Lore:Colony War

The Colony War was the second armed conflict between the United Colonies and Freestar Collective [Starfield], notable for its use of innovative and controversial military technologies.

Background

The Colony War had its roots in the "Great Game", a century-long period of brinkmanship between the UC and Freestar Collective. The Treaty of Narion forbid either power from settling outside its treaty-defined borders, but allowed for the potential construction of "outposts", without clearly defining the distinction. This led to both powers toeing the lines of the Treaty, attempting to stay within the letter of the law while ignoring the spirit.

In 2303, the Freestar Collective established a farming facility on Vesta [Starfield], in the Lunara System [Starfield]. While the Collective maintained that the facility was a mere outpost, UC leadership saw it as a clear violation of the terms of the treaty. In 2308, the UC deployed the Red Devils [Starfield], an elite Xenowarfare team, to destroy the Vesta facility, setting off the Colony War.

Events of the War

The Colony War was marked by the use of innovative and controversial military technologies and tactics on both sides. Under the command of the feared and respected Admiral Francois Sanon [Starfield] - also known as Vae Victis, "woe to the defeated" - the UC deployed both Mechs and xenoweapons to the front lines. The Freestar Militia also made heavy use of Mechs, as well as making use of a volunteer "civilian navy" flying armed merchant ships.

Siege of Vesta

One of the earliest engagements was the Siege of Vesta, with some considering it where the UC drew the first blood of the war. The UC deployed Xenowarfare assets in the form of the Red Devils [Starfield] and Stalkers [Starfield], taking the Freestar defenders completely by surprise.

Londinion Terrormorph Outbreak

During the war, the UC planet Toliman II [Starfield] suffered the worst Terrormorph [Starfield] outbreak in recorded history. Swarms of Terrormorphs attacked the city of Londinion [Starfield], overwhelming the UC defenders. Fearing that the Terrormorphs might escape the planet by boarding escaping ships, Admiral Sanon ordered an orbital bombardment of the Londinion spaceport, killing thousands in the strike and effectively trapping both the Terrormorphs and Londinion's remaining population planetside.

Battle of Niira

By far the fiercest fighting was on the planet Niira [Starfield], in the Narion System [Starfield]. UC forces, aided by the Red Devils, were able to establish a strong defensive position. Intent on winning it back, the Freestar Militia dispatched their best Mech unit, the First Cavalry [Starfield], under the command of Major Paxton Hull [Starfield]. The First took heavy casualties attempting to take the UC positions, and the battle dragged on.

The First finally managed to achieve a breakthrough just as the Battle of Cheyenne ended and a ceasefire was called. Hull, refusing to let his men have died for nothing, defied his orders and continued the assault. The First managed to achieve their original objectives, but were court martialed and discharged for insubordination.

Battle of Mars

Near the end of the war, the Freestar Militia launched an attack on the planet Mars in an effort to disrupt UC industrial output. The attack was however thwarted by UC forces, sparing the city of Cydonia [Starfield] from possible damage.

Battle of Cassiopeia

One of the bloodiest naval engagements during the war, the Battle of Cassiopeia was fought in the Eta Cassiopeia System [Starfield] and saw the loss of a dozen UC vessels, including that of the Dauntless, and hundreds of lives lost on either side.

Battle of Cheyenne

Fought in 2311, the final battle of the war was a last-ditch attempt by Sanon to invade Akila [Starfield], capital of the Freestar Collective, by launching an all-out assault on the Cheyenne System. During the battle, the Freestar Militia made use of hit-and-run tactics and support from armed civilian ships. Sanon ordered his fleet to fire on the civilians, but ultimately was unable to overcome Freestar resistance and was forced to abandon the attack with the UC Navy in tatters. The victory at Cheyenne allowed the Collective to sue for peace, bringing the war to a close.

The Armistice

As with the Narion War, both parties were determined not to repeat the mistakes of the Colony War. The horrors of modern warfare were too much to bear, and both sides agreed to limit fleet sizes and outlawed both xenowarfare and mechs. All data and technology pertaining to both subjects would be locked in an archive under New Atlantis, inaccessible without the unanimous consent of the UC, Freestar Collective, and House Va'ruun. Units like the Red Devils were dissolved, and labs and factories were shut down.

Three senior UC officers, Commander Henry Durant, General Indira Rastogi, and Fleet Admiral Francois Sanon were publicly charged and convicted of war crimes due to their conduct during the war and were sentenced to death. Despite Sanon's conviction due to the bombing of Londinium and firing of civilian ships at the battle of Cheyenne, Sanon was considered too valuable of an asset to lose by the UC leadership. They faked his execution and had him permanently imprisoned in secret.

The war left many military facilities across the Settled Systems [Starfield] abandoned, leading to a new wave of crime as these facilities were repurposed by pirates, spacers, and freshly unemployed mercenaries.