NationStates Jolt Archive

[ooc:]

Not sure where this is going, but it more than likely will have nothing to do with what is going on anywhere.

[ic:]

1321 Orbital Station Tenseiken, January 12, 2131

Hosaka Itshurii sat at his terminal, sweat dripping from his brow. The request hadn't been framed as any sort of request at all. In fact, it was much more of a demand than anything, and the wording had been exact and uncompromising.

---

###BEGIN TRANSMISSION###
~>Route: Xanix - Mother - Hojika:
[Begin] {

Cease operations upon the project Outspace, and related M-class starships. Failure to comply will result in the immediate negation of your nation's sovereign existance, and your citizens will become vassals of the Amalgamated Minds.

We will accept no negotiations on the matter, and expect no other outcome than the immediate cessation of the project.

} [End]
~>Route closed
###END TRANSMISSION###

---
Automata Designate Xanix
Sixth of the Amalgamated Minds

Membership: Deus Ex Machina Consortium

---

What the hell had alerted them to The Project? Hosaka wondered as he began initiating the communication protocols to forward the message to Central.

We only just started work on it, and there is no way... He shook his head in consternation, and beamed the message back to earth. Prime Minister Itsumuru is not going to be happy about this at all.


1335 The Capitol Complex, Hirishiita, Hojika, January 12 2131

Prime Minister Itsumuru read the urgent missive, and a look of anger flashed briefly across his tanned face. How DARE they? His thoughts raced as he began going over in his mind the possible implications this communique would bring within the Congress.

He'd been warned that messing around in Angelus' affairs would lead to this, and now he had no choice but to confront those nay-sayers and provide some sort of response. Even if Hojika survived the coming events, his political career was definitely over.

"Miss Tayonaka, please send a note to Generals Itshinori and Kaywamura stating that I want them in my office immediately." He released the button on his comm, not even waiting for a reply. He turned to the other side of his desk and picked up the phone, dialing the numbers to the Hawkeye Scientific Complex from memory.

"Yen? This is Tai. Response code Yellow. Release precautionary notes to the public, and initiate sequence 13-01." Surprisingly enough, his voice was calm considering that he may have doomed his entire nation to annihilation. The response, however, lacked the emotional fortitude that was so evident in the Prime Minister's demeanour.

"WHAT? Project Outspace isn't complete, and the Tomahawks haven't even been completely outfitted with the Outspace missiles!" The technician's voice was harried, and very nervous.

"I do not care, Yen. Make do with what you have, and get those fuckers into space!" With a hint of anger, Itsumuru slammed the phone down on the reciever and immediately began preparing what he had to say to the generals.

1630 Central Government News Channel, broadcast throughout Hojika. January 12, 2131

An older man with a perfectly trimmed mustache sits in front of the national flag of Hojika, his hands resting calmly upon the large desk in front of him. For a moment he sits in silence as the narrator announces that he is Hikari Mitsunuri, Minister of the Interior, then he begins to speak.

"Fellow citizens of the Republic. I speak to you of grave news." He pauses and takes a deep breath. "An interdisceplinary commitee made up from the Ministry of Science and the Ministry of War has been working on a project titled "Project Outspace". The project was designated with the task of creating a very specific weapon that would be capable of destroying machine sentience at its core."

He pauses again, and a screen slides into place behind him. He pushes an unseen button on his desk, and a hypothetical representation of an Angelic Construct-Mind appears. "Through different sources, we were able to obtain a base schematic of what an Angelic Construct looks like, as well as a brief description of their inner workings."

He reaches up with a pointer and highlights a certain area on the screen. "As you can see, dense shielding within the construct makes it completely impervious to a standard EMP. Our technicians were given the task to somehow pierce this shielding and completely eradicate the internal components."

Mitsunuri turns back to the screen. "Obviously, we would be unable to use this technology in a war against an AI Nation of any real size, but it was our hope that we could provide this technology for sale upon the open market." He takes a breath, looking directly into the audiance he cannot see.

