NationStates Jolt Archive

***The Asteroid field***

In the days of the first hellesponto's wars, the grahfsberg federation grew to what it was from the initial colony of grahfsberg itself in to a federation of almost one thousand colonies. Though many inside the grahfsberg had left to less crowded conditions in the greater galaxy, there were those who had wished to stay, the true amount of people who had remained made the grahfsberg federation the second most powerful state in the Divine Celestial Tannelornian federation, after the Celestial Republic, far from Terra.

It was true that the territories they once held in the belt had been cut back, transforming the Grahfsberg Federation in to one thirty million kilometer diameter series of fortresses. This had in turn made it much easier to defend, [after the colonies had been moved closer together of course] enabling the Divine Celestial Navy of Tannelorn freer rain in waging war.

However with the formation of the Divine Celestial Federation the Grahfsberg was now in need of its own navy, this was easily solved. They simply took the Woglinde and Grendel escorts and placed the stealth systems "donated" by the divine celestial cavaliers inside of their frames. It had given them a combat corp of three hundred and fifty crewed, albeit tiny and STL ships. They had also asked for one of the left over GAP vessels for refit in to a fleet command battle carrier, which was still ongoing. The rest of the might of the Grahfsberg navy would come from the three hundred and fifty completed Bio-mech vessels, who would act as the main line fighting ships of the Grahfsberg federation.

Currently almost five hundred ships of the DCNT were also in sol, though three hundred of them only because of the war with the Fedral union. Those three hundred however were more then enough to defend the Tannelornian holdings on Mars for the moment. As quickly as Rowena had left the Duma, relaying the messages from the Yvressan high command, deep space sensor bouys put in place during the abortive exclusion zone fiasco, had watched the Yvressan fleet arrive, then head to mars before the holo fields obscured them from view. Tannelornian sensors were some of the few in the galaxy capable of tracking Eldar vessels. The holofields offered protection in battle, but their stealth capabilities were greatly reduced. This of course was due to the intense research and trials performed on captured Yvressi technology during the first two Hellespontos wars.

Orders had been given and ships moved in the dark, dusty reaches of the asteroid field. An assault fleet had been quickly formed, moving from different areas of grahfsberg they were too attack simultaneously to relieve the pressure on their shanderese and havenic allies. Vascilians did not abandon each other in times of war.

So it was that the Archangel and Space Lord Harvin Arathiel was tasked in leading six flotillas, seventy two ships of the Divine celestial Navy on to a prize they had wished to capture for almost three hundred years. The rumoured Yvressi fleet base inside of the asteroid field. The fleet comprised of fifteen Zweihander dreadnoughts, ten Morgenstern fleet carriers, fourty Einhander gun destroyers of various types, primarily Pulsar and Urenbecht variants and eight shield carriers. This was a force built purely for assault.

The Grahfsberg navy also sent what they could spare, one hundred Bio-mech ships, seventy Schwertwhal destroyers twenty knurrwhal cruisers and ten of the Caschelott command carriers. In support of this they sent six squadrons of woglinde, sixty vessels in total as well as fifteen beowulfs. The tiny escorts would use their urenbecht fields and stealth systems to remain as hidden as possible while supporting the bio-mech fleet.

Every available Kernschatten High maneuver frame had been authorised to be used for this mission. The Grahfsberg's were in the slow process of replacing their morgenraete squadrons with kernschattens, the stealth mecha would be of great use to them in their new method of warfare. The Lowe' Bio-mech's that the "pods" would carry in to battle would act as the main aggressor fighter of this new navy.

It wasnt long, considering the speed of the Tannelornian vessels and the relative proximity of the Tor Yvresse fleet base, before the Tannelornian armada reached its target. Still millions of kilometers away the vessels powered up weapons and engines, launching high maneuver frames and semi intelligent "bloodhound" seeker missiles to clear any possible defenses that might threaten them...The attack had begun, the Yvressi had either not counted on the sheer scale of the Tannelornian expansion in to the asteroid field, or had not cared. It would be a costly mistake... For the Tannelornian navy had brought assurances to their victory, assurances which waited for a signal several million kilometers behind them.

There were those who said the Vascilian League was disentegrating, those who said so were about to be proven wrong, for the Yvressi had brought war to the league, they would regret their certainty of the situation soon enough.

OOC I've not left the belt since Bryn shandar's fleet is in the belt. So the idea that you've done in one post what I allowed two post to do, and snuck up on my base despite the fact we are all on a war footing, watching each other is insane.

I was going to just tell you my fleet has redployed in response. But no need, you've walked up to a military base and just assumed you can do so safely. Time to pay the piper.

