Brigadier Sesutra Kenderson. (Picture is fanart.)
Brigadier Sesutra Kenderson of the Commonwealth Armed Forces was the commander of the 121st Commonwealth Legion (The Stone Throwers). She was a Naram from a family with long military tradition, and a relation of Prefect NaBesta Kenderson. The Kenderson medium starfighter was named in her honour.
Battle for Saguntum III[]
When war came to Shannedam County, Saguntum III ranked low in Commonwealth priorities. Its only importance was as a springboard deeper into the County and across to Yoventrov County.
It was for those reasons that the CAF heavily reinforced the world, building several defense complexes. Stockpiles of weapons and supplies were hidden away in the mountains and cactus forests. The 121st under Brigadier Kenderson was assigned to Saguntum III, with orders to hold out as long as possible in the advent of an invasion. Kenderson understood that the unit was on its own.
With the capture of several worlds near the heart of Shannedam County, TOG turned its sights on Saguntum III as a stepping stone into Yoventrov County. Not sure how heavily the planet would be defended, TOG detached one of its most experienced Legions, the 3241st Strike Legion (The New Rome Spearmen). TOG military experts expected the campaign to last a total of six months, nine at most.
On 8 November 6815, the assault began. Just as it seemed that the TOG 40078th Battleship Squadron had easily cleared the Royal Navy from the system, several large frigates and cruisers, powered-down and hidden, came to life on the TOG squadron's unprotected flanks. It took almost three full weeks of fighting for TOG to completely secure the system. Even then, the Royal Navy constantly raided the system, targeting the T-Doppler and N-space detection systems to keep Saguntum III blinded.
TOG assumed that the 121st Commonwealth Legion would make a traditional stand among the plateaux, but the constant heavy electrical storms made it difficult or impossible to track their position. This hid the deployment of the 121st, which Kenderson had split into numerous small groups across the world's surface.
Every time the 3241st Strike Legion secured a city, it would garrison it and move on to the next. At first, the Legion met only minimal resistance, taking Tiki, Drear and Ack with only light losses. At each city, however, it had to leave more of its troops in garrison. The 3241st was significantly under-strength when the 121st moved against it in the hills west of Potts.
At the height of the electrical storms raging on 26 June 6816, the 121st attacked the 3241st's long marching column. The TOG commander called for interceptor support, but none could get close enough to be effective. TOG Thor missile and space bombardments hit their own troops as often as they hit their intended targets.
Taken by surprise, the 3241st was driven back with heavy losses. As they regrouped on the shores of the Sea of Despair, other raiding forces from the 121st attacked Drear and Ack, far to the TOG rear. Munitions and communications were cut for weeks.
Brigadier Kenderson used the electrical storms masterfully, moving large concentrations of troops during the height of these storms, which concealed them from TOG sensors. Her Cohorts constantly nipped and chewed at the 3241st Strike Legion. Using the hidden supply depots as small operational bases, her units turned TOG's "six-month cakewalk" into a two-and-a-half-year quagmire. Only by deploying its fighter wing in suicidally dangerous runs was the 3241st able to finally defeat the Commonwealth Legion. On 30 May 6817, Saguntum III was officially listed under TOG control. The 3241st was nearly completely depleted.
Capture and Execution[]
This embarrassing delay caused Julianus Caesar to lose interest in the Shannedam offensive, cutting off funds and equipment. The daring efforts of the 121st Legion and Kenderson´s brilliant strategies cost TOG a full decade in its Shannedam campaign, and ultimately hurt the Yoventrov County operation as well. Brigadier Kenderson's capture and eventual execution did not come close to venting TOG's frustration at her actions.
Brigadier Kenderson´s heroic defense of Saguntum III earned her a heroine´s status among the Commonwealth citizens and Renegade Legions, and did much to restore morale in Shannedam County. The Commonwealth Armed Forces honoured her sacrifice by naming a starfighter after her.