| Battle for Exile | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the rebellion against the Guild | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Alliance | Guild | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Sophia Forrester Vincent Alzey David Mad-thane Nestor Messina | Delphine Eraclea | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
| Silvana Urbanus Eustatius 26 Anatoray Battle Ships 26 Disith Battle Ships | 41 Guild Battle Ships | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 112,498 men | Strength unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 13 ships lost Approx. 26,000 killed | 41 ships lost All combatants killed |
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The Battle for Exile was the final confrontation between the Alliance and the Guild for control of Exile and the future of Prester. The battle resulted in the complete annihilation of the Guild forces, including Maestro Delphine Eraclea, and in Exile resuming travel between Prester and Earth.
The battle is depicted in the Last Exile episodes Sealed Move, Quiet Move, and Resign.
Ships Present At The Battle
- Alliance fleet:
- Silvana
- Urbanus
- Eustatius
- Anatoray Battle Ships
- Claimh Solais
- Partholon
- Disith Battle Ships
- Vanships
- Guild fleet:
- Guild Battle Ships
Course Of The Battle
Initial Engagement
The first stage of the battle occurs over Anatoray as the Alliance's fleet of Anatoray Battle Ships and Disith Battle Ships faces a fleet of thirty-seven Guild Battle Ships sent by the Maestro. The Guild ships are technologically superior to the Alliance vessels, sinking several of them while the Alliance's opening artillery barrage fails to penetrate their armor. However, the Alliance vessels then deploy a squadron of vanship pilots. The vanships perform torpedo attacks against the Guild ships, managing to sink twenty-three of them.
Crossing the Grand Stream
With the initial battle going in favor of the Alliance, Maestro Delphine orders the fourteen remaining ships to retreat to her flagship, which has taken up position near Exile. The Alliance fleet enters the Grand Stream in pursuit. However, the arrival of the fleets triggers Exile's defense systems. While Exile ignores the Maestro's flagship, due to Alvis E. Hamilton having previously answered two of the Mysteria while standing on it, it begins indiscriminate tentacle attacks against both the other Guild vessels and the Alliance pursuers.
Battle Over the Gateway
Exile descends towards Disith, where the Gateway has opened for it, and the remnants of the fleets follow it. The Urbanus is sunk by Exile's tentacles, but manages to open a path for the Silvana to reach the Maestro's flagship. At the same time, on the flagship bridge, the crucified Alex Row manages to work one hand free and grabs the Maestro by the neck, strangling her to death. The Silvana fires on the flagship, destroying it, then begins to sink under the continued attacks from Exiles tentacles. However, Claus Valca and Lavie Head have managed to pilot their vanship Spirit of Grand Stream through the Grand Stream, carrying Alvis with them. Sensing the presence of the Key to Exile, Exile ceases its attacks. Claus then recites the four mysteria, causing Exile to deactivate its defenses, shed its cocoon, and resume its original function as a transport between Prester and Earth.
Consequences
As a result of the Alliance victory, Prester was freed from the control of the Guild. Exile resumed travel between Prester and Earth, carrying many people back to the blue world from which humanity originated.