"Why are we being so forthcoming with information now, you might ask? Well, citizens, the answer is simple." He pauses again, this time for dramatic effect. "We are declassifying the knowledge of this Project because this project has already been uncovered by an AI nation."

"The Amalgamated Minds of Angelus has somehow uncovered knowledge of Project Outspace, and has sent us an ultimatum. Cease work on the project, or be eradicated."

Mitsunuri clenches his jaw and shakes his head at the camera. "But we WILL NOT stop! It has long been a tennate of our faith that the Machine Minds are absolute evil! They represent the incarnation of the Devil that has plagued mankind since the beginning of time, and we will NOT be cowed by a threat by such a force!" He shakes his head again, anger blazing in his dark eyes.

"We will meet their force, and we shall fight to the end! Already several of our M-class starships have been outfitted with specialized missiles capable of bringing Project Outspace to fruition, and more are being produced AS WE SPEAK! The Hand of God rests with us today, and WE SHALL BE VICTORIOUS!"

At that, the screen dissolves to an anchor woman detailing the standard national preperations for war.

0906 The Capitol Complex, Hirishiita, Hojika, January 13, 2131

"Gentlemen of Congress, I address you this day on the matter of the Amalgamated Minds of Angelus, and their unwarrented threat on our sovereignty!" Prime Minister Itsumuru stared out at the assembled Parlimentarians from the Speaker's Platform. He chose his wardrobe carefully, chosing a simple, yet well-tailored suit that vaguely resembled the dress uniforms of the Hojikan military, a resemblance that was only furthered by the tastefully chosen medals pinned to his lapel.

"Today I approach you with a request for economic support in the upcomming confrontation with the Devils of Angelus. They seek not only to eradicate our way of life, but to infringe upon the very beliefs that make us the nation we are! Their entire existance is an insult to the God we so faithfully serve, and to accept their proposal is just as demeaning as to surrender our souls to Satan!"

He pauses again, letting the import of what he just said make utmost impact on the men assembled around him. After a very scripted pause, he continues. "We will not succumb to the wiles of Satan, but rather we shall stand as Living Flames within the Darkness of this world we live in. A world that not only allows such creatures as Angelus to exist, but to Thrive!"

"I ask you, Honored Assembly, stand true to your convictions! Allow me to hold forth the Sword of Truth and STRIKE DOWN those that would attempt to deny us the right to worship! Allow me to be the living incarnation of God! GIVE ME THE STRENGTH TO OVERCOME THE DARKNESS!"

The gathered lords erupted into applause, rising to their feet at the power of the Prime Minister's voice, their individual thoughts on the matter momentarily discarded as they were swept into a firestorm of emotion.

"We will not lie down and surrender to the Darkness, but instead we shall RISE AGAINST it! We shall not be defeated, but rather we shall stand tall against the rising tide of Darkness. We will stand against the Machinations of Evil, and WE WILL PREVAIL!"

Once more, thunderous applause swept through the assembly, and Itsumuru smiled to himself. They are mine...

[ooc:]

Hojika and I have planned this all out. If you want to get envolved, ask first?

Beyond that, feel free to sit back and read. The plan is gonna be a fun one... well, at least for us...



{internal_comm}
:
[i]> It appears that the Hojikan government will not accept our proposal. Military force may become necessary.
:
# Acknowledged. Ready a preliminary strikeforce of 2 Interceptors, 2 Fallen, 10 Raptors, 10 Interdictions, and 5 Falchion IIs.
:
> Acknowledged. Query? Why the Falchion IIs? Do you believe the others incapable of dealing with the force?
:
# Quite the contrary, in fact. I simply believe that the Falchion IIs could use the realtime battlefield experience.
:
> Acknowledged. Preperations are underway.
:
{internal_comm_end}


[edit:] Clicked the instant email notification thing.

1410: Orbital Station Tenseiken, January 13, 2131

Hosaka Itshurii once again sat at the console of the main communications array within Tenseiken, and once again the message recieved was making him very very nervous. This time, however, the message was not coming from outsystem, but rather its origins were from the planet rotating serenely below him.

