The Venalian Wars

The Venalian Wars was a series of major conflicts between Syndicate Space and the empire of Alyodell  - led by Toross Venali  - between 624 and 636 PA. The conflicts are often categorized into the First, Second, Third and Fourth Venalian Wars.

## FIRST VENALIAN WAR

On 145.624 PA, Toross Venali seized power of the Alyodell Empire, and formed a de facto meritocracy. Venali began to mobilize military units along the border of Syndicate Space. The Alliance called for Venali to immediately stand down, to which Venali responded by invading on 182.624 PA.

Commanding an invasion force of over two million, Venali struck in fast, coordinated hits designed to confuse and immobilize his enemy. After a year of fighting, he was able to capture the Galalrius colony, but he did not have to forces to hold it while also pressing his attack. Venali chose to hold his forces in defense of the colony and annex it into the Alyodell Empire.
The Alliance launched a counter-attack to retake the colony. Venali launched his forces headlong into the Alliance’s attack. Because of his fleets smaller, more maneuverable size, they were able to avoid the much larger Alliance Dreadnoughts. By the time Alliance fighters were mobilized, Venali’s forces had split the Alliance host down the middle and separated them into two smaller fields. He then sent in the rest of his force - larger destroyer class vessels - to surround each of the Alliance hosts. The Alliance lost three Dreadnoughts, four Destroyers and more than 240,000 lives in the battle. They recalled their forces the next day. This ended the First Venalian War.

## SECOND VENALIAN WAR

With most of his army on the Galalrian front, the city-states of Boraros and Thespias saw the opportunity to chip away at the Alyodell Empire. The two small territories band together to strike the Empire. Venali, fearing an invasion from the Alliance should he abandon his position, was caught in a standstill. He sent envoys to Deminda and Sestrakos - capitals of their respective territories - and offered a truce: the city-states be added to the Empire. They would be allowed complete control over internal affairs but would pay tribute to Alyodell and fall under their protection. Eager to take advantage of the resources of the growing empire, both territories agreed.

Venali then took three-fourths of his force and went back to their capital of Molenlen. The Alliance, thinking Venali was off to fight another war, and seeing an opportunity to take back the territory lost, quickly launched an all-out assault on the Galalrian front. Once there, Venali sent his forces down through the Thespias border into Syndicate Space and took the Alliance forces from the rear. Pinned by the Alyodelli forces, the Alliance attempted to flee but unknowingly flew into Whim Space where all contact was lost.

Venali then turned toward Olara, the capital of Syndicate Space. The Alliance Auxiliary Infantry was deployed to establish checkpoints along the Speedway to contend with Venali. A series of small conflicts were fought along the way. The largest host was gathered at Meth Unarith, an abandoned colony one system over from Olara. A blockade was set up between Meth Unarith and Olfelond; to prevent Venali’s forces from cruising past. He split his forces in two and sent half around Olfelond and the other around Meth Unarith. Once they passed within range of the Infantries AA weapons, they were set upon.

The Infantry was outmanned, but because they had split Venali’s host, the battle was manageable. They managed to drive the battle to the surface, where the Infantry had favorable position; and it would take several hours for the rest of Venali’s forces to turn around and come back for assistance. The Alyodelli made a push, but the Infantry was able to hold them off.

The remaining Alyodelli hunkered down and waited for assistance. But hours passed with no sign. The next day, Venali arrived in force. Instead of turning around, he split his forces in half again and sent one half back the way they came while the other half went around Olfelond and approached the forces on Meth Unarith from the rear. On command, they ambushed the Infantry and won the day. Once word got back to The Alliance, the Supreme High Council was evacuated from Olara, along with high ranking military and political leaders. Within three days, Venali arrived at Olara and bombarded the capital, razing it to the ground.

The Supreme High Council rendezvoused on Zeala, a small mining colony in the Huju Nai system. The Supreme High Council then signed a treaty with Xaiti with the aim to quell the rising power of Alyodell. Oswar joined the alliance as well. Oswari forces were sent to invade the Carina system. The Alyodelli army set out to confront them. On 372.625, Venali met his Oswari host and was able to surround the army, forcing their surrender before much blood could be spilt.

