Ascension Wars

"This is truly a monumentous occasion Judge Petros, together we have forged a mighty Empire by our own hand. We didn't rely on any mystical Force or magickal abilities, it was through sheer force of will and steadfast dedication that we have come to this pass. Come, Your Honor, revel in the glory of our triumph."

- Emperor Antonio de Borgia

The Ascension Wars (130 ABY–134 ABY), also known as the Borgia Rebellion, was the name given to the conflict fought between the new Empire, under Darth Krayt and the New Sith Order, and the Eriaduan Empire, the Imperial breakaway faction in the Outer Rim established by former Imperial Moff Antonio de Borgia. Despite the major naval presence of both the Eriaduans and the Sith-Imperial Fleet, the vast majority of battles during the war were fought on the surfaces of the respective planets with the Fleet forces taking on a support role.

Situation preceding the war
The new Empire, under Emperor Roan Fel, had once again become the dominant power in the Galaxy. Having been victorious in the Sith-Imperial War, with the aide of the New Sith Order of Darth Krayt, the Empire defeated the Galactic Alliance and took Coruscant.

After wars end, the Empire’s Sith allies turned on them, seizing control of the Empire and forcing Emperor Fel into hiding. Imperial Moff Antonio de Borgia, a member of the Moff Council at the time, detested the idea of another Sith Emperor having dominion over the Galaxy. Falsely pledging allegiance to Darth Krayt, he withdrew to Eriadu. He garnered support of most of the Seswenna Sector and many other systems that had no desire to live under the rule of the Sith again. In 130 ABY, Borgia declared himself Emperor of Eriadu and established the Eriaduan Empire.

Seeking legitimacy from the current galactic government (Krayt’s Empire), Borgia needed to bring more systems under the umbrella of his new government. Allying himself with the Rosen Kreuz Orden, an anti-Sith extremist group, Borgia’s forces set out to take control of the Outer Rim.

The early campaign
The Eriaduan forces were in a precarious position. Despite having complete control of the Seswenna Sector and the support of several others there was still a great deal more systems that they needed on their side. They also needed more facilities to maintain their military forces.

Borgia knew from the beginning of this campaign that one of his primary targets would be Sluis Van, needing shipyards to build more ships for his space fleet. The Eriaduan Space Attack Force quickly moved into the Sluis Sector. Met with minor resistance throughout the rest of the Sluis Sector, the Eriaduan Fleet moved against and defeated the Imperial naval detachment guarding Sluis Van, effectively giving them control of the shipyards and the Sluis Sector.

In mid-130 ABY, on his way to Yaga Minor, Borgia and his Fleet were sidetracked when they were met with resistance from Imperial forces on Muunilinst under General Rhylif Darkia. Leaving Commander Molif Archray, with Captain Jay Cyneus commanding the support forces in space, to conduct the siege, Borgia moved on his primary target Yaga Minor. Whilst Commander Archway’s forces met with fairly strong resistance, Borgia and his forces took Yaga Minor, then Borgia returned with what remained of his forces and aided Commander Archway and Captain Cyneus in taking over Muunilinst.

Campaign near Felucia and Saleucami
Later that year, Borgia sent Commander Savn Naylan, a former Imperial colonel and a highly respected officer loyal to Borgia, to subdue the Imperial forces near Saleucami. First taking Boz Pity with ease from the Sith-Imperial forces led by Darth Talon, one of Darth Krayt’s Hands, Naylan repulsed them, forcing them to regroup on Jabiim. However, his forces were later defeated on Jabiim and he himself was presumed KIA after the destruction of the Armored Assault Tank he had been commanding from.

Borgia’s Eriaduan forces had bested the Sith-Imperial forces in most of the early campaigns and engagements; however, his lieutenants had not faired so well with defeats in the eastern territories of the Outer Rim, including the supposed death of one of his best officers, Commander Naylan. With little other choice, he invited open battle with Sith-Imperial forces under Grand Admiral Morlish Veed. Unfortunately, Veed had a force of at least 45,000 to Borgia’s 15,000; he underestimated the Grand Admiral and hadn’t anticipated that he would muster a force that large. Borgia tried to make up for the size discrepancy between the two forces but failed miserably and was forced to withdraw, narrowly escaping complete destruction due to the fact that Veed was unsure if this was simply a ploy of Borgia’s to lure him out, so he refused to pursue immediately.

Borgia fled to Felucia with the remnants of his army, later joined by his chief subordinate, the Commandant of the Eriaduan Fleet: Judge Magister Petros, and set up camp on Felucia awaiting the inevitable. Veed, whose force was considerably larger than Borgia’s, was persuaded by his colleagues on the Moff Council to engage Borgia on Felucia but was routed in an exceedingly short engagement–Veed had failed.

The later campaign near Saleucami: the war on Moff Geist
After the victory over the numerically superior forces of Grand Moff Veed, the greatest strategic mind the Sith-Imperials had, the Imperial Fleet was crushed and demoralized. Moff Geist and Moff Rulf Yage however were not content to just sit idly by and let this traitor take control of the Outer Rim. They began building up forces in the region of space near Saleucami.

Almost a year and a half after the battle of Felucia, Borgia gathered his Fleet and set out to deal with the Sith-Imperial opposition led by Moff Geist. He moved through the region with unusual speed crushing the Chiss Moff’s forces on Kessel then gaining a decisive victory against the Sith-Imperial forces led by Moff Yage. With his forces defeated, and Moff Yage slain during the battle, Geist completely lost his nerve. Ashamed of his failure and unable to return and face his peers, or his new master Darth Krayt, he ended his own life at the point of his blaster pistol.

The final campaign
Nevertheless, Veed’s colleague on the Moff Council Grand Moff Nyna Calixte and her Sith Intelligence and Assassination counterpart Darth Maladi, together with the Chiss Moff escaped to Mygeeto. Borgia gave chase and defeated the last remnants of opposition in the Mygeeto in 134 ABY.

The Ascension
With the defeat of the last of the Moff Council and several prominent Sith Lords, the war had essentially ended. Most of the remaining Sith-Imperial forces surrendered to the Eriaduan forces. Emperor Borgia had secured his claim as sovereign protector of the Outer Rim Territories and took up his place on the throne of the Eriaduan Empire. The Sith on Korriban however continued to put up fierce resistance. At the behest of Rosenkreuz leader Cain Knightlord, his subordinate Dietrich von Lohengrin, with aide from Eriaduan forces under Judge Andreas, commenced a secret violent assault on the Sith homeworld.

Though Dietrich and the Judge succeeded in quelling the Sith resistance, claiming dominion over the planet, and decimating a good portion of the Sith, they did so at high cost to their own forces. The victory had been pyrrhic at best. It was after this blunder that Cain decided that it was time to set his plans into motion, starting with taking the Eriaduan throne. He forced Emperor Borgia into hiding and took control of the Empire, henceforth being known as the Contra Mundi, which means “Against the World” in the language of the magick scribes from which he drew his power.