NationStates Jolt Archive

Forrest is deep in thought over the tactical map, showing Gregor, Yalta, Acler, Madras, Strocum, and the other surrounding systems. He summons one of his adjutants.
"Give me a comm link-up to Group Commander Georges on the LRR flagship, full holo and vid."
"Yes, Admiral."
Several minutes later, Forrest activates the link, "Group Commander Georges, you help so far has been well appreciated and I am loathed to ask you for more, however I do have one point I must inquire to. The Takan commander and I intend to leave a force here in Madras to insure the security of this system from future Vernii agression. I thought you might do the same, but I must ask one other favor. Would you be willing to dispatch a small force to defend the Strocum system from further attack?"

"Sure. We already have what we consider a large force in the Madras system as of now. I could dispatch one of the carriers in our squadron to Strocum, along with full fighter and cap ship escort. That force alone, however, would not hold back a determined Vernii assault. But we do have our fleet's largest ship, the LRRSV Edmond Halley en route to Madras. We could send it to Strocum instead. However, this is somewhat against LRR fleet tactics. We try to be as flexible as possible, and that means our carrier squadrons and battlegroups' only base is one of the starchaser bases or Zarahemla. However, we could easily deploy one of our new mobile defense stations to both Strocum and Madras. They have firepower easily capable of holding off a Vernii assault, and are second only to the Edmond Halley in terms of raw power. They are stationary once deployed and can only make hyperspace jumps, and its primary armerment is best against huge ships as opposed to the small, nimble craft used by LRR."

The sensor station on the bridge of Triumphant beeped quietly as the outer sensor platforms detected the energy bleed off from the incoming ships. The sensor officer keyed the contact up onto his screen, sent it to CIC, and then turned to Captain Arvin. "Sir, we have multiple FTL signatures appearing just beyond the outer planet. Probable enemy contacts."

Arvin turned in her command chair to the tac officer, "Sound General Quarters."
******
A few minutes later, Admiral Ganote entered the flag bridge, "Form up into wall formation, put us between the planet and the enemy, and alert the garrison. I want Admiral Rollin's squadron to form our screening elements."

The fifteen battleships maneuvered into a 3x5 wall, with the six smaller battlecruisers positioning themselves evenly around the edges.

Twelve FTL signatures opened, space and time ripping and rending as the Takian fleet disgorged itself into the inky darkness that was Yalta's outer planet.

"flood all tubes, torpedo volley, followed by lance fire, close in and prepare the nova cannon to hit the highest concentration of ships. All hands, prepare for boarding actions, Commander."

Ikari turned towards the holo display of the other three battle cruisers,

"give them brimstone, any survivors that boarding teams find are to be flushed into space, no quarter for these bastards."

"sir, thats against UN policy. . ."

"But the UN isn't here right now, are they?"

"understood sir. . . though with all due respect, you are one sick facking excuse for an admiral"

"I do my job commander, you just do yours, or do I have to have you flushed?"

The commander blanched, remberering stories of Ikari's cruelity, even to his own men.

"no need admiral, orders will be distributed"

Streams of long ranged torpedeos, 355 in all streak out at high speed, ready to deliver thier deadly plasma ordnances. they are quckly over taken by high speed lances of fusing plasma as the plasma lances open fire, sending the burning fusion grenades towards thier foes in rapid fire vollies. Ikari stands at the front of the bridge, the holo projectors turning on and silently transimiting his image to his foes. He is dressed in traditional Takian battle armor, a hideous, scowling demonic face covering his own as he holds a wicked sword, teeth like points stretching from it, as if yearning to drink deeply of the blood of any foe it meets.

"Attention, all Vernii vessles, if you value your lives, you will retreat from this system, this is not a warning, this is not a threat, this is an opertunity for you to survive. Any who stay behind, will be sumarily destroyed."

