Overview
The House troops were bypassing border worlds to lightning-strike and capture deeper worlds of strategic importance. Border planets were to be tied up with a combination of Federated Commonwealth-financed rebellions and mercenaries relocated from all over the combined realm.
Kurita's classic battle doctrine does not call for a defensive posture until the troops concerned are savagely outnumbered. Yet on world after world, Theodore Kurita's new army groups fell back, retreated offworld, even surrendered. Deeper and deeper into the Combine struck the AFFC. By early July of 3039, Federat troops were winning on Halstead Station, Telos Iv, An Ting, Huan, Matar and New Mendham. Important planets closer to the borders had already fallen.
On July 12, orders went out for the second wave to commence. The Benjamin and Galedon thrusts were to link up and isolate the Galtor Thumb, while the Lyran and Dieron thrusts would come together to cut off the Dieron District.
But Theodore Kurita, our Kanrei, had plans of his own!
For nine years he had kept the true strength of the Dragon secret. For nine years we had retreated from conflict, smiled, and talked of the blessings of peace. We had almost exactly twice the number of BattleMechs that Hanse Davion and his Minister of Information Quintus Allard thought we did.
On July 12, our counterstroke began. A DEST raid killed or incapacitated the able members of the Lyran High Command. Steiner was effectively out of the war from that time on.
Straight across
Combine Space and into the
Draconis March of the
Federated Suns went our
troops. We had BattIeMechs
from Star League days, and
adaptations built into our
conventional Mechs whose
capabilities startled even our
civilians, let alone the Federat
Troops.
By September it was clear that the invaders could not win. By November we were blockading Exeter, and threatening to strike the rabid Sandovals at the Area Capital of Robinson.
Our Kanrei is wise. We did not stretch our supply lines beyond reason. We took back our planets and allowed them to slink away.
We had moved fast and hit hard. We had thrown all we had, as warriors do, into the chance of war. If the Fox had hit us then, the course of the war might have changed again. But he did not.
ComStar is preparing a Peace Pact again. And we will sign it. The Dragon has shown how dangerous a foe it can be. Long Live the Dragon!
The Fox Eats Crow The Failed Invasion of the Draconis Combine
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