NationStates Jolt Archive

Well, looks like that other thread (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=8187681)'s ruined. Here is the new thread. Seeing as how Auman quit and everything's set back, I'm not leaving Shen-Zhou. Sorry, Hoggie.

Slowly but surely, the submarines made their way south along the coast, staying in international waters until they made their way to the NHSR, where they cut through Pilot's costal waters. For the days since leaving Gehenna, day and night had no meaning on the silent, hidden submarines. They would not surface until they reched Shen Zhou.

-----

In space, the Inverse and her escorting fleets entered Earth orbit, quickly drifting into Haven's orbital space. Heading towards the NHSR fleet, the commander sent a message to the opposing commander.


>>This is Admiral Aseroth Xiloscient of the PNS Lina Inverse. Withdraw immedietly. If my fleet is fired upon, we will return fire. I do not want there to be any bloodshed between us, so I repeat, withdraw immedietly.


In ships throughout the fleet, fighters and mobile suits were armed, fueled, and generally readied for combat. On the Inverse, and the eight battleships, PNS Shar, PNS Corellon Larethian, PNS Cyric, PNS Tyche, PNS Freya, PNS Sharess, PNS Kossuth, and PNS Loki, massive blast doors on the hull withdrew, revealng missile launch tubes and retractable guns, which smoothly rose into position. If all went right though, none of these weapons would have to be used.

IC:

Onboard the Mothership/Superdreadnaught N.H.S.F. New Haven - Over Shenzhou

"Sir, we have just been hailed by a "PNS Lina Inverse," Commander Donaldson said as he clicked off his headset to listen to the message. "They are demanding we withdraw immediately or we will be fired upon. If we open fire, we'll be fired upon."

"Contact the 2nd Fleet and Orion Squadron... the 'package' has arrived," Fleet Admiral Johnson replied. "Bring shields to full power, charge weapons and prepare for active scanning. Launch Trotskys and Stingrays. Pass the word along to the entire First Fleet."

--------------------------------------------

Onboard the Mothership/Superdreadnaught N.H.S.F. Asherton - Over New Haven

"Boys, we got our orders," Admiral Newman, brother of currently undersiege President Newman, called over the loudspeaker and to the neighboring ships of the 2nd Fleet. "Elements one through four, prepare to jump to Earth. Element five, maintain standby for word from ZMI. Alright boys, lets go through the hyperspace gate to Earth." The mass of ships lined up at the hyperspace gate over New Haven, plowing through to Earth in a steady line...

--------------------------------------------

Onboard Wraith Orion Alpha Leader - Over "Orion Base" in Red Hammer System

"Set hyperspace coordinates for Cislunar space above the Earth," Captain Jack "Odysseus" Wilheim ordered his wing of Wraith corvettes. "Drop the 'disposable' FTL drives into decaying Earth orbit. Hyperspace jump in five... four... three... two... one... JUMP!" At that moment, 120 Wraith corvettes entered hyperspace from orbit around their secret base in the Red Hammer System.

OOC:

Total Fleet Numbers soon...

Potential NHSR Battle Forces:

2 Island-class Mothership (N.H.S.V. New Haven)
9 Goliath-class Dreadnaughts
27 Shark-class Standard Cruisers
27 Remora-class Tow/Ortillery Cruisers
45 Storm-class Destroyers
45 Shield-class Missile Destroyers
54 Wasp-class Ion Cannon Frigates
54 Porcupine-class Anti-Fighter Frigates
35 Armadillo-class Marine Frigates

Total Ships: 298

120 Wraith Corvettes
450 Stingray Bombers
600 Trotsky Fighter Drones

Total Strike Craft: 1170

"Admiral, they're raising shields and charging weapons."

"Damn, I was afraid it would come to this. Contact the fleet and tell them to launch suits, fighters, and dummies, and broadcast Minovsky Particles. Ensign Berinstein, charge the spinal megaparticle cannon. Lt. Zubrin, start flashing a message to the NHSR fleet with the signal lights."

"Aye aye, Sir"

---

On either side of the Inverse's bridge, two giant signal lights started to flash brightly.

.-- . / ..- .-. --. . / -.-- --- ..- / - --- / -... .- -.-. -.- / -.. --- .-- -. .-.-.- / - .... .. ... / -.. --- . ... / -. --- - / .... .- ...- . / - --- / -.-. --- -- . / - --- / -... .-.. --- .-- ... .-.-.- / .-- . / .... .- ...- . / -... .-. --- .- -.. -.-. .- ... - / -- .. -. --- ...- ... -.- -.-- / .--. .- .-. - .. -.-. .-.. . ... --..-- / ... --- / -.-- --- ..- / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -. --- - .. -.-. . / - .... .- - / .-.. --- .-- -....- .-.. . ...- . .-.. / . -- / -.-. --- -- -- ..- -. .. -.-. .- - .. --- -. / .. ... / .--- .- -- -- . -.. .-.-.- / .- ... / ... ..- -.-. .... --..-- / .-- . / .- ... -.- / - .... .- - / -.-- --- ..- .-. / -.-. --- -- -- .- -. -.. .. -. --. / --- ..-. ..-. .. -.-. . .-. / -- . . - ... / .- -.. -- .. .-. .- .-.. / -..- .. .-.. --- ... -.-. .. . -. - / --- -. / - .... . / .. -. ...- . .-. ... . / ... --- / - .... .- - / .-- . / -.-. .- -. / - .- .-.. -.- / - .... .. ... / --- ..- - .-.-.- / -.. --- / -.-- --- ..- / -.-. --- .--. -.-- ..--..

Meanwhile, fighters and mobile suits poured out of the Inverse, battleships, and cruisers, while inflatable dummies deployed from small tubes. In the course of a few minutes, the fleet seemed to get many times larger.

Deployed forces:

1x Heavy Battlefleet
4x Medium Battlefleet

001x Inverse Class dreadnought (http://www.deviantart.com/view/12387656/)
008x Starburst Class battleship (http://www.deviantart.com/view/12387303/)
016x Usagi Class battlecruisers (http://www.deviantart.com/view/12385575/)
032x Musai Daioh Class cruisers (http://www.deviantart.com/view/12386661/)
064x Talos Class destroyers (http://www.deviantart.com/view/12386365/)
128x Serpent Class frigates (http://www.deviantart.com/view/12386031/)
064x Trebuchet Class ortillery corvettes (http://www.deviantart.com/view/12386857/)
048x Coho Class combat support ships (http://www.deviantart.com/view/12388162/)

8,532x fighters of various types
3,888x mobile suits of various types

Note: Each ship, fighter, and mobile suit has deployed four inflatable decoys that look almost exactly the same as the real thing. With the minovsky particles this dense, the only way to tell the difference is to destroy the target.

"Sir, passive RADAR scanning is being jammed! I can't tell if they're charging weapons or raising shields yet!" Lieutenant Powell called out. "Holy shit, we're receiving LIDAR active pings from hostile ships! Unknown ping format, possible communications attempt! I repeat, possible communications attempt!" Commander Donaldson walked over to the console and checked out the ping format.

"That's morse code!" The computer stopped displaying active pings and registered the log. Donaldson broke out his international code book and began translating the language on the screen. He transmitted the message to the Admiral's screen.

