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The
battle for Satalice was probably the last gasp of the crippled Free Rasalhague
Republic. In it's brief, stormy history, the small state had endured invasion,
intrigue and internal dissent, but no one suspected that the FRR's dirge would
be played by the notorius Black Widow herself, Natasha Kerensky.
By November 3050, only a few persistent islands of defiance remained within the embattled Republic. With Clan strategy shifting to direct assaults on strongly held worlds, a blow was sure to fall on Satalice. Held by remmants of several regiments, reformed under the banners of the old Third Drak0ns and Third Hussars, Satalice under the overall command of Överste Hjalmar Olsen.
Olsen was joined by Prince Ragnar Magnusson,heir to the Rasalhague throne. After Gunzburg had fallen to a single warrior, old Prince Haakon had charged his son with resisting the Invasion to the last. Ragnar, fresh from training with the Wolf Dragoons on Outreach, traveled to Satalice, claiming his right as a Rasalhague Kapten to command a Besättning of 'Mechs. Olsen was reluctant to allow the heir to risk himself in battle, but in the end relented, assigning Ragnar an independent unit of veterans, with instructions to harry and delay the Wolves wherever possible.
It was Khan Natasha Kerensky who contacted Överste Olsen, demanding to know what forces defended Satalice. Well familiar with the Clan tactics from earlier disasters, Olsen replied honestly, knowing that Kerensky's pride and honor demanded that she attack with minimal forces, giving the defenders at least a fighting chance.
Young Magnusson knew that his realm, only 20 years old, was being vanquished as quickly as it had been born. Sitting with arms crossed in a corner of Olsen's command post, the Prince burned with silent fury. Then, as the Wolf Dropships descended, he rose and mounted his Ostsol with the grim determination to destroy as many of the Clansmen as possible before he, himself, died on their spears.
He almost got his wish.
SITUATION: Litengraveling Ice Plain, Satalice, 0900 hours, 26 Nov 3051
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(Provided by a FRR liason officer to ComStar) TO:Coordinator Takashi Kurita Honorable Coordinator: Satalice seems destined to go the same way as all previous Clan targets: Despite strong resistance, the FRR forces seem doomed to failure. What makes Satalice unique is the identity of the combatants. Elected Prince Haakon Magnusson has sent his son Ragnar to join the defenders here. Prince Ragnar today commands a small unit on Satalice, and seems to be causing the Wolves considerable consternation. If this performance is the result of his training on Outreach under the tutelage of the Dragoons, there may be some hope for the Inner Sphere. Most notable is, of course, the fact that the Wolves on Satalice are under the command of Natasha Kerensky, who has apparently risen to a hign position within the Wolf Clan hierarchy. One of the Combine's oldest and most tenacious enemies seems to have completely thrown in her lot with the Invaders. What the future holds for the Wolves, and Kerensky in particular, is not certain but perhaps we can learn something of her plans from the Wolf Guard actions on Satalice. |
The Terran region most closely resembling Satalice is Iceland, a harsh weather changes, with pockets of great beauty where humans clustered. Economically unimportant, Satalice was nonetheless a strong defensive position. The FRR chose this rugged, broken land for their final death struggle. Kerensky's forces descended without major incident. Mindful of the disasters on Twycross and Steelton, where premature action by the defenders had ended in severe defeats, Olsen allowed the Wolf Guards to land unopposed. It was not until the Wolves moved out from their LZ and onto Litengraveling Ice Plain that they encountered any organized resistance. High overhead, Guardian aircraft engaged Clan Omnifighters, while assault lances took on Kerensky's lead elements. A howling wind drove icy sleet across the battlefield, frustrating IR detection, while Satalice's ferrous crust reduced magnetic scanner effectiveness. These two effects combined to allow the defending 'Mechs to move into effective range. The battle that followed was hardfought, but the Drak0ns were finally driven off by the arrival of Clan reinforcements. Thought actual damage to the Wolves was light, the results were encouraging, for they proved that Kerensky was not invulnerable. |
'Löjtnant Hermansson (Assault Lance, Bodell's Company, 3rd Husars) watched as the enemy 'Mech moved into range. The Clan weapons howled and flashed around him; so far, he had taken only minor damage, and his Stalker was still functio- nal.
Unbidden, his oath from the Radstat Academy echoed in his mind. He recalled
the first time he had proudly sworn it, his words reverberating in the torchlit
wastness of the Academy Riddaresal, or Knight's Hall.
"Strike at our enemies like the Hammer of Thor, like the Thunderbolts of Odin
..never falter ..never surrender ..Long Live Rasalhague!"
The Knight's Oath, they called it. Hermansson had to restrain himself from putting a hand to his face and to touch the Radstat scar that strecthed from temple to chin. It was not important now.
