AN: This will be a series of posts fleshing up the SW timeline that gave birth to the FE. I'll be posting it in the relevant stories to answer some questions ahead of me being able to organically do it within the stories in question. Those would be Fractured Galaxies I, and eventually II, Mandalorian Knights, and Reunion in Fire.
Holonet Archives: The Federated Empire
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The Federated Empire is widely considered the successor state of the now-defunct Galactic Republic. Politically, it is a Constitutional Monarchy with a powerful executive in the face of the Imperial Family. The Imperial Senate represents the legislative branch of the government and has excellent control over federal taxation and budget. A semi-independent Judicial Department is overhauling a legal framework and courts entangled in twenty-five thousand years of legal precedent, conflicting laws, and corruption.
The Federal Military is under the direct control of the Executive Branch of the Imperial Government, with the Emperor-Consort Obi-Wan Kenobi maintaining the rank of Supreme Commander, which he kept after the Grand Army of the Republic was absorbed by the newly established Federal Imperial Military.
Origins: The Federated Empire was born after a period of strife following the assassination of Chancellor Sheev Palpatine by Jedi Master Mace Windu during the Jedi Coup in 2 BIF(Before Imperial Founding). In the resulting chaos, the Republic Senate found itself in a deadlock, unable to function. Released documents accusing dozens of Senators of corruption further disrupted attempts to build consensus.
Later studies confirmed that the primary reason behind the deadlock in the Senate was the significant power accumulated in the Office of the Chancellor of the Republic. With Sheev Palpatine dead, no major faction in the Senate could agree on an individual it believed wouldn't use those powers to favor their rivals.
The combination of the Jedi Coup, the unanticipated effects of Order 66, the fall of the Corellian system in the Confederate Grand Offensive, and the Senate deadlock proved the death knell of the Republic. While public perception is that the Republic soon enjoyed a resurgence, the truth is different.
Ambassador Satine Kenobi, nee Kryze, was a crucial person in brokering deals between the governments of Core Worlds and alliances that were determined to continue to fight the Clone Wars even after they wrote off the Republic as a failed federal government. This culminated in the controversial election of Satine Kryze as a Chancellor of the Republic by some of the most powerful entities in the Core, bypassing the Senate entirely. While the election of a Chancellor broke the deadlock and allowed the fractured Republic government to function once again, it also was the last straw that destroyed Republic unity.
Hundreds of worlds seceded, citing Mandalorian and Sith's takeover of the Republic, and either joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems or declared neutrality in the war. Further, elements of the Clone Army refused to accept the irregular election of Chancellor Kenobi or recognize her as the Chancellor and, thus, the leader of the Republic. Various Clone Legions moved against the Senate and Chancellor Kryze, seeing her as nothing more than an unlawful usurper, resulting in heavy combat on Coruscant, an assault on the Senate building, and the death of hundreds of Senators.
Loyalist forces who accepted the change in government and the continued authority of General Obi-Wan Kenobi as Supreme Commander of the military managed to fight off the rebel forces, securing Coruscant and the continuance of government.
A direct consequence of these clashes was the defection of Clone Legions and fleet elements under their control to Secessionist worlds, which they deemed the most credible successors of the Republic. Until the end of the Clone Wars, those units would provide security for seceded worlds, force the GAR and, later, the Imperial Military to dedicate significant containment forces to keep these rebels in check. This would have a detrimental effect on the overall war effort against the Confederacy and, later Black Rebellion.
The formal foundations of the Federated Republic were laid in a series of meetings after the successful conclusion of General Veil's Mid-Rim Campaign and the establishment of the Mid-Rim Alliance, one of the major future member states of the Federated Empire. These meetings began formalizing the tenets of the New Order and establishing a series of deals that would make the Federated Empire possible.
The core of the New Order was the pledge to bring back security, stability, and prosperity after surviving the war. It was a pledge to continue the conflict with the Confederacy when it was becoming increasingly clear that the Republic was falling apart and no longer functional as the entity it was before the start of the war. A formal agreement to mass deploy previously held-back SDF forces for the proposed Star Hammer counter-offensive was a pivotal moment proving the determination of the Core to keep fighting. The offensive's success would see Corellia's liberation and push back most Confederate naval elements out of the Core. This success would also re-establish contact and supply lanes with the Mid-Rim Alliance, which had been cut off from the Core since the end of the Confederate Grand Offensive.