"WE URGE YOU TO BACK DOWN. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO COME TO BLOWS. WE HAVE BROADCAST MINOVSKY PARTICLES, SO YOU WILL NOTICE THAT LOW-LEVEL EM COMMUNICATION IS JAMMED. AS SUCH, WE ASK THAT YOUR COMMANDING OFFICER MEETS ADMIRAL XILOSCIENT ON THE INVERSE SO THAT WE CAN TALK THIS OUT. DO YOU COPY?"

"How do we respond, Admiral?" Donaldson asked.

"We need to buy some time. Prepare to send the following message back on active LIDAR pings:"

-.- . . .--. / -.-- --- ..- .-. / -.. .. ... - .- -. -.-. . / .- -. -.. / -.. .-. --- .--. / .-. .- -.. .. --- / -.-. --- -- -- ..- -. .. -.-. .- - .. --- -. ... / .. -. - . .-. ..-. . .-. . -. -.-. . / --- .-. / .-- . / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / - .- -.- . / .. - / .- ... / .. -. - . .-. ..-. . .-. . -. -.-. . / .. -. / .- / -. . .-- / .... .- ...- . -. / -- .. .-.. .. - .- .-. -.-- / --- .--. . .-. .- - .. --- -. .-.-.- / ... - .- -. -.. -... -.-- / ..-. --- .-. / ... - .- - ..- ... / --- -. / -.-. --- -- -- .- -. -.. .. -. --. / --- ..-. ..-. .. -.-. . .-. / ...- .. ... .. - / - --- / -.-- --- ..- .-. / ... .... .. .--. .-.-.-

"Admiral, we're getting a reply."

"Spit it out, Zubrin."

""Keep your distance and drop radio communications interference or we will take it as interference in a New Haven military operation. Standby for status on commanding officer visit to your ship.""

"They can't be serious. With the decoys, our fleet looks like more than eighteen hundred ships and sixty thousand strike craft!"

"What will you have us do?"

"Send a reply."

.. / .- .--. --- .-.. --- --. .. ... . --..-- / -... ..- - / .-- . / ... .. -- .--. .-.. -.-- / -.-. .- -. -. --- - / .-. . -- --- ...- . / - .... . / .. -. - . .-. ..-. . .-. . -. -.-. . .-.-.- / - .... . / -- .. -. --- ...- ... -.- -.-- / .--. .- .-. - .. -.-. .-.. . ... / .--- ..- ... - / -.. --- / -. --- - / .-- --- .-. -.- / - .... .- - / .-- .- -.-- .-.-.- / .-- . / .-- .. .-.. .-.. --..-- / .... --- .-- . ...- . .-. / -.- . . .--. / --- ..- .-. / -.. .. ... - .- -. -.-. . / ..-. --- .-. / .- / ... .... --- .-. - / - .. -- . .-.-.- / .. ..-. / .-- . / -.. --- / -. --- - / .-. . -.-. .. . ...- . / .- / .-. . .--. .-.. -.-- / ... .... --- .-. - .-.. -.-- --..-- / .-- . / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -.-. --- -. - .. -. ..- . / --- -. / --- ..- .-. / -.-. --- ..- .-. ... . .-.-.-

~placeholder~

"Admiral, we're receiving a message. Patching translated version to your console now:"

I APOLOGISE, BUT WE SIMPLY CANNOT REMOVE THE INTERFERENCE. THE MINOVSKY PARTICLES JUST DO NOT WORK THAT WAY. WE WILL, HOWEVER KEEP OUR DISTANCE FOR A SHORT TIME. IF WE DO NOT RECIEVE A REPLY SHORTLY, WE WILL CONTINUE ON OUR COURSE.

"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Donaldson asked. Johnson motioned for him to continue as he finished reading the message. "I think they're bullshitting us, to be quite honest. We have no clue what a Minovsky Particle is, nor are we in a position to calmly contact the Freeport University to ask them what it is. For all we know, they're stalling for time. Too bad that'll fit our plans better than any plan of theirs."

"Agreed," Fleet Admiral Johnson replied. "Prepare to fire off a signal probe to the hyperspace gate. Have it flash a tightbeam message to the 2nd Fleet informing them of our position and how to approach from behind. With any luck, they can get a hold of the Wraith corvettes when they will undoubtedly exit hyperspace nearby. Do not give the hostiles the benefit of a reply, and in fact lets change formation to Downslope Alpha with the frigates in front, the destroyers and cruisers in the center, and the battleships in the back. With any luck, we can keep them guessing long enough for the 2nd fleet to get into position."

"Sir, do you believe it suicide to attack them? They have many more ships than us!"

"If we don't attack, we've tipped our hands that we will not attack them or anyone else under any circumstances. Besides, we have an advantage in weapons and shields... I hope."

"No response, Admiral."

"Damn. They're not as reasonable as I thought."

"What do you intend to do?"

"Start sending laser messages to the fleet. We're moving ahead. I want all weapons armed and ready to fire. Get the suits with funnels to move their funnels in front of the guns on the decoys. If we have to return fire, I don't want the opposing forces to realize that most of the fleet is inflated by noticing that ships aren't firing."

"Transmitting now."


The 'massive' fleet started to move towards the NHSR fleet once again.


"Send one final message to the other fleet."

.- ... / .-- . / .... .- ...- . / .-. . -.-. .. . ...- . -.. / -. --- / .-. . ... .--. --- -. ... . --..-- / .-- . / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / .-. . ... ..- -- . / --- ..- .-. / -.-. --- ..- .-. ... . .-.-.- / -... . / .-- .- .-. -. . -.. / - .... .- - / .- -. -.-- / .- - - . -- .--. - / - --- / ... - --- .--. / ..- ... / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / -.-. --- -. ... .. -.. . .-. . -.. / .- -. / .- - - .- -.-. -.- / --- -. / - .... . / -.- .. -. --. -.. --- -- / --- ..-. / -... .-. -.-- -. / ... .... .- -. -.. . .-. --..-- / .- -. -.. / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / -... . / -.. . .- .-.. - / .-- .. - .... / .. -. / -.- .. -. -.. .-.-.-

"Sir, receiving a message from hostile fleet," Donaldson said as he quickly transferred it to the Fleet Admiral:

AS WE HAVE RECIEVED NO RESPONSE, WE WILL RESUME OUR COURSE. BE WARNED THAT ANY ATTEMPT TO STOP US WILL BE CONSIDERED AN ATTACK ON THE KINGDOM OF BRYN SHANDER, AND WILL BE DEALT WITH IN KIND.

"Commander, signal the fleet to go to Condition One. Sensors, begin directing active LIDAR pings in the direction of the enemy fleet," Fleet Admiral Johnson replied. "Break the fleet into several battlegroups and issue orders to enter sphere formation around their command dreadnaughts. Get the Remoras back behind the battle formation, we may need them yet. Send another signal probe to the hyperspace gate, tell the damn 2nd fleet to get their asses in gear. Prepare to fire a single ion cannon burst on my command..."

--------------------------------
2nd Fleet over Earth ('behind' hostile fleet while 'hiding' behind Earth)

"Sir, receiving message from Fleet Admiral Johnson. We are to go to Condition One immediately, charge weapons and prepare to come up behind the enemy fleet."

"So be it. Set Condition One throughout the fleet and prepare to fire all batteries. Lets get the gravdrives ready for maximum thrust, we'll need to get in position pretty quick."
--------------------------------
Wraith Squadron emerging from Hyperspace in Cislunar space.

"All corvettes, go to radio silence and dislodge your disposable hyperdrives in cislunar space. Condition One has been set throughout the fleet, and we are to arm torpedoes. Find your targets off the active LIDAR pings being given off by our friendlies and get ready to go. This is NOT a drill!"

Battle Fleet: Location entering low Earth Orbit in emergency rapid orbital insertion manoeuvres.


Battle Fleet. Six task forces of ZMI weaponry, ship’s and crews. Six huge Management Buyout command carriers. Hundreds of screening craft thousands of corvettes and drones, and behind them Type 300 frigates towing the grand battery to position.

Sky Marshall Anthony Boswick leaned back in the cavernous command and control centre while around him organised chaos broke out. He however was in a circle of almost lethargic inaction. He was thinking. Conventional communications had been blocked, the fleets first large elements were at least 14 minutes away from the zone of combat. He had no choice he had to shock these two forces into stopping escalation. “Coms,” “Aye Sky Marshall,” “prepare to broadcast a wide band hail and ..yes come to think of it put it out on the datanet too”

“This is ZMSF Sky Marshall Boswick Commander of the ZMSF Battle Fleet to the wider forces of the NHSR and to Bryn Shander, we believe that this conflict cannot be allowed to escalate. In one minute and twenty seconds this vessel the command carrier ZMSF Sales Ploy will be firing its main spinal weapon at low power between your two main forces. I strongly suggest you do not take this as an act of aggression rather the opposite. Both your states have long standing treaties with ours and we cannot stand by and allow this nightmare brake out.” At this Boswick took a sip of water and continued.

“In three minutes I will have my space superiority drone elements commence streaming through the gap between the two fleets which you have facing each other in earth orbit. They will not be carrying live anti ship weapons instead they will be projecting any command you wish to give your forces and relaying commands between your two fleets. Ladies and Gentlemen we do suggest to you that you defuse this situation with utmost haste through dialogue. We are more then willing to act as intermediaries while trying to stop these two forces entering open combat above Earth.” Boswick made a cutting motion across his neck and the transmissions ceased.




-Global Open Streaming Text Broadcast-
Origin: ZMSF Sales Ploy
Authorisation: ZMSF Sky Marshall Anthony Boswick

-Transcript of broadcast to all NHSR and Bryn Shander forces-


This is ZMSF Sky Marshall Boswick Commander of the ZMSF Battle Fleet to the wider forces of the NHSR and to Bryn Shander, we believe that this conflict cannot be allowed to escalate. In one minute and twenty seconds this vessel the command carrier ZMSF Sales Ploy will be firing its main spinal weapon at low power between your two main forces. I strongly suggest you do not take this as an act of aggression rather the opposite. Both your states have long standing treaties with ours and we cannot stand by and allow this nightmare brake out.” At this Boswick took a sip of water and continued.

In three minutes I will have my space superiority drone elements commence streaming through the gap between the two fleets which you have facing each other in earth orbit. They will not be carrying live anti ship weapons instead they will be projecting any command you wish to give your forces and relaying commands between your two fleets

Ladies and Gentlemen we do suggest to you that you defuse this situation with utmost haste through dialogue. We are more then willing to act as intermediaries while trying to stop these two forces entering open combat above Earth.”


-Relayed via the Authority of the office of the Gestalt to all streaming news services-




As he finished the broadcast commands he had already relayed to the captain of the Sales Ploy started the ship juddering as power was diverted from the compensation generators to the main gun and as the drives flared to put her into firing position. Lidar reached forward and the data links to Orbital command were checked. The clear firing window free of civilian assets or anything else for that matter would occur in precisely 42 seconds. The Sales Ploy had to be ready.

Around her the rest of Battle Fleet and her five sister ships streamed down and into orbit. Behind them came the formation of frigates towing the Grand Battery to position. Using the Battery in earth orbit would me madness but it was best to insure Battle Fleet was ready for anything. Including shooting down hostile missile launches from both sides for their own good.

"Still no response from the opposing fleet"

"Admiral, they're moving into a new formation, and visual sensors are picking up a third fleet entering orbit. The computers are saying that they're ZMI forces. Looks like a full battlefleet."

"Continue as planned. Inform our fleet that they are not to fire until I give the signal."

"Aye aye."

"Ensign Cannon, have a signal flare loaded into the bridge's flare launcher. A bright red one."

"Yes, Sir."

Battle Fleet: Low Earth Orbit in emergency rapid orbital insertion manoeuvres


The command deck of the Sales ploy was filled with alarms as the huge spinal energy cannon was prepped for firing. Whole internal sections of the ship were changing position as huge energy transfer conduits linked together.
In the heart of the bridge a figure stood on her command chair. She was Captain Catherine Swanson, Captain of the Sales Ploy and the person who the codes to fire the main weapon rested.
Reaching into her jacked she withdrew a single stubby black logic stick. It was the firing key. She inserted it into a console after tapping a single authorisation code and as she began turning it her icy voice cutting through the hubbub of the command deck.

“Position one main drive interlocked with capacitors”
“Check”
“Position two extend wave guides, link quantum state capacitors and charge thrusters arrays”
“Check”
“Position three, Target lights on, anti proton reactor to power, commence stream sequence”
“Check”
“Position four, open final fail safes removed, all wave guides to power linking with matter compression reactors complete quantum state capacitors set to discharge at 0.2% charge.”
“Check”
“Position Five, weapon systems and firing solution locked on automatic ”
“Check”
“firing in three, two ..one FIREING”

The sales ploys main gun in the perfect silence of space roared as her main drives plumed outward. A beam of blinding white light, radiation and exotic particles all coruscating with odd resonance’s that seemed to be shaking the space around it came into being covering the distance between the fleets in moments. Starlight near the beam curved. Even at low power its output was at the kilotons per second, it tore through the space between the NHSR and Bryn Shander fleets like a thunder bolt hurled by an angry Zeus. Star drives would hiccup, shields would jump and any delicate sensor looking directly at the beam would be burned out. The space itself between the fleets was ravaged and torn for moments before the beam slowly faded out leaving afterimages that would last for minutes on the eyes of any who had been starring at its path.

A few seconds away the space superiority drone squadrons rushed towards the fleets, their drives on overcharge they were leaving huge trails of drive plumes shooting out hundreds of metres behind them even as large image generators hastily mounted on their hard points began flashing “cease hostile actions!” in fifty foot high letters.

How do you sart a war? :mp5: :sniper:

"Admiral, the ZMI flagship just fired it's spinal gun, and drones are swarming in."

"They're bluffing. They wouldn't dare fire on us. If they sunk even a single corvette, I'd immedietly send a message to Niflheim via Solomon and have King Nightbane fire Gryps II at ZMI's Megacity 3, and they know it. They're not going to risk it."

"Continue on course, Sir?"

"Yes."

