Capture of the Vall`to sector

The capture of the Vall`to sector was a campaign of the Golden Empire during the Great Liberation to seize control of the Vall`to sector from the Tetrarchy of Mezlagob, and in doing so cripple the Tetrarchy's economy while simultaneously depriving it of the resources at Baes.

Preparations
Having defeated the Tetrarchy at the Battle of Tizgo V, Rin Sakaros was determined to keep them off balance in order to prevent a massive reprisal. The Raid on Ommol, aside from destroying the shock tank factory, also frightened the Tetrarchs and drove them to concentrate defenses in the Mezlag sector. Rin was able to recapture her own systems and take the rest of the Xoquon sector without challenge from anything but those systems' own defenses. In order to disrupt the economy of the Tetrarch and further prevent them from offensive campaigns, Rin next targeted the Vall`to sector.

Admiral Garyth Quorr feared the Empire would strike the Vall`to sector before the Mezlag sector, and defied the protestations of the Tetrarchs to assemble defensive formations at Baes and Vall`to. However, he could not tell which of the two systems the Empire would attack first, and split his forces between them.

Major battles
The Empire decided to hit Baes first; Tariun Sakaros argued that crippling the military depot would make taking the rest of the sector much simpler. Quorr himself was present and led the defensive effort at the Battle of Baes, the first rematch between the two commanders since the Battle of Hudrel. The Empire defeated the Tetrarchy, although Quorr escaped to Vall`to.

Seizing many Tetrarchy resources and ships from the newly conquered military depot, the Empire followed up with an assault on Vall`to. This time Tariun took care to pin Quorr's flagship and destroyed it, killing both the Mezzel commander the the Dronos Tetrarch Dourshe, a passenger on the vessel. Vall`to's defensive fleet fell into disorder with Quorr's death, and the financial system surrendered soon after.

Subsequent engagements
With Vall`to and Baes in the Empire's hands and the Tetrarchs concentrating their forces in the Mezlag sector, the rest of the Vall`to sector was captured without difficulty. A few minor engagements took place, most of which were ground battles pitting invading Royal Army troops against Tetrarchy loyalists. Conscious of Rin's declared intention to give no quarter to enemies who did not surrender initially, many planets' garrisons simply gave up without a fight.

Aftermath
The capture of the Vall`to sector crippled the Tetrarchy's economy, and the death of Garyth Quorr was a serious morale blow to its military. The Empire followed its victory in the Vall`to sector by finally making its attack on the Mezlag sector.