The Oswari signed the Sescus Accords and resigned from the war. The accords annexed Atrus into Boraros and Esnar into Thespias - both now part of the Alyodell Empire. However, Venali was now several systems away from his supply lines, and the larger Xaitian army still loomed. Wanting to preserve his unbroken record of victories and believing the powers of the Milky Way were ready to accept Venali, he halted his expansion. This ended the Second Venalian War.

### Consolidating Power

In 626 PA, Venali formed the Coalition of Yes, wherein he turned many of the systems populating the Yesnia region into sovereign states. He combined smaller systems into larger territories and raised several Ambassadors to the status of prince; with the heads of the three largest states, Oghren, Thas Strax and Eclil, being named kings, with Venali serving as the protector of the realm. On 031.626, all members of the coalition formally seceded from Syndicate Space. With firm control over the newly acquired territory, Venali returned to Molenlen after more than two years of conquest.

Venali would remain on Molenlen for several years. Ruling over his new realm. The conquest had taken a considerable toll on the Alyodelli economy. Funding the First and Second Venalian Wars had cost the state billions and the newly expanded territory required additional resources. The Coalition of Yes were to fend for themselves economically, which they did. Trade between the territories reduced their reliance on the Alyodelli Treasury. But Syndicate Space never formally acknowledged their secession and claimed the territory still belonged to The Alliance. Venali, as the protector of the realm, had to deploy a significant host to the border of the Yesnia to ensure The Alliance did not attempt to take the territory back.

While no heads of state denounced Venali, it was clear they did not have much love him. Many saw his expansion as unprovoked and needless. Xaiti was still aligned with Syndicate Space and Venali had sent so many troops t the border of the Yesnia his Esparian borders were sparsely manned. He turned his immediate attention to the rearmament of Alyodell. He enacted policies to privatize all industry within Alyodell. This helped boost the economy while also bettering the relationship between the government and business. These relationships would prove fruitful when Venali sought help in funding his rearmament. His efforts worked. The Alyodelli economy boomed and the government was able to expand its military. A result of the privatization, however, was increased labor. While wages did rise during this period, so too did average labor hours. Small protests were held, but the love the people bore Venali far outweighed the cries of the few.

### Tides of War

The Milky Way took note of Alyodell's military expansion. Syndicate Space had deployed 3/4 of their military force to the borders of the Yesnia, where small skirmishes broke out many times each day. Xaitian forces had begun moving into Syndicate Space to combine with their host. Venali declared he had no further intention of expansion, but when The Alliance demanded he renounce all claim to the territories he had captured and cede them back to Syndicate Space, Venali gawked. Venali famously said, in a video communication to The Supreme High Council, "I did not *take* your lands, you lost them. You lost your people when you neglected their needs. You lost your lands when you failed to protect them. You lost your might when you failed to take the measure of me, and now you've lost your wits when you make demands of me. Your people have joined me willingly. If not for the love they bear me, then for the disdain they hold for you. I will give you nothing. Nothing but the stain of defeat. Nothing but the taste of blood. Nothing but the scorch of fire and the smell of ash. If you want back what you lost, I pray you come and take it, so I might further show the galaxy how small you are".

And with that, Venali knew it was once again time to go to war. What he didn't know, however, was that this would be the war that would define himself, Alyodell, and this entire chapter in the history of the Milky Way.

## THIRD VENALIAN WAR

In truth, calling the first two conflicts in this story "wars" is generous. Both were short-liveded and very one sided. It would not be unfair to label these first two events as conquests rather than wars. If the first two venalian wars failed to live up to their title, however, the third certainly did not. Dwarfing the first two conflicts in scope and scale, The Third Venalian War lasted 6 years and would come to envelope most all of the Milky Way galaxy.

