FSRB Chpt 153

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 153==
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May 3070Operation Ajax IV
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===Ajax Operations - Progress Report===
The crumbling situation within the Benjamin Military District didn't seem to be improving for the Draconis Combine. With the fall of Proserpina a large number of front line AFFS formations had now been released to attack other worlds and most projections were that they were going to strike out from their initial conquests towards Iruzun and Junction. If those 2 worlds fell it was only a matter of time before Benjamin itself would face attack. Large scale deployments of conventional forces both regular and militia were ordered to Junction and Iruzun. When Junction fell in mid-May almost without a fight the panic caused within the DCMS command posts on Benjamin was almost tangible. Hurried orders were sent out to forces en-route to Junction to redeploy to Umijiri and Hagiwawa. The world of Sadalbari and Homan, by now almost totally indefensible and left in a pocket near the border, in particular were stripped of almost every man and woman who could hold a rifle with any skill and who could be loaded into dropships. This stripping of these border planets of almost their entire militia's led to widespread social unrest and anti-Kurita riots.
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===Benjamin Military District Invasion===
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====Tannil====
The 3rd Crucis Lancers RCT landed on the world of Tannil with it's aerospace brigade already hammering the local militia's positions. With almost a full reinforced regiment of battlemechs supported by almost full strength conventional forces facing them and the loss of air superiority the Tannil Militia knew that any defense was likely doomed. Conventional wisdom would have been to simply dig in and hold out for as long as possible in the probably vain hope of reinforcements arriving but instead the old school commanding officer of the militia (who had last been a serving DCMS officer during the reign of the current Coordinator's father) ordered banzai style wave attacks on the Crucis Lancers in the hope of breaking their spirit. After nearly 60% of the mostly infantry regiments had thrown themselves into the meat grinder of the Lancer's superior firepower and equipment while being bombed and strafed from above the morale of the militia broke. With the militia falling back in total disarray the 3rd's 4 battlemech battalions each supported by a full regiment of armour slashed forward to complete the rout. By the end of May the world's remaining military forces had surrendered in disgrace and the civilian government requested terms to join the FedSun's. The disgraced commanding officer of the militia committed suicide to atone for his failure as the 3rd Crucis's 2nd battalion closed in on his command post.
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====Donenac====
Marshal Edwin May continued his grinding down of the 9th Benjamin Regulars throughout the month of May. While a few of the younger officers within the 1st & 5th Avalon Hussars called for a more aggressive approach to the planetary invasion both New Avalon and Robinson sent not only support and additional supplies to help the conquest but also clear indications of support for his methodical tactics.
Over May, the AFFS forces on planet reduce a further 4 cities garrisons. Massed artillery strikes and the massed firepower of nearly 10:1 odds during each battle continues to keep AFFS casualties to a minimum and reduces any chance of a break out by the doomed garrisons. Morale within the remaining 3 companies of 9th Benjamin Regulars plummets to somewhere below that of rock bottom. However, the surviving 3 companies can only await their fate as any attempt to break out would face overwhelming AFFS forces deployed around the cities they are garrisoning. On the 29th of May the 3rd company of the 2nd battalion, the garrison of the city of Harper's Gorge, surrenders to the picketing troops of the 1st Avalon Hussars when they begin to see signs of additional AFFS forces arriving and realize they are next. The remaining 2 companies Tai-i's hurriedly assure each other via buried communication lines that they will not follow their traitorous fellow officers example and will hold to the last man!
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====Ludwig====
The 24th Benjamin Regulars start May well, managing to avoid being pinned down and destroyed and even manage to attack a conventional mixed battalion of AFFS troops which had garrisoned one of the world's minor cities before being forced to disengage as more powerful AFFS forces barrel down upon them. By mid month, their CO's lack of forethought in preparing supply depots for a guerrilla campaign begins to tell. Running low on ammunition, spare parts, fuel for their vehicles, medical supplies and even food they are forced to begin raiding the AFFS supply lines and the captured DCMS supply depots to survive. As soon as the AFFS realize this they heavily reinforce the garrisons at these locations and begin setting ambushes around them.
By the end of the month the Regulars are in a bad way. They have lost over half their remaining strength in often fruitless attacks in order to gain basic supplies to continue fighting. Worse with little gain for these raids they are facing constant problems to just keep themselves in the field. Their raids and attacks have additionally given the AFFS solid intelligence as to what areas they are operating out off and now the noose is tightening. To make a bad situation worse they have had to begin "requisitioning" food and medical supplies from the local population in the rural areas and now those people are beginning to turn against them. Local guides are now operating with the AFFS troops to help hunt down the "bandits". 
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====Matar====
The returning remnants of the 25th Benjamin Regulars are horrified as they approach their garrison posting to see AFFS Assault Dropships and Dropship fighter carriers in orbit. With almost no fighter cover the Tai-i in command of the remaining 25th Benjamin Regulars realizes his unit is doomed when 2 almost full strength AFFS aerospace regiments spill forth from the 10th Deneb Light Cavalry's Vengeance class carriers. He hurriedly orders the commanding officer of the dropship transport flotilla to broadcast their surrender. They land on the planet they once held for the Dragon as prisoners and march out under the massed guns of the 10th Deneb's battlemech and conventional forces. The High Command inform the Cavalry that they are authorized to keep the 2 companies of Battlemechs they have captured and use them to begin forming a 4th battalion. 