[[OOC...Read the FAQs and sticky threads. Never ..EVER use emoticons again and do not post without OOC tags when OOC (out of character) save in a specific OOC or refrence thread of which this is neither. /OOC]]

"They had their chance! ICF Forrestal, fire a shot across their bow! If they do not stop, all ships lock onto lead vessel and fire!" Hatches could be heard closing across the Island-class mothership and the noise of its ion cannons turning into firing could be heard. A hot blue beam cut directly in front of the hostile fleet, making its prescence known just meters off the lead ship's hull.

"Admiral! They've just fired at the Golem!"

"Damage?"

"None. They missed."

"Fire a response across the flagship's bow with the one and two turrets."


Four golden beams shot from the Inverse, two on either side of the bridge as the number one and two turrets fired. Ripping through space, the four beams cut across the mothership's bow, leaving a golden trail of particles as they passed. The warning shots had been echanged. Now the ball was in the NHSR's court once again.

"Comrade Admiral, warning shots have just barely cleared our hull, I guess they didn't get the hint," the sensors operator yelled to the Admiral.

"Fleet, this is Fleet Admiral Johnson. You are cleared to fire! Engage your primary target and then fire at will! Coordinate with your battlegroup's fire commander!"

All ion cannon ports in the NHSR fleet glowed blue and all turrets turned to face the hostile ships. As if by magic or by computer linkup, the guns fired at once, locking onto the Golem while the anti-strike craft shot fired in the spaces between capital ships. The Battle for Shenshou Space had begun.

2nd Fleet

"Sir, we're detecting weapons fire!"

"Fleet, this is Admiral Newman. Open fire once we're within range, all batteries! Helm, get us close!"

---------------------------------------
Wraith squadrons

"All corvettes, break formation and hit the biggest targets you can find. Arm Astra torpedoes and fire!" The Wraiths dove down from cislunar space upon the hostile fleet, firing a spread of unguided (but fast) 20 megaton torpedoes down onto the hostiles.

"FIRE THE FLARE! ALL GUNS, FIRE AT WILL!"

Within seconds of the first shot, the red flare signaled the attack. Thousands of golden beams shot towards the 1st NHSR fleet, with the largest being the Inverse's 400m wide spinal gun's shot, which was aimed at the NHSR mothership along with the ship's 136 other guns. Adding to the barrage were thousands of anti-capital ship missiles. Over all, each ship in the first NHSR fleet would be targeted with at leadt twenty beams, the larger ones targeted with many, many more. If they connected, each beam would rip through the target like a plasma torch through butter.

Back in Xiloscient's fleet, the Golem was riddled with holes, exploding in a bright ball of yellow. More explosions filled the space around the fleet as point defense guns opened up on the incoming torpedoes, filling the space with tens of thousands of 120mm shells every second. Sadly, some of the torpedoes made it through, and the destroyers Gorst, Olalla, and Calimshan joined the Golem.

The New Haven rumbled as the beams struck the shields, power failed and airtight doors swung open while the ship took a steep dive to avoid enemy fire. The 400mm shot scraped the top of the hull through a hole in the shields, tearing a large gash above the spine of the ship. Next to her, three frigates lost shields and vaporized, leaving trace debris in decaying orbit. Two missile destroyers unloaded their missile racks into the hostile picket lines before retreating behind the mothership for cover while others moved forward to fire their own salvos. One took a direct hit in the missile tubes as it fired, detonating the entire ship with one shot.

"We've taken damage to our primary energy distribution net, switching to backups. Fires on decks A and B, hull breach on deck A. Shields down to 20% effectiveness, they won't take another beating like that. Dreadnaught Repulse reports it has taken severe damage to its gravdrives and they are down to minimal power. Remoras are moving in to supplement the ship's drives and tow her back to port. She still has shields and weapons and will continue to fire until she leaves the field of battle, Comrade Admiral."

"The battle goes well, I figured we would be dead by now," Johnson said. "Order the wraiths to turn around and climb back through the enemy lines, only firing when they are sure they can hit through the enemy's anti-missile fire. All fighter drones, attack strike craft targets! All bombers, lock onto frigates and try and get close before firing. Tune ion cannons for maximum effectiveness against hostile armor and tune shields to keep those beams out."

-------------------------------------
2nd Fleet

"Open fire, all batteries! Hit their rear armor and disable them! Raise shields and launch all strike craft!"

-------------------------------------
Wraith Squadrons

"Turn back around, lets go back for one last pass before we get out of here."

-------------------------------------
NHSR Fleet Command

"Sir, we've received a message from a Runner-class probe: "Battle underway, calling for reinforcements. Taking massive fire!"

"Call the Hattians, tell them we need their help."

"The flagship is damaged, but a second fleet has appeared on our flank."

"Ready another shot on the main gun."

"Charging."

"Have our secondary guns target the flagship of the second fleet, and send fighters and suits to intercept."

"On it."

"Damage report?"

"We've lost the Golem, Olalla, Gorst, and Calimshan. Most of the torpedoes were either shot down or hit dummies."

"I want the cruisers and battleships to begin firing their rear guns at the second fleet. Have them all target the flagship."


Two minutes later, the Inverse's main gun fired again, the fleet's smaller guns firing every ten seconds. More and more explosions lit up the sky as torpedoes were shot down or hit dummies. Another ship was gang raped by the first fleet, but it too was a dummy. A mockup of a battlecruiser. In the rear of the fleet, the destroyer Soviet Russia bet a firey end along side the frigates Zubat, Abra, Tangela, and the corvette Richard Ramirez.

Battle Fleet: Location holding 1,200 km from combatant fleets.

The main screen said it all and silence spread out on the bridge as the shots were exchanged. The drones carrying their messages began streaming past the combatants only moments before they opened fire. As the organised chaos of battle spread the drones streamed out from the space between the fleets, there nimble little forms dodging the majority of the relative to them clumsy main armaments of capital vessels. They would lazily return to their motherships in time.

Boswick let his shoulders sag and typed out a series of orders and batch authorised them. In moments light fleet elements had began spreading out to intercept debris and prepare to pick up survivors from both sides. Sighing he activated his com.

“This is Boswick to all fleet units wind out sensors to full gain and record, launch Type 300’s for recovery of any vessels that begin to drift down to the planet, central fleet fire control stand by to intercept any hulks heading towards the surface at speed”.

Battle Fleet sat in silent formation their hulls occasionally illuminated by the death flare of one of the unfortunate vessels caught in the conflagration as they kept their vigil over this event. While they lay relatively still behind them the grand battery formed, battle platforms and stations were launched and some of the permanent earth orbit stations began repositioning burns to reinforce the position.

In the distance the explosions were spreading.

"Order Remora cruisers in reserve to form into wall formation and to prepare for shield net alpha," Fleet Admiral Johnson ordered.

"But sir, we've never tried that in battle! It could send good men to their deaths!"

"Do it goddamnit, or we're not going to survive another assault!" Commander Donaldson reluctantly called the Remoras over high-gain tightbeam communications.

"All remora-class cruisers, form wall formation and get in front of the fleet. Divert all power to shields and engines and perform shield net alpha. We're counting on you, New Haven out."

The Remoras shot to the front of the fleet, forming a two-tiered shield net in front of the fleet, ready to hold back the next volley. The New Haven turned broadside and turned her turrets to fire through the shield wall and into the enemy fleet, battlecruisers following her lead.

