Arata Skirmishes

Arata Skirmishes
Date 23 February 1914 - 16 July 1914 (4 months, 3 weeks, 3 days) Location Arata, ~1,120 light years from Earth Status Decisive Rotgeheiman and Northern Prussia victory Wreptzlelian and Aedruvian personnel captured and interred Wreptzlelian and Aedruvian fleet impounded Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia lay claim to all of Arata Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia secure vital precious metal and uranium deposits
Belligerents
Rotgeheim Northern Prussia	Republic of Wreptzle Aedruvia
Commanders and leaders
Detlef Stratkotter Lebrecht Neudorf Eugen Fuhrmann Helmfried Probst Eckhard Zweig † Maximilian Adler Joseph Hernzen Gerhart Kierten †	Tel Rabbie † Tim Warner (POW) Jade Ling † Nathan Matheson † Gregor Piette †
Units involved
Galactic Navy Verteidigungsstaffel Galactic Navy Royal Marines	Galactic Navy Galactic Navy
Strength
Rotgeheim 12 naval vessels 457,189 personnel Northern Prussia 1 naval vessel 1 orbital space station 42,086 personnel Total: 13 naval vessels 1 orbital space station 499,275 personnel	Republic of Wreptzle 4 naval vessels 43,332 personnel Aedruvia 5 naval vessels 55,282 personnel Total: 9 naval vessels 98,614 personnel
Casualties and losses
Rotgeheim RGF Harbinger, Ardent-class Frigate destroyed 21,490 killed, wounded, or missing Northern Prussia NPF Scheinfeld, Imperator-class Star Destroyer severely damaged 11,480 killed, wounded, or missing Total: 1 naval vessel destroyed 1 naval vessel severely damaged 32,970 killed, wounded, or missing	Republic of Wreptzle WGN Iveta, Imperial II-class Star Destroyer captured WGN Brigida, Tartan-class Patrol Cruiser captured WGN Tryggvi, Imperial II-class Star Destroyer destroyed WGN Wreptzle City, Imperial I-class Star Destroyer destroyed 20,350 killed, wounded, or missing 22,982 captured Aedruvia 4 naval vessels destroyed AGN Imperial, Vindicator-class Heavy Cruiser captured 42,409 killed, wounded, or missing 12,873 captured Total: 6 naval vessels destroyed 3 naval vessel captured 62,759 killed, wounded, or missing 35,855 captured

The Arata Skirmishes were a series of engagements between two rival alliances on the distant colonized world of Arata. While initially all four nations were co-operating together to colonize the world, the expulsion of Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia from an international organization caused them to retaliate on the once-peaceful world. The conflict began on 23 February 1914 when Rotgeheiman and Northern Prussian forces began a joint strike both in orbit and on the planet.

Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia were the aggressors in this conflict. Before being expelled from a trade union back home, they planned no aggressive behavior on the planet whatsoever, but their ejection changed this. In retaliation for their ejection, the combined forces of Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia launched surprise attacks across the colony in order to cripple the fighting capacity of the Republic of Wreptzle and Aedruvia. Although heavy casualties were sustained by Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia, they emerged victorious, claiming what was left of the crippled fleets of Wreptzle and Aedruvia as well as the entirety of the planet of Arata.

Background

Initial Activity on Arata

After the failed solo attempt of colonizing a planet by New Rotgeheim, the leader of Rotgeheim decided that a new expedition would be undertaken. Rather than risking half a flotilla to go to a distant planet (which happened during the last colonization attempt with disastrous results), Kaiser Rudolf Geske sought foreign aid.

Two other nations, namely the Republic of Wreptzle and Aedruvia, saw the proposed expedition as a way to reach outward for minerals, precious metals, and other necessities to keep a growing nation on its feet. After a public announcement that the three nations were working together to colonize a distant world - with the project led by Rotgeheim - Northern Prussia decided to jump on board.

