Fall of Lianna

|width=
|prev=Battle of Atraken
|conc=*Battle of Sarka
*Mission to the Chaykin Cluster
*Skirmish at Dinlo
|next=Battle of Sembla
*Attack on Cartao
|name=Fall of Lianna
|image=
|conflict=War of the Ring
|date=January 12-14, 1982
|place=Lianna
|result=Major Separatist victory
*Separatists capture Santhe/Sienar scientists
|side1=Confederacy of Independent Systems
|side2=*Galactic Republic
*Lianna system defense forces
*Santhe Security
|commanders1=*The Mouth of Sauron
*General Parames Yulmus
*General Iridia Delo
*Colonel Owhun Eftro
*Captain Lushros Dofine
*Captain Nas Ghent
|commanders2=*Captain Baron Greenback
|forces1=*2.58 million B1 battle droids
**A54 Armored Division
*550,000 B2 super battle droids
*20,500 organic soldiers
**Impuls squad
*Droidekas
*BX-series commando droids
*Armored assault tanks
*Multi troop transports
*Ground Armored Tank
*Heavy Artillery Gun
*OG-9 homing spider droids
*IG-227 hailfire droids
*NR-N99 Persuader-class droid enforcers
*DSD1 dwarf spider droids
*Mechanized assault flyers
*HMP droid gunships
*Artillery cannons
*Anti-air cannons
*Vulture-class droid starfighters
*Droid tri-fighter
*Trade Federation droid bomber
*Hyena-class bomber
*Cutlass-9 patrol fighters
**121st fighter wing
*1 Modified Lucrehulk-class droid controlship
*5 Separatist bombardment ships
*9 Lucrehulk-class battleships
*12 Providence-class carrier/destroyers
**Invisible Hand
*48 Recusant-class light destroyers
*65 Munificent-class star frigates
*72 Fantail-class destroyers
*85 Hardcell-class interstellar transports
*128 Diamond-class cruisers
*Vanguard-class pickets
*Droch-class boarding crafts
*C-9979 landing crafts
|forces2=*Lianna Defense Fleet
**12 Kerred-class destroyers
**24 Valles-class frigates
**12 Lianna-class corvette
**10 Marauder-class corvettes
**Defensive satellites
**Z-95 Headhunters
**Santhe-class defense fighters
**Liannan marines
*Lianna Defense Force
**450,000 Liannan troops
**Armored vehicles 
**TX-130 Saber-class fighter tanks
**A-A5 speeder trucks
**Hexa-class gunships
**Anti-air cannons
*Santhe Security
**25,000 Troops
**Security droids
*Galactic Republic
**20,000 Clone troopers
**AT-TE walkers
**5 AT-AT walkers
**TX-130 Saber-class fighter tanks
**Ultra-light assault vehicles
**Low altitude assault transport/infantry gunships
**V-19 Torrent starfighters
**7 Acclamator-class assault ships
***Leveler
|casual1=Medium
|casual2=Heavy
|civilian=Millions of civilian casualties
*Population of Sky City}}
 or Second Battle of Lianna was a major battle during the War of the Ring. Lianna was a Republic loyalist world in the Allied Tion Sector. It became a staging ground for the Grand Army of the Republic after much of the sector seceded from the Republic and joined Saruman the White's Confederacy of Independent Systems. In that roll it became a thorn in the side of the Separatists. After the failed first invasion of Lianna, only weeks into the War of the Ring, The Mouth of Sauron was tasked with securing the planet for the CIS. 