"Sensors Officer, I want you to find any decoys! Find differences in energy signatures, movement, momentum, I don't give a damn! Just do it!"
----------------------------------------
2nd Fleet

"Sir, enemy ships turning to engage us!"

"Target fire on their battlecruisers. Fire all missiles!"
----------------------------------------
Wraith Squadrons

"Turn back for home boys, we're not doing anything more than wasting torpedoes. Rendevous with your hyperspace modules, lets get the hell outta here."

2nd Fleet

"Sir, incoming fire! Its one hell of a shot!" The Asherton's Sensor Operator reported. As he finished his sentence, the Asherton was rocked by massive amounts of fire, dropping her shields and impacting her armor directly before any other ships in the fleet could react.

When it was over, the ship had been wrecked. Her armor had been completely riddled with holes, her systems smashed and 2/3rds of her crew dead or dying. Her fusion powerplant shut down, the sensors maintaining her magnetic fields having been destroyed in the catastrophic attack. Her hyperspace module was still charged, and Remora cruisers began latching onto her hull with repair booms attaching themselves to the Asherton's external power ports.

The crippled ship was reilluminated once more, the full extent of her damage broadcast to the fleet. Large gaping holes could be seen reaching into her internal structure, including one where the bridge used to be: The President's brother was dead, slain in battle against a formidable foe.

"All hear this, this is Battlecruiser Archimedes," a high-gain radio transmission began. "The Archimedes is now flagship of the 2nd Fleet. Admiral Newman has been slain by our enemies! Glory be to the dead of the Asherton! All ships, lock fire on enemy flagship and fire!"

As the 2nd Fleet fought on, the Asherton's shields were supplemented by the Remora' cruisers' shields as they formed up around their former flagship. They towed it to a safe distance outside the battlefield, dragged her into a higher orbit, and activated the Asherton's FTL drive to take them to the New Haven System. For Admiral Newman and the Asherton, the battle was over.

-------------------------------------
1st Fleet

"Sir, the Asherton has taken critical damage," The New Haven's comm. officer said as the ship hid behind the Remora Shield Formation. "Shes being towed back to New Haven for repairs. Admiral Newman has died in battle."

"May God have mercy upon his soul and the souls of those who have slain him," Fleet Admiral Johnson replied as he motioned for a fleet-wide high-gain message to be radioed. "First Fleet, this is Fleet Admiral Johnson. Admiral Newman of the 2nd Fleet is dead. Lock next ion cannon volley on the Inverse and fire when charge cycle is complete."

"Sir, the Inverse has fired her main cannon again!" All eyes turned to the sensor screen projected in front of the bridge crew. All eyes watched to see how the Remora shield would work against the shot. The red dot representing the incoming fire hit the blue sphere and dissipated. Johnson's gamble had paid off.

"Sir, overall shields of the Remoras has dropped to 30%. Our shields have recovered to 50% and we are now combat operational."

"Very well, stick to the plan and pull the Remoras back. Lets get back into the fight."

Battle Fleet: Location holding 1,200 km from combatant fleets.

Boswick had sucked in a breath barely heard over the sudden rise in noise in the command centre as the main screen displayed the fiery line of destruction carved into the massive top deck of the New Haven. Moments later as the 2nd NHSR fleet flagged by the Asherton began to stand of the Kingdom of Bryn Shanders 1st Haven War Fleet flagged by the Inverse Boswick decided that idly standing by was simply no longer an option.


Bombardment Command Grand Battery

The dark green lit pit of grand battery command was inset into the left corner of the huge command centre in the heart of the Sales Ploy. A ring of communication stations and headed by one Admiral James Carter Smith a bear like man who had about the same temperament.

“Order confirmed SkyMarshall, This is Smith to all platforms commence pre firing sequence and stand by for firing solution upload. Prepare to give that empty space hell lads” Around him gunners began tapping out their commands.


-Battle Fleet Grand Battery Sub TACCOMNET-
Pre Fire Order received:OK
Telemetry Upload Complete……………
Holding for fire release…
Fire release received:OK
Assets Linked to Fire Order:OK
Asset List:
5 Hostile Take Over Platform(s)
320 Gunstorm Platform(s)
Weapon PreCharge Complete:OK
Weapon FAULT! Gunstorm platform 23! Accelerator Ring 23 critical zero Telemetry return!
Unit Removed from Firing order:OK
Repair drones deployed on Gunstorm platform23.
Continue Y/N? Y.
Failsafe Request Sent:Ok
Failsafe Reguest received:OK
Time till TOT bombardment start: 1.2 seconds


In space 1,200 kilometres is nothing. Boswick watching in horror the un-dead hulk of the Asherton being dragged of the battle field saw it as close quarters. In the confines of this knife fight range battle it was hotting up enough for the captains of the five management buyouts in battle fleet to worry as they read their orders. They were command carriers not wall of battle vessels. However they did carry armour heavier than anything else in the fleet and the main fleet force wall projectors. Their huge engines flared and 20 kilometre long drive flames filled space as they five leviathan vessels rushed head long forward to interpose themselves between the 2nd NHSR fleet and the forces of Bryn Shander their vast bulks humming with power as thousands of point defence positions were charged, missile tubes pre charged, and the huge anti shipping turrets linked into their own local reactors. The 7 kilometre long Management Buyouts would not be denied.


Smiths Voice carried across the sound of the key tapps and murmured conversations of Command Centre,

“Grand Battery is opening fire sir.!”

“Very good Admiral” Boswick replied before he winced and muttered under his breath “Why can the man never just send over comms".

The Grand Battery

The Platforms had positioned themselves in insane patterns designed to confuse counter fire instead of the glittering rows they showed to the public. Now they hissed coolant and volatilise as they repositioned for firing. Over Three hundred Gunstorm Platforms suddenly lit up as their counter shipping heavy ion cannons in the silence of space hurled forth white cored blue lances.

The five hostile take-over platforms were somewhat more impressive as on the planes of their wave guides the massive blindingly bright white energy lance that was blasted from their huge central emitter tower assemblies was compressed and flattened out into a wave of rolling energy fire as the platforms fired at 50 percent power*1.




*1 (6 Megatons of energy per second in Mode 2 area affect “wave” on a plane of fire).

"Admiral, the spinal gun's shot failed to breach their shield."

"Damnit! Anything else?"

"We've crippled the rear fleet's flagship, but we've lost the Soviet Russia, Zubat, Abra, Tangela, and the Richard Ramirez."

"Excellent. Charge the main gun again, and focus the fleet's foreward fire on the first fleet's flagship."

"Yes, Sir."

"Admiral, the ZMI forces are firing again! Their Management Buyouts are also moving in between our rear and the second NHSR fleet."

"Fuck! Load and launch a white flare. Order the fleet to cease fire."

"Aye, aye."

"Call back the fighters and suits as well."

"Flare launched, Sir."

"Good. Send another message to the opposing fleets."


-.-. . .- ... . / ..-. .. .-. . .-.-.- / .. / .-. . .--. . .- - --..-- / -.-. . .- ... . / ..-. .. .-. .

"Sir, ZMI vessels crossing into our line of fire!" The New Haven's Sensor Operator called out. "We're receiving a message from hostile forces calling for a cease-fire."

