Historians would say the Second Shadow War began with the Warworld attack on Xandar. The loss of Xandar threatened to completely fracture the nascent Coalition of Planets. Though the alliance would remain, it was greatly weakened and focused within, allowing the Dark Armada to move without hindrance or observation. The incursions of Vandal Savage's Battle-Sphere were but the first volleys in the conflict, and they were soon joined by the great crab-like vessels of the Shadows.
At first, the attacks were random, but soon they coalesced into a solid front that was joined by Dark Elf fleets and the Star Destroyers of the First Order. Much of the advanced information had already been done by the Mandalorians, whose Bounty Hunters had been a ruse to conceal detailed reconnaissance. After the Xandar tragedy did not get the desired collapse of the alien treaty, they concentrated on creating a humanitarian crisis in order to further strain the Coalition's supply lines. The Dark Fleet soon became a dagger point, piercing the Galaxy and heading towards the Core Worlds with Earth and other capital worlds in its path.
Even the loss of Warworld to the Transformers did not halt the progression. Instead, they turned to the remains of Thanos' 'sons and daughters" of the Black Order to provide the firepower. They had been busy augmenting their father's old flagship, the Sanctuary II, upgrading it with a host of technology reverse-engineered from Warworld and Apokolips. The new Sanctuary III was three times the size of its predecessor, and the most powerful starship ever crafted.
Finally, they were met by the Coalition of Planets armada, a fleet made up of the bulk of the Second Nova Imperial, Shi'ar Protectorate, Tellarite Allied, and Vulcan Confederate warships. They were flanked by the Green Lantern Corps, which was composed of over a hundred volunteers from across Known Space. Hundreds of other species also sent their ships - some to fight, but others to provide medical or logistical support. The Coalition chose the white dwarf system, known to the Terrans as Lambda Bootis, as the site of the final stand.
Almost immediate hostilities began. The Shadows initially inflicted heavy casualties but because their control centers were derived from sentient beings, the magics of the Light Elves of Alfheim were able to disrupt their systems. This allowed Coalition vessels to coordinate their attacks on individual Shadow vessels and destroy them. This forced the Shadows to retreat, and shifted the odds greatly into the Army of Light's favor, especially with the arrival of the Cybertronian Battle-Sphere Nul.
The Mythic Avengers, backed by hordes of Vampires, then breached the Sanctuary III, tearing through the crew and onboard battalions of Stormtroopers as they attempted to disrupt operations within the vessel. Their progress was slow, but even the outnumbering opposition could only slow the advance of the Coalition forces as they made their way towards the bridge.
The stage was set for the final battle of the Fourth World; One that would determine the fate of a Quadrillion sentient species. This was the Final Shadow War.
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