Benjamin

This article is about the planetary system. For other uses, see Benjamin (disambiguation).


Benjamin
Benjamin 3151.svg
System Information
X:Y Coordinates123.977 : 134.529[e]
Spectral classM1V[1][2][3]
Recharge time202 hours[2][3]
Recharge station(s)Zenith, Nadir[1][2][3]

The Benjamin system was the location of at least one habitable world, Benjamin III, and as of 3151 was located in the Benjamin Prefecture of the Benjamin Military District within the Draconis Combine.[4][5]

System Description[edit]

Benjamin is located close to the Cadiz and Fukuroi systems[4][5] and consists of a class M1V primary orbited by at least three planets.[3] During the thirty-first century there were recharge stations deployed at both the nadir and zenith jump points within the Benjamin system.[1]

System History[edit]

The Benjamin system was colonized during the First Exodus from Terra.[6]

Political Affiliation[edit]


Benjamin III[edit]

Benjamin III
Crest-Benjamin.png
Astrophysical
System positionThird[1][2][3]
Jump Point distance2.96 days[2][3]
MoonsNone[2][3]
Geophysical
Surface gravity1.08[2][3]
Atmospheric pressureStandard (Tainted)[2][3]
Equatorial temperature30°C (Temperate)[2][3]
Surface water51%[2][3]
Highest native life20% Mammal[1][2][3]
History and Culture
Population4,655,000,000 (3025)[1]
5,410,000,000 (3067)[2]
5,430,000,000 (3079)[3]
Government and Infrastructure
Noble RulerDuke of Benjamin
Political LeaderDistrict Governor
CapitalDeber City[1][2][3]
HPG ClassA[1][2][3]
HPG RepresentativePrecentor Kenta Delmorrow (3025)[1]

Benjamin III, more commonly referred to simply as Benjamin, is a large planet orbiting a dim Star. The world was made habitable through the deployment of twenty orbital "semi-suns," which were similar to a JumpShip's Solar Sails. These semi-suns provided up to a twenty percent boost in the amount of sunlight received by the surface of the planet, and as a result, Benjamin enjoyed a pleasant climate and plenty of petroleum resources. The planet boasted a strong mix of agricultural and manufacturing businesses and for much of its history served as the capital and namesake of the Benjamin Military District of the Draconis Combine.[1]

Planetary History[edit]

Early History[edit]

By the early twenty-fourth century, in the absence of central control from the Terran Alliance the world of Benjamin had not only survived as an independent world, but had also managed to put itself in a position to exercise control over several neighboring worlds. When Director Shiro Kurita of the Alliance of Galedon conducted a year-long tour of worlds near the Alliance in 2309–2310, he included Benjamin on his tour; he brought with him evidence purporting to show that one or more of the other small states nearby had designs on conquering Benjamin, and offered to mediate between Benjamin and its opponents. He also offered to protect Benjamin by allowing Benjamin and its client worlds to join the Alliance, thereby allying itself with a stronger power.[6]

The rulers of Benjamin accepted this proposal, not realizing that Director Kurita had invented the evidence and deliberately played a number of small states based around the worlds of Dieron, Junction, Luthien, Pesht, and Worrell against each other, dramatically expanding the Alliance's size.[6] The worlds of Dieron and Altair were responsible for Director Kurita's subterfuge coming to light, when in June 2311 a dispute broke out between the two; each called on its great ally only to discover that they were both allied with Director Shiro Kurita. Each planetary ruler discovered that they had been promised the same things, and word soon spread to the other planets seduced by Director Kurita's diplomatic campaign.[7]

Of all the worlds that had been tricked, those that took the greatest offense were the rulers of Asgard, Benjamin and Telos IV. Furious at having been manipulated and feeling betrayed, the three became increasingly hostile; Director Kurita responded by gathering together a thousand or more dignitaries and ruling lords from the northeast quadrant of the Inner Sphere to the Council of One summit in September 2311. He spoke passionately to those present of the need for cooperation between the worlds of the region for the betterment of all, and then called for a vote on his proposal of alliance. Those dignitaries who voted in favor departed safely; those who didn't were executed by the two companies of crack troops assembled around the summit by Shiro's brother Urizen Kurita before being shipped back to their next of kin.[7]

With the Council of One dispensed with, Director Kurita deployed both the Alliance of Galedon fleet and his land forces to the conquest of Asgard, Benjamin and Telos IV. The troops landed that same September and began attempts to subdue the population. The inhabitants of Benjamin were determined to retain their freedom and resisted bitterly, adopting the same guerrilla tactics used effectively by various worlds during the Outer Reaches Rebellion a century before. Director Kurita used every method at his disposal short of weapons of mass destruction, and the casualties on both sides were enormous, but eventually the three worlds were forced to capitulate; Benjamin was the last to surrender, holding out until October 2312.[7]

Star League[edit]