The Federated Empire has three principal political pillars. The Core Worlds, balanced by the Mid-Rim Alliance and the Mandalorian Freehold, were established after the liberation of Mandalore by Republic General Delkatar Veil, Mandalore the Restorer.
The Federal Empire formally came to be in a period of upheaval and crisis brought by the sudden eruption of the Black Rebellion shortly after a decisive battle between the bulk of the GAR and Confederate Navy…
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Holonet Archives: The Mid-Rim Campaign
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The MRC was a military operation executed by Republic forces under the overall command of General Delkatar Veil, former Supreme Commander of the Republic Combat Forces.
The operation was envisioned as a campaign to stabilize and ensure the continued survival of the fledgling Mid-Rim Alliance championed by Eriadu and Naboo after the Confederate Grand Offensive cut off large sections of the Mid and Outer Rim from the Core Worlds. Key to the success of MRC were GAR naval units that avoided facing the might of the CIS fleets during their Grand Offensive and instead retreated to safe staging grounds or Rim fortress worlds. This allowed General Veil and Admiral Tarkin to access a sector fleet equivalent, giving them the combat power to contemplate launching MRC.
The campaign's goals were simple – degrade Confederate combat power in the region, destroy Confederate industrial and logistics centers, and raid logistics depots for fuel and ammunition to sustain the cut-off Republic forces in that part of the galaxy. Due to the disruption of Republic logistics by Confederate military actions, the GAR and SDF elements cut off in that part of the Rim lacked enough support for sustained operations. With every passing day and combat engagement, they burned through supplies faster than friendly worlds they could access were able to support them.
Despite persisting rumors, General Veil didn't envision the Mid-Rim Campaign until relieving first Eriadu and then leading reconnaissance in force to Naboo. At that point, Naboo had been under siege for more than a month, defended by GAR naval forces that followed High Command Plan Red and avoided combat during the Grand Offensive.
The successful relief of Naboo allowed scattered GAR elements to link up and re-assess their strategic position. At the same time, talks between Eriadu, Naboo, and officials from many Mid-Rim worlds that fled CIS invasions or the threat of being invaded led to the signing of the Naboo Accords, establishing the Mid-Rim Alliance.
This new political reality ensured continued support for the GAR surviving forces in the region. However, the present situation was unsustainable due to the presence of Confederate forces in nearby critical systems, often used as a logistics hub for raids against Republic infrastructure and logistics. That was one of the main reasons the loyalist worlds in that part of the Rim could not properly support the cut of GAR elements protecting them.
The Mid-Rim Campaign aimed to change the strategic situation. Notably, General Veil and the commanders who brainstormed the operation were painfully aware that their supply situation would soon become desperate. Indeed, the major Task Forces that took part in the Mid-Rim Campaigns were designated as Lootforces, accepting the reality that they would have to loot supplies to sustain combat operations.
Lootforce One would take on the most challenging task. General Veil himself would lead it. He would strike at Sullust.
Lootforce Two was under the command of Admiral Wilhuf Tarkin, one of the architects of the MRA. His target was Enarc – the principal Confederate staging point used for striking at Naboo.
Lootforce Three was commanded by Admiral Tigellinus – the senior GAR commander in that theater of operations besides General Veil. His objective was Sanrafsix, which he would strike alongside Lootforse Four. While the fourth Task Force would continue to attack another target, Admiral Tigellinus would race to loot as many supplies from the Sanrafsix logistics hub as possible before denying it to the Confederacy.
Lootforce Four was surprisingly under the command of Jedi Master Mandolin, a loyalist who didn't support the Jedi Coup and accepted to serve under General Veil – an acknowledged Sith Lord. Omwat would be his secondary objective.
Task Force Aegis would remain at Naboo, securing the system against possible Confederate counter-attacks.
Task Force Broadsword would attempt to relieve Malastare and secure Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, who was reportedly cut off on the ground alongside his command.
