Battle of Hinomir

The Battle of Hinomir was fought on 12 February 2023, as a land/naval battle in the Andornian city of Hinomir as on the Sea of Pearls Front in the Northern Syltörian Border War between the Principalities of Andorn and an Arden warband.

Background
The rise in Arden-Andornian tensions would cause a militaristic standoff between the two states. While Andorn maintained a desire to reconquer the lost Andornian territory that was lost in the Fourth Andorn Crisis, a minority of Ardens desired for a preemptive military strike to cripple the Andorn Legion to ensure the territorial integrity of Ardena. However, the Arden government was opposed to the use of military strike which would cause the formation of an Arden warband which would plot to invade the Andorn city of Hinomir to cripple and steal the Andorn Navy stationed there.

Prelude
The Arden warband would plan on a naval invasion into the port of Hinomir to seize the harbor and take control of the Andorn Navy destroyers stationed there. This would be backed by small watercraft to transport the small Arden force taking off from the Askonian mainland coastline.

Andorn however, did not anticipate any sort of attack given the Arden government had no indication about any sort of attack while unknown to them the warband forces planned the attack.

Battle
Arden warband forces would land successfully on the port of Hinomir with no contested resistance and quickly seize an Andorn destroyer moored at the docks. However, due to the lack of naval training Arden as Ardena is a landlocked province, their attempt to steal the Andorn destroyer was incredibly delayed and eventually spotted by an Andorn patrol.

After getting reports of an Arden incursion at Hinomir, the Andorn Legion would deploy its forces to expel the warband forces. As Andornian troops entered the harbor, chaotic fighting would erupt as Arden warriors fought to keep control of their occupied destroyer and secure enough time to evacuate the harbor.

As the fighting continued, Andorn and Arden forces would rapidly suffer losses and enter a bloody stalemate with the Ardens unable to steal the Andorn destroyer and the Andornians unable to fully secure the harbor.

Aftermath
With the news of an Arden warband attacking Andorn, the Arden government would issue the complete withdrawal of any Arden soldiers after disbanding the raiding warband. Andorn forces would retake the harbor after the withdrawal of Arden forces was complete. Although Andorn successfully prevented the raiders from taking the destroyer and manage to secure a landing for an invasion, they suffered a much higher casualty rate than their Arden counterparts due to the rush to defend the city.

With the unprovoked attack, Andornians would bring a call for retaliation against the Ardena. This outcry would result in the Fichtenwald Offensive on February 26th, 2023.

The Arden government would immediately disband the originally secret warband, and with the unintentional consequences from the battle, Ardena would being to bolster its eastern border with Andorn in preparation for an Andorn offensive which would occur in the Fichtenwald Offensive.

Legacy
The Battle of Hinomir would be the start of the Northern Syltorian Border War and the first ever engagement the Andorn military has seen since its reformation in August of 2023. Ardena would be forced into an offensive war it never wanted to partake in because of the raiders attack and an increase in government control to prevent such events from happening again.