Trial of Retribution

Trial of Retribution
Part of The Civil War Era
Start Date 1 May 3067
End Date 8 May 3067
Location Alshain System Space
Planet Alshain
Result Successful defense of the Leviathan II-class battleship CGB Rasalhague
Territorial
changes
No territory changed hands.
Factions
Clan Nova Cat Clan Ghost Bear
Commanders and leaders
Star Admiral Rand,
Star Admiral Leroux
Star Admiral Jerrod Gilmour,
Star Admiral Arla Devon
Forces involved
Transcendent Naval Star,
Vision Naval Star
Clan Ghost Bear's Naval Reserve
Environment
Space
Conditions
Orbit


The Trial of Retribution, otherwise also known as the Second Naval Battle of Alshain, was a massive naval Trial of Possession conducted against Clan Ghost Bear by Clan Nova Cat in early May of 3067.

As a scenario, it was the 2003 Worldwide Event hosted by the FanPro Commandos.

The Trial was conducted for the control of the Leviathan II-class battleship CGB Rasalhague, which was undergoing construction in the Alshain shipyards at the time. The battle was devastating for both sides, with half the Ghost Bear fleet destroyed and similar losses on the part of the Nova Cats. While the Ghost Bears were ultimately victorious, the result was a "hollow victory" at best.[1]

Introduction[edit]

In November of 3062 the Combine-Ghost Bear War was launched with blitzkrieg of attacks against Draconis Combine worlds by Clan Ghost Bear. This invasion also included half the planets under Clan Nova Cat control. Even though a year later both sides would reach a settlement that would end the war, the Nova Cats were devastated. The war had cost them Omega and Chi Galaxies and twice that in wounded. Worse, The Ghost Bears treated them as an Abjured Clan during the war, never once giving the Nova Cats honorable battles. The other Clans in the Homeworlds had ejected the Cats from Clan space, but it was thought that the Ghost Bears with their strong Warden stance, along with their attempts to fully integrate with the peoples of the former Free Rasalhague Republic, would create a different expectation. The Nova Cats could not accept this and vowed that they would never forget or forgive this perceived transgression.[2]

Prelude[edit]

Resentment against the Ghost Bears would culminate in early 3067 as the Nova Cat Watch learned the Ghost Bears were constructing a third Leviathan-class WarShip aptly named: "CGB Rasalhague". Though the ship was undergoing construction in the Alshain shipyards, it was operational for spaceflight and jumping, but not yet combat ready as it lacked any weapons and many other systems required to support a crew for extended periods of time. The Nova Cat Clan Council was convened to discuss this, and from the onset it was clear that this was an opportunity to accomplish two things. Not only would an attack seek retribution for the dishonor the Ghost Bears brought on the Nova Cats, but it also provided a chance to take this new Leviathan II-class ship and badly maul the Ghost Bear's naval fleet in the process.[2]

Khan Santin West initiated a Trial of Possession for this new Dreadnought. He allowed all three Nova Cat Naval Stars to bid for the honor. The bidding was fierce and in the end the Transcendent and Vision Naval Stars won the bid. The remaining Mystic Naval Star would remain behind to defend the Irece Prefecture. Before they set out both Star Admirals were given simple orders: "Give the Ghost Bears a chance to honor the Nova Cats with a Trial. If not, then destroy their fleet".[2]

The two Naval Stars met at Mualang’s Zenith point, where they jumped to a star system between Mualang and Tinaca on Homecoming Day, 1 May 3067. On the morning of 8 May 3067 Transcendent Naval Star jumped into the Alshain system to deliver the batchall, Vision Naval Star would follow three minutes later.[2]

Retribution[edit]

In the Alshain system itself, a sizable portion of the Ghost Bears fleet were positioned in a stand down. The WarShip assets in the area were the two heavy WarShips CGB Ursa Major and CGB Leviathan. The Nightlord-class Ursa Major had just returned and was in-system docked and undergoing massively needed refits. The Leviathan-class Leviathan was in the middle of her conversion from transport to battleship. The other ships CGB Dieron’s Run and CGB Bear’s Den were undergoing much needed refits, with CGB Ursa Minor and CGB Black Ghost in-system only to be resupplied. The Rasalhague itself had just finished second phase of its construction, however still did not have any weapons mounted.[3]

