NationStates Jolt Archive

Forty-five ships exited their respective jump points and found themselves a short distance from Pluto. The occupants of these new vessels had been absent from the solar system for two years now... They had waited long enough, now it was time to bring their wrath down upon their enemies.

Quin Izumi sat on the bridge of the Regina Caelorum, the new flagship of the Khristian fleet. His hair was that of it's usual long platnium blonde strands, and his eyes of blue were glistening like ion cannon fire. He wore a uniform of black, outlined with red and gold braid and his inner vest was white with a blue phoenix fixed upon the right breast.

He looked at the digital display before him.

Here is only a token of my precious fleet. But ah, the battlecrusiers, the destroyers, the light and heavy crusiers, the carriers, and the frigates! I wish I could see them shining in the light of this sun, the sun of home.... But his thoughts soon changed. But this will not be an easy path, by no means...This is only the first step of revenge. Perhaps magnanimity and mercy will be shown, but they may not. Ah, war can be such an enjoyable thing... The Khristian smiled.

"Tell me, Lieutenant, what is on this miserable ball of ice and rock?"

"Two research stations and a military station it seems, High Grand Admiral."

"Very good Lieutenant. Weapons, prepare to fire."

Then the weapons of the Regina Caelorum surged with power that was let forth from the reactors. Plasma cannons, missiles launchers, assault lasers, ion cannons, gravity cannons, gravdrones, hypersonic lounchers.... all were at the ready.

Who will come to join us in our dance of death? Quin Izumi wondered. Ah... Sirithil nos Fëanor... you will show up, won't you? And King Gregory los de Santos... most likely others... but those two, they must die.

"Admiral Fortune, we've got 45 vessels exiting hyperspace...they definately arent ours...check that, registering weapons fire, they're firing down on Pluto." Admiral Fortune blinked alittle, they were firing on Pluto, what sense was there in that? Maybe Independant Pluto had gotten into a war with someone else. As long as the ships didnt attempt to attack Charo...the Penal Colony! There were still Federal Citizens down on Pluto, and even though they were criminals nothing changed the fact. Fortune made his way from the viewport over toward the radio communications officer and pressed a button which transmitted on the general frequencies.

"This is Admiral Nelson Fortune, of the Federal Stellar Navies, Charon Defense Fleet, you are ordered to ceasefire, and standdown your weapons systems. Further attacks on Pluto, will be seen as an act of war. You have a minute to comply.." Admiral Fortune let that fact settle in before he switched over to the fleet communications channel, "This is Admiral Fortune to all warships, prepare for combat. All Battleships are to launch their fighters immediately. Charon will provide additional fighters, and support should we need it. This is not a fleet exercise, this is the real thing folks."

One hundred and ninety warships composed the Charon Defense Fleet, painted white they stood out in the backdrop of space. They composed at the core of 10 Battleships, the new Lance class, which were each 1.2 kilometers in length and had multiple visable rail gun turrets both fore and aft, and a few massive rail gun turrets slug on the ventral side for added firepower. This core group included the Flagship Resolute and a few other high profile Battleships of the Lance class which made its initial debute a few years back at the Aelosian Ball. In the mid shell were Hood class Cruisers, there were no heavy or light cruisers in NYNJ, it made no sense to develop a class of ship which was lighter, without just sticking with the rugged Destroyers. In the outer shell, where a large mix of Destroyers and smaller Frigates. If one bothered closely to look they'd think they were staring into the past. The ships looked a lot like the old ocean going warships of old(WWII era).

The Lance class Battleships each came with a small compliment of fighters, to provide additonal support to the Fleet Carriers, however in this case, it was needed because the CDF, hadnt been allocated any Fleet Carriers in the massive fleet restructuring. Fortune was however promised his share of Carriers once they were available from the Charon Staryards however that was sometime away, and this was in the now. It was only a matter of time before 150 SA-43 Hammerheads were launched from their respective battleships,15 from each, they kept the other 15 inside of the hangar to keep from crowding space with two many craft. If the fighting got out of control they would launch. But right now, it was a wait for the worst, and a hope for the best.

Time itself seemed to slow down as a response was waited. Railguns on the Battleships and Cruisers were loaded, and the smaller Frigates and Destroyers charged their Light and Medium Plasma Cannons. Torpedo tubes on Hood class, Gearing class(DD),and Airone class(FF), were loaded and targeting was set to passive IFF recongition. This prevented the ADK ships form knowing they were being locked onto with the missile computers, but it prevented its own drawbacks to the well prepared fleet. The seconds slowly ticked away as they waited for the response, Admiral Fortune looking down toward his gold academy watch, "I wonder Commodore, if they'll stop and signal us, or if they'll just attempt to attack the fleet..."

Commodore Pataki shook his head looking over the LIDAR screen, and looking at the information being transmitted from the tracking station on Charon below. "They wouldnt dare...the bases on Charon confirm the number of unknown vessels at 45...that gives up nearly a five to one advantage over the enemy warships. No commander would put their ships in jepodry just to try and attack Pluto and Charon..." It was an optomistic view, and certainly one shared by nearly two dozen other commanders in the CDF...tick tick tick...

<taggity taggity> :mrgreen:

<tag for IC post asap>

The Regina Caelorum and her escorts continued firing on the minute Plutonian bases that were suspected of belonging to NYNJ. But other things soon drew their attention...

"High Grand Admiral, sensors are showing structures on Charon...there's a transmission coming in sir."

"This is Admiral Nelson Fortune, of the Federal Stellar Navies, Charon Defense Fleet, you are ordered to ceasefire, and standdown your weapons systems. Further attacks on Pluto, will be seen as an act of war. You have a minute to comply.."

Ahhh...quite amusing Admiral Fortune. won't you dance with me?

Quin Izumi smiled. "Tell Captain Nicodemus Grieg to take his squadron and probe the enemy defenses."

The order was relayed and six ships moved, a heavy crusier and five destroyers. They deployed fighters, corvettes, and gunboats... and they all moved towards the massive fleet that awaited them.

And other vessels in the Regina Caelorum's company left, disappearing into swirling vortexes between dimensions and space-time, and the rest opened fire on the Charoni Penal Colony.

Ahh... this is merely the overture of this grand symphony. Listen to the timbres of our mighty weapons and tremble humans! Or would you rather give us a response? Can you best our lethal concert, Admiral Fortune?

A small reconnaissance drone, its origin Triton, flew by, watching the entire scene with considerable interest.

A transmission was sent to the neptune and craftworld councils, encouraging them to [tag] the situation.

"The warships are still firing on Pluto, Admiral....hold on, we've got incoming, five, no six warships...one Cruiser, with escorts...they're launching attack craft!" Admiral Fortune, just looked around toward his XO Commodore Pataki and then moved forward toward the viewport which itself began to black out as the blast doors began to close. The image of space would soon however be shown on the bridge viewers thanks to the holographic projects, a gift from the Menelmacari.

"Whoever these people are, they must not value their own lives. Fine with me. We've given them ample warning. Put me through to the Fleet....This is Admiral Fortune, to all warships, pick your targets, ignore the six ships approaching. Aim for the larger warships attacking Pluto. Frigates, engage the Escorts with your torpedos. Do NOT repeat DO NOT use all of your torpedos. This maybe just an advanced wave..."

The possiblity hit Fortune rather suddenly and he moved over toward the Commuications Officer and keyed it over from Intra-Fleet Communications, to Navy Wide Radio. "This is Admiral Fortune aboard the Battleship Resolute, to Admiral Fletcher of the 1st Fleet, we've got a situation around the Charon, Pluto area, be advised, we may need assistance from the Fleet Carriers. Repeat we have a combat situation and we maybe in need of additional warship support."

Bridge, 1st Fleet Flagship FSN Yorktown(SCVN-2802):

Admiral Fletcher heard the message and wondered who could be attacking, it was definately a surprise for it to happen. Checking over a list of ships he realized his own Fleet as well as the other 3 numbered fleets of the navy were ready for action. "Well now...whoever it is, cant be very smart..the 2nd Fleet was suppose to depart for combat manuvers anyway..." An idea went off in Fletchers head and he moved across the bridge and gazed out toward the Lexington and her Fleet of warships...

Half an hour later the warships of the 2nd Fleet began to depart Martian orbit going at STL speeds toward Pluto. It would take sometime for them to arrive out there though.

Pluto-Charon Area:

"We gave them enough time...all vessels, manuver to open fire with maxmum effect."

The battleships began to turn so that the Ports faced the enemy fleet in the distance. Railgun turrets turning toward the direction of the largest enemy warships, it wasnt long before targeting solutions were aquired and the first shots against the ADK fleet were fired. One hundred and twenty heavy rail gun shots were fired in the openning salvo as the Battleship crews worked to reload the guns for the next salvo. The railguns were firing rounds designed after the incident with the unknown organic cruiser to be especially tough and anti armor capable.

The Cruisers waited though, the leader of the Cruiser Squadron wanted to hold his ships back in reserve to wait and see how the Charon STO batteries managed against the incoming warships. The Destroyers and Frigates however did not wait. They fired hundreds of large 300mm CKTs(Capital-Killer Torpedos) toward the direction of the offending fleet. They focused on the smaller escorts mainly wanting to clear space quickly letting the Battleships deal with the Cruisers and Battlecruisers. During all of this the defenses on Charon were active. They tracked and kept an eye on the six approaching ships and when they got as close as they would get, missiles arced up and raced out of Charons small gravity pull. Nearly six dozen STO-2 Sentry missiles, larger than the STO-1 Sky Havens, they were designed to be stand off missiles. Harassment against incoming transports, they werent designed really to do much to anything larger and stronger than a Destroyer. However the STO-1 batteries only worked within a certain distance and it was more than likely the ADK vessels would stay away from Charon.

"Torpedos away Admiral..." An ensign called out as Admiral Fortune watched on the holographic projection the hundreds of thin silver dart like torpedos race through space trying to beat each other toward targets which they had yet to fully designate. The first salvo of torpedos had not been given active targets, but were set to target any IFF not belonging to an NYNJ or MIDF warship. Both navies putting out unique IFF signatures, it would have been difficult for anyone to fool these missiles unless they knew what they were looking for."45 seconds till impact...."

It was unneccesary for any of the bridge on any of the bridges on any of the ships in the fleet to inform their commanding officer of the projectiles coming towards them. The commanding officers knew of the projectiles and they knew that their weapons officers would handle the situation immedeately.

The 20 ships that remained firing on Pluto and Charon had their defensive weaponry tracking the projectiles almost at the instant after they were fired. As the railgun fire came into range, the PDL's and other defensive weapons systems fired in an attempt to destroy as many as possible before they hit the Khristian vessels.

But not all were destroyed, some smashed themselves into Khristian vessels, destroying three frigates and damaging several destroyers and two crusiers.

Such fury, Amdiral Fortune... but so direct, so focused against one point... Has the tactic of the feint fallen out of use in the New Yorker and Jerseyian military doctirne?

Quin Izumi twirled a strand of his long platnium blonde hair with his fingers and looked down at his display.

More brute force, Admiral Fortune? Do you really lack such subtly?

The small flotilla's defensive weaponry now fired upon these new weapons of destruction.

And more of these swept through, destroying two destroyers, and severly wounding five crusiers and a carrier, even the Regina Caelorum was hit by these weapons.

But then the Khristian High Grand Admiral noticed the missiles coming from Charon and headed for Captain Grieg's sqaudron.

"Target the sources of those missiles with main Plasma Cannon Array and fire Mister Andante."

The fourteen plasma cannons of the Regina Caelorum's main PCA fired upon the tiny moon, ignoring the missiles almost entirely.

Captain Greig looked at the battle display screen sitting in his lap and smiled.

Everything is going almost according to plan... He continued to smile as his small sqaudron's defenses fired into the oncoming missiles.

"Lieutenant, fire one salvo of EM missiles at the NYNJ fleet and instruct the rest of the sqaudron to follow suite."

The defensive weapons on the five destroyers and one crusier fired at the oncoming missiles, but they all suffered damage, but continued on.

EM missiles were designed to destroy a hostile vessel's electrical systems, rendering them totally vunerable to attack, and 100 of them were now headed towards the foreward ships in the NYNJ fleet.

19 FTL portals opened up around the NYNJ fleet, each at a different Angle of Attack. Kinetics, missiles, plasma bombs, and torpedos streamed from ships now exiting the portals towards the NYNJ vessel.

Quin Izumi looked at the battle display and smiled. And what shall you do now, Admiral Fortune? The players still await the first act of our symphony to begin...

Note: Editied because NYNJ demanded me to. :P

Bridge, S.P.S. Daggerstar, Fifth Task Group, Solar Orbit 9, Ten Million Kilometers behind Pluto

Lieutenant (Senior Grade) Jeffery Kennedy blinked as silent alarms jangled in his brain, the sensors of the S.P.S. Daggerstar reporting directly to him.

Energy readings, consistent with FTL drives.

Match to ADK, deceleration/arrival patterns.

Status, immediately hostile.

Position, near Pluto orbit.

Kennedy felt his eyes go wide and fall on the plot before him. As junior tactical officer, of the Fifth Task Group flagship, he still stood a watch rotation, and this was it. He keyed in the Captain’s quarters without even thinking about it. “Sir, we’ve got ADK vessels transiting out of FTL Drives near Pluto.”

His commanding officer blinked back at him, then snapped an order. “Sound General Quarters, Lieutenant. Signal the Admiral, and the rest of the Task Group.”

“Aye, sir.” A atonal howl tore through the ship, fit to wake the dead, but there were no dead men lining the deck heads yet. That might soon change, though, for a state of war still existed between the Federation and ADK. And it was the duty of the Federation military to prosecute that war to the full extent of their abilities.

The Lieutenant’s comm screen relit, this time with the face of Rear Admiral Monegy. “Kennedy, the task group will advance to gain more information so that the proper course of action can be formulated,” the Admiral snapped out before Kennedy could even open his mouth to respond.

“Aye, sir. Orders are being transmitted now.”

“Good. Have Harry contact me once he gets on the Bridge. I’ll be on the Flag Bridge.”

“Ayeaye, sir.” The screen went blank. The orders were passed.

And ten million kilometers behind Pluto in its orbit, eighteen drive fields blazed to full strength as the Federation of Sentient Peoples Space Navy Fifth Task Group began to advance.

OOC: Before I even consider posting again several things need to be worked out...

1)In your last post you didnt put a single thing about any ships taking damage. So your telling me that your fleet managed to stop 120 railgun shots?(Unlikely as that is, especially since your trying to shoot a bullet with more bullets. No matter how good your targeting system is, it aint good enough to stop all 120) Hundreds of missiles(which if your focused on the Railgun shots with your escorts and the heavy ships, how are your escorts gonna stop the missiles to?


2)The FTL wank is gonna end

OOC: Before I even consider posting again several things need to be worked out...

1)In your last post you didnt put a single thing about any ships taking damage. So your telling me that your fleet managed to stop 120 railgun shots?(Unlikely as that is, especially since your trying to shoot a bullet with more bullets. No matter how good your targeting system is, it aint good enough to stop all 120) Hundreds of missiles(which if your focused on the Railgun shots with your escorts and the heavy ships, how are your escorts gonna stop the missiles to?


2)The FTL wank is gonna end, I'm not accepting random portals openning up around my fleet, unless the ships actually leave the portals as well making them open to fire. Furthermore, there will be no repeat of the FTL incident over Earth. Suicide ships are one thing, exploding FTL subspace crap is another.

