117

The offensive launched by the Ghost Bear, the Wolf and the Snow Raven Clans in 3068 took everyone by surprise.

Due to the extensive, but careful use of highly modernized Bug Eye spy ships, the they knew in detail the location and composition of the various EDF /EN (Earth Defense Force / Earth Navy) task forces within what was left of the Free Rasalhague Republic.

On July 12, 3068, each of these task forces was attacked and destroyed, by squadrons of WarShips from all three Clans, operating together for the first time.

Of note, all the WarShips used by the Clans had been massively modified, having been given robust defenses against ASFs and missiles, while the numerous OmniFighters used ECM and AAM in quantities never seen before.

Among the WarShips used in this operation were the CSRS Storm Talon (Ark Royal Heavy carrier, see chapter 107) and at least two massive WarShips, one of which, later identified as the CGBS Great Bear (Leviathan II Heavy Battleship class), destroyed the ENS Defender of Earth (Farragut class).

Several other WarShips of unknown model (and not of SLDF origin) were also used, in a clear demonstration that at least these Clans had an active production of WarShips.

With the way open for invasion, Rasalhague was the first system to fall, having been assaulted by 12 Galaxies, 8 from Ghost Bear, and two from each of the other Clans.

In a radical departure from common Clan practices, no batchall was offered, and few of the Clan Mechwarriors indulged in single combat.

The Clan ground forces had also changed – While only a few new OmniMechs designs are spotted, various new Configurations of the know ones were present on the battlefield, many of these with more and/or improved EW equipment. One spezialised Omni extremely rare until now, was now present in great numbers, the Naga,. Also, many new types of Battle Armour were now deployed. Even OmniVehicles, which until now had almost only been used by Clan Hell Horses, were being seen in some numbers. Among them were arty (Arrow IV or tube) or SAM ones (Arrow IV SAM or an Omni variant of the Pollux ADA), and a few were even EW-dedicated. The Clans, or at least these three Clans, had radically changed their behavior, and in a very lethal way. It seems someone had found some SLDF manuals on combined military operations and read some chapters of it. 

By December 22, 3068, the whole the Free Rasalhague Republic was in the hands of these Clans, and what was left of the EDF withdrew to the Sol system, having lost all the WarShips involved in defending the FRR, with only a few remaining, rumoured to be less than a dozen in the solar system. As ground forces were concerned, the EDF had lost the equivalent of 10 divisions, leaving it greatly weakened.

Military operations stopped at that date, the Clans being apparently satisfied with their new conquests, or not wishing to invade another nation.

Note: In this alternate universe, the Clans Ghost Bear, Wolf and Snow Raven were concentrated in the FRR, not occupying systems in either the Draconis Combine or the Federated Commonwealth, leaving the invasion/occupation of those nations to the remaining Clans involved in the invasion. These three Clans had also occupied several systems in the Periphery, north of the FRR, while only the Snow Ravens still holding territories in the HomeWorlds, with the Ghost Bears and Wolves having, at this date, completed their full transfer to their new domains in the Inner Sphere and Near Periphery.