Battle of Deneb (2367)

Second Battle of Deneb Date 2367 Location Deneb system Result GTVA victory Belligerents Galactic Terran-Vasudan Alliance Neo-Terran Front Commanders Admiral Petrarch Admiral Khafre Admiral Aken H. Bosch Strength GTD Aquitaine GTD Aeneas GVD Psamtik GTC Trafalgar GVC Andromeda NTF Iceni NTD Jacobus NTCv Belisaurius NTC Hengst NTC Glorious NTC Impervious Casualties GTC Trafalgar GVC Andromeda {{{casualties2}}}

The Battle of Deneb was one of the bloodiest and most costly engagements during the NTF Rebellion. Before launching attacks on Neo-Terran strongholds in Epsilon Pegasi, Sirius, and Regulus, the Deneb system had to be secured. In the 72 hours that preceded the turning point of the battle, the intervention of the GTD Aquitaine and GVD Psamtik, the GTVA had lost the GVC Andromeda, the GTC Trafalgar, and 15 fighter wings.

Upon the Aquitaine's arrival, Admiral Petrarch launched many of his squadrons in an all-out attack against rebel positions throughout the system. The 53rd Hammerheads, GTD Aquitaine were deployed to escort a group of Vasudan transports as the were fleeing Cygnus Prime, a planet in the Deneb system. During the escort mission, the Psamtik arrived to relieve the Hammerheads and destroyed the NTCv Belisarius, a Deimos-class corvette that managed to flee the GTVA blockade at the Sirius jump node. The mission was a real success for the GTVA, as an estimated 75 percent of the Vasudan Cygnus Prime population survived. 600,000 troops also landed on the planet's surface to retake it. The destruction of the NTD Jacobus soon changed the path of the battle and the NTF began to withdraw from the system.

During a routine cargo depot raid to cut NTF supply lines, Alliance Intelligence intercepted a faint EM signature emanating from one of the asteroids. As the Hammerheads approached the suspicious asteroid, it turned out to be housing Bosch's warship, the NTF Iceni. Command deployed bomber reinforcements to destroy the Iceni. Contrary to intelligence reports about Admiral Aken Bosch being in Polaris, the NTF admiral was revealed to be in Deneb, more precisely on board his command ship embedded into the huge asteroid. He offered surrendering his forces from Deneb if Alliance Command granted him "unfettered access to the Sirius jump node." His offer was turned down, continuing the fight. However, Bosch's warship escaped the site. A short but eventful chase commenced as a small group of Alliance fighters attempted to intercept Bosch as he was trying to flee the system. The Iceni escaped without conspicuous hull damage, but the Fenris cruiser Glorious and the Leviathan Impervious (as well as some other freighters) were destroyed by the GVD Psamtik.

Having been reordered to Capella, the GTD Aquitaine quit the battle to help contain the re-emerged Shivans in Gamma Draconis.