==Prelude==
The Allied Tion Sector became a hotbed for separatism in the years leading up to the War of the Ring. Lianna, one of the few planets that remained loyal to the Republic in the Allied Tion, was home to Santhe/Sienar Technologies. Santhe/Sienar technologies was of great importance to the Republic's arms production. For this reason and its strategic location Lianna became a fortress world and staging ground for Republic operations in the Allied Tion. The planet had been a target of the Confederacy mere weeks into the War of the Ring. Cei Vookto led the Republic in a succesful defense of the planet, though with a high cost to the planet. The planet remained a thorn in the side for the Confederacy and in 1982 the Separatists planned to take out Lianna. Nearby loyalists worlds were attacked by Confederacy, in order to draw away Republic forces from Lianna. Meanwhile Mouth of Sauron gathered a large battle group at Desevro, consisting of hunderds of starships and three ground armies. In the weeks leading up to the battle, probe droids and picket ships removed early warning sattelites and sensor nets at the edge of the system. Seismic EMP countermines were deployed to clear minefields that obstructed hyperlanes to Lianna.
==The battle==
===Space===
On 0831 local time, Separatist ships poured out of hyperspace. A modified Lucrehulk-class droid controlship, equipped with jamming equipment, disrupted the communication between Liannan and Republic ships. The Liannan defense forces were caught off guard. As several Liannan ships got lost to early engagements, the Liannan defense forces moved into position to shield the shipyards from long range Separatist fire, while the Republic's battlegroup of Acclamator-class assault ships created a wedge in the Separatist battleline. This succes was however quickly overturned as Mouth of Sauron deployed part of the Hardcell-class interstellar transports as fireships. Ramming into the assault ships with sublight speed, the Republic quickly lost four of its assault ships and forced the remainder to retreat.
Supporting the larger capital ships were swarms of fighters. The defense forces of Lianna deployed small quatities of their new Santhe-class defense fighters. Proving formidable against the casual droid fighters like the Vulture droid, the Separatists deployed elite organic fighter wings. The 121st fighter wing, consisting of Cutlass-9 patrol fighters, scored many hits against the Liannan defense forces. Captain Nas Ghent, commander of the 121th fighter wing, became an ace in this battle, downing eight enemy starfighters.
As more and more ships entered the system even the sizable Liannan defense fleet didn't have the numbers anymore to hold off the Separatist attack. Confederate warships poked holes in the Liannan defenses. Droch-class boarding crafts pierced through the gaps in the defensive line, hitting the orbital shipyards. The boarding crafts deployed large numbers of battle droids in the shipyards. Lightly defended, the facilities quickly got overrun by the Separatist droid forces, falling in the hands of the Confederacy.
====Planetary shield====
As the situation for the defenders became increasingly hopeless, the Separatists launched their preperations for the inevitable invasion. A Skirmisher ship was launched from the Invisible Hand, with onboard Impuls squad, a mixed organic and droid commando unit. The cloaked vessel got past the defenders and set course for the Traffic Control Centre in Lola Curich. The Traffic Control Centre contained the controls for Lianna's planetary shield. The Skirmisher ship deployed Impuls squad, which took over the control tower, killing the shield controllers.
===The invasion===
Public life on Lianna went relatively undisturbed with the battle raging on above. All changed when a planet-wide holotransmission from the Mouth of Sauron was broadcasted. Mouth of Sauron informed the planet that they were now part of the Confederacy. Only minutes later air raid sirens sounded and C-9979 landing crafts and droid fighters appeared in the skies. The planet was in disarray, the population of the cities hasted to the shelters. The main objective of the Separatists were the cities of Lola Curich and Lianna City on the Anai continent. An army under command of General Iridia Delo landed her forces at the city of Melford. From there it made a push towards Lola Curich. Resistance on the way was minimal and within a week the Separatist forces under Delo reached the outskirts of Lola Curich. Though Liannan resistance on the other side of the Lona Cranith River prevented Separatist forces to enter Lianna City or encircle both cities. Meanwhile the Republic garrison located in Anxarta moved out and threatened the right flank of Delo's army, forcing her to commit her reserve forces to protect her right flank.