((OOC:

force consists of
3 Battlecruisers
9 Heavy cruisers

))

Forrest nods to his LRR counterpart, "Do what you think is necessary. However, I was considering it more of the force I will hold here. In basic a cruiser group. I would like it if you could have enough of a deployable force to assist Taka and my own operations, but in the end I will leave that to your decision. However, I will say that the mobile defense stations has the most appeal. That way we can also use it as a base of operations as well as a star fighter station. I leave it to your descretion."
Forrest breaks the link. He then begins to orchestrate his fleet like an old master, preparing his force for war.
For the defense of Madras he keeps 2 heavy cruisers, a quartet of light cruisers, and 12 gunships. Then he detaches the ISSSF task force under the heavy cruiser Bellmaker with its 2 light cruisers, 3 frigates, and 12 gunships to form up on one of the fleet Magellan-class science vessels. With that he leaves himself a formidable force of the Gustav Alderman, 5 battlecruisers, 4 battleships, the super carrier Tarawa, 2 carriers, 6 heavy cruisers, 16 light cruisers, 20 destroyers, 42 gunships, and 2 Magellan-class science vessels to join the Takan assault on the Yalta system.
He calls up Captain Mider of the Bellmaker, "I trust the modifications are ready, Captain?"
"Yes, Admiral, the Expedition has prepared the modifications to our probes and Mobile DOS drones as per your orders."
"Excellent," Forrest looks at the display. "You understand the necessity of the precision of your operation?"
"Yes, Admiral, to the letter."
"Good. Godspeed to the Acler system, Captain Mider. Give the Vernii navy a good show."
"With pleasure, Admiral," with that Mider is done. Eight minutes later, the ISSSF force and the Expedition activates their Verner drives and jumps for the Acler system.
"Signal the Dante," Forrest says to the comm officer, "they are in charge of operations in Madras until further notice."
"Yes, Admiral."
Forrest then withdraws one of the few personal items he keeps, a privelege of command he allows himself to have. It is an ancient pocketwatch that he keeps set with a religious-like devotion. He watches as the ancient chronometer counts down the seconds. Two minutes later he looks up.
"Signal the fleet to jump!"

*******

In the Acler system eight jump points are ripped open in normal space. From them emerges not a tiny task force of the ISSSF, but a full detachment of the Star Armada. The force consists of 2 dreadnoughts, 8 battlecruisers, 8 battleships, 2 carriers, 6 heavy cruisers, 18 light cruisers, 24 destroyers, 28 gunships, a single science vessel, and a host of fighters. Scans show that the ships have the mass readings of the ships their class, and as the Vernii fleet readies itself, it suddenly has warnings that say over 650 missile locks are being established as the Valinon fleet moves inward.

*******

In the Yalta system, Forrest's watches as the Gustav reenters normal space near their Takan allies.
"Status?" he says looking at his watch one last time.
"All ships have reported in."
"Scramble all fighters, have all ships form up in the standard Delta-Zee-Delta formation. I want a coordinated turn for a full broadside when we enter optimum range. Have all ships prepare forward batteries to fire, and set speed at all ahead full."
"Yes, Admiral."
Forrest turns to the Gustav's AI, everyone has heard the news of the death of the Old Emperor now, but the AI's holographic form is that of a much younger Gustav Alderman, when he was a Crown Prince.
"Have the fleet deploy Mobile DOS drones and begin networking to set up a full defensive perimeter."
"Of course, Admiral."
With that the Valinon fleet begins to move inward, closing into maximum missile range. Forrest regards his tactical displays and allows his vision to sweep across the bridge. He sees Severn carefully patrolling the crew pits, looking over the individual sections and stations as he is fond of doing. The fleet is ready for this, and it will be the tour de force the Star Armada has long been searching for since the conclusion of the rearmament of Project Renaissance.

Counter-missiles raced out to meet the oncoming swarm with their grav fields, and PD clusters activated to target the ones that made it through. The enemy missiles were too great in number however for all to be destroyed, and 55 made it through the fleet's point defence.

Shields flared throughout the fleet as missiles and energy from the lances impacted, the battlecruiser Intolerant reeled out of formation as atmosphere belched from its hull, and rolled to present its heavy dorsal armor as it withdrew from the formation and the battleships Danton and Black Prince shuddered as hits broke through their armor, wiping away several sensor and point defence stations. The Takan fleet had entered the range of the fleet however, and and 565 laser-head missiles leapt from their launchers at the enemy fleet.

The sensor station again beeped as the sensor platforms transmitted the arrival of the new enemy units, and Admiral Ganote cursed on his bridge as the odds stacks against him.

