Event: The Gelt Incursion of 429 IE
Date: 429 IE
Location: Amargosa, Compact of Humanity
Belligerents:
- Aggressor: The Gelt (Warrior Caste)
- Defenders: Compact of Humanity (Colonial Guard, Youth Corps, militia, civilians)
Summary:
The Gelt Incursion of 429 IE was a surprise planetary assault on the human colony world of Amargosa by a military force of Gelt, later confirmed to be members of their Warrior Caste. The invasion began with the destruction of Amargosa’s hypergate, effectively isolating the planet from the rest of the Compact. Simultaneously, the orbital station was destroyed, killing most of its personnel and forcing survivors like Davra Andraste to escape in lifepods.
Following the initial strike, Gelt landing craft deployed rapidly via wormhole from projection drive vessels, bypassing traditional hypergate protocols. Their forces used crude yet deadly fossil-fuel-powered vehicles, dubbed battle wagons, which carried troops and energy-based weaponry capable of disintegration. One such weapon, a dish-style energy projector, could reduce human targets to ash within seconds.
The Gelt focused their campaign on isolated settlements, agricultural districts, and industrial cities like Deming and Arcanum, which were destroyed or occupied. Lansdorp, one of the major cities, was vaporized with a clean fusion device. These actions suggested that the Gelt sought to drive humanity off Amargosa while preserving the land and infrastructure.
Despite the chaos, a scattered resistance emerged: survivors from the Youth Corps, refugees, and locals formed impromptu units, scavenging weapons and supplies while evading or engaging Gelt patrols. Notable individuals involved included JT Austin, Lizzy Parker, Eric Yuwono, Conner Duffy, Ellen Nardino, and Davra Andraste, among others. Civilian communication systems collapsed, and the planet’s satellite network was destroyed, limiting intelligence.
Major Furlong of Southern Command, operating out of Susskind, became one of the few reliable voices via broadcast, advising survivors to flee to the mountains and confirming the planetary scale of the occupation. The Mt. Perlmutter Observatory later detected additional arrivals via projection drive, indicating a second wave.
The ultimate objective of the Gelt was never formally confirmed during the events of The Children of Amargosa, but their tactics made it clear: They intended to seize and colonize Amargosa by force.