Serdican Guardian Fleet
The Defensive Force responsible for the safety of Serdica during the 1st Federation Civil War
A fleet designed purely for defence was a concept long explored by the Federation Navy, you need only refer to the Iomhare Defence Fleet for an example. The Guardian Fleet of Serdica during the 35th century was, however, the first time a Defence Fleet was forced to well, defend, for a sustained period. To their credit, they did so quite well, though relentless Andisien strikes eventually forced a breakthrough. Regardless of its eventual failure, the Guardian Fleet showed how well a Defence Fleet could perform if granted appropriate resources and manpower and has influenced Federation Naval Doctrine for centuries since.
The Serdican Guardian Fleet, also known as the Raybien Guardian Fleet, was a force of the Oberynite Federation Navy during the 1st Federation Civil War responsible for the defence of the Oberynite capital planet of Serdica, and sector Raybia. While intended to solely protect Raybia, the fleet branched out to several neighbouring sectors, including Iomhare, and Austra, where it saw significant combat against the Andisien Federation Navy. Throughout the conflict, the Guardian Fleet was commanded by Lieutenant Admiral Val Fletcher, though briefly fell under the control of Admiral Ermis Melotis during the Liberation of Serdica, where the Fleet was defeated by Andisien Forces.
The Serdican Guardian Fleet was first formed in 3465 under the direct order of President of the Federation Michael Oberyn, a year following the beginning of the 1st Federation Civil War. The Guardian Fleet was formed from the remaining ships of the 14th System Fleet, and the 2nd Sector Defence Fleet. Both fleets had been devastated by a variety of factors, including mutiny, desertion, and defeat in battle, which signalled to the Oberynite Government that the battle with the Andisiens may not have been as easy a conflict as they first believed.
For the majority of the war, the Guardian Fleet only contained a few dozen ships, many of them formerly civilian vessels, retrofitted to serve a military purpose. In its final months, the Fleet had become the largest Oberynite Naval Force, with the numbers only growing as Oberynite forces were pushed out of a large number of Sectors. Andisien Forces attempted numerous times to gain a foothold in Raybia but were halted every time by the Guardian Fleet. It wasn't until the intervention of the FNS Enduring and Bradley Horne, that a breakthrough was able to be made.
The final battle of the 1st Federation Civil War, the Liberation of Serdica, saw the destruction of the Serdican Guardian Fleet. Alongside some of the remaining System Fleets of the Oberynite Navy, and under the joint command of Admiral Ermis Melotis, the Guardian Fleet fought to keep Serdica under Oberynite control, a venture that ultimately failed. The vast majority of ships within the Fleet were destroyed or scuttled, with the few that remained being captured by Andisien Forces, most eventually joining the Raybia Defence Fleet, created in 3470AC.
3465 - 3469
Type
Military, Navy Fleet
Alternative Names
Raybien Guardian Fleet
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