July 12th Week Five
The Marions and the 3rd advanced quickly along the coastal roads and overwhelmed Aotea Quay and the Wellington industrial ports. Most of the members of the government of New Zealand were found hanging from roof supports in the Wellington sports stadium. Infantry and Chindits were dropped along the ridges to the north, clearing out small teams of Republican forces mostly equipped with mortars and recoilless rifles to provide harassing fire on the advancing SLDF forces. The SLDF was now ready to advance into Wellington city proper.
The heavier Marions' would push through the central business district to take Mount Victoria, capturing the highest point in the city. The 3rd was tasked with sweeping North and West, running the hills around the CBD and eliminating any opposition they may find.
The push began on the 10th of July with the Marions advanced preceded by a massive bombardment of the suburb of Thorndon. The Marions got off to a good start, capturing the eastern edge of the suburbs up to Murphy street with little opposition. It was in Thorndon proper the true fighting began, the Republican commander had decided to make a strong defensive stand in Thorndon. Mechs were walked into the rears of buildings to enable surprise attacks from the front, they were buried under rubble, they powered down and were camouflaged to look destroyed. As the Marions advanced towards the Ministry of Justice they walked into a fire-storm. Fire was coming from everywhere, Marions mechs went down rapidly and retreated, the Republic forces would not advance, forcing the Marions to push again and again into the heavily defended city.
The 3rd hooked to the North through the town belt, clearing out small hard points and advancing rapidly, after destroying an entrenched unit of Assault tanks in the Botanic gardens, Nunez signaled to his embattled co-commander in the Marions of his success. The 3rd had taken all of its objectives in the first day. Discussing the situation Nunez and the Marions Colonel came up with a plan to cut off the entrenched Republicans in Thordon. The next morning the 3rd would swing east through the Aro Valley towards Mount Cook and establish a blocking line from Central Park in the west to Wellington Hospital in the east.
Overnight artillery was brought up and established in the Botanical Gardens ready to open fire the following morning.
On the morning of the 11th of July, the fact moving 3rd swept aside all opposition and had taken up their positions by 2pm. Artillery was now firing from 2 sides of the Republican positions and with the capturing of most of the coastline of Wellington harbor and the subsequent destruction of its aerospace defenses, fighter-bombers were now able to be brought into the fight.
The suburb of Thorndon was utterly destroyed. The Republic forces broke under the three-pronged bombardment and fled west as the Marions began their advance. They ran straight into the defensive positions established by the 3rd. Being a light unit, the 3rd wasn't able to bring a vast amount of fire to bear on the Republicans and many of the Assault and Heavy mechs bulled their way east towards the cities main aerospace facilities in Rongotai. However many of the republican lighter units fell to the combined fire of Marions advancing in their rear and the hidden mechs of the 3rd.
One thing was puzzling Nunez, so far all they had seen were units of the 10th. The Republican elite mech regiment had been savaged, leaving half their mechs in the Northern suburbs of Wellington. However, they had also managed to badly maul both the SLDF regiments with Marions at 50% casualties and the 3rd at 40%.
Somewhere in the area was the largely fresh 192nd and the SLDF had no idea where. Marions advanced to the 3rds positions and a halt was called to regroup and rearm.
July 19th Week Six
On the 13th Marions pushed North and West, Intent on taking the heights of Mount Victoria and Hataitai. The intent was to capture both sides of the peninsula with Oriental Bay in the North and Evans bay to the west. This would enable Marions to bring their artillery to bear across the city including the Aerospace port. The 3rd established a blocking position through Newtown and Sinclair parks with the remaining battalion of heavies, while the lights and mediums struck south through to Island bay, clearing out the final remnants of Republican infantry and armor. Finally with the bulk of the city in their hands and artillery in place on Mount Victoria the SLDF were clear to advance on the aerospace port at Rongotai.
