Ok, this isn't the entire Rebellion, but I thought I didn't want all the posts to be mega compendiums of just one story arc, so this is a combination of Episode 18 and 20 (Episode 19 relating to the alliance). I'll finish off the Lippstadt Rebellion in my next entry.
The Lippstadt Rebellion, Part 1
Background
On his way home from near total victory at Amritsar, Count Lohengramm received the news that the Kaiser of the Galactic Empire, Friedrich IV, had died of a heart attack.
Disappointed that he had not been able to give Friedrich IV the death he so richly deserved for taking his sister as a royal consort (i.e. concubine) at an early age, Lohengramm began to position himself to further his plans to conquer the galaxy.
The immediate question was the succession- the Kaiser had not nominated an heir. A struggle was inevitable. The issue was between Friedrich IV’s grandchildren:-
- Elizabeth, 16 years of age, the daughter of Princess Amarie, who married Duke Otho von Braunschweig;
- Sabine, 14 years of age, the daughter of Princess Christine, who married Marquis Wilhelm von Littenheim; and
- Erwin Josef, 5 years of age, heir to Crown Prince Ludwig, who had been dead for some years.
The potential heirs
With no influential paternal support, Erwin Josef was the perfect candidate for the Secretary of State, Marquis Lichtenlade, to throw his support behind – he would be easy to use.
To guard against Duke Braunschweig and Marquis Littenheim – who of course wished to use their children as tools to acquire the throne – and had their own forces - Marquis Lichtenlade (who had no military forces) would look to Count Lohengramm.
Count Lohengramm sold his support to Lichtenlade for a high price. He was elevated to a Marquis, and became Space Fleet Commander, replacing Fleet Admiral Mückenberger, who went into retirement.
Siegfried Kircheis was made Vice-Commander of the Fleet, and was promoted to High Admiral. Mittermeyer and Reuenthal were promoted to full Admiral.
Kaiser Erwin Josef II thus became the 37th Kaiser of the Galactic Empire. Marquis Lichtenlade became Imperial Prime Minister, and was titled Duke Lichtenlade.
Lohengramm and Lichtenlade at the coronation
As expected, Duke Braunschweig and Marquis Littenheim intended to press the issue (and probably fight amongst themselves once they had defeated Lichtenlade and Lohengramm). They immediately sought support from sympathetic corners of the military.
Their first overtures were made to Fleet Admiral Mückenberger. He summarily dismissed them:-
”I will give you one word of advice. That brat – no – Marquis Lohengramm, is a genius in war and politics. If you persist in making light of him, it will cost you dearly.”
Marquis Littenheim (left) and Duke Braunschweig (right) scoff at Mückenberger’s warning
Lohengramm and Mückenberger salute each other for the last time
In preparation for the coming civil war, Marquis Lohengramm knew he had to stop the Alliance – even though it was still reeling from defeat – from interfering. So Lohengramm decided that if the Empire was to have a civil war, so would the Alliance.
The Alliance Civil War will be treated in a subsequent entry.
By the new year, Space Year 797 (Imperial Year 488), the Braunschweig-Littenheim Alliance began gathering all the high nobles of the Empire under their banner. Combined, the wealth and power of the high nobles was far greater than that of Reinhard’s forces.
One notable exception was the Mariendorf family. Under the forceful direction of Hildegard von Mariendorf’s personality (Franz von Mariendorf’s daughter), they sided with Lohengramm’s faction- convinced that he had a just cause, and that he would win. Hilda reasoned that the Braunschweig-Littenheim Alliance was one of temporary convenience, and that they had failed to influence the fleet’s chain of command in any meaningful sense – even if the military force they assembled was greater than Reinhard’s, their defeat was certain. Further, the lesser nobles and common soldiery were more likely to side with Reinhard.
Hildegard von Mariendorf
Therefore, Hildegard and Reinhard agreed between them – the Mariendorf family would rally support around Reinhard from the nobles, whilst Reinhard would guarantee that the Mariendorf family would be well treated after the victory.
The next morning, the nobles opposing the Lohengramm-Lichtenlade faction met at Duke Braunschweig's manor in the Lippstadt forest to make a secret pact. It was called the Lippstadt League. The military organization from this was called the “Lippstadt Allied Forces”.
