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« on: April 12, 2022, 11:02:23 PM »
The year is C+244. The retinue of Phillip Andrada has fled to their last refuge: their colonies in Penelope's Star. An alien banner hangs above the feared Central Command on Sindria.
Background
It has been about forty years since the initial fleet action of the entity now known as the United Intelligence - formerly a vanguard unit of the Persean League's vindictive Stormhawk paramilitary - defending the Interstellar Imperium's embassy in Yma System against a small pirate incursion. In the decades since the vanguard has moved well beyond its humble origins, operating an industrial base out of the trinary Valefar-Weaver-Yaqum system 13 lightyears from the nearest allied system of Westernesse. The Intelligence's explicitly pro-AI stance and attempt to form a "Greater Domain" with various client states such as the Kadur Remnant and their former umbrella group as a bulwark against the influence of the Greater Hegemony has led to a little over a decade of intermittent violence with the various inhabitants of the Core since this group crystallized. In the lulls and swells of conflict the Intelligence has steadily carved out a perimeter of colonial possessions with which to pen in the Hegemony's attempts to break free of the Core, but in spite of years building up vast stocks of materiel and troops on the Throneworld, the Bifrost and Humility, they have not committed to any significant military action against the core. Not until July of 244, when the Intelligence war machine cut a path to the heart of the Persean Sector in the Askonia Campaign.
Prelude
The months of 243, in addition to seeing widespread UI colonization of the Seaborg constellation, are subject to a 8+ million credit buildup of warships across the empire's heavy industry, resulting in the establishment of the Third and Fourth fleets.
In March of 244 the entirety of the navy is quietly recalled from deployments along the frontier to Throneworld Zero. Each fleet is supplied with three Ox-class tugs. Faction leader Queen Angel is disappointed to realize that contrary to the laws of physics this doesn't actually increase their burn level and flips a table.
Four capital ships are drawn from the assembly to bolster the Queen's vanguard fleet. A large number of Machi APA and Phantom-class troop transports are also taken from the Throneworld's shipyards to accommodate the three space marine legions they take on in preparation for assault on parts unknown.
After taking on large quantities of AM fuel and supplies at the Forgeworlds of Niflheim and Bifrost Diktat intelligence picks up large amounts of chatter indicating fleets and troopships being readied at a number of hostile Fortressworlds and Firebases, their manifests aimed at Diktat worlds. Most of the Diktat's special task groups are split up and redeployed to defend the colonies under threat.
The Intelligence navy enters hyperspace at jump point Omicron and sets a course for the Magellan home system of Khamn, and their homeworld of Annore - now an Iron Shell hiveworld.
Opening Volleys
The assault on the Sindrian homeworld was still two and a half months away. Prior to this the UI's navy took care of some long overdue business. Before setting their sights on the Diktat's colonial outposts they would take a detour to retake Annore, once the jewel of the long-since fallen from grace Magellan Protectorate, now merely a souvenir in the purse of the Hegemony's attack dog.
The Magellan homeworld of Annore had already changed hands multiple times in the decades since cycle 200, first being annexed by the Iron Shell, then invaded during The Calamity of 226 - the Stormhawks' bloody attempt at culling the Shell, which also saw a brief occupation of Chitagupta before its liberation by the Hegemony navy. Many members of United Intelligence's high command had participated in these conflicts, such as Captain Faucet of the navy's infamous flagship, the Solidarity Forever (itself recovered from an ill-fated Iron Shell expedition against the Stormhawk homeworld) as well as famed Xyphos pilot Busko Australe; while they flew a different flag than they did all those years ago, there was a certain sense of coming home present among those populating the various bridge crews of the vanguard fleet.
On June 1 the fleet attacked and destroyed Annore Orbital and began to land troops. UI Electronic Warfare capabilities enabled them to seize Annore's Planetary Defense Cannons without taking too many losses and the planet was seized without a bombardment being rendered necessary, although the fighting was hot enough in populated zones to take most industries offline for a day or so. After granting the world autonomy and leaving a sizable complement of troops behind to bolster security forces against the inevitable IRS stay-behind campaign, the fleet moved to Pariya, the last Magellan stronghold in the sector, took it and destroyed it, along with their final two special task forces - ending the death of an empire that had taken over twenty years to expire.
After occupying three other hostile worlds along the frontier, the combined warfleets of the Kadurs, the Stormhawks and the League gathering at the Fortress World of Humility signalled that they were prepared for the long-awaited march to Askonia. The fleet finished its work and burned hard for the inner core.
The Salus Offensive
The fleet decided to take things slow before hitting Sindria. They had learned from the Persean League's storied and ultimately failed campaigns against the planet in the 210's. No matter one's technological or economic superiority, the Diktat had an abundance of bodies that they had no qualms burying their enemies in. High command resolved that the first move should be secure the shores of Volturn and Cruor, moons in the shadow of Salernos, icons of the Diktat's historical roots and adequate positions to stage for a final assault towards Askonia and the heart of the system.
Bombardments on Cruor and Volturn proved to be regrettable and superfluous. United Intelligence controls so much of the sector's economy that restriction from it had left the perimeter worlds in shambles, and the invaders were quickly able to gain a foothold. The vanguard established a cordon around their occupied territory and observed from afar as warfleets opened the assault on Sindrian Command and Control, readying the way for its entry into galactic civilization.
The Lion's Den
After depositing several battalions in the bloodied foxholes of Volturn and Cruor to crush resistance and secure the victory, the Vanguard fleet burned for Sindria upon hearing that Command and Control was falling out of orbit. Phantoms and Aurorian landers began to dot the skies like a speckled, glittering rain, drenching the Sindrian hive-cities in drop-pods, chaff, and thermonuclear ordnance. UI AI cores relentlessly assaulted the Sindrian defense net - beta cores issuing false orders from impersonated Diktat brass, Alphas playing extensive pranks on Sindrian battalions and recording the results for future enjoyment, and gammas hard-nosedly doing anything and everything to demolish the most practical aspects of Sindria's cybersecurity.
The jackboots put up a valiant fight, but the end was never in doubt. A turn or two later it was over.
Momentum Stalls
While celebrating their victory with some Volturnian lobster wine and a feed of the Lion of Sindria's evacuation fleet burning hard for the Diktat's fortress world on the Fringe, the UI's agents reported that IRS guerillas had successfully sabotaged a waystation on Annore and that rebel strength was beginning to eclipse the government's. In an effort to retain it the fleet cancelled the planned movement against the Diktat's worlds in Penelope's Star and withdrew to Valefar, in order to resupply and take on additional troops after fortifying Sindria. The Askonian Campaign concluded the major phases of the War of the Frontier, and several months later the Diktat (with muttered oaths, clenched fists and gritted teeth) signed a rather generous peace agreement at the Galatian Common Port (formerly known as Ancyra) in the Galatian Demilitarized Zone.