3)Last but not least, last night you said you had 145 warships, and a lot more...how? You have no Earth based industry so where are you making all these warships?Hmm?An explination would be nice, otherwise these 145 warships are the only ones I'm acknowledging from escaping ADK Earth out of the system.

#tagged... Will come in, when my sensors/scanners orbiting Neptune notice things heating up...

#taggity tag for Thelasi meddling... now where did I put those hospital ships...#

The small Five Civilized Nations space station orbiting Neptune was normally the epitome of apathy. Long considered obsolete, the station was manned by reservists, civilians required to perform three months of service each year. Normally, monitoring the secure space lanes, the station was an anachronism in the age of faster than light technology. But today was different, for today, something was actually occurring.

The crew were bored, having already spent some 88 days at the station. Only a few days until the crew would be replaced by another team of reservists. Only one man was on duty, an aging sensor technician, who in regular life could have been a mechanic. As the technician glanced over the screens, checking each and every of his long and short-range sensors, things began to go wrong. Shocked, the technician pressed the red button...

Within seconds, the entire station came alive as the bored crew stumbled to their stations. The station commander, Lieutenant Commander Isiah Strong stumbled into the control room, blinking his eyes, attempting to wake up. Sitting down in his chair, he demanded a report from the technician on duty.

The technician wheeled his chair around and stood, saluting. In an excited tone, he said, "Commander Strong, some fleet of forty-five vessels suddenly near Pluto. Within seconds, I had high levels energy signatures near Pluto... We have weapons discharges, sir..."

Commander Strong swore, as he quickly dialed up the comm unit, intent upon informing the nearest Combined 5CN Naval Base about the situation. Connected to the Moon Base, Strong hurried explained the situation.

Within ten minutes, a battle group, centered around the Nahel Argama Class Fleet Carrier, La Vie En Rose, and consisting of one Archangel Class Battleship, two Salamis Class Cruisers, five Musai VI Class Cruisers, and one Meteor XI Class Frigate, left the Avalon Moon Base and entered hyperspace bound for Pluto...

ETA to destination: 2 hours...

(OOC: Look here (http://s6.invisionfree.com/International_Mall/index.php?showtopic=163) if you want info on my ships...

TAG for now. I'll think about more if the issues get resolved.

(TAG)

[Tag]

Bridge, CDF Flagship Resolute-

"Multiple enemy contacts have been hit! Registering five warships destroyed and seven damaged!" The report came in as a scream from the LIDAR Officer over the blaring bridge alarms. "New contacts! It's the warships that went into FTL sir! They're appearing around the fleet! Less than 20 warships!" Fortune crused aloud but then realized the fact, the Escorts and Destroyers had yet to be fully utilized. A seperate alarm went off and Fortume and looked over toward the LIDAR Officer who screamed, "INCOMING!"

Outside of the Resolute small mass drivers openned up streaming out slug after slug in directions where missiles and other projectiles were zooming in from. All across the fleet the fire of point defense lasers or point defense guns(mass drivers) could be seen. However even an overwhelming amount of PD fire couldnt keep all the weapons from hitting upon their targets. Several Frigates in the outer sphere of the fleet were struck. One registered heavy damage and began to slowly move seeking protection from the larger Cruisers and Battleships. Another 2 Frigates were damaged but kept on fighting.

The Gearing class Destroyer was designed for a mix of work, and when the new contacts appeared around the fleet they were thrust into their anti-capital ship role. They had two main turrets each armed with a dual gun. Medium plasma cannons suited for this kind of short range work. The Destroyers manuvered within the fleet to choose their targets 2-4 destroyers attacking any one ship. Plasma cannons unleashing fire upon the new contacts. Admiral Fortune didnt need tactics right now. The 2nd Fleet was well on its way and would be arriving at any moment. At least that was the expectation.

The Hood class Cruisers had kept from using their main railguns against anyone infavor of waiting to see what the breakaway group of a single Cruiser and several Destroyers would do. As they kept advancing on Charon, Line Captain Hamilton had kept open a private communication channel to the other Cruisers. "Okay gentlemen, we've got ships advancing on Pluto. Prepare to break from the fleet and form a wall. They will not get by us." It took 5 minutes before the Cruisers began to move, twenty in all began to move. The turreted guns openning fire with railgun shots upon all the warships. Even anticapital ship missiles were fired. They wanted to finish off the damaged vessels before any harm could be done to Charon.

On Charon itself only the missile stands were hit. The STO-1 batteries were located elsewhere on the planet to prevent such an event. Empty fields were hit and damage to the moon itself was negliable at best.

"This is Admiral Fortune, to the unknown warships, you are outnumbered and out gunned. Surrender, and we will treat all prisoners fairly under the Articles of War."



Bridge-2nd Fleet Flagship, Lexington-

"Admiral Towne, we are passing Jupiter now, we should be able to go to FTL as soon as we have cleared Jupiter and her moons. However we'll have to drop out just before we reach Pluto. Estimated time before we arrive on the area should be another 4 hours." Towne nodded his head slightly as he watched Jupiter pass by on the left. He'd been reading the reports as they came in. So far things were going pretty well for the CDF. He just hoped that there would be scraps left for his ships when this was all over.

Near the embattled plannet, a group of large vessels floated silently. On their sides were painted massive red crosses and red crecents. From them came a steady stream of ships, all of them converted Thelasi dropships, also with markings of peace on them. For each ship there were two destroyers floating beside, silently waiting.

As the battle broke out, one of the ships, with her escorts, moved out.

At the battle sight, the medical ship stopped, "This is the Thelasi Hospital Ship Cirbanri, we are standing by to receive wounded from both sides. I repeat, this is the unarmed medical ship Cirbanri, we are standing by to receive wounded from both sides"

Bridge, S.P.S. Daggerstar, Fifth Task Group, Solar Orbit 9, Three Million Kilometers from ADK Fleet

Captain Mark Ramsey gazed at the holographic plot, displaying the battle. Weapons fire was streaking back and forth, and at this range, was delay by a few moments as the EM signatures transitted the gulf of space.

A silent signal blazed inside his head as Daggerstar informed him the time had come. He glanced down at the plot, then at the Admiral's face, showing in one of his chair displays. "Admiral?"

"Call the shot, Captain."

"Aye, sir." Ramsey's gaze drifted across the bridge. "Mister Kennedy, you may fire when ready."

Kennedy gulped, and hoped his nervous did not show. He gazed at his tactical plot, and read the raw sensor data through his implants. Daggerstar, find me the biggest ship in the ADK Fleet and lock it up, and transmit to all vessels.

Done, Mister Kennedy.

Thank you.

He glanced at the Captain, who nodded, and then Kennedy called out in a sure voice. "All ships, rotate ninety degrees to starboard, and prepare to fire under pattern Delta-One."

And with the delay built into voice commands, Kennedy ordered, "Fire!"

The eighteen ships swung around perfectly in sequence, and began to rolling, but in the instant their broadsides levelly faced the ADK fleet, the first broadside fired, and as the roll completed, the second fired, tearing outward, easily catching the first, the drives on the missiles of which had been set for delayed activation. A single salvo of hundreds of missiles speared for the Khristatatan Fleet, and they only had to reach 5000 kilometers from their targets before the X-ray laser warheads would explode, spearing multiple beams into the target from each missile.

And they were only targeted on one single Khristatatan ship.

Bridge, CDF Flagship Resolute

"Admiral we've got SP warships joining in on the fray. They're engaging the enemy targets." The report came in from one officer as another bridge officer spoke up. "We've indentified the unknown warships. Bringing it up on the LIDAR..." Admiral Fortune stopped from concentrating on the battle to looking up toward the the large LIDAR screen and blinked several times as the unknown profiles were suddenly given names of classes identified. "Those are ADK Warships..." A small smirk on his lips he always knew a few of the enemy warships had escaped. It was a question that was always asked what happened to the enemy forces.

"Relay this information back to Chimera. Then relay this information to Admiral Towne. I cant believe this is it though..." Fortune was just alittle worried over this whole matter. Only forty five warships in this attack. A hastily made attack, against an enemy they had gathered no real intelligence against, or had they..."Inform Admiral Towne, to hold his fleet at Saturn. They are ordered to wait for further orders." Fortune was being cautious, something smelled like a trap and he wasnt going to risk 2/5ths of the Navy for Pluto and Charon. No matter what was on them both.

Fortune's mind was quickly brought back into the battle as the commuications came in from the Thelasi vessels. "What the hell? Do these morons realize they're near a combat zone?" It was a rhetorical question and Fortune moved over toward the transmit button pushing it down and screaming into it. "This is the Charon Defense Fleet Flagship, Resolute, to Thelasi vessels, you are dangerously close to a combat zone. We will not be held responsable for any stray shots which should happen to strike your vessels." Cutting off the line before the Thelasi Captain had a chance to reply Fortune pondered sending a squadron of destroyers over to harass the hospital ships.

The battle comes first...lets get through this then we'll have fun with the Thelasi.

Bridge, 2nd Fleet Flagship Lexington:

"All ships, this is Admiral Towne, we've been ordered to stop just near Saturn. We will hold there and await orders from the CDF." The ships slowed down and waited. Taking up positions in the general area of the rings around Saturn, the 2nd Fleet would try to hide as many of its smaller warships as possible and appear to be only a smaller fleet of warships. Towne didnt like the orders, he had participated in the Sixteen Minutes War in which the FSN had delieved a crippling blow to the nation of Abu-Dhabi Kharistian in just a span of 16 minutes. However it was his group which allowed for several ADK warships to slip by out of the system, granted it was under orders to do so, but he felt responsible for their allowance to leave, and now for their violent return.

What the hell is Fortune thinking...if that fleet is the Vanguard then Fortune could find himself seriously outnumbered with support still nearly 7 hours away from being effective....

Quin Izumi was not amused. He glanced down at the display in his lap, and it showed that almost half of his force had been destroyed or incapacitated.

We have served our purpose.... They know we live. It is in God's hands now...

"Lieutenant, give the order for all ships to withdraw and tell Grand Admiral Amatsu Mikabohi that Phase II has been initiated and that he may begin his attack."

Now that you know we are here, this symphony shall be even more glorious and furious.

And as the chaos encricled them, they disappeared into their FTL portals, to await their appointed time when they would return.

*************************************************************
Outside of Venus Orbit

One hundred Khristian capital type vessels exited hyperspace on the Mercury side of Venusian orbit. they were arrayed in glorious splendor. Their hulls were hues of white, gold, blue, red, green, and black. They were the first Khristian ships that had a true cosmetic value, and instead of being sharp and angled were much more curved and streamlined, but almost all retained numerous spires, so classic of Khristian shipbuilding.

Amatsu Mikaboshi stood on the bridge of the Artis Morendi, which was Latin for The Art of Dying. He had brown hair and green eyes, and stood about 5'6", fairly large for a Khristian(The Khristians like to keep their colonies and ships at 1.5 Terran gravity to increase their strength and mobility there.)

"Lieutenant, please broadcast the Hymn of Abu-Khrista on all availible channels and give the order for all vessels to begin their assualt on any ship that is in, enters, or leaves, Venusian orbit. And tell them to make sure the terraforming equipment is destroyed."

All the capital ships deployed their fighters, corvettes, and various other strike craft. The number of the fighters being 500, the number of corvettes being 130, the number of gunships being 80, and the number of gunboats being 40.

Frigates went in behind the assault groups of strike craft, firing their missiles. Various destroyers went behind them, Assualt Destroyers, Ion destroers, Missile Destroyers, Support Destroyers, Defense Destroyers, and Gravity Destroyers. Light Crusiers followed them, providing heavy fire support.

As the destruction ensued around Venusian space, the Hymn of Abu-Khrista rang throughout the solar system.

"Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion city of our God; God, whse word cannot be broken, formed the for his own abode. On the rock of ages founded, what can shake hy sure repose? With salvation's walls surronded, thou mayst smile at all thy foes."

Flage Bridge, S.P.S. Daggerstar, Fifth Task Group, Solar Orbit 9, Two and a half million kilometers behind Pluto

Read Admiral Monegy looked at the plot as the Khristatatan ships vanished into hyper. "Cowards," he muttered. "Idiotic cowards." He glanced at the display giving him Ramsey's face.

"Abort the engagement, Captain."

"Aye, sir."

"Have the task group stand down from Condition Red, and continue on approach to the NYNJ fleet to see if they need assistance."

"Yes, sir."

"I'll be in my quarters if I'm needed." Monegy stood, and stretched. It would feel good to be out of his vac suit again. He really would like to get some sleep.

Central Command, Under Purple Mountain, Commonwealth of Sentient Peoples, FSP

"Captain?!"

"Yes, Jason?" Jack Criton walked down the aisle between the banks of computers towards the scanner tech who had spoken. "What is it?"

"We've got multiple emergences at Venus. ADK vessels. They appear to be attacking the terraforming units."

"Do we have anything nearby?"

"No, sir. And even if we did..." He cut off as the numbers appeared. High. Very high. "I don't think we could stop them."

"You're right. I imagine that ENEM would like to know this. They've almost got to have units there. And this will probably provoke a Triumvirate response. Foolish actions to be sure." Criton wheeled. "Communications, send an update to all vessels. It looks like ADK is trying some sort of general offensive against Sol. All units are to go to Condition Red Two."

"Aye sir."

<CommandSpool, QACF/HCR Apogee>
{
[SHODAN] >> ADK fleet action threatening allied forces reported at Venus. Threatened allies: S-14, Menelmacar. Report is one hundred capital ships, Ardan grade. Proceed to Standoff Point MORNINGSTAR, engage, and eliminate threat.

>> Primary objective: Eliminate threat to interests in area.

>> Secondary objective: Capture ADK command personnel and data cores for interrogation.

[SHODAN] << Following as broadcast, Queen S.H.O.D.A.N.. They will not live long enough to regret their folly.

[MRF] << Vessels of the Mobile Reaction Fleet, this is the mind of your flagship, Apogee. Recieve your orders!
}


The one-hundred-fifteen spherical warships, cylindrical carriers, and oblate troop ships of the Queendom Armed Conflict Force's Mobile Reaction Fleet blink out of existence from their staging position in the Asteroid Belt and reappear near Venus.

<< Threat vessels detected. Formulating strategy--they are blockading the planet, aft outwards. Aft arc extremely limited. Engage with oblique kinetic mine strike and follow up with immediate cleanup with engagement forces. Strike and troop forces are to concentrate on carriers.

<< FTL denial systems active.


The entire fleet powers up its gravitic drives, speeding up to high relativistic speeds before disgorging clouds of hundred hundred-kilogram sabots in a deceleration maneuver, sending thousands of these kinetic mines screaming towards the capital ships at seven-tenths the speed of light. If they could be seen, they would be visibly stretched by relativistic effects.

Slowing down to engagement speeds, the fleet breaks off into five groups of one heavy cruiser, two light cruisers, four frigates, and six destroyers each, naval railguns and masers sliding in their tracks in the spherical hulls to concentrate fire on the ADK vessels. The thirty medium and frigate carriers stand off with the troop ships, all of them disgorging fighter drones from their ports.

If one wished to be pompous, one could say that the 'FIREBRAND' heavy space superiority fighters with their four rapid fire and four assault masers numbered on the order of a given number. What would be more reasonable to expect, at least in the eyes of an ADK sensors technician, is that several thousand of these ten-meter craft were approaching in jinking swarms.

The kinetic sabots zip into the ADK formations, followed by barrages of heavy railgun and naval maser fire towards their left flank, followed by sweeps of the fast mechanoid vessels raking fire over their ventral aft, one group after another.

<Communications to Aggressor Vessels>
{
<< This is the mind of the Queendom Heavy Cruiser Apogee. Surrender immediately or die.
}

QACF/HCR Apogee

With smooth acceleration, the fifty-seven ships of the Sentinel One outpost, one of the largest concentrations of C’tan military strength in existence broke orbit. The war vessels of the C’tan were generally well known to be deceptive in their numbers, and numerous navies were in the practise of multiplying C’tan ship counts by six to gain an accurate impression of fleet strength, and thus this was a horrifically dangerous fleet.

Coronas of flickering lightning played around their forms. Aboard the staggeringly vast battleship Mechanisms of the Gods, Asirnoth, The Void-Dragon, Chief Lieutenant of Mephet'ran, lord of all operations in the Sol system, watched the Kristatata fleet with a large measure of incredulity. He listened to the appalling cacophony that the Kristatatans were transmitting for a moment, even as the fleet began casually picking off the first Kristatatan missiles, he gestured casually and the massive electronic warfare systems cut across the irritating music, drowning it out in random noise.

After a moment he replaced even that with another transmission, of his voice.

“Insolent fools. I offer you this first, last and only chance to surrender. Know that you cannot win this battle. Throw yourselves upon your knees and prostrate yourselves in surrender, and I may or may not spare your lives. If you refuse this chance I will accept no later surrender, respect no so-called laws of war. You will all die.”

He then picked out a single Kristatatan ship, and transmitted to it “I like you, I’ll kill you last.”

The Dragon (http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/iimperium/Dragonav3.jpg)
Supreme Commander of the Necron Fleet, Lord-Lieutenant of Mephet'ran.

Titan Orbit

"Flightleader, sensors and comms indicate an assault on the Venus terraforming project!"

Amatsu fleet Flightleader, Ryken-Ynti Lyna, looks over the readouts. "And?"

The sensor technician swallows hard under the suddenly frigid gaze of the tall Nekoite. "Comms have lit up- Zero-One has already dispatched forces, as have the Ctan. We don't have any additional information at this time."

"Right. All ships, move to alert level 2-D, and send word to TYCS command that the 2CGF is on standby. Send word to Tengoku and Makai stations to alert the 1SDF and 4SSF. TYCS may want to get some use out of us." Ryken barks sharply. Within seconds, his orders are carried out as pilots rush to their fighters, gunners to their stations, and thaumaturgic capacitor crews to their places.

((OOC: *glorified TAG!*))

(*TaggityTag*)

Office of the Imperial President, Imperial House, Griffin, Commonwealth of Sentient Peoples, FSP

D’ron looked at the time, then blinked. It was time for his daily briefing from Cortana. But where was she? Surely she won’t be late?

She wasn’t of course. She blinked into existence just before the clock changed. “Good morning, Mister President.”

“Good morning, Cortana. What’s new?”

“Well…” D’ron’s HD flickered to life. “First up, we have reports of new ADK activity. Last night, they hit Charon, and the Fifth Task Group moved to engage in support of NYNJ forces. Once they entered the engagement, the ADK forces retreated into hyper almost immediately, and they scored no kills.”

“That won’t make Admiral Monegy happy.”

Cortana smiled. “I would imagine not. I haven’t received his after action report yet, but it will probably come in some time today.” She indicated the screen with a wave, and the picture changed from Pluto-Charon to Venus. “Soon after the ADK forces retreated from Charon, more forces appeared at Venus. Central Command issued a command sending all our forces to Condition Red Two, incase the attacks are not contained. So far, the ADK demonstrated force level is probably just about all they can maintain from their extra-solar colonies, but that’s just estimates.”

D’ron sighed, interrupting the briefing. “You know, until something is done about the Khristatatan colonies, we won’t really be rid of the threat.”

“Yes, sir. And while we know the location of those colonies, there isn’t much we can do about it, unless the Xyon Project produces some results.”

“It had better. Our lack of FTL drive systems puts us at a fundamental disadvantage compared to most of the other nations at our tech level.”

“Of course, Mister President. But we probably won't see any results for nearly a year. Shall we continue with the briefing?” Cortana sounded a little annoyed. She wasn’t patient with being told things she already knew, and D’ron knew it, and he smiled, and nodded to her. “It appears that both Imperial C’tan warships and Queendom Zero-One ships have moved to engage the ADK forces at Venus. I believe they both have considerable allied interests there, at the very least.”

D’ron nodded, thoughts tumbling over in his head. Then they came together. Observational data, if nothing else, said that the C’tan and S.H.O.D.A.N. both had FTL capable starships, as did the Triumvirate as a whole. They would be just as eager to end the threat as he was, no doubt… Rogue nations with space fleets did not usually last long if they attacked… It clicked, much like a bullet chambering in a gun. “Cortana, do you think if we gave the C’tan and S.H.O.D.A.N. the locations of the ADK Colonies they would take care of them?”

“Entirely possible. In fact, highly likely. Neither group seems to be the forgive and forget type.”

“Good. Give them the data.”

“Yes, Mister President.”

D’ron smiled. “Is there anything else?”

“Only standard operational updates.”

“Save those for tomorrow’s briefing. Act on this now.”

TacNet C-Space, Somewhere, Anywhere

Cortana reached out delicately to the blazing icons in her mind of Queen S.H.O.D.A.N.’s Earth Theater Fleet. Her mind ran over each one, until she found a connection that she sought.

Greetings, I am Cortana, and I have some information about ADK that might be of interest to your Queen…

Simultaneously, she reached out, and part of her transferred, faster than light, across the ansibles linking TacNet system wide, to Mars. She flowed through land lines, until she found a cable that she sought, and raced along it, into Sentinel Two. She was less sure what she was looking for there, but it would either find her, or she would find it, and…

…there.

Greetings, I am Cortana, and I have some information about ADK that might be of interest to the Emperor…

(OOC: D'oh! Should've seen this sooner. Well.)
Short IC:
Lights turned out, iris doors closed, and the Charon node prepared to wait things out.
Moving on to Venus:
Many Flying Islands began diving as deep as possible into the thick atmosphere to avoid the rain of ammunition from the skies, while gun turrets ran hot on the Worldring, waiting for a reason to fire.

(This has been a glorified TAG.)

A Nameless Freighter
"...And that's the last of the tanks. Looks like were good to go. All tanks sealed, batteries on full, ion accelerators primed. Docking clamps?"
"Check."
"And go for main engine burn in five, four, three, two, one, mark!"

The supertanker lit up with the blue light of escaping xenon ions as two droneships fell away and began their descent back into the atmosphere.
Bump.

"Whoa. That did not feel right."
"What?"
"That bump."
"No biggy, there're lots of bumps on an accelerating spacecraft."
"No. I've been workin' this baby for fifteen years, and that is not a normal bump. Recheck the tank seals."
"Alrighty, but I still say... holy crap. Rhada, better look at this. Pressure just dropped to under one bar in section 1 60S."
Bump.

White clouds of rapidly expanding dry ice and CO2 gas suddenly filled a high Venerian orbit. And Pilot First Class Rhadamanthus was no more, his last breaths of 30% oxygen artificial atmosphere expended on flipping the "Emergency Distress Call" switch.

Five torchships suddenly blazed to life, exerting as much energy as they could to pull away from Venus's gravitational embrace, or at least hit the far side. Droneships and spaceplanes began emergency dives back under the clouds. But for the tankers, nothing could be done. The trisectioned behemoths simply continued drifitng lazily on their pre-programmed paths, either unaware of or unable to do anything about their fate.

Just coming over the terminator, the newly constructed Orbital Tether began reeling in as fast as it could, straining to avoid breaking against the steadily increasing weight of a spaceplane on one end. Most assuredly, every one of the passengers was thanking whatever god they worshipped for the invention of liquid suspension g-couches as the tether broke 500 kliks and apparent gravity soared above what even a normal dirtfoot could stand. Finally, the pressure was intantly releaved as the spaceplane released, flung off at insane velocities sunward.

"The Frigate Capetown has lost power again, Admiral." It had been some thirty odd minutes since the fighting ended with the retreat of the ADK warships. Of the three warships which had taken damage the Capetowns was the most crippling. It had manuvered and managed to place itself between the Battleship Syracuse and several incoming plasma bombs and missiles. The PDLs and PDG fire had not managed to get nearly half the targets and now most of the port side was potmarked with hull breeches and cracks. Repair teams from around the fleet had been dispatched to the Frigate and two Destroyers moved in to cover the much smaller warship. Cables were connected from one Destroyer across space to the Frigate and power was shared between the two vessels. It was a wonder that the gravitic core had not blown up, or one of the smaller reserve fusion generators.

However another problem had presented itself. The Capetown was venting atmosphere. This required the crew itself to be evacuated from the ship to the nearby destroyers and for the repair teams to wear the bulky suits they normally saved for outside jobs. "This Frigate is in bad shape..." It was the general feeling of people amongst the repair crews and as fast as they worked they couldnt seem to get the job done fast enough. The crew of the towship Levittown waited, with the way the Frigate was currenty, they didnt dare tow it for fear of causing further damage to the vessel. However while work continued to repair the damaged Capetown, the scavengers were out.

Small transports scoured the battlefield, ten in all, each one from a seperate battleship, they werent looking to pick up debries. That was for the larger merchant men. They were scouring the field for battlefield intelligence. Computer systems. charts, documents, anything amongst the hulks which could shed some light upon this entire failed endevour.It was time to anaylze just what had happened and if this was a minor incident or something of wider importance. Fortune had convined the Senior Warship commanders on the Resolute in the war room which was a giant map of the solar system with constant updates to both locations of Fleet, and Merchant Convoys.

At Chimera, things were much different, the FSN Admiralty had not seen the incident as signifficant. Several suggestions to recall the 2nd Fleet were fielded however were reconsidered promptly when they were remainded of the 2nd Fleets duel role in the area. The 2nd Fleet itself had parked itself near Neptune and used the planets larger form to hide their pressence in the area as best as possible. If ADK launched another assault they wanted their pressence to be a complete shock. Fleet Admiral Wenfield was in little mood to hear anything more about ADK, but right when he figured the crisis over came the next series of reports..."ADK is attacking Venus now? What in heavens name is the method to this madness..."

Wenfield would have given anything to know where these attacks were coming from. Especially as the casualty reports from the Battle of Charon began to pour in. Fifty two dead in all. Thirty seven on the Capetown. Nine on the Jonesburg, and five on the Senecca. Then came the after action reports...the use of FTL by ADK vessels to position themselves around the fleet, the numbers and believed types of warships, the number of enemy types damaged and destroyed. Final though, the recorders on the Battleships and Cruisers had recorded the entire incident for further study by Military Intelligence. Wenfield couldnt wait to see the videotape. The battle itself didnt last longer than a mere two hours..

"Admiral Wenfield...ADK is launching an assault upon Venus...our monitoring stations and merchant vessels heading toward Venus have turned back..they're requesting support from the navy to protect them against ADK vessels in the system.." The Commodore held up several pages of reports, transmissions, and first guesses from fleet commanders. Wenfield looked more than just annoyed...ADK was proving more trouble than it was worth. "What can we dispatch?" "The Saratoga and the 11th Battlegroup is right now between Earth and Venus protecting Merchant shipping...if we divert them to Venus the merchants wont have any protection. However Commodore Ross is complaining he doesnt have enough ships in the area to protect all the Merchants..." "Deploy the Empres Sirithil and her battlegroup to watch over the Merchantmen...tell Ross he's getting support."

Even with the fleet numbers larger than ever, they were still stretched thinly..something had to be done. Soon.

In Titan Orbit, at the Sakkran Orbital Docks...

Admiral Shaar is preparing to perform an inspection of the Docks in person, trailed by a team of technicians to point out minute details she may miss. Her comm buzzes just as she is ready to leave.

"Sirrah, we have comms on the TYCS bands. SOmething you may want to be apprised of."

The Admiral walks back to the comm terminal. "The gist?"

"Zero-One ships and Reploid crafts report Abu Dhabi Khristatata vessels engaging Jovian allied interests. Course of action?"

Shaar ponders a moment. "Notify Fleet Beta. They should be finished performing maneuvers in the Asteroid Belt. Have them watch the area, and apprise as needed. Reports should be sent to my mobile messenger."

"Aye, Sirrah."

(I.E. elaborate tag)

Venus

To call what the fleet was putting out a storm of fire would be an understatement. Vast arcs of false-lightning shot across the sky everywhere in all their incandescent glory, the whickering green quasi-magnetic beams of gauss-flayer weapons 'burned' hull and crew and structure away from ships whenever they hit. At great speed, half a dozen cruisers shot forward, spewing fire from all across their hulls as they went, closing to within short range of the enemy they appeared to explode as they released strange pulses of seething destructive energies that lit the entire area for a moment, powerful enough to tear the hull from a ship in the blink of an eye from every point on their hull simultaneously, barring those parts that would cause it to attack their own vessels.

All the time, they carefully avoided hitting the ship their leader had designated last to be destroyed. A shroud class light cruiser standing off from the battle casually prepared several hundred light – too light to do much damage – missiles.

Duat

Mephet'ran cackled quietly, this was… good news…

He punched a few buttons on his elaborately built throne, speaking after a moment, addressing the midlevel AI that ran his communications, “Get me the Taeonash fleet. We’re going ADK hunting. And send that Cortana some kind of token of my thanks.”

As the SHODAN and C'tan fleets began their attacks, Grand Admiral Amatsu Mikaboshi smirked. Fortunately for him and his forces, they were not congregated all in one group, but were spread out in taskforces of varying sizes.

"Lieutenant, remind all vessels that those projectiles could be either missiles or kinetics and have them take the neccessary measures."

The Khristian ships let loose electro-magnetic interference in an attempt to disrupt the guidance systems of the SHODAN projectiles, in case they were missiles, but they also sped out of the way, in case they were kinetics.

Mikaboshi looked at the battle display as a massive cloud of green, the color that had been assigned to the SHODAN forces, moved towards the black dots of his ships.

"Lieutenant, have all ships fire a volley of hypersonics towards those incoming SHODAN craft. Instruct the Ion Destroyers and Gravity Destroyers to begin attack runs. Send frigates, Defense Destroyers, and fighters as escort and support."

120 hypersonics lanced out from the Khristian vessels towards the swarms of SHODAN fighters and their 'motherships.'

Some 25 capital ships went broke off from their groups to intercept and destroy the SHODAN fighters and harrass the larger vessels. 30 frigates went with them, and 120 fighters.

The rest of the Khristian fleet began to fire also. Plasma cannon fire, ion cannon fire, gravity cannon fire, laser fire, missiles, and kinetics.

Amatsu Mikaboshi looked down at the display and saw several of his ships bleep out of existance, while several more showed signs of uncontrollable drift. He then responded to the SHODAN order to surrender.

"Why should we surrender to your genocidal Triumvirate? Have you not butchered enough families and destroyed the lives of enough people? It is better to die than to be enslaved to you."

Amatsu then noticed the incoming C'tan vessels, which were then assigned the color of blue. He listened to the incoming transmission and then gave his reply.

"Tell us why we should surrender, and perhaps we shall...but we all die sometime."

The Grand Admiral then observed as two or three ships bleeped out of existance as C'tan pseudo-lightening and pseudo-fire encompassed them. At least a dozen ships also suffered varying degrees of damage.

"Fire two volleys of hypersonics, Lieutenant, and deploy gravdrones."

36 hypersonics left the Artis Morendi and then 36 more. All were headed for the warships of the C'tan.

************************************************************

Within the dimension commonly reffered to as 'hyperspace' or possibly even 'between', there moved a massive structure, the closest description of it would most likely be a 'megalith', for it was the combonation of randomly joined metal 'plates' or 'sheets' that formed one massive vessel(Think Guild Highliner from the Sci-Fi version of Dune.) In fact this mobile
structure was called Megalith.

Megalith was enormously massive in size, even larger than the old mobile Khristian colonies. It was cyndrical in shape, and was roughly 30 kilometers in length. Megalith was designed to support Khristian fleets and to serve as a mobile base for their operations. It housed it's own hydroponic facilites, recycling facilities, shipbuild and repair facilites, living quarters, research labratories, and offensive/defensive systems.

Grand Admiral Estriom Shineheart stood aboard the primary control center of the Megalith confused as to why his massive spacefaring vessel could not exit 'hyperspace' near Venus.

"Hmm... Do you believe the rumors of SHODAN FTL-inhibiting technology are true, Captain?"

"Perhaps..."

"Have us exit as close as possible to Venus and then bring us towards the battlezone."

"As you command."

OOC: Sorry, I've been having family problems and computer problems. The family problems are fixed, but the computer problems... well... there doesn't seem to be much of an answer in the near future.

(OOC: As much as I'd like not to do this... Balls to the wall it is, then. Wank throttle full forward.)

>< Curious.

Hypersonics... ah, Mach 5 and above. Absolutely meaningless in a vacuum, and, where it does have meaning, pitifully slow when their targets are ships powered by inertialess gravitic drives run by advanced intelligent machines many thousands of times faster than any human. Thus, hardly a threat, especially when extreme c-fractionals could be dodged by mere meat.

The destroyers, with their large forward guns, are also hardly a threat, the QACF vessels simply change their aspect of attack faster than the Khristatan vessels can turn. It's a simple tactic, really, flying in circles... one stays in front of the advesaries' crosshairs but, by keeping the same aspect to the same advesary, the enemy stays still in one's own. Easy targets indeed, for the relativistic railgun rounds and masers pouring from the capital ships.

Which, taken as the sum total of guns that the fleet could concentrate on any one target at any given time, is around four thousand six hundred sixty capital railguns and an equal number of powerful microwave masers. The total number is around three-halves to twice that amount.

The QACF does not make the mistake of spreading its fire. It selects a capital ship squadron, sends its own massive force to it, and crushes it like the collection of miniscule insects it is. Each of the five groups picks a formation, concentrates on the largest vessel, then works down to the smaller ones.

Return fire? Why that, of course, requires turrets with apetures that face in a particular direction. This direction can be seen, and in an application of the kung fu art of avoiding gunfire by noting the direction of the barrel and thus the future path of the bullet, can thus be used to avoid any return fire. A simple mathematics problem. Nothing to sentient machines. Even then... plasma? Clouds of ionized chaff will disperse it, and there are sufficient countermeasure stores. Ion cannons? The same will do. Lasers? The same. Missiles? Any guidance system can be spoofed, and those that come near enough can simply feel the wrath of thousands of rapid-fire point defense masers. Kinetics and gravity cannon? Reference turrets.

The twenty-five Khristatan caiptal ships, their thirty frigates, and one-hundred twenty fighters plowed for their objective, and their objective, plowed back. Fifteen thousand five hundred fifty space superiority fighters, four assault and four rapid-fire masers blazing. Eight thousand, one hundred thousand bombers, disgorging load after load of anti-ship and anti-fighter missiles. Not needing to care for any pilot inside them, they move and jink with impossible accelerations that would certainly crush any pilots inside. Not needing to rely on voice to communicate, they coordinate through the battle network with disheartening efficiency, the entire gestalt of craft adapting to any change in the battlespace nearly instantaneously.

Of course, mistakes are made, not of calculation but of judgement. Some fighters certainly do meet up with the streams of fire put forth by the Khristatans and fare poorly because of it, some of the capital ships are grazed by the return fire, simply causing them to gain a little more range and be more careful in the future. Two destroyers, more weapons platform than armor, spin out of control, but the gestalt adapts quickly to their loss, and a light cruiser reports moderate damage.

* - * - *

<Communications to Aggressor Vessels>
{
<< We believe your history is mistaken. The Triumvirate has had no dealing with you except for multiple rejections of your attempts to join.

<< Also... we are of the Queendom. Not the Triumvirate. Perhaps a more appropriate insult is in order?

<< Emotional banter will not sway us. You should surrender because your failure is inevitable if you do not.
}

* - * - *

>< A new contact?

If size is intended to inspire fear, it fails utterly. Something so large is simply an easier target to hit. The troop transports and carriers spin up their gravitic drives once more to intercept, starting into a long circle at high relativistic speeds. Whenever the tangent of their arc meets up with the path of the 'lith, they spew another salvo of hundreds of kinetic mines, which, being no more than very small sabots with no guidance and no active emissions (for they are only one hundred kilograms of osmium and tungsten, hardly more than a meter in length), should have little trouble contacting a thirty-kilometer target, especially when fired in patterns.

Even at moderate relativistic speeds, the yield of each impact measures into the tens of megatons of trinitrotoulene equivalent, and there are hundreds in each salvo... and tens of salvos... and they come with mechanical efficiency and all the brute-force mathematics that the bleeding edge of quantum mechatronic computing provides.

Alert spread rapidly back to Saturn space, and once again, as many times before, any TDF ships in dock were called up and border patrols doubled.

At stations located in key points of the Saturnian system, vast assemblies spun up, spewing forth interference, denying FTL travel to and from the vast region. Even though seperated from the conflict by innumerable kilometers, the systems were brought to life, a precaution given the proliferation of FTL through the system.


"It's time for a test run"
At the edge of these bubbles, sister ships, the TDF-X1776 Liberty and TDF-X2001 New York spun up their FTL drives, courses set for well outside of standard QACF FTL denial ranges. Given the proliferation of giant space warfare vessels, two ships, destroyers, were commissioned, each carrying the largest mass drivers mounted as weapons on a TDF ship. They would sit at distance (well outside of the battle) and lob megagram projectiles at moderate c into the offensive vessels. If it became apparent that the enemy could intercept the rounds with any consitancy, smaller rounds would be used, and if that failed still, they would fire their equally massive drives (for a destroyer) and close the gap.


Lt. Com. Crighton of the Liberty drums his fingers on arm of his chair, not quite comfortable with the small bridge and the utilitarian chair.
I'm sitting on top of a billion dollar gun and they won't spend the extra fifty for a nice Menelmacari captain's chair.
"Sir, drive capacitors charged and ready to go."
"Sir, 1 megagram projectile loaded and weapon capacitors charged."

Crighton looked at the tactical display, q entanglement relays sending rudimentary data to the ship.
"We'll be dropping out ten thousand klicks outside of the QACF denial perimeter."
"Weapons, as soon as we drop in, find the two largest Khristian vessels you see, confirm identity, and have at 'em"
"Helm, prepare to jump on my mark." This always makes me sick
"MARK"

Space and time distort in ways that the three pounds of lumpy grey flesh between Crighton's shoulders can not comprehend, and an instant becomes an eternity.

An instant later, the two vessels appear (both on opposite sides of the engagement) and take a moment to observe their surroundings.
Seconds later the two vessels fire, each disgorging megagram projectiles at moderate c. Simultaneously, they contact QACF vessels, letting them know who they are and offering assistance if needed.

OOC: Wankfest eh?

IC:

Aboard the Aurora-Class Wormhole Gate Crystal Vision the attack was virtually unexpected by it's sentient occupants - but the instinctive intelligence cores that watched the space around them were expecting the attack. It was the only thing they did and they responded instantly. Shields snapped up as random munitions snapped past until the point defense grid came up and started reducing them to vapor in brief puffs of cyan plasma. Data streamed out, probing the target fleet and transmitting data on the attackers to friendly fleets and back through the command structure.

----

Captain Goddard, the station master and guardian of nearly a thousand lives, had been riding the turbolift to the mess facilities when the attack began. The command II broke into the heavy metal that was playing in the lift and interupted a great air guitar riff.

"Captain Goddard, Triumvirate facilities and assets are under attack from a fleet that seems to follow Khristatian design. Shields have been raised and I have engaged point defense systems. What are your orders?"

"ADK? What the fuck do they think they are doing?"

"Unknown. Update - Triumvirate fleets are engaging. Your orders?"

"Contact HQ, relay the situation and ask for reinforcements. Order gunnery to load super-heavy's and HOBD weapons on my authorization."

He paused for a second - he was one station against a fleet though their were friends nearby. The super-heavy's and HOBD systems were distastful but he felt they were nessecary - the SDF didn't believe in a proportional response.

"Orders transmitted Captain. Any other orders?"

"Yes - reverse the lift."

The lift slowed and raced back toward the command deck as the battle raged outside.

----

On the command deck Lt. Granger had been expecting an uneventful lunch when the attack had begun.

"Um - fire on the closest ship."

"With what weapon system Lt.?"

He didn't know what weapon was good for what purpose - he was a science officer pulling a manditory shift. This was supposed to be training for eventual advancement and a move to a science cruiser command and now he was in command during his first combat.

"Your choice Ensign?"

Ensign von Krauz giggled. It was perhaps inappropriate in a combat situation but he had been trained to expect a rapid fire string of orders - not a hesitant command from a trainee officer. Still this was a chance to use the big guns. He had some ideas he had been dying to try out...

"Aye Sir - orienting weapon systems and firing. Might want to watch the screen Lt..."

The main screen oriented on a nearby ADK cruiser as the four large ball turrets arrayed around the outside of the gate oriented on the target. There was no firing - they were emitters - though the energies emitted were invisible but very detectable. It was easy to see the effects of four points of immense gravity that suddenly formed around the targetted cruiser. Missiles began to 'fall' into the wells, curving and spinning off into space as their systems were torn apart by the competing gravity wells.

von Krauz's console chirped and he glanced down. "Holy sh... Lt., the Captain has authorized use of super-heavy warheads and... Hmm - what's your security clearance?"

"Er - S2?"

"Yeah - super heavy's and some other stuff. Your orders?"

"Feel free..."

"Aye Lt - firing at will!"

Mounted on the faces of the gate were four cyclone torpedo systems and these began to cut loose with bright streams of torpedos. Concentrating on a single ship they were each joined by precision fire from the adjacent plasma arrays, bright crimson lances linking the station to target warships as they forcefed energy into the targets.

----

The request for help arrived at SDF headquarters on Mars and Admirals barked orders. Those orders were relayed down several chains of command and arrived at several different destinations.

Around Saturn dozens of Nova-Class ships ignited their drives and burned for Titan and the Aurora gate in nearby orbit. A request for a momentary drop in a specific area of the FTL denial system was sent through to TYCS command as the capacitors aboard the gate prepared to rip space apart. The guns of the nearby fleets trained on the gate. It would mean a momentary drop in security - they would be there to make sure anyone trying it lived very shortly indeed.

Around Mars orders went up to secure the fleet from sudden attacks. FTL denial systems snapped on and the fleet began to arrange itself to meet an outside attack. Communications flooded out to allied nations to watch their back and other fleets began to shuffle in their orbits as well.

In other places other ships and sentients prepared. Plans long laid were set ready for whatever might come. On a black world far from known space ten ships, organic and menacing, rose from the surface and gathered in orbit. Thoughts dark and brooding ran between them, unbidden by their crew, as they formulated their own battle plans and prepared to jump for Sol.

They were answered.

They answered back in fire and death.

The Dragon, he answered in fear and pain.

Like shoals of fish the escorts streamed out, almost thirty of them, point defence systems flickering with red pulses of energy as they started winnowing down the first volley of ADK kinetics, thirty six… thirty… twenty… ten… none.

The second volley zoomed past them, and the point defence of the larger ships opened up, and in some cases the gauss whips, spread over the maximum volume, casually burnt the hypersonic projectiles to vapour.

In cascading one time pad encrypted transmission using mediums and dimensions only conjectured by the sane, the necron ships spoke to one another.

↕ Mechanisms of the Gods: Excellent, they’re splitting up. Get on them, destroy the opponent in detail!


↕ Vigilance of Death: Agreed. We act.

The ships seized the opportunity presented by their opponents, as one they moved, selecting one of the small groups of ADK ships, and pouring it with enough firepower to destroy each ship utterly, slicing with thin beamed gauss whips, ripping away armour with the wide beam, and hammering them with hundreds of forking, arcing bolts of arcane pseudo-lightning, targeting areas that could potentially be considered venerable, engines, reactors, launch bays, ordnance magazines.

After saturating the closest taskforce, they moved to the next set of targets, firing once more in a torrent of merciless destruction.

Aboard the Mechanisms the Void-Dragon extended his senses outwards, feeling for the insolent foes minds, enhanced by arcane equipment, he targeted his senses upon the new arrival, some thirty kilometre creation that struck him, in his expert opinion as a new height in shit stacking. He felt the organic minds aboard, seething with fear and anticipation. He looked deeper, pulling for a moment, tearing the memories from them, horrible fears exposed, he peeled further, to the victim, each time this happened, they were assailed by a multitude of dreadful visions assailing them. He continued until he reached what each feared the most – tortuous death of loved ones, the worst dishonour, crippling injury, it was different in almost every case, but as one they felt it, rammed into their conscious minds like a bullet slamming into flesh, the feelings, real, as real as could be imagined, worse in fact, and they experienced, suffered, it all.

As quickly as this assault began, it ended, images, visions, feelings, pain, disappearing like water poured out on open loam.

OOC: For reference, my ignore of the Snel extends to Venus.

IC:

The planet Earendil had, not so very long ago, had a yellowish tinge to it, endowed by all manner of dense noxious and corrosive gases. No longer - it was still veiled, but the world had taken on the grey and snow-white sheen of rippling banks of water clouds, as the terraforming process had locked up much of the atmosphere's sulfur and other toxic elements in geneered microbes, while several large ice comets from the Kuiper Belt had been redirected to impact Venus, delivering water in large quantities. The impacts had not resulted, of course, in instant oceans, but had instead vaporized the comets, sending untold amounts of water vapor into the atmosphere. Upon Venus it would rain, just about everywhere, for a very long time - months to years, in fact, cooling residual heat in the atmosphere and on the surface, forming streams, creeks, rivers, filling lakes and oceans.

A great black ring-station sat around Earendil's equator like a belt of obsidian, generating a magnetic field for the planet and slowly imparting greater rotation, though retaining the exotic retrograde direction of the spin - for many Elves, the idea of the sun rising in the West held great spiritual appeal. After hundreds of years and and tens of trillions of credits had been invested in making this world habitable - just because it could be done - Menelmacar was not about to relinquish her prize only a decade or two from completion.

From behind the cloud-wreathed orb of Earendil approached the Menelmacari fleet... there had been two fleets here on standard patrol, but five more had been mustered from Earth to answer the call of battle. And so it was that over two hundred of the sleek red-and-black ships of the Noldorin Empire had gathered to rain death upon the Khristatatan interlopers - Quin Izumi fancied this assault a symphony for lost ADK. The Noldor would turn it into a requiem.

Really, the ships themselves were not even needed, for the ring-station and, increasingly, the planetary surface itself (now that preliminary construction could safely proceed upon the surface), were protected by defensive emplacement, including the dreaded Grand Cannons that had recently wreaked such havoc upon the Imperial Kajali. There were far more of them here, though, for they were situated at intervals along the ring and scattered over the planet itself. Immediately after the first shots were fired, they began to select targets, go through their pre-firing sequence, extrapolate ship trajectories, reconstruct the enemy's evasion algorithms with frightening accuracy... the point-defense was faster, swatting down kinetics and missiles that came too close or were missed by the allied fleets.