"Give it to them, we cannot engage ZMI, even accidentally," Johnson said in reference to New Haven's non-aggression pact with ZMI in exchange for the Outzone City project. "First and Second Fleet, this is New Haven. Cease firing, but maintain weapons charge and shields. Maintain Condition One. I repeat, cease fire but maintain positions and weapons charges!"

Battle Fleet: Beginning to take up position between combatant fleets.

Battle fleet was the largest formation the Z.M.S.F fielded, cored by the aforesaid “Management Buyout” Class Command Carriers which flagged its six task groups with over two thousand vessels though over 1,400 of these vessels were various classes of corvettes. This entire vast cornucopia of ships was now filtering in between the NHSR’s 2nd fleet and Bryn Shanders 1st Haven War Fleet, joining the leviathan masses of the Management buyouts which were already beginning to project the initial force wall sections cutting unlucky squadrons of small units apart as the huge force walls slowly crackled into existence. The rest of the fleet spread out one by one taking up positions to slowly extend the crackling blue haze while interceptor drone swarms began to silently screamed through the fighter formations of both fleets the drones plotting seemingly insanely close courses to fighters or mobile suits.


Meanwhile Battery command had other orders.


-Battle Fleet Grand Battery Sub TACCOMNET-
Uploading New Firing Solution……
Order received:OK
Telemetry Upload Complete……………
Holding for fire release…
Fire release received:OK
Assets Linked to Fire Order:OK
Asset List:
5 Hostile Take Over Platform(s)
319 Gunstorm Platform(s)
780 Merchantile Class Missile Platform(s)
490 C-Gun Platform(s)
Weapon PreCharge Complete:OK
Failsafe Request Sent:Ok
Failsafe Reguest received:OK
Fireing


A single full power salvo ripped through the space between the 1st NHSR fleet and the 1st Haven War Fleet, the rolling mass of intersecting energy beams now joined by a veritable wall of missiles and huge coil gun rounds. These detonated in a cacophony of explosions who’s shock waves actually effected the positions of both fleets front line vessels. Which the glare of the hundreds of high yield warheads still etching itself across the screens of both fleets two bright orange wallowing engineering drones complete with flashing yellow lights which had been towed behind an interceptor drone squadron and literally hurled into the opposing fleets formations gently placed themselves in front of one of all three flag vessels optic pick ups. They then deployed a low powered projection laser and started to scan an image directly onto the lenses of the pick ups. The drones then extended a large magnetic resonance unit directly interacting with the EM sensors on the vessels involved. What it was broadcasting clearly however were the waveforms of sound. To be precise speech. The two taken together would show the same message again and again.

The first part was a quick visual data burst of the location of the sales ploy and docking information, the second was a video message. Boswick in a somewhat grainy image could be clearly seen as could the flashing tiers of displays behind him his grey uniform occasionally accented by a splash of gold or white and black.

“This is Sky Marshall Boswick of the ZMSF Battle Fleet gentlemen we believe it is time for you to discuss your differences in a civilised manner. We advice that this would be the wise course of action and while never doubting your governments wisdom gentlemen we feel this incident has been a somewhat unfortunate accident of fate. Please prepare to join me in 20 minutes aboard the Sales Ploy”

"Mr. President, ZMI has requested we meet on their ship for talks, do we proceed?" Fleet Admiral Johnson radioed using the Hyperspace Particle Entanglement Communications Array (HPECA). Normally, it would be used in FTL communications, but the lack of radio availability forced its use.

"Very well, send my brother to attend," President Newman responded. "He is well trained in diplomacy and I will be inclined to listen to him. I've been out of the loop for the past several days or weeks, I can't really remember how long that ordeal was."

"Mr. President, Jimmy is dead," Johnson replied. "He was slain in battle when the enemy concentrated fire on his ship. He died an honorable and instantaneous death." The line seemed to go dead, no radio chatter between either side for more than ten minutes. Only a soft sob could be heard for a short time.

"Very well," President Newman replied, trying to regain his composure. "Send Commander Donaldson. Instruct him that unless the enemy forces leave the area immediately and do not attempt to break the blockade, you are to terminate talks and return to battle if they provoke it. I want the New Haven out of Sol if that happens. Once she arrives in her home sector, she will take on supplies and extended crew for Operation Sapling. Is that clear?"

"Very clear, Mr. President. My condolences for Jimmy, and do note that if we attain an uneasy peace, I will attend his memorial service."

"Understood, Fleet Admiral. Newman out."

"Commander, call an Armadillo over to dock with the New Haven. You're going on a diplomatic meeting. Get your gear and go."

"Admiral, the ZMI commander has requested that you meet with the NHSR commander on the Sales Ploy."

"Very well. Have a Shark made ready. I'm on my way."

"Yes, Sir."

"Tsubomi, you have the bridge. If anything happens to my shuttle, I want you to have the fleet focus it's fire on the last known position of the first fleet's flag. Then, you are to withdraw the fleet to Solomon and inform Nightbane. From there, you will restock the fleet with the reserves and meet up with the ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth, fifteenth, sixteenth, twenty first, and twenty second medium battlefleets. King Nightbane will give you your orders from there."

"Good luck, Admiral."


Xiloscient made his way to the number one fighter bay and boarded his shuttle, which launched and headed to the Sales Ploy, escorted by a dozen fighters.

Main Docking Bay Beta ZMI Battle Fleet Flagship Management Buyout Class Command Carrier “Sales Ploy”

The docking bay stretched out 2 kilometres in length the massive arches of supports and emergency blast doors reaching up so far that small clouds could in theory form if it were not for the environmental control systems. Above could be seen huge cradles containing entire frigates moved along a grid of huge rails, while in the distance the form of an entire cruiser could be seen, its huge cooling fins being stripped and replaced. Arching through the bay mono rail lines carrying everything from munitions, personnel or even racks of various classes of drones hissed while the air itself literally buzzed with the mechanical horde of orange engineering drones, hover platforms with engineering staff seemingly pulling insane stunts in the bays low gravity and the bulky grey masses of cargo hover pallets.

In the corners of the bay just visible upon the same railing system as the frigate cradle movement rigs were the menacing presence’s of four huge turret arrays, tiers of smaller weapons topped off by twin heavy rotary counter shipping grade gauss cannon. In the mid distance the shark class shuttle could still be seen dwarfed inside one of the huge bay locks its fighter escort now finding itself in the unenviable position of being stuck in a holding pattern for the conference while in the next lock over the bulky shape of the Armadillo could be seen, large sections of the docks deck having risen up to support it against the bays .2 AG field. The walls were covered in rails, drone docking points and transit shafts, the bulky arrays of emergency equipment and massive screens constantly displaying streaming information.

Two group of figures could be seen being led across the floor of the bay by two small squads of INT-SEC troopers, their dark grey uniforms contrasting harshly against the bright orange overalls covered in hard suit link points most of the engineering crews rushing around the diplomatic groups were wearing. The groups slowly crossed the bay to one of the huge pillars that allowed access to the Monorail system where a single INT-SEC officer in a grey bordering upon black stood beside a small table which had a set of small mobile phone sized yellow and black terminals upon it.