Forrest watches the Takan attack, "Have the Tarawa, the Hornet, and the Kelson reduce to two-thirds speed. Order the Magellans to take flank position and stay under the cover of our Mobile DOS network."
"Done, Admiral," Forrest watches as the fleets super carrier and two carriers begin to fall slightly behind the main force. The two science vessels draw closer to the Gustav.
"Have all fighters and gunships hold back into first wave is fired."
"Yes, Admiral."
With that Forrest opens the comm channel to all the fleet, "All ships of the main line, open fire!"
The Valinon main force opens fire with their forward missile batteries. A wave of self-propelled death moves toward the Vernii wall of battle from the fleet's dreadnought, battlecruisers, battleships, heavy cruisers, light cruisers, and destroyers. The count climbs to 595, and then the first barrage is over. Forrest has reserved the number, hoping to limit Vernii's knowledge of his full capabilities.
Forrest watches as the flares of the missiles are joined by the flares of the engines from the fleets compliment of Longshard interceptors, Javelin medium bombers, Goliath heavy bombers, and gunships. He watches the display.
"Order Goliath squadron Sigma to fire four Skipper missiles."
The flight coordinator looks skeptical for a moment, but transmit the order, "Aye, Admiral, Skippers away."
Four Skipper missiles leave their bomber mothers. The deadly missiles activate their sensor stealth mode after an initial lock on to the Vernii ships and a thrust fire. Several minutes later they reapper, working their way toward the Vernii wall of battle.

"incoming ordinace, bearing mark oh five nine, closing rapidly, ETI one minute, fifty seconds, all ships preparing defencive protocal."

"HEPD fields online"

"The hell!?! torps have detonated, inc. . . ."

his words were cut off as the torpedoes fired, spraying the ships with high output lasers, the shields absorbing the impact with dificulty. the two nearest heavy cruisers faultered, thier shields punched through as a few stray bolts raked thier hulls, the heat quickly dispercing over the entire ship, though the nearest one to the impact was not nearly so lucky, its shileds dropping quickly under the intence barrage, its hull punctured in several places, spilling atmosphere into the eather of space, its internal bulkheads closing tightly, keeping the ship from depressurizing.

Damage checks reveiled most of it was minor, a few non vital rooms had been depressurized, and a nominal lost of life was being reported, but so far so good. . .

"let them have it, bring me in as close as you can, then activate ID drives and let them have a broadside."

"aye, fire control for nova cannon online, permission to fire?"

"granted, put a hole through the largest ship up there."

The three magnetic acceleration cannons charged, before rocketing the anti-matter warheads at near light speed towards the largest target, intent on having the first kill.

Point defence guns flared and CMs raced out again toward the incoming Armada missiles. 88 missiles got through the point defence, and impacted against the shields of the fleet. Danton lost several of its energy mounts, the battlecruiser Gloire vented atmosphere from gashes in its hull, and the battleship Camperdown suffered the loss of one of it's forward lidar arrays, and several PD laser clusters.

Another broadside of 565 missiles raced out from the fleet, concentrating on the Takan vessel, but this time 12 of them contained contact nukes.

Then the Nova Cannon shell struck the battleship Orion 2/3 aft, and punched completely through, killing 1/4 of it's crew instantly. The stricken battleship managed to roll to present is dorsal surface, and began to withdraw. Two of the Armada's skippers were accidentaly nailed by the CMs grav fields, and another was picked off by point defence fire, the fourth managed to sneak through the sensor gap of Camperdown, and detonated against its shields, overloading the stressed generators and collapsing the forward shield section.

"More incoming sir, orders?"

prepare to fold second wave in.

"aye sir."

an order was relayed, and as the missiles closed, space and time ripped infront of the ships, spewing out the waiting frigates, which quickly filled the sky with laser fire and AA missiles, intent on cutting down the incoming. The capital ships activated the inertial displacement drivers, the massive bulks swinging through space faster than would be expected to avoid what few made it through, though the two cruisers unlucky enough to have been damaged in the first wave were hit in the second, a nuke striking the rear of more heavily damamged of the pair, sending it spinning wildly though space, its engines knocked out and its structuer stressed greatly. By some miracle, it held together, the crews inside glad to be alive, though the captian was less than thrilled he had become the first Takian casualty. The ships closed to energy range, swinging to present broadsides, and unleashed a full volley, anouther 90 lance rounds, and 200 torpedoes, this time opting for the large area fusions, along with row upon row of weapons batteries, thickening the space with a cloud of laser, mircorwave, railgun, and plasma rounds, a force so mighty that each ship rocked, the ID drivers struggling against the backlash to put it back on track.