The Lippstadt League
Duke Braunschweig was the leader, with Marquis Littenheim as second in command. 3,760 nobles took part. Their combined military forces, being both regulars and private troops, were roughly 25.6 million men.
The commander of the Lippstadt Allied Forces was High Admiral Willibald Joachim von Merkatz – the same man who had contributed to the victory at Astarte in the previous year under Reinhard’s command. He was a famous commander, both popular and experienced.
High Admiral Merkatz
This development was unexpected, and treated with dismay by Reinhard’s admirals. They were not aware that Merkatz had been practically forced to serve via implied threats to his daughter’s life by Duke Braunschweig.
Merkatz had extracted from Braunschweig his word that Merkatz would be given full authority in actual combat. However, Merkatz had no illusions – he was certain Braunschweig would meddle in military operations.
The fire is lit
Captain Anton Fellner and Commodore Arthur von Streit proposed to Duke Braunschweig that with 300 men, he could lead a ground assault on Reinhard’s residence and assassinate him, avoiding a full scale conflict and great harm to the citizenry.
Fellner and Streit
Enraged at the implication he was no match for Lohengramm, Braunschweig rejected the plan. Furthermore, he hoped that by destroying Lohengramm’s fleet himself, he would demonstrate his primacy to Marquis Littenheim and the other nobles.
Captain Fellner decided to perform the assassination himself. Assembling a group of men, he tried to attack Reinhard’s home in the middle of the night – and was ambushed with far superior forces. Siegfried Kircheis personally directed the defence of the mansion, and the attempt was defeated. In accordance with a prearranged plan, Reinhard’s forces quickly moved out to seize control of important government buildings and capture as many enemy nobles as possible.
Captain Fellner is caught by surprise
Vice Admiral Kempf, in the armored car, guards Reinhard’s Admiralty
Vice Admiral Bittenfeld secures Fleet Admiral Ehrenberg at the Ministry of War
Vice Admiral Lutz secures Fleet Admiral Steinhof
Vice Admiral Mecklinger secures the palace
Admiral Reuenthal guards Lichtenlade’s residence
Vice Admiral Ulrich Kesler arrests Streit
Admiral Mittermeyer captures nobles attempting to flee at the space port
Vice Admiral Neithard Müller - a new addition to Reinhard's men - arrives at Littenheim’s residence
Vice Admiral Wahlen blockades Odin
Private noble ships are destroyed by Wahlen’s forces
Realising what had happened, Braunschweig, Littenheim, and many of the other high nobles managed to leave Odin in their personal ships before they could be caught. The Wahlen Fleet waited for them in orbit, firing warning shots at first. However, Braunschweig and Littenheim managed to get away, using civilian ships as a shield - Wahlen declined to cause civilian casualties.
The nobles escape
By the end, 625 out of the 3,760 nobles of the Lippstadt League had been detained.
In the aftermath, Commodore Streit was set free, and Captain Fellner offered his services to Marquis Lohengramm. The offer was accepted, and he was placed under Vice Admiral Oberstein’s command.
As expected, the high nobles regrouped at Geiersberg Fortress, a fortress similar in construction to Iserlohn in the Freyà System, using it as their main base, and challenging Lohengramm to decisive battle.
The Lippstadt Allied Forces arrive at Geiersberg Fortress
In addition to High Admiral Merkatz, other notable officers with the Lippstadt Allied Forces included Vice Admiral Fahrenheit, Admiral Staden, and High Admiral Offressor, the previous general of Imperial ground forces.
Vice Admiral Adalbert von Fahrenheit arrives at Geiersberg
Admiral Staden
Baron Flegel, Duke Braunschweig's nephew
High Admiral Offressor reviews his panzer grenadiers
Against them, Lohengramm served simultaneously as all three chiefs of the Imperial Fleet, and was given a direct order by the Kaiser (through Duke Lichtenlade) to subjugate the enemy, whom Reinhard decided should be called “rebels” (much as the Free Planets Alliance was called).
