Balance Mod Game Story - Rise of the Xiati Empire

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Rise of the Xiati Empire Main | Previous Chapter 2436.1-2437.0 | Next Chapter 2438.1-2439.0

Turns 2437.1 to 2438.0

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A Delicate Balance

As Emperor Tax'Renath approaches his 40th year, there is no denying that he has been successful in expanding the Xiati Empire far beyond what was thought possible. Despite the overwhleming accomplishments, there is not much enthusiasm for his reign amongst most Xiati and of course, the almost 100B foreign population under his control. The Xiati Empire perpetually exists in an angry state close to the edge of rebellion. The never-ending wars, the mass foreign populace and economic woes plague the Xiati from achieveing true greatness.

Sergetti Branch

After capturing their first enemy colonies in the Deneb and Rizzil systems during 2436, the Xiati looked to continue pushing their advantage in both systems before the remaining enemy colonies fortified their defenses. The first target selected was the Cue Cappa research colony on Deneb III which was also rich in much needed radioactives. After a protracted orbital assault to eliminate the planet's defenses, troops were landed and in a hard fought battle took the planet within the month.

Xiati forces attempt to conquer Deneb III in 2437.1:

After Deneb III was captured, it became obvious that further Xiati attacks would have to be delayed while defenses on the new captured colonies and additional troops constructed in the nearby Arakang and Sirius systems. However, towards the end of 2437 with the Sirius-Andross WP relatively secured with static defenses, an opportunity to finally take the final two enemy colonies in Sirius emerged. After first capturing Sirius V from the Cue Cappa in 2423.5, it had been over 13 years that the Xiati had shared the system. In back to back months in 2437.9 and 2438.0, the Xiati took Sirius IIIa from the EEE and Sirius III from the Cue Cappa. The system was finally under full Xiati control.

The Bebblebrox system is a lightly planeted system that is a key route for ships moving from northern systems like the Norak home system of Mveloem into Xiati systems like Sirius and Lezzari. For a few years now, the Xiati have maintained a modest fleet (DEs,LCs,CRs) in the system stationed at the Bebblebrox-Quesstris WP to discourage enemies from moving through this corridor. However with full Xiati control of the Drax, Butukret and Arakang systems, more enemy ships have been entering Bebblebrox and have started actively engaging the Bebblebrox defense fleet. To address this development, additional ships have been dispatched from the Drax system to reinforce the Bebblebrox fleet.

The Ukra-Tal attack the Bebblebrox Fleet in 2437.7:

Southern Systems

The Xiati's conquered Lylat system is one of the most productive in the Empire but is under constant threat from a steady stream of EEE, Cue Cappa and Ukra-Tal forces attacking from the adjacent Cydonia and Gweebik systems. In a short period of 3 months, there were 4 significant attacks from the EEE and Cue Cappa against the Lylat-Gweebik WP and the Cydonia-Lylat WP from the Ukra-Tal. Although Xiati forces emerged victorious each time, a number of the battles occured without warning and could have easily been more disasterous with better co-ordination of enemy forces.

One of several battles protecting the Lylat-Gweebik WP during 2437:

Currently Xiati commanders are focusing on strengthing the warp point defenses with satellites and Defender starbases, which will allow the fleets assigned to protecting those warp points to advance further into the enemy systems to stem the flow of enemy ships to the Cydonia and Gweebik systems. Taking up positions at warp points within the enemy systems will allow the Xiati fleets to fall back if the conditions are not favorable for a direct engagement.

Ventrux

The Ventrux system has long been the westernmost system of the Xiati Empire. With only one direct link to the greater Xiati Empire and links to 3 hostile systems, the system has found itself under seige many times. Each time the Xiati have pervailed and at some point have re-establish defenses at each of the three warp points to lock down the system only to see those defenses knocked out. After several Norak incursions into Ventrux, the warp points to Vandros and Bespin remained unprotected. A Ukra-Tal fleet (14xDEs,10xCRs,2xDNs,1xMF,3xLFs) made its way from Bespin towards Ventrux II, but was intercepted and destroyed by the Xiati Ventrux Defense fleet (2xDEs,1xLC,5xCRs,3xBBs,1xDN,4xSFs). During this time, several significant Norak fleets held position over the warp points but decided not to push further into the system.

The Xiati intercept a Ukra-Tal fleet in an empty Ventrux sector in 2437.5:

With other Xiati fleets holding in the enemy systems of Drepana and Regotha, only limited numbers of enemy ships have tried to breach the Ventrux-Drepana WP. There have been thoughts of positioning the Ventrux Defense Fleet into the Bespin system in a more aggressive posture, but problems fighting Norak ships directly without combat advantages such as the Events Predictor Facility on Ventrux II or added satellite defenses has discouraged this approach.

Quadrant Map 2438.0: