Battle of Vega

The Battle of Vega is one of the deadliest void engagements in the history of mankind. Most notably, the battle resulted in the crippling of the EAA fleet two days prior to the Scourge's arrival, and would eventually result in the creation of both the United Colonies of Mankind and the Post-Human Republic.

## Background

Days after the White Sphere's arrival, a message was broadcast to everyone on the Cradle Worlds and Earth - a warning of impending doom, followed by a plea for humanity for abandon its worlds and head to Vega IV to receive further guidance into uncharted space. This broadcast was scorned by planetary governments at the time, but led to divisions and mistrust amongst the general populace.

Those who heeded this message would commandeer, charter, or steal ships of all sizes, fleeing their planets to the designed rendezvous point. In response, the Earth Administration Authority - the reigning government at the time - dispatched its fleet to intercept, in an attempt to hold humanity together in this time of crisis. Though conflict was not intended by either side, the Abandonists fired upon the EAA fleet in an attempt to make good on their escape, precipitating the conflict.

## Battle

The Battle of Vega IV was the deadliest void engagement of human history at the time of its occurrence. The exact sizes of the Abandonist and EAA fleets are unknown, but it can be assumed that the EAA fleet was made up of forces drawn from every colony and Cradle World owned by mankind, given the request sent to Kalium. Meanwhile, the Abandonists likely numbered in the millions, potentially possessing enough ships to rival that of the EAA armada.

As the majority of the Abandonist fleet was able to jump away from Vega IV, its likely that the EAA forces suffered the brunt of the losses in the conflict. It's highly plausible that the Abandonist fleet possessed military warships, potentially drawn from elements from the Cradle Worlds or entire fleets from colonies, hence their ability to fight the EAA joint armada to a standstill. The White Sphere's influence can also not be understated - its plausible that the Sphere was aboard one of the Abandonist vessels, and could have used its immense technological prowess and intelligence to give the Abandonists an edge.

At the end of the battle, the bulk of the Abandonists were able to jump away, following directions from the White Sphere that likely led them beyond the bounds of the Milky Way Galaxy. Meanwhile, the EAA fleet had been crippled in the conflict, leaving a massive graveyard of damaged or destroyed warships in the Vega system. Those ships that were still foldspace-capable were ordered to return to Earth and the Cradle Worlds for resupply and debriefing; those that could not do so were to be left in situ to await repairs.

## Aftermath

The EAA fleet was crippled by the Battle of Vega IV, leaving it wholly unprepared to deal with the Scourge invasion two days later. It's uncertain if the fleet could have fully defeated the Scourge, but it certainly could have made a difference, potentially allowing more humans to escape the Scourge or even for entire Cradle Worlds to be held. As it stood, humanity's defenders were woefully unprepared for the Scourge, putting up nothing more than token resistance in the face of the onslaught.

As a result of the Scourge arrival, the stricken ships that were still in orbit around Vega IV would receive little in the way of support. Forced to rely on themselves, the survivors would turn to cannibalizing destroyed or damaged ships to maintain what little they had, resulting eventually in the formation of the Vega Scrapfleet.

The Abandonists that escaped, despite avoiding the Scourge invasion, still suffered immense hardships and strife during their voyage. This population would eventually be shaped by the White Sphere into the Post-Human Republic - a technologically-advanced society of cyborgs.