On 212.628, Alyodelli forces invaded Syndicate Space through the Abrolt system. The Battle for Anzarus can be rightly cited as the first conflict of the war. Anzarus was a mining planet consisting mainly of fuel refineries. It was lightly guarded, as most of the Syndicate forces were staged along the border of the Yesnia. Venali and his forces won a decisive victory that bottlenecked a critical resource for Syndicate forces. Venali halted his advance, however. He waited to see how The Alliance would respond. Combined with the Xaitian forces, Venali was outnumbered 3 to 1. He needed allies and he needed them fast. He reached out to Oswar, his recently defeated foe. Alyodell had taken some of Oswari territory during the Second Venalian War as a result of the Sescus Accords. Venali agreed to return the territory to Oswar and take them into the empire as a vassal state. They would be granted their own political and economic independence, but they had to pledge their military support to Alyodell. Remembering the swiftness of their defeat at Venali's hand last time, and fearing his wroth, Oswar agreed to the terms, and doubled Alyodell's forces.

Venali dispatched an elite squad of Zorbraas to travel around the galactic core where they would enter Syndicate Space from the other side. Their goal was to travel undetected to Zeala where they would capture or kill the Supreme High Council. The mission, however, proved too ambitious even for Alyodell's most revered soldiers, and this squad would soon find themselves caught up in an entirely separate conflict , but these stories are beyond the scope of this history. Suffice it to say, they did not make it to Zeala.

The Alliance suffered a large blow in the loss of Anzarus. The colony had served as the primary fuel refinery for their military vessels. Thore 2A23, the closest refinery large enough to serve, was several systems over. If an offensive attack was to be mounted on Alyodell, a source of fuel would need to be established closer to the front. The Alliance moved to retake Anzarus. Xaitian President Uter Unnade refused to commit troops to this operation, however. Claiming "Xaitian lives should not have to be sacrificed to make up for the ineptitude of Syndicate defense decisions". Tensions between Syndicate and Xaitian leadership delayed the assault, and while Venali was prepping his next move, Syndicate forces sat idle on the border.

Venali dispatched his Oswari forces to invade Xaiti. On 231.628, Oswari forces led by General Koboth crossed into Xaiti via the Drion System and quickly began to occupy planets along the 114-26B Speedway (better known as the Demons Run). An invasion of Xaiti was expected, but the Xaitians had not known of Alyodell's alliance with Oswar. So the attack took them by surprise. They scrambled to defend their planets as best they could - managing to retake Notivno and Sevaliv in the process - but by the time forces arrived, the Oswari were deeply entrenched. Uter Unnade was enraged at the assault. Claiming The Supreme High Council's poor decision making had allowed Alyodell to rally allies to their cause. The Ambassador's Board was likewise upset. In an unprecedented vote, 3/4 of the board voted to suspend the Supreme High Council's command over the war efforts and give the order to Security Commissioner Zaria Domuvis.

### Turing the Tables

Domuvis took immediate action, launching an assault on Alyodell with an eye to capture Sularth. Sularth served as a key staging ground for Alyodelli forces in their invasion of Syndicate Space. Domuvis knew he needed a triumph, and he preferred a grand victory over a swift one. Taking Sularth would not be easy, but it would be the rallying cry needed by Syndicate Space.

On 235.628, Domuvis personally oversaw the invasion of Alyodell. Syndicate forces crossed through the Masurus Enippe system, effectively ceding Anzarus to Venali, who was waiting with a majority of his host for syndicate forces to reclaim the planet. If Domuvis could capture Sularth, he would gain a major stronghold within enemy territory that could serve as a staging ground in his efforts to take Molenlen, claim the fueling station to replace the one he had lost, and leave his enemy far in the distance.

Fighting was swift and sparse as Syndicate forces moved through Alyodelli space. They arrived at Sularth on 237.628 PA. Domuvis immediately laid siege to the planet, blocking off all contact and supply routes. He broadcasted a message to the planet commanding them to lay down arms and surrender peacefully. Some did, most did not. Fighters were scrambled from the surface and small skirmishes took place above the planets surface. On 240.628 PA, the second battalion of the Syndicate Auxillilary Infantry was deployed to the surface of Sularth. They landed outside the town of Occunus and made an advance on Innoth - the capital. Warden Major Soddids Sos'u led the assault. Syndicate forces pushed through 60 kilometers of forest, fighting an aggressive foe along the way.

