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Space Empires VBalance Mod Game Story - Rise of the Xiati Empire

Rise of the Xiati Empire Main | Previous Chapter 2427.1-2428.0 | Next Chapter 2429.1-2430.0


Turns 2428.1 to 2429.0

No rest for the weary...

Despite the combat victories scored by the Xiati Empire, each one brings a new challenge or a new territory to defend without a corresponding boost in resources to support it. With no more distractions left, the other major empires continue to pick away at the Xiati's borders. With more non-native Xiati now under the Empire's umbrella, population happiness remains marginal and productivity is poor. With no end in sight, it looks like the misery will continue for Emperor Tax'renath.

The Eastern Front

Despite struggling to secure the warp points in the Sirius system to cut off EEE and Cue Cappa colonies from the bulk of their empires, the Xiati identified a weakness in the planetary defenses of Sirius II which instead was protected by a handful of Cue Cappa warships. Sirius II was rich in much needed radioactives and had a population of almost 8B inhabitants. A Xiati strike force (15xDEs,7xCRs,6xLCs,1xBB,7xSFs,200xSTrp) attacked the Cue Cappa forces (1xDE,2xBBs,2xDNs,4xMFs,1xLF,4xMDr,35xLFtr,9xLSat) and with minor losses (-3xDEs,-3xLCs) disarmed the planet and landed ground troops on the surface. The ground combat was heavily contested and the Xiati forces barely managed to take the planet.

Xiati Forces land on Sirius II in 2428.2:

Xiati Forces land on Sirius II in 2428.2

Immediately after the Xiati abandoned defense of the southern Sirius-Andross warp point and moved ships from Sirius V to join the attack against Sirius II, an EEE fleet (1xLC,2xCRs,1xBB,4xDNs,1xLF) quickly seized an opportunity to hit Sirius V doing some minor damage to the planetary surface and taking out the orbiting Neutralizer defenese base.

In 2428.6, the Cue Cappa struck back against Sirius II with a large fleet (7xDEs,7xLCs,2xCRs,3xBBs,3xDNs) up against the Xiati's Sirius Attack Fleet (11xDEs,3xLCs,6xCRs,1xBB,60xSFtr) in orbit of Sirius II. The battle was intense and the Cue Cappa's continued use of Allegiance Subverters on their large captial ships inflicted heavy losses (-6xDEs,-5xCRs,-2xLCs,-60xFtr) on the Xiati. Although the Cue Cappa fleet was destroyed, the Xiati no longer had enough ships to reliably control entry to the Sirius system from the south. This was proven true just a few months later in 2429.0, when an EEE Fleet (8xDEs,2xLCs,4xCRs,3xBBs,4xDNs,2xMFs,4xLFs) broke through the Sirius Defense Fleet's (5xDEs,1xLC,1xCR,1xBB,7xSFs) blockade knocking off 2xDEs and 1xCR along with 5 of its support ships. The remainder of the Sirius Defense Fleet retreated back to Sirius V.

EEE Fleet runs the Sirius-Andross WP Blockade:

EEE Fleet runs the Sirius-Andross WP Blockade

Meanwhile in the Lylat System...

Not just content with disrupting the plans of the Xiati in the Sirius system, the EEE launched an offensive in the central system of Lylat. In 2428.2, an EEE Fleet (8xDEs,5xLCs,7xCRs) was destroyed while attacking Lylat V and the Lylat Defense Fleet (1xDE,10xLCs,1xDN) which was in orbit. Shortly after a larger EEE Fleet (12xDEs,10xLCs,5xBBs,3xCRs,6xBBs,2xLFs,3xMFs) sent out from Lylat III engaged the legendary Lylat Attack Fleet (8xLCs,11xCRs,4xBBs,1xDN) which had stationed itself on the Fwandrei side of the Fwandrei-Lylat WP along with 23xMSat and a Neutralizer defense base. This proved to be a smart move by the Xiati as they were able to destroy the EEE fleet losing only the defense base and a handful of satellite defenses. Immediately after the EEE's destruction, a modest Cue Cappa Fleet (5xDEs,2xLCs,2xCRs,2xBBs, 2xMFs,2xLFs) from Lylat VII attempted to breach the warp point. The Cue Cappa fleet was destroyed although they did take two Defiant cruisers with them.