Lohengramm left Odin to personally attend to the conquest of the Geiersberg. The pacification of the other rebel star systems was left to High Admiral Kircheis, with the Lutz and Wahlen Fleets also under his direct command.
Brunhild, Barbarossa, and Königstiger take off from Odin
Opening Moves
Lippstadt League
Geiersberg Fortress, since the capture of Iserlohn, was the most important fortress in Imperial territory. It had accommodations for a stationed fleet of 16,000 ships. 45km in diameter, its main weapon - the Vulture’s Claw, was a hard X-Ray beam weapon with a power output of 740 terawatts – almost a match for the Thor Hammer of Iserlohn.
From the fortress, the rebels prepared 9 bases along the route from Odin to Geiersberg, stationing forces at each. By doing so, they hoped that “the brat” would attack each of those 9 bases in turn, reducing his forces and consuming his supplies, so that their main force could strike out from Geiersberg and annihilate the enemy in a single battle.
The 9 fortresses
Such plan was formulated by Duke Braunschweig – though it impressed (or seemed to impress, sycophancy always being in play) the assembled high nobles, High Admiral Merkatz noted that there was nothing obligating Marquis Lohengramm to attack those 9 locations in turn. He noted that Lohengramm could chose to attack them randomly, disrupting their supplies and communications, or simply strike directly at Geiersberg. With their forces so dispersed, they would be at a disadvantage.
Merkatz therefore proposed that the 9 bases have no forces save for reconnaissance and communications – concentrating all real strength at Geiersberg for a decisive battle, and only attacking when Reinhard reached the limits of his supply.
Admiral Staden then interjected – he proposed a modification. Whilst simultaneously drawing Lohengramm to Geiersberg, a large scale force would capture Odin- thereby ‘providing protection’ to the Kaiser.
In proposing the plan, Admiral Staden probably did not expect to be the one tasked with carrying it out – but none of the assembled nobles, for all their effusive praise for the plan, seemed willing. Merkatz did not bother to object. He knew the nobles would not listen.
Altener Sector: Mittermeyer vs Staaden
Hearing of the deployment, Reinhard tasked Admiral Mittermeyer, now known as “the Gale Wolf” - to intercept Admiral Staden. Mittermeyer had studied strategic theory under Staden at the Academy. Mittermeyer noted that whilst Staden’s knowledge was impressive, he had no grasp for warfare in practical terms – only theory.
With Mittermeyer confident he could win, Reinhard dispatched him to the Altena Sector, giving him freedom to work out deployment details, and allowing him to fight before Reinhard arrived.
Admiral Mittermeyer had Rear Admiral Droisen, one of his subordinates, lay a wide minefield of 6 million automatic tracking mines in the sector.
Beowulf and Mittermeyer’s fleet
Rear Admiral Droisen
Automatic tracking mines
For three days, Staden and Mittermeyer’s fleets sat on either side of the minefield, not moving.
Who’ll blink first?
Staden, aware of Mittermeyer’s reputation for swift attacks, found his lack of action strange, and was wary of any reckless moves, despite the pressing of his younger, high noble subordinates to attack.
It was at this point that Mittermeyer allowed Staden to intercept a message, indicating that they were awaiting the arrival of Lohengramm’s main fleet, and that upon his arrival they would attack in overwhelming numbers.
Though Staaden correctly surmised it was a deliberate leak, he allowed himself to be browbeaten by the high nobles under his command, who accused him of dawdling and cowardice.
Staden succumbs to the pressure
Pressured into attacking (and starting to look visibly ill from the strain of command) he had his forces divide into two halves. The left wing (under Staden) would clash with Mittermeyer head on, while the right wing (under Count Hildesheim) would attack from behind.
Staden’s plan
Happy that they had finally taken the bait, Mittermeyer moved quickly- the “idiot nobles” had done as he expected, and simply assumed that Mittermeyer would sit meekly and wait to be attacked. Missiles were launched at the right wing, impacting Count Hildesheim’s forces at the 3 o’clock direction. Count Hildesheim himself was killed when his ship was hit by a missile and destroyed in the first seconds of the battle. The right wing’s situation was not helped when some of its ships skirted too close to the minefield and attracted the mines. Outmatched, the right wing was soon destroyed.