The fourth battalion of the AAI was deployed to Olore, with the objective to assault Innoth from the east. The hope was Syndicate forces could surround and overwhelm the Alyodelli. Domuvis underestimated the tenacity of Alyodelli, however. Their entrenched position and knowledge of the terrain aided them in defending the capital. But Syndicate Space had arrived with the full might of their military, and Venali was thousands of lightyears away. In the end, carpet bombings and areal assaults weakened the Alyodelli forces enough for the AAI to capture the city. On 261.628 PA, Syndicate forces overwhelmed Innoth and claimed the planet of Sularth for Syndicate Space. This marked the first victory by Syndicate forces in the Third Venalian War.

Four Supreme Orders of Commendation were issued posthumously to Alyodeli soldiers - the most prestigious honor in the Alyodell military. Nilirs Gid gave his life defending a pass while civilians escaped the fighting in the city. It is estimated his efforts saved 39 lives. Helle Contoglou sustained three bullet wounds while pulling wounded soldiers from the battlefield - including a Syndicate infantryman. She was able to successfully save the lives of three of those she rescued before succumbing to her wounds. When Sontar Jothryan's entire platoon was killed in a bombing, she lead a solo assault against Syndicate forces and took 14 lives before she gave her life. Ayer Phiran was a recently discharged soldier who was working in Innoth. When the fighting started, he leapt into battle and demonstrated a ferocity that has become legend amongst the Alyodelli. With no weapon or armor, Phiran was able to combat Syndicate forces using sheer force of will.

Once word of the victory spread, a palpable shift in momentum was felt. Domuvis's bold strategy had paid off and his next move was plain to see: he meant to take Molenlen before Venali could get his forces back to Alyodell. With the Oswari forces engaged in Xaiti, Venali appeared to be beaten. Rather than garrison the planet, Domuvis refueled his fleet and razed the refinery to the ground. The Syndicate forces then made a b-line for Molenlen. For the first time, Torros Venali was on the defensive. The destruction of Sularth meant Vinali would have to ration fuel for his entire fleet from Anzarus to Molenlen. He grounded the majority of his fighters so as to conserve their fuel for the impending battle of Molenlen. While this meant his fleet could travel faster, it also resulted in a lightly guarded convoy. Stories persist of Venali's wroth on that crawl to Molenlen. Legends claim he beat helmsmen to death in a fit of rage. Others say he launched crew members into space so as to lessen the weight of his vessel. While these stories provide a dramatic flair to the legend of Torros Venali, all documentation we have of him portrays a figure possessed of strategy and patience. While his frustration at the defeat is beyond question, the likelihood that this anger manifested in the indiscriminate murder of crew members does not align with our understanding of the person.

### Establishing the Alyodelli Front

On 274.628 PA, Syndicate forces entered the Thorrea system, where they met significant resistance. When he set out for war, Torros Venali had named his son - Tossos - Protector of Alyodell. His command was to safeguard the people and resources of Alyodell. The loss of Sularth was worn by none more than Tossos Venali - who was looking to redeem himself. Tossos had mobilized the remaining Alyodelli forces and established a defensive front anchored on Zilutis. Thorrea was the next system over from Molenlen. If Alyodell was to stop Syndicate Space from taking their capital, it would have to be here.

As Syndicate forces - led by Zaria Domuvis - entered the system, their ships ran into mines stationed along the speedway. While the damage inflected was negligible, it forced them out of lightspeed, where they were set upon. Domuvis had anticipated resistance. But the ferocity with which the Alyodelli fought surprised even Domuvis. Within an hour of fighting, hundreds on both sides were dead. Fighters were recalled to their stations and a different type of warfare would commence.

