Battles of Mairal and Elkon Gates

The Battles of Mairal and Elkon Gates were a series of battles with the intent to seize the Elkon and Mairal systems. These battles typically refer to the series of five assaults waged over one week against the Three Nations Alliance position at Mairal. Commander-in-Chief Abriel Dusanyu planned this as a offensive campaign; the engagements here carried out by Admiral Kotoponi, Admiral-in-Chief of Operation Twin Thorns. She had sent Task Force 1 Twin Thorns to seize Kemal, which Admiral Rekef did during the Battle of Kemal. Her task force simultaneously launched this operation; however, encountered delays in the face of the enemy. The campaign for Mairal resulted in a week long series of assaults. Altogether the battles cost the Laburec over a quarter million killed, the greater number in The War to that point, surpassing the Second Battle of Aptic.

Prelude to Battle
Operation Twin Thorns had been deployed in an effort to completely isolate the remaining free contingent of the United Mankind, which still wielded the most formidable and battle-hardened units in the Alliance. The Battles for Mairal and Elkon were to be launched in conjunction with the assault against Kemal. Kotoponi had proven herself a capable commander during Operation Phantom Flame and had organized the two thrusts to start simultaneously.

Laburec Offense Plans
Kotoponi's set objectives were established to follow two key elements. First, she intended to seize all supplies and fuel production facilities with a quick advance with the 11th Fleet and her headquarters 13th Fleet Twin Thorns directly behind as reserve. Laburec intelligence assumed that greater defense would be mounted at Mairal and Elkon and that the Three Nations Alliance could not possibly defend two objectives at once and expected either her objectives to fall quickly, or Admiral Rekef's objective to fall at Kemal.

Second, her objective was to form a link pivoting around galactic center with Rekef's forces using the reserve fleets once they had achieved victory. This was anticipated to be the easier portion of the plan since it required holding Kemal, Mairal, and Elkon gates before making the thrust.

Alliance Defense Plans
Expecting a final strategic effort to completely isolate the United Mankind, the Military Appraisal Council assigned the People's Sovereign Union of Planets Defense Force to defend Kemal alone, entrusting them with a large force to command and coordinate effectively themselves.

For Mairal and Elkon, they amassed the largest force, a joint task for composed of the United Mankind's Peacekeeping Corps and the Republic of Greater Alcont's Military Command. This Joint Task Force had one objective, to stall the Abh advance at Elkon, and if pressed, resist at Mairal to the last so that way supplies and strategic reserves can be evacuated; likely for a future counteroffensive to reopen the supply routes. Additionally, both Elkon and Mairal production facilities were to be scuttled in the event of Abh attack.

Start of the Battles
Kotoponi deployed her forces against the enemy sooner than the Alliance expected. The defense plans were put in motion in an attempt to secure resources and prepare to destroy the anti-matter fuel facilities. Kotoponi's first objective was in sight, the nearest system of Elkon. The given intelligence placed enemy resistance as potentially stiff, but nothing greater than what had been encountered during previous Abh operations against the Alliance.

Battle of Elkon Gate
The engagement here would be relatively brief. The Alliance fleet had not been fully deployed. A perimeter was established at the gate but by the time the Abh 11th and 13th Fleet Twin Thorns assaulted their positions, the facility had no charges prepared to destroy the station. Kotoponi's force divided and conquered the relatively isolated defense fleet at Elkon while the remnants of the Alliance fleet retreated to Mairal.

Kotponi did manage to secure the station, which suffered some damage, but had not been destroyed as the Alliance intended. This facility and the gate gave her a stepping stone to wrap up the operation. Rekef at this time seemed to be making only small progress at Kemal, and she anticipated an easy victory. She took time to consolidate her position and send her 11th Fleet to finish the job at Mairal.

Phase One
The 13th Fleet took time to establish a temporary orbital headquarters in Elkon, while the 11th were ordered to go on the attack against the remaining Alliance forces. When venturing out from gate, they encountered a massed coordinated joint task force form the Alliance. This would start the first series of battles for the Mairal system.

First Battle of Mairal Gate
Surprised by the Alliance assault meeting them in plane space well before the Mairal gate, the 11th fleet brawled out with the task force for several hours. In a fashion similar to Skaresh, the units battered each other with long range weapons and even with the Alliance's advantage in advance mine weapons, they could not force the 11th to give up the attack.

At the same time, the 11th Fleet Twin Thorns, unsupported by reserves or the 13th at the time, could not end the general melee of ship versus ship combat. Eventually the two forces both retired under pressure, both fearing that they would mutually annihilated each other if either side had reserves to deploy and were simply holding back.

Second Battle of Mairal Gate
With the initial reports, it seemed like the 11th fleet had been defeated. Kotoponi knew though, so long as her fleet was there, the battle would continue. While the first spearhead attempt may have failed, the second would not. Abh intelligence estimated the enemy force to be depleted, and given the bloody assaults at Kemal, surely the Alliance had concentrated against Rekef and could not rebuff a second assault. Kotoponi activated her reserve, hearing from Rekef that he would win with what he had. The 14th, 15th, and 1st Fleet Twin Thorns were in transit, but would not arrive for another day.