After a phase of planning in which the galactic navies of all four nations were instructed to provide men, materiel, and vessels, the four nations embarked upon their mission. They encountered the planet after a mere week of space travel and immediately began establishing themselves on the planet. While Rotgeheim sent its first scouting parties planetside the other three began to construct an orbital platform that would serve as a launching point for further exploration and colonization. Security on the orbital platform was entrusted with the troops of Northern Prussia, while patrolling the space around Arata was left chiefly with Rotgeheim, with occasional relief provided by the Republic of Wreptzle.

Rotgeheim was the first to establish a settlement on the surface of the planet, doing so on a small mountain range in late December 1913. The Aratan winter initially prevented much travel outside of the established post on the mountain (which was named Mount Geske, after the leader of Rotgeheim), but inclement weather came to an abrupt halt in the beginning of January 1914. Parties of troops and surveyors extensively mapped the surrounding area, scouting out more optimal locations for additional settlements. Two of the sites they scouted out, one to the north-east and one due east, were settled on 14 February by Aedruvia and Wreptzle, respectively. Northern Prussia decided to not make a landing until summer 1914, instead opting to keep its garrison in orbit. From December to 9 February, Rotgeheim established five large outposts: Posen, Bromberg, Kolberg, Dievenow, and Greifenberg. A couple thousand troops, miners, surveyors, and other personnel were stationed at each outpost.

Expulsion from the Federation of Free States

On 4 February 1914, Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia were expelled from the Federation of Free States, an international trade union, among whose members included Aedruvia and Wreptzle. Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia attempted to petition the leaders of the Federation for re-entry, but were declined. Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia both relied heavily on several key imports from other nations in the Federation that would soon become unavailable after the expulsion. Some of these key imports included precious metals and uranium, both of which were in great supply in Arata. All four countries on the Aratan Expedition had signed an agreement pledging certain resources to certain countries, and Aedruvia was to receive the vast majority of uranium, which was to be sold to Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia through the Federation of Free States - because of the expulsion, Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia were unable to receive any more shipments of uranium, but they were still not permitted to have any uranium on Arata. Precious metals were able to mined by Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia, but the Republic of Wreptzle's stake in Arata was the largest source of metals, and the metals mined by Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia were not nearly enough to support the two countries.

Because of the problems both Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia faced, and because they could no longer receive the shipments of metals and uranium through the Federation, the governments of Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia asked Aedruvia and Wreptzle directly for a trade deal. On 10 February 1914, leaders of Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia went directly to Aedruvia and Wreptzle for the possibility of establishing a personal trade deal, but were declined immediately. Aedruvia and Wreptzle did not wish to seek any trade deal with their former partners, citing their loyalty to the Federation as the reason. Even though the four countries were actively colonizing a newly discovered planet together and had been trade partners for many decades, a deal could not be reached because of the Aedruvian and Wreptlelian loyalty to the Federation of Free States.

Increased Aggression

News of the expulsion reached the Aratan Flotilla a few days after it occurred. Rotgeheiman forces continued surveying of the area and establishing outposts throughout early February, initially having no issues with their Aedruvian and Wreptlelian neighbors. On 12 February, unarmed Rotgeheiman surveyors journeying through a small mountain pass north-east of Outpost Dievenow encountered a working party of Aedruvian soldiers and miners. Aedruvian troops quickly raised their weapons and ordered the Rotgeheiman personnel to leave immediately, even though Rotgeheiman surveyors had used that mountain pass to navigate dozens of times before. On 16 February, another party of Rotgeheiman surveyors (this time accompanied by troops) ran into a small group of Aedruvian troops a few kilometers east of Dievenow. Aedruvian troops declared that since large amounts of uranium had been discovered beneath this area it belonged to Aedruvia, even though the uranium deposit was in the Rotgeheiman sector of the mountain range. Rotgeheiman troops ordered them to leave Rotgeheiman territory, and after a brief stand-off, the outnumbered Aedruvian troops retreated. The commander of the Rotgeheiman garrison at Dievenow attempted to communicate with the Aedruvian settlement numerous times, but was unable to establish contact. Several more minor stand-offs occurred in the north-east of the Rotgeheiman territory, with the majority taking place around Dievenow.