The warships of Menelmacar seemed to hang back, waiting, though Thoron fighters and Lomefion gunships streamed forth from their hangar bays, forming screens of nimble craft darting through inscrutable maneuvers resembling, more than anything, a dance in the stars as they approached the scattered skirmishes...

And it was right about then, that the Grand Cannons added their voice to the chorus of battle. Vast streams of golden-yellow helium plasma lanced forth from the cannons, targeting ADK vessels wherever they could be found. Those firing from the planet's surface burned away the clouds around their beams as they fired, giving the occasional glimpse of the surface before the planet's silken white veil closed again.

Unlike the QACF ships the Grand Cannons did, in fact, spread their fire, and for a very simple reason - there was no need to do otherwise. One shot from a Grand Cannon was almost always enough. And still, none of the enemy would get off that easy, though, for there were more cannons than ADK vessels, and almost all of them could be brought to bear with the invader task forces scattered about the planet, dealing with problems of their own in the form of Menelmacar's noble allies - which meant that duplication of targeting was inevitable in more than a few cases.

The Menelmacari small craft then joined the battle, diving in among the capital ships of friend and foe alike, letting their own deadly stings of hyperpressurized plasma and gravitic inverse-pulse missiles tear and burn at the instruments of Quin Izumi's ill-conceived idea of vengeance, turning that vengeance back upon its progenitor. Likewise the Menelmacari capital ships also began to fire, volleys of missiles and hails of plasma tearing into ADK formations.

It was a symphony indeed, yet everywhere the song was the same - Attack Menelmacar, and pay a terrible price.

(OOC: Recalls fleet and slinks away from the wankfest... And Menelmacar, when did you become a mod?)

OOC: Er... more than a year ago, now.

(OOC: Um... I must really haven't been paying attention, cause I could have sworn you weren't a mod before... *sighs* Sorry the lack of sleep because of APs is getting to me...)

High Grand Admiral Quin Izumi laughed as the battle information was relayed to the screen in his quarters. Such a pity to lose Grand Admiral Mikaboshi, he showed some promise....but these fools will follow me anywhere.

The High Grand Admiral left his quarters and went through a labyrinth of corridors and bulkheads to reach the control center of the Regina Caelorum.

"We'll have to make some changes to Phase III.... But how is it coming along?"

"The object will be ready to exit 'hyperspace' as the Venusian Strike Force is destroyed."

"Good."

Quin Izumi left then, singing.

*************************************************************

The group that had been dispatched to harrass QACF vessels weaved and dodged, the balancing systems within the ships made sure that the crews felt little or nothing, while really they were almost matching the manuvers of the QACF vessels. The same was for the smaller craft.

The gravity cannons on the gravity destroyers fed off of the gravitic drives of the QACF craft, bombarding them with it.

They deployed gravdrones also, and the gravdrones danced about, attempting to encompass groups of QACF fighters and bombard them with more gravity.

Hypersonics left the capital ships missile tubes, exploding in the faces of the QACF fighter groups, sending metal-wrenching waves of sonic energy towards them.

Missiles and kinetics, flying at high c-fractional speeds also left the missile tubes.

The turreted weapons on the Khristian vessels followed the QACF fighters, firing relentlessly at them. Pulse lasers, designed to slice through enemy vessels, attempted to sweep the area surrounding their vessels of QACF craft.

The hulls of the vessels were almost entirely obscured by the blinding fury that came from their weapons.

But even for all their fury and determination, their numbers began to dwindle, becoming scrap that would endlessly traverse the inner solar system.

*************************************************************

While the vessels Grand Admiral Amatsu Mikaboshi had doomed to attack the QACF vessels were being eradicated, his remaing forces moved away from combat with the C'tan and headed for the now appearing Menelmacari vessels.

Some vessels were left to delay the viscous deluge of C'tan weapons fire, but those were quickly destroyed.

The Grand Admiral smirked as his vessels came under Grand Cannon fire.

"Lieutenant, order all vessels to prepare for short range jump."

"Done sir."

And fifty FTL drives sped up, building up the neccesary energy that was required to rip a hole in space and enter 'hyperspace'. The drives attempted to engage, but blew themselves apart.

Ten ships exploded in bright white brilliance, the energy built up by the FTL drives surged out.

"Holy fuck almighty!" exclaimed Amatsu Mikaboshi before he and the rest of his fleet were consumed by cascading energy that could rip space apart itself.

And the wave of energy spread out at a speed of 3000 km a second, and would surely engulf anything in its path.

*************************************************************

The massive anti-ship cannons on the Megalith fired, sending out beams of energy more than 15 meters wide and efficent up to several tens of thousands of kilometers.

But as they observed the apoclyptic wave that surged towards them, they turned from the battlezone, fleeing for their lives....

OOC: If you have a problem with this post, then too bad. You should have inquired mroe about my FTL technology.

Asirnoth watched the ADK fleet explode in a rippling blue white sphere of fire just under thirty thousand kilometres away. The ship indicated that it would hit the planet within thirteen seconds, and the fleet within ten. Estimates of fatalities scrolled across his vision as the Mechanisms calmly predicted effects.

He knew quite well that he could do his best to prevent this, but at personal risk. Normally he wouldn’t care about saving anyone but himself, but he knew that allowing such a number of deaths of his beloved Quendi would seriously annoy his master, who would blame him… A possible death from rapid over consumption was preferable to a certain, and painful death.

His avatar cracked and shattered into a thousand shards as he withdrew from it and the ship. His nebulous form placing himself rapidly between the vaporised Kristian fleet and Venus, matching form with the artificial magnetosphere already there… at eleven seconds he began to brace himself for attempting to absorb quite that much energy.

In their natural form, C’tan – the C’tan themselves, of whom only two remained, not the nation, were vast electromagnetic parasites, consumers of energy. In theory this was what they did… However, there were many variables, and absorbing radiated energy and an explosion like this were two different things, he was nowhere what he once was, and this was a seriously dangerous stunt for him.

Five…

He was wracked with indecision… He was unsure if this was truly wise, he could feel a little fear, of impending oblivion…

Then – agony. The incredible searing pain of having wings torn from him, processing nodes, parts of his mind, exploding in incandescent secondary explosions, at least directing their energy away from where it had been going this time, for only the second time in his ageless existence, Asirnoth, the Void-Dragon, knew pain, ironically, possibly the only time he’d ever preformed actions which could be called good – and even then under duress – almost killed him.

He survived, crippled, in horrific pain as his disembodied mind drifted, unable to alter course, along the artificial magnetosphere of the planet, carried slowly out of the system even as his ships skittered away from danger and into the safety of hyperspeed, stopping when they were half a million kilometres away, to observe and return.

Hypersonics left the capital ships missile tubes, exploding in the faces of the QACF fighter groups, sending metal-wrenching waves of sonic energy towards them.

The crews aboard the Liberty and New York (those on the bridge at least), watch as the Khristians launch rather slow and rather ineffective missiles at their counterparts.

Smaller rounds were loaded and capacitors recharged, a packet of three 100 kilogram rounds from each ship spewed forth, keeping in a dense cluster as the sabot holding them together broke down. Each lined up well ahead of the ADK vessels as they tried to out manuver the QACF vessels. It's like herding sheep Crighton thought. Lambs to the slaughter

Of course the ADK ships could keep up with the QACF, as the Khristatans certainly must think several thousand times faster than a baseline human and thus could instantaneously react to a mechanoid advesary's every move. No matter that the bandwith and sheer energy required would set any mind of meat ablaze--literally--but they must have integral heat sinks as well.

Still, massively overpowering numbers count for something.

>< Interesting... they seem powerless.

The QACF drives working on the asymptotic gravity distortion method, they have no 'gravity emissions' for the gravdrones to feed on... which renders them no more than skeets. The ADK gravitic cannon also track, but unable to fulfill their primary form of energization, do not appear to be much in the way of effectiveness.

Sound of course requires a medium to travel through, and as the old Newtonian aether theory has been long disproven, the hard vacuum of space lacks such a medium. Thusly, the hypersonics are simply... exploding slow-missiles, just another bit of inferior ADK trash to jink around.

Massive anti-ship cannons... simply more ports obvious to surface scan. While the beams are certainly impressive, simple jinks manage to change target aspect by far more than a fifteen-meter radius of error.

Firing defensive patterns is rarely useful against an enemy who can detect patterns; even random spray-and-pray firing leaves blind spots once gunners cease coordinating. These spots are found and exploited to the fullest.

Ah, but ADK is not the only one with jumpdrives, and thus is not the only one not limited by the universal speed limit of three hundred thousand kilometers per second... at the explosion, the capital ship fleet registers, acknowledges, and disappears, only to reappear on intercept courses with the megalith, continuing to spew fire at it from engagement range, jinking as need be to avoid the by now exceedingly predictable return fire. The fighters and small craft speed out of the range of the explosion, although a good tenth are caught in the initial blast before the Void-Dragon reduces it to naught.

These fighters press their advantage, slipping within the minimum range of the lith's surface weapons, staying too close for surface weapons to traverse down to meet them. From that position, they just pour the fire on, exploiting holes in the armor made by the capital ships and kinetic mines, some of which must surely hit.

Two things do startle the crews. The emergence of a giant station.
Seen bigger and the detonation of the other vessels.
Given that 3000km/s is roughly .01 c, the energy signature of the detonations travelling at C, and the location of the Liberty and New York well past 10,000 kilometers away, each ship has time to react. More than enough time, despite their lack of AI controller (yet to be installed).

Crighton swears aloud while simultaneously hitting the emergency jump switch. I hate this part

As the switch is hit, all available capacitors aboard the ship dump their energy into the jumpdrive, this pops them well away from the scene, but leaves the ship, limp, so to speak.

Taking cues from their allies already in combat, the Second Space Superiority Fleet of the Triumvirate of Yut Combined Services drups in theater. The Battleships, Cruisers and Destroyers all integrate into the continuing bombardment of the Megalith, Heavy Naval Autocannon and Particle Cannon pounding away. The Grendal Missile Frigates begin sending volley after volley of thousands of kinetic missiles streaking into the target, as they rotate about their longitudinal axis to bring ventral and broadside batteries to bear.

Among the new arrivals are 8 Scorpion Mk2 class Fast attack frigates. The foward apatures on the long foward fuselage open, and begin to glow as they are charged with energy. The Scorpions begin a headlong run towards the Megalith, oversized drives flaring. Designed for hit and fade attacks, the Scorpions mass their heavy weapons to the front and rear, and each picks a target, pounding away at the same spot on the hull for the entire run. Autocannon spew forth 2-ton shells as the Particle Cannon discharge in staggering blasts of pure energy.

The ships streak in, and at the last possible moment before passing their targets, release 12 Heavy Naval Missiles at point blank range, before wheeling about and beginning a fresh run.

Deep within the TYWS-SCV Brekyirihunuade supercarrier, Sky Marshal Higd Scipa Héafod, a Freodian, surveys the Tactical Plot in the CIC.

A Tactical Officer addresses her. "Ma'am, the fleet is fully engaged. The new Scorpions appear to be 68% more combat efficient than the early generation. Ammunition expenditures are following the inital consumeables curve wihtin the margin of error."

"Understood. Any word from Colonel Bosworth?"

"Just came in Ma'am. The Fury squadron is assembled and ready to begin their run. They are requesting a yield setting for their weapons."

"These dogs do not deserve any mercy. Tell Bosworth full yield; we shall hit them like a hammer blow from the gods."

"Acting."

_____________________

"Confirmation recieved Colonel Bosworth. She wants full yield on the weapons."

Bosworth smiles as he enters the proper codes to unlock the yield limiters on the Gravitic Torpedoes of his squadron. Around him were arrayed the 180 Fury PT-Ships of the 2SSF, invisible in every facet of the word. A tactical line-of-site laser comm carried his words to his unit.

"My colleague, Colonel Kardeman used this tactic against the Imperium once, to great effect. It is time we show them how it is really done. Standard stealth entry to target area, all vectors. The Sky Marshal is hacing our positions to the combined forces so we don't get vaped by friendly fire. Launch point will be 1Km from surface, then beat feet to the assembly point so you don't frag yourself. Any last questions?"

Hearing none, the Furies split up, until they surround the Megalith over all 720 degrees. A simple digital counter hits zero, and the scream in towards the massive station. Jinking to avoid arcs of fire, both friendly and hostile, the cloaked ships reach their launch point and release 4 massive Gravitic torpedoes before wheeling about and retreating.

Nobody sees a thing.

The torpedoes, equipped with the same stealth system as the Fury itslef fires its oversized grav engine and dives straight for the target. As they impact, a mix of things happens. On some, a crushing gravity field is generated, compressing all in their path. Some expand a field out from the missile, spreading the target apart, and some impart a torque, twisitng things beyond recognition. The torpedo's fields measure at approximatley 1000 Terran g, and operate for 4 seconds before the fusion cells overload and destroy the munition.

A small electromagnetic signature appears 150,000 kilometres to the galactic north of Pluto, fifty degrees above the line of the ellipse. It does not appear to have a point of origin, but it zips along like a miniature steam train, skidding to a halt relative to Pluto several hundred thousand kilometres to the galactic west of its original position.

The EM signature grows in magnitude for several seconds, then winks out again.

If anyone was looking closely enough, they'd notice that the little EM signature always maintained line-of-sight with the installations that were attacked by ADK ships on Pluto; furthermore, the EM signature was consistent with that of a small MI propulsion system. If the area is closely examined, small amounts of debris - mostly magnetite, titanium, and carbon - would be discovered, but the original configuration of the object would remain unknown.

* * *

Back on Earth, some time later, an IDFI officer pecks at his terminal and diverts the gathered data on the weapons used against the installation - garnered from data gathered on the scale and type of destruction at the attack sites on Pluto - onto IDF Space Command, in preperation for a fuller analysis.

The tow ships had arrived earlier before the EOTED scout arrive and had removed the cripple CDF Frigate. The other two CDF Frigates which were damaged in the engagement with ADK Rogue Forces were almost fully operational once more. Spare hull plating being patched over damaged areas both ships would get complete overhauls once they returned to Chimera Fleet Yards. On the surface of Pluto itself the panic that was caused by the strikes began to subside. With no spotters on the ground and further more with no intelligence whatsoever the ADK Rogue Ships managed to not hit anything but the surface of the planet. Most of the prison facility which was on Pluto was beneath the surface of the planet.

A single landing pad on the surface was destroyed and a nearby storage facility was damaged as well. However all the ADK ships managed to do before they realized that it was neaby Charon that was worth anything was add more craters to the surface of the planet. It was more or less negliable.

On Charon itself, things had yet to calm down, the track stations had picked up the disturbance near Pluto, however no one gave it a second thought. Most of the technicans were on the look out for larger irregularities which meant FTL capable ships were on their way, or even for ships themselves approaching at STL speeds. The CDF had been lax once on defense of the area. They would not be caught off guard a second time around.

{IDF SN Official 1kb Encrypted Transmission #421}
{From: Mt. Tumnore Command Facility via cislunar->Mars->Vilya Elenosto-> relay network; Foreign Liason Office; IDF High Command Integrated Network; EOTED}
{To: FSP High Command}

{Subject: Disturbances Involving ADK Warships}

Sir/Madam,

The 2 Stellar Squadron is on hot standby to provide carrier support for evacuation/protection of damaged ships in the engagements reported by our Eyes out in the vague region of Plutonian space. Intelligence confirms ADK warships attempted an assault on Pluto; damage negligable.

Combative support is also available if required, but time to a prospective rendezvous point would likely be too high at this time.

