Hegemonic Incursions

The Corporate Hegemony continuously raids, and attacks different outlying systems of the Confederation. These serve to keep military assets of the Confederation spread out along its border, tests the responsiveness and training of the Confederate forces, and discourages colonies from developing along the border.

Often the Confederation learns of the planned incursions and stages an ambush. The few incursions that result in real loss of life and material seem to be worth it to the Hegemony, because the practice continues despite the heavy losses.

One famous incursion almost led to all out war when the commander of the Hegemony's 3rd Fleet (Vice Admiral Vickland) staged the largest and most destructive incursion ever. The Hegemonic fleet consisted of three task forces (nearly 63 capitol vessels and scores of fighters gunships and corvettes), and almost succeeded in completely destroying all colonies along the rim-ward border. The Confederate Grey fleet managed to assemble a small force (amounting to half a task force) that delayed the incursion long enough to allow Black Fleet forces enough time to assemble a proper defense. The Grey fleet delay was commanded by Rear Admiral James L. Burton. Most of Burton's forces were destroyed in the action, and Burton himself was severely injured. The Black Fleet responded by destroying all forces that were identified in the incursion. Including Vickland's command vessel. Unknown to most Confederate citizens, the Black Fleet followed Vickland's forces into Hegemonic space and hunted down the remaining ships. The response is known to the Black Fleet as the Vickland turkey-shoot, while the Hegemony refers to it as a war crime. But the result is clear, incursions didn't resume for another two years afterward. All incursions subsequent to Vickland's have only been with one or two capitol vessels.

Admiral Burton's courage and determination is memorialized by the Black Fleet Destroyer that bears his name.