Finally, Task Force Bastion would hold Eriadu at all costs. Eriadu was a key lifeline for the Mid-Rim Alliance, acting as a gateway for supplies from the whole Western Quadrant of the galaxy where the CIS had a limited presence at this point.
Ultimately, four decisive battles decided the fate of the Mid-Rim Alliance, though it didn't look that way at the time.
First, Admiral Tarkin succeeded at Enarc. His arrival caught the Separatists out of position when they were massing for a presumed raid at Naboo. While his Lootforce Two suffered heavy casualties in the resulting fighting, Tarkin wrestled space superiority over the enemy, looted as many supplies as his surviving ships could carry, and then retreated to Naboo. No matter how we look at it, tactically or strategically, Enarc was a mixed bag at best. Yes, Tarkin took out a respectable number of enemy ships. Yet, he was in no position to touch most of the industry in the system. Nevertheless, the enemy ships and supplies lost at Enarc would not be available for the Confederacy to use later against Naboo during the last decisive battle of the campaign.
Second, at Malastare, Task Force Broadsword was wildly successful. It linked with the Republic elements still fighting there, broke the stalemate that persisted for more than a month, and secured the system with light losses in space. Surviving industry and supplies, as well as fuel and ammunition salvaged from destroyed ships from both sides, proved vital in holding Naboo.
Third, Sanrafsix. That was a hellish battle. A change in plans saw Admiral Tigellinus lead Lootforce Four and Task Force Bastion into battle there before the other two formations went for their next tasks. On arrival, the Republic forces encountered two separate Confederate battle groups in the system, backing the local SDF. That was three hundred ships in total, most of them Munificent frigates. Admiral Tigellinus' combined forces comfortably outnumbered and outgunned the enemy at that point.
The battle began well for the Republic. Admiral Tigellinus managed to engage one of the CIS battle groups before it could be reinforced and destroyed it in short order. Then he mustered the bulk of his forces against Sanrafsix while launching boarding parties towards all supply depots within reach.
At that point, another Confederate fleet arrived in the system. The Republic forces still had an advantage in combat power and numbers after the first engagement. The Admiral divided his forces, sending a battle group to handle the new arrivals and cover the units aiming to secure supplies. For an hour, the situation remained stable, with the GAR fleet skirmishing against the enemy while not committing to an all-out assault. At that point, yet another Confederate fleet exited hyperspace, boxing Tigellinus' command against the planet.
Despite all odds, the Admiral did his best to achieve his original objectives. However, the enemy's strength proved too great, and he was eventually forced to retreat to Naboo after both sides suffered near-catastrophic losses. The surviving Republic forces were vital in holding Naboo until General Veil could return from the apocalyptic engagements at Sullust.
Eriadu had to hold concerned Confederate attacks without being timely reinforced by Task Force Bastion, resulting in heavy casualties all around. Yet, despite the odds, Eriadu's defenders held the line.
Finally, Sullust. There, once again, General Veil made history. At Sullust, his luck ran out for a second time, the first being the disaster at Kamino. Anticipating strategic surprise due to leaking false plans to Confederate Intelligence and using most other raids as a distraction, General Veil struck. Instead of surprising the enemy, he found a task force explicitly assembled to bring him down, waited at Sullust.
Admiral Kirst, one of the Confederacy's best tacticians, was at Sullust, bringing forth what should have been an overwhelming force to bear against the Republic incursion.
Veil's fleet exited hyperspace two light seconds about the planetary system of the gas giant Sullumn, which held a large part of the system's industry. While he couldn't achieve the desired strategic surprise, he managed tactical surprise by utilizing the Force to plot a hyperspace route straight to his target, bypassing traditional restrictions of hyperlane travel. Before the Confederate forces in the system could react, Sullumn's industry burned, and millions of skilled workers and engineers died under the relentless bombardment and missile strikes launched by the GAR forces.
Admiral Kirst wouldn't live to see his fleet properly engage the enemy. He was the only organic being within the whole Confederate fleet. When exposed to Veil's Battle Meditation, taking the full brunt of it proved fatal. Later accounts would confirm that when facing Battle Meditation of that scale, you need large crews to spread the effects and make it survivable or utilize exclusively droid forces, which could avoid being influenced altogether.
