Terl Obar's time line of the First Sathar War

You can get a PDF version of this in the downloads section at: http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/7789

<h1 class="western">A History of the First Sathar War</h1>
The canon sources (AD,KH and Zeb's)
only provide a brief overview of the events of the First Sathar war.
In fact, the AD rules barely mention it at all. From the KH Campaign
book, page 50 we have the following from the section entitled “The
Sathar and the UPF”:

The
inhabitants of the Frontier first became aware of the Sathar when a
surprise attack hit the planets of Truane's Star. Pale and New Pale
were ravaged, and the few survivors fled to Prenglar via Dixon's
Star. Thus began the First Sathar War.

At
that time there was no Spacefleet of any sort. A number of starships
had been equipped with weapons to battle pirates and members of the
other three races, and this motley assortment of vessels was mustered
for the defense of the Frontier. Command of the fleet was given to a
Human, Vincent Morgaine, who was given the honorary title of admiral.

Morgaine
chose to place his ships at Cassidine, following the sacking of the
Truane system. A small outpost at Dixon's Star was to warn him if the
Sathar attempted to move toward Prenglar; but the Admiral's gamble
paid off. The Sathar emerged from the Void in the Cassidine system,
heading directly toward the huge population center of Triad.

Admiral
Morgaine and his rag-tag fleet were waiting, however, hidden among
the rocks of Cassidine's dense asteroid belt. Their surprise attack
on the rear of the Sathar fleet destroyed nearly a third of the over-
confident enemy's ships. Apparently bewildered by the onslaught, the
Sathar and their ships accelerated away from Cassidine and
disappeared into the Void.

Now
Morgaine made his second shrewd estimation of the unknown foe, and
moved his fleet to Prenglar. While he was en route, word arrived
from Dixon's Star that the Sathar were attacking there. The
transmission was interrupted, and it was later learned that the
outpost planet of Laco (Dixon's Star) had been ravaged as viciously
as the Pale worlds.

Once
again, however, as the Sathar emerged at a major population center
(Gran Quivera at Prenglar, this time), the Admiral and his "fleet"
were waiting. A savage battle developed around a large and, at that
time, uninhabited ringed planet. During the course of the battle,
nearly all of the Frontier's ships were destroyed. Admiral Morgaine's
cruiser was lost with all hands.

The
Sathar fleet was similarly devastated, however. The few remaining
enemy ships scattered in all directions. Many of the survivors were
never accounted for, but the Sathar war fleet had been utterly
destroyed.

The timeline in Zebulon's Guide to
Frontier space has just a few entries on the affair:
 

3-2PF
- The First Sathar War is fought.
3PF
- The Sathar first appear. They attack the Truane's Star system.
3PF
- Pale and New Pale fall. The Great Exodus to Dixon's Star System
takes place.
2PF
- The four races muster a spaceship fleet. The second Common Muster
is called and put under the command of Admiral Morgaine, who
immediately moves the fleet to the Cassidine system.
2PF
- The Battle of Triad. Morgaine's fleet performs a surprise attack on
the invading Sathar fleet intent on ravaging Traid. The Sathar lose a
third of their fleet.
2PF
- Dixon's Star system is attacked by Sathar fleet. Completely
unprotected it is soon ravaged. Meanwhile Morgaine moves his fleet to
the Prenglar system.
2PF
- The Sathar attack Gran Quivera in the Prenglar system. The Battle
of the Two Fleets is fought. The Sathar fleet is routed and
destroyed. Morgaine's fleet is seriously depleted and Morgaine dies
in battle. With this mutual devastation the First Sathar War comes to
an end.
 

Based on this basic information, some
assumptions on Sathar operations, and using KH style travel times
from system to system, I've worked up the following more detailed
timeline of events for the First Sathar War.

 