“Gentlemen welcome aboard the Z.M.S.F. Command Carrier Sales Ploy, I am corporal Jack Lynch INT-SEC and your liaison officer for your time abroad this vessel. If you have any questions or anything you need you merely have to ask. If you would be so kind as to take from the table a visitors terminal it will allow you access to the ships public guide and a variety of services and if you look to your left and up you will see our transport arriving”

As he spoke a monorail passenger car pulled into place and the entire segment of deck the group stood on rose up the pillar to form a boarding platform for it.

“While you are of course our honoured guests as military officers you will of course note that several sections of this ship are off limits some for your own safety and some for our security. At no time gentlemen remove the terminal from your person. If you do so in a restricted space the ships automatic internal defences will incapacitate you. This is an unfortunate design feature that cannot be removed even in times of diplomatic conference. Your terminals will guide you away from restricted or dangerous ship spaces, provide you with limited access to the ships data net and the greater data sphere including a full streaming link to the web, a limited link to the internal interpersonal communications grid and I believe you will find pre set links on both your gentlemen’s terminals to contact your own respective governments via streaming real time video via the ships main Tachy coms array. Unlike smaller vessels in the Z.M.S.F. the Management buyout class keep constant real time FTL communications links running, the energy cost is minimal compared to the output of the Sales Ploys reactors. The Sales Ploy is 4.3 Kilometres in beam, 7.8 kilometres in length and 2.3 kilometres tall so there is unfortunately plenty of room to get lost. I do suggest when trying to find any point in the vessel you allow your terminals to do your journey planning for you. The Sales Ploy’s present crew levels are above 43,000 personnel and as such with the population of a small city you will find a large shopping arcade in what’s informally called “the main street” sections. There are in fact two such “main streets” aboard the Sales Ploy and you are free to use any of the services, shops, clubs or restaurants in your time here.”

Lynch took out an active flimsy clip board at this point and fiddled with a stylus for a second before continuing.

“Now if you would be so kind as to pick up your terminals and board the monorail and please feel free to ask any questions”

Donaldson picked up the terminal and boarded the monorail, forgetting that he was not wearing his ceremonial sword or pistol (meaning he spent a few extra seconds trying to move air so he could sit down).

Xiloscient hopped from the Shark's open doorway, landing gracefully even in his bulky normal suit. He easilly made his way to the pillar, the microgravity on the Sales Ploy not much higher than on the Inverse, and took the visitor's terminal. Without a thought, he boarded the monorail. Sitting down, he acted as if the bulky enviromental suit was not present, a byproduct of years of wearing it. On his shoulders, the same circular crest that emblazened the sides of Bryn Shander's warships and it's flag was painted onto the hard black suit. On his left breast, the name "Xiloscient" was clearly painted in red, with various rank emblems painted below.

The Sales Ploy
The mono rail doors hissed shut and clicked into position with a certain finality. A series of smart dust screens flashed into appearance along its length with a flashing play of adds and brief fleet announcements then cycled to the ZMSF in service news data stream service before once more returning to adds. The monorail accelerated down the length of the bay and into its transit tube with a faintly audible "huff" of air to the passengers inside.

After a few moments a brief view of what appeared to be a packed solid dimly lit cargo bay flashed past, followed by more transit tube. Suddenly the windows darkened and a voice calmly announced “Warning you are now passing a high radiation area it is highly dangerous to organic life to leave the in vessel transport at this time, Warning” Moments later the monorail led them above one of the “main streets” which looked remarkably like a piece of an old European town centre had been transplanted directly into the middle of the warship save for the ominous protrusions of blast doors.

Passing though a final small station with the words “Hab zone 3” emblazoned on a huge smart dust screen the train pulled to a halt. This station had no nameplate, and was lit by two actinic yellow lights. Two battle angels stood guard upon its platform in full combat gear, loosely slung massive heavy combat Anti Armour rotary rail drivers slung over their backs. They stood outside a massive clam shell blast door. Overhead active scanning sentinel drones were gently humming back and forth while a small disc like utility bot was gently cleaning the stations platform.

“Gentleman if you would follow me to the conference centre”


The conference centre
The room was a large domed edifice seemingly cast out of a solid lump of battle alloy. On its walls huge smart dust screens flashed gently as they constantly updated the positions of both opposing fleets, while conspicuously the ZMSF units were completely absent save for the six huge white triangles symbolising the management buyouts. In the centre of the room sat a large black marble circular conference table its centre an empty space containing the smooth silver sphere recessed in a small pit of a heavy duty holo projector. Neat midnight black leather seats with flashing chrome like metal sections hung seemingly in mid air around the table while in one side of the room a long table strewn with light refreshments and attended by two INT-SEC officers with white jackets over their blacks stood, the bulges of their needlers obvious. Above the blast door was the simple lengend in plain English “In Peace We Trust” while upon the huge door itself was inscribed a stylized image of the ziggurat.

Sitting at the table was a bald INT-SEC officer in pure black and if they had been looking Lynch had visibly gulped upon seeing him, a man in the pure snow white formal suit of the ZMIDOFA and another man in the off white grey of a Sky Marshal. Across the Sky Marshalls chest lay a dozen small black and white chequered decorations with the odd splash of gold while his shoulders were not detailed by shoulder boards or regalia but rather harsh slashing barcodes. Sky Marshall Anthony Boswick looking up at the arrivals. His face was oddly for a sky marshall young but alreadly worry lines were developing in his brow. He rose and began to speak.

“Gentlemen I welcome you aboard my flagship, I am Sky Marshall Anthony Boswick”

Looking at the new comers each in turn he continued.

“We are here to broker a deal to insure peace. We guarantee you can be sure of absolute impartiality and security while here and upon our parts our only desire is to see that this conflict ends here and now.”

“Gentleman I would request you please take your seats”

Xiloscient bowed, hardly slowed by the bulky suit. "I am Prince Aseroth Xiloscient, High Admiral of the Bryn Shander Space Force."

He took his seat. "I will do my best to see that the conflict ends now, but I cannot make any promises."

"I am Commander Donaldson, Executive Officer of the New Haven. The New Haven being the flagship of our great fleet," Donaldson said as he sat down. "As with my 'comrade', I too cannot guarantee peace. However, I will put forth my best effort to see if it can be achieved."

With nary a whisper of communication, a relatively large number of non-combatant ships (they certainly do not appear to be carrying weapons, and are too small to be of any threat anyway) bearing three white stars on bright blue hulls rose over the horizon from the perspective of where a battle had recently been fought. They have strong electromagnetic signatures, considering mass.

Communicating now, the vessels - apparently entirely automated - bleat out a repeating message to whatever ships look like they might want to fire (determined, no doubt, by people on the ground - or perhaps by an AI):

We are the non-combatant vessels IOEA-41A through IOEA-42B. We are en route to begin routine cleanup procedures. Please do not interfere. This is a civilian operation at the behest of the Iluvauromeni Government. Therefore these vessels are entirely neutral. Interference would therefore be a contravention of accepted behaviour and potentially international law....Repeat, we are the...

The voices are smooth, feminine, and gentle. Translation appears to be simple, as each ship recieves the transmission in the correct language.

Assuming they are not destroyed regardless of status, they fan out rapidly - they are moving very quickly, at the moment, relative to the Earth - and flit back and forth in what is clearly a pattern.

