The Unity Dissolved

Four decades of Unity rule over the Cluster Islands came to an end in a single-day battle that saw the death of Kezlaf the Uniter and the rout of the One Guard. The Dissolvers, having run smaller-scale sabotage missions up until then, mobilized a motley fleet to launch an unprecedented assault that caught the Unity's defenders by surprise. Still, it is likely that the battle would have ended in defeat for the Dissolvers if there had not been a simultaneous rebellion within Kezlaf's own personal guard.

The Conflict

Prelude

The event that precipitated the battle was Alcendis's defection to Kezlaf's Wringers.  Worried about what Kezlaf might have learned from her, Delu planned an all-or-nothing attack directly on Mraydor, targeting their military facilities and weapons production.  Her secondary goal was to enter the Uniter's palace under cover of the battle and either kill Kezlaf or die trying.

The Engagement

The Dissolvers' support fleet infiltrated Mraydor over several days, in the guise of smallcargo traders. More than half of the Dissolvers were in place on the island by the time the White Ducks arrived, rowing in overnight to avoid detection. At the signal of the White Ducks' alarm bell, the nearest groups of Dissolvers radioed the command to begin the attack. The One Guard mobilized immediately, outnumbering the Dissolvers five to one, but were hampered by lack of preparedness for an invasion, and suffered heavy casualties.
Delu, dressed as a One Guard officer, waylaid a guard squad with the claim that a group of Dissolvers had been seen approaching the palace with intent to assassinate the Uniter. The squad led her inside Kezlaf's defenses, where she was apprehended by the Wringers. By the time the confrontation was over, Kezlaf and two of his Wringers were dead, a result possible only because of divided loyalties within the unit.
At the Wringers' insistence, Delu radioed the cease-fire command before any Dissolvers reached the targeted research facilities, bringing the battle to an end.

Aftermath

• In the days immediately following the battle, the remaining Wringers assumed governmental control of Mraydor. They pledged to end the geologic weapons program, and Delu promised to end tiderider attacks on the conduits.
• In a meeting with ambassadors from the other major Cluster Islands, Alcendis snapped the "We Are One Island" plaque in pieces and declared the Unity dissolved, proposing in its place a looser alliance between the islands. The plan received immediate approval from most governors.
• The remainder of the One Guard and other loyal Unity supporters withdrew to Galtern, the only island to refuse participation in the Allied Isles council. The sudden increase in military presence on Galtern touched off unexpectedly strong resistance there, and within a year the One Guard and Unity governor were forcibly ejected.

Historical Significance

Legacy

Pockets of Unity support remain even a decade after the decisive defeat.  Now termed "Dregs", they are a peripheral but frequent aggravation, targeting outflung islands both for supplies and to prove the Allied Isles' ineffectiveness.

Conflict Type

Battle

Battlefield Type

Urban

Conflict Result

One Guard defeated by Dissolvers; Kezlaf killed by 2 of his personal guard

Location

Mraydor

Belligerents

One Guard

Led by

• Kezlaf

Strength

80 squads of 10 to 15 soldiers, 1 or 2 officers per squad; estimated 9,500

Casualties

80% loss of life, remainder fled Mraydor

Objectives

defend Mraydor, protect Kezlaf, destroy the Dissolvers

Dissolvers

Led by

• Delu

Strength

The White Ducks with 350 aboard, and 58 support fleet boats with crews averaging 24; total roughly 1750

Casualties

50% loss of life

Objectives

wreak havoc, cripple Mraydor's weapons industry, target Uniter if at all possible

Wringers

Led by

• Istlourn

Strength

10 guards

Casualties

2 dead

Objectives

not put up with any more of Kezlaf's BS