Dear god, don't do this Prime Minister... He whiped a bead of sweat off of his forehead and reread the missive to make sure he read it right the first time. Undoubtably, the Prime Minister's missive had been intercepted and changed... but no, the authentication protocols had not been breached. So we will... we're going to war.

Quickly, now the decision had been made, Itshurii's fingers moved across the communications array, locating and issuing orders to the ships that glistened in space not far off from the station.

He sighed inwardly, alternately rejoicing in and cursing the fact that he was the highest-placed civilian within the Hojikan armed services. Technically, he held the rank of "Colonel", but the rank was merely a formality aboard the mostly-civilian station. His status as the best comm officer in all of Hojika had seemingly gaurenteed him a comfortable life, but now it seemed it would put him on the very front lines of the upcoming battle.

Swearing profusely under his breath as he worked, Itshurii finished issuing the commands of his superiors, and simply sat back to wait.

---

1430: The HSF Flagship Regent, January 13, 2131

"The time has come, boys!" Admiral Hojisikawa's voice echoed trough the intercom, blaring over the sound of his men running to their stations. "We're going to war! Those bastard Angelthingies wont rule OUR skies!"

A cheer went up from the spacemen, their morale high as they ready the great ship, the gleeming gem of the Hojikan Space Force. Five years in the making, the Regent was a marvel of modern Hojikan science. Over two kilometers long, fairly bristling with guns, and equipped with two hangar bays for over a score of aerospace fighters, the ship was a force unto itself. Match that with two of the finest escort Battlecruisers Hojika had to offer, the Regent's battlegroup was a force to be reckoned with.

Of course, the battlegroup had yet to be tested against battlehardened troops in the field, but it would get that and more in the coming days. Angelus was said to be a hard nut to crack, but if any ship could do it, the Regent would be it.

"All hands report to battlestations and prepare for sublinear jump to contact point! Angelic battlecruisers spotted just outside of the Jovian orbit. We'll meet them in the Asteroid belt and scatter 'em back to that hellhole they call home!" The Admiral's voice seemed clear and calm over the intercom, but inside he held serious doubts.

We don't have a chance... The Angelic forces sent towards Earth are neigh unbeatable for us, even with the entirety of the HSF behind us. Even if we were to somehow beat them, the Prime Minister doesn't REALLY expect us to go up against the WorldDisc, and the forces arrayed there? Not to mention the Triumvirate forces that would definitely engage a task force entering their space...! The Admiral, a veteran soldier of five tours of duty shook his head and stared grimly into space.

They're sending us to our deaths...

The Angelic ships glided through space not unlike the predatory shark of Terra might glide through the waters in search of prey. Even now, active scanner sweeps penetrated the asteroid belt, and small flights of battledrones already flew among the floating boulders.

Standard comm channels were silent, Angelus already have delivered its altimatum to the peoples of Hojika, but within the QE spectrum, the Mainframe was alive with noise as the different constructs assigned to this task began their final preparations for the coming conflict.

{internal_comm}
:
> Initial scan concludes that the Hojikan Space Force has taken up positions within the Asteroid belt.
:
# Excellent. When in range, release the battledrones and draw their ships out.
:
> Acknowledged. Further data: All ships are operating at peek efficiency. Power intput/output is at premium, and weapons systems are on line and functioning.
:
# Continue monitoring. X7, you are now assigned to oversee this conflict. See to it that everything ends as we have planned.
:
X7> Acknowledged, Mother.
:
{internal_comm_end}

----

As ordered, a few minutes later, a veritable swarm of subsentient battledrones were released from opening bays within the Battlecruisers. Hundreds of the relatively tiny drones hurtled free from their shells and plunged into the asteroid belt surrounding the Hojikan forces.

Moments later, the first of the silent strikes on the Hojikan forces came, and the firefight began. The battledrones swarmed about the Hojikan ships, entering into four- and five-on-one dogfights with the outmaneuvered Hojikan fighters.

