Western War
The Conflict
Prelude
This war is the result of a cold war that began with the War of the Prophets, when the Republic discovered that the onatachs had funded the rebellion against the government to expand their influence within the Holy Kingdom of Katho. The colonization of the area that is include in the neutral zone today by the Republic was surely the element that convinced the onatachs to go to war. Indeed, this area although belonging to the Republic had been left untouched to serve as a sort of buffer zone between the Republic and the Onatachs Empire. However, the Republic finally decided to colonize this sector with the three most interesting planets to establish a permanent presence in this area and develop trade in the Arkanis sector.
The onatachs most probably considered this colonization in direct contradiction with their national interests since a military presence would threaten their own border and decided to attack the Republic, the preparations for the invasion will take approximatly two years. Being aware that the Republic did not expect an attack from them at all and that the new sector was therefore likely to be poorly defended, they decided to launch a massive attack to ensure that they had the numerical advantage on their side. The Republic, on the other hand, had never taken very seriously the threat of an onatach's invasion, because even if they were hostile to the Republic, they had never really provoked it militarily on it's own territory. This is why the defense of this newly colonized area was quite weak, the bulk of the military forces being positioned around Voga, which was in fact a much important planet than the newly colonized one.
Deployment
The main military deployments during the war were the many naval formations of the Onatachs, the deployment of a good part of the Republic Navy for the Republic as well as an expeditionary force for the Zelvans and the Myrrans. However, the last two were very few in number compared to the colossal numbers of vessels that the Republic and the Onatachs deployed.
Battlefield
The war took place mainly in space and on the surface of several Republican planets during the invasion of it by the onatach. More minor land combats will also be conducted by the two belligerents, but they will mainly be located on asteroids, minor planets and other places of strategic importance in environments closer to space context than a planetary one. The action took place mainly in the territory of the Republic with the exception of the period preceding the Battle of Oldara where the Republic will make a breakthrough in enemy territory.
The Engagement
After their rapid conquest of the territories very close to the border, the onatachs headed for the planet Ferdera where the first major battle of the war took place. The Battle of Ferdera pitted forces of the Navy against the onatach invasion fleet from June 28–30, 2520, and was a complete defeat for the Republic. This defeat was a huge shock to the Navy, which had not really taken the measure of the threat until the battle, mainly because of the little information that it had gathered until. The advance had indeed been so rapid that few elements of the Republican armed forces had managed to flee and reported reliable information on the Onatachs.
The Navy therefore underestimated the size of the Onatachs forces and hesitated to send part of their own guarding Voga, the result being the sending of reinforcements in small quantity without being minor. This had catastrophic results in the course of the war, as the forces in Ferdera's orbit were not strong enough to stop the onatachs. In addition, since the reinforcements sent were still equivalent to the equivalent of two flotillas, this reduced the forces present in Voga's orbit which were not, there too, not large enough to slow down the onatach advance. After their victory, the onatachs moved quickly towards Voga so as not to give the Republic time to send reinforcements there.
Managing to arrive first, the onatachs immediately launched their attack which triggered the second battle of the war. The battle of Voga was the biggest battle of the war and also the deadliest for both sides spanning a total of nearly a year. The battle began with the attack of the onatach fleet of Republic forces in orbit, the onatachs emerged victorious thanks to their numerical superiority acquired thanks to their victory over Ferdera where they destroyed Republic reinforcements moved from Voga to Ferdera. The survivors of the battle regrouped in the neighboring system to impose desperate resistance, particularly in orbit of Mirial which was another planet at risk of being conquered, unfortunately it was not enough to prevent its capture two months later.
However, a few battles will pin them preventing their forces to advance beyond Pakoro for several months. First, a much more fierce resistance than expected on Voga. Second, the capture of Mirial, a neighboring planet, made necessary to prevent the Onatachs from being attacked on the flanks. Finally, the conquest of the rest of the surroundings which had a particular geography forming a large group of systems isolated from the rest of the Republic. Seeing this and after the loss of Mirial, the Joint Chiefs of Staff ordered a general withdrawal for the majority of the forces towards the Sitete system to reorganize and allow time to breathe. This precious time gave the Republic time to reorganize the entire border defense with the onatachs and restore the fleet guarding the Arkanis Sector, which had lost much of its troops in the initial attacks.