Clan Ghost Bear's lighter elements on station patrolling the system consisting of the 2 Essex-class ships CGB White Claw and CGB White Fang, with 2 Lola III-class CGB Blizzard and CGB Icepick.[3]

Star Admiral Leroux's Transcendent Naval Star entered the Alshain system at a pirate point; the same one used by the Alshain Avengers in 3062 in their disastrous Operation BATU. Led by SLS Blade, they immediately issued a batchall for the CGB Rasalhague. Alerted, the Ghost Bears’ on-scene naval commander Star Admiral Jerrod Gilmour, promptly refused it and ordered an immediate attack. Ordering the 4 patrolling lighter elements to attack the Nova Cats immediately and move into position to act as a blocking force in order to allow the Ursa Major time to help engage.[3] Seeing the engagement that was underway the Ghost Bears' heavy units rushed to get underway. Vision Naval Star jumped in-system a few moments later to see the engagement unfolding. The commander then opted to hold his units out of the fray after being notified of the current situation that the batchall had been refused.[1]

Detecting the remaining Ghost Bears' ships in the area moving to aid the lighter elements and the Ursa Major. Star Admiral Leroux issued the same batchall to the commander of that second Ghost Bear force. Leroux stressed the point of the attack was that of a Trial of Possession and not an invasion. His passionate message to the commander of the second force managed to convince them to accept the Trial. In addition both agreed that the current engagement was the Ghost Bears’ fault and the Nova Cats were right to punish Star Admiral Jerrod Gilmour and his ships.[1]

Redemption[edit]

With the Transcendent Naval Star currently engaging Ghost Bears' lighter elements and the Ursa Major, the Vision Naval Star in agreement with the second Ghost Bear force would have a separate engagement. This engagement would consist of the "Trial of Possession" now that the Ghost Bears had accepted the batchall. The Nova Cats would face off with the SLS True Vision, the SLS Faithful, the SLS Blood Oath, and the SLS Bond against the Second Ghost Bear force consisting of the Ursa Minor, the Dieron’s Run, the Bear’s Den, and the Black Ghost. It was at this point that the Nova Cats' plan to try and take more than just the new Leviathan-class battleship was revealed, they were going to attempt to take the Bear’s Den; the Ghost Bear’s fleet command ship as well.[4]

The battle was fierce with the Bear's Den destroying the Nova Cat flagship, the Congress-class True Vision, but not before the True Vision and her attached aerospace fighters and DropShips had destroyed both the Fredasa-class Black Ghost and the York-class Ursa Minor. After destroying the True Vision the Bear's Den found itself locked in a duel with the Aegis-class Blood Oath, each ship supported by various DropShips - including two new Nekohono'o-class DropShips in the case of the Blood Oath.[1]

Even as the heavier armor and weapons of the Bear's Den crippled the Blood Oath, another Nova Cat WarShip intervened, the Lola III-class Faithful, which had just survived a duel with the Cameron-class Dieron's Run that had claimed the Blood Oath's sister ship Bond. The crew of the Bear's Den were intent on finishing the Blood Oath and failed to spot the Faithful until it was too late; the Faithful lashed the Bear's Den with a broadside whilst launching battle taxis and a pair of DropShips (the Dragon's Heart and Enlightenment's Truth) for an attempted boarding action of the Bear's Den. Ghost Bear fighters were able to destroy the Faithful, but not before fourteen battle taxis full of Elementals had managed to board the Bear's Den, resulting in a titanic battle for control of the ship. As the boarding action raged, the Bear's Den's ammunition magazine exploded; whether the explosion was a result of the boarding action or a final volley from the dying Blood Oath, the result was the same. The blast consumed the Bear's Den and killed all boarding crew from the Dragon's Heart and the Enlightenment's Truth.[1]

Results[edit]

