approach to the spaceport it was discovered that the facility was defended by an orbital defense gun.  Rather than risk their larger Trojan dropships it was decided that the two smaller Leopard drop ships would land a lance of four Battlemechs each on the planet outside the range of the gun and then they would proceed overland to the spaceport.  

Initially the Pirates were extremely aggressive due to their superior numbers rushing forward to engage the Taurians and Mercenaries.  A Taurian Stalker Battlemech suffered an extremely unfortunate ammunition explosion when a short range missile managed to slip passed the assault mechs armor and detonate the magazine.  

 Two pirate mechs, a Commando and Jenner, were also taken down early causing some of the Pirates to loose their resolve and begin a fighting withdrawal.  

Without proper support the lighter Pirate mechs began to fall to the heavier Taurian and Mercenary machines.  

By the end of the battle the Taurians and Mercenaries had managed to capture or destroy six of the twelve Pirate Battlemechs including a lightly damaged Griffin who had shudown from overheating during the fight while only loosing their single Stalker.  The Taurians and Mercenaries were able to land their Trojans without any further issues.