Slowly, clumps of debris begin to gather behind them, dragged along by an invisible force. In point of fact, those electromagnetic signatures - when clarified to proper detail - appear to match the shape of those clumps of debris.

Larger debris - too big to handle - is simply prodded by one of the ship, cancelling momentum here or there with little nudges.

Boswick started to speak his tone steady, penetrating and low.

“Gentleman we feel that this conflict can only act to weaken both your abilities to defend yourselves to such a level that any small rogue state could easily become a considerable threat to you. As an impartial concern who have interests in both your nations we are far from happy to allow this to happen with out some attempt being made at settling this incident peacefully before it spreads out of control”

He then rose and stalked over to the board where images of the damaged NHSR motherships and the Inverse flashed into appearance with estimate bars and figures flashing underneath them. Boswick Continued.

"By our predictions the NHSR fleets would have been crippled on long range missions with the loss of their motherships while we have ascertained that there was a 87% chance that the Inverse would have exited this conflict crippled or worse.”

Boswick took another longer drink before once more continuing his eyes flicking back to the board every few seconds.

“At a second long range prediction we estimate that had this conflict escalated full retaliation strikes from both parties would have occurred within 6 hours with opening use of even thermonuclear assets killing tens of millions of civilians and destroying trillions of rungs worth of property. You have already lost irreplaceable trained human lives. We cannot stand idly bye and watch you cripple yourselves or at worst destroy both your nations.”

Boswick looked up irately as he was interrupted by a tone emanating from the boards behind him before muttering “damn scavengers” and quickly flashing his fingers over his wrist terminal. After taking a sip of water he continued with his opening address.

“Gentlemen we believe that we can settle this in a civilised manner without you resorting to wasting your finest ships upon each other. We propose a simple compromise and some other points that Ambassador Carlson will illustrate for us.”

With that Boswick sat down and the man in the white suit of the ZMI department of foreign affairs rose.

“I believe that Sky Marshall Boswick has illustrated how we feel about this conflict, we would wish you now to put forward your own points of view. We feel that this can be instead of a time for both your abilities to effectively project power to be destroyed it could instead be a moment of opportunity. A great opportunity indeed.”




Open Streaming Text Broadcast
From : ZMSF Command Carrier Sales Ploy
To: Scavenging vessels

“To automated scavenger vessels you will stand down and leave the area immediately or be fired upon. All debris until further notice could harbour survivors of combat and until further notice this zone will be protected by lethal force until a full search is carried out. You will cease your activities within 60 seconds and leave the area or be towed out after we resort to limited force to cripple your drives. Refusal to comply via active resistance will result in your immediate destruction. ZMI Battle Fleet out.”





Two squadrons Black Star assault frigates were hovering through the debris fields with a single squad of Type 300’s on call to drag away any full derelicts found. They were surrounded by the orange bulky masses of heavy engineering drones which were hissing between the remnants of battle. As the message was sent the ZMSF Frigates missile and torpedo tubes slid open and target lights actively played over the surface of the scavenging vessels.

Admiral Xiloscient glanced at the screen as Boswick sent his warning to the scavengers. After he finished speaking, Aseroth sent a message back to his own ship, although for all the others knew, he was talking to himself.

"Tsubomi, send teams of fighters and suits to defend our damaged ships. If the scavengers so much as touch one of the wrecks, destroy them."

Xiloscient once again turned his attention to those in the room.

"As I'm sure that you know, I am here in response to Hogsweat's attack on territory lawfully occupied by my allies in Tiburon. I will not allow anyone to blockade the contested territory's orbital space, nor will I allow my allies to be left to defend against unjust agression alone. However, if the NHSR is willing to withdraw in full and end this pointless blockade, my fleet will also withdraw, and my forces will not again become involved in this affair."

"We have no intention of leaving our allies to fight against overwhelming odds," Donaldson said calmly as he leaned back in his chair. "The Tiburon Occupation is viewed as a move against communist/socialist interests in the region. As such, we will keep non-allied military vessels from approaching Shenzhou. If military forces wish to leave, they may do so under a white flag of truce and under escort until they reach Low Earth Orbit. However, I believe we can come to a compromise."

"All parties involved in this battle agree to declare neutrality in this conflict and leave the area. If any space power tries to interfere in the Shenzhou Conflict, we both agree to force the new party out to maintain the balance of power between both sides."

---------------------------------------
[i]N.H.S.V. New Haven[/i}

"Fire a warning shot and relay the following message to the scavangers. If they as much as scrape the paint off our debris, we'll consider it an act of desecration against a grave of New Haven military personnel and we will defend it with force," The Admiral said. A coilgun shot rang out, moving close to a scavanger as the radio message called out.

New Haven

"Sir, pattern indicates unmanned neutral drones are collecting smaller debris and nudging larger debris into better orbits. It appears they're trying to help our rescue and recovery operation."

"Contact the neutral drones, notify them to continue their operation but not to run off with any debris," the admiral ordered.

"I would hardly call Hogsweat your ally. All Hogsweat is an ally to is chaos. Furthermore, if the people of Shen Zhou wish to be socialist, that is their choice, not Hogsweat's, or ours."

"As for your proposal, I can agree to it. However, I would like to suggest that our leaders meet to further strengthen this peace. Might I suggest Castle Elysium in Ocanthus, Forodren Annon, in say, a week?"

"Our President is recovering from a hostage situation that took place a few days ago, but I will pass the word and he will get back to you soon," Donaldson replied. His compromise was in the best spirit of the blockade, and it would end the bloody conflict that had been for nothing. Hogsweat and Tiburon had not engaged in major battle below, so their efforts to blockade Shenzhou were for nothing. It was better this way, as the Republic would now have a potential ally (if Newman would shift the blame of his brother to the ultranationalists that had taken control of the government).

"I see. I shall speak with King Nightbane shortly as well."

Again, Xiloscient issued orders to his ship, seemingly talking to himself.

"Tsubomi, stop broadcasting Minovsky Particles, recall the fighters and suits, and recover the decoys. Have the desroyed hulks towed to the Sales Ploy, and prepare the fleet for withdrawl."

Donaldson picked up his ZMI-made communicator and contacted the fleet.

"Admiral, this is Donaldson. We've agreed to a cease-fire on several conditions. One, the blockade leaves immediately, as does the Byrnian Fleet. Two, we will cooperate with the Byrnians in keeping non-parties to this war from using Shenzhou orbital space in the war. Three, the President shall meet with the Byrnians and representatives of ZMI to discuss a more permanent peace."

"While I do not believe that was what the President ordered, I think he would be quite pleased that you were able to compromise but maintain the spirit of the blockade. Very well, come back to the New Haven at once. Asherton City has been nuked by the ultranationalists in Hattia."

"Good God! I'll be back immediately."

"Nuked? Isn't Hattia your ally?"

Xiloscient stood up, glancing at the images on the walls.

"If it would help, I would like to take the Inverse to the surface to help with the cleanup in Asherton City."

"Hattia is an ally, but their ultranationalist faction took power and a civil war broke out," Donaldson replied. "I'll relay the assistance request to my government, they will probably be very pleased to hear that we are receiving immediate aid."