Weekend War Report #1 (5/8-10)

Publisher: CX-X Canik
May 15th, 2020

Editor's Note:

     Hello everyone, and thank you for reading our first Official War Report! The purpose of this article is to recap on the events each Platoon experienced the previous weekend, to be published before the start of the new weekend. Some of you may have noticed an extra trooper running around with your Command Element. Chances are, either your Command Cell is spending credits on people they shouldn't be, or it is one of the News Team's own War Correspondents! Their purpose is to go and gather information about each Platoon FTX/Operation, in order to have it written into one of these articles, with the purpose of helping inform you all of everyone's actions during the weekend. This is still a new project, and as such, Quality and Formatting will change over the next few articles (to be published Fridays before 3rd Platoon). We hope you enjoy!

Blind Man’s Gamble

501st Platoon Operations

For Week of 5/08-10

Introduction

     From the sun-baked beaches of Malden and Wako’anak to the frozen winter wonderlands of Chernarus. The Legion brought the full force of Avalanche Company to the simulators to weather yet another challenge. Four platoons readied themselves for the coming storm. While some fronts faced a breakdown in communication, others lost the aid of their supporting elements. The platoons would only be able to rely on themselves and themselves alone. Only trust in each other and a will of beskar would enable them to come out on top of their foes. 

Operation “Labyrinth”

Avalanche Co. 1st Platoon

     Orders falling on deaf ears can leave a Platoon vulnerable, but what if they weren’t there at all? First Lieutenant Point and his command staff would undertake Operation Labyrinth, the disruption of Separatist operations and their influence over a vast area across the southeastern stretch of Malden. The fight would take them from the coastlines inland, further into Separatist lines, and along a steep ascent up a mountain slope. With the newfound absence of long-ranged communications, their success would bank off the cunning use of recent additions to the Republic’s arsenal, the LTU Jump Pack. Today, 1st Platoon would be taking flight. 

     From the onset of fighting, it became clear that 1st Platoon’s enemy would not surrender their position until the last man. Plasma scorched every inch of every rampart, the infantry were troublesome alone, but they became a thorn in the Platoon’s side once the Anti-Air joined in the barrage. Once the guns were silenced, the 1st and 3rd Squads made great headway, while 2nd and 4th Squad became bogged down in their fight up the coast. With Objective Icarus clear, Point and his men made quick work of the remaining defenders, leaving more rust than blood behind them as they set their sights on their final task, Objective Daedalus. The bonafide scrappers, fresh off the beach were greeted by a resilient foe on their approach to the final objective. The fight up the hill was expected, but 3rd Squad began to falter despite their success on the beach. With the aid of 1st Squad, the Platoon was able to surge past the defenders and carry out a demo-operation. Fire engulfed the jamming tower of Daedalus, and Point shifted focus to his next duty. Holding the hill.

     The platoon dug their way into the slope, and readied themselves for a counterattack along the flanks of Daedalus. When the last mound of dirt had been built, the call went out. The fight slowed, and the Platoon’s job was finished. 

Operation “Ragnarök”

Avalanche Co. 2nd Platoon

     Since their reintroduction to the unit, the Krayt Trooper program has been very forthcoming in information and offered a promising future for the Legion’s ARC Troopers. Now, under Sergeant Major Pompano, the Legion’s finest would set up operations on the Planet of Wako’anak on their own. The Troopers of 2nd Platoon would face a daunting task, weathering the effects of both a Radio Jamming Station, in addition to the threat of a High-Level Separatist Airfield. Their simulation would run the platoon on an island-hopping adventure, spanning several of the islands comprising an archipelago in the region. 2nd Platoon’s offensive action would be the driving force for a greater Company-wide offensive into enemy territory. Against unknown odds, and with limited assets at their disposal, the Platoon would need to fight for every inch of sand with rising confidence if they intended to break the Separatist’s hold in the region. 

     As dawn broke over Wako’anak’s many islands, the Platoon’s operation was well underway. A detachment of ARC Troopers was covertly inserted utilizing the Company’s Air Detachment, and were hard at work mapping out the Separatist’s control over the region. During the ARC’s trek through the jungle it became clear that the mission’s success hinged off more than just the destruction of a simple power station. The Platoon’s recon element had come across a series of back-up generators stationed at both POI’s “ALL” and “Freya”. The assault on Objective Thor was in jeopardy of failing if they could not bring down the jamming station. Pompano’s staff quickly devised a new plan, and within minutes the Platoon was on the move. All four of the squads made landfall near the town of Bafata, utilizing Razor callsigns to carve a path to their first objective, the jammers residing on Objective Thor. Jungle fighting ensued, and 3rd Squad under Sergeant Parrott’s command encountered heavy resistance from their south. A sudden surge in the number of heavy infantry and MAAWs droids lead to 3rd Squad sustaining a number of losses in the engagement. Parrott and his men would have to bear the brunt of the Separatist’s assault as 4th Squad made efforts to relieve the battered troopers. With both squads working in tandem the fighting was brought to a close. Leaving both 3rd and 4th Squad’s numbers in a sorry state after suffering losses at the hands of various droid types. 

