The development of this landing operation went far more smoothly than anyone could have imagined. With communications cut off, the Galactic Republic's forces were almost completely unable to function, while their warships flew about in utter chaos, each fighting on its own.
As mentioned before, without shields, Hunter Class Battlecruisers were no match for Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers. What was more, neither side's fighters had launched, and the Republic warships did not even dare show themselves before the Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers!
Thus, when they discovered that the Fourth Civilization fleet, led by Dreadnought-class heavy cruisers, had arrived first in Eriadu satellite's orbit, many Republic warships chose to cower. Without unified command, it became a herd mentality—when the leading warships hesitated to advance, the others shut down their engines as well and could only watch from afar as Fourth Civilization warships landed troops on Eriadu satellite.
The same was true on the ground battlefield.
With no pressure from space, the Fourth Civilization Army's landing was not greatly affected. They smoothly commenced the operation and established more than a dozen secure landing zones.
They set up fixed anti-aircraft guns, anti-aircraft missiles, temporary energy shields, mobile radar stations, field hospitals, frontline maintenance centers, and other facilities within the landing zones.
At the same time, the Indjori forces had long since charged out ahead of them. Their combat power was extraordinarily formidable, and against Republic defense lines without mutual support or overlapping fields of fire, they could break through with a single thrust.
Although, as the war continued, the more than one billion soldiers previously conscripted by the Republic had completed their training and assembled, and the Guardian forces deployed by the 18th Army were trained troops, they were not clone forces after all and remained no match for the Indjori.
The Caladanian army followed