The governments of Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia instructed their troops to be cautious of any further aggression from Aedruvian and Wreptlelian forces, especially near the newly-discovered uranium deposit to the east of Dievenow. On 18 February, troops from several Waffen-VS mechanized and mountain brigades were deployed to the surface of Arata to reinforce the few troops already there. Later that day, Northern Prussian Royal Marines and Rotgeheiman Royal Marines denied access to an Aedruvian transport wanting to dock on the orbital space station, further increasing tension between the nations. On 21 February, a company-sized formation of Aedruvian and Wreptlelian troops established a small post less than a kilometer from the uranium deposit east of Dievenow. Northern Prussian Royal Marines posted near the deposit noticed the encroaching party and quickly dispatched a small group to attempt to negotiate with them, but were turned away at the threat of getting fired upon. Northern Prussian and Rotgeheiman forces assumed that the joint Aedruvian-Wreptlelian company was reconnoitering the area to take the uranium deposit by force, so they quickly began formulating plans to prevent such an incursion from happening.

Operation Star Dust

Northern Prussian and Rotgeheiman leadership soon determined that the only way to prevent the imminent invasion from Aedruvian and Wreptlelian forces was to launch a preemptive, crippling blow both in orbit and planetside. The operation, dubbed "Operation Star Dust", was devised in haste over the next few days. The operation was broken up into two phases, "Star" for the orbital phase and "Dust" for the planetside phase.

Star

• neutralize enemy fighting capacity and prevent enemy from resupplying troops on Arata
• capture/eliminate enemy vessels in orbit
• protect orbital space station from possible enemy strikes

Dust

• neutralize encroaching forces and prevent further incursions on Rotgeheiman territory
• seize Aedruvian and Wreptlelian outposts on Arata
• secure deposits of uranium and precious metals
• fortify perimeter of established and captured outposts against possible enemy reinforcement from orbit

Hostilities Begin

In the early hours of 23 February, Rotgeheiman and Northern Prussian forces mobilized to engage the Aedruvian-Wreptlelian force established east of Dievenow.

Order of Battle

Rotgeheim and Northern Prussia

Ships of the Arata Flotilla move as a group in orbit over Arata, December 1913. The large ship in the center is the flotilla's flagship, the Executor-class star dreadnought RGF Pride of Engelsscharen. Northern Prussia's only ship present, the Imperator-class star destroyer NPF Scheinfeld, is at the bottom.

Arata Flotilla

• RGF Pride of Engelsscharen (flagship) - Grand Admiral Detlef Stratkotter
  
• RGF Dead Reckoning - Admiral Lebrecht Neudorf
  
• RGF Subjugator - Vice Admiral Eugen Fuhrmann

Task Force 1

• RGF Lord Paramount (command ship) - Vice Admiral Helmfried Probst
  
• RGF Harbinger - Captain Uwe Sommer
  
• RGF Trident - Captain Kayetan Thalberg

Task Force 2

• RGF Liquidator (command ship) - Vice Admiral Eckhard Zweig
  
• RGF Incapacitator - Captain Reimund Sankt
  
• RGF Oblivion - Captain Lorenz Schuhmacher
  
• RGF Resilience - Captain Arend Decker
  

Task Force 3

• RGF Exemplar (command ship) - Vice Admiral Maximilian Adler
  
• RGF Regenerator - Captain Paul Mehler
  
• RGF Inferno - Captain Friedemann Metzger
  
• NPF Scheinfeld - Captain Gerhart Kierten
  

Wreptzle

Wreptlelian Squadron

• WGN Iveta (flagship) - Admiral Tel Rabbie
  
• WGN Tryggvi - Unknown commander
  
• WGN Brigida - Vice Admiral Tim Warner
  
• WGN Wreptzle City - Unknown commmander

Aedruvia

Aedruvian Squadron

• AGN Imperial - Admiral Gregor Piette
  
• AGN Evdard X - Vice Admiral Jin Lang
  
• AGN Aedruvia - Captain Nathan Matheson
  
• AGN Sundra - Unknown commander
  
• AGN Chantry - Unknown commander