Count Hildesheim’s quick end
Mittermeyer then ordered a full speed course change around the minefield to attack the left wing in the rear.
Caught by surprise, Staden failed to turn his fleet around in time. His flagship
Augsburg damaged in the opening cannonade, he succumbed to the stress and collapsed, coughing up blood, and ordered an immediate withdrawal. Chaos ensued as rebels ships collided with each other in their haste to escape. The remnants of Staaden’s fleet retreated to Rentenberg Fortress – 70% of his fleet had been lost. Staden himself was hospitalized.
Staaden’s flagship Augsburg is damaged
Imperial cruisers collide
Admiral Mittermeyer and Rear Admiral Bayerlein, his trusted subordinate
Staden's ships retreat
Following the battle, Lohengramm’s main fleet met up with Mittermeyer (who had held position to retrieve the minefield) – Reinhard determined that Rentenberg Fortress could not be ignored, and should be captured as a bridgehead for the assault on Geiersberg.
Brunhild and Beowulf together
Rentenberg Fortress
The Battle of Rentenberg Fortress
Vice Admiral Oberstein advised the assembled admirals on the Brunhild that the quickest way to capture Rentenberg was to seize the nuclear fusion reactor at its center. The shortest distance to the reactor was by way of passage #6. The capture would have to be effected by use of infantry assault forces.
With Mittermeyer and Reuenthal – longtime compatriots – being unequaled in bravery and skill, even in land battle, Reinhard assigned the task of taking Rentenberg to them.
Defending passage #6 would be High Admiral Offressor.
Black Lancer fast battleships perform a flanking maneuver
Kempf’s flagship Jotunheim launches Valkyries
The battle outside the fortress
Lippstadt ships destroyed
Lohengramm’s fleet easily defeated the forces outside of Rentenberg – as the rebel ships withdrew from the onslaught, Mittermeyer and Reuenthal on the
Beowulf, together with their landing ships, quickly followed, using the retreating ships as a shield, they quickly secured moorings to a crevice on the fortress’ surface before the fortress’ guns could fire on them.
Rentenberg’s guns, with reversing Lippstadt ships in the background
Beowulf launches mooring lines
Landing ships rush in
With the easy part over, the armored grenadiers were sent in. With Seffle particles in use, battle axes and cross bows were the order of the day. As expected, Offressor was guarding passage #6. A virtual giant, and master of the battle-axe, Offressor slaughtered squad after squad of their forces single-handedly. 8 times, Mittermeyer and Reuenthal's forces were forced to withdraw.
Imperial and rebel panzer grenadiers in hand to hand combat
Offressor revels in the slaughter
Crossbow bolts are no match for Offressor!
Lohengramm originally ordered them to kill Offressor in the most extravagant manner possible. Vice Admiral Oberstein suggested he be taken alive, as he had plans for him. Reinhard agreed.
Mittermeyer and Reuenthal then decided to go out personally. It did not take many taunts from down the passage to draw Offressor charging towards them alone. It was a simple trap – “Odd Eyes” and “Gale” had dug a hole in the passage floor and concealed it, which Offressor fell into. He was then captured, and Rentenberg Fortress was taken.
Reuenthal has a good gloat
In accordance with Oberstein’s plan, and over Mittermeyer and Reuenthal’s objections, Offressor was then set free and given a shuttle to return to Geiersberg.
As Oberstein had expected, Offressor was greeted with suspicion when he returned to Duke Brauncshweig – he had been told all of Offressor’s men had been executed. The high nobles therefore all believed that he had been spared because he had turned traitor, and was planning to kill Braunschweig.
Offressor, simple as ever, protested that it was a set up and barreled towards Braunschweig to make his case, causing the Duke to fear for his life. Beaten by surrounding soldiers as he advanced towards the throne, he was shot and killed by Braunchsweig’s subordinate, Commodore Ansbach.
As planned, the news that Offressor – well known as one of the foremost men who hated “the blonde brat” - had been executed for treason aggravated the divisions in the nobles’ Allied forces, fostering mutual unease and suspicion.