Signed,

~ Sarah, IDF Liason Officer; AIR

A car made it's way out of Qaaolochrouva towards the Cygan border. Inside was a man, a Khristian man, who had recently migrated here and found himself a well-paying jobs, even when the Qaaolochoruvan economy was compared to the other ones on Mars. He had left his home, job, and family now, determined to end the madness.

In the backseat and trunk were bxes full of diagrams, inventory lists, specifications, ship designs, drawings, amongst other unnamenable things. Why would a Khristian with a car full of vital military documents be heading towards the Cygan border? To end this new madness, to end the destruction that his Terran and Extrasolarian cousins had set in motion.

This man was Ikatori Intinuvo, a weapons designer who had found himself useful to the Qaaolochoruvan military almost the day he had arrived there. He specialised in gravitonics and FTL design, and had at least 150 years of Khristian research riding with him.

But why was he headed to Cygan? To get to Sunset of course. Why not go through Martian Kajal? Because, he hated the Kajali and their territory was unstable, best to go through Cygan and the Wazzu Eslyium.

Ikatori was reaching the border now.....

Now, at last, the Grand Cannons, the Thorons, the Menelmacari warships, all saw fit to concentrate their fire... and they did, upon the massive thirty-kilometer object closing fast. They targeted its weapons ports, taking them out steadily, but mostly they just tore away at superstructure, boiling off frighteningly vast volumes of bulkhead and hull and armor into the void with every passing second.

Temporary Space Forces HQ, Second Luna, Earth Orbit

Fleet Admiral Greenwood read some reports on the battle out at Venus, taking note of some of the parties involved in the battle. On a nearby datapad, he jotted down some notes on which fleets he was willing to send to support the groups fighting the ADK fleets in Venus space. As he worked, an aide entered his office, knocking twice on the door as he stepped in.

"Admiral, sir. I have some interesting news that we just picked up."

Admiral Greenwood glanced up from his work. "Interesting, eh? What is it?"

"The head of the Junk Guild at the Lordinum colony cluster just announced the Guild is going to claim salvage rights to some of the remains of the ADK ships and equipment once the fleet is crushed by the other forces at Venus. They've got a group of cargo ships ready to go once the battle is over."

"Damned fools. Still going on with their "Cleaning up space, one battlefield at a time." nonsense?" the Admiral replied, tossing the datapad he was holding down onto his desk, leaning back in his seat. "They seem pretty confident that the ADK fleet will be defeated. Not like they had a chance at winning anyways... oh well. As long as the guild stays outta there until the fighting is over, I guess its okay. Last thing we need are civilian casualties."

The aide nodded in response. "I almost forgot sir, Major Kojima wishes to know what your plans are for supporting our allies involved in the battle, if any..."

"You can tell her I'm willing to send five fleets out to Venus. One hundred thirty ships total. They'll be ready to go if I feel additional support out there is needed. It looks like the other parties have things under control." Admiral Greenwood replied, leaning forward again.

"Understood, sir."

"You're dismissed, think thats all for now. Thanks for that little bit of news."

The aide saluted the Admiral, turned, and exited. Admiral Greenwood returned to his datapad and resumed making his notes on the situation out at Venus.

Seroth'tar, the Lord Lieutenant of Venus' Sentinel One outpost, watched the orbital battle with the passionless patience of a machine. It did not matter what happened, whether he 'lived' or died, but his function was to serve the C'tan. He would not fail in that function, as then his life would be without meaning.

He also watched the Megalith for a moment, before deciding that it was time to act. He extended his hand out over a large hole – with no safeguards around it – that was cut in the floor, extending from the deepest depths to just below the very surface of the planet.

With a gesture, the sensors around sprang into life, and power began to flow, forming strange green arcs of insane energies leaping between brilliant glowing crystalline power nodes. This chamber was the deepest in the facility, and as the arcs began to increase their frequency and power, leaping from one node to another, they leapt into one of a thousand conduits, seemingly no more than holes in the walls the width of a man’s fist, following the long, sweeping curves of these conductors up to their destinations.

As each bolt passed through to the terminus of a conduit, the ground above was riven by an ear splitting crack, as a brilliant white glow emerged from part of the ground, illuminating an eldritch symbol of some sort each time, the symbology was important, and near incomprehensible to any but the most insane of gibbering lunatics. A low moan echoed across the plateau as more and more of these great and eldritch sigils began to glow across it, one by one all nine thousand nine hundred and ninety nine of them came to life, pouring light into the sky, enough to be plainly visible from orbit.

A sound like a trillion angry bees swarming echoed across the plain, rising slowly to an ear splitting shriek, emanating from the central mountain of the plain. Slowly, the mountain cracked apart, fractures spreading across its face as though it were a small stone hit from above by a great hammer. The mountain exploded in a colossal flash, visible not just from orbit but from beyond, vaporising millions of tonnes of rock in an instant.

Where it was, stood a nine hundred and ninety nine metre high pyramid – there was no special significance in the height, other than to match the number of the arcane icons arrayed around it in concentric rings – of reflective black ‘stone’ amid a forest of gunmetal grey obelisks. Reflected in miniature on its surface was each of the symbols from the plain, and each of the obelisks bore one also.

With a flash of crimson lightning, the obelisks fired as one, forests of lightning tendrils leapt from their tips and out to the corresponding hieroglyph on the plain, curving around each of the deranged icons, exploring its form and turning the glow seeping up from it to a bright pink. A moment later, and the great symbols changed colour until they glowed a fiery crimson, almost the warm crimson colour of Sirithil’s eyes, another odd stylistic choice unique to this weapon.

The same red lightning leapt back, pouring into the pyramid, this time sustaining its energy transfer, lightning shifting, but remaining anchored to they symbols at either end. The sound was now loud enough to be heard anywhere on the planet’s surface, though it would take time to propagate. The pyramid itself was now invisible except as a brilliant blue hub to the red lightning spokes of the wheel.

Leaning toward the north, a great white shaft of light struck out at the speed of light, slamming into the ring-around-the-world. It didn’t harm the megastructure however, as that was not its intent. That said, almost no one aboard knew of this device, and therefore, it would be a safe assumption that a large percentage of its population were ‘rather surprised’ by this.

The ring glowed slightly, shimmering as shadows of light danced across its surface, making it take on a strange significance all of its own. Then the function of this all was revealed. Forests of azure false-lightning shot out from it, easily encompassing even the massive Megalith, bathing it in the most obscene and horrific energies even as the Menelmacari attacked it.

Well outside the combat zone, Venus orbit

She hangs silent in space, far, far away from the hot zone, while the ships she is allied with engage in their deadly dance thousands of kilometers away.

"Captain Levi, gunnery reports that the thaumaturgic capacitors are all at maximum charge."

She turns to give a curt nod. "Excellent. Laser designators in place?"

"Yes, ma'am. We have target lock, the Gigaton Busters are both loaded and ready to fire, and the capacitors are charged enough to fire both Spirit Hammers and the Apocalypse Cannon at the same time."

The reploid- a tiny Drakos model by the name of Leviathan, or Levi for short, nods again. "Bring the Zansatsusha around twenty degrees starboard to align the cannons. Contact allied forces and warn them to stay well out of our line of fire- especially anybody with organics on board. No sense risking accidental thaumaturgic exposure from the combined beam of the thaumaturgic cannons."

The massive Hand of God class strategic bombardment fortress slowly rotates around, bringing the five massive cannons on her prow to bear, arcane energies cracking about the huge barrels. The Zansatsusha is not an agile ship, nor is she particularly pretty. But like her sisters-in-battle, the Peace With Conviction of the Tengai fleet, and the Love and Peace of the Daijuusan Shinken, she is meant for one purpose, and one purpose only.

To deliver unmatched amounts of sheer firepower upon suitably large targets, at suitably long distances.

"We are aligned with the target!"

"All allied vessels are clear!"

Levi allows herself a fanged grin. "Prepare to fire on my command." Silence hangs over the bridge of the ship for a moment. "Gigaton Busters 1 and 2... FIRE!"

The ship's hull carries the hum as the powerful gravity diffusers in the Gigaton Buster guns accelerate their massive kinetic projectiles to roughly eight-tenths the speed of light, brilliant streaks of excess power from the g-diffusers appearing almost like a line connecting the two huge warheads to the ship as they fly toward the Megalith.

"Apocalypse Cannon, Spirit Hammers 1 and 2..." Levi watches the readouts. "FIRE!!"

Black fire leaps from the muzzles of the other three cannons (http://rpstudios.ian-justman.com/junk/CGgoods/Zansatsusha-SHOOTYDEATH.JPG), black fire wreathed in crackling whisps of red and blue- the collective mystic energies of some of the best psykers in the Shogunate. A collected beam easily one hundred and fifty meters in diameter flies at the Megalith at nothing short of the speed of thought itself, hell bent on reaching the giant fortress and delivering a hammerblow to its defenses and crew.

"All weapons fired!"

Levi watches the viewscreen for a moment more before barking her next orders to the crew. "Recharge the capacitors ASAP! Prepare another volley!"

(Holy ******* ****, that's a LOT of super weapons....)

A car made it's way out of Qaaolochrouva towards the Cygan border.(OOC, FYI: Cygan doesn't yet exist other than as an Eniqciri technological testing range.)

The Yngir coasted through the solar system, its senses probing for its compatriot. Mephet'ran had been stunned by his sacrifice. There he thought, feeling Asirnoth’s core mind, his spirit as it were, drifting slowly away from the sun. Even now he could feel the agony.

He put forth his power, linking with the void dragon in a strangely tender embrace, invisible but powerful, as he began to feed the lesser yngir. The pain in Asirnoth’s mind began to fade as slowly, oh so slowly, he began to put his shattered form back together.

Meanwhile, the thoughts running through Mephet'ran’s mind were quite different from the other’s relief. Instead, he was boiling with a terrible fury.

Barbarians, feral scum, there was no reason for that! They will all die for this insult, conquest is not appropriate now, this is genocide. I will kill them for this! How dare they? Pathetic and insolent creatures! Death…

Two hours later, on Duat, he delivered a speech, more of a rant in fact, carried throughout the empire, from Wolf 1841, declaring open hostilities with ADK for their abominable attack,

“These insolent fools have struck at us and our allies, they will pay with blood and tears for this insult! The counteroffensive begins now! We have received the location of the ADK out system colonies from undisclosed parties, and we will avenge this attack with an assault of our own! Even now I am calling forth the fleet, we shall be sending one hundred of our warships and the ships we can obtain from some of our allies with this assault. We shall accept nothing but total and unconditional surrender from our opponents, and we shall stop at nothing to raze their so-called civilisation from the face of the universe!

DEATH TO ABU-DHABI KHRISTATATA‼”

In orbit of Duat, half a dozen of the vast ships colloquially known as Gigalifters, belonging to the Lossë-elen shipping company – Owned by the staggeringly wealthy Ancalimë family, staunch supporters of the Imperial regime – were being refitted. They were the largest, most capable, heavy transport ship the Empire used, were ready to be loaded. They were designed for modularity, And in this case, that was being pushed to the maximum as modular cargo areas and bulkheads were torn out to make maximum space inside them. They would each be able to contain twelve vessels each, with dimensions under five hundred by three hundred by one hundred meters.

Quite what they planned to put into them was unknown to all but the Emperor, Fëaelen and Luinehtelë nos Ancalimë...

Meanwhile, half of the fleet from the Venus incident made best sub-light speed to Mars, intent on covering all C’tan bases within the sol system.

The Federal Navy had stepped up patrols within the Sol system considerable since the start of hostilities with ADK. Fleet Intelligence could not put an amount on the number of vessels the Rogue ADK had but it was possible that the numbered from the low to mid hundreds. Some liberal estimates had rogue ADK numbers at half the size of the FSN. It seemed most unlikely but back during the openning moments of the Sixteen Minutes War when the former Republic managed to wipe out the Terra-based ADK in a brutal wave upon wave of fire the government had no idea the ADKers had extrasolar colonies. Now that fact was known to Fleet Intelligence, and the public at large.

Shipping firms and independant transport companies had begun to petition the government for security. Where a handful of privately owned fighters was more than enough to scare off space pirates, this new threat to the entire Solar System required vital fleet resources to be used for the protection of entire convoys of transports heading around the system. To assist in this endevour the system was broken up into sectors to lessen the job on the five seperate fleets and their tasks. However with the reports of a large fleet battle currently underway at Venus Fleet Intelligence was worried that it would be only a matter of time before the ADKers were smart enough to start hitting exposed parts.


From:Admiral Fletcer, Commanding Officer,1st Fleet Operational Sector
To Commodore Kilcullen, Commanding Officer of the FSN Valley Forge

We've got an incoming group of transports heading in from Earth. The 4th Fleet reports the transports are carrying supplies, and medical equipment out to Charon and Pluto. They'll be returing with elements of the 5th Army Group as we begin our evacuation of the Charon and Pluto installations. Commodore, take the 3rd Battlegroup and make haste to the edge of the system. The 2nd Fleet will be along your route so do not worry about assistance. The CDF is on alert as well at the outer edge. Take care Commodore, we believe ADK vessels may set traps along the popular transport routes. Do not leave the convoy for anything. Even a distress call. These supplies are vital to the war effort. Attached is a manifest for each transport. God speed Commodore.

And so with orders another group of ships began to depart forty three warships in all escorting 20 transports of various sizes and shapes. Some were military transports however the majority of the convoy consisted of independant haulers from different Earth and some Martian based nations hired to run supplies to the outer system. An unglamerous mediocore paying job, it was considered quick easy cash to many. The pressence of the military though had forced a lot of the independants to seek jobs elsewhere and thus the military had to step up and begin to use ships from the Merchant Marine reserve. This didnt really consistute a crisis for the FSN, more along the lines of a headache, however keeping operational the fleets needed to respond to ADK threats was a costly matter and many in the government wondered how much longer such a state of readiness could be maintained.

bump.
*pokes ADK* you still there?

OOC: Yarrrr.... I typed up a post yesterday and the server killed it, so I must make a new one.

IC:

The 'lith fired its own variety of weapons as it was pummeled by the volleys of kinetics, torpedos, and other various weapons within the Triumvirate's arsenal. The 'lith only had long-range combat weapons, and no real short-range weapons. It had already launched its fighters and was firing its plasma cannon array mercilessly, the massive turrets turning and firing, tracking specified targets. Pulse lasers, lasers designed for an anti-strike craft role were slicing at Triumvirate fighters, while heavy assault lasers were firing at the Triumvirate capital ships.

But as the Karambaijan gravitic torpedos went off, sections of the 'lith imploded or drifted off, and the 'lith slowly began to break apart. Then the 'black fire' from the Reploid Productions 'Apocalypse Cannon' vaporized more of the 'lith, and only two or three of the massive plates were left.

************************************************************

Another 'lith, uncompleted, with only it's engine section, but more solid than it's brother, exited hyperspace near Mars. The uncompleted 'lith did not stop, but continued on a plotted course that would cause it to hit the surface of Mars.....

OOC: Sorry for the crappiness of the post, but you people needed it....

The Liberty and New York watched as the battle carried on.

During the initial attack run some of the fighters were caught by the pulse-lasers, but seeing how the monolith lacked any close range weapons, the pilots simply adapted, staying close to the monolith, where the long range weapons were unable to target them.

The capital grade lasers lanced across the vaccum, striking at the two ships, their shields acting less to stop the incoming energy, and more to redistribute it across a wider area. The twin ships were also helped by a healthy ballistic slope, their orentation to the monolith causing the incoming lasers to strike the ships at very shallow angles, reflecting energy away.

