Operation Pulse

Operation Pulse was the code name for the opening wave of attacks by the Great Interstellar League against the Pact at the beginning of the Final League-Pact War in February of 633. Under the overall command of the Nomad Iron four League space fleets attacked Pact systems nearest to League territory while a fifth made a risky deep space run outside inhabited space to invade from a less well observed portion of space. Catching the Pact off-guard, the League engaged and decisively defeated Pact space defenders while also destroying numerous planetary targets such as military bases, fixed defenses, spaceports, power hubs, and transportation lines.

By the end of February the League had inflicted crippling losses on the Pact space forces. Twelve star systems had been wiped clean of Pact defenders, leaving them with no means to repel the League ground forces arriving with the second wave. The only successful counterblow the Pact was able to conduct was the fighting retreat of Group 5 from the Artraxes System, when the League fleet had spread out enough that Admiral Mir Wujudu was able to fight through the garrison units in the Seven Systems Campaign. Though only inflicting minor damage, the survival of Group 5 was a much needed morale booster in the Pact, as well as providing critical information on the League's positions and capabilities.

At regional fleet headquarters in Jyno Admiral Trrr Of'Glen organized the fleet and the remainder of the local defenders into two separate task forces to defeat the oncoming League fleets. No sooner were these sent out that Jyno was attacked by the fifth League fleet, which had successfully made it through deep space under Nomad Marcia Moderato. Jyno HQ was destroyed and Of'Glen killed, after which Marcia Moderato joined the other League fleets in trapping the Pact task forces and defeating them.

Having completed their mission of neutralizing Jyno and the regional Pact defenders, Iron ordered the fleets to regroup and maintain their positions while the logistics fleet and ground invasion transports caught up with them. The surviving elements of the Pact, now under Admiral Wujudu retreated to the nearest fleet headquarters outside the invaded systems at Gallenheit where they stayed while the Pact tried to organize a new counterattack.

Operation Pulse had been an unparalleled success for the League and would be their greatest victory of the war. Nomad Iron's extensive research into the Pact's fleet layout and schedules played a critical role in his lightning invasion and his recognition of the importance of improved navigation systems made the surprise attack on Jyno possible. Conversely, it was the greatest loss of territory in such a short time in Pact history and a humiliating and devastating defeat for their space force. Pact intelligence had failed to detect that League forces were being positioned to attack and the existence of the fifth fleet had been totally overlooked until its arrival at Jyno. It would be another three months before the Pact could fully understand what had happened and begin preparing for a counter-offensive.

League Fleet Composition
Iron divided the League space force into five separate fleets, which would operate together or independently at different points during the operation. Iron personally accompanied the First Fleet throughout the operation.

The First Fleet, commanded by Nomad Cesium, consisted of 4 other Nomads, 22 Battleships, 18 battlecruisers, 35 hunter-killers, 88 mantas, and 77 monitors.

The Second Fleet, commanded by Nomad Molybdenum, consisted of one other Nomad, 27 battleships, 18 battlecruisers, 30 hunter-killers, 100 mantas, and 70 monitors.

The Third Fleet, commanded by Swift Tide, consisted of 14 battleships, 20 battlecruisers, 30 hunter-killers, 66 mantas, and 66 monitors.

The Fourth Fleet, commanded by Summer Tide consisted of 10 battleships, 12 battlecruisers, 16 hunter-killers, 45 mantas, and 30 monitors

The Fifth Fleet, commanded by Marcia Moderato, consisted of one other Nomads, 4 battleships, 18 battlecruisers, 28 hunter-killers, 44 mantas, and 50 monitors.