Meridian Campaign

Meridian Campaign
Galactic Civil War

Date	Year 9 Day 350-351
Location	Meridian sector
Result	Imperial victory
Belligerents
Galactic Empire Renegade Inc defectors	Renegade Inc Falleen Federation
Commanders and leaders
Orphaea Imperium Calor Assam Aay Zavos	Roy Starkiller
Strength
Krazny Oktobyr task force	Unknown
Casualties and losses
None	1 Capital Ship captured X Freighters captured X Fighters captured 9 planets occupied 1 moon occupied 4 planets under threat

The Battle of Meridian (known as the Meridian Campaign or Krazny Oktobyr by Imperials) was the expulsion of Renegade Inc forces from the Meridian sector by the Galactic Empire. The battle focused not just around the two known systems, but within two previously hidden systems in the sector as well.

Background

By Mid Year 9, Imperial Executor Arturus Goth was approached by Aay Zavos, a commander of Renegade Inc. Zavos claimed to represent a number of Renegade personnel who had grown weary of leader Roy Starkiller's supposed lack of communication or direction. Zavos proposed to Goth that he plant transmitters on Renegade planets and outposts then unknown to the Empire, revealing their location and thus their development to the Empire. Goth directed Moff Orphaea Imperium to coordinate this project.

Imperium, seeing greater potential from this opportunity, proposed in the alternative an invasion of Renegade Inc's holdings in the Meridian Sector, using Zavos and his associates to make available necessary security access rights throughout the sector to the Imperial Navy. Presenting this to Goth, the plan received tentative approval.

Preparation

Admiral Calor Assam, task force co-Commander.

The preparatory stage lasted several months, during which Imperium and Zavos made detailed observations of Renegade locations and patrol routes. In order for any invasion to succeed, Navy forces would have to infiltrate the sector and the planets within without attracting attention from Renegade forces, requiring them to arrive at precise locations at specific times. Admiral Calor Assam was brought onboard as the Navy operational commander.

To aid in this, Imperium requested forces that had been deployed to regions of space operating on a complimentary schedule, to maximise military effectiveness. However, this proved more difficult than first thought, and the task force ultimately deployed to Meridian was understaffed, consisting of small contingents from a range of fleets. Additionally, Imperial resources in the region were limited, forcing the task force to rely only on what it could carry itself. As a result, the plan had to be modified from plans of overwhelming Renegade forces with overwhelming force to a more strategic infiltration and area denial effort.

In the week leading to Day 350, detachments of the task force entered the Meridian Sector, dodging Renegade patrols and arriving at their designated locations. Meanwhile, Zavos used his influence in Renegade command to deploy the bulk of Renegade forces to locations outside the sector.

Invasion

At 21:00 Day 350, Imperial forces descended and started rapidly deploying forces across Renegade controlled planets in the sector. Rather than target the population centers directly, where there would be the most resistance, uninhabited but habitable planets were occupied with prefabricated outposts or littered with area denial weapons. With the task force understaffed and stretched thin over the sector, planetary operations had to be kept to the minimum necessary for strategic success so that forces could move to support efforts on neighbouring planets and systems. Zavos and associates, hiding in secure locations, rounded up Renegade loyalists and coordinated the disabling and granting of security clearances, ensuring Imperial occupation forces faced minimal resistance.

Renegade command was slow to respond to the threat. While local commanders could see Imperial forces, they were unable to act directly against Zavos, and resistance against the occupation was uncoordinated and unsuccessful. By the time senior Renegade commanders became aware of what was happening, it was all over.

By mid day 351, the Empire controlled by force or deprivation the majority of the surface of all but a few Renegade planets.

Simultaneously, further elements of the task force engaged in boarding operations against the Renegade fleet. Renegade personnel were taken as prisoners of war, and a substantial part of the Renegade fleet was captured, including one of its CR-90 capital ships and one of its few GR-75 Medium Transports.

Negotiations and Aftermath

Faced with few options, Renegade command requested support from the Galactic Alliance. The Falleen Federation forces arrived first and took a commanding role in the defensive operation. Other Governments sent forces too, but the longer distance meant they could only be of minimal impact, and whatever officers provided by the rest of the Alliance served only to bolster the Falleen Federation's ranks. They were successful in reducing, but not completely eliminating, the Imperial presence on two planets, but for the most part were able only to consolidate Renegade control in what areas were left outside direct Imperial control. Most resistance occurred on the gas giants throughout the sector. These were not targeted by the Empire as quickly as the other planets, and so it was still possible to establish a significant stronghold capable of holding back the Empire's advance. The planets of Nam Chorios and Hord Chorios both experienced fierce fighting which covered the entire planet, no clear victor was established, and to this day both planets continue to be in civil war without a clear ruler. The hidden system of Damonite also faced strong resistance. Although Damonite Yors B and Damonite Fors B fell to the Galactic Empire, the Galactic Alliance managed to mount a successful defence on Damonite Fors A, Damonite Kors A, and Damonite Kors B and so they are now under New Republic rule.

The immediate operation a success, the Empire through Imperium opened negotiations with Renegade command on the ultimate fate of the sector. Negotiations commenced well but stalled frequently, and it was several months before a settlement was arranged: in exchange for a gratuity, total control of four planets in the Chorios system, and the release of captured hardware and personnel, Renegade Inc would entirely withdraw from the remaining planets in the sector.