What was important was the enemy Fenris now locked into his targeting computer. Two large and four medium lasers flared, followed by a horde of short-range missiles The Fenris staggered, armor burning from its chest and arms. Hermansson could not restrain himself. He switched on his PA system. "Fenris, son of Loki", he shouted, "feel the Hammer of Thor!"'
While the Drak0ns took on the Wolves on the Litengraveling Ice Plain, elements of of the Third Husars hit Kerensky's Battlemechs on the Hammar- eslatt, a vast, rugged plain pocked with hot springs and unexpected pit- falls. It was far from an easy victory for the Wolves, for Rasalhague tactics had changed since earlier battles. Bodell's company had been reinforced to better deal with Clan opponents, and they utilized natural cover to frustrate the Wolves' superior weaponry. The Clansmen were further confused about what were Bodell's objectives.
In the end the assaults of 26 Nov were a mixed success. The Clan advance was halted for several hours, but at the cost of numerous 'Mechs and MechWarriors. Although Överste Olsen's forces had won a few small victories, the Wolves were still advancing and Satalice's defenders were rapidly running out of options.
Ragnar's Wolf Hunters struck early, raiding an isolated Clan depot for supplies. Garrisoned by elements of Trinary Delta, the depot seemed vulnerable, but Kerensky reacted quickly, diverting reserve Clan 'Mechs to stop Ragnar. Though they moved swiftly, the reinforcements arrived too late to prevent the Vargajagare from carrying off most of the supplies. The Wolves were shocked. A near defeated enemy had managed to take major offensive action against them. As to the identity of the Vargajagare and their commander, none could guess that the raiders were led by the heir to the Rasalhague throne. Despite their confusion regarding the raiders' identity, the Wolf Guards knew that they could not allow such a unit to operate freely behind their lines, delaying their advance and possibly giving the Republicans a chance to reinforce Satalice. Kerensky gave orders that the raiders be found and destroyed.
'A light dawn mist was rising from the sparse woods near Knivegg, a sharp
edged spine of rock that protected this isolated pocket of green amid the
frozen plains. Hot springs kept the air warm, and as Ragnar Magnusson
exhaled, he noted idly that his breath did not steam.
He glanced behind him. From the elevated viewpoint of his Ostsol's open
cockpit, he could see the rest of the Vargjagare, spread out along the rim
of the depression. Below lay the Clan depot, guarded by a handful of
converted Battlemechs. The depot held supplies, material desperately needed
by his unit.
"I see no more than a lance on picket duty." He spoke softly into his
commlink. "They don't seem to know we're here."
"That'll change soon enough." Löjtnant Joelsonn's voice crackled in
Ragnar's ear. "Do we move out?"
"Affirmative, Löjtnant." Ragnar replied. "Relay the orders. The
Wolves are about to meet the wolf hunters."
SITUATION:Kilometer 15, Landsväg Fyra, Satalice, 1200 hours, 1 Dec 3052
Menig Kronig adjusted sights on his Bereiter AR90 rifle, listening for the telltale thunder of approaching Battlemechs. Militia-that's what he was. Minimally trained, marginally equipped, unappreaciated and unloved. That was the role of militia in the Inner Sphere.
"Scarecrow militia!" a Mechwarrior had once declared, drunk and laughing. "They let'em strap on a rifle once a month and pretend to be real soldiers." Kronig had burned with humiliation at the words, but made no reply, knowing that the other MechWarriors would back their buddy up.
Now, as the Wolf Clan ravaged his world, and MechWarrior after MechWarrior fell before them, it was in the hands of the 'scarecrow militia' to hold this position against the Wolves' attempted breakthrough. Perhaps the MechWarrior who had taunted him was down on the Highway, hoping against hope that the militia on his flank would hold its position.
Scarecrows? No, Kronig thought with quiet satisfaction. We're the ones who win wars. Not the brash, swaggering MechWarriors and their false pride. Us. We're soldiers.
The docks at Smörjaflod Shipyard were like a scene from hell. Cranes had been blasted into bent, twisted skeletons, and wrecked ships remained at rest in the graving dock, awaiting repairs that would never come.
The last defenders of Satalice had condensed here into a single force. Here amid the twisted wreckage of their homeland, these survivors of the Third Drak0ns and Third Husars had come to die.
My Thor still retained the scars if the past week' battles; I did not have the
heart to repair them. The jagged gash across the BattleMech's chest - where
a cadet's machine gun had flaked away armor - had almost become a badge of honor
to me, a symbol that I had faced opponents whose bravery matched that of my
own people.
...
A Phoenix Hawk emerged from the corpse of a ship, blazing away at me. Calmly,
I targeted and fired. He stood no chance; we both knew it. But he fought on
nonetheless. The outcome was inevitable.
Now the battle is over, and I am alone with my thoughs. With my guilt.
I remember Natasha Kerensky's words, and repeat them myself.
"What have we done ?"
- Star Captain Ranna Those bits were from FASA's "More Tales of Black Widow"
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