Skyllian Blitz

The Skyllian Blitz was a major assault on the human colony of Elysium in 2176. A huge band of pirates, slavers and batarian warlords, partly funded by the batarian financiers, launched an attack into the Skyllian Verge, intending to destroy Elysium. The attack was partly a batarian reprisal for humanity's expansion in the Verge and partly a result of tensions from the Alliance's pirate suppression campaigns. But the decision to launch the Blitz was instigated by one man, intending to use the prestige of the Blitz to cement his position as leader of the disparate pirate bands in the Terminus Systems.

However, small ground teams (including Alliance marines on leave) and Elysium's civilians managed to hold off the pirates, while the Alliance Navy - including the SSV Agincourt - engaged their vessels overhead. Navigator Pressly claims that the pirate ships were no match for the Alliance: he couldn't even keep track of how many ships the Agincourt destroyed. The ground teams had a much harder fight, but still managed to hold out for several hours. When reinforcements finally arrived, the enemy turned tail and fled in what vessels they had left.

The aftermath of the Skyllian Blitz led to a major operation on Torfan two years later, to destroy batarian pirate bases. The successful defence of Elysium during the Blitz is often seen as a testament to the Alliance military's training and adaptability. However, some batarians are still hugely resentful over the Blitz's failure, claiming it was a just retribution for humanity's actions against them.

If Commander Shepard is a War Hero, this reputation was earned during the Blitz when Shepard single-handedly held off enemy troops during a breach in the defences, earning the Star of Terra.