Ten of the contact nukes made it through the point defence layers, and 30 of the plasma lance penetrated through shields, knocking out stardboard shields and burning sensor emplacements off of their hulls on the battleships Black Prince, Devastation, and Oldenburg, which rolled to present their port broadsides to the oncoming enemy fleet.
The battlecruiser Ramillies's starboard broadside was battered by the storm of enemy fire, and with air venting from its damaged sections, and also rolled to port.

Another 530 missiles fired off from the fleet, and as firing plans locked into their computers, it was joined by 140 lasers and 210 graser beams from the battleships, and 25 lasers and 30 beams from the slightly less powerful battlecruiser energy mounts.

The veritable wall of frigates took the initial impact, lasers lancing across the front of the hull's energy fields. Shielding collapsed on six of the frigates, the lasers striking the hull, slaming itno it and denting it intwards, though the Titanium polymer held together, and heating it as the tungstun ceramite disperced the heat across its entire surface, the heat intencifying till the super structure on one began to buckle and warp, its computer systems failling one after the other. A bulkhead cracked under the extreme heat on the super structure, causing the upper deck to expand outward, the bubble of air escaping through the molten hole. Two frigates fell, mortally wounded, anouther two disabled, while the final two survived the onslaught. . . .

And then came the missiles. . .

like arrows from archers of old they streaked towards the fleet, the frigates attempting evasive manuevers while the faster streamer AA lasers traced long arches through the air, cutting through the missiles as if they weren't even there. twenty passed through the malstrom, as the frigates gunned sublights to full acceleration, swinging headlong into the Vernii fleet, weapons batteries charged and firing at the cappital ships, swamping them from sheer weight of fire from all sides.

The capital ships took the twenty missles easily, the ID drivers moving the ships towards the Vernii fleet, while the broadsides contineued to pummel them.

* * * * *

Inside the fleet flagship, Ikari projected a holo-transmition of himself to all ships in his fleet, making sure that the Vernii ships would see it as well, a Takian hacker working despratly to wire it through to all compartments of the Vernii craft.

"Gentlemen, it is with great excitement that I inform you that that we will now begin boarding actions. The enemy you are facing are relentless, and will take no prisoners, you are to shoot them on site, reguardless of attempts to fool you with trys at surrender, kill them all, make no distiction between "combatants" and "non combatants" for they will be both deceptive and cruel to any Takians that they capture."

the camera pans out, showing several hundred Squallem, reptillian creatures with teeth and claws left over from thier days as the carnivorious, though not sentient Squill, they bellowed in unison, each one raising a wicked looking sword into thie air, along side thier standard issue rifles. The transmition cuts out, and Ikari walks to hte bridge, hoping his ploy would work, and would send several ships fleeing the battle.

Forrest watches as the Takan fleet prepares for its second salvo.
"Fire all forward batteries again then turn and prepare a full broadside," Forrest says, monitoring the increasingly difficult situation with great care. Liek a composer trying to direct reluctant musicians in a symphony. A new onslaught of missiles reaches out from the Valinon fleet, tis time a wave of 605 missiles as some of the gunships send their own arsenal speeding toward their enemies.
"Fighter squadrons are closing in on Vernii wall of battle, Admiral. Bomber squadrons are requesting permission to fire."
"Instruct them to begin engagin in eight minutes, let the Vernii ships take the damage from the second wave first."
"Yes, sir."
Then Forrest watches as a signal breaks through on several tactical frequencies showing Ikari's grim message.
"Idiot!" Forrest says in a quite voice. "Get me a channel to that moronic fool and one to Ambassador Ori."
"Yes, Admiral."
Forrest barely waits for the signal to clear before he activates it. He had always had a low opinion of Taka's genetic manipulated footmen, "Commodore Ikari, this is Admiral Forrest, I will not allow you to send those vat grown sludge warriors of yours against ships that could very well hold prisoners from the planet itself. If you will not seen reason and still try to do something that could cause harm to citizens we are trying to liberate I will burn your ships from the sky with my own forces."
He freezes the transmitting portion of the link, "Where is Ori?"

Ori's face flashes onto the screen, tiredly looking up at Forrest.

