FSRB Chpt 138

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 138==
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February 3070Operation Ajax I
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===Operation Ajax - Overview===
At the same time that Operation Achilles was hitting the Dieron Military District, Operation Ajax had the AFFS throwing troops forward into the Benjamin Military District - specifically the worlds around the Galtor Thumb and the Combine world of Proserpina.
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===Benjamin Military District Invaded===
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====Proserpina====
This key world drew the attention of no less than 8 AFFS commands under Operation Ajax. Led by the 1st Davion Guards RCT the invading force consisted of the Davion Old Guards RCT, 1st Revenant Guards RCT, 1st Kathil Uhlans RCT, 1st & 6th Robinson Rangers RCT, 1st Argyle Lancers, and 41st Avalon Hussars RCT. More than that the entire 1st Fleet had been assembled and committed to this operation to hunt down any DCA warships in system and also to ensure the safety of the huge collection of some of the most elite units in the AFFS.
The DCS Victory at Wolcott and the DCS New Samarkand were the 2 warships assigned to Proserpina in anticipation of them escorting the troops assembled there to invade the FedSuns. However the Kyusha class Frigate and the Samarkand class light carrier found themselves woefully outnumbered and outgunned. Attempting to hit and run using the DCS New Samarkand's fighters however backfired spectacularly when the 36 fighters assigned to the strike found themselves torn apart by the massed fighter wings of 5 Davion III destroyers and the fighter wings of the various AFFS formations while the full 120 fighters of the FSS Morgan Hasek-Davion slammed into the 2 Combine warships. While the DCS Victory at Wolcott survived the attack, the smaller carrier didn't and the Kyusha frigate heavily damaged had to flee the system.
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This left the 1st Sword of Light, 4th Genyosha, and 10th Proserpina Hussars to face the invasion alone. The garrison of the continent of Bragadin and the capital city of Conqueror's Pride was the 1st Sword of Light and the 10th Proserpina Hussars (which numbered only 2 battalions of green troops and a regular skilled command company), while the 4th Genyosha protected Darwan and the vital Bulldog Industries plants there.
With one of the defending warships destroyed and the other heavily damaged and driven off, the AFFS troops began making planet fall under the air cover of not only their own wings but also that of the 1st Carrier Battle Group. Leading the way was the 1st Argyle Lancers on Darwan. As soon as they hit the ground they immediately formed a screen for the other landing forces. Following the 1st Argyles were the Davion Old Guard, 1st Revenant Guard, and the 1st Robinson Rangers. Meanwhile the 1st Davion Guards, 1st Kathil Uhlans, 6th Robinson Rangers, and 41st Avalon Hussars landed near Conqueror's City.
While Sho-sho Shigeru Yoshida would love to mount a more aggressive defense given the forces against him he has little option but to hold fast and prepare for urban warfare. Indeed for a fraction of a minute he had genuinely considered withdrawing and leaving the AFFS forces to take the world and preserve his troops - but he cannot abandon the huge stores built up here nor the prefecture capital world. To do otherwise would be to invite total dishonor upon not only himself, but his regiments. All he can do is dig in and hope for reinforcements.
The Davion forces have the troops to simply overwhelm the defending forces, but instead begin to move slowly and with care towards the dug in DCMS regiments. This is going to be a long war and the last thing that the AFFS needs is a half dozen of it's finest units gutted by over aggressive tactics in the first days of the war. As February draws to a close the various AFFS units begin to slowly tighten their own lines on the dug in DCMS formations.
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====Scheat====
The veteran 45th Dieron Regulars hadn't forgotten the last time the AFFS had visited and had spent the years since working on the defensive works around the huge Independence Weaponry factory complex. However they were still short nearly a full battalion of mechwarriors but had managed to somewhat allow for this by integrating the defensive security forces of the huge factory directly into their command structure as well as making sure they had the best equipment that Quentin produced within their ranks. They also hadn't only worked with the local security forces but had built up excellent relationships with the local militia forces as well. While on paper they numbered only 7 companies of Battlemechs and 2 conventional regiments of troops they had in fact almost 11 companies of Battlemechs and a full half dozen conventional regiments of troops at their disposal. One area they couldn't do much about however was the aerospace wings attached to their command. While officially they still numbered 2 wings, they had in fact only a single wing of fighters available. Repeated requests for additional fighters had been either ignored or refused.
Therefore when the first jump signals began to appear Tai-sa Sebastian Iota ordered his troops to fall back on the Steel Valley and into his prepared fortifications. His few fighters were moved to heavily reinforced bunkers for protection and tasked only with contesting air superiority over the Steel Valley itself for as long as possible. While a few of the local politicians decried this lack of proper spirit it was soon proven entirely correct.
Burning in and landing near the end of February were no less than 3 AFFS commands. Led by the 3rd Federated Suns Armored Cavalry the task force also consisted of the 4th & 17th Avalon Hussars RCTs. Their combined fighter wings outnumbered the DCMS fighter pilots almost 4:1 and it was all that the 45th's air wings could do to contest the air space directly over their parent formations lines. Even that would soon be beyond them due to sheer attrition.
Landing the AFFS force immediately moved up to the defensive works around the Steel Valley and prepare for a siege. Their plan was simple. While their combined air wings wore down the defenders the green troops of the 4th Avalon Hussars would probe and test the defenses - wearing down the defenders as well as blooding their troops in real albeit low level combat - while the 17th Avalon Hussars and the 3rd FSAC would hold themselves in readiness to break the enemy lines if the opportunity presented itself...
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====Saffel====
The 4th Night Stalkers were too old and too veteran to not know they couldn't hold out when the invading forces arriving in the system were identified as the 1st New Ivaarsen Chasseurs and the 6th FedSuns Dragoons RCT. They immediately dispersed into the wilderness and began planning for a long campaign of resistance.
As soon as they realized this was the case the invading forces divided up. The 6th FedSuns Dragoons took up garrisoning positions around Scheat while the 1st Chasseurs spread out and began hunting the 4th Night Stalkers. The Chasseurs were helped in this by the fact that combined the two Davion forces have 80 fighters compared to the barely 24 which were attached to the Night Stalkers and who are now operating out of hurriedly prepared air fields in the wilderness. In fact the first priority of Marshal Sal Cole is to neutralize these air fields. He is hoping that with the right record of victories in this campaign he can achieve a transfer to a more prestigious unit - such as command of one of the new Avalon Hussars or perhaps even a transfer into the Brigade of Guards. 
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====Fellanin II====
The defending 1st Ghost was a veteran unit and at least amongst most of the DCMS well respected unit for it's skill (if not it's members social standing). However, when the 3rd Crucis Lancers and both regiments of the Blue Star Irregulars on the Combine border jumped into the system, Tai-sa Kasigi is under no illusions as to the fate of his command if he stands and fights. Without the inbuilt sense of honor that many of his contemporaries have he makes the simple decision to withdraw his command from the system and preserve it for any future counter attack. The total lack of communication from higher up the chain of command just makes the decision easier to implement as far as the practical Tai-sa is concerned. Before blasting off he destroys any military supplies that he can't take with him as well as almost herding most of the formed up militia commands that will fit onto dropships to evacuate alongside him... He heads to Junction to regroup and hopefully counter attack.
When the AFFS forces arrive on planet on the 28th February 3070 the remaining planetary authorities immediately surrender. With the 1st Ghost fled along with most of the formed up defending militia they had little choice. 
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