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Day
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Event
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0
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Sathar
armada arrives in Truane's Star System and is undetected as it
begins to decelerate toward Pale
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1
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Sathar detect
radio transmissions from New Pale. Part of the armada is split
off to deal with that planet. Deceleration profiles are adjusted
allow a simultaneous attack on both planets.
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2
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<ul><li>
Sathar
armada detected by sensors in the Truane's Star System. All
attempt to communicate with the unknown craft fail
</li><li>Sub-space messages are sent to nearby worlds announcing
the unknown ships but there is little information to convey.
After the successes of the meetings between the races of the core
four, it is expected that friendly relations will be established
with the new race as well, whoever they are, once communication
has been established.
</li></ul>
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3
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<ul><li>
A
small craft with a volunteer crew attempts to make a close pass
by the Sathar ships to get images and attempt to communicate.
The ship is destroyed as soon as it comes within range.
</li><li>
After
the small craft is destroyed, the Sathar engage powerful White
Noise Broadcasters that disrupt communications around the two
planets. These also seem to jam subspace communications as all
attempts at sending sub-space messages fail.
</li><li>
Panic
starts to spread among the inhabitants of the system and many
ships are loaded and attempt to flee the system. Many are caught
and destroyed by the Sathar fleet but some escape.
</li></ul>
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4
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<ul><li>
The
Sathar armada arrives at Pale and New Pale, obliterating the
planets' defenses while sustaining little damage itself.
</li><li>
More
ships attempt to flee the system. Almost all ships leaving at
this point are caught and destroyed.
</li></ul>
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5
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Ground
assaults of Pale and New Pale commence. Sathar unleash hordes of
soldiers and bio-constructs that quickly overwhelm the minimal
defenses.
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12
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Refugee ships from Truane's Star begin to arrive at Laco in
Dixon's Star. The first bring fears and tales of imagined horrors
along with the reports of the invading ships. Later ships
arriving over the next few hours and days bring more details and
actual reports of the space and ground battle.
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13
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Sub-space messages are sent to all planets of the Frontier
detailing the news from Pale and New Pale. Some take up to a day
to arrive due to the distances between the star systems.
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14
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Discussions begin on the need for a Second Common Muster.
Communication delays and the lack of a centralized government
make this a fairly slow process as messages are passed back and
forth between the systems. The Pan Galactic Corporation provides
resources and helps to facilitate the discussions where it can.
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15
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Initial ground fighting on Pale and New Pale is mostly done.
Just small pockets of resistance remain. A final few hidden ships
make a run for it but few escape.
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16
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Sathar begin the process of rounding up the civilian population
of Pale and New Pale and examining the technology capture.
Survivors realize that very little of the planets' infrastructure
was damaged in the fighting leaving the invading worms a fully
operational system for study and exploitation.
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17
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Resistance groups on Pale continue to fight against the Sathar
and do so until liberated.
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18
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With support and influence from the Pan Galactic Corporation,
the decision is made and the call goes out from Prenglar for the
Second Common Muster
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19
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<ul><li>Second Common Muster call is received in White Light. The
Clarion Royal Marine space forces, led by Vincent Morgaine,
respond immediately and leave within twelve hours of the call
coming in.
</li><li>Over the next few days each system debates whether or not
to participate and what ships to send. In the end every system
sends at least a few ships to join the muster.
</li></ul>
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20
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Yazirian worlds agree to join as soon as they hear that the CRM
has already departed.
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21
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Fromeltar, Drammune, Timeon, and Madderly's Star agree to join
the Muster
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22
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The vrusk worlds decide that it is in their commercial interest
to help stop the Sathar on-slaught and commit to join the muster.
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23
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Theseus is the last hold out, being the most removed from the
fighting. But in the end, under pressure from the other systems
and the Pan Galactic Corporation, the Minotaur government agrees
to send ships.
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155
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Frontier reinforcements arrive at Laco and continue on towards
Pale.
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156
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Scouts from Point True report that the Sathar has shut the city
down and are rounding up all the citizens into a common holding
area in the center of the city. General Delrooka fears this is
the first step towards the genocide move he is expecting.
Preparations for an attack on the Sathar positions are
accelerated.
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157
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<ul><li>The Sathar detonate several large exposives that destroy
sevearl of the smaller towns around Point True. Realizing time
is up and unable to wait for reinforcements, General Delrooka
orders the assault on the Sathar in Point True to begin.
</li><li>Having secured the countryside on New Pale, forces there
begin preparations for the assault on New Pale's capitol,
Simeon's Rest.
</li></ul>
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158
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<ul><li>Frontier forces launch their assault on Pale just before
local dawn.
</li><li>Several teams had been sent in in advance to infiltrate
the prisoner holding area. They had been specifically tasked to
look for and eliminate any weapons or bombs that could be used to
kill the imprisoned citizens.
</li><li>The fighting is much easier on the Frontier forces than
feared. Apparently the Sathar supply situation was even worse
than expected. However, the fighting is still intense as the
Frontier forces are outnumbered nearly five to one. The Sathar
are poorly armed but there are an awful lot of them to deal with.
</li></ul>
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159
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<ul><li>The fighting continues to rage non-stop into the next day.
The Sathar have nearly broken the Frontier forces several time
but each time the CRG has rallied the troops to push back the
Sathar counter-attacks.

</li><li>By late afternoon, the Frontier forces have completely
surrounded the remaining Sathar troops. By this point the Sathar
have been almost completely reduced to hand-to-hand combat while
the Frontier forces still have ranged weapons. As the Sathar
will not surrender, the Frontier forces have no recourse but to
slaughter them wholesale.
</li><li>During the fighting, the Sathar attempted to kill the
captured Frontier citizens. Luckily the infiltration teams send
the previous day had done their job and eliminated most of the
weapons and traps that had been set to both destroy the city and
its citizens. However, a few bombs were missed and they were
successfully detonated by the Sathar killing thousands of
citizens and destroying several historic buildings in Point True.
</li><li>Having received word of the assault on Point True and
realizing the same psychology would be at work on New Pale, the
forces there begin their assault on Simeon's Rest. On the down
side, the Frontier forces on New Pale are not nearly as prepared
as those on Pale and the Sathar are better equipped. However,
there are a lot fewer Sathar holding New Pale and the opposing
forces are about even in number.
</li></ul>
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160
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<ul><li>Fighting ceases in Point True as the last of the Sathar in
the town are destroyed. While many escaped into the surrounding
country side, the Frontier troops are too exhausted from the
battle to pursue them.
</li><li>Forces on New Pale succeed in taking control of Simeon's
Rest. Many of the captured citizens where murdered by the Sathar
during the fighting but many more were rescued by the Frontier
forces. While not as clean of a victory as they would have
liked, the did succeed in defeating the Sathar and rescuing the
majority of the New Pale citizens.
</li></ul>
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161
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Taking stock, nearly half of the Frontier Forces on Pale were
killed in the assault on Point True. Though weary and exhausted,
there is still more to be done on the planet and teams are sent
out to secure many of the smaller cities still being held by
Sathar troops.

</td>
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</tbody></table>
 

 

All days are Galactic Standard Days