IC

Badb had relocated to the outpost, as the fleet was launched, they had of course detected the incoming hostile fleet yet took no actions against it, she was looking forward to this. As they opened fire she opened communication with the enemy.

‘Greetings Mon-Keigh. Well your surprise attack really caught us unaware, imagine during war time someone attacking a Military base. It is such a shame we never imagined this was going to occur. ‘Around her the Keigh broke out in peals of laughter, they too where looking forward to this. ‘Imagine if we had only considered someone attacking this outpost we might have put into place a minefield along their route or perhaps at the point where they entered weapons range of this facility. This base has been here for so long, through that we never thought to do such a thing. So here we are some of our Drone defence platforms destroyed, outgunned and no response possible you have us…’ It was of course staged, to her side the Base commander’s Admiral leaned over and whispered in her ear… ‘Oh Glorious news, it appears we are going to fight back. I have just been informed that we do have a Mine Field, currently deactivated, and fantastically your sitting in the middle of a large chunk of it. Can you imagine such a thing.’

Pausing as, once more staged, a report handed to her after quickly reading it she looked up. ‘Oh terrible news, for you that is. We have just received reports that explain the strange movements of the 3rd Khaine Fleet element. They have been taken over by a Dark Eldar Cabal, who seem to have just noticed the fact your fleet is here, meaning your colonies are open… By all reports they have broken of the advance on your Bryn shandar allies, and, well are making all haste towards your colonies. So many fresh faced slaves to capture and torment I suppose. Now if we where not facing a battle on two separate fronts who knows what we could have done, no one wants to see your civilians herded into camps and tormented… well maybe, no I suppose that would be a bad thing.’

She smiled grimly now ‘Still faced with breaking of my attack on your allies, or defending a person who has launched an unprovoked action against us here, I’m afraid I just can’t do it. I have to sacrifice your people for victory, never fear when the battle is over we shall grant your civilians the mercy of the grave. I swear this on the Harlequin himself.’

With that she broke of the communication wondering if they would pick up the subtle fact she swore on the Trickster God, or not. It didn’t matter the moment she broke off communication the mines went active. They where simply programmed to swarm any vessel not constructed from Wraithbone. Since none of the offending vessels where… they found themselves in a Target rich environment… And proceeded to swarm Thousends upon thousends racing towards the nearest vessel and exploding. Several hours of fire power concentrated in one small area and into a smaller window, and the rest of the field was responding to this threat, moving towards the target area.

Behind it, the Base opened fire, adding it’s own strength to the conflagration. And now for the first time the changes to the naval assets of the Kionash of Tor Yvresse became apparent. As on each of the main facilities, and outposts pouring firepower into the foe, sprang up Shields. Along with a covering fire of point defences. Sat in the centre of this engagement Badb smiled. Before stating to the room ‘Ah why can’t all our battles be against such fools. The Mon-keigh have declared war on us, inform The High Farseer she may activate the Badbaltrias Network at any time. The Mon-keigh are doomed.’

Lady Mockingbird, Recently Redeployed Roanian Imperial Agent to the South Mars Region, to the Farseer Council

Hello, dears. It appears you've run into a spot of conflict. It happens that our forces already appear to be in readiness, as sad as the neccessity might be. Just say the word, darlings, and I'll get that delightful Imperial Viceroy to front up Sol Imperial Forces. In addition, it appears that our records do show that a certain 'other' party is rather required to send some fleets to dance according to our flutes.

I'm sure you can handle this bunch of fools, yet no one's ever lost by calling in help, hum? Except us, of course, but that's all in the past and there's no hard feelings.

Wishing you the best of luck and lots of love,

Lady Mockingbird

((OOC: This message is, it goes without saying, a closed, sealed, coded communication delivered by a semi-literate courier (who'll be killed if he opens the package by any number of mental implants) from an undisclosed location via the tunnels, swapping stations and lines at random, so no one whatsoever apart from Mockingbird, the Farseers, and whoever they decide to tell can ever ICly have any knowledge of this message. Ta.))

To:- Lady Mockingbird.
From:- Council of the Kionash of Tor Yvresse
RE support offer.

Indeed you are correct, and so we would be charmed at the assitence, I'd advise waiting before engaging for a little while longer however, the silly Mon-Keigh where in such a hurry to fight they forgot to check for Mines and currently find themselves in a little bit of a tight spot....

Of course the big debate here is whether any of the enemy fleet will survive the current little engagement. I hear a few of the lower ranks are exchanging bets on that very fact even now. They shouldn't of course, after all this is a battle... but...

In anycase if you approach on this vector... [Co-ordinates transmitted] into weapons range you should be outside the mine field. Happy hunting.

