Perlemain Offensive (5-6 ABY)

The Perlemain Offensive was a large campaign, mounted by the New Republic, in order to liberate the Inner Rim. The offensive was masterminded by Admiral Ack'bar and was carried out by Grand General Uten Harajj. The Republic fielded a large army, code-named the Perlemain Task Force.

The Perlemain spatial salient was protected by the 203rd Imperial Mechanized Corps, which was under strength, ill-equipped and inexperienced.

Harajj's plan was to break through the thinnest part of the salient, at Carida. This would allow them to break through the Inner Rim in one go, and attack Coruscant.

General Seth Yteric, commanding the 203rd, was ordered by Director Ysane Isard to hold onto the Inner Rim at all costs. However, he knew this task to be impossible, and instead focussed on halting the Republic forces at specific gateways to the Core Worlds, and abandoning other planets, in order to concentrate his defense. He hoped to concentrate this defense along the so-called "Palpatine Line", a fortified line of planets, including Talasea, Hok and the republic objective: Carida.

New Republic

 * Perlemain Task Force - Grand General Uten Harajj
 * Perlemain Group A - Colonel Otoll Terhim
 * 7 irregular divisions (estimated 70,000 troops)
 * Perlemain Group B - Colonel Arhad G'hal
 * 6 irregular divisions (estimated 65,000 troops)
 * Perlemain Group C - Colonel Geriin Tulgash
 * 3 irregular divisions (estimated 35,000 troops)

Galactic Empire

 * 203rd Imperial Mechanized Corps - General Seth Yteric
 * 2nd Repulsorlift Division - Colonel Kan Xarihn (estimated 9,000 troops)
 * 12th SA Repulsorlift Division - Colonel Haart Diabond (estimated 6,000 troops)
 * 33rd Infantry Division - Colonel Kelth Mahraihn (estimated 13,000 troops)
 * 117th Infantry Division - Colonel Ghenth Borosh (estimated 8,250 troops)
 * 91st Stormtrooper Legion; The Dancers - Commander Dansk (estimated 5,000 troops)

Opening Gambits
Grand General Harajj's first move happened in early 5 ABY, and was focussed on breaking Talasea, right on the Empire's doorstep. Yteric had a enough time to prepare a significant defense, and the 33rd Infantry Division had fortified the Governor's Palace. 2 divisions from Republic Group B were tasked with digging the Imperial's out, but after 3 months, the siege had yet to end.

Instead of wasting men in a pointless meat grinder, Harajj focussed on a southern offensive. The full force of Group A was deployed against Champala and Tasariq. Yteric faced a large problem, with 75,000 troops threatening to out flank his position. He committed the 12th SA Repulsorlift Division, the 117th Infantry and the 91st Stormtroopers to the defense of the planets.

With the majority of the Imperial's now engaged, Harajj could attack the undefended northern expanse of the Inner Rim, with a push towards Obroa-Skai. The remaining 4 divisions of Group B were committed to the invasion. If Obroa-Skai fell, then the "Palpatine Line" would be compromised and the Republic forces would be free to attack Coruscant.

Desperately, Yteric deployed the 2nd Repulsorlift Division of Obroa-Skai.

Stalemate
Yteric now realized that his forces were spread too thin. The "Palpatine Line" was holding, but the Imperial's were loosing ground on Champala, Tasariq and Obroa-skai. Yteric decided to abandon Champala and Tasariq, withdrawing the battered forces. The 91st Stormtroopers were deployed on Manaan, as was the 117th Infantry. The 2nd SA were re-deployed on Obroa-skai.

Sensing victory, Harajj focussed on Manaan, throwing the 70,000 men of Group A against the water world. However, the natural defenses of the planet hindered the Republic advances, and the battle ended as a stalemate. More worryingly however, the Republic forces at Obroa-skai were compromised, as the arrival of the 2nd SA division bolstered Imperial moral and routed the 40,000 men of Group B.

Frustrated, Harajj withdrew Group B, and through them against Carida, along with Group C and 3 divisions from Group A. Yteric responded in kind, with the 33rd Infantry and the 2nd and 12th Repulsorlift all defending the linchpin in the Palpatine Line.

The Imperial's held on bitterly to Carida, as the advantaged see-sawed from side to side. However, Yteric was more concerned with the situation of Manaan. With the Carida offensive compromised, Manaan was becoming the battle which would decide the fate of the campaign.

Operation North Wind
Yteric knew that his forces were slowly bleeding to death. Casualties had been high, and many men had been captured in the disastrous battles of Tasariq and Champala. He needed a decisive stroke, to force the Republic to retreat, and to buy the Empire time to re-group.

He focussed on Manaan. Thus far, the Stormtroopers and Imperial army elements had held on to the water world, and now the Imperials were slowly gaining initiative, as Republic troops were transfered to Carida and the Palpatine Line. In a desperate gamble, Yteric redeployed the 12th SA to Manaan, where he began Operation North Wind, in an attempt to break the Republic on Manaan.

Group A's forces were significantly reduced, and they numbered 30,000 on Manaan. However, after the grueling war, the Imperial forces on Manaan could only muster 6,000 troops. Yteric was gambling everything on the upcoming counter-attack, despite the Imperials being out numbered 5:1.

The initial Imperial offensive took the Republic by surprise, and they captured a swathe of land, expelling Republic troops from Ahto City. The Republic re-grouped at Hrakert Rift, where Yteric ordered his men to advance upon their position. However, a pitched battle was what Colonell Terhim had been waiting for, and the Republic troops annihilated the Imperial's. North Wind was a failure, and Manaan was lost.

Breaking the Palpatine Line
With Manaan under Republic control, the remains of Group A could be transfered to the Palpatine Line. Harajj re distributed his forces, with the 20,000 men of Group A attacking Talasea, 20,000 attacking Hok, and the remains of Groups B and C assaulting Carida.

With Imperial forces now below half-strength, Yteric could no longer hope to hold down the entire Palpatine Line. However, if he abandoned one planet, they whole line would collapse. Faced with an impossible choice, he decided to commit suicide in mid 6 ABY. Colonel Xarihn took control of the Corps, and began planning the retreat to Coruscant. However, as he was planning this exodus, Colonel Mahraihn of the 33rd Infantry surrendered Talasea to the Republic, and provided them with a gateway to Coruscant. Xarihn mobilized what remained of the 33rd Infantry on Hok and his own 2nd Repulsorlift, and fled to the Core Worlds, being harried by the Republic.

The Perlemain Offensive had succeeded, and there were no obstacles left in the Republic's path. The last Imperial defensive line had fallen, and Coruscant was wide open to attack.