Breaking the line; Part 3 of the battle for Hooke's World

After taking the city from Imperial hands, USS high command decided that swift and aggressive action was still crucial. The Imperials had established a defensive line between the city and the mines, the principal target for the USS invasion force.

The base was out in the badlands, little more then a landing pad and an accompanying structure.

This was the spot selected to attempt the breakthrough, to insert forces in the rear areas of the blockading NIJA elements. If they could manage to get half of their presence's worth of units off the opposite table edge, they would have enough to interrupt supply lines and harass support units. The Imperials need to keep that from happening.

The NIJA, once again defending, consisted of a Katana heavy mech, one Dictator heavy mech, a Spectre medium mech, one each of a Dagger and Yumi-class lights, one light and one heavy tank, three light infantry units and one heavy artillery unit.  

The USS force consisted of a Imperator heavy mech, a Halberd heavy mech, a Regent medium mech, three Dagger light mechs and a pair each of light and heavy tanks.

Stepping out behind the cliff, a USS Dagger mech fire on the closest infantry unit. A lucky hit blows up the defensive structure, taking out the infantry as well.

Getting into cover, the mech pin down the next unit of infantry with a blast of plasma.

Return-fire boils off armor and jam actuators of the mech as the infantry targets their attacker.

On the other side of the battlefield, the NIJA Yumi hits an heavy tank and damage it's tracks.

More fire slam into the exposed dagger on the right hand side.

A second Dagger steps forth and takes fire, distracting the infantry for long enough to let the light armor sweep in and scatter the NIJA infantry.

Stepping forward, the Katana CHQ blasts away with it's energy cannons, taking down the already damaged Dagger in a one-two blow.

Both the Halberd and a light armor follow the tank up the left flank, hitting the blockading Yumi as they advance.

Having exposed itself to take out the infantry, the USS light armor takes some fire from a NIJA heavy tank barrelling towards it.

Showering the last infantry unit entrenched around the landing pad, the Regent manages to take down the soldiers.

As he is advancing toward the base, the USS CHQ reels as a bolt of coherent light shorts out some control circuits for the mech's cannon. 

Striking out at the second Dagger, the NIJA commander fires again. Black oily smoke rises from the mech as it topples, destroyed.

Seeing a chance to get past the blockade, the USS light armor speeds past the Yumi mech. It turns to make chase, blowing out part of the right track assembly.

Despite the damage, the armor speeds on, past the blockade.

While the light armor speeds past, the heavy tank fires on the NIJA light armor..

..But the momentum is too great! In a huge crash the light Imperial armor slams into the tank, wrecking itself in the process!

Following after the heavy tank, the Halberd stalks after and fire on the open back armor of the Yumi, ripping into all of the critical systems.

The last Dagger mech advances into cover, but not before taking a few glancing hits.

The red USS heavy tank advances past it's compatriot, slamming shell after shell into the flank of the heavy Dictator mech that went after the Halberd mech.

Actuators protesting, the Regent makes it into the rocky outcropping. Guns blazing, he manages to damage the Katana infront of him. 

It doesn't take long for the Spectre to launch a flight of missiles at the Regent. The last Dagger blows off pieces of armor from the attacking mech, but is quickly hit in return by the Imperial Dagger, felling it before it can charge the Spectre.   

The Spectre shudders as energy bolts from the USS Imperator slams into it. A rocket barrage from the NIAJ artillery hits home, knocking armor off the USS CHQ.

Start of the 3rd turn, last chance for the attackers to break out.

 Rotating left and right, the USS Halberd almost wrecks the Yumi as he moves for the border. Just before he dissappears out of range, he shoots a pair of energy bolts into the other flank of the Dictator.

The two USS heavy tanks trade fire with the NIJA mechs, melting armor and weapons off each other..

..The red heavy tank manages to break off, following after the heavy mech.

With a crackling of ozone, the Katana fires both guns at once. Falling backwards, the Regent's pilot ejects as the mech crashes to the ground.

Trying to join it's brothers in arms, the light armor guns it's engine. Before they can get anywhere though, the Imperial heavy tank blew out the tracks of the escaping armor!

With both armors unable to move, and the Imperator fighting the rest of the Imperials, the battle was over for all intents and purposes. Before he surrendered however, he managed to blow up the Dictator heavy mech.

The USS had managed to get some forces behind the enemy lines, but not enough to claim victory.

Both sides had sustained heavy losses however, and so it was only a minor victory for the NIJA.

At the end of this engagement the losses were:

USS

1 heavy tank, 1 light armor, 3 Dagger light mechs, 1 Regent mech and the Imperator heavy mech, leaving the USS at 71 Presence (84-13)

NIJA

1 Yumi light mech, 1 Dictator heavy mech, 1 light armor and 3 infantry units, leaving the NIJA with 71 Presence (80-9)

With some units to harass the NIJA supply line, the USS are still forced to re-think their strategy, the NIJA will most likely attempt some form of counter attack now that the line has been held.

The mines are still the primary target, but now the USS high command might have to come up with another way to get to them.

Til next time!