Operation SHOFAR
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Operation SHOFAR was a brief offensive launched by the Republic of the Sphere in January 3149 against multiple worlds surrounding the Republic’s Prefecture X. By the end of the month several former Republic worlds had been reclaimed.
Background[edit]
Following the enactment of the Fortress Republic protocols in October 3135, the Republic’s core Prefecture X remained isolated from the Inner Sphere at large for over a decade. During this time various Houses and Clans beyond the Wall had annexed the rest of the Republic’s worlds by the late 3130s, save only for the Republic Remnant anti-spinward of Terra.
In 3145 Devlin Stone reappeared on Terra and took up the office of Exarch once more, pouring his and the Republic’s efforts towards the day when the worlds lost to their enemies would be reclaimed. By late 3148 Stone decided that the Republic’s circumstances were as good as could be hoped for, and ordered the commencement of SHOFAR.[1] [2]
Operation SHOFAR[edit]
Following preliminary moves in late 3148, SHOFAR began openly on January 6, 3149 with a series of Republic Armed Forces landings on ex-Republic planets located coreward and anti-spinward of the now-deactivated Fortress Republic. Using a mixture of diplomacy, intrigue and displays of military force the Republic was able to convince several systems which had since joined the Free Worlds League (Talitha, Van Diemen IV and Wasat)[3], Vega Protectorate (Atria and Ko) and Galatean League (Mizar) to reunite with the Republic peacefully.[1]
In contrast, the targeted worlds now held by Clan Jade Falcon could only be retaken by force and after brief fighting on Lyons, Summer and Menkent the RAF reclaimed these planets. The same held true for SHOFAR's final objective - Castor, which had been claimed by the Wolf Empire. The Wolf garrison fought hard enough that for the only time during SHOFAR reinforcements had to be sent, but in the end Castor fell to the RAF and a connection was opened to the Republic Remnant.[1]
Aftermath[edit]
With SHOFAR's successful conclusion ten worlds had been reclaimed by the Republic and a buffer of sorts created. However, news of the Fortress Republic's deactivation spread swiftly, and in short order the Capellan Confederation mounted its own assault upon the Republic's rimward border.[4] Even worse for the Republic, the Capellans soon persuaded the Draconis Combine to join an alliance aimed at seizing the Republic's now-vulnerable core.[5] Elsewhere Clans Wolf and Jade Falcon began driving towards Terra itself, each intent on seizing humanity's homeworld and claiming the mantle of ilClan.[6]