Battle of Xyvarëngwë

The Battle of Xyvarëngwë (Kahanistanian English: Xigrat) was a minor skirmish between Kahanistanian and Xirniumite forces. It is important not because of the magnitude of the combat itself, but because of the political and cultural results of the battle. It is still used as propaganda by the Kahanistanian armed forces, who consider it the quintessential tale of a “last stand” against a relentless enemy. It was, however, a decisive military triumph for the armed forces of Xirnium.

Background

At the time, the Supreme Parliament of Xirnium was busy crushing a failed coup d'état attempt by the Xirniumite monarchy to violently seize governmental power. A decisive outcome had eluded the royalists, and the Xirniumite emperor faced imminent defeat. Out of desperation and with clear knowledge that certain failure loomed over their uprising, the royalist faction conjured up a plan to obtain nuclear weapons. So forlorn was their hope that the monarchy resolved even to sell into slavery various prisoners that it held to further this aim. Predictably, such outraged many nations. The Democratic Soviet Republic of Kahanistan, however, formulated a bizarre and risky plan which demonstrated a profound misunderstanding of the situation: an armed convoy would escort the nuclear weapons to Xirnium, whereupon Kahanistan Intelligence would attempt to forcibly rescue Xirniumite citizens, granting them refugee status instead of enslaving them, and track the missiles in the hands of the monarchists in order to destroy their launching pads.

The Kahanistanian convoy commander, then-Colonel Rachel Levitt, was a short-tempered officer, and when she was delayed by the Xirniumite frontier guards (parliamentary troops who has learned of the plot and were determined to ensure that the nuclear weaponry did not fall into the hands of the rebels), she fired on them, triggering a battle that was not expected to happen.

The quick actions of Brigadier Escanor Poldórëan (a parliamentary commander) ensured that the Kahanistanians were intercepted as soon as they crossed the Xirnium frontier, long before their plan could be put into effect. A fierce skirmish soon developed.

The battle

Levitt radioed for air assistance from Colonel Nadia Sklenova, the commander of the fighter wing that was attempting to drop intelligence agents onto Xirnium, whilst pretending to bomb Xirniumite civilians in apparent aid of the monarchist uprising. In any event, the only air support that was forthcoming was from Sklenova herself, piloting a MH-181 fighter (an experimental craft, basically a MiG-29 with the standard weapons removed and a futuristic suite of 800MW disruptor cannons attached to the plane), firing down on to the Xirniumite troops approaching the Kahanistan incursion forces. It should be noted that, with the Xirniumite Air Force already committed to wiping out the monarchist uprising and with the prospect of facing futuristic enemy weaponry at Xyvarëngwë that it might not be capable of contending with, Xirnium did not attempt to contest air superiority in this battle.

Never an orthodox commander, and with a background as a logistical officer rather than a combat commander, Levitt rigged several of the trucks in the convoy with explosives and detonated them at advancing Xirniumite troops. Sklenova's fighter ran out of weapons, and she set her craft to autopilot and made a kamikaze crash into the relatively heaviest Xirniumite position she could spot. She ejected before impact and was seriously wounded in descent.

Eventually, though, the methodical, well-planned and disciplined advance of Brigadier Poldórëan took its toll on the Kahanistanian invasion forces. Using a conventional yet utterly effective combined arms approach of advancing heavy infantry supported by light armoured vehicles and a creeping barrage of self-propelled artillery and mortar fire, the Xirniumites were able to shatter the futuristically equipped and well trained (if poorly led) Kahanistanian forces.

Even after having suffered devastating fatalities which amounted to greater than eighty percent of their original strength, the Kahanistanians continued to fight on hopelessly in the hope of dearly selling their lives. In the interests of preserving their lives, Brigadier Poldórëan used a clever ruse that convinced the Kahanistanian commander that her troops faced imminent defeat at the hands of tactical nuclear weaponry, and Levitt thence surrendered to Poldórëan.

Factors contributing to the Xirniumite victory over a futuristically-equipped military power

Strangely, neither of the Kahanistan commanders were specialists in combat field command. Levitt was a logistical officer with a short temper, though she would later be placed in more combat roles and fewer logistical or support roles. Sklenova was an air commander whose experience on the ground was minimal. Kahanistan's troops were using technologically more advanced weapons, but the weapons were experimental and Kahanistan reverted soon after to more modern weaponry. Kahanistan troops were cocky, they were militarily more powerful than Xirnium and more advanced technically.

An examination of Brigadier Poldórëan, provides a stark contrast in comparison. Unassuming and with conservative military tactics, the commander was nonetheless able to throw together an ad-hoc defence of an isolated part of Xirnium’s southern frontier, and to prevent a successful Kahanistanian incursion. Though not one of Xirnium's exceptionally gifted commanders, Poldórëan was highly competent, and though decisive, was not a great risk taker. Brigadier Poldórëan was ruthlessly committed to the aim of defeating a far more advanced enemy with what few resources he had available to him (a training regiment), and in the end his strong grasp of conventional tactics and raw determination won the day.

Aftermath

Ultimately, every single one of the war aims of the Kahanistanian General Staff when it began its war against Xirnium were unfulfilled (though they quickly became redundant as the Xirniumite Parliament completed its methodical shattering of the monarchist rebellion). Their brief incursion into Xirnium's sovereign territory was completely crushed, barely a mile from the coastal frontier.

Colonel Levitt was tried in Kahanistan for recklessly engaging numerically superior forces. She was promoted to Brigadier General, by General Kalazanov, who respected her even though she was never the type of officer to follow rules exactly. She was acquitted of all charges, but held in contempt for her behaviour in court. She was incarcerated for ten days, and eventually returned to Xirnium as an ally.

Xirniumite soldiers respected the bravery, skill and fighting élan of the Kahanistan troops that they had opposed at Xyvarëngwë. Kahanistan and Xirnium later allied with one another against Kraven, although they are no longer allies today.

The Battle of Xyvarëngwë would prove important for the later Xirnium-Kraven War. The successful defeat of a much larger and more technologically advanced nation in a single set piece battle caused a surge in morale and proved that the nation could defend its borders against any threat, even against the indomitable war-machine of the Kraven Corporation.

• - The battle.
• - General Levitt goes on trial.