NationStates Jolt Archive

A singular destroyer creeps slowly around the sphere of Al' Kari, glimmering from the Morning Stars brilliant light. Before one can focus much longer, another gleeming light comes from behind great cratered phase of the moon, followed by another and another; revealing a grand silver fleet.

Among it's ranks are two seprate fleets, each containing two Al-Ka'zier Class Troup Transports, one Sader Class Tech Transport, One Juggernaught Class Attack Carrier, surounded by two Phalis Class Cruisers ) (Starboard, Port) and six Protecter Class Cruisers (Spine, Ventral, Prow, and Aft).

The crafts cruise steadily, passing the blinking boundry markers. toward a grand blue circle in the distance.

Admiral Setties sits on his captain's chair on board the Juggernaught Nemisis, "Ready the test pilots. This is going to be fun."

:? I'm confused, is this an attack on Earth?

Sorry for the confusion, but this is a bit of a private conflict. I'm invading a rival of mine called "The Holy Empire of the Seven Heads." Our system is QUITE a ways from earth.

The Defender class fortress Gibraltar floated silently in it's orbit over Tanzir, the largest and closest moon of LNH. Rear Admiral Daniston, CO of the People's Navy base in the system, was in his spacious office. He was sitting in his comfortable leather office chair, reclined in front of the office's massive viewport, sipping a glass of wine and reading a novel. A Mars heavy cruiser floated a few dozen kilometers in a stationary orbit relative to the fortress. The com on his desk beeped. Daniston ignored it, nothing of importance ever really happened, and it beeped again. Mildly annoyed, he punched the button. "Yes, what is it?"
"Sorry to interrupt Admiral. Units of the Silver Fleet just launched an incursion across the border into Seven Head's space. I thought you might want to be informed of it."

Daniston frowned, "Ah....and where are our ships in the system?"
"Alecto and her division are holding station here, and Palestro's division is currently conducting a training exercise near the asteroid belt."
"Inform their divisional commanders of the situation, although I don't think its anything we need to concern ourselves in yet. Keep me informed though."
"Aye Sir." Daniston terminated the comlink and picked up his novel again, flipping back to the page he was on. "Computer, select music file Ave Maria. Play."

Commander Modecai Ithanul, master of the picket Dominion, one of the ships in the service of Him and His Servant, His Holiness Emperor Jacob XIV, watches as his sensor alight with the contacts of the Silver Fleet.
"The heretics come to defile the Land of His Chosen People," he mummers. He spins on one heel away from the sensor man and then slams it down on the deck with a harsh, unforgiving "stang" of leather on metal.
"Set up a whisker-laser transmission to the Sword! Tell him that the heretics are launching their fleet. Then bring engines to full power, and set a course to rendezvous with Lieutenant Commander Yatski and the Deliverance. We must ready the remaining picket force for the coming test from Him."
"Yes, Sir!"
"And may the Blessings of Him and His Likeness go with us in our tasks," Ithanul says to himself, as he sets down in the stiff backed chair of his station. A further reminder that the comforts of the body only delude his mind, and that this harshness brings him the necessary focus to defeat those who have cast their lot to the Deceiver and stepped off the path chosen by Him.

**********

Jacob XIV, Most High and Holy Ruler of Seven Heads, sits alone the light from a fire in its hearth playing strange lights and shadows over his cold and gaunt face. He looks up across his steepled fingers as the comm finally activates, and he straightens his back against the unyielding wood of the high-backed psuedo-teak chair.
The grizzled, yet calm face of Sword of the Faith Jeremiah Henson bows in servance to his lord.
"Your Holiness, I pray that I have not disturbed you."
"In my service to Him, I am always watchful and wakeful, My Sword. Tell me what message you bring."
"Holiness, the Silver Fleet moves against us. Our pickets have seen them departing their yards and moving toward our homeworld. I ask your permission to take action against them."
A moment's pause sweeps across Jacob's face.
"My Sword, you have been entrusted with my judgement and the judgement of Him for your long and devout service. Go know with my blessing and rid us of the threat of the heretics at last. I will go to Him in prayer and see to it that the Wrath descends upon our enemies."
"I live to serve Him and His Likeness, Holiness," Henson says, head bowed yet again.
"Then go, Sword, go and make plans to sweep this disease away from the door of the Chosen."
"As you will it, Holiness."
Jacob watches the blank screen for several heartbeats before turning to a nearby servant.
"Contact the infidel Ribbentrop. It seems that we must deal with his and his nation's hedonism and heresy sooner than we anticipated. Yet it is necessary to preserve the Chosen. In dire times like these, He will forgive us for the steps we must take in His Name."
"Yes, Your Holiness."

"Sir, I see all kinds of movement ahead, we've been spotted."

Setties smiles and lookes out toward the oncoming battle. "It's about time. Launch the test crafts. Engage all targets ACCEPT the shipyard."

"Yes sir."

The order is carried and 20 of the two carrier's SP2 crafts were launched:

"Weapons, check. Engines, check. Inhibitors, insulation... check." a pilot lists into the comm. link in his helmut. The small cockpit accomidates his size perfectly as he follows more routine. "Launch contol, engaging Black Blanket, repeat: engaging Black Blanket." Instantly, the huge grouping of crafts within the ship become black as midnight. "All settings checked and ready to go. Launching... now."

The crafts begin to escape the large mother ships 5 by 5 until all 40 test SP2's are launched. They creep into the black emptiness of space totally invisible, acception being the ocational blocked out star in the background. "readings are clean. Gamma immition at a steady .04 per kilometer, heat signature hidden and stable. We are a go." The crafts proceed to their two primary targets, with ten heading for the Seraphim and 30 toward the Active Dreadnaught.

Sword Henson steps out onto the bridge of the former Valinor destroyer. All at once he both loathes and loves the people who designed this ship, although the envy certainly plays into the favor of the loathing.
The bridge of this destroyer is easily twice the size of one of his own nation's ship of the equivalent class, and the hardware on the bridge makes him feel like his own ships are merely capable of throwing rocks at the Silver Fleet. The atmosphere on the ship's bridge is subdued, and on the viewscreens, a picture of the massive carrier takes up much of the front portion. Fregattenkapitan Gaunt, looks up from the crewman's station he'd been looking at and moves rapidly to meet Henson.
He comes to a stop and salutes, "Sword, welcome aboard the Faith's Virtue. I apologize, I did not know you would be coming aboard."
Henson salutes Gaunt, and represses his feelings, "I did not wish to be expected, Lieutenant Commander. Tell me, are the preparations for the new systems in place?"
"Yes, Sword," Gaunt says with a quick nod. "Captain Iaisko is having Nicodemous bring the final arrays for the G.O.D. system online, and our long-range sensor and engagement networks have already been brought online. Nicodemous will coordinate with Jax and Lother as well."
Henson represses a shudder, speaking of the AI abominations as if they were living beings of His Likeness sickened him. But they were necessary in order to help save His Chosen. Besides, he took great pride in the fact, as his eyes swept the bridge, that his own men were present on the bridge. And also that two-thirds of the Virtue's crew were those of the Faith.
"Very good, Commander. I have chosen to coordinate the first stage of our operations from the Virtue. That way I can have better access to the systems that your colleagues have provided us."
A vague look of something that might be surprise crosses the Valinor's face. Then he nods.
"Of course, Sword. I am at your service, as is my ship. Please, feel welcome to my station."
"Thank you, Commander," Henson says. He takes the captain's station of the destroyer. Gaunt meanwhile hangs back, standing at one side. Henson rapidly begins to digest the information being displayed before him. He sees the Silver Fleet already moving under full power toward Seven Heads, the surviving picket ships marshaling for the attack, and the forces of the Faith's First, Second, and Third fleets.
"Signal Ithanul, he is to launch a probing attack at the enemies dorsal flank. Meanwhile, get me Rear Admirals Herod and Acarth of the Second and Third Fleets. Tell them to set a course for navigation point 334-5A, and operate under pre-engagement plan Gamma. Then give the comm to me."
"Aye, sir," comes the Valinor communication officer's reply. Henson winces, another reminder that His Chosen must gaul themselves on these foreigners for now.

**********

Commander Ithanul's assembled picket force of three destroyers and a screen of fourteen LACs stand ready, already accelerating rapidly toward their opponents.
"Contact the Samson, Power, and Majesty LAC groups. Give them the clear to launch their initial attack operations following engagement pattern Zee-Zee-Omega. ETA until the fleet enters the missile envelope of the Dominion, Deliverance, and Crown?"
"Four minutes, Commander."
"Bring acceleration up to ninety-eight percent then. The sooner we send these foolish heretics to their eternal damnation at His Hands, the sooner we may sanctify the justice of the Chosen!"
"Yes, Commander!"

**********

Jacob XIV looks up as the servant escorts in Herman Ribbentrop and a man wearing a charcoal uniform trimmed in gray. Ribbentrop's escort and co-conspirator is Oberst Rheinhold, a Sardaukar sent to train the Chosen's warriors in the new technology carefully smuggled to Seven Heads over the past several months.
"Your Holiness," says Ribbentrop as he makes a half-bow. The Sardaukar salutes. "It is an honor to meet with you yet again."
Jacob waves a dismissive hand, cutting the Valinor ambassador's praising salutations.
"We have not the time for this exchange of pleasantries, Ribbentrop. Our enemies are already at our doorstep, and I want to know what you intend to do in response."
Ribbentrop places a hand to his chin, "I am afraid there is very little we can do now, Your Holiness. Most of our non-essential personnel will be evacuated to our freighters and transports in orbit and leave the system. However, our officers and myself will stay here and assist your war efforts in any way we can. The only other possible assistance I am authorized to offer is to assist in the evacuation of any critical person or persons you feel needs to escape the coming storm."
Jacob feels anger begin to burn deep within him. It figures that the Valinor would step back like any other infidels when the time for His test had come. Still, the resources they have provided are mere extensions of His Will, as are the Valinor themselves for the moment.
"Very well, Ambassador. See to your preparations, and I will take your other offer into consideration."
"Of course, Your Holiness," Ribbentrop bows. "I beg you excuse me. I must return to my office and coordinate with my staff."
"Go then," Jacob says. He watches as the ambassador and his Sardaukar lackey leave, the door closes with a quite click.
"Go into damnation with all the rest of your hedonism and your emptiness of the Faith!" he rages at the door.

OCC: Can't figure how to delete the thing, so i'll just replace it with this.

"Admiral, we just received priority orders from Naval Command."
"Send them to my terminal."
Rear Admiral Daniston leaned back in his chair and took a ship of his wine as he brought up the orders, Wonder what useless task they've given me... He nearly spit out the wine, instead choking on it and gasping for breath. After he recovered, he punched him com button. "Inform Commodore Mansfield of his new orders immediately."
---
Mansfield couldn't help himself. He grinned as he read the new orders. He had his com officer bring up a squadron wide message. "We have just received new orders from Naval Command."

[code:1:4f3cd8b20d]To: Rear Admiral Daniston
From: Admiral Koenig
The People's Republic has officially begun operations against the Star Empire of Valinon and the GSA. You are to destroy any and all enemy shipping in the Morningstar system. Happy hunting.[/code:1:4f3cd8b20d]

The eight Mars heavy cruisers swung about onto a new heading, toward the territory of the Holy Empire of Seven Heads.

"... Sir? I'm picking up something a bit odd. There's several large crafts that are definitely NOT SH crafts, and Orbital Battle Platforms surrounding the planets."

Setties subtly places the flask at his lips behind him and suddenly looks alert. "... Rat bastards have some outside help. Hm..." Setties ponders for a moment before bursting, "Riker, send a communication to the Vernii base. This nut might be harder to crack than expected and we'll need their help to seal the victory for sure."

"Wait... Sir... They're already on their way."

"Oh... well that's... good..." Setties is puzzles, but pleased none-the-less.

Meanwhile, he bombers cruise silently through space, approaching their targets and hoping that the "experiment" works. Finally reaching their destinations, and when reaching approximately 1million km from their targets, all ships released their full payloads.

120 stealth nukes, all bearing 100 megaton payloads, hurtle toward the spine of the active dreadnaught, while another 40 continue on a destructive path toward the Seraphim's starboard side, all only a 2 minute trip from detonation.

Nearly simultaneously, Setties orders for all 80 SP1 fighters to leave their places on the carriers and run attacks upon the first fleet. They pour out and fly at top speed toward the enemy.

(info on all crafts: http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=135649&highlight= )

(OCC: We've fastforwarded through the whole thing as to get it over with. To shorten things up, LNH and Vernii PWNed SH, the planet is occupied, LNH Navy is now a big fan of Vernii)