"When we made plans to raid the Hachew System, I expected our mechs to batter the Vesians every step of the way." Ves spoke with a perplexed expression. "Rather than acting as the barbarians at the gates, I feel as if we are more like the tax collector coming to collect the annual tax."
When the Verle Task Force emerged out of FTL in the Hachew System, the local garrison immediately panicked. Instead of readying themselves to fight to the death, the outnumbered and outgunned defense squadron immediately fled to the nearest Lagrange point and transitioned to anywhere but here.
This allowed the Flagrant Vandals to waltz towards Hachew III, the only inhabited planet in the system. Once the combat carriers that conveyed their landbound mechs made landfall, they came across deserted cities, open warehouses and meagerly defended industries.