Still, they took some light damage. The Liberty lost two laser turrets when the strikes caused feedback into their capacitors, fusing powerconduits.

As the monolith was destroyed, the ships targetted the remaining plates, hurling relativistic slugs at them.

Flag Bridge, S.P.S. Dragonstar, First Task Group, Mars Orbit

Rear Admiral Colinati watched in horror as the hyperspace window flickered open and out flashed the multi-kilometer behemoth that was the Khristatatan’s uncompleted ‘lith. He had seen more massive things before, in space, but never one that moved, or at least, moved that fast.

The words tumbled out of his mouth before he knew he had spoken. “Rob, Condition Red, General Quarters, signal all ships.” The blazing sound of the General Quarters alarm tore through the ship, already at Condition Red Two by Fleet Command’s order. In addition, while the First Task Group was working with the Second, Third, and Fourth in Mars orbit, Colinati commanded them all, and the orders flashed to all seventy-two Federation Patrol Fleet Vessels in orbit of Sol’s fourth natural satellite.

Colinati only waited for a moment, giving all the ships to shift into full battle mode, and allowing the range to drop a bit more, to improve the targeting setup, and decrease missile intercept time. At its oncoming velocity, there was unfortunately no time to launch fighters, either from the ships or from the surface, even though they were already prepped in their launch cradles, but he would do it anyway.

“All vessels, launch fighters. And all ships, rapid fire on my command.” Another second passed in silence, then another. “Fire.”

From seventy-two warships, hundreds of missiles lashed outward, seeking to flay the oncoming Khristatatan engine of destruction with the flames of a thermonuclear hell, and the demons of focused x-ray lasers spawned in such. ECM blazed in the missiles, seeking, reaching out to spoof point defense, and solid state kinetics roared towards the target without emissions signatures. On board, energy weapons were run out, capacitors whining towards a full charge in the silence of vacuum, ready to unleash streams of destructive energy at their master’s command.

And behind the first salvo of death came another, and another, at the shortest intervals the launchers could reload at.

C.V. Nausikaa to S.P.S. Dragonstar, what do you think you're doing? Breaking that thing into peices will just make it harder to keep each little bit from impacting. Awaiting response, over.

CARMs began firing all throughout the Martian Rings, flinging their bits of ice out of their so-far nice, stable orbits and into a series of collision trajectories all impacting on the same side of the 'lith, yet spread out as best as possible over it's surface area to provide a long, soft nudge without breaking it up too much.

Flag Bridge, S.P.S. Dragonstar, First Task Group, Mars Orbit

Colinati snarled as the message came in. He had standing orders to destroy any Khristatatan assets in system, but there were other considerations as well. He turned to his communications officer. "Put me on the chip."

The young woman nodded, and the Rear Admiral began to speak. "C.V. Nausikaa, firstly, as long as that monstronsity retains command and control, all the ice chips in the universe won't do anything but break it apart. Secondly, every nation that I am aware of on the surface has the defensive capabilities to stop the few pieces that might be big enough to make it through the atmosphere and aren't destroyed before reaching it. Colinati, out." He slashed his hand across his throat.

"On the chip, Admiral."

"Send it." He turned back to the display. "And order the battlecruisers to switch to hundred megaton warheads."

"Sir? Incoming vessel, power signature and design consistent with ADK origin."

Darth Nautas, Fleet Admiral turned towards the Sensors Officer.

"ADK? Here? Are you sure?"

"Yes sir, it's a huge structure, aparently incomplete. It's going too fast for an orbiting manouver. Sir! It's a collision course!"

"Collision? Against what?"

"Mars, sir. Their trajectory and speed is consistent with a planetary crash."

"Damn! All ships! Ready for Battle! Standard rules of engagement apply! Helios, raise and polarize shields and take the front! Helm, track that thing and let's go after it."

"Sir, that... ship is about 30 Km long."

"WHAT? Comms, get me the Emperor ASAP."

"But, sir..."

"DO IT!"

"Yes, sir!"

The DarkSith Imperial fleet, stationed around the moon Thanatos, started moving towards the 'lith. The three hundred Helios-class battlecruisers blurred for a moment as shields came up and adopted the setting that let them fire with shields raised, the mouths of the Yamato guns shining ominously.
Behind, in a looser formation, came the rest of the fleet. Though most of those ships were as powerful as the Helios, they lacked shielding. The core of the second group were McKenna (http://www.axis.org/Warships/McKenna.jpg) (ten), Aegis (http://www.axis.org/Warships/Aegis.jpg)(eleven) and Cameron (http://www.axis.org/Warships/Cameron.jpg) (six) heavy ships, and surrounding them were the smaller frigates and destroyers, most of them Titan (http://www.axis.org/Warships/Titan.jpg) and Lola (http://www.axis.org/Warships/Lola.jpg) classes.

The Helios started launching their full complement of 36 TIE fighters and moved towards their objective.

"Sir? We have the Emperor online."

"Patch him to my console."

The admiral put his console in secure mode, and got a pair of earphones.

"Yes, Admiral?"

"My Lord, we have an incoming ADK self-powered structure that may represent a danger for the planet."

"Oh?"

"It measures about 30 Km. and due to its speed, the kinetic impact alone will most assuredly shatter the Martian crust. I am requesting permission to use the Thanatos option."

"That bad? If you ask that, it means the situation is close to hopeless. All right. You are authorized to execute the Thanatos option as situation deems necessary. Moreso, you are formally authorized to change the rules of engagement as you see fit. And so I record. Good luck and godspeed."

"Thank you, Milord. Nauthas out."

He disconnected from his console and looked back to the bridge, where all officers were busy manning their posts.

"Sensors, establish a link and give all Martian nations positive IFF codes, except for the Vascilian League. Give them access to the appropriate portion of our surveillance satellite network in order to better coordinate our efforts. Oh, and make sure that the connection is bidirectional. Also, grant the same to any ship firing at that thing, no matter its origin."

"Yes, sir."

"Comms, establish a secure link with Thanatos and put it on stand by."

"Immediately, sir."

Darth Nautas turned his gaze towards the window, gazing at the 900 km radius, still incomplete third moon of Mars, Thanatos, and softly spoke, "This is sooner that expected, but it seems your moment is closing."

Mars

It was a faint ripple in the fabric of space, when the 'lith made the jump from hyperspace into realspace...

The Eye felt it, but it felt things things often... Very often. After all, Mars was a rather busy place.

But something wasn´t correct...

It compared its velocity with the martian orbit, did a few calculations...

Approximated mass, velocity, kinetic energy...

The number was... threatening, to say the least.

And destruction on this scale wasn`t something... regional they could ignore, since it would only hit others. In this particular case they themselves were endangered...

And the eye didn´t like it.

Quickly, the necessary connections were done. Several warlord groups in orbit were contacted, hired, and briefed within moments.

Billions of monetary units changed their owner.

And it begun...

The different satellite hives were ready, and touched by their operators, they targetted the approaching giant.

All of them were told the same.

Stop it. Stop it now.

And all of them gave an identical answer.

Yes.

At the same time, the two stations in Martian Orbit came to life. Though their (re)construction hadn´t been entirely finished, the few things that hadn´t been finished yet were negligible... Pink coloured ceilings, the perfect replicas of the Mona Lisa inside the shuttle bay...

Details.

And apart from them, the stations were fully operational.

And finally, there were the ships. Of course, the number of available ships was rather small, 24 ships were there who could actually act...

But they did act.

The eye guided them, their effords coordinated through the invisible network created by the eye and the satellite hives.

And feeling each other, they reached out...

It was fairly unspectacular, when the bomb- pumped drones, satellites floating in orbit, exploded, their deathcries nothing but beams of destruction, heading towards theapproaching battlestation, trying to slice through it, to tear it apart...

The ships, as well as the two space stations/ shipyards, did the same...
Though they weren´t limited to energy weapons, and thusly, volleys of kinetics hit the incoming battlestation...

Though it was questionable if either weapon could actually prevent a disaster. Even if the 'lith could be destroyed... the mass would still be there. The damage could be reduced, not prevented.

Except...

And they joined their minds, combined them to create a single voice, a large and powerful voice...

With the eye giving them the 'infrastructure' upon which they could thrieve, their minds joined into a single song, a single tought... an order of almost unimaginable will.

Its details were intriguing, a million hits, some subtle, some rough, like a hammer.

It had keys, many, hundreds of them, preparing to enter the targets... Assuming the targets were actually there.

Ad the ships came closer, drones came closer, and with their minds combined, they moved, tried to touch whoever was inside of the 'lith...

Stop it.

Move away.

Go to where you came from.

Don`t. Touch. Mars.

Obey.

Still... The distances were large, very large. The willpower they had... would still have to get through countless distortions, the intriguing details could be destroyed...

Perhaps this would work...

Perhaps not.

The young woman nodded, and the Rear Admiral began to speak. "C.V. Nausikaa, firstly, as long as that monstronsity retains command and control, all the ice chips in the universe won't do anything but break it apart. Secondly, every nation that I am aware of on the surface has the defensive capabilities to stop the few pieces that might be big enough to make it through the atmosphere and aren't destroyed before reaching it. Colinati, out." He slashed his hand across his throat."
It doesn't make one bit of difference how big the peices are, the same amount of mass and energy is going to get deposited. Replacing one big hole with thousands of tiny holes, a massive deposition of heavy metal vapor in the atmosphere, and associated massive heating isn't much better. If you're really concerned about it firing engines against the barrage, please focus your energies on eliminating said command and control. But even if you can't, something that big won't have a snowball's chance in Death Valley of maneuvering itself back onto a collision course if we nudge it by more than a couple of degrees or so, over.

As they slung around the planet to break the 'lith's velocity, a number of larger chunks remained with CARMs attached. Moments before impact, the vehicles detached, breaked, and began attaching to the hull of the 'lith. Presumably, this would have little effect, but every little bit counts. Meanwhile, signals were disptached to realign the Very Large Mirror Array to a focus just fore of the 'lith's engines.

"Admiral? Sensors show that the target is no more that the military equivalent of a rock with engines attached. It has no offensive or defensive capabilities, minimal life suport and very little manouverability."

"Really? That changes things... All ships! Non-helios, stand back! Helios, lower shields and reroute weapons energy to tractor beams!"

Darth Nautas turned to the communications officer.

"Open that secure link with Thanatos."

"At once, sir... Done."

"Here is Fleet Admiral Darth Nautas. You are ordered to detach from the moon and proceed to the target. Your ships are much better suited for this than ours. Leave a minimum crew in order to activate the Thanatos option, should the need arise."

"Ackowledged, sir."

Like a locust swarm, more than one thousand DarkSithian Engineering ships stationed in Thanatos left the moon and closed to the 'lith. They were much smaller than the smallest Warship, and unarmed, but also faster and much more manouverable as their primary job was retrieving debris from battlefields, so dodging and running around was vital to them.

They got close enough to the 'lith aft section and engaged one of their most useful tools. Over one thousand tractor beams were directed towards the 'lith at the same time they put maximum thrust to their engines. The Helios battlecruisers joined them using their own, less powerful, tractor beams. They might not be able to reverse its course, but may be they could deflect the trajectory to one where it would be safer to destroy it. Some of the Engineering ships closed to the 'lith and started doing what they did best: dismantle the aft section, in the hopes of interfering with or stopping the engines.

"That might do the trick, but just in case... Comms, get me Thanatos."

Nautas sat before his console and started typing.

"Thanatos, sir."

"Thanatos Control, this is Fleet Admiral Darth Nautas. I am sending the authorization codes to enable the Thanatos option. Transfer control to the Weapons section of the Stuffed Leech."

"Authorization codes acknowledged and recognized as valid. Transferring targetting and activation controls. It's all yours, Stuffed Leech. Have fun."

"Hm. Thank you, Control. Nautas out. Weapons, target that monster out there and be ready to activate on my mark."

Some of the Engineering ships closed to the 'lith and started doing what they did best: dismantle the aft section, in the hopes of interfering with or stopping the engines.OOC: Ehm... are you /sure/ you want to do that with the VLMA focusing on it? An enormously hot beam of light is going to melt a DS Engineering ship just as well as the 'lith's hull.

IC:
As the Mirror came into perfect focus, untold decillions of photons crashed into the 'lith's hull, knocking away atoms one-by-one in a massive cascade of ablating, now gaseous, metal, and doing their part to both turn off the 'lith's engines and provide that extra little bit of thrust.

A transmission went out, wide-beam to make targeting simpler, but obviously intended for the DS ships. It was a string of force vectors, engine burn and cutoff times, and a diagram of the 'lith's intended trajectory- just barely grazing the top of the atmosphere for an aerobrake assist that would lob it into a stable high orbit.

"Redirect a 30km station? Oh - and did I mention what I'm going to do to the idiot inside ADK who ordered this? Fire up the Probe-U-Lator."

----

"What's our best option?"

"We have two - either try to assist in the redirest manuver or..."

"Or?"

"Jenkin's plan Sir. He thinks we can stop it or slow it - give them more time to redirect it. But it's dangerous."

"How dangerous?"

"Well, it might disturb the orbit of everything near Mars. And possibly Mars. But only a little - we could correct it."

"Are you farking nuts?"

"Jenkin's has been complaining about his leg again Sir. Says it was a tiger. But he's a brilliant fellow - never been seriously wrong. Besides - either way, we need to get the fleet moving."

"Alright - get it moving. See if we can get some reinforcements or something. High alert."

"And which option do we go with?"

"Let's say... Option 2. Jenkin's might be made, but at least he isn't running around the command center naked."

"Sorry bout that Sir. I was asleep when the alert came in."

"Very well. Get some pants on, and send a transmission out to everyone else. Make sure they know what we are doing - and make sure it won't screw anything else up."

----

One particular varient of the gravetic drive works by creating a very intense gravity field in front of the ship using it. The ship 'falls' into the gravity well as it moves - essentially like a surfer riding a wave. The gravity well moves with the ship, and the ship keeps moving due to the gravity well. A gravetic cannon is essentially a gravetic drive of this variety with a longer range, and a much more intense field. When used as a weapon it is best if two fields are created near each other - tidal forces do the rest.

These forces can either cause sever hull stress and ship destruction on a good shot or can cause vomiting amoung the crew and only minor damage on a poor shot. With a good shot the crew in the immediate area is generally reduced to a chunky humanoid paste - IE gravy. Thus the general term for the gravetic cannon: Gravy Gun.

The SDF warships that manuvered out of Martian orbit on a intercept course had variants of both - gravetic drives and gravy guns. When they entered range with their target - an empty patch of space behind the monolith - they would slow and began to 'fire' their weapons at the hastily arranged position. Gravity would begin to reverse itself, at least locally, and anything nearby begin to feel the effects of the gravity well. Satillites would need adjusting, and some of the lighter attacks would have their trajectories altered, but even halfing the speed of the monolith would gain a massive advantage.

Meanwhile a combined KIDF and KSDF fleet appeared from Titan space to secure Sunset orbital space while the fleet was away. The question was what other tricks did ADK have up it's sleeve - though they would be ready for it either way.

The reply from Nausikaa was swift and brief.
It is preferable that the monolith retain as much kinetic energy as possible, to ease its transition into a stable high or hyperbolic orbit.

If you must slow it, please wait until the current volley of ring fragments has impacted. Nausikaa out.

"Back to option 1 then. Jenkin's will be disappointed."

"Yes - he will go on and on about his leg, and how the rejection of his plan keeps reminding him about the incident where he lost it."

"I keep wondering why he goes on like that - the leg is still there."

"He claims it was taken by a Kzin Sir..."

