<strong>Mission time!</strong><br/><br/><strong>Situation:</strong><br/><br/><strong>Planet:</strong>Deneb Algedi, Draconis Combine<br/><strong>Terrain:</strong>Rocky desert<br/><strong>Local time:</strong>Mid-morning<br/><strong>Conditions:</strong>Clear, temperatures in the low 30s.<br/><br/><strong>Background:</strong><br/><br/>Deneb Algedi was a part of the Republic of the Sphere until it's 'reclamation' by the Draconis Combine in 3135. After taking the world back, the Combine reopened and rebuilt several ancient facilities on the planet in order to use them as staging grounds. With their invasion of the Federated Suns, the world has been used by Combine-allied units as a base of operations for raids and assaults on the Suns’ crumbling front line.<br/><br/>In order to buy their forces some time, the AFFS has hired Black Sun Company to attack a drop-port located in one of Deneb Algedi’s expansive deserts. Not only is it being used as a supply route, but the facility is also being used as a base of operations for the<strong>Carlton Crushers</strong>a small Mercenary unit working for the Combine, one that has been in turn raiding Federated Suns space. The AFFS wants the base knocked out, its supplies captured or destroyed, and the Crushers weakened or preferably rendered combat ineffective<br/><br/>(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/jillvader/totallylamedesertmap_zps36772ea7.png)<br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 6pt;">(fear my lame map-making skillz)</span><br/><br/>The airfield is located on an elevated plateau, itself backing onto a large canyon. Most of the rest of the region is desert, with a couple of large hills framing the airfield. A small village is located nearby. The Black Sun Company has dropped in the South-West where the terrain is the most open and allows them to get their ship in and out. The Black Stars' Aerospace forces are unavailable, being presently engaged with the Crushers' aerospace.<br/><br/>On-site forces consist of both the Crushers and local DCMS defenses. The DCMS force is made up of a mixture of Bulldog tanks (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Bulldog), Partisan AA Vehicles (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Partisan_AA_Vehicle) and Heavy Wheeled APCs (http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Heavy_Wheeled_APC), supplemented by conventional infantry. These forces are expected to be concentrated around the airbase itself. The troops are largely inexperienced reservists and local militia.<br/><br/>(http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y156/jillvader/AerialPhoto_zpsbf3fd0fe.jpg)<br/><br/>In addition, there are a quartet of turrets around the base, located on the corners. Each turret has an LBX-10 cannon and two machine guns, but are known to be in poor repair.<br/><br/>The Crushers are on-base, but prefer an aggressive combat style, and could be easily drawn out from their territory. They currently have eight BattleMechs (BNC-5S<em>Banshee<em></em></em>(http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Banshee_(BattleMech)), HMH-6E<em>Hammerhands<em></em></em>(http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Hammerhands), ARC-8M<em>Archer<em></em></em>(http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Archer), CLNT-5U<em>Clint<em></em></em>(http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Clint), CAL-1MAF<em>Calliope<em></em></em>(http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Calliope), EXR-2R<em>Exhumer<em></em></em>(http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Exhumer), FS9-M4<em>Firestarter<em></em></em>(http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Firestarter), BLD-7R<em>Blade<em></em></em>(http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Blade)) as well as conventional infantry. The Crushers lost their vehicle assets during their last operation, and have been trying to suborn the DCMS forces.