EEE Fleet is engaged at the Fwandrei-Lylat WP in 2428.7:

EEE Fleet is engaged at the Fwandrei-Lylat WP in 2428.7

Having spent most of their nearby ships on futile attacks, the EEE and Cue Cappa had their remaining colonies in the Lylat system cut off by strategic warp point blockades to the east (Gweebik, Lylat Attack Fleet) and west (Cydonia, Lylat Defense Fleet). Not much for blockades, the EEE attempted to break the Gweebik one in 2429.0, losing a fleet (2xDEs,6xCRs,1xDCX,1xLF,11xMDr) to the Lylat Attack Fleet.

The EEE try to break through the Lylat-Gweebik WP Blockade:

The EEE try to break through the Lylat-Gweebik WP Blockade

The Ukra-Tal War Heats Up

As feared, the surrender of the Terran Confederation resulted in an increased number of Ukra-Tal attacks against the Xiati's westernmost systems of Fornax and Ventrux. The first serious attack came in 2428.1 at the Fornax-Firaxis WP where a Ukra-Tal Fleet (7xDEs,7xCRs,1xCX,1xMF,1xLF,22xMFtr) attempted to breach the warp point against the ragtag Xiati Fornax Reserve Fleet (1xDE,4xLCs,2xCRs,1xBB,16xMSat,30xSFtr) but was destroyed with only the loss of the Xiati unit groups. Immediately following the first attack, a second Ukra-Tal Fleet (14xDEs,2xCRs,2xDNs,3xLCXs,87xLFtr) broke through the warp point. The Fornax Reserve Fleet managed to destroy the attack but took moderate damage and was forced to retreat to the nearest space yard at Fornax Va for repairs. In 2428.4, a third Ukra-Tal Fleet (11xDEs,5xLCs,5xCRs,1xCX,1xBB,2xMFs,6xLFs) breached the warp point and made a run for Fornax Va. The battle took place in 2428.5 between the Ukra-Tal Fleet and Fornax Reserve Fleet and the planetary defenses. With the extra surface firepower, the Ukra-Tal fleet was easily destoryed.

Ukra-Tal Attack against Fornax Va:

Ukra-Tal Warships attempt to breach the Fornax-Firaxis WP

The Ukra-Tal struck shortly after in 2428.6 at the Ootoola-Drepana warp point with a large fleet (11xDEs,11xCRs,1xDN,1xMF,4xLFs) taking out the Neutralizer defense base and 62 Scorcher satellites. The Ukra-Tal took minor losses (-1xDE,2xCRs,1xMF,1xLF) before being routed by the hastily assembled Ootoola Reserve Fleet (3xDEs,5xLCs,5xCRs). The Ukra-Tal's long range missile strategy was ineffective in the engagement as the Xiati forces had significant point-defense capability and a speed advantage. Undeterred, the Ukra-Tal launched another fleet (19xDEs,1xCR,2xDN,3xLFs) at the Ventrux-Bespin WP, which was defended the Ventrux Defense Fleet (17xDEs,9xLCs,5xCRs,1xBB,3xSFs) whose superior firepower devastated the Ukra-Tal with the loss of only 1 cruiser.

After all the Ukra-Tal attacks, the thin defenses of the Ventrux-Bespin warp point were not able to hold against a small Norak Fleet (2xDEs,1xCR,2xBBs,3xDNs,2xMFs,1xLF) then entered the system in 2428.8. The Norak fleet was later chased down by the Ventrux Defense Fleet, which destroyed it without damage.

Quadrant Map 2429.0:

Map of Known Space 2429.0

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