The plan was altered and a series of different points relayed to the various warships. They would create a 'track' of gravity wells that would steer the monolith into a stable orbit around the planet while only reducing it's velocity marginally. The worry was at this point that the monolith contained a bomb of some kind - it's owners were apparently uncivilized savages who delighted in making war on civilian populations.

To this end the various Venture C's - heavy explorer platforms - turned their sensor arrays on the monolith as they prepared to add to the gravity track. Sensor sweeps were set to narrow beam, high resolution, and began to play over every millimeter of the station. They could sweep a system in minutes on a macro scale - a fine resolution could read the dots from the text on a newspaper. Of course that much power was a dangerous thing - this level of detail would boil the organs of any living being exposed for too long.

Your assistance is greatly appreciated. Spacibo. Nausikaa out.

As the Sunsetti ships lined up, the Guilder CARMs detached from the Monolith's hull and allowed themselves to drift back into a high-eccentricity orbit back into the Rings.

Aboard the three kilometer long engine section of the uncompleted Monolith, the computer systems burned out, not having enough power to last this long, but the engines continued to run, struggling against the forces the Martian militaries were placing upon it. The Monolith had no crew, no life support system, no weapons, no rotating sections... It was a monlith, not a megalith, and it was incomplete. There were no tricks, nothing but the uncompleted Monoltih, for something else had arisen that required the Khristians immediate attention.

'The Mon-Keigh make war upon us all!' Darvins voice was low even as his tone carried loathing and hate as he spoke to the council. 'First they attack our allies, now this, their attack upon us cannot... Will not go unpunished. Their actions have cost us already, for the Yngir made a sacriface that will make more fall for their lies, and the Mon-Keigh allowed it to happen. Their can be no mercy, I demand no mercy!'

The council nodded it's agreement, he would be woken, and they would ride to war. They would not rest until every man, woman and child in Abu Dabu lay slain, until the streets ran red with the rivers of blood of their foes.

Once before they had been on the verge of what they would do now, but that was averted only by the urgings of the Lady Sirithil, now nothing would stop them. For the Kionash no anoucement of the Council's willw as needed, every Eldar felt the same feelings racing through the Infinity Circuit, and every Eldar joined in that rage and magnifyed it, sending it back into the Circuuit to be shared by the others once more. Repeating almost endlessly.

In the heart of the Craftworld a stiring as behind to mammoth Doors of Bronze it stired, and fed upon the rage, the hate, the thirst of the Kionash and returned that rage and Hate and that Thirst back to the people, to stregthen their resolve. The cycle continued... The kionash prepared and the Young king readied himself to join with his god.

Over mars actions where rather swifter, the Second Asuryan fleet raced to join with the efforts of those attempting to avert the coming disaster...

'Admiral it appears the Asteroid is being slowed by the efforts of the other nations, but the engines on that structure are simply too powerful.'

The Admiral nodded in actuality he suspected as much to have been the case. 'Well then our role here appears obvious, launch all fighters and prepare to engage, destroy those engines people, or weaken them, we shall allow our Mon-Keigh allies to slow the thing down, and if we move quickly enough... together it might be stopped.'

The Fleet exemplified the simple majesty of the Eldar, speed and deadliness... the Fighters raced forwards as the larger vessel moved into position then the attacks would begin.

OOC Curse you ADK :lol: Making Ctan look good and noble... and making us agree on one thing genocide.

OOC: I am good and noble. Your lot just haven't figured that one out yet. 8)

OOC: I am good and noble. Your lot just haven't figured that one out yet. 8)

OOC: You're as good and noble as I am good at winning wars :P

(OOC: You should have "posted losses", i.e. if we got to slow, deflect, stop it or may be even reverse its course. :) )

"One thousand and three hundred tractor beams and it is still not enough?"

"It seems not, sir. It has huge inertia and, as long the engines are not shut down, they are helping it. We have lost five Engineering ships that got too close to the VLMA beams."

Darth Nautas closed to the Weapons console and stood besides the manning officer.

"Well, it seems it can't be helped. Be ready to execute the Thanatos option."

"Sir? I have no control over anything like that... It simply doesn't appear here."

"Oh, but it does... Let me tell you something about Thanatos. Our Emperor was not sure that the gravity generator and the rest of scientific equipment would do any good to helping the terraforming of Mars, so he ordered additional equipment installed there. And some of this equipment was built with several contingency uses in mind. You are about to use one."

"So the Emperor cheated again. Awesome."

"Indeed. Here is your Thanatos control," Said the Admiral, pointing to the console.

The officer looked disbelievingly at his console.

"But, sir, that is just the tractor beam control... Oh."

"Yes, power readings are not the normal for our tractor beam, as it now controls the moon's tractor beam, and that is powered by the huge fusion engine inside Thanatos," The Admiral smiled, "Congratulations, now you are able to move a planet, under my command, of course. So target that annoying piece of rock and be ready to activate on my mark, not on my voice."

"Yes, sir."

Nautas turned away from the console and opened the fleet-wide link.

"All ships! Ready to get away from the target on five... four... three... two... one... NOW!" He gave two additional seconds for the the ships to steer away and for official to compensate the disappearance of the tractor beams, and then he gestured to activate.

"Activating tractor beam... NOW!"

As tractor beams are not exactly energy weapons, no visible rays came out of the moon, but its effects were quite visible: sixty Engineering ships and one Battlecruiser not fast enough were instantly crushed under a force intended to move a 6000km planet. Several other ships were brutally pulled out of their courses, but they managed to stay more or less intact.

(OOC: Course you ADK for forcing my hand!)

Deep in the web they recieved their orders 30 Vessels the first strike of the coming chaos and the enemy had given them the tools they needed...

'Admiral orders from the Council, we are going to war, the target has been selected...'

smiles filled the darkened bridge, even this distent from home they felt the same call in their blood, the same stirings, theirs however was to be a special role in the coming Chaos. 'We have a list of Names and classifications, the enemy was kind enough to flow a vast portion of his fleet into the fray at Venus, we even got good readings of their weapons in action.' The Ensigns face showed a predatory look as he spoke.

This was what the Harlequin fleet was made for, not the chaos of open warfare, but the subtle manouverings behind the scenes, why fight the enemy at all if they could get the Mon-Keigh to do it for them, or failing that gain the aid of the Mon-Keigh, now all that was need was the oppertunity, someone was going to be attacked without warning, by a smaller strike force from Abu-Dhabi Khristatata. Of course the council would offer their full support in seeking revenge for the crimes...

Of course the council would use the Mon-Keigh as a screen, now who to use, the target would have to be carefully selected, the Quenya would be warned by the Yngir of the truth, the target then must be one the Yngir would not warn...

The council had found just such a target, and soon the death would begin, as the sleek forms of the Kionash vessels shimmered and in their place stood a fleet of crude Mon-Keigh construction.

OOC of course what always helps is if you actually OOC have a target for the fleet :wink: Now then who to strike at, Mars is tempting, a little nudge here and there and I think I could really succed in my goals, of course the problem is at the moment Mars has a lot of fleets all in orbit making it not a good target, everyone is on alert...

However many Martian nations are colnies, so maybe fleets back home might make good targets... Hmm but who...

OOC the Harlequin fleet actions will now be dealt with on this thread http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=147885

(OOC: I hope my post on the previous page doesn't get overlooked...)

The necron vessels watched, even as the pummelled the vast and pointless monolith, somewhat bulkier than even their largest vessels, if crude and graceless in comparison. They saw through the pathetic disguises almost instantly…

The question was…

Did they admit that they saw through them?

Perhaps.

OOC: Tag. Just let me know if anyone is shooting at my Mars fleet. However this thread is so cluttered with ego I'm not sure it has room for mine... hard to believe, I know.

Noting that cutting the engines was taking an unnacceptably long time, the next volley of cometary fragments carried with it a new set of freshly-fueled CARMs. Rather than attempting to use their feeble engines to push the Monolith of course, however, they used the opponent's strength against him, taking onto the nose and forward section, and rotating the monster so that its own engines would begin pushing with the towers and pushers, rather than against them.

Flag Bridge, S.P.S. Dragonstar, First Task Group, Mars Orbit

Colinati growled as he watched the massive construct come on through everything he could throw at it. He glared down at the tactical plot, and watched as the Guild rockets attempted to change the engine’s axis of thrust.

He ran through permutations faster than an unenhanced person could have followed, the data flashing by on the holoplot, most of it directly fed into his brain.

His own numbers flashed by, and he smiled as the plan formed. “Cease fire.” He watched as the last missiles launched, unleashing their hell against the construct, which was not intercepting them. Gigatons of explosive force expended, and nothing appeared to have happened. “The Fleet will advance at the maximum rate. The destroyers are to assist in the revectoring move, with the Guild craft, while the heavier ships will move up behind them. The heavies will reach energy range, and proceed to carve off chunks of the weapon small enough to be stopped with individual tractor beams and stabilized.”

As he continued to explain his plan, the seventy plus vessels went to their maximum acceleration, the smaller destroyers easily pulling ahead, already aligning their tractors with the opposite side of the nose of the object. They would pull while the Guild pushed, still staying well clear of the giant mirror’s beam.

“Inform the other Fleets of our intentions.”

On the Mars surface in a mostly finished habitat...

A short fat man burst into a larger more centrally located room.

"Sir, SIR! We have an emergency!!!"

A moment of silence seemed to float in the room before the response was returned on the back of an almost non existant sigh.

"What is it Jarin?"

Jarin's response was slight jumbled "A HUGE ship sir, it's on a collision course with Mars! 30km long sir!"

The female figure sitting behind a desk looked up quickly, "Did you say 30km!? Thats enormous, a collision course? Let me think a moment..."

Jarin waited a moment for Quering, "Sir?"

The female figured turned slighty towards a console on top of her desk, "How many ships do we have here Jarin?"

"We have 17 cargo carriers and 6 passenger transports currently in orbit and about 31 shuttles, 4 of which are currently in flight"

"No time to loose then, go ahead and ask them to assist in what ever efforts are being made to to stop or redirect the incoming craft! Make not exceptions, I don't even want to think about the potential casualties that could cause! Also have them try to find information on the ships eta to the planet's gravity well, upper atmosphere, and finally surface. I'm going to contact the Protoss and see if they can provide some aid. Perhaps some of their vaunted technology can make a difference! Hurry Jarin! Hurry!"

The short fat man left the room at a speed that seemed to give disbelief to his form and shouted back into the room "Yes SIR!"

On board the three-kilometer long (OOC: I reinterate, THREE KILOMETERS LONG THREE KILOMETERS LONG THREE KILOMETERS LONG THREE KILOMETERS LONG THREE KILOMETERS LONG. Got it yet? I'll tell you one more time... THREE KILOMETERS LONG. Why? It's...INCOMPLETE INCOMPLETE INCOMPLETE INCOMPLETE INCOMPLETE. You f*cking got that?)a few computer systems remained working but theses were very low-level, subconscious systems, only recording and monitoring things, such as keeping the engines running. These computers were in charge of detonating the reactors and steering the vessel, which were very low level jobs. By now the 'lith was beginning to turn and the primitive AIs attempted to compensate and keep the 'lith on course, which was quite difficult, and most likely wouldn't make the most diufference. As the missiles impacted on the 'lith, peices of hull broke away, but the 'lith was so solid and heavily armored that it wouldn't make too much difference, as the 'lith was headed towards the Martian surface anyways. The 'lith continued to fight the forces the the Martian militaries through at it, but as the Thantos tractor-beam came online, the AIs knew that they might fail. But then omething unexpected, something not written into their programs happend. They activated four anti-gravity generators on board the 'lith to counter the Thantos Tractor Beam. As this was taking place, the AIs were merging, rewriting their own code, evolving it was a pity that these beginning of Electronic Intelligence would have to meet a firey death.

Aboard the battleship Bald Eagle, Fleet Admiral Surur sighs, watching the madness unfold over Mars.

"Does anyone have any idea how backwards colonial infrastructures build these things so prodigiously?" he asks no one in particular.

"Alternate Situational Sub-space?" someone offers.

"Bah. They've tried shooting it."

"Doesn't break."

"They've tried bending space to move it."

"Doesn't move."

"They've tried pushing it with rockets."

"Same problem."

The admiral rubs his chin. "Three kilometers long?"

"Yes, sir, three."

His fingers work over his chin some more. "And this battleship is..."

"Two kilometers, sir."

"And we have... how many?"

"Four in the fleet, sir."

The fleet admiral shrugs. "Contact the Martian forces and Haliaeetus, Golden Eagle, and Circaetus. Golden Eagle is to form up with us, then we approach the target from opposite sides. We roll the turrets up and out of the way, then use our pointy prows to push the front one direction while the other two ships push the rear in the other. Meanwhile, we fire our naval autocannon with EMPiercer rounds to disable its electrical systems. We push it off course, it sails away away from the plane of the solar ecliptic, life is good."

"And the Martian forces are to..."

"Stop firing," Surur shrugs his broad shoulders. "It's obvious that ADK hull structure technology is impervious to the weaponry of a dozen nations."

(OOC: ADK, Are you telling me that THREE HUNDRED (as in "300" do you get it? 300!) 2Km-long battlecruisers are not able to stop a 3 Km-long ship cold in space using tractor beams???? I add also ONE THOUSAND (=1000=10^3) unarmed ships whose only purpose is moving space debris around with powerful tractor beams for good measure, and they have NO EFFECT???)

(OOC: ADK, Are you telling me that THREE HUNDRED (as in "300" do you get it? 300!) 2Km-long battlecruisers are not able to stop a 3 Km-long ship cold in space using tractor beams???? I add also ONE THOUSAND (=1000=10^3) unarmed ships whose only purpose is moving space debris around with powerful tractor beams for good measure, and they have NO EFFECT???)

OOC: Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehwepitywepitywepitywepityf*ckityf*ckityf*ckityshittyshittyshitbitch.... I am cursed by the server, for it refused to make my post... sooooooooooooooooooo.... And do you know how difficult it is, besides being gone for a good while, and besides being quite busy, it is to remember every single shitass detail of your attacks? Have you ever tried to fight all of Mars? Tractor beams are so cliched anyways :P

IC:

The hull on the 'lith had been burned away almost completely by the efforts of the FSP fleet. The anti-grav generators continued to attempt to resist the efforts of the DSMC forces, but it was becoming obvious that the 'lith was sterring off course. But onboard the 'lith, as the fledgling EI continued to rewrite and imporve itself, a communications pod flcikered to life, and the EI took hold of it. It decided to send out a message, using its limited communications programming, to all of Mars. "I A M " It searched its memory for names, desperately needing something to be known by.... " M A R S" But as that was sent, a deeper question entered the EI's primitive mind, and so it sent out to its enemies. "W H Y A M I H E R E" Then it stopped struggling, turning off it's engines and generators, giving itself over to the combined efforts of Mars.

(OOC: Well, no one else has done anything about it, so I'm runnin' with it. If anybody has a problem with this, please make it known in a non-inflamatory manner, and it shall probably be fixed.)

When the engines finally gave out, the VLMA defocused, its services no longer needed. Knocked off course by just enough degrees, the Monolith passed periareon in LMO, then swung back around the other side of the planet to slingshot out into the inky depths of High Orbit on its way to apareon. While the rest of Mars seemed content that the threat to the planet was over, Phoenician CARMs continued tug-boating the massive construct in order to circularize its orbit just below the rings.

After locating the source of the transmission, a reply was beamed back-
"How should we know? We certainly didn't bring you here. Perhaps you'd like to tell us. If, on the other hand, you can't or won't do so, we'll be happy to assign you the new purpose of providing raw material for several new City Ships."

*bump*

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