With the official request for deployment made, Max started to set the strategy, as interim operation leader.
"Fourth and Fifth Battalions, split into Companies and join with the Infantry forces. Second and Third Battalions, do the same and join with the Kepler Light Mecha groups. There should be six of each headed to the planet at regimental strength. One Super Heavy and a Company of Heavy Mecha each should set their minds at ease while they work.
I will take the First Battalion and spread our forces along the line between the Kepler staging area and the mountains, so we can guard the exit of any mecha needing to reload or get repairs at the main supply depot." Max ordered, spurring the other Battalion Commanders into action.
"Oh, how I wish someone had just shown up with a Phalanx Class Mecha and a company of Heavy Mecha back when I was still a Light Mecha Company Commander." Major Ivanov of Max's Able Company laughed, watching the Mecha start moving out into the mountains.
They wouldn't take their Landers, though a short hop would significantly reduce travel time. The landers had a limited amount of fuel in them, and as they weren't expecting heavy casualties, they would need most of what they had to get back up to Abraham Kepler once this was all finished.
Since they couldn't risk communication with the Kepler Navy right now, it would be up to General Tennant to get rid of the other ships and come back for them after the mission was complete, assuming that they did manage to complete it without alerting the newly arrived forces to their true identity.
[Use the Materials Printers to make some crude Hover Trucks. Load some munitions and repair materials inside, along with provisions for a week, and send whoever you deem necessary to join the Mecha Companies on their mission. It would be too suspicious if the Mercenaries showed up without any sort of support vehicles or even a camp kitchen.] Nico instructed all of the logistics and repair officers from the Regiment, covering a small detail that most of the force had overlooked.
If they needed anything, they could have it sent over in a hurry, they had the technology, but a Mercenary force wouldn't leave them behind and risk being cut off without supplies. Mercenaries were much more used to fighting in small groups than a military force was, so a Mercenary squad would still stick together in times like this when many smaller groups had assembled.
There were a lot of jokes about having to rough it for a change since the Corvette Class Pilots would be sleeping in large tents instead of the Landers, but everyone moved out smoothly, headed for their chosen unit.
All five Battalion Commanders stayed back, waiting to see where they would be needed, while the Company Command units brought moral support to the Light Mecha and infantry units they went to support.
"Eight Super Heavy Mecha to defend the base camps? I don't know if they are being overly cautious, or do they have something at their camp so valuable that they won't risk it?" One of the Command officers aboard Abraham Kepler asked, pointing to the defensive line in the satellite feeds.
"My first thought is that the extras are their Command Group, the Clan Leaders. But since they are all artillery spec Mecha, it's possible they are simply taking a position to give long-range support.
If those are Mass Driver style artillery weapons, they could have an indirect firing range of hundreds of kilometers." General Tennant offered, already knowing who they were and what the guns should theoretically be capable of.
"My System Scan says they can hit most of the Mountain Range from there. I have threat assessment as an Innate Talent, and it doesn't like those Mecha, they are much more dangerous than they look, especially the ones with the jump packs.
If they turn against us, the System data believes they should take under ten percent losses to eliminate all Six Regiments." General Jefferson, the most silent of the group informed them.
Compared to infantry and light mecha, they certainly had the advantage, but the Regiments did have their own Heavy Mecha. The System was usually very accurate though, so unless there was a large tactical blunder, Jefferson's predictions should be close.
"So we keep them on our side. Then we find out where they got those units from. They look a bit like stylized Cygnus units, so they might have manufacturing facilities somewhere that we haven't detected yet.
Imperial Command would love to get their hands on new toys like that." Inquisitor General Ming agreed.
He would add the other General's opinion on the threat level posed by these unknown Mercenaries to the daily reports he sent to the Emperor's Intelligence Minister. Hopefully, he would get permission to negotiate a trade deal for the designs.
They could send an overwhelming force to take them, but whoever designed the mecha would probably sell the plans to every enemy the Kepler Empire has in retaliation. A sanctioned deal would be infinitely better.
"Generals, we have first contact. Mostly warriors, with an assortment of smaller species. Lupo Regiments Light Mecha have engaged and... by all that is holy."
The junior officer's report cut off suddenly, and General Jefferson brought up the feed the man was watching on the War Room's Main screen.
The infantry had just engaged the Klem, and their Line Mecha support was moving into position when the valley they were walking through exploded with fire and flying dirt from an artillery Bombardment. Then twenty Crusader Class Mecha came flying over the Ridgeline, bathing the Klem in fire from their arm-mounted weapons.
The temperature of the flames capped out the thermal sensors at over two thousand degrees, and the Klem group vanished in an instant.
[Greetings fellow humans. Doc Engels and Casanova of the Terminus Trading Company at your service. As determined by our game of dice, I will be guarding the Line Mecha here, while young Casanova will be taking very good care of the men and women of the Infantry.]
The announcement came as two Super Heavy Mecha marched into sight over the Ridgeline where the flying Crusaders appeared from. They were accompanied by nearly a hundred more Crusaders and two hundred Corvette Class mecha, all jogging toward the Kepler Army.
"Looks like we have some interesting allies this time." The infantry Colonel laughed, watching the strange jump pack Mecha land among his troops.