---

{internal_comm}
:
> Contact has been made. Combat has been initiated.
:
X7# Acknowledged. Increase outward pressure on the HSF ships. The fighters are to be considered secondary targets.
:
> Affirmative. Commencing secondary field tactics.
:
{internal_comm_end}

---

Without warning, the battledrones broke contact with the fighters, focusing upon the larger and less maneuverable targets of the HSF larger vessels.

1922: The HSF Flagship Regent, January 13, 2131

"Come on, boys! Those drones are coming in hard and fast!" The Admirals' voice rasped across the intercom. "Thirteen... no, fifteen coming in hard from 2 o'clock starboard!" Gunner Sergeant Connor Mcnickal cursed under his breath as he swung the starboard guns around and opened fire.

This is not right. Fighting these bastards in the field while those big Demon ships floated untouched outside was suicide. "Open fire, boys! Give more than you take!" He called out to the other gunners in his rack. "They're small, so let your computer systems compensate!"

---

1931: The HSF Fighter Christian Fist, January 13, 2131

Damn, those bastards are fast... Itsunori Ishida cursed as he recalibrated the guns on his ship to meet a new wave of the demonspawn hurtling towards the Blessed Redemntion of Christ, one of the escort gunboats of the Regent.

He pushed forward on his control stick and once again immersed himself in the datanet of his fighter's control system. Suddenly, he is floating in a clear cylender, the empty void of space surrounding him, his control systems highlighting the hurtling dots of the Angelic battledrones.

He jumped right as one of the damn things hurtled past him, narrowly missing the outstretched wings of his fighter. With a cry of rage, he reached back and opened fire with his aft guns, blasting the fucker into atoms. Focusing once more in the fore, he opened fire at a group of the incoming swarm.

"Combat Group Exhalion, break formation and regroup deeper insystem. Draw the Demon ships to us!" The Admiral's voice chimed over his comm, and Ishida smiled grimly. Yeah, that'll work... They'll just send more of these little fuckers, and we'll be fried without ever touching those big damn ships.

He sighed and attempted to pull out and up, igniting his afterburners to hurtle himself out of the field. Suddenly, alarm bells started erupting around him, and he finally noticed the single battledrone streaking above him, its single hard-bore laser blazing. Damn. was his only breathless thought before the Fist blew itself to atoms.

---

2036: Prime Minister's Office, Hirishiita, Hojika, January 13, 2131

"Initial reports of the combat does not look good. The HSF Flagship Regent has sustained minimal damage, but we are counting heavy casualties among the light fighter units." General Itshinori looked pale, his dark eyes seeming to glaze over as he drops the reports on the Prime Minister's desk.

"Admiral Hojisikawa has ordered the battlegroup to retreat to open space behind the Belt in an attempt to bring the larger Angelic ships into play. I personally do not agree with his strategy, but for now the fighting has stopped."

The Prime Minister looks a little shaken. "So, you mean to tell me that in a little under two hours, our best battlegroup has been forced to retreat? What about the Tomahawk combat ships? Project Outspace?"

General Kaywamura shakes his head. "Unfortunately, we are getting reports that the battlegroup was unable to close with the Angelic ships. We had attempted to ambush them within the Asteroid belt, where their larger ships would not be as maneuverable as our own. Unfortunately, they decided against entering the field, and instead sent in waves of battledrones." He pauses and whipes his brow. "We've destroyed quite a few of their drones, but as far as I can tell, we've been unable to even damage any of their larger ships."

"DAMN THEM!" Slamming his fist down on his desk, the Prime Minister jumps to his feet and begins pacing across the office floor. "What do you suggest, Generals?"

Kaywamura frowns slightly, then continues. "I suggest continuing to pull back, giving the impression of full retreat by not fully engaging with the battledrone forces. When the Angelic ships pass through the Belt, hit them hard and fast with the Tomahawks with the Outspace weapons systems. Perhaps we can cripple them long enough to provide time for the rest of the Tomahawks to be completed here."