Clan Ghost Bear ultimately defeated the Nova Cats in their bid for the Rasalhague, however their victory was a hollow one. It cost Clan Ghost Bear more than half of their Naval Fleet, with the CGB Ursa Major being the sole surviving WarShip of the Trial. It was noted that Star Admiral Jerrod Gilmour, who gave no heed to the first Nova Cat batchall and instead launched an immediate attack against them, invoked the ritual of surkai to atone for the disastrous Trial. Clan Nova Cat were able to withdraw from Ghost Bear space with only the WarShips Blade and Vision Quest still intact.[1]True Vision and Anna Rosse were listed as destroyed during the engagement but would later be salvaged during the Jihad.[5]

Combatants[edit]

Named Officers[edit]

Clan Nova Cat

  • Star Admiral Leroux, Commander of the Transcendent Naval Star
  • Star Admiral Rand, Commander of an unknown WarShip
  • Star Commodore Michael Fokker, Commander of the SLS True Vision

Clan Ghost Bear

  • Star Admiral Jerrod Gilmour, Commander of the CGB Blizzard
  • Star Admiral Arla Devon, Commander of the CGB Ursa Major
  • Star Captain Henri Gurdel, Commander of the CGB White Fang

Clan Nova Cat[edit]

Clan Ghost Bear[edit]

Gallery[edit]

Worldwide Event[edit]

"Trial of Retribution" was a player-run scenario under AeroTech 2 rules, run in 2003 at various stores in Canada, USA, England, and Australia. It was originally scheduled to be run on 1 February 2003, the day that the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated. Scott "Clutch" Taylor postponed it because he did not want the Commandos to be running games featuring exploding spaceships just hours after the Columbia disaster. The event was rescheduled for 8 February 2003.

A Limited Edition Leviathan WarShip miniature was created by Iron Wind Metals for the event and sent to each Commando who ran the game—one for the game winner and one for the Commando. There were only 120 ever made. The mold was reportedly destroyed after this limited run, so these miniatures are very rare.

Notes[edit]

  • It is stated in the scenario that it is Star Admiral Rand that makes the first batchall of the engagement which would make him the commander of the Transcendent Naval Star. However it is stated later that Star Admiral Leroux in the scenario and Field Manual: Updates is the real commander of the Transcendent Naval Star. In addition neither officer has a first name.
  • Even though the Leviathan-class Leviathan is mentioned to be in the middle of her conversion from transport to battleship, it did not participate in the Trial. It is noted that it may had not been effected at all like the Leviathan II-class Rasalhague.
  • Star Admiral Jerrod Gilmour is named in the dialog of the scenario as the one that ordered Clan Ghost Bear's refusal of the first batchall. Oddly however Field Manual: Updates says only that it was an "unknown Ghost Bear commander". Jerrod is also said to be the commander of the Blizzard, which doesn't make sense with the fact that he is called "the Khan's naval aide" in Field Manual: Warden Clans. This means that he should have been commanding the entire Ghost Bear force in the engagement from either the Dieron's Run or the Bear's Den.
  • The Nova Cat ships of True Vision and Anna Rosse were listed as destroyed in Field Manual: Updates. In fact it directly states that the Bear's Den destroyed the True Vision in their engagement. However later both would be listed as serving in the Nova Cat contribution to Task Force EARTHBOUND during the Jihad. This was confirmed by Øystein Tvedten on an [unrecoverable official forum post] (dead link) as an "Oops" and that the mistake had made it through the fact-checking stage and was deemed important to the overall plot. The explanation given was that they were salvaged via covert operations and rebuilt between then and their Jihad appearance.

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Field Manual: Updates, p. 81: "The Second Naval Battle of Alshain"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Trial of Retribution Scenario 4.1: "The Second Naval Battle of Alshain"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Trial of Retribution Scenario 4.1: "Scenario 1: Retribution! - Situation"
  4. Trial of Retribution Scenario 4.1: "Scenario 2: Redemption! - Situation"
  5. Jihad Hot Spots: Terra, p. 95: "Classified: Eyes Only - Top Secret"
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 Trial of Retribution Scenario 4.1: "Scenario 1: Retribution! - Attacker"
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 Trial of Retribution Scenario 4.1: "Scenario 2: Redemption! - Attacker"
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.8 Trial of Retribution Scenario 4.1: "Scenario 1: Retribution! - Defender"
  9. 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 Trial of Retribution Scenario 4.1: ""Scenario 2: Redemption! - Defender"

Bibliography[edit]