     A short moment of respite greeted the Platoon, and the squads began to shift gears northwards. Making headway towards the town of Waku Kungo, until disaster struck. A flight of HMP gunships dispersed well over a platoon of droids on the flank of Pompano’s forces. From the moment the paradropped machines dug their heels into the sand the Platoon was engulfed yet again in a platoon-wide firefight. Losses began to mount, and Pompano organized a retreat. Once the squads had found solid ground to return fire from the threat on their flank was handled appropriately. With losses mounting, the Sergeant Major pressed his attack on Objective Thor, but was greeted with a heavy-handed response by the Separatist’s Air Detachment. Every craft in their fleet turned to batter the already wounded men of the 2nd. Every torpedo and bomb they could muster was employed. Both 3rd and 4th Squad suffered the worst from this heavy air campaign. With field reports of 3rd Squad’s leader, Parrot falling injured following a crippling bombing run.

     Efforts made by 2nd Squad and Pompano resulted in the deactivation of the first power supply for the jamming station. Auxiliary systems were carefully demolished by members of Avalanche Company, and the new task of destroying the back-up systems for the station was bestowed upon the minds of Pompano’s team yet again. As the redeployment and readying of a new plan was underway, the Krayt team deployed across the AO was carrying out a secondary, yet vital mission. While the majority of Avalanche drew the attention of the Separatist forces on the archipelago, the smaller, more maneuverable Krayt team executed a raid on a detention center. Securing countless civilian and republic POWs from Separatist captivity. When an appropriate site to land had been secured, the ARC troopers rallied with 2nd Platoon. Together the two forces staged an attack on a Separatist stronghold that overlooked the region. Its shield generators posed a substantial threat to the Platoon, but like the heavy droid presence, was neutralized in due time. By now the platoon’s momentum was rising, and they were rolling the defenders with ease. With their final objective in tow, and minimal casualties to report, the Platoon executed a retreat under fire and successfully evacuated their assets from the archipelago. Leaving the Separatist forces in ruin and disarray. 

Operation “Steel Rain”

Avalanche Co. 3rd Platoon

     From rockets to rifles, grenades and grenade launchers. The galaxy has seen every means of warfare wielded by the Republic since the outbreak of the Clone War. The 3rd Platoon of Avalanche Company sought to strengthen their resolve when greeted with a new adversary. Under Andromeda's leadership, the Platoon was plunged into its next simulation with the Lieutenant’s sights set on limiting the gear distributed throughout the platoon. When supplies ran short, sacrifices to kits would need to be made. The troopers of 3rd Platoon would need to adapt to these changes quickly, or face total annihilation at the hands of their foes. And if the degradation of their supplies wasn’t enough, the Platoon was weighed down by yet another handicap, the long-range radio. Its communicative prowess on the battlefield was stripped from the backs of the Platoon’s intercommunicators. In their absence, 3rd Platoon would be pressed into a large offensive maneuver against a daunting Separatist garrison with no communication to their chain of command. 

     Lieutenant Andromeda’s confidence in his platoon was absolute. 3rd Platoon’s resolve had been tried and tested time and time again, the weekend’s challenges of Operation “Steel Rain” would be tackled in the manner that he and his staff approached every other mission, with the appropriate amount of cunning necessary to guarantee the platoon’s success. With a steady breeze at their back, Andromeda and his men made their landing in the early morning. Greeted by a snow-covered field, his men made quick work of the earth beneath their feet and erected a defensive line spanning their landing grounds. With their position secured, Andromeda’s focus shifted to the mission at hand. The platoon was halved and they embarked on their respective paths towards their objectives. The snowfall’s efforts to impede them proved fruitless, and the march towards the Separatists would be a quick one. 3-1 and 3-2 were tasked with laying down an assault on the inland portion of Berezino, pushing into the city and fighting in close-quarters with enemy resistance, while 3-3 and 3-4 were given the important role of securing the docks, ramparts, and coastal portions of the city, ensuring that no CIS reinforcements were able to arrive from sea to catch our troopers off their guard. 

     3-1 and 3-2 were met by the battle-hardened forces of the Separatist’s infantry, which put up a respectable fight, engaging the squad of clones from outstandingly short distances, leaving no room for error among the tight corridor and wide street-filled city. The scream of vulture droids performing close air support suppressed the troopers each time they would shoot by overhead, and the deafening cracks of plasma impacting stone could be heard in every district of the settlement as the two factions clashed together, close enough at times to hear each other’s voices issuing commands over the cacophony of war. While the inland portion of Berezino was taken by surprise, 3-3 and 3-4 made their move on the coastal section, gaining ground towards the docks. They were met with armored threats in the form of AATs and Trojan transport vehicles. Despite overwhelming firepower, and a concerning number of casualties caused by point-blank fire from mechanized opposition, the distinguished fighters of the 501st Legion broke through the curtain of incoming munitions, and prevailed in their fight for the coast. 

