Dateline 3127.150-154

General Buck’s advanced HQ, FAREAST

The political negotiations continue, there is much discussion of setting up a supra-national bode to co-ordinate trade, although I do not believe that our government is terribly keen on this idea unless there are appropriate safeguards in place.

I have done another deal and persuaded the New Cydonia Station head of security to help me evacuate a tank brigade (3rd, at full strength) by providing an additional shuttle unit to supplement my transport flyers. The Brigade is flown to BRADLEY which now means that we have a Division plus there (three brigades, and AIR support).

Another Mech Brigade and a Tank Brigade get shipped out of FAREAST back to the East Continent, leaving only my HQ and the last Mech Brigade (which I could have shipped out as well, but thought I’d string it out a little longer). Also I needed some time to arrange the departure ceremony and invite the INN news crews to film it.

Dateline 317.145-149

General Buck’s advanced HQ, FAREAST, West Continent, Cydonia

Having brokered a deal via the Earther Military Attaché the Infantry Brigade near ENSEMBLE is flown to BRADLEY (the DRC capital city) by the shuttles of the North Continental Company. This happily bolsters the defences in the capital just in case there is any unpleasantness if negotiations break down. No danger of an internal coup or revolution though, the people seem delighted by our performance and (rightly) credit the President’s leadership for this.

A Mech Brigade and Logistics Base A are evacuated by sea, the remaining forces are converging on FAREAST. My HQ is set up in FAREAST. All available air assets are covering the port to ensure evacuation continues to go smoothly.

Dateline 3127.140-144

General Buck’s Advanced HQ on West Continent, Cydonia

The cease-fire holds and the politicals keep on talking, apparently the discussions have been focussed on the acts of terrorism against the DRC and that this was a legitimate casus belli. The NCC and DMC have been taken to task over their refusal (so far) to outright condemn these actions.

The sea logistics base has completed its move back to SOLENT so we can start the sea evacuation across the narrow FREEDOM STRAITS. Logistics base B flies back to the West Continent too. We abandon the front line and move almost 2,000km to the East, also handing back the cities of BLACKBERRY and FOSTER. The Infantry Brigade in FAREAST is evacuated. At this stage all the remaining forces on the West Continent (other than the Infantry Brigade near ENSEMBLE and logs base A near FAREAST) are mechanised. Air cover is supplied over FAREAST and the two furthest West columns.

At this stage the MAFC pull a stupid stunt that nearly de-rails the whole ceasefire. They land a Starship Marine Regiment in each of BLACKBERRY, FOSTER and FAREAST. Our rules of engagement specify only harsh language is to be used, and fortunately the MAFC Marine colonel at FAREAST sees sense and orders his men back into the shuttles. The threat that two DRC Armoured Divisions were coming to kill him if he continued to block their passage home probably assisted his speedy decision making…

Dateline 3127.135-140

General Buck’s advanced HQ on West Continent, Cydonia

The politicians have agreed the cease-fire. The terms are that we need to evacuate the West Continent and the Martians will occupy behind us. A political conference has started on MITLAND island to come to a negotiated end to the war (although this is expected to take some time).

I hold the front line for a little longer, with air cover over it just in case. The transport flyers move logs base B back to the west continent, logs base A moves towards FAREAST. The sea flotillas land 2 Tank Bde on the West continent and it moves into SOLENT where there are 2 RMP to make good some of its losses.

Negotiations continue on the air evacuation of the infantry brigade near ENSEMBLE. However I realise at this point that we are no longer capable of doing this ourselves as our shuttles have been shot down and the air logs base has moved back to the East Continent. I don’t tell the MAFC/NCC this, but I do suggest that either then provide the transport, or that we get someone neutral to do so. Eventually the MAFC get told by the politicians to allow this.

Elsewhere the NCC and MAFC move up into contact with our rearguard, but take care not to engage us.

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Dateline 3127.130-134

General Buck’s advanced HQ on West Continent, Cydonia

It is looking increasingly likely that there will be a cease-fire to allow political negotiations, but this is not yet fully agreed.