The reorganization of the border defense also allowed the Republic to gain its first decisive victory at the Battle of Chiemeka. The victory at Chemekia and the heroic resistance of the Army on Voga restored morale among the troops of the Republican Armed Forces which decided to accelerate the preparations for the reconquest of the lost territories, particularly the planet Voga which was the main objective. After two months of preparations, the assault was finally launched on March 28, 2521 by the Republic Navy that position itself in Voga's orbit. In numerical disadvantage, far from their native territory which caused a less effective supply, exhausted by the continuous fighting since the beginning of the invasion and demoralized by the defeat on Chiemeka, the onatachs were crushed in orbit.
This battle was a turning point in the war, the majority of the invading fleet was wiped out and the survivors fled to Wulima to organize a defense. Left without air support by their fleet, the Onatachs on the surface resisted, but were finally defeated after two months of bitter fighting. The onatachs, attempting to open another front to split the Republic forces, targeted the planet Chiemeka which sparked the Battle of Chiemeka on January 13, 2521. Prior to this battle, the defenses of the sector had been reinforced after the initial attack of the onatachs which allowed the forces of the Republic to repel them in the first place and to completely crush them after the arrival of reinforcements from the Republic Navy.
Taking advantage of their momentum, the Republic reorganized the fleet after the victory over Voga and launched an assault on the rest of the occupied territories. Their attempt was successful as far as the Trujila system in which it penetrates on May 24, 2521, where the planet Ferdera is located. The Republican forces initially succeeded in defeating the Onatach forces in orbit and even went on to recapture the planetary capital with their ground forces. However, this was short-lived as the Onatach counter-attack took the Republican forces by surprise which forced them to retreat to the Stenlar system where a status quo took place. The two belligerents failing to break through the other's line of defense. New attempt by the onatachs to break through the Republic front line on August 15, 2523, the Battle of Icheon will end after four days in defeat for the onatachs whose momentum will be broken.
Reinforcements will arrive around the third day of the battle to support the defenders which made it possible to definitively defeat the attackers. Despite this outcome, the battle will be very close since the attack took place on the least defended sector of the Republic which will result in heavy losses for it. Taking advantage of their victory at the Battle of Icheon, the Republic, with the support of elements of the zelvan Navy, after having recovered and made their preparations, launched an offensive in October 2523 to take some onatach systems and thus have a currency of exchange against concessions. The latter culminating in the Battle of Gossok on October 29, 2523, where the Republic Navy and zelvan Navy defeated the onatach fleet. However, the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided not to tackle the Ibacca system at the first sight, reports suggesting it was heavily defended and defeat would mean the loss of what had been gained so far as the other conquered systems would find themselves vulnerable. However, the latter will very quickly change his mind during the year 2524.
Indeed, the system's strategic position, the fact that onatach forces constantly use it as a rear base to launch raids on occupied systems, and a desire to deal great blows to onatach morale will cause the Republic to prepare an attack to take the system. On July 11, 2524, the Battle of Oldara begins, the space battle lasts about three days and is won by the Republic and his allies, but at the cost of very heavy losses which will be even more catastrophic for the onatachs. After that, the Marine Force will be sent to take the planet, which they will do, but only after four months of hard fighting and very heavy losses due to the fierce resistance of the defenders who will fight hard. Following its victory, the Republic decided not to continue his advance. On the one hand because she did not know what will be beyond the Ibacca system and sending civilian scientists to cross the gates of the Ibacca system was considered too dangerous by the armed forces.
On the other because the latter were not ready to engage in another battle as she had just lived. Despite multiple attempts by the onatachs to recover the four seized systems, the Republic and his allies managed to hold their positions until the end of the war. With the exception of the Battle of the Ring, the rest of the war consisted of minor skirmishes close to the front line. The last battle of the war, called the Battle of the Ring, was triggered when the onatachs attempted a final breakthrough in the Republican line of defense on November 18, 2525. Fortunately for the Republic, it had stationed an important force in the system. This allowed the Republic, with his myrran and zelvan allies, to completely overwhelmed the onatachs as soon as they arrive in multiple locations within the system. This battle will be a big blow to the morale of the onatachs who will decide a few months after the battle, to request a negotiation for a peace agreement.
