Dodgson's World: The Hellfire Campaign (Part 3)

D-Day+2, morning.
Chastity GHQ
"General, 36R Airmobile and the Alacrity Gendarmerie were engaged on a recon in force. They report an encounter with a large rebel infantry force north of the Thrift Mountains. Initial reports suggest light casualties on the part of our troops and much heavier casualties for the rebels. Our force has withdrawn from the field. They claim to have identified a doolie wagon carrying Prince Bishopette Athaniel Moor."
"That's good news, Comms. Get me Ops on the line and we'll soon have this rebellion crushed."

The Company had deployed two small units to the north-west of Alacrity to scout a single possible enemy force. They found the entirety of 127 Mobile Brigade comprising the 44th (Whistling Joeys) Battalion and the 45th (Staunch in Righteousness) Battalion. The rebel forces deployed quickly in the abundant bad going in the foothills of the Thrift Mountains and waited for the Company forces to come. The Company entered from off table with the gendarmerie marching as fast as they could for the nearest cover. The Airmobile unit dropped its passengers off behind some convenient cover and the transports skedaddled. Steve was taking no chances with his vehicles in this game! His troops took fire from early on, especially from the rebel artillery but the rebels might as well have been firing blanks for all the good it did them. The rebel infantry closed on the Company forces and opened fire. A few casualties were caused but they took many times more in the process. As the rebels massed to assault, the Company forces pulled back. They had done what they came to do. Time to let command know and for GHQ to task a larger force to wipe out these pesky rebels.

The battlefield. Rebel positions marked in blue. Company forces marked in Red

The Gendarmerie retreated in some disarray. I think Steve did not realise half his unit was pointing the wrong way!

The biggest problem that the rebels faced (apart from my dice) was that many were equipped with energy weapons and the Company forces were wearing ablat armour which is designed to stop energy weapons. The other problem they had was that half of them had no armour while the other half were wearing flak armour which is ineffective versus energy weapons. The Company had no such problems. This made this apparently uneven battle much more even.

The situation at the end of the morning turn on Day 2

ShortCom Forces (Yellow)
1 26T Infantry Battalion
2 Spaceport Defence Company
3 36R Airmobile Battalion
4 Salvation gendarmerie (1 company)
5 Alacrity gendarmerie (1 company)
6 Joados Marauders (1 company of mercenary Thaugs)
7 Jessop's Regiment (2 troops of armoured infantry with artillery support)

Insurgents (White)
1 Dedicationalist Sect, Fidelis Guard (1 infantry battalion)
2 Liberty Battalion (1 improvised armoured battalion)
3 127 Mobile Brigade (2 infantry battalions)
? Unidentified forces