War of Manhome Liberation aka "Orion Wars"

An attempt by a coalition of Humans First interests to interdict Sol.Tellus System, force The Tellurian Federation to repudiate its alliances with non-human sophant beings, discredit the College of the Pleiades, and provoke inter-being war.

The Conflict

Prelude

Throughout the 27th century, the Humans First ideology gained support in various forms. The breakup of the Nenque Alliance (see Cordini Rebellion) and the political coup that followed and left Skalnaté at the helm of the new Skalni Union provided a platform for one axis of this sentiment. The growing influence of Gloryland in New America and their close ties with Davos offered another vector for extremist aspiration.

In 2678 the Skalni Union and New America signed a "Declaration of Mutual Interest" guiding the principles of commerce and security for both Entities, and followed in 2679 with the Future of Humankind Conference at Thoreskal.

The "conference" acted as a rallying point and an opportunity for diverse Humans First groups and organizations to build ties and create a network and served to recruit military strength for the upcoming attempted "Liberation."

Deployment

The assembly of the "Manhome Liberation Fleet" began in late 2680. Although the bulk of the Fleet was regular military elements from member worlds of the Skalni Union and New America, it was greatly enhanced by detachments from a variety of other worlds and even some commercial security fleets (notably Tind's Golen-Pierez Company, which supplied an expeditionary force including three battle squadrons and two Marine divisions.) The rendezvous and staging point for the military elements was a mapped point (rather than a node) on the Th'fiil ("Orion") plot.

While the Fleet assembled, the Jeng Administration on Davos was replaced after a Vote of Confidence maneuver orchestrated by a coalition of groups acting under Humans First coordination (it was believed LeSteig was the source of funding for most of the political operations) which then orchestrated a State of Emergency after the Central Dome gas incident. Most of the replacements for Administration Proctors were in on the conspiracy, which used Nornbase facilities to quietly sabotage elements of the System Defense outer perimeter.

Battlefield

Most of the fighting took place in various locations on the perimeter of, or within the Sol.Tellus System, including Davos, Nornbase (destroyed in the initial engagement), the Maathai Yards, and the Ixion Sector of the Kuiper Belt. The interdiction zone established by the Fleet was between Ganymede Colony and Maragonek. The key battle zone that decided the outcome was Tellus' outer defensive perimeter.

Conditions

Domestic Humans First extremist groups had been organizing covertly within the Sol.Tellus system for decades. In the two years prior to the War, they built extensive propaganda and political operations attempting to legitimate the Humans First ideology. Although a small minority, they were well-resourced and the Tellurian, Ganymede and New MIami governments experienced great difficulty in dealing with this Fifth Column element.

Once hostilities began, loyalists at Davos rioted and civil unrest became general. Martial law was declared by the Ganduus Administration and thousands died in the subsequent riots. The assassination of LeSteig by an elderly schoolteacher turned the propaganda tide and loyalist forces within the Constabulary eventually spearheaded a counter-coup.

The Engagement

Destruction of Nornbase

On April 9th, 2681, eighteen sectors of the Sol.Tellus system defense perimeter suddenly went offline. Within hours, the Manhome Liberation Fleet had penetrated the perimeter, concentrating forces in selected sectors, with the largest concentration at Nornbase. System defense forces were hampered by sabotage and overwhelmed within hours.

Counterattack from Ares

System defense forces stationed at Deimos Base and Ares Colonial Guard mobilized immediately but found the insystem ComWeb knocked out or under Fleet control. Using converted astronomical equipment from Aresport University, they headed to New Miami's Kewest Roads to rendezvous with Tellurian Federation Naval units. However, by the time they arrived, more than half of the Naval ships had been either destroyed in dock or appropriated by Fifth Column elements; only two squadrons were combat-ready. The combined forces planned a transit to the Disc to establish a guerilla base and send supralight-capable ships on to Proxen and Berehyn

The decision to transit via Maragonek has been criticized, but the Ares forces with their short-range insystem ships required resupply. Fifth column elements at Maragonek were able to transmit details of the Ares forces to the Liberation Fleet. Admiral Lun Noquunatl brought the Tellurian forces byond the Kuiper Belt to a picket beacon but was ambushed on June 19th by Liberation Fleet elements and driven back with losses (including the Admiral's flagship) before an uptransit could be accomplished. Tellurian forces scattered to preserve resources.

Interdiction

By July 1st the Fleet had achieved interdiction of the Sol.Tellus system, turning away or destroying inbound traffic and halting insystem travel entirely. They used the latter half of 2681 to commandeer additional insystem-capable ships, to take control of Ganymede and concentrate forces to contain Ares and prepare their final assault to engulf "Earth" as they called Tellus, to free it from the "alien influence" and install a "True Human" leadership.

The Transit of the Eldritch

System defense units from both Ares and Tellus had been rallied and concentrated at strategic points to form defensive perimeters for those worlds. Most of the Tellurian Naval units in the system had been sabotaged, commandeered or destroyed in the Ares counter-attack attempt.

The Eldritch was a New Miami System Defense corvette with intermediate-range capability detached in late 2680 to escort a delegation from New Miami Colonial Administration to a series of conferences on Tellus. It had remained at the Luna Roads for repairs and resupply when the delegation returned to New Miami in March of 2381. After news of the loss of the Tellurian Naval forces at the Disc, Captain Luéz DuBois left a large contingent of crew at Luna Roads, and she and the Eldritch apparently vanished.