====Battle of the research complex====
The A54 Armored Division under command of Owhun Eftro was tasked with securing the Sienar/Santhe research complex. The research complex consisted of many square miles of spaceports, hangars and other buildings. It was the testing facility for most of the fighters, ground vehicles and small ships Sienar/Santhe had developed. However morale under the organic forces was very low, as most signed up to be security guards and not soldiers. As it became clear that Liannan forces couldn’t reinforce their positions, most of them deserted. With his forces depleted, Baron Greenback knew that they wouldn’t be able to hold out against the Separatist forces. As the Separatists breached the perimeter of the research complex, Greenback prepared his next stance. At one of the turbolaser towers he dug in with a small force of organics and several dozens of security droids. They managed to push back two assaults made by elements of the A54 Armored Division, destroying many battle droids and several armored vehicles. It however became clear to the defenders that they wouldn’t be able to repel the next assault, having lost all their droids, with only a handful of organic troops left and running low on ammunition they made their last stand, heroic but futile.
===Fall of Anai===
As General Delo advanced to Lola Curich a second Separatist army under The Mouth of Sauron landed on the southern part of the Anai continent, conquering the city of Southwest Two. At the same time General Parames Yulmus deployed his army on the Landra continent, securing a foothold at the city of Northwest. Pushing northward, General Hersta put pressure on the Liannan defense forces. They now had to split their forces to protect their rear. Within a day the city of Southwest One was in the hands of the Separatists and the Liannan forces feared encirclement at Lola Curich and Lianna City. The Liannan forces were forced to retreat to their last holding on Anai, Anxarta. A successful retreat was made possible by an assault of five newly developed AT-AT walkers and 
Ultra-light assault vehicles under command of a Clone Commander. Creating several gaps in the Separatist lines that compulsed the Separatist forces to hold their assault to combat the Republic forces. From Anxarta the remaining Republic and Liannan forces retreated to the Landra continent, ending most of the major fighting on Anai.
===Destruction of Sky City===
With Anai under Separatist control only the continent of Landra remained with active Liannan and Republic resistance. General Parames Yulmus had already taken large parts of Landra for the Confederacy. The retreated forces from Anai reinforced the Liannan defense forces at Sky City. Dug in, the commanders at Sky City hoped that they could buy time for a Republic counterattack to arrive. The Separatist forces under Yulmus meanwhile lay siege to the city, trying to starve out the defenders. The Mouth of Sauron meanwhile had Santhe Estate, the villa of the Santhe family in Lianna City, turned into the headquaters for the Office of the General. In a meeting between the Separatist commanders, Mouth of Sauron was furious at General Yulmus lack of progress and cautious approach. A ultimatum was given to Sky City, surrender or being bombarded. The city refused to surrender to the Separatists, trusting on anti-air defenses and the shield that protected the city. The Separatists didn't use ordinary bombers and artillery to take out Sky City, but moved in five Separatist bombardment ships. The vessels, specialized for orbital bombardment, turned their heavy turbolasers on Sky City. An hour long bombardment followed that turned Sky City into ash, with the shield only managing to hold for a short moment. With the destruction of Sky City the last major bastion of resistance had fallen and the planet was in the hands of the Separatists.
==Aftermath==
The fall of Lianna was a major shock to the Galactic Republic and weakend their presence in the Tion Hegemony. For the Confederacy it was a major victory, the CIS Shadowfeed extensively covered the battle with their broadcasts. Researchers employed by Santhe/Sienar were arrested and deported to the Separatist world of Diado to work in the advanced weapons factory on the planet. Mouth of Sauron appointed Baron Courtis Vaals to be the governor of Lianna and proceed the pacification of the planet. Republic and Liannan forces retreated to Sembla. Mouth of Sauron ordered Separatist General Yulmus, to compensate for his failure at Sky City, to pursuit the remainder of the fleet. This eventually led to the Battle of Sembla, where the Republic and Liannan forces managed to score a victory against the Separatist forces.
==Behind the Scenes==
The Battle of Lianna from Legends didn't express the importance of Lianna for the Republic in my eyes. For the battle I used several tactics Grievous and the Separatists would later employ, for instance at the Battle of Praesitlyn, Battle of Duro and the Battle of Parcellus Minor.
Category:War of the Rings battles