More negotiations with local commanders about the evacuation of the Infantry Brigade near ENSEMBLE. The MAFC General still cannot give assurances.

I order my transports to move the air logistics base back to the West Continent and relocate all my air assets to there as well. The ground logistics bases also move West as do the sea flotillas.

The Martians shoot down both our shuttles in orbital space, this shocks the other nations as they were conducting trade rather than directly engaged in military action. It also isn’t clear whether the Martians fired without giving a warning first.

On the ground the Martians move to conform closer to our positions, but are still out of contact with the front line. NCC forces re-occupy DEANVILLE but take no further offensive action.

My other forces use up the last remaining RMP, so less to evacuate.

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Dateline 3127.125-130

General Buck’s advanced HQ on West Continent, Cydonia

Political negotiations are proceeding at a fast pace, with the Earther Attache appearing to be playing the key role of middleman. From reading the news we appear to be coming out well, MAFC are attacked for causing needless civilian deaths and throwing their weight around. We continue to press for a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement and INN report that these overtures are being rebuffed.

My orders are to withdraw to my start line as at 3127.100. As well as doing this I re-position troops to cover all the cities in my area, including flying in another infantry brigade to secure FAREAST. Logs base A (in blackberry) starts its move towards FAREAST.

Air cover is split between the Northern and Southern coast roads (our front is the narrowest it can be across the base of the isthmus). The 3rd Tank Brigade (now back at full strength having absorbed two RMP over the last few turns) retires from DEANVILLE back onto the front line as it was at 3127.100. Logs base B is with it at that point.

The sea flotillas move East along the north coast back towards home. The MAFC agree not to attack the Infantry Brigade to the north

of ENSEMBLE, but refuse to give guarantees that would allow it to be flown out. Even when the NCC commander points out to him that this is what the NCC government want to happen he is recalcitrant. The INN have a reporter present and it is very clear that the Martians are ignoring the wishes of their local allies.

So much for being in favour of freedom and self-determination, these guys just want to kill people!

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Dateline 3127.120-124

General Buck’s advanced HQ on West Continent, Cydonia

Having made sure that the INN reporters were fully briefed on what we had offered (and been rebuffed) we then offered to withdraw completely from the West continent and for that part of it held by us on 3127.100 to be declared a DMZ. We also made sure that it was clear that we started this war because of state sponsored terrorism committed by the NCC and DMC. That we had processed most of those arrested at the start of the war and released the majority as innocent, convicted a significant minority after due process and in open trials where the evidence could be reviewed and had a small number still under investigation who would be released or charged soon.

I asked both the NCC and the MAFC to allow my forces in ENSEMBLE to be allowed to fly out. While the NCC agreed that we could leave unmolested the MAFC General (Brigadier Arthur, AKA the butcher of KUTCHI) refused to give any assurances.

Accordingly, to avoid needless civilian casualties I declared ENSEMBLE an open city and my infantry brigade moved to the north on the only road away from the city we had. The sea marine force also there dispersed as guerrillas because they were unable to move without 

transport and I couldn’t be sure that the transport flyers could get them out unmolested. At the same time I put all available AIR and flyers on a combination Cover/Support over ENSEMBLE (the decision to pull out being a last minute one). This gave us temporary local air superiority, and if we’d chosen to fight would have made the enemy pay dearly.

Elsewhere I started to prepare an evacuation plan. The logistics base in DEANVILLE started to move along the road back to where the sea logs base was located. 2nd Republican Tank Brigade (now at 1/3 original strength) was loaded onto ships to be taken back to the East continent. Other units were brought back up to strength using remaining RMP. The Mech Brigade on the Southern coast road fell back to the neck of the peninsula (just to the west of BLACKBERRY).

Lastly I made sure that INN were fully aware of our unilateral actions to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties and that our retirement was in good order and of our own choosing rather than as a result of enemy action.

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