AAR for Operation Rumble in the Jungle

Masumi Minogue, Operative Commanding Ground Operations (Bennie Parker Director In Charge)

We approached the landing zone under cover of darkness and a severe weather front, as planned, secured the area and set up the launchers and mortars and HQ. Both shuttles remained at the LZ, engines warned, and the Pacifier stayed on-station in low orbit in preparation for a rapid descent on call (fuel considerations were such that extended atmospheric operations would not be possible).

The assault team crossed the river and headed towards the Madagascar site. A 4-person team was set forward to reconnoitre. The first line of defence was a line of pungi pits about 100m out from the clearing. One HMA suit was damaged when the trooper fell into the pit, but we were soon able to assess the extent of the line of pits and mark a safe approach path to the clearing on the north side.

The defences appeared to be alerted by having something land in the pit, and IR searchlights came on, but did not penetrate far enough into the jungle to spot us.

The recon team then reached an anti-raptor fence about 50m out. At this point they came under multi-cannon fire from the clearing. At this point I ordered mortar return fire on the vicinity of the multi-cannon and signalled that a rapid full assault should begin.

Squads A, B and C fanned out around the edge of the clearing, and came under SCA and grenade fire from some trenches on the west side and a building on the east side, as well as continued multicannon attack from two turrets in the centre. Three troopers were downed in this phase. One of our armed shuttles was also damaged as it made a low pass across the clearing to support the attack. Fortunately IFU troopers were now in a position to paint the multicannon turrets and call down ATGW fire which knocked them out. The enemy (five marine-armoured figures) made a dash across the clearing and were all downed.

The Squads now moved to secure the clearing and check buildings. Tony Silverado's team discovered a fusion power plant (the source of the major radiation 'bloom'), probably moved from a ship, which was in very poor repair and leaking radiation. They contacted engineering support on the Osprey for assistance in shutting it down safely.

Mac-Duff cleared a bar area (a barman was found dead from grenades used prior to entering). Melanie May found the entrance to an underground bunker complex. MacDuff backed up May as she penetrated into this, while Silverado's Squad took up position to cover 6 sunken habdomes on the south side of the clearing. The doorways were too small for HMS to get inside. I ordered that a surrender message be relayed to anyone inside, and when nothing happened, LRGM strikes were called on the entrances to make sure that we were not attacked from behind by personnel within these (subsequent examination found the remains of 6 sick or wounded pirates within these habdomes, which were evidently living quarters). Two more remote multicannon turrets (facing the roadway approach) were also disabled.

Reaching a junction point in the underground complex, May's squad came under heavy grenade attack and 6 were downed, including Melanie, with only 1 pirate (of six seen) taken down in return fire. Overruling MacDuff's protests, which are duly noted, I ordered a halt to the advance and Marine armour and APGW support was brought down from the Osprey. Demo charges were set in side storage rooms to attempt to outflank the firetrap.

When the assault proceeded, now led by Silverado and MacDuff, the pirate resistance broke quickly, with 3 combat robots and 1 marine lost on our side and 5 combat crew and two combat support robots on their side. However, I am sorry to report than when were able to recover our casualties, it was found that Melanie May was KIA. I still feel that halting the assault at the point I did was the correct decision, and the Doc tells me that her injuries were such that even had we been able to recover our casualties immediately, she would still not have survived the trip back to the autodoc on the ship, but it is nevertheless a very sad loss for IFU.

Total tally:
11 IFU personnel downed (Melanie May KIA, 5 wounded, 5 scratched)
3 combat robots disabled
8 ATGW, 10 LRGM, 16 APGW fired, 16 doses MAD used.
1 armed shuttle damaged

Opposition:
12 armoured pirates downed (2 dead, 6 wounded, 4 scratched)
7 unarmoured pirates downed (1 dead, 3 serious wound, 2 minor wound, 1 scratched)
2 CSRs, 4 multicannon turrets destroyed

On the orders of Director Parker, we moved on to objective Barbary to repeat the process. However, the pirates here surrendered without a fight.

Captured: 64 pirates (including 34 unfit for duty)
11 hostages recovered
1 damaged shuttle, 1 flyer recovered

On the Osprey, a 1G burn was detected from a high orbit position, heading out of the system. This was assumed to be the SS White Knight (Rita Looney's vessel). The Osprey was not in a position to chase, so it was allowed to go. However, over the succeeding days, we locatged and boarded the SS Starburst, being used as a communication relay station. Only one pirate was aboard (the others had all been captured planetside).

This brings to a close the anti-pirate operations on Z178. Blue Hope Colony is extremely pleased with our work, and subsequently from interrogation of pirates identified 4 senior colony personnel who had been in league with the pirates and feeding them information. All of these have now been placed under arrest. The Cr 1.25 million mission pay has been paid, and the salvage value of the captured vessels and bounty value of the captured pirates is now being assessed.

I make our curent tally:
118 pirates killed or captured, including Captain Rosario Holden
11 hostages rescued
16 combat robots destroyed, 1 captured intact
6 CSRs destroyed, 5 captured intact
3 shuttles recovered (1 damaged) and 1 flyer
2 ships recovered (SS Starburst, SS Crazy Jane)
2 ships fled system (SS Psycho, SS White Knight), 1 ship 'at large' (SS Headhunter)

IFU:
3 KIA (including Melanie May)
12 wounded (incl Smithson)
1 shuttle damaged
8 combat robots lost
68 APGW, 8 ATGW, 10 LRGM round fired
64 doses MAD used

I have been asked to prepare a testimonial to Melanie May, to which I invite anyone interested to send contributions. This will go to her foster father on New Mars and family on Earth.

IFU Directors may need to buy out May's share of the company. I will try to come up with some figures for that.

Masumi Minogue

OP: RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE: AAR - Supplemental

I forgot to add that we also checked out the PORT ROYAL site, and just found six ageing pirates who made a living fishing. They surrendered immediately that we arrived. So that will make the total tally 124 pirates.

We haven't checked some of the other anomalies yet, although the pirates indicate that they have no further sites on the planet. The island radiation hotspot which I called TORTUGA in the southeast quadrant is one, and there was a magnetic anomaly in the desert to the north, and also those old colony ruins in the northwest.

We've been paid, so there's no need for us to do anything at all, but the Marines (and the directors for that matter) are also due their promised planetside R&R before we ship back home, so since we have some time on our hands, anyone who feels like it could check those out. I'm mildly curious, I must admit, so I volunteer to take a team out in a shuttle to check them out. Anyone who wants to can come along. Bring marine armour, a barbeque and some tinnies!

Masumi