Operation Khadiim

Operation Khadiim is the name given to the military operation launched by the Coalition of the Northern Kiithid to find the Primary Anomaly in 1110 KDS. It was the successor to Operation Skaal Brii, which had failed to achieve the same objective four years earlier.

Planning

In 1106 KDS, the Ifriit-class Heavy Carrier Ifriit-Naabal had been ordered into the Great Banded Desert to locate and secure the Primary Anomaly. The Northern Coalition Military Council executed the operation with some misgivings, believing that the older carrier was not well-suited for long-range, deep desert penetration into Kiith Gaalsien territory. When all communications with the Ifriit-Naabal were abruptly lost, the NCMC decided to plan a successor operation with considerably greater resources.

To carry out the mission, no less than five of the brand-new Sakala-class deep desert command carriers were assigned: the Sakala, Kapisi, Fiiskire, Akalon and Amida. Each carrier was almost twice as powerful and capable as the Ifriit-Naabal by itself and had the ability to build new vehicles and military forces in the field. This colossal military force was considered capable of handling any threat the Gaalsien could field against it.

Personnel

Each Sakala-class carrier carried a crew of 1,850, for a total military force of 9,250, rivalling the entire Gaalsien army destroyed during the Night of Fiery Daggers a generation earlier. Prominent personnel of the fleet included the senior command staff of the Kapisi: Captain Roman S'jet, Chief Science Officer Rachel S'jet, Intelligence Officer Nathan S'jet and Fleet Operations Officer Clea Soban. Mashad Siidim was the commanding officer of the Sakala.

Events

Operation Khadiim was launched prematurely, three months ahead of schedule, when Coalition Intelligence realised that the Gaalsien were planning to initiate an overwhelming assault on Coalition territory. Unfortunately, the Fiiskire, Akalon and Amida were still under construction or outfitting, meaning the operation would now have to be carried out by the Sakala and Kapisi alone. Both carriers were almost lost when the Gaalsien offensive began, but they managed to evade the initial attacks and headed into the Great Banded Desert.

Both carriers suffered constant harassing attacks, but were fortunate that the Gaalsien chose to concentrate their forces on breaking through the northern defensive lines. This they did, and closed in on capturing the Coalition capital at Tiir. The carriers faced comparatively light opposition as they skirted Gaalsien territory, planning to stay north of the Garaaki Highlands and then swing south to the Anomaly.

This plan was changed when the Kapisi discovered the wreck of the Ifriit-Naabal at Hell's Gate. Intelligence recovered from the Ifriit-Naabal forced both Coalition carriers to divert south to the Sarathi Basin, near the heartlands of Gaalsien territory. There they discovered a wrecked alien spacecraft at the Kalash site, the source of much of the Gaalsien's advanced technology. By this time the Gaalsien had committed significant reserve forces against the Coalition expedition, including their own command carrier Ashoka. The Sakala and Kapisi combined their efforts and were able to destroy the Ashoka and punch through the Garaaki Highlands towards the Dreamlands. Gaalsien carriers Retribution and Sunder ambushed the Sakala and almost destroyed it, but Kapisi was able to come to its aid. In a pitched battle in the narrow pass known as the Whispering Gallery, both Gaalsien carriers were destroyed.

Shortly after this, both carriers were due to be resupplied by Coalition landers, who could only land on the vast and flat Khashar Plateau. During this operation, the Sakala betrayed the Kapisi by shooting down one of its landers. The Sakala captain was revealed to be a religious fanatic who wished to claim the secrets of the Anomaly for his own kiith. The Kapisi pursued the Sakala to Torin Crater and destroyed it.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that Lt. Jacob S'jet had survived Operation Skaal Brii in captivity. Escaping, he activated an alien weapons platform in orbit which prevented the Gaalsien fleet from approaching the Primary Anomaly. He then died in the desert due to lack of supplies. His sister, Rachel, managed to recover the control mechanism for the weapons platform and used it to wipe out most of the Gaalsien forces at the Anomaly. The Kapisi engaged and destroyed the rest, including the Gaalsien command carrier Hand of Sajuuk, carrying the K'Had Sajuuk himself.

The Kapisi was then able to secure the site at Khar-Toba whilst the Coalition's military drove the Gaalsien back from Tiir in disarray.

Aftermath

Following the successful conclusion of Operation Khadiim, the Northern Coalition took possession of the Khar-Toba site. A lengthy scientific and archaeological study of the site eventually led to the discovery (in 1112 KDS) of the Second Hyperspace Core, hidden in the hold of the ship, and then (in 1135 KDS) the Guidestone. This led in turn to the construction of the Mothership, the Kharakian Genocide and the return to Hiigara.