On the morning of the 14th, the 3rd pushed out in advance of Marions. The plan was to advance in 2 waves with the lighter elements of the 3rd leading and Marions coming up in a second wave. 2 companies of Marions would Cross Evans bay underwater and emerge through Calder park, as a diversion. The 3rd was to push forward as fast as possible, taking the aerospace port and advancing into the eastern suburbs of Miramar.
Nunez was now seriously worried, the 10th and the 192nd still hadn't shown their faces since the fighting in Thordon. Somewhere out there were two regiments of Republicans. Nunez didn't have to wait long to find out where the 192nd was hiding. As the 3rd crossed the runways they came under heavy long-range fire from 192nd mechs.
The lighter mechs scattered to the north and south looking for ways through the fire. The heavies moved up through Rongotai to the edge of the runway to bring fire support. The Republican trap was sprung, With the third deployed in the tight space of the airport and the suburbs to the east, the Republican command activated 2 Fuel Air Bombs. These massive devices were sitting hidden on top of the tallest buildings of the suburb and the western edge of the port. The 2 bombs were conventional explosives but ignited with the power of half a mega tonne each. In the confined space of the isthmus, a million tons of explosives went off.
The 3rd simply vanished in a massively expanding fireball. The forming up Assault mechs of the Marions, 8 kilometers away, were knocked flat, one light mech was thrown over a kilometer. The two companies of Marions crossing the bay underwater were found later, their mechs crushed by the shock wave. Any SLDF troops outside of hardened armor or Mech cockpits were killed instantly. The Marions mechs were somewhat protected as they were still behind the hills and ridges of the park belt running north to south across the city. Much of the city of Wellington was completely flattened by the shock wave.
Most of the deployed holding line of the 192nd were also destroyed, but these were acceptable losses for the destruction of a regiment. Hidden and protected from the explosion down in Worser bay, the remains of the 10th and the 192nd powered up and charged the shattered SLDF lines. The Marions were in bad shape, most of their mechs were now damaged and their warriors in shock.
The Republicans were coming so fast the heavy weapons of the orbiting Battleships could not be brought to bear as they were too close to the Marions troops already. A retreating artillery barrage was called in, trying to stay on top of the Republicans as they moved forward through the shattered landscape of the city. Assault mechs moved to the top of the ridges of the park belt and added their fire to the artillery.
The Republicans took terrible losses, 2 battalions destroyed before they were able to engage the recovering Marions. SLDF aerospace, deploying out of Auckland, the New Zealand Combat Air Patrol was on station in minutes, but the battle was so fast moving and the 2 sides so intermingled they were unable to provide much assistance beyond picking off Republican mechs separated from the main force.
The Marion Commander made a desperate call, he ordered all artillery within range to fire on his position with the aiming point being his Cyclops. The whole city was an inferno of fire and explosions as mech battled mech hand to hand, heavy artillery dropped all along the battlefront and Aerospace fighters added to the inferno with strafing and missile runs where ever possible.
The Marions battled ferociously to hold off the Republicans and slowly the heavier weight of fire the SLDF was able to bring to bear began to make a difference. Rear elements of the 192nd started to turn and run, there was nowhere for them to go, but anywhere was better than the hell that was the battle of Wellington. The command lance of the 10th was destroyed by the concerted fire of a troop of Catapults and Archers and command cohesion of the Republican forces was lost.
The Republican lances broke. The Marions were ordered to halt in place and as they ran the orbiting fighters were given a free fire order on anything east of the Park Belt. It was a slaughter, the 10th was completely destroyed and only scattered individual mech warriors of the 192nd were able to surrender. It was a victory, but a Pyrrhic one.
The city of Wellington would never be rebuilt, it was left as a monument to the liberation of Terra and a mass grave for the tens of thousands of soldiers and trapped civilians who died in the city. The Marions were shattered, it would take years before they were able to rejoin the NorthWind Highlanders as a fighting force and the 3rd ARMD regiment had simply ceased to exist.