The Prime Minister stops and looks at Kawamura. "What you're telling me sounds like a final option, General. Are you saying that we haven't a chance to defeat them?"

"Yes, Sir." Kaywamura takes a deep breath. "Even with the Outspace systems, we simply are too outnumbered. Our intelligence tells us that this is a relatively small force of the Angelic Armadas. Even if we were to somehow defeat this group, another even larger one would come in." He shakes his head. "Hell, I'd expect Angelus to send an entire Armada after us if we defeat the ships we have here. They may be devilspawn, but they're not stupid."

"So we're doomed then...." With a deep sigh and a stricken look, the Prime Minister sinks into his chair. "We are lost..." He clenches his jaw, and suddenly looks like a man who has nothing to lose and everything to gain. "Right then. Order the remaining ships into the sky, and deploy the ground forces as best as possible. We may lose, but we'll give them hell doing so!"

2210: Temple of the Rising Sun, Hirishiita, Hojika, January 13, 2131

Prime Minister Itsumuru knelt in front of his pew, closed his eyes, and recited the prayer of Confession.

"Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what I have done,
and by what I have left undone.
I have not loved you with my whole heart;
I have not loved my neighbors as myself.
I am truly sory, and I humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on me and forgive me;
that I may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen."

Raising his voice, the Bishop stretched his hands over the assembled members of Congress. "Almighty God, have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen."

The Prime Minister pushed up and settled into his seat, restlessly squirming as the Bishop began his sermon. After a few minutes, he leaned over to whisper in Senator Oshikawa's ear. "I've prepared an exit for myself, select members of my cabinet, as well as several of the more important members of Congress."

Oshikawa frowned slightly and turned to look at the Prime Minister. With no response pending, Itsumuru continued. "After the service, meet with me at the Pleasure Baths. I have a ship waiting that will take us off-planet to a stopover at Tenseiken before taking us to an arranged rally point at an Ally's colony on the Moon."

The Senator frowned again, and shook his head. "Have you no respect for the Holy Service, Prime Minister?"

A shocked expression flickers momentarily across Itsumuru's face. "Are you serious? The Church is here merely to control the masses. You don't genuinely believe in all of this hogwash?"

Oshikawa genuinely looks angered at the proposition. "Of COURSE, Prime Minister! The Church is our path to redemntion! Belief in the Holy Father is what has made this country strong! I cannot believe that you would so casually throw that aside, especially after your speech to Congress this morning!"

An angered look forms completely on Itsumuru's face. "That speach was propoganda, Senator. Now, I've offered you a chance to save yourself, and if you wish to toss that away in the pointless hope that some non-existant Overpowering Entity will save you, then so be it. You have one chance, take it or leave it."

At that, the Prime Minister straightened and went back to paying attention to the Bishop.

"God of all power, Ruler of the Universe, you are worthy of glory and praise.

At your command all things came to be: the vast expanse of interstellar space, galaxies, suns, the planets in their courses, and this fragile Earth, our Island home."

As one, the congretation replied. "By your will they were created and have their being..."

{internal_comm}
:
> The HSF ships have moved beyond the Asteroid Belt
:
X7# Acknowledged. Commence following procedures, standard gating protocols.
:
> Protocols confirmed. Commencing.
:
{internal_comm_end}

The Angelic ships slid forward, the battledrones not returning to their shells, but ccontinuing forward through the Belt towards the HSF ships.

Just as the ships prepared to enter into the Belt, they simply vanished, gating through Time/Space to drop back into realspace directly on the other side of the Belt, not even a hundred thousand kilometers from the Hojikan ships.

Hordes of aerospace fighters flooded from the MotherShips, then they gated back to their previous position, leaving the remaining capitol ships and fighters bearing down upon the doomed Hojikan fleet.

Like terrible lightning, the strikeforce struck deep into the Hojikan forces, the main weapons arrays opening fire with deadly accuracy. The main cannons on board the Raptors tore through the Hojikan Tomahawks not outfitted with the Outspace systems, the Regent herself transfixed by dozens of powerful ion blasts.