Badb Trill-Gorath of the Farseer Council.

Meanwhile, some forces ran patrols closer to the Yvressi base.

The mile-wide crescents of four necron ships appeared. Jackals, they were often called, one of the smaller classes of necron ship. Nevertheless, they were quite formidable.

They stopped, several million kilometres away, behind the Tannelorni fleet, and began scanning, simultaneously hailing the attackers. The actual words weren’t important – suffice to say, they demanded a cessation of the Tannelorni attack, and an immediate retreat, on pain of destruction.

Four of them…

The warfleet of the Prince Kithail Hyral slowly dissolved into nothingless, after the vascilians started to...solve their various differences. The vortex of a big, totally strange and foreign space battle wasn't exactly the right location for the aelosians.

Of course, they weren't at the vortex, of course, but more at the outskirts of it. The vascilian internal strife wasn't at all strange and foreign, as it affected both militarily and politically the situation of Aelosia both in Sol and in Mars.

Nevertheless, they left. Soon after the beginning of the battle Navarrone was deposed from command, freeing Hyral from the responsability of running to help his former partner. Pretty soon the aelosian positions started to dissappear from the control panels of the armadas assembled at the rendevous point of the League.

A distress call from Mars called the attention of the First, Second, Fourth and Fifth Wrath Fleets as they prepared to jump back towards their normal points of patrolling the systems with aelosian presence.

Marking entirely different vectors of approach towards the Sol system and the Red Planet, the Aelosian fleets finally made the jump, hoping to discover the reason of the highest priority call, that could only mean a direct attack against the martian colony of Craulnober, or one of the main allied nations of the Sacred Sindari Empire of Aelosia, mainly the C'tan Confederacy, Tor Yvresse, or Menelmacar.

The thousands of vessels moved through the aether of the warp, making the jump at a distance more than prudent, hiding themselves between the accidents of the sector to remain hidden, and slowly, like a shark, to circle the prey that dared to challenge the hidden might of the Wrath Fleets.

Soon it was clear what was happening...The Tannelornian forces were again engaged against the Eldar of Tor Yvresse...

The ArchDuke and ArchAdmiral, the fabled Prince of the Hyrals, enjoying the fact that he had the forces currently engaged surrounded, both friend and foe, decided to wait a bit to receive communications indicating where he should sink the scorpion pincers he had already opened against any enemy.

'The Aelosian's have contacted us they are in place' Farseer Badb smiled as she recieved the report, the Aelsoains where the perfect allies in this fight. Their vessels where constructed from Wraithbone they where completly free to move amongest the Yvresse defence's.

'Our honoured friends for the moment allow the Mines to cause our foe to suffer and then strike at the woundered survivor's. We are truely grateful and gratified by your presence. Let us ensure none escape this malestrom.'

The Mon-Keigh wehre now surronded, the C'tan where threatening them, and the Mines decimated their numbers... Everything was going as Badb had seen in the Runes.

Task Forces Redemption and Sundering were both in theory equally ranked in the naval command's eyes. In practice, however, Sundering was always expected to follow the more up to date Redemption's lead. It took them just minutes, from receiving orders to getting prepared to going, to arrive in the safe approach vector and take up position.

Charleston could only splutter in impotent rage as the Admiral and Fleetlord both informed him they were submitting to a higher authority and ended communications. He glared back hatefully at the silent figures of Nightingale and Mockingbird, who both sat wreathed in 'cigar' smoke.

Lady Nightingale touched a hand to her forehead in salute of the fuming prince. "Sorry, Churiel, darling. You've been countermanded in the interests of the Divine Imperium. I'll make it up to you, shall I?" She blew him a kiss.

Charleston glared and looked away. "His Divine Illuminated Imperial Majesty shall hear of your impudence." He muttered, stalking to his office and slamming the door.

Lord Mockingbird sighed and placed his hands behind his head, stretching his wings out. "Grumpy fellow." Then he flipped open the communication channels again. "Mockingbird here, Fleetlord. You have your orders."



The Fleetlord nodded. As the disembodied head of Mockingbird ceased to be projected in his bridge, he gestured curtly to his lieutenants on the bridge. "I want everything in readiness. Inform the Admiral that I expect him to do his duty." He rose to his full, imposing (for a Roanian) height of 5'10. "The Lord-Emperor expects every soldier of the Imperium to do their duty! Commend your souls and lives to the..." He could have waxed on for hours upon end.

One of his lieutenants interrupted. "Sir? I think we should send the Tannelornians a message. I have an open comm signal for you."

The Fleetlord frowned, sighed, and threw up his hands in frustration. "Very well, open a channel."

