Battle of Sela

Among the first major battles of the 1st Federation Civil War

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A battle to define the rest of the war, large scale urban combat and guerilla warfare was first seen on Sela, though soon spread rapidly. Until half the Federation knew how it felt, as buildings lay destroyed, and casualties rose exponentionally with each passing day.

- Federation Civil War Historian Julian Head

The Battle of Sela, or alternatively the Attack on Sela was the first major conflict of the 1st Federation Civil War, fought between the Andisiens and Oberynites over the control of the Witisen Sector capital, Sela. The battle was fought across land, sea, sky, and space, though the most deadly combat was on the planet's urban centres. Thanks to a technological and numerological advantage, the Oberynites were able to claim victory, successfully capturing the planet from the Andisien cause, and allowing the 1st Witisen Campaign to continue.

Sela, and with it the rest of Witisen, was one of the first Sectors to declare for the Andisien cause, with many of the Sector's senators, and planetary representatives present at the signing of the Golova Declaration. The Sector's proximity to the Oberynite powerbase in Raybia quickly led to it being a target for the Obernite-aligned Federation Military. Thanks to a spree of naval mutinies, and the takeover of many civilian vessels, the Andisien Federation Navy was able to deploy dozens of vessels to the Sector, though ultimately, they remained heavily outnumbered and outgunned by the Oberynite Federation Navy. Several naval fleets of the two sides would come to meet in the orbit of Sela, where they would exchange heavy fire, leading to the loss of several - mostly Andisien, vessels.

Image created by SparkyTheSec0nd using OpenAI

While the naval battle above Sela was settled relatively quickly, with Andisien commander Nicholas Parnell killed when his flagship was destroyed, an Oberynite ground invasion, rapidly planned and enacted, would prove a far more difficult task. Under the command of former Federation Army General Rana Bitar, elements of the Witisen Security Forces on Sela, alongside numerous mobilized civilian brigades - often armed only with rifles, prepared to perform a devastating defensive effort to prevent Oberynite victory. Every major city on Sela quickly became a fortress. Bitar's experience and general notoriety prompted tens of thousands of recruits, all of whom were put to work defending the planet, though they lacked even basic training.
On the 16th of March, 3464, the Oberynite invasion of the planet would begin. Utilizing their extreme naval superiority to their advantage, Admiral Matthias Papley ordered the bombing of numerous cities and Andisien-held military sites, to soften the planet up for a full-blown land invasion, led by Major General Evander Wills. Supported by a small element of the Witisen Security Forces still loyal to the Oberynite Government, Wills and his army were able to make landfall, facing only limited resistance. While both sides utilized aerial assets, heavy use of ground-based anti-aerial guns prevented them from being effective on a large scale.

Command, 13th National Corps, 1st Division, 2nd Battalion confirming the presence of multiple individuals in a restricted area according to R.O.E, affiliation unknown at this time, no weapons visible, over.
Copy that 2nd Battalion, all individuals in restricted zones are to be treated as hostile, engage with caution, Alenris IV watching from the air, over.

- Oberynite Military Communication

Using intense urban and guerilla warfare to their advantage, the Andisien defence forces were able to achieve several early minor victories against their Oberynite opponents. Even with a numerical advantage, the Oberynite Army struggled to make headway, especially as it became increasingly unclear who was a combatant and who wasn't. The Andisien Civilian Brigades were nearly identical to non-combatants, and frequently ambushed Oberynite forces, before retreating into homes, where fighting was even more intense.
By April, Wills ordered mass arrests and set up large exclusion zones, wherein all inside were considered combatants, and lethal force was fully authorised. While sporadic fighting did continue, these acts brought an end to some of the most vicious attacks against the Oberynites, causing more pitched battles to occur, which heavily favoured them over the Andisiens, especially with precision naval strikes.
On the 17th of May, 3464, General Bitar, and with her most of the Witisen Security Forces, surrendered to the Oberynites, and she saw her position increasingly worsen. Many within the civilian brigades were systematically hunted down, although with the withdrawal of many Oberynite forces, to fight on other fronts of the Civil War, numerous groups remained, and continued to be a thorn in the Oberynite's side for the rest of the war.

Included under Conflict

1st Witisen Campaign

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Planetary

Start Date

2 March, 3464

Ending Date

17 May, 3464

Location

Sela

Beligerants

Oberynites

Andisiens

Leaders

Michael Oberyn

Benjamin Picket

Commanders

Matthias Papley

Eli Hunt

Evander Wills

Rana Bitar

Nicholas Parnell †

Strength

Naval Strength

_{1st National Fleet}

_{- 33 Vessels}

_{3rd National Fleet}

_{- 24 Vessels}

_{Raybien System Fleet}

_{- 27 Vessels}

Naval Strength

_{4th Andis Strike Fleet}

_{- 16 Vessels}

_{Witisen System Fleet}

_{- 24 Vessels}

Ground Strength

_{Witisen Security Forces}

_{- 2nd Planetary Division}

_{- 3rd Planetary Division}

_{3rd Federal Army}

_{- 2nd National Corps}

_{- 13th National Corps}

Ground Strength

_{Witisen Security Forces}

_{- Sela Security Forces}

_{Andisien Civilian Brigades}

Air Strength

_{1st Witisen Aerial Battalion}

_{2nd Witisen Aerial Battalion}

Air Strength

_{3rd Witisen Aerial Battalion}

_{- 1st Sela Aerial Wing}

Military Casualties

Navy Casualties

_47,250

Ground Casualties

_2,215,000

Air Force Casualties

_15,000

Navy Casualties

_240,000

Ground Casualties

_4,500,000

Air Force Casualties

_12,000

Civilian Casualties

3,420,000

Result

Oberynite Victory

Sela is successfully occupied by the Oberynite Armed Forces, with the majority of Andisien forces being successfully defeated in open battle.
Preslav Valde is assigned as the Military Governor of the Planet, with Senator Lincoln Wilson assigned as his civilian counterpart.
The 4th Andis Strike Fleet and the Witisen System Fleet take severe damage, and lose a number of combat vessels. The remaining ships are all assigned into the 3rd Andis Strike Fleet, and are brought to Jaydei for repairs.
The Oberynite 1st Witisen Campaign is able to continue unimpeeded.