The body of Colonel Sergio Nunez was never found.
2779
Jerome Blake returns to Terra, Stefan Amaris is captured by Aleksander Kerensky and executed, Terra is officially liberated.
2780
The Terran Hegemony was devastated and largely in ruins, worst of all, there was no rightful successor for the position of First Lord. With increasing disappointment, Kerensky saw that the feuding House Lords were going to be unable to choose a new leader of the Star League. On the 10th of October 2780, the Council of Lords gathered and stripped Kerensky of his title of Protector. Ten months later, the Lords had not chosen a new First Lord, each claiming the title and position for him or herself, and the Council was dissolved by the Lords on the 12 of August 2781.
Kerensky refused a proposition by General Aaron DeChavilier to overthrow the House Lords. The reasons for his refusal are unknown.
ARMD forces still remaining intact are returned to New Home to rest and refit. ARMD have lost the 1st and 3rd Regiments, the 4th is a bare shadow of its former self and the home planet underwent a brutal occupation at the hands of the Republicans. Only the 2nd came out of the Liberation war relatively unscathed.
ARMD Marshal, Anne O'Brien, with the complete agreement of her Colonels issues a vow to only ever fight by the rules of Ares Convention. ARMD will never again be involved in the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction or war on Civilians. This declaration leads to a conflict with General Kerensky who believes that Total War is the only solution against the enemies of the Star League.
2784
After months of deliberation and starting to read the signs of an imminent war amongst the House Lords, Aleksandr Kerensky gathers all of the surviving SLDF Commanders on Terra.
Kerensky proposes a shocking idea. In order to remove the most powerful military force in Human space from the greedy hands of the House Lords, he would lead the remaining SLDF men and women out of the Inner Sphere to a self-imposed exile. Kerensky refused to order this, the choice to go or stay was left to individual commanders and units. Marshal O'Brien traveled back to New Home and called the remains of ARMD together on the Mech parade ground of the 2nds base at Zion. Every member of ARMD was there, electronic jamming blanketed the city and sweeps were made to remove all civilians from the area. This conversation was for ARMD and ARMD alone.
The warriors were drawn up along regimental lines and Marshall O'Brien and her two remaining Colonels mounted a dais built at the head of the parade ground as a reviewing stand. The officers came to attention and saluted the rows of ARMD men and women. The speech made by O'Brien was captured at the time and is shown below in its entirety.
"Warriors of ARMD, brothers, and sisters, I stand in front of you today to ask you your wishes for the future of the Division. You have fought with honor and courage for the last 10 years across a multitude of worlds. You have stood up for the traditions and beliefs the Division has held dear for hundreds of years. We, your commanders salute you and all the beloved brothers and sisters we have lost.
Protector* Kerensky has called on the SLDF to leave the Star League. He believes that if the Army stays in Human space we will be manipulated and used as weapons of the House Lords. The Wars we have fought to bring peace to the people of the Star League will never end.
This decision affects all of us, our families and the people we have come to love on this planet. We, your commanders will not make this decision for you. We ask for your decision and we will support your decision, whatever it is. If you wish to join Protector Kerensky and leave the Star League, move to the western side of this parade ground. If you wish to stay on New Home and remain within Human space, form up to the eastern side of the Parade ground. The officers will remain on the podium until you have made your decision and we will join the majority group."
* The SLDF refused to acknowledge the stripping of the title of Protector by the League Council in 2780.
O'Brien and her two Colonels then took up a parade rest position and waited.
The warriors of ARMD were initially stunned. Slowly a murmur arose which escalated into a roar as the troops started to talk amongst each other. After four hours no warrior had moved West or East. Finally, Sergeant Glenn Marrur, a highly decorated and respected Veteran moved to stand in front of the dais. He came to a parade salute position in front of O'Brien and moved to the east. O'Brien saluted him back and remained in that position. One by one, each member of ARMD performed the same ritual. O'Brien stood in parade salute for two hours, tears streaming down her face as ARMD, to the last Warrior voted to stay.