Outcome
The most immediate effects are the loss of eight systems and three colonies for the Republic to the profile of the neutral zone established to leave space between the two powers, which cuts it off in its drive for colonization southwest of these borders. The border with the Onatachs will also be from this moment even more watched than before and no one will have the right to approach the border wormholes going into the neutral zone.
Aftermath
Both the Republic and the Onatach Empire will lose territory to the benefit of a neutral zone set up to create the buffer zone between the two powers, but since these losses are relatively minor, this will not affect them too much. Although the Republic will emerge from this war with an increase in its military prestige and its great power status reaffirmed, it will also expose the slow loss of solidarity between the members of the Alliance of Alpha Quadrant. Indeed, the loss of influence of the Republic, the old resentments of the Continuation War, the desire of the Zelvan Council to take advantage of the opportunity to slightly weaken the Republic and the distance of the Myrran Trade Union will limit the sending military aid to the Republic. The Onatach Empire will emerge weakened from the war, but the fact that it did not mainly take place on its territory will allow it to recover fairly quickly.
Historical Significance
This war will be a big shock for the Federal Republic which will experience the first invasion in its history and the first war in which it will be directly involved. The weak participation of its allies in the war, which also had a resentment compared to the non-participation of the Republic in the Continuation War, will also frustrate the Republic which will keep some bitterness. Particularly towards the Zelvan Council, which would have the possibility of sending more of its armed forces, which further aggravated the silent rivalry between the two powers.
Legacy
This war traumatized the Republic by its human, material and a lesser extent economic cost with the attack on Voga ravaging this planet, however, it will be the only major Republic planet that will be threatened during the conflic. The territorial losses it suffered in the west was a shock for the population which had not experienced this situation since the beginning of their history. She did not, however, lose her faith in the Republic and its armed forces which, although having lost battles at the beginning of the war, had won many battles thereafter and had shown heroism on many occasions. The emerging onatach threat also encouraged the government, with popular support, to put more money into its military budgets.
In Literature
Being the only war that the Republic was directly impacted by the conflict, this war deeply marked the literary milieu, especially historians. Many of the soldiers who took part in the battles also became writers by recounting his experiences, these war stories were particularly popular during the decade after the war. The documents on this period are extremely numerous which makes it the most documented period of the Republic.
Technological Advancement
This war was on the other hand an incredible technological booster for the military field, these inventions were subsequently transformed for the civilian field. She saw the development of new innovative military vessels, the improvement of thruster, balistic weapons and missiles which allowed the Republic to regain the advantage.
Conflict Type
War
Battlefield Type
Space
Start Date
2520
Ending Date
2526
Conflict Result
Status quo
Location
Belligerents
Alliance of Alpha Quadrant (AAQ)
Onatach Empire
Strength
The Alliance is a grouping of the three great powers of the Alpha and Beta quadrant of the Milky Way. Their joint military powers are immense and allow them to assure them total domination of the two quadrants.
The military force of the Onatachs is at least the equal of the Republic but the joint forces of the Alliance largely surpassed it which is why it is assumed that he had bet on a rapid war to only confront the Republic to have a chance.
Casualties
Most of the casualties in this war are from the Republic because it was the republican military forces that were the hardest hit by the attack on the Onatachs in the early years of the conflict. The Zelvans also suffered losses but well but much less important, they sent a fleet of support to the Republic but only after the front had stabilized which explains their very slight losses. On the other hand, because of the distance to be covered, the Myrrans had only minor casualties as they arrived even later than the Zelvans, but they still sent help. The losses of the Zelvans and Myrrans were mainly suffered during the Battle of the Ring as well as during the Batte of Oldara for the first one, as their fleets did not arrive until late in the conflict.
The Onatachs suffered heavy losses throughout the conflict, especially during the capture of the Republican planets where they encountered fierce resistance from the Army on the surface, but also in orbit with the Navy.
Objectives
The objectives of the Alliance were mainly to reconquer the territories as well as to stop the progression of onatachs inside the republican territory. Unfortunately, the first objective could not be achieved because because of the defeat at the Second Battle of Ferdera which force the Republic to retreat at the Stenlar system.
We do not know exactly their precise goal but it seems that it is mainly the conquest of a part of the Republic's territories in the north. All this in order to create a buffer zone with the Republic which is under its direct control, to prevent it from using this territory again to ensure a permanent military presence in this sector.
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