Kotoponi, intending to maintain the initiative and prevent the enemy from assaulting Elkon set out with a reorganized 11th Fleet, pouring some of the 13th Fleet to replenish their losses. To the 11th Fleet's astonishment, the enemy met them once more, with a force with the same numbers at the previous day. A brawl ensured once more, with the same result. Neither force had the numbers to breakthrough and accomplish the decisive victory needed, and both retired after a stalemate.

Phase Two, Reinforcements Deployed
The numbers did not seem to add up. The 14th, 15th, and 1st Fleets arrived, but now, with the one approach still blocked by the enemy she had to rethink her plans. Calling a council of war, she met with the commands of each fleet and had two key questions:

First, do we continue bait the enemy to attack, go on the defense and draw them out?

Second, if not, do we continue our assaults until victory?

In the tradition of Laburec doctrine of mobility and aggressiveness, it seems all commands agreed to maintain the initiative and continue the assaults going into the 4th day of the operation.

Third Battle of Mairal Gate
Now with new and fresh reserves, Kotoponi launched her assaults with the combined force of 4 fleets. This time, when they met the enemy, progress was made, albeit far more limited than expected. The Alliance joint force, being out numbered this time, withdrew to just within range of the sord and held the Abh assault there. The Abh fleet could not puncture the defense, and the Alliance rotated damaged or destroyed ships in close proximity to the sord with fresh units in reserve.

Neither side retired until both had almost completely run out of ammunition. The Alliance withdrew back to Mairal and the Abh Empire back to Elkon. Despite whatever estimate the Laburec Intelligence Bureau estimated for the enemy, the Empire saw the worse end of it that day. Kotoponi made progress symbolically, getting closer to Mairal, but not breaking through. With the losses climbing, Kotoponi considered activating the emergency reserves or at least calling Rekef's 25th Fleet to help with the breakthrough. The Alliance had successfully bogged them down for over four days, and final victory still seemed distant.

Fourth Battle of Mairal Gate
With three repulsed assaults, and the unknown variable of the true enemy's strength, Kotoponi decided not to give up the initiative. She went on the attack with her four fleets once more and met the enemy at Mairal gate. She made a bit more progress, getting her units mixed in the defensive rings around the gate in plane space and dealing heavy blows. The close proximity of battle disrupted the tactic of rotating fresh reserves in, but did not stop it since each time the Abh Empire threatened to breakthrough, a reserve unit smashed into them and drove them back.

Entering the sixth day of battle, both sides retired once more, though the Alliance finally showed signs of a weakening defense. The 11th Fleet; however, having seen the brunt of the fighting began to feel the impact of the depletion in its ranks. If just to justify the bloody nature of the campaign, Kotoponi intended to assault the position again tomorrow and end this battle.

Fifth Battle of Mairal Gate, Breakthrough
Rekef's battle had ended, and receiving urgent requests for reinforcements attempted to make his way to link up with Kotoponi, leaving a defensive reserve at Kemal. Though he luckily would not be needed as Kotoponi's assault finally had the breakthrough needed into regular space. Once she had done so; however, she arrived to a system with a scuttled fuel production facility and no reserves to fight. The small units left to fight her on the seventh day were a distracting rear-guard that had volunteered to fight and delay Abh pursuit of the fleeing task force and supply trains.

Kotoponi had her victory and began to secure the system. With both gates secured, she could now began to close up the sord rings about the galatic center and complete the isolation of the United Mankind. That being said, the bulk of her 11th and 13th Fleets were in no position to continue fighting, and she sent her reserves to finish the operation.

Securing the Galatic Center
Twin Thorns fleets once the breakthrough was complete began their pivot deep into United Mankind territory around the galatic center. As it seemed though, they did not encounter resistance. The systems and plane space there had little defense. With no fight, the fleets lucked out and manage to complete the strategic encirclement of the United Mankind remnant.

Aftermath
"I died today at Mairal Gate"

- Recovered personal journal entry, unknown servicewoman of the Laburec

Three Nations Alliance
With their losses, they did have weakening resistance in the face of the enemy; however, accomplished some of their objectives during this battle. With the facility at Mairal destroyed, and some units of their defense task force escaping intact, they hoped to draw out a longer campaign from the Abh, now hoping a campaign against Laburec morale would take effect.

Additionally, the tactics and units used showed some promise. The Alliance proved that with the limited approaches and difficulty in seizing sords could greatly multiply the defensive force of individual positions. If no flank was open for attack, the Abh force could not breakthrough the center unsupported.

Humankind Empire of Abh
The victory Kotoponi enjoyed could be said to be tantamount to defeat. While Twin Thorns overall with this battle over would be a strategic victory, the losses shook the core of the Laburec and intelligence. Not having seen a large battle on the scale of Aptic in 4 years, this may have prompted Empress Abriel Ramaj's move to seek a quick end to the war by annexing Hania with the risky Operation Snow Crystal. The limited reserve and lack of patience in waiting to replenish losses from this operation may have led to the general lack of readiness of large fleet units in the coming operations.

Additionally, this victory put Hania in a difficult diplomatic and military position. Hania remained neutral, with some logistic and supply support to the then Three Nations Alliance, but with the fall of these systems and the reports of Abh losses, garnered two different internal responses. The battle broke the myth of Abh forces being invincible, and Hania's military command demanded they act now, assuming the Laburec would be weak. Hania's government; however, saw this as that if the Empire could take such losses and win, they had no hope and must seek favorable accommodations as a member within the Abh Empire.