[center][b][color=Gold]M I S S I O N   B R I E F I N G[/color][/b][/center]


[color=Olive]"All right, Green Knights, listen up!"[/color] the voice of Colonel Gaius Wayne echoed throughout the abandoned mine. The Mechwarriors, tankers, infantrymen, technicians, and other surviving personnel of Gawain's Green Knights had gathered in the large central chamber of the mine, which had been converted into their ad hoc 'Mech Bay. In the week since the coup, they had been pushed to the brink just to stay alive, and the Colonel knew they needed a purpose, an objective, in order to keep going.

Now he had that objective. And what's more, he had a plan.

[color=Olive]"I don't need to tell you that the situation we face is a hard one,"[/color] he began. [color=Olive]"We've lost a lot of good people, and a lot [i]more[/i] of them are currently in enemy hands. Make no mistake, we are currently down, but we are [i]not[/i] out, not by a long damn sight. Before we're done here on Espia, we [i]will[/i] get out people back, we [i]will[/i] get our pay either from a new client or from the enemy's own stores, and we [i]will[/i] get our revenge on the Crimson Fists. However, if we're going to do that, we need to look at our first steps."[/color]

Colonel Wayne gestured to Lieutenant Lyons, who switched on an overhead projector. The projector cast an image of a regional map, an abstract of the actual area divided up into hexagons, the standard representation used by 'Mech commanders since the days of the Star League.

[hider=World Map][img]https://i.imgur.com/OlocZLK.png[/img][/hider]

[color=Olive]"This is our effective area of operations,"[/color] the Colonel began. [color=Olive]"The New People's Democratic Republic of Espia has taken control of three of the four major cities on the continent: the primary population center of Geum Haebyon, the river ports of North and South Nui Awa, and the capital city of Balya Gora. They currently have control of the spaceport, the fusion reactors that provide power to the cities, and most if not all of the industrial centers of the planet. At least, in [i]theory.[/i] In practice, the Espian Guard has spread themselves dangerously thin trying to hold down so many pressure points at once. Unless they concentrate their power in a coordinated attack, we can hit them in a number of places with relatively little risk."[/color]

Producing a laser pointer from his jacket, the Colonel indicated the one city in the south that was not sporting the banner of the NPDRE.

[color=Olive]"The one holdout through the coup so far is the port city of Yuzhny Portveyn, on the southern end of the continent. Several holdouts from Governor Xiu's administration still hold power there, and guerilla fighters from the Espian Free People's Movement have made it increasingly difficult for the Guard to take hold of the city. Premier Federov has ordered that a column of tanks move south from Geum Haebyon to Yuzhny Portveyn, in order to reinforce the Guard forces already fighting there, which will crush the Xiu loyalists [i]and[/i] the Free People's Movement guerillas if successful."[/color]

Moving the dot of the laser pointer north on the map, the Colonel indicated Hex F-10, which was marked with an icon of a warehouse, and highlighted with a yellow crosshair.

[color=Olive]"The column of tanks has already moved south of us, but are expecting support from a series of supply depots the Guard has set up along the way,"[/color] Gaius continued. [color=Olive]"According to second-line transmissions our comms team intercepted, at 0600 hours tomorrow morning, a supply convoy will head out from this depot, consisting of three J-27 Ordnance Trucks, carrying over seventy-five tons of long- and short-range missiles, autocannon shells, and machine gun ammunition. The ammo convoy will be joined by three flatbeds containing spare plates of military-grade armor, two flatbeds each containing 5,000 gallons of drinkable fresh water, two more containing pre-packaged rations, and one carrying medical supplies including equipment to set up a MASH unit. Everything a fighting force would need to keep up sustained combat for months."

"The convoy is expected to reach Yuzhny Portveyn within 24 hours of departure,"[/color] the Colonel said, before an eager grin turned up the corners of his mouth. [color=Olive]"We are going to make sure those trucks come to [i]us[/i] instead."[/color]

With a few murmurs from the crowd, the Colonel began to lay out the plan.

[color=Olive]"This will be a straightforward smash-and-grab operation,"[/color] he stated. [color=Olive]"At 0500 hours, our 'Mech lance will descend upon the supply depot, under the cover of the ECM bubble from Alleycat's [i]Raven[/i]. This will effectively cut off the depot's ability to call for reinforcements. Because the bulk of the Espian Guard is currently diverted to the south, we expect the objective to be lightly defended. A few laser turrets, and no more than a handful of light armored vehicles: primarily [url=https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Scorpion_(Combat_Vehicle)]Scorpion[/url] and [url=https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Striker_(Combat_Vehicle)]Striker[/url] light tanks. However, civilian comms traffic indicates sightings of at least [i]some[/i] elements of the Crimson Fists operating not too far from the target area, so keep your heads on a swivel."[/color]

The mention of the Crimson Fists drew a few angered rumbles from the crew, to which the Colonel put up a hand.

[color=Olive]"I know we're all itching for some payback against the Fists,"[/color] he acknowledged, [color=Olive]"but we can only effectively engage them [i]after[/i] we have enough armor and ammo to take them in a stand-up fight. As it is, the window of opportunity here is going to be very tight, so you will have to stay focused and on-task, understood?"[/color]

After a few "sir, yes sirs," he nodded.

[color=Olive]"Now, once the base has been breached, the second part of the attack will commence,"[/color] he said. [color=Olive]"We have three functional APCs, which will enter the depot after the 'Mech force has disabled its primary defenses. Two of those APCs will contain Master Sergeant Dalton's infantry platoons, who will secure the convoy trucks and neutralize any hostile forces nearby. The [i]third[/i] APC....will consist of volunteers. Anyone capable of hotwiring and driving a large vehicle will commandeer the supply trucks. Once the convoy has been secured, they will proceed north back to our headquarters, using the [i]Raven's[/i] ECM to keep them from being detected or tracked by long-range sensors."[/color]

Colonel Wayne took a breath, to begin the [i]bad[/i] news of the operation.

[color=Olive]"As I mentioned, the window to get this done is going to be very tight,"[/color] he said. [color=Olive]"While most of the Espian Guard are concentrating on the fighting to the south, their air force is still very much active in the area, as well as elements of the Crimson Fists, who we know are actively searching for us in order to finish us off. While the [i]Raven's[/i] ECM will keep the depot personnel from calling for reinforcements, as soon as we move out, we won't have that protection. What's more, the ECM field will prevent even mundane communications and check-ins, so the Espian Guard will eventually notice a blank spot in their network, and will likely send elements to investigate. By my estimate, we will have no more than fifteen minutes between the beginning of the attack and the arrival of enemy reinforcements, so we'll have to act quickly."

"What's more,"[/color] he went on, [color=Olive]"While under the cover of the ECM field, you will not be able to receive communications from outside. Meaning I will not be able to direct you from the Mobile Headquarters. That said, you're all professionals. Come what may, I'm putting my trust in you to make the correct decisions in the field."[/color]

Colonel Wayne gestured again to Lyons, who turned the projector off.

[color=Olive]"If you've got questions, now's the time."[/color]