The First Hidden War between the Star League Defense Force and the Combine began on Benjamin in 2681 when Amanda Kazutoyo killed Bradley Grebbers.[49]

During the final years of the Star League, Benjamin was the host to an SLDF garrison, the 160th BattleMech Division and Twenty-second Royal CAAN Marine Regiment.[50][51] It also served as the homeport of the Fourteenth Fleet of the SLDF.[52]

First Succession War[edit]

In 2794 the Draconis Combine was able to ambush and destroy the Tamar Tigers at Benjamin, putting an end to their raids.[17]

Third Succession War[edit]

By 3025 the major heavy industry of Benjamin was parts manufacture for wheeled vehicles.[53]

Outside the planet's capital, home to the huge Political Park of administrative buildings, was where the headquarters of Warlord Hirushi Shotugama was located.[53]

Post–Third Succession War[edit]

On Benjamin in early 3026, Coordinator Takashi Kurita would present Jaime Wolf, commander of Wolf's Dragoons, the Order of the Bushido Blade in honor of the actions his unit had carried out for the Combine. This ceremony was broadcast throughout the entire Draconis Combine.[54]

Jihad[edit]

Renegade AFFS forces from the Draconis March—the Second Robinson Rangers and the Sakhara Academy Training Battalion[55] with mercenary support from Gannon's Cannons,[56] Beowulf Rangers, Donnel's Commandos, Piotrs Privateers, and 227th David Hunters[57]—launched an attack on Benjamin during the first week of December 3068. Rather than simply striking at the planet and leaving, the rogue units remained in place; the initial assault decimated the defending Sixth Ghost,[58] and reports indicated that Ninyu Kerai, Chief of the Combine's ISF, had also been claimed as a victim during the attack. The DCMS deployed additional troops to Benjamin during the first week of February 3069 when the Second Benjamin Regulars and the Fifteenth Benjamin Regulars[57] were sent home with the intention to drive out the rogue Draconis March units, but beginning on the 14th of February the Word of Blake launched raids intended to disrupt the command structure of the DCMS, attacking both Benjamin and Pesht. A Word attack on the 20th of February shattered both the AFFS and DCMS units on Benjamin, with the Federated Suns units retreating off-world on the 25th; even as they left, Blakist aerospace assets were waiting them in space and Pocket WarShips destroyed some of the retreating AFFS forces, with less than thirty percent being able to escape.[57] The WoB raid ended with the retreat of their forces and the heavily damaged remaining DCMS units in control of the planet.[59][57]

In 3072, Word of Blake forces arrived in-system and assaulted the planet. These forces, led by the Twenty-eighth Militia Division with support from the Forty-fifth Shadow Division[60] seized the planet on the 12th of May.[37][38] Nine of the planet's semi-suns were destroyed during the initial invasion. Benjamin's defending DCMS forces were overwhelmed by the Blakist forces, who secured the planet with the surrender of the Sixth Ghost. However, a guerrilla resistance force fought on after the occupation of the planet.[60] After the conquest of planet was completed, the Twenty-eighth Division left Benjamin, while the Forty-fifth Shadow Division was left in control of the planet.[57]

The Combine attempted unsuccessfully to break the siege of Benjamin in a campaign fought during the first two weeks of November 3072.[61][40] The battle cost the Combine three of their WarShips, the Kyushu-class frigate DCS Luthien and the Inazuma-class corvettes DCS Night of Agony and DCS Swiping Claw.[62]

The various battles in the Benjamin system in 3072 would claim a total of five Blakist WarShips. From their original fleet salvaged from the Ruins of Gabriel and elsewhere, the Word of Blake lost the Lola III-class destroyer WoBS Faith's End and the Vincent Mk. 39-class WoBS Blade of Holiness. The Blakists also lost the Fox-class corvettes FSS Robinson and LAS Robert Kelswa, captured earlier from the Federated Suns and Lyran Alliance respectively, as well as the Eagle-class FWLS Bors, one of the WarShips from the Free Worlds League navy the Blakists had suborned in the opening stages of the Jihad.[63][64]

Just a few weeks later, the DCMS were presented with the opportunity needed to free Benjamin; a naval flotilla from Clan Nova Cat backed up with ground forces attacked the defending Word of Blake forces in a sudden assault on the 16th of December 3072. The Nova Cat forces overwhelmed the majority of the defending Blakist forces before moving on, allowing the surviving DCMS forces still on Benjamin to reclaim the planet. The survivors from the Forty-fifth went to ground no launch a guerrilla campaign.[57][40][39]

At the end of June 3073, after weeks of negotiations and wrangling, the Azami worlds agreed to send delegates to Benjamin to meet with elements of the Combine leadership to discuss the crisis between the two. The Azami delegation was subsequently ambushed en route to Benjamin on the 21st of July by a small Word of Blake aerospace fighter force. This exacerbated the tensions in the Arkab-Combine relationship, as the Azami accused the Combine government of failing to protect the Azami delegates intentionally.[40][65]

