Operation Galactica

Operation Galactica was a large-scale military operation launched by Starblaydia against their Bekkside neighbour The Lowland Clans (also known as the Allied States or Alliance of Nine States) in retaliation for the attempted assassination of Starblaydia's leader, Lady-Protector Viannor Starblayde. The assassination failed and sparked a retaliation from Starblayia and her allies, the Strategic Alliance of Autocratic States.

Background

Ever since the formation of the Strategic Alliance and its rival - first the Federation of Like-Minded States and its successor organisation the Strategic Defense League - the general peace and stability of the Atlantian Oceania region had layed upon a knife edge.

The succession of Lady Viannor to the head of Starblaydia's governemnt spurned a sharp downturn in international relations. Whereas the former Lord-Protector, Tiberius Starblayde, had merely been perceived as a power-mad tyrannical dictator, Viannor actually lived up to that description. A quick succession of Starblaydi military actions in Atheistic Right and Djacor-Rysonia proved Starblaydia's newfound willingness to use military force to settle international relations.

Combining these factors with changes in the heads of government throughout Atlantian Oceania - Krytenia, Nedalia, Hypocria and Bazalonia all saw new leadership and new policy directions - as well as an arms race appearing between the Strategic Alliance and Strategic Defence Leagues' Paladin Technologies, saw tensions rise higher than ever. Krytenia left the Strategic Alliance, Hypocria left and re-joined, Nedalia proved to be tougher in its international negotiations and Bazalonia, too, took a harder line against the rest of the region, Starblaydia in particular.

A Sniper's Bullet

A crack team of five soldiers from the ultra-secretive Section 31, a division within the Allied States' Department of Homeland Security, were captured by Starblaydi Special Forces shortly after attempting to assassinate Lady Viannor. In trying to make their escape from the island of Aquiliana, the location of Viannor's castle, they were captured within hours by Venators.

The Squad's leader, Sargeant Jonathan Parker, was filmed making a full confession to the attempt and this tape was broadcast to the entire region of Atlantian Oceania as Starblaydia's armed forces similtaneously crossed the border into the anarchic former-state of Legalese, heading straight for the Legal Republic, a piece of Legalese previously taken over and admitted into the Alliance of Nine States.

The Starblaydia's allies in the Strategic Alliance soon mobilised to their aid while the Strategic Defense League swiftly called a meeting of its members to discuss the situation. Various other reactions were present around the region, from statements of neutrality, offers to broker peace, immediate counter-declarations of war against Starblaydia, or mobilisations and declarations of war from those supporting the Starblaydi.

Opening Moves

The first aggressive action was by Starblaydia, to neutralise the Allied States' Navy sitting in the mighty Bekk lake which bordered Starblaydia, the Lowland Clans and Footballia. Starblaydi planes assaulted, damaged and forced the withdrawal of the Flagship of the Allied States' Bekk fleet: the Gold Coast-class light cruiser Justus. For this action, the first real shots of a shooting war, Lamoni's President Stone declared war on the Strategic Alliance, leaping to the aide of their SDL allies. He then immediately resigned, leaving his Vice-President Andrew Stinson to take the Lamonian helm for the duration. Bazalonia, too, mobilised, while Nedalia swept forward to take the Southern Islands off their coast, previously infested by Miceland, to ensure their strategic value was on the SDL's side.

More battles were up in the north, however, with Starblaydi and Allied States' fleets coming into contact in the Nemyan Straights, as well as Legalese City coming under assault from Starblaydi land forces.

List of Nations

Nations declared in military support of Starblaydia

• Abattoir (SAAS)
• Footballia (SAAS)
• Hypocria (SAAS)

Nations declared in military support of the The Lowland Clans

• Bazalonia (SDL)
• Khazaron (SDL)
• Lamoni (SDL)
• Nedalia (SDL)
• Quakmybush (SDL)

Nations declaring neutrality

• Az-cz (non-aligned)
• Chacor (non-aligned)
• Myrtannia (SDL)
• Nova Britannicus (non-aligned)
• Pacitalia (ASPIRE)

Nations with undeclared intentions

• Commerce Heights (non-aligned)
• Delesa (non-aligned)