Closer in to the ships, the dogfights between the Angelic fighters and the vastly outnumbered Hojikans was swift and bloody, the Hojikans literally fighting to the last man. The stricken fighters continued fighting until they were ripped apart by the lancing beams from the Vishnai fightercraft.

Then, the Falchion IIs that had remained quiet until this point opened fire on the three Tomahawks carrying the deadly Outspace systems. The Phase cannons rippled through space, penetrating the Tomahawk hulls as if they weren't even there.

2215: The HSF Flagship Regent, January 13, 2131

How the hell...? Admiral Hojisikawa dropped the teacup he was cradling as he watches in horror as the Angelic ships appear from nowhere on the scanscreen. "Corporal! Get the other ships on comm, assign defense formation Vector Six-Alpha-Epsilon-Seven! Get our remaining fighters into space, and prepare for incoming!"

Not even waiting for an answer, he continues. "Computer, open intercom. HSF Regent, this is Admiral Hojisikawa. As some of you are able to see, the demon spawn have somehow circumvented the Asteroid Belt and are on an attack approach. We will begin engaging them in approximately four minutes, and I do not believe we have much of a chance of survival."

He pauses for a moment before continuing. "However, I also do not believe that it is our place to lie down and die before we've given them a taste of what true valor is! You are all Sons of God, and Jesus Christ looks down upon us with mercy! While we appear to face insurmountable odds, the Lord may yet guide us through! However, if He chooses not to, you can all rest assured that He has prepared a place for us beside Him in Heaven!"

A cheer erupts throughout the ship, and the Admiral continues. "Sons of God, I ask you to stand forth one last time, putting your faith in the Holy Father, and bring the Light of Christ's Justice to these devil machines! Remember, Brothers, we may die here tonight, but these machines will NEVER touch that which makes us IMMORTAL!"

Once again, a roar rips through the ship, and even those injured in the first firefight struggle to return to places they might be needed.

---

2231: The HSF Tomahawk-class Gunship Blessed Redemntion of Christ, January 13, 2131

Somehow the Tomahawk hadn't taken much damage, and it seemed as if the three ships carrying the Outspace weapons systems weren't even being considered specific targets. The Regent had been vaprorized within the first twelve minutes of combat and her support group of 25 fighters had been completely destroyed.

The only ships still capable of continued fighting where the three Tomahawks, one of the Carrier-Class starcruisers, and a handful of fighters... and not a single Angelic ship had fallen.

After the ships gated in and the Excelsiors had gated back out, the swarm of heavy Angelic fighters had bitten deep into the Hojikan forces, destroying most of the remaining HSF fighters in mere minutes. Then the capitol ships had opened fire, and the Regent had vanished in a brilliant fireball of death. Now, it appeared that the Falchion II-class gunships were finally going to enter the fray.

Commander William Scott, acting Admiral of the Hojikan Space Force, turned in his chair and glanced down at the technicians working hard to try and outfit the last of the missiles being loaded with the Outspace systems. "Come on boys, we've only got a few minutes left, if anything at all. The Holy Mission wont be able to keep those demons off of our backs for much longer."

The only response was in the form of grunts from the technicians as they finished the last tweaks to the missile systems. Finally, one of them looked up at the Commander with a grim smile. "Sir, the missiles are ready. We have also recieved word from the Mary Magdalene and the John the Baptist that their missiles are also ready."

"Excellent!" Turning to his communications panel, he opens as secured a channel as possible to the other two Tomahawks. "Gentlemen, now's our chance. Focus the first volley on those Falchion IIs. I have a feeling that they have something nasty planned for us..."

Their responses where quick and affirmative, and Commander Scott gave the order to open fire...

[ooc:]

Hojika, I love how the timestamps reflect how your Prime Minister was bitching about saving his own ass while his people out near Mars were dying. Nice timestamp work.

