Battle of Felucia (Ascension Wars)

The Battle of Felucia was fought in 131 ABY, between the Eriaduan Empire, led by Grand Commander Antonio de Borgia, and the Sith faction, led by Grand Admiral Morlish Veed, of the new Empire. The victory of Borgia weakened the Imperial forces and solidified his control over the Outer Rim.

Prelude
Veed and the Moff Council moved to Korriban in 131 ABY to prepare an army. Borgia solidified his control over the south eastern territories — Muunilinst and Yaga Minor, specifically. After crushing Imperial forces in Muunilinst, Borgia focused once again on Veed and his troops near Korriban. Veed had a large fleet, as well as much support from Imperial-aligned systems in the area. Although Veed had a larger army, he recognized that Borgia’s troops were more experienced, and could prove victorious in a pitched battle. Instead, Veed waited Borgia’s troops out, attempting to starve them by cutting off Borgia’s supply lines. Borgia made a near disastrous attack on Veed’s forces at Korriban and was forced to pull away.

Veed did not immediately follow up on his success. An indecisive period (130 ABY – 131 ABY) of blockade and siege followed. Veed eventually pushed Borgia back and urged on by his peers on the Moff Council, he confronted Borgia on Felucia. Borgia began the battle with a smaller, but elite, force comprised mainly of crimson guardsmen. Veed’s troops were more numerous, but far less experienced. Moreover, Veed’s peers disagreed with Veed over whether to fight at Felucia, and pushed Veed, who wanted to wait Borgia out, into a quick decision.

Borgia had the following legions of the Crimson Guard with him:
 * Legions of veterans from the Sith-Imperial War - Borgia’s favourite legion, the 2nd Guard Legion
 * Legions levied for the war – legions later known as the 1st Guard Legion, the 3rd Guard Legion, and the 4th Guard Legion

However, all of these legions were ‘short’, and were not comprised of the requisite numbers of troops. Some only had a thousand men at the time of Felucia, due partly to losses at Korriban and partly to Borgia’s wish to rapidly advance with a picked body as opposed to a ponderous movement with a large army.

Deployment
Both commanders realized that if one army was able to flank the other, they would probably win. As such, both commanders put a substantial amount of effort into ensuring that the other would be unable to ‘sneak around to the back’. The battle was held with the River Suepine to Borgia’s left; ensuring that neither side would be able to move around the other army on Borgia’s left. The most important part of the battle was to happen on Borgia’s right. Veed hoped to win by using his superior cavalry to mount a two-front attack on Borgia’s forces. As such, he placed a large contingent of cavalry on Borgia’s right, with light forces consisting of slingers and archers. Borgia placed his cavalry on his right, with the fourth battle line in reserve behind the main infantry body and at right angle to it.

Conflict
When the two commanders had finished deploying their troops, the infantry began to close. Veed ordered his soldiers not to charge having a plan of tiring them out. This tactic backfired as Borgia’s veteran officers, foreseeing Veed’s trap, stopped halfway on their charge, and allowed their lines to rest, while Veed’s Sith-Imperial forces didn’t coordinate well, leaving Veed’s troops confused, creating a stalemate in the center.

By the river, the light infantry skirmished, before the heavy infantry closed. The Chiss Moff led a cavalry charge, and succeeded in pushing back Borgia’s cavalry and light infantry. However, when confronted by Borgia’s fourth line of heavy infantry, the Chiss Moff’s charge was pushed back, and the light infantry and cavalry of Veed’s right were pushed into the foothills of Mount Sizdnagod. Borgia’s fourth battle line wheeled into Veed’s rear at the same moment when Borgia pushed a fresh line of troops into battle. Now facing Borgia’s fresh third line at the center of the battle and the attack from behind from Borgia’s fourth line, Veed saw that his defeat was at hand. Borgia deployed his experienced javelin throwers, against the threat of the large cavalry force of Veed, telling them to thrust their javelins at the riders instead of throwing them. Veed fled the battle while his troops were defeated under pressure. Borgia ransacked Veed’s camp, and took control of the remainder of Veed’s army.

Aftermath
Veed fled from Felucia to Obroa-skai, where he was assassinated by Rosenkreuz Death Hunters at the behest of Cain Knightlord. The Battle of Felucia essentially ended the major campaigns of the wars with the destruction of the main Imperial presence in the Outer Rim, and left Borgia’s Empire as the dominant power in the region. Borgia spent the next few years ‘mopping up’ remnants of the Moff Council.