Battle of Far Port

The Battle of Far Port was the first engagement between PACT and the Solar Alliance, in which the PACT force attempting to invade the Alliance was repulsed. This prevented a major incursion into densely populated Alliance territory and forced PACT back onto the defensive in the Neutral Rim.

Background
Following the conquest of the Neutral Rim, Veniczar B. Cullen assembled five fleets for an invasion of the Solar Alliance. They would take the gateway world of Far Port, which would allow them to move on to five populated Alliance worlds before a defense could be mustered. The Alliance Navy was beginning to mobilize following the capture of Ryuvia Prime, but due to bureaucratic inertia the defence fleets were slow to move; only one of the five fleets send to defend Far Port would arrive in time. Admiral Harold Grey appointed Captain Kayto Shields of the Sunrider as a "special advisor" to help oversee the defence, Shields being the only Alliance-aligned commander with direct experience against PACT.

The battle
Cullen's plan was to pincer the Alliance fleet with detached task forces of frigates and destroyers, with the main battleship and carrier command group closing in from the front and destroying its opposition. The cruisers, having warped out far behind, would engage in mop-up work. The Legion maintained its distance, simply observing the battle.

Commander Ava Crescentia proposed dispersing the Second Fleet to engage in hit-and-run attacks on the superior PACT force, as there was no need to defend the planet of Far Port itself. However, Lieutenant Kryska Stares objected, as the PACT armada might ignore the Alliance defenders harassing it and proceed deep into Alliance space. Asserting that Cullen had grown complacent from his easy conquest of the Neutral Rim and underestimated his opponents, Shields decided on a third option: charging the command group head-on. With the flanking units forced to circle back to engage the Alliance, and the cruisers too far back to support the command ships, they could engage and destroy Cullen's flagship, leaving PACT too disorganized to proceed with its invasion of the Alliance.

The Sunrider and allied units closed in and successfully sunk many of the PACT capital ships, but Cullen's flagship remained. At this point the Legion fired its main gun, destroying many Alliance ships and two PACT vessels as well. Shields ordered the Alliance force to get deeper into the PACT formation, preventing the Legion from firing again without a disproportionate amount of friendly fire. Cullen ordered his flagship to engage and destroy the Sunrider, but Asaga Oakrun intervened, using her Ryuvian powers to destroy the battleship and kill Cullen.

Its objective accomplished, Shields ordered the badly battered Second Fleet now attempted to break off, but it was badly entangled in the melee. Just then, the First Fleet under Admiral Grey arrived with 200 fresh ships and began engaging the remaining PACT forces. Veniczar S. Arcadius declined to commit the Legion to the battle, instead ordering a withdrawal.

Gameplay
TBD