Battle of Botchok

The Battle of Botchok was the opening conflict of the Orion War, a war of independence fought by the Orion people against the 58 races signatory to the Treaty of Kammzdast who held them in slavery, primarily the Nine Worlds Confederation.

Following the revolts on Rigel IV and Rigel VIII (Botchok), the Nine Worlds Confederation sent a fleet into the Rigel system, presumably to investigate the silence from the Rigel Conference, or on a communications leak. The Rigellians ordered the Nine Worlds to withdraw or suffer the permanent revoking of trading rights, but they were ignored and the fleet approached Botchok.

The Orion rebels had already issued the Recall of the Pirates to provide themselves with a defensive fleet; however, only half of the Orion pirates had gathered at Botchok in time. Nallin the Unconquerable himself commanded an armed freighter (legend would give him a warship and command of the entire pirate fleet).

On January 3rd 94 BCE (reference stardate -20/9401.03), the Battle of Botchok began. The Orions were shot to pieces, outnumbered and outgunned by the more powerful Nine Worlds fleet. Closing ranks and still firing all the way, they were forced into a retreat into the atmosphere of Botchok, where they could go no further, and they faced imminent destruction.

At that moment, Captain Caruch the Blessed made a miraculous appearance, arriving behind the Nine Worlds fleet with only 17 ships but completely undetected. They opened fire on the unshielded sterns of the largest warships, including the flagship. Most were destroyed, and the rest were trapped between the two Orion forces. Barely a handful of Nine Worlds ships got out alive to tell their tale. All this occurred in full view of half the Orions on the planet. It had been a close call, but victory had been snatched from the jaws of defeat.