The corvette, with its skeleton crew, undertook to sneak through the tightening interdiction perimeter, and, knowing it was a suicide mission (they had no supplies for a return trip), went to Beacon node 995d, and despatched its entire complement of skip-drone packets to Proxen, Proxen Beta, Prodlo, Berehyn and Hudders Colony, with all the intelligence they had been able to gather since the advent of the Fleet.

The Battle of Tellus

Neither Ares Colony nor Tellus submitted to the demands of the Manhome Liberation Fleet and by February of 2682 internecine strife among various factions in the Fleet was degrading morale and cohesion. Manhome Liberation Fleet Admiral Rark Tambis determined to launch an attack that would breach the Tellus defensive perimeter and place space-to-ground weapons in a position to force the Tellus Administration to accept Fleet demands.

While this attack was being planned and ships moved into position, several of the skip-drone packets from 995d had reached their destinations and planning for a relief force was underway. Admiral D'rinl im-Tasgi Yndrin, commanding a Task Force on maneuvers at Berehyn, detached two mixed squadrons including a force of klavangi Marines under tez flag to advance immediately on a transit along the Th'irrdi plot which enabled them to avoid the Liberation Fleet pickets on the Orion plot.

They made downtransit on March 9th in an irregular upwest sector where only a small Fleet picket was within range, immediately dropped their full complement of Marine insystem fighters and overwhelmed the picket. There were no Fleet units in positions to intercept, and they made the fastest possible insystem transit to arrive at the Tellus perimeter on March 16th, detaching a single corvette en route, to rendezvous with Ares Colony system defense. At that time Fleet units had been in combat with Tellus System Defense for 39 hours and reinforcements were in transit.

D'rinl's forces were able to identify and concentrate on the command units of the Liberation Fleet attackers, and were able to disrupt their formations and inflict losses before withdrawing. Liberation Fleet elements pursued the Tellurian Naval ships but with Ares in a favorable position, they could detach System Defense squadrons and the Liberation Fleet pursuit was destroyed.

By staying mobile and engaging in guerilla-style strike force actions D'rinl's forces were able to divert sufficient Fleet resources from the Tellus attack to enable Tellus System Defense to maintain their perimeter until larger units of the Federation Navy arrived from Prodlo and Proxen Beta on March 25th.

Hudders Colony Relief Force

Two skip-drones with intelligence had been despatched from 995d to Hudders Colony, an Independent neutral world and former member of the Tellurian Federation. The fleet of nine ships that arrived in the Sol.Tellus system to find the Federation Navy in control of system nearspace claimed to be responding to assist Tellurian defense forces, which may have been true. They were thanked, and left.

Outcome

The economic and diplomatic importance of the Sol.Tellus system and Tellus itself to the Federation had steadily diminished over the preceding centuries; its cultural influence and historical significance remain undeniable, but the system was not regarded as strategic in the military sense. However, the attack provoked a re-evaluation of the system's strategic status as well as an outpouring of support throughout the Diaspora.

The Manhome Liberation Fleet was declared a criminal organization by the Tellurian Federation, the Alliance of Vegan Republics, the Cordini Axis, and the Naarham Confederation, and recognized as such by the Interstellar Clearinghouse Academy, which sent a Memorandum to that effect to the College of the Pleiades, which formally accepted it.

Most of the surviving elements of the Liberation Fleet are believed to have returned to the Skalni Union and/or New America, but both of those Entities formally repudiated the Fleet and claimed that any Fleet refugees apprehended were being tried as criminal elements.

Aftermath

Although the Humans First ideology in general experienced considerable discredit from the War of Manhome Liberation, the repercussions did little to diminish Humans First sentiment among the human worlds and subpopulations where it continues to flourish.

The actions of Admiral D'rinl were considered key in bringing the War to an end, and resulted in the Tellurian Federation Space Navy increasing efforts to recruit a diverse, multi-Being cadre and promote inter-Being cooperation.

Conflict Type

War

Start Date

2679

Ending Date

2682

Initiated by Amadioha Colony while it was part of the Vegan Colonial Union, resulted in the formation of the Cordini Alliance .

by Leonardo.ai

Rark Amdag Tambis rose to leadership in the Sons of Earth movement on Thoreskal while serving in the Nenque Alliance Defense Forces. He built a substantial following and was instrumental in bringing in the Defense Forces on the side of the Skalni Velsede to overthrow the Nenque kivat. After the formation of the Skalni Union he is believed to have recruited a substantial force of heavily armed ships from both Thoreskal and Vuzni to form the nucleus of the Manhome Liberation Fleet, which he commanded during the War of Manhome Liberation aka "Orion Wars".

by Leonardo.ai

Captain Luéz DuBois served in the New Miami Insystem Security forces for 32 years, achieving the rank of Commander. At the beginning of the War of Manhome Liberation aka "Orion Wars" she was serving as Captain of the escort corvette Eldritch. Her action in running the Liberation Fleet interdiction to take the insystem ship with a skeleton crew to Beacon Node 995d and despatch skip-drones to Tellurian Naval forces cost her and the other nine crew their lives.