Battle of Astrud Lake

Battle of Astrud Lake
	Part of Midlothian War
Date	2 January 2022
Location	Astrud Lake, New Kariba, Kapreburg
Result	Weg victory Weg occupation of Astrud Lake and northern New Kariba;
Belligerents
Kapreburg	Wegmat
Commanders and leaders
Jackson I ; Matthew Hughes	Cole Baird
Units involved
Royal Kenton Rifles
Strength
2 armed, 2 unarmed	3

The Battle of Astrud Lake was the opening battle of the Midlothian War, occurring on 2 January 2022 near Astrud Lake in the Kapresh colony of New Kariba. Weg forces conducted a successful invasion of the colony. The battle played out in two main skirmishes, both resulting in Weg victory. Following the battle, Weg forces occupied the northern half of New Kariba.

Battle

Prelude

On 31 December 2021, Wegmat announced that they would be invading New Kariba on 2 January. On the day of battle, the Royal Kenton Rifles, commanded by Jackson I and Matthew Hughes, arrived at New Kariba at around 1:10 PM local time. At around 1:33 PM, Weg Marines arrived, meeting with Kapresh forces at Richard's Peak in order to negotiate. Cole Baird proposed that Kapreburg cede the northern area of New Kariba to Wegmat to avoid battle, and Jackson I refused. The negotiations having failed, the forces took up positions near the coast of Lake Astrud.

First skirmish

Fighting between Kapreburg and Wegmat began approximately ten minutes following the failed negotiations. Kapresh forces were positioned on a dirt path that ran along Lake Astrud, while Weg forces attacked from the woods on the other side of the trail. Both sides sustained a withering fire, though very few shots made their marks. During this exchange, a Weg Marine took cover behind a ridge to reload, and his weapon malfunctioned. Jackson I commanded the Royal Kenton Rifles to charge the soldier, but Colonel Matthew Hughes refused to issue the order. Two Weg soldiers flanked to hide behind a log, and began firing at Kapresh forces. Eventually, a Weg soldier, screaming "banzai", charged the Kapresh soldiers on the trail. One Kapresh soldier was injured during the charge, prompting the Royal Kenton Rifles to retreat back into the woods.

Intermission

Fighting temporarily died down after the Kenton Rifles retreated. Kapresh forces situated themselves in the woods to plan their next action, while Weg forces conversed with two Kapresh reporters who were on the trail. Baird ordered two Weg soldiers to advance and locate the position of the Kapresh forces. During the foray, a Weg soldier shouted demands to surrender at the Kapresh forces, and the Kapresh responded with profanity. Kapresh and Weg forces briefly exchanged fire, and Baird met with Jackson and Hughes afterward to discuss the course of the battle.

Second skirmish

Both sides agreed to a second skirmish, in the form of a line battle. During the ensuing engagement, the opposing forces exchanged fire, while Kapresh soldiers performed the Kapreburger cry. Heavy casualties were quickly sustained by both sides until only Baird and Hughes remained on the battlefield. Baird charged at Hughes, who retreated. Hughes returned to the field shortly afterward and requested that Baird fight him again one-on-one, but his appeal went unheeded. Thus, the second skirmish resulted in Weg victory, clearing the way for Weg forces to set up an occupation zone in the northern section of New Kariba.