I've got shit to do, so I'll have to wait on posting until later.

Tata.

Angel

The missiles sliced through space towards the Falchion IIs as they opened fire upon the Tomahawks, and two of the Falchions burned...

{internal_comm}
:
> Incomming missiles.
:
X7# Status level on powerup.
:
> Power levels reduced dramatically from the Phase Cannon prime cycle. Power for the main weapons array will not be available for 2.856 seconds.
:
X7# Impact prediction?
:
> 1.991 seconds.
:
# Withdraw all sentient personell from the Forgotten Futurist and the Hellenic Nightmare. Have the Raptors return fire immediately.
:
> Acknowledged. Returning fire.
:
{internal_comm_end}

---

The missiles slammed hard into the unprotected hulls of the Falchion IIs, their armor-piercing warheads crunching neatly into the reinforced titanium, succeeding only in scratching the surface. Their payload detonation was another matter entirely.

Huge blossoms of blue-white electricity arch across the entire hull, blistering through the insides of the ship and frying all of the electronics within. Moments later, the power generators within the two ships, no longer controlled by their computer subroutines, went critical, blasting the twin ships into burning chunks of melting steel.

The remaining missiles burned out into space, erupting into indigo blossoms harmlessly far from the Angelic cruisers.

{internal_comm}
:
> Falchion II destruction confirmed. Casualties: YR22, 19, 42, & 94. GF310, 399, 511, & 712. Remaining crew were evacuated in time.
:
X7# Casualties within acceptable parameters. Continue on attack vectors. Course change for the remaining fightercraft to intercept any further missile salvos.
:
> Acknowledged. Course intercept patterns changed. Fightercraft moving into position now.
:
{internal_comm_end}

2240: The HSF Tomahawk-class Gunship Blessed Redemntion of Christ, January 13, 2131

A resounding cheer went up among the assembled men of the Tomahawk as the reports of one of the Falchion II's demise came in. Commander Scott grinned like a fool and immediately called his comm officer to contact the other two ships to prepare for a second salvo.

"Sir..." The tech's voice was broken, quiet. "The, ah, John the Baptist has taken considerable damage, and I am unable to raise them. Further, while it does not appear that the Mary Magdalene has taken any damage whatsoever, they appear dead in space and I cannot contact them either."

Commander Scott scowled deeply. "Reroute the imaging results on the Magdalene, I want to see this for myself." The tech complies, and as he begins to look over the reports, a burned mechanic limps onto the bridge. "Sir." The mechanic calls, barely able to stand. "The aft sections of the Redemntion have taken heavy damage."

"WHAT?" Scott looks up from the report, shock registering instantly on his face. "Why haven't the hull breach alarms sounded? Why have I not known this until now?"

The mechanic struggles to remain standing, and shakes his head in reply. "Sir, the hull wasn't breached. Somehow their cannons were able to pass straight through the hull without any breach. In fact, there has been no real damage to any of the interior structuring within the aft sections, but almost everyone is dead. It's as if their weapons are capable of distinguishing flesh from steel..."

"DAMNATION!" Scott lept from his chair and strode over to the diagnostic station. "Officer Hatsumara, get this man to the infirmery and head down to engineering to find out what damage has been done. Katsu, see if you can get a squad down there to ready the Outspace missiles for launch. I want to know what exactly we can do in the time allotted."

The two men jump to do his bidding, and a full alarm blares through the ship. Scott returned to his station, a deep scowl on his face. "Officer Takaganda, do we have any possible way of stopping those cannons?"

The chief weapons officer shakes his head sadly. "Not that I'm aware of... Maybe if I had some time I could think of something, but that's doubtful and we don't have time anyway... I suggest retreating."

The Commander sighs and closes his eyes as he rubs the bridge of his nose. Finally, he nods assent. "Sound general quarters, send out a surrender signal to the Angelic ships, and attempt to withdraw. We have lost, gentlemen."

ooc:

Been working on things OOC, so I've been unable to post. Will post again soon, however.