Finally, as the last warrior walked east, O'Brien left the podium and joined them.
The decision was signaled to Kerensky the next day. His final words to ARMD came in a signal dated June 16th, 2784 Kerensky signaled to O'Brien "The loss of ARMD to the SLDF is a great blow to us, the gaining of ARMD to the people of the Inner Sphere is a huge gift. Good Luck"
80% of the remaining SLDF choose to follow Kerensky into exile.In Operation Exodus six million men, women, and children followed General Aleksandr Kerensky into the deep periphery towards an unknown destination and future. This act completes the collapse of the Star League.
2784 - 2786
The Star League no longer exists, the vast infrastructure which ARMD had relied on to supply it of troops and war material was gone. Although ARMD had moved much of its manufacturing infrastructure from New Rhodes III, it had also lost a lot. ARMD now had several projects they needed to undertake immediately.
1. Reorganise the shattered remains of 4 Regiments into a single regiment, the 2nd.
2. Renegotiate the terms of the garrisoning of New Home now that the Star League was gone and the Hegemony collapsing.
3. Work out how to keep the infrastructure, material and reinforcements flowing to allow the unit to continue to operate from a single world.
2786
The reorganization process was well under way when Minoru Kurita struck New Home in one of the first attacks of the First Succession War. Kurita is after the manufacturing facilities present on the planet. The DCMS attacked in force landing 3 regiments on the planet, stealing anything that isn't nailed down and blowing up the rest.
The 2nd commanded by O'Brien fight a brilliant running battle across West Island driving off the DCMS forces but taking such damage that the regiment is rendered combat ineffective. ARMD start to build up their forces again by trading small "police" forces to neighboring planets in return for material.
2788
Comstar seizes Terra and declares the neutrality of the planet.
2790
ARMD now has established local roots, the unit has friends and families across the planet. The inheritable Duchy of New Home, ceded to the Marshal of ARMD by Cameron's so many years ago is declared the governing role of the planet after months of sometimes heated negotiations with the civilian authorities. ARMD is no longer a garrison of New Home, they are its defenders and its citizens. The Division officially ties its fate to that of the planet.
2800
After 10 years it is becoming clear that New Home cannot support a regimental size unit by itself. O'Brien does everything she can to keep the unit together, continuing the tradition of "loaning out" small mech units to surrounding planets, selling off all elements other than Battlemechs and many, many warriors are pensioned off.
Eventually, it becomes clear to the aging O'Brien that ARMD will not be able to survive purely as a garrison unit. It is going to have to earn its way in this new war-torn universe. She proposes to the Divisional Council that ARMD swallow their pride and start to hire themselves out to increase revenue. The proposal is divisive and it isn't until she puts the Divisional accounts before the Council that the idea is accepted. Without an alternative source of revenue, ARMD will have to disband within the next 12 months.
The 2nd Regiment is renamed the ARMD Mercenary Corporation and begins to shop itself around. Many Mechwarriors, unable to accept the change, step down. In many cases, they are awarded their mechs as family heirlooms. These "pensioners" retire from active service and join the planetary militia. Any member of the Planetary Militia is paid for and supported by the civilian authorities, not ARMD. ARMD gains a reserve of mechs and veteran warriors resident on the planet and moves a lot of costs off its books. The civilians gain a permanent mech force dedicated to the defense of New Home, for a moderate cost.
Marshall Anne O'Brien steps down from the leadership of ARMD. Her final act as Marshall is the signing of the registration of the Corporation. She retires to a small farm on South island and dies in 2805. Her funeral is the largest single event the planet has ever seen.
O'Brien led the Division through the horror of the Terran Liberation, the schism of Operation Exodus and the post-war years as it evolved into something very different from its Star League roots. O'Brien is venerated as one of the greatest ever leaders of ARMD.
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