Fleetlord of the Divine Imperium of Roania to the Tannelornian Fleet in this sector:

Continued agression against our allies in Tor Yvresse shall not be tolerated. Is there no hope for a diplomatic solution?

***The Approach***


The transmissions were read and acknowledged, it didnt matter the response to all was the same. Tor Yvressan forces had declared war on New Haven and Bryn Shander, a large task force was sighted leaving the fleet base, this operation would be in support of their allies. Space Lord Athariel knew it was too late to stop it even if they wanted to. No amount of threats, nor amount of enemies would dissuade them from their task. After all Space Lord Abarrakh had made a name for himself by consistently going up against armada's in excess of one thousand ships, with nothing but the expeditionary forces at his command.

Fear had never crossed their mind, even when the first detonations started in the mine field. Their task was no complete, the enemy defenses had been found and activated, their attention was on the tiny fleet of vessels now moving towards the base. Even as the mine field went active around the tiny high maneuver frames, the lowe Bio-mechs and the Bio-mech ships started to move. There were more mines present then they had expected and they were everywhere. The self guided munitions started to come at the Tannelornian fleet. The Grahfsberg naval ships immediately back off, activating urenbecht catapults and escaping the immediate area. Their tiny, stealthed ships had been far to the rear of the formations.

Tens of thousands of mines went active, the lowe's, the largest number of units as well as the most expendable started to intercept mines with missiles, cannons and even themselves rather then allow one of their masters to fall. In a few short seconds tens of thousands of mines expended themselves in to the lowes, destroying most of them. However this had bought time for many of the Kernschattens and Morgenraetes to escape back to the defensive cover of the fleet. The Bio-mech ships had put themselves in a defensive ring around the fleet, pressing forward even as they used their heavy Xaser cannons and PDS systems to shoot down as many of the mines as they could.

The loengrens on the capital ships of the DCNT immediately went in to action with the pulsar PDS systems. Thousands of mines were extinguished as the defensive systems of the DCNT went online. There were only seventy three total ships of the DCNT, even with the guns and defenses of the three mile command ship they wouldnt be able to last long, more then a few minutes before enough of a density of mines reached them, even with the sacrifice the Bio-mech ships were making.

The ships of the Bio-mech fleets were making their stand, preventing too many rounds from entering the perimeter, even at the cost of their own lives. Schwertwhal's were already breaking up as mine after mine slammed in to them, jumping in front of the weapons even as they broke apart under the weight of the mines.

If it had not been for the presence of archangel and her compliment of fleet engagement missiles, the battle would have been over before it started. In the first few seconds she launched almost a hundred of the missiles, her entire compliment in to the mines surrounding them. This had bought them the time the Bio-mechs needed to place themselves between the mines and their Tannelornian masters.

From behind the formation, millions of kilometers away the now redeployed Woglindes started to support the DCNT with their ingelstung cannons, the smaller strategic grasers were still capable of clearing a path for the DCNT ships, as well as making sure there were not too many mines to handle.

As it was the Morgenraetes and Kernschattens that managed to make it back to the DCNT fleet as well as the ships of the line were putting up a torrent of fire that few mines could pass. Here and there a mine made it through and impacted against a PPBS barrier, shorting it out, even hitting the hulls of some of the ships, cratering the armour in several places.

It was now just a matter of a few minutes between life and death.

***Archangel***

Space Lord Arathiel was monitoring the combat situation reports. They were surrounded by hundreds of thousands of mines, but had managed to establish a perimeter. The drone ships were falling apart under the weight of the mines, partly due to their role as fleet engagement ships, partly due to their programming. Save Tannelornian lives, prevent those lives from ending. The Caschelott in charge knew what his grim task entailed. Already the lowe squadrons had suffered fourty five percent casualties. The Morgenraetes who had been inside the mine field when it went active had taken just twenty percent casualties, of course this was at the expense of the lowes. Who in their bravery had sacrificed themselves to let their masters escape.

They could be replaced, the knights could not. Arathiel ordered several communiques be sent out. One to the Bryn shanderese, detailing the size and nature of the force that was seen leaving the fleet base, as well as a warning to stay away from this immediate area.

He sent a second communique, this one to the Roanians, it was curt and short. Tor Yvresse had declared war on Tannelorns allies, this action was being taken in support of them. The cease fire of almost three hundred years was now broken.

Arathiel then continued to order his flotillas to fire in the most tactically and strategically favourable areas. Ensuring they would buy the most amount of time for this operation to succeed.

OOC

Wars back on, since people dont like waiting on it and its a seperate attack from what Tor and Bryn Shander are involved in.