     3-4 experienced a MASCAS during the daring assault, which was mentioned and used as an example of why overextending forces can be exploited during the mission’s debrief. The platoon had been successful even in the shadow of all the handicaps put in place to test their limits, and as such, they will be prepared for whatever fight the CIS tosses at the Republic next. 

Operation “Daylight Signal”

Avalanche Co. 4th Platoon

     The 4th and final Platoon of the Avalanche Company descended upon the island of Nogova, and was as challenging of a task as the others. Sergeant Major Sam went to work on the weekend’s simulation, and Operation “Daylight Signal” was underway. Similar to 1st Platoon’s application of LTU’s, the Sergeant Major and his forces would need to attack Separatist hardpoints from a less orthodox angle, from above. The confederacy mustered a menacing anti-air battery in the region, necessitating the use of jump packs on a platoon-scale. Making use of every tool at their disposal, Objectives Percival and Uther would be the center of focus for the duration of their ground offensive. Coupled with the two strongpoints on the island, a third objective beset the Platoon. Point of Interest “Gawain”, housing a jamming tower made it an ample target for 4th Platoon’s demolition teams. By any means the tower would fall. 

     From the onset of the operation, Sam and his staff were blindsided by an unexpected engagement. Out from the LAAT and into the fray, the platoon suffered substantial losses on insertion. 3rd and 4th Squad made landfall at their respective drop zones and were faced with a heavy-handed Separatist response. Armor descended upon the unsuspecting platoon, and it ravaged their lines. With casualties mounting, and their position buckling under the fire of numerous variants of Confederate armor, Sam quickly rallied his men and pressed onward. Bulbous bolts of energy arced over their lines, wreaking havoc throughout the platoon. In a mad-dash, the men of the 4th piled their forces towards the Separatist’s positions. If they were to find any reprieve from the onslaught they would have to deny the enemy every asset they had. 

     Smoke plumed from every corner of the Power Station, and the Confederate generators were silenced. The Sergeant Major rallied elements under his command and the platoon moved to occupy the Separatist’s main operating base. With the Anti-Air Grid powerless, supplies were airdropped to the battered platoon while their command staff devised a new plan of attack. An elite scouting force composed of troopers from the Krayt program would be sent to map out hostile positions and gauge the enemy’s presence throughout the region. With sufficient intel gathered, the platoon carried their daring raid under the cover of night. The shadow of the 4th crept ever closer to the unsuspecting Confederate machines until it was too late. 

     Blaster fire rocked the installation, and plasma left its mark on every surface available. Ramparts were peppered with numerous attempts to maim and decommission Separatist machinery. The battle spilled over the walls and the garrison crumbled before the sustained attack. 4th Platoon’s command entrusted the defense of their escape to half the platoon, while the other half trekked into the heart of the facility. Within minutes the fighting came to a close, the platoon sacked the facility and with it captured a target of potential interest. Their prisoner in tow, the platoon was ready to evacuate and the mission looked over, however the Confederacy had other plans.

     Nothing screams impossible like the threat of a starship covered front to back with durasteel plating thicker than five men laid across. The low roar of starship engines filled the head of every man on the ground, and the nightmare lumbered into view, a Munificent-Class Frigate. The now disparaged platoon was burned into the ground as the lone warship rained fire on their positions. Pockets of resistance left no trace as the lances of energy splashed across them. Waves of blistering heat enveloped dozens of troopers, nothing could withstand its bombardment, and Sam was made well aware. The platoon was seared into the rocks they ran across, and their desperate retreat was only aided by the fading efforts of the gunships overhead. Starfighters of every class descended upon the stragglers as they sprinted across the open fields of Nogova. The droids set the hillsides ablaze with Kaminoan property, leaving nothing but smoldering craters in 4th Platoon’s wake. Sam himself fell victim to the fury of the Confederate ship, and the rest of the platoon soon followed. No one would be able to save the 4th under the weight of the Munificent, and soon the plasma would engulf those who remained after the first volley. 

Aftermath

     This weekend the Republic’s simulators were kept busy, we’ve encountered Jammers before but not on this scale. We should make a point of how lack of communication was able to hinder the Company throughout their operations. Good maintenance of these systems, and their back-ups should be practiced and refined into skills. Do this, and you will overcome even the most morbid of situations.

     Furthermore, the LTU Jump Pack is a valuable asset. The Company has proved its worth over a large span of time, however we’ve also proved how prone they are to leaving us out of position and in a new world of pain. 4th Platoon’s folly at their DZs when landing will not be repeated again, their platoon staff can assure you that much. 3rd Platoon faced similar problems, their debrief after the simulation highlighted the importance of situational awareness. 3rd’s struggles came from a staggered line of advance, some squads made great headway while others fell behind and were left at the mercy of Confederate airstrikes.

We go into these simulations with good intents and purposes, learn from other’s mistakes and we’ll see you all next week with the next cycle’s recap! 

_{Publisher: CX-X Canik
Assistant Publisher: CT Momentum}

_{Chief War Correspondent: CP Swanny
War Correspondents: CW Super, CI-C Bastil, CS-M Drammon, CP Muzzer
Graphic Designers: CS Jupiter, CT Dragon}