Betel Theatre

Xeverran-Betel Conflict
In order to accelerate the construction of the Star Song, a dyson sphere designed to boost its own processing power and accelerate the reunification of the Xeverran nomad fleets, Galden deployed Xeverran troops into Betel space in order to claim the bountiful resources from their colonies. The Xeverra launched a series of small-scale raids on fringe Betel colonies to gauge their defenses before committing troops. These skirmishes prompted the reigning Betel High Chancellor, Nol Byervid, to create the Sky Spears, which quickly became the most advanced aspect of the Betel military. Regardless, the Xeverra continued to grow bolder as time passed, though they still remained a regional threat.

Year 6: Warlord-Recycler Intervention
See also: Bunker Incident

Following the ascension of High Chancellor Visas Jorental, the Betel were in a process of total mobilization driven on his jingoist Military Proliferation Act. These measures were justified as necessary to combat the aggression of Xeverran encroachments on Betel worlds. While nowhere near a significant power, they had previously established strong economic ties with a multitude of Peacekeeper nations thanks to the activities of previous High Chancellor Corim Decutuk. Betel had been trading with empires of either side, but Peacekeeper trade made up the bulk of their exports, especially after nearly a decade of war. Deposing the Recycler government which held a loose grip on the Betel people would allow them to install a puppet government that could be forced to cut off supply routes to the Peacekeepers. In any case, Warlord Leadership was of the belief that should the Betel choose to take a side in the Great War, it would be alongside the Peacekeepers they held stronger economic ties with, and the ramping up of militarization signaled their intent to get involved. The Pact resolved to intervene while the Recycler government had only just begun war efforts in a quick and decisive action that would be over before the Peacekeepers could deliberate on their involvement. Zaretian operatives were dispatched to sabotage Recycler sensors along a corridor leading to the home planet of Betel. This mission was a success, but some of the operatives were captured when they began work on disabling key installations on the homeworld. With the Recyclers becoming wise to the intentions of the Zaretians, the expeditionary fleet opted to strike before the window of opportunity closed and began storming towards their target with all haste. Arriving at Betel, the Zaretians caught the poorly-organized Recycler military unprepared and a land assault was launched on the planet. Drawing on the traditions of the previous invasion of Betel by the Doisu decades earlier, a fierce resistance was put up, and the need for speed had left Monarchy forces less cohesive than intended. After a handful of vicious skirmishes, the Zaretians were pushed back. Sky Spear forces had arrived and succeeded in keeping reserves at bay, and the Monarchy pulled out, escaping relatively unmolested thereafter.

Fearing reprisal, the Recycler government sought to negotiate with the enemies of the Pact, the Peacekeeper Alliance. A meeting was brokered by the Luminarian Rebels, but word on the meeting was leaked to Warlord intelligence by dissident Doisu engineers through the Wolnch Authority (who were threatened by the Recycler militarization after they had supported the Doisu against the Betel during the war). They feared that if they had the backing of the Peacekeeper juggernaut, the Recyclers would be more bold in their aggression. Syndicate assassins were contracted out to disrupt the meeting, and were able to wipe out the Luminarian delegation. The Betel delegation had not yet arrived and so escaped harm, casting suspicion on the trustworthiness of the Recyclers, but they were admitted into the Alliance to safeguard necessary resources. The Wolnch Authority would ultimately successfully seek membership with the Warlord Pact, disillusioned with the Peacekeepers hypocrisy and threatened by looming Betel aggression.

Corporate elements strongly linked with Warlord empires began resisting this change in policy, eventually forming the DeComp Rebels.

Years 10-13: Repzork Invasion of Betel & Alliance with Xeverra
Repzork Imperial Command had been closely monitoring the Zaretian's activities in Betel space. Had the Monarchy been successful, the empire intended to stake a claim on some of the Betel's resource-rich colonies to meet growing demands for military equipment. With the Zaretian's failure to occupy Betel and puppet their leadership, the Marshal's Council considered opening a front against the Recyclers. Support for war was almost unanimous; though Marshal Zurar feared that committing troops to a new front could pull resources away from the Karahotdoum and Diab theaters, the Council agreed that the Betel could not be allowed to build up their army nor could their resources be used by the Peacekeepers. The 489th 'Ghost Eaters' armada, which specialized in asymmetrical warfare and occupation, was assigned to the task. Though relatively small compared to other armadas, it was believed that the 489th's superior equipment and training would allow them to overwhelm Betel colonies with ease.

To test the Betel's defenses, the 489th dispatched a strike force to engage Betel on the remote outpost of Shiver Station. Imperial forces made rapid gains in the opening assault, but Betel guerilla fighters sabotaged their supply lines, giving time for reinforcements - who had been preparing for a second, larger Zaretian attack for the past year - to rapidly redeploy to sweep in and flank the Repzork, successfully driving the invaders off the planet. Though embarrassed by the setback, the 489th launched new and larger assaults deeper into Betel territory. As Imperial Command had predicted, superior Repzork forces overwhelmed the Betel Helmwehr, capturing and occupying several colonies in a short span of time. However, while the 489th was suited for fighting the Betel in theory, in practice their training had not fully prepared them for the polluted and trash-ridden environment of Betel settlements, which the Recyclers were able to navigate with ease. Betel guerilla fighters would continue to resist Repzork occupation long after a colony had been captured, necessitating that more troops be sent to occupied colonies and slowing down the Pact's advance. Environmental factors also hindered the Warlords, such as the fact that artillery could not be used in most situations due to the risk of causing avalanches. Despite these difficulties, with the Betel military as a whole still inferior to the Repzork, the Pact continued to make steady progress against the Recyclers, with their ultimate goal being to occupy Betel itself.

As Repzork forces advanced further into Betel space, they unwittingly encountered the so-called "Wikrix Wall", a sector of Betel space under the command of Voivode Yodd Wikrix that was on the forefront of the Recycler's ongoing conflict with the Xeverra, who had continued their attacks against the Recyclers since before the start of the Great War. In doing so, intelligence operatives would come across the broken remains of Xeverran robotic proxies, and eventually, witnessed Xeverran forces engaging the Betel. The Repzork promptly reached out to the Xeverran to discuss the possibility of an alliance against a common foe. The Xeverra agreed to cooperation on the Betel front, but when the Repzork attempted to induct them into the Pact, the Xeverra refused; they were by then aware of the dire situation the Pact found itself in, and Galden decided at the time that involvement in the war would be detrimental to its efforts.

After the first few weeks of chaotic fighting, High Chancellor Visas would create the position of Voivode - a military governor- and promote Brave Commander Ruusad Hassai of the the 2nd North Grip to bring the forces together in hopes of putting up a defense.

Incident at Fehgrov
Main page: Incident at Fehgrov

Near the end of the year: Luminarian and Betel altercation.