Battle between fighters is an image old as flight. Small, nimble ships equipped with guns and rockets entangle each other in a dance of death. Battle between cruisers, however, is a slower match. These heavily armored dreadnoughts were capable of holding thousands and could sustain bombardment that would level cities. Slow to maneuvers and hard to kill, what was a dance is now a chess match. Targeting probes were launched to scan ships - identifying the location of life support or weapon systems - targeted missiles were then launched in an attempt to disable these systems. These missiles in isolation accomplish very little. The key is to conduct several actions at once - target your enemies life support with one barrage while cutting off their maneuver with another; hack into your enemies systems and disable their life support while cutting off their communication channels. Of course, every offensive action has a defensive counter. Effective large scale space combat requires the deployment of offense and defense at the same time.

For 7 days, Zaria Domuvis and Tossos Venali engaged each other in the slow march to death, neither side giving ground. Domuvis knew he was losing his advantage. In a few days time, Torros would arrive with his fleet and Syndicate forces would be overwhelmed and slaughtered. He ordered his fleet to ground on the nearby planet of Ziluis - where they dug in and established a foothold. Domuvis sent for reinforcements from The Supreme High Council. Torros Venali arrived with his fleet on 288.628 PA. Still rattled from his first true defeat, with a crew weary from hasty travel, Venali chose to proceed on to Molenlen - where he could gather his strength. He knew Domuvis was making to take the capital, and he would not underestimate his opponent again. The Thorrea system would serve as the frontline of the war between Alyodell and Syndicate Space - witness to horrors indescribable.

### Life During the Venalian Wars

#### Syndicate Space

Here, we will break in our history of those horrid battles to speak to what life was like throughout the galaxy during this time. Syndicate Space had lost much territory in the First and Second Venalian Wars, but their state was vast. Deep within Syndicate Space, life continued much the same. Following the capture of Olara, however, sentiment turned. Syndicate Space had been the unquestioned super power in the galaxy for nigh on a millennium. The Raging Territories had been tolerated, but largely lingered in obscurity. That the capital of the most powerful polity in the history of sapient life could be taken was both an insult and a call to arms. Anti-Alyodell propaganda flooded the streets. News outlets spoke of the Alyodelli "raiders" who aimed to rape and pillage their way across the galaxy. Panic set in. Olara had fallen, the Supreme High Council was alive - all were assured - but on the run. Enlistment in the Alliance Auxiliary Infantry saw a large boom. These efforts stoked the fires of nationalism as the Syndicate Space rallying cries echoed across the cosmos.

These beliefs manifested themselves in many ways. One such way was the influence on art. Born out of the Third Venalian War was the artistic movement known as "Corniprome" - a shift in the depiction of militaristic conquest. To this point, most artistic depictions of war showed the atrocities and horrors or armed conflict. This turn in craft, however, began to show the nobility of battle - the achievement, the esprit, the camaraderie. This movement was short lived and never spread far outside the core of Syndicate Space, but it's prevalence played an important role in shaping Syndicate Space's identity at this time.

On the fringes of the nation, however, morale was much different. While no soul living in Syndicate Space at the time harbored any sentiment for Alyodell, those closest to the combat were not so keen to recapture what was lost. Rather, the people living here merely wished for the combat to cease. Public protests called for The Alliance to concede the lost territory and focus resources on rebuilding the area's damaged. Thousands of civilians had been killed in the crossfire of battle, trade routes had been disrupted - poverty, disease and starvation rates had increased exponentially. Those living here did not care about victory, they only wanted to survive. Unfortunately for them, The Alliance had been slighted, and they could not let that stand. So as is the case through most of sapient history, the cries of the poor and weak were drowned out by the pride of the rich and powerful.

#### Alyodell

In Alyodell, opinions on the war were mixed. Toross Venali had torn his way through Alyodelli statecraft like a Buzzsaw and seized control of the empire for himself. Some saw this as a reckoning - a firm leader who took control when it was needed and will shepherd us to a new age. Others saw this as tyranny. While the Alyodelli were free to protest the government as they saw fit, there certainly was a sense of unease among those who disagreed with the war efforts.