When the Blakists were eventually driven off of Benjamin, the Dragon's propaganda machine kicked into overdrive; the events of the Benjamin assault were trumpeted across the Combine, and the number of recruits applying to join the Benjamin Regulars skyrocketed. To provide the best recruits to the Regulars the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery established the Osaka Fields Proving Grounds on the continent of the same name. This training facility took in recruits and provided basic training before sending the most promising recruits on to other academies.[3]

On 17 October 3073, Coordinator Hohiro Kurita agreed to meet with Precentor Martial Victor Steiner-Davion and Devlin Stone on Tukayyid, and began preparations to travel as soon as possible from Benjamin. Just a few weeks later on the 19th of November rogue operatives from the Combine Internal Security Force attempted to assassinate the Gunji-no-Kanrei, Kiyomori Minamoto, on Benjamin, although the attempt failed.[66][67]

As a result of the assassination attempt a purge of local ISF and DCMS forces was ordered, and on the 10th of December 3073 Kanrei Minamoto declared that the Black Dragon Society elements had been successfully removed; he then invited the Azami worlds to send delegates to Benjamin for a second time to resume negotiations.[67][68] A month later on the 21st of January 3074 a second delegation of Arkab leaders agreed to make one more effort to meet with the Kanrei; the Word of Blake again launched an attack at the delegation, this time on the 17th of February, but this time aerospace forces from the DCMS and the Azami successfully repelled the attack. The delegation arrived safely on Benjamin on the 25th of March, and began ten days of negotiation that ultimately failed to bring the Arkab worlds back into the Combine, but which did generate an agreement to concentrate all military energies on the common enemy - the Word of Blake. The Combine also promised to direct relief efforts to the stricken Arkab worlds.[67][69]

The last elements left on planet of the Forty-fifth's were eliminated in 3079.[57]

The "semi-suns" destroyed by the WoB assault of 3070 hadn't been repaired by 3079, and the resulting loss in received sunlight seriously reduced the agricultural output and forced Benjamin to import food.[3]

Military Deployment[edit]

3050[edit]

3055[edit]

3062[edit]

  • 211th Division (ComStar)

3067[edit]

3068[edit]

3079[edit]

- The unit was operating at 25% strength, with 80% of their equipment featuring upgraded technology.
- The Ryuken-roku operating at 20% strength, with 60% of their equipment featuring upgraded technology.

3085[edit]

- At this time the Forty-third was at 35% of full strength, with 100% of their equipment featuring upgraded technology.
- At this time the Ryuken-roku was at 60% of full strength, with 74% of their equipment being upgraded technology.

3145[edit]

Planetary Locations[edit]

  • Castano: continent[3]
    • Deber City: the planetary capital city,[1] located on Castano[3]
  • Fort Shandra: An SLDF Fortification[87]
  • Kyoto City: a city heavily damaged during the AFFS attack during the Jihad[58]
    • The Pillar of Wisdom Clinic, the Gorman Medical Facility, and the Chrysanthemum Sanctuary of the Order of the Five Pillars: all hospitals in Kyoto City[58]
    • Friendly Persuader: a civic center in Kyoto City[58]
  • Gojjam: continent[3]
  • Osaka: continent[3]

Industrial Centers[edit]


Map Gallery[edit]

Nearby Systems[edit]

Closest 32 systems (30 within 60 light-years)
Distance in light years, closest systems first:
Fukuroi 13.4 Cadiz 14.7 Saaremaa 15.0 Hagiwawa 22.4
Vaajakoski 24.0 Helsingfors 26.8 Umijiri 28.1 Sutama 34.9
Mersa Matruh 35.0 Vanern 35.9 Kajikazawa 36.5 Monistrol 37.2
Awano 38.6 Kitalpha 39.7 Grootfontein 39.7 Annapolis 40.9
Tangerz 44.2 Osmus Saar 46.9 Falsterbo 48.7 Shibukawa 49.3
Waddesdon 49.8 Osumi 50.1 Apriki 50.9 Peacock 51.0
Tamsalu 52.8 Tok Do 53.2 Aldrecht 53.6 Aix-la-Chapelle 55.1
Junction 56.8 Celebes 59.0 Koping Chian 60.1 Shimonita 60.2

References[edit]

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 184: "Benjamin Planet Profile"
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 Handbook: House Kurita, p. 84: "Benjamin"
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 Objectives: Draconis Combine, p. 23: "Benjamin"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Era Report: 3145, p. 39: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Field Manual: 3145, p. VI: "Inner Sphere - [3145] Map"
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 23: "Political Maneuvers"
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 House Kurita (The Draconis Combine), p. 24: "Conquest of Resistance"
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Bibliography[edit]