After Admiral Kirst's demise, TK-51, a CIS Tactical Droid, assumed command of the fleet. It utilized the upgraded ships and droids under its control to great effect, forcing General Veil to disengage and flee after facing ramming tactics that crippled his flagship, the Freedom.
A saner, or a lesser commander, would have cut their losses there and retreated to either Eriadu or Naboo. Instead, after jumping into dark space for emergency repairs, General Veil planned to strike at Sullust again. This time, his target was the planetary system of the largest gas giant in the star system – Lunumno, with its thirty-four moons. However, before returning with a vengeance, Mandalore ordered the Freedom, his flagship, evacuated and modified. All security features
of the hypermatter reactor of the super capital ships were removed or altered. Engineers rigged all hypermatter reserves on board to detonate in a specific order when the reactor went critical.
On arrival, the crippled Freedom, with a skeleton crew, burned all infrastructure upon Luminara, the moon closest to the gas giant. Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet struck TK-51's task force, utilizing ramming attacks by ships under droid control or with skeleton crews. Hypermatter reactors with disengaged safety measures detonated, ensuring the mutual destruction of multiple vessels. After this initial engagement, Veil's fleet pulled to Luminara, utilizing the gravity wells of the gas giant and its moons to trap the converging CIS forces augmented by Sullust's defense fleet.
He baited TK-51 out of position while sending the Freedom within the gas giant. The Confederate combined force was moving to engage Veil, who brought his fleet in a position to be shielded by Luminara from the disaster he was about to cause.
By the time the Confederates had any idea what was about to happen, they were deep within a gravity way, unable to flee to hyperspace or reach the safety of the moon's shadow in time. Freedom's hypermatter core and reserves detonated in sequence. They not only ignited the gas giant and turned it into a brown dwarf. It was so much worse – the sequential detonation caused a brief implosion and a massive increase in gravity due to the exotic nature of hypermatter. Instead of merely igniting, Lunumno detonated with the power of a fractional nova event. Only Sullust's planetary shields saved the billions upon billions on the planet. The dispersed industry across the whole star system was crippled or destroyed as a consequence.
The combined Confederate fleet was critically damaged by the event, leaving them easy prey for Veil's ships. Only a handful of crippled CIS warships survived long enough to escape the gravity shadow of the new brown dwarf and its moons.
Notably, undamaged capital ships with their shields at full power might have been able to tank the fractional nova event at that distance. Indeed, the handful of intact CIS ships with fully restored shields after the last engagement weathered the energy storm well, merely losing shield power and having their sensors blinded.
The bulk of the Confederate fleet had been fighting Veil until the last moment when the GAR task force slipped under the moon's shadow just as the fractional nova event occurred. The results were predictable, and just as Veil planned, he gained the upper hand, annihilating Sullusts defenders as a coherent fighting force….
The last decisive battle of the Mid-Rim Campaign occurred at Naboo, where the Confederacy threw all forces it could spare without compromising its efforts to hold and fortify its gains in the Core won during their Grand Offensive. By the end of the battle, virtually all ships that took part offensively in the MRC were back at Naboo, fighting against the Confederate onslaught. General Veil's Lootforce One was the last to arrive. Due to the nature of the fighting at Sullust, his fleet had been unable to resupply adequately. Indeed, during the climatic engagement above Naboo, more and more Republic ships ran either out of ammunition, fuel, or both.
Only the fact that the final Republic reinforcements to reach the battlefield managed to trap the Confederate forces against the planet turned the tide. The Battle Meditation used by General Veil helped shatter the cohesion of the CIS command. In hindsight, this was only possible due to the many SDF ships within the Confederate fleet fighting above Naboo. Wargaming the engagement gives good odds for a comprehensive Confederate victory if the organic commanders of the CIS fleet didn't panic and surrender even as more and more Republic ships become combat ineffective due to lack of supplies.
Ironically enough, the large number of captured CIS ships and their supply stocks allowed GAR forces to remain combat effective until the Mid-Rim Alliance could reorganize its logistics. Those supplies were also critical in allowing General Veil and his fleet to fight back to Republic Space and allowed for the Reaping of Bothawui...