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====Junction====
Even as the DCMS is rapidly sending orders to rush forces to Junction to reinforce the planet in preparation for the impending Davion attack that very attack arrives. Before more than a handful of conventional forces have arrived to bolster the garrison. Leading the way is the 1st Davion Guards RCT which is supported by the 1st Kathil Uhlans, 41st Avalon Hussars RCT, and 6th Robinson Rangers RCT along with 2 fresh brigades of mixed conventional troops. The 1st Cruiser Squadron is also acting as escorts. Defending the planet against them is the 1st Ghost. The 1st Ghost had already withdrawn from Fellanin II when faced with 3:1 odds. Now they are facing even worse odds on Junction. 
After a great deal of soul, searching Tai-sa Kasigi decides he can no sense in throwing away one of the few veteran units left at full strength on the border merely to satisfy "honor". Despite knowing the accusations of cowardice he will face he orders his troops back aboard their dropships and flees the planet with as many of the conventional forces attached to the garrison as he can fit into his dropships. He refuses orders from the local Oyabun to evacuate the leadership of the local Yakuza and priorities infantry & armor crews. Lately ignoring the Oyabun's instructions to evacuate the the wealthy and influential; both legitimate and criminal. While a handful of his Dropships are damaged in the retreat by long range Davion fighter strikes he manages to evacuate his command almost entirely intact. Tai-sa heads for Hagiwawa with his own regiment as well as nearly a dozen regiments of conventional troops.
The large AFFS task force arrives on Junction, whom they faced only minimal resistance from the few conventional troops and militia forces which haven't fled with the 1st Ghost. Within a week the last of the resistance have been mopped up and the world conquered for the Federated Suns. With the fall of Junction the Davion task force begins preparing for their jump towards Benjamin...
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====Waddesdon====
Back from the border, the world of Waddesdon is defended by a handful of second line militia units and a small number of nobles personal guards. Which are totally outclassed when the 6th FedSuns Dragoons RCT jumped into the system alongside an over strength brigade of conventional infantry. With no aerospace fighter assets available and only civilian dropships, the defending forces can do little to prevent the Davion troops landing. Once landed the 6th Dragoons begin hunting down the organized resistance while the conventional brigade spread out behind them to take up garrisoning positions. By the end of May, the locals are still resisting, but unless relieved will have to surrender soon.
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====Kitalpha====
Knowing that the 1st Argyle Lancers and the 1st Revenant Guards RCT were both hovering at around 60% strength the High Command ordered them brigaded together with an additional independent armored regiment and short brigade of infantry in order to seize Kitalpha. While the world's garrison was as sparse as Waddesdon's the High Command didn't want to take any chances and decided that these 2 elite units even under strength reinforced by conventional troops could handle the conquest as well as holding up any counter attack long enough for additional units to be rushed forward.
The situation for the militia defenders had been made catastrophically worse due to the fact that their single conventional armour regiment and 2 of their best infantry regiments had been ordered sent to Junction just 2 weeks before the AFFS forces arrived (where they would be evacuated by the 1st Ghost having barely set foot on the planet) leaving only the second line formations to face the invasion. With a scratch battalion of armor and 3 militia infantry regiments none of which had any real heavy weapons the planet likely couldn't have resisted the conventional forces the High Command had attached to the 1st Argyle Lancers and 1st Revenant Guards. Let alone 2 elite Battlemech equipped formations with their own supporting assets.
The 1st Argyle took the lead in the conquest, using their famed maneuverability to totally outclass and outflank the foot rifle infantry companies of the garrison. With the Lancers breaking deep into their rear and cutting them into easily digestible portions the defending militia are forced to surrender as the heavy and assault Battlemechs and Tanks of the Revenant Guards attack the isolated pockets they've been broken into. With the defeat of the last of the defenders the planet surrenders to the FedSuns on the 27th of May.
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====Kurhah====
Almost as an afterthought, the 21st Rim Worlds regiment of the Blue Star Irregulars were ordered to seize the world of Kurhah to protect the flanks of the drive on Benjamin. Still integrating the troops which had been forwarded to the regiment from the Avatars of Painful Death the unit's Colonel, Hank Hatfield-McCoy, deploys his heavy Battlemech forces in a shock and awe campaign that smashes any resistance in battalion sized deployments. Of particular note in these hurried battles is the commendable actions of the 3rd battalion under Major Zachary Busch. While Colonel Hatfield-McCoy doesn't reverse his decision to have his XO be 1st Battalion's Major Whitcock he does begin to listen more and more to his 3rd battalion's CO. By the end of the month the militia are still holding out in isolated pockets but the arrival of a veteran mixed conventional brigade from the League March merely swings the odds even more in favor of the Davion sponsored mercenaries...
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