Dragoneteran-Tegotian War

Infestation of Dralix
The Dragoneteran colony of Dralix had ceased communication with the rest of the Monarchy during the assault on Aserai. With all available forces focused on the core worlds, there were no available ships to investigate the blackout, which was believed to have been caused by the Zaretians. Anticipating to find the colony in ruins, a small force was sent to Dralix followiong the retreat of Pact forces. Scans of Dralix's surface revealed that it had not been attacked by the Zaretians, but had instead been infested by Biomatter of Hive Apophis, which had enveloped much of the planet. Search teams were deployed across Dralix's former settlements to search for survivors, but within hours, they all disappeared. A number of ships subsequently attempted to leave, but were shot down after they did not respond to communication requests. One of the search terms eventually reestablished contact with command, explaining that they had flown too close to the ground and were pulled down by tendrils and needed immediate evacuation. A group of special operatives were sent down to retrieve them, and after fighting through several waves of Biomatter, the search team reached them and were extracted.

Initially, Dragoneteran high command wanted to bombard the planet so as to purge the infestation. But the king vetoed their decision, deciding instead to establish a permanent garrison around the planet so that the Biomatter could not escape. Samples taken from the surface were to be used for research into how the Biomatter functioned and how it could be eliminated.

Outbreak of Conflict
Several months after the Zaretian assault on Aserai, Dragoneteran captain Delarus went missing while investigating what was reportedly an unidentified vessel adrift in space. After days of inconclusive searches, officials received a distress signal originating from the homeworld of the Bulorians, a young interstellar nation that had only recently established its first colony. A small rescue team was sent to investigate and soon located Delarus, who had been hiding in the outskirts of a largely abandoned Bulorian settlement for the past three weeks. The captain explained that the ship had actually been a trap set by an alien race known as the Tegotians, radical isolationist who attacked the captain because he had accidentally entered their territory. Deloran's vessel crash landed, leaving him the sole survivor. A few days later, a Tegotian invasion force arrived, swiftly defeating and enslaving the Bulorians, though not before the defenders were able to send a distress call. The Dragoneterans went to acquire intelligence on the occupation force but were soon discovered, forcing them to evacuate. Their findings were reported back to the Dragoneteran government, which while still in the process of rebuilding, had a strong desire to free the Bulorians and get revenge against the Tegotians for attacking Delarus. The Monarchy amassed what forces it could and launched an offensive at the Bulorian homeworld. Though the Tegotians correctly assumed that the Dragoneterans would attack, they were defeated and driven off-world, leaving behind the now liberated Bulorians. Enraged by the Monarchy's interference in their affairs, the Tegotians left their self-imposed isolationism, declared themselves allies of the Warlord Pact, and mobilized for war against the Dragoneterans. With major powers on both sides focused elsewhere, the Dragoneterans and Tegotians were left to fight on their own with little outside help.

Enter the Biomatter
Lacking the troops to protect all of their colonies, the Dragoneterans focused their defenses on Aserai and the surrounding core worlds. Outer colonies were either evacuated or defended by small units that harassed Tegotian invaders through guerilla tactics. The Tegotians, unaware of the previous attack on Aserai due to their isolation, were puzzled by the lack of resistance, but took the initiative, pressing their attack in the hopes of concluding the conflict before outsiders could intervene. In an attempt to stall them, the Dragoneterans devised an unorthodox plan. A sample of Biomatter was retrieved from Dralix and then synthesized into an airborne virus that was deployed at one of the Tegotian's forward operating bases by Davoran. The virus proved to be far more potent that anticipated; the Tegotians were completely overwhelmed, and the resulting infestation managed to capture a small number of ships that then spread to nearby worlds, a few of which were former Dragoneteran holdings. The Monarchy attempted to cover up its involvement in the incident, but word soon reached the rest of the Peacekeepers, who harshly rebuked the Dragoneterans for what were seen as reckless and dangerous actions. The Aeveria were especially vocal, as they now had to deal with an infestation uncomfortably close to their borders. The Monarchy attempted to defend its actions, stating that it did not have the means to fight the Tegotians conventionally, but this did little to convince its angered allies. Under pressure from the Alliance, the Dragoneterans destroyed all remaining samples of the virus.

Second Battle of Aserai & Collapse of the Tegotian Empire
The attack was successful in stalling the Tegotians for several weeks, giving the Dragoneterans time to prepare for future attacks. But they were forced to discard their plans when the reigning monarch unexpectedly died. Troops were redirected to Aserai to bulk up security as the king's successor was crowned. Tegotian spies discovered the proceedings, and the Empire deployed what most analyst can only describe as its entire military to Aserai, hoping to cripple the Dragoneteran military and government in one fell swoop. The Dragoneterans responded in kind, recalling all of their troops to the homeworld, resulting in the largest confrontation between minor powers in the war. Though the Tegotians initially held the upper hand, Dragoneteran special forces dealt several decisive blows to the Tegotian chain of command. Unbeknownst to them, many of the officers killed were also political figures back in the mainland. Thus, as the military chain of command fractured, so too did the political body. Dragoneteran reinforcements were later able to encircle the Tegotian fleet, preventing them from maneuvering or escaping. Ultimately, the invading force fractured and fell apart, allowing the defenders to sweep through and capture stragglers. Now without an army and lacking many of its leaders, the Tegotian Empire collapsed into chaos as splinter factions arose to take advantage of the situation. Dragoneteran forces stepped in to help restore order, and with the help of the Aeverians, a Peacekeeper-aligned government, the Tegotian Republic, was established. With their main focus being rebuilding, the Tegotians formally withdrew from the war, though they are still required to pay reparations to the Dragoneterans for the conflict.

Aftermath
Though oftentimes overshadowed, the Dragoneteran-Tegotian war held political and military implications for both sides of the war. It was the first time that a belligerent is known to have weaponized the Biomatter, and serves as a cautionary tale as to why it is far too risky even in the most dire circumstances. Following the victory at Aserai, the Alliance held a meeting to discuss the matter and formally agreed to ban the use of the Biomatter as a weapon, declaring it a war crime. Many wanted to charge the Dragoneterans, but since the rule did not exist at the time, and because the resulting infestation only harmed military personnel, the Monarchy narrowly avoided charges, but as well as destroying their remaining samples, they also had to destroy all research relating to the program. The attack was and still is frequently featured in Warlord propaganda to demonize and paint the Alliance as hypocrites. For the Peacekeepers, it also set a precedent for how defeated Warlords were to be treated. For the Warlords, it showed that they would need to cooperate more closely if they were to win, otherwise they would be picked off one by one.