Balance Mod Game Story - Rise of the Xiati Empire

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Rise of the Xiati Empire Main | Previous Chapter 2435.1-2436.0 | Next Chapter 2437.1-2438.0

Turns 2436.1 to 2437.0

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Isolation Tactics Effective but...

The Xiati's recent strategy to isolate individual enemy systems continues to prove effective and has allowed Xiati commanders to pick and choose when and where they engage enemy forces, which has improved the Xiati's combat efficiency even more. The downside of the strategy is that large numbers of ships are needed to support it, which strains the resources of the Empire to the breaking point nearly every year. Logistical issues with ship retrofits and simply supplying enough troops and defenses to hold the newly capture colonies are common.

Securing Drax

After capturing Drax I from the Jraenar in 2360, it wasn't long before the Jraenar would attempt to re-capture their former research colony. A very large Jraenar fleet (7xDEs,2xLCs,9xCRs,3xBBs,13xDNs,2xCXs) moved through the Praxis blackhole system and easily breached the static Xiati warp point defenses at the Drax-Praxis WP. The Xiati's Drax Defense Fleet fell back to Drax IV avoiding a direct confrontation. By 2436.5, it was obvious the Jraenar were on course to attack Drax I directly and nearby Xiati transports dropped additional weapon platforms on the planet. The Jraenar fleet attacked and was primarily destroyed by the planet's reinforced defenses, although the colony itself suffered moderate damage. The Drax Defense Fleet moved in quickly once the major battle had concluded to finish off the remaining Jraenar ships.

Another Jranear pasting at Drax I in 2436.6:

Sergetti Branch

With warp points to the Sirius and Arakang systems relatively secured against enemy incursions, the Xiati's defensive fleets in those systems were able to be re-directed to briding the gap between the two key systems, which consisted of the Deneb and Rizzil systems - a mix of Phong, EEE, Ukra-Tal and Cue Cappa colonies. With most of the enemy ship concentrations destroyed, a planet in each of Deneb and Rizzil was targeted as the beachhead to faciltitate the eventual takeover of the two systems.

The Cue Cappa colony on Rizzil III was targeted first by the former Arakang Defense Fleet, one of the Xiati's most experienced fleets. A total of 16 defending Cue Cappa ships (2xDEs,2xLCs,5xCRs,2xBBs,2xDNs,1xSS,1xMF,2xLFs) were destroyed and the planet's defenses taken down. Xiati losses were a pair of DEs and a LC and a handful of troops capturing the planet.

Cue Cappa warships await the Xiati attack on Rizzil III:

In Deneb, the Cue Cappa colony on Deneb II was targeted as it was only lightly defended and an abundance of mineral wealth. After a short orbital bombardment with no losses, Xiati troops were landed and in 2363.3 took the planet. Very shortly after in 2436.5, the Norak sent a task force (2xFGs,4xDEs,3xLCs,2xBBs,1xDN,2xLF) to attempt to destroy the newly held Xiati planet but was easily defeated.

A few months later, the Ukra-Tal launched concurrent attacks from the North (Corneria) and South (Andross) against the Xiati in the Sirius system. The Ukra-Tal fleet (19xDEs,4xCRs,2xDNs,1xLCX,2xLF,1xMF,87xLFtr) attempting to breach the Sirius-Andross WP was destroyed entirely but did take out a pair each of Dauntless LCs and Avenger BBs. The northern Ukra-Tal fleet (18xDEs,4xCRs,1xDN,2xLF,2xMF) past through the Corneria-Sirius WP unchallenged but was completely destoryed by the heavy defenses (including two Neutralizer defense stations) of Sirius V. Just under 60 Ukra-Tal ships were destroyed in the two battles.

Ukra-Tal Fleet attempts to breach the Sirius-Andross WP in 2436.6:

Ventrux Intrusion

In 2436.3, significant Norak forces (1xFG,6xDEs,2xLCs,4xCRs,7xBBs,1xCX,2xHCXs,1xMF,4xLFs,17xSFtr,194xLFtr) crashed the defenses of the Ventrux-Bespin warp point. The combined Xiati defenses (5xLCs,4xCRs,1xDN,1xSS,1xSB,80xMSat,19xSDr,4xSFs) destroyed the attackers but took their heaviest losses (-4xLCs,-3xCRs,-1xSS,-1xSB,-19xSDr,-41xMSat) in several years doing so. Although Xiati ships have dominated most of their enemies, close range battles with the Norak have proved very difficult to win without significant losses.

Norak attack on the Ventrux-Bespin WP:

Southern Systems

Ever since the Xiati completed their conquest of the Lylat system, the former occupants (EEE, Cue Cappa and Ukra-Tal) have continued to assault the system every few months. An EEE fleet (9xDEs,3xLCs,3xCRs,2xBBs,2xDNs) attempted to breach the Lylat-Gweebik WP in 2436.2 and was destroyed. A few months later in 2436.9, the Ukra-Tal took advantage of the unprotected Lylat-Gweebik WP and launched an attack on the Xiati colony of Lylat VI, which contained most of the Xiati's Gweebik Fleet in a state of mid-retrofit. Fortunately the Ukra-Tal fleet (16xDEs,7xCRs,2xDN,2xMFs,2xLFs) was taken out primarily by the colony's defensive weapon platforms and the rest by some of the newly upgraded Xiati ships.

EEE assault on the Lylat-Cydonia WP in 2436.2:

Several times during 2436, the Xiati systems of Lezzari and Fezzran were breached by Ukra-Tal, destroying the Xiati's defensive stations and satellite groups on the Lezzari-Cunaxa and Fezzran-Falcor WPs. Content to hold the warp points, the Ukra-Tal ships did not attempt any attacks against the Xiati's heavily fortified planets.

Quadrant Map 2437.0: