View source for Vanduul Skirmishes

== History ==

=== First Contact (2681-08-09) ===

The Dell Township on [[Armitage (planet)|Armitage]], [[Orion system|Orion]] is wiped out overnight. When security footage is examined, the aggressor is revealed to be a previously unknown alien species - the Vanduul. One person remains unaccounted for. No-one knows where the enemy came from.<ref>{{Cite RSI|int=Comm-Link:Galactic Guide - Orion System|text=Comm-Link:Galactic Guide - Orion System|url=comm-link/transmission/13061-Jump-Point-Orion-System}}</ref><ref>{{Cite RSI|int=Comm-Link:2681 - Scorched Earth|text=Comm-Link:2681 - Scorched Earth|url=comm-link/spectrum-dispatch/12707-2681-Scorched-Earth}}</ref>

=== Destroying the First Clan (2681-09) ===

The Vanduul return in Orion, and the UEE has its first stand-up fight with the 'duul. With this small clan of Vanduul wiped out, Orion sits quiet for the time being. The UEE aren't aware of how Vanduul clan structure works at this time, so they may have believed the threat to be neutralised.{{fact}}

=== Vanduul in Caliban (2682) ===

Vanduul raids also begin in [[Caliban system|Caliban]]. While they don't strictly take territory, Vanduul raids are now a persistent threat.{{fact}} Destroying or disabling a Vanduul [[Scythe]] with the technology of the era takes both extreme maneuvering and a high degree of communication among wingmen. As such, the [[Gladius]]es of the [[36th Fighter Squadron]] are regularly tasked to this new Vanduul front.{{fact}}

=== A Bigger Clan in Orion (2686) ===

The Vanduul return to Orion, a larger clan this time, again engaging in sporadic raids. This does at least unveil where the Vanduul have been coming from - a [[Jump Point]] connecting with the [[Viking system]]. On the downside, it makes our presence more known to the Vanduul on a species level. There is talk of launching an offensive. A Jump Point is also found connecting Caliban to Viking, revealing the source of those raids too.{{fact}} Around this time, [[Aegis Dynamics]] under the leadership of [[Hana Chan]] develops the [[Javelin]] destroyer - a battle platform built to go toe-to-toe with the Vanduul.{{fact}}

=== [[Fall of Orion]] (2712) ===

So far, the Vanduul have been little more than an annoyance to the [[Messer Era|Messers]], but in 2712 a [[Kingship]] arrives in Orion, devastating the frontline which had been ill-prepared for this new threat. Orion falls to the Vanduul, pushing the frontline back to [[Tiber system|Tiber]].{{fact}} With the military abandoning Orion, many civilians are left behind on Armitage. The remaining populace adapts to living in the presence of Vanduul, a bunch of rag-tag outsiders under constant threat of attack. The city of [[Port Conrad]] is modified to defend or obscure its inhabitants.{{fact}} With the threat now on Caliban's door, political activism within the system increases. Many residents believe the [[Imperator]] is intentionally witholding military resources from the system, as the occasional attack only reinforces the UEE's need for a strong, militaristic dictator.{{fact}}

=== Hiding the Losses (2715) ===

With [[Samuel Messer VII]] succeeded by [[Samuel Messer VIII]], the new Imperator orders that Orion and all jumps connecting to it must be removed from the UEE's non-military maps "for the public good." [[ICC]] director [[Loretta De Biaso]] puts the ICC's political independence to use, claiming it would be more dangerous for people to not know exactly where a clan of Vanduul might suddenly appear. The Imperator is infuriated by this defiance and threatens to drastically slash the agency's budget. But making matters worse for Messer, prominent members of the military come to De Biaso's defense. Some even threaten to resign if she is fired, or the agency's budget struck with draconian cuts. Today there's evidence that retaliatory measures were planned against De Biaso for her disobedience, but Messer VIII was stabbed to death in his bed before they could be enacted. His successor, his older brother Galor Messer IX does not pursue this Orion mapping agenda.{{fact}}