"ah, Admiral" he says, his eyes lighting for a bit "How goes the battle?"

* * * * *

"Admiral Ikari, the Valinion fleet is ordering us to stand down, saying that if we utilize the Squallem boarding parties then we'll be fired upon. . . responce"

"let me talk to him" Ikari said, stepping up to the holographic transmiter, sending a heavily encoded message to the Valinon flag ship. "Commander, I assure you there is nothing to worry about, our marines have orders to be very gentle with non-combatants, simply a ploy to break moral, nothing more. . ." A squallem in marine officer garb steps into view, saluting grimly.

"permissssion to sssspeak, Admiral" he hisses, cold eyes locking onto the image of Forrest on the screen.

"Granted luietenet, but make if quick"

"Aye sssir, Admiral Foresssst, I take offensse to your insssults, I may not be natural born, but my men and I are every bit asss ssssentient and capable as your humansss, more sssso in many ressspectsss. If you dissstrussst ussss sssso much" He hessitated, painfuly aware his species speech impediment made them hard to take seriously, but continued on, never removing his eyes from Forrests "Then you are welcome to sssend your boarding partiessss along with oursss to asssure that we treat all prisssonersss from Yalta with kid'ssss glovessss. Unlessss of courssse you are ssssimply too much of a Xenophobe to give usss the benifit of the doubt, in which cassse you will be brought up before the Prinsssse on discriminatory practisssesss which could lead to addisssional casssualtiesss amoung Takian Marinesss."


"Dismissed Leutienet, prepare your men, any Yaltian's are to be transported away from combat zone, as for the Vernii military personel, you have your orders."

"aye sssir" With that, the massive reptiloid turned and graceful beyond his bulk, moved towards the hatches of the Kamikazi boarding crafts.

Admiral Ganote leaned back in his chair as Ikari's message played across the bridge speakers. His communications officer turned to him, "Shall I send a reply Admiral?"

"Hmm, no lieutenant, no reply. We do not have to make boisterous threats, our enemies will tremble at the sound of our silence." He then got up and strolled across Triumphant's bridge to study the tactical holomap, and selected his targets.

"Fire another missile salvo, and have Admiral Kiepers ships concentrate their fire on those lighter vessels, and Williams' fire on this vessel," Ganotes finger pointed at one of the Takan heavy cruisers ,"continue to have Rollin's battlecruisers concentrate their fire on targets of opportunity."

515 missiles, 30 of them containing contact nukes, hurtled towards the enemy fleet, joined by 110 lasers and 165 graser beams upon the smaller Takan vessels, and Rear Admiral Williams battleships Ferdinand, Gneisenau, and Canopus concentrated fired a total of 30 lasers and 45 graser beams onto one of the Takan cruisers. Rollin's battlecruisers concentrated their fire onto the wounded frigates, with 25 lasers and 30 graser beams.

Eighty-nine missiles made it through the point defences, and the battlecruiser Ramillies shuddered as hits wiped away several of its launchers, and the battleships Repulse and Renown lost several PD clusters and sensor arrays as missiles broke through their shields. Fire from the Takan fleet scored hits on the battleship Victoria, leaving holes gouged into its armor, and wiping away a lidar array.

The ships turn around abruptly, bow facing the incoming ships as a hail of Scatter torpedoes flew out this time, breaking off infront of the wave of enemy missiles. The AA missiles swarming into a massive cloud, 6,000 in all. some home in on the enemy missiles, while the remainder, about 5,000 in strenght streak towards the Vernii fleet. The Vernii volley strikes, tearing through three more frigates and damaging two more, also finishing off the two wounded frigates in spectacular fireballs. Atmosphere, as well as debris leaked from its wounds, as three escape pods from each slowly drifted away, leaving the hulk to burn its oxogen out. THe heavy cruiser's captian saw the incoming blows, ordering shields up to full and full evasive manuevers. The ID drives groaned, as the hull's inertial was turned against it, pusing the ship away from the incoming bolts of death. The first few missed by thousands of clicks, the hail drawing steadily closer to the listing ship. Halfway through the volley, the first shot struck her hull, being absorbed by the shields. it was followed by a second, a third, a fourth, the captian lost count as the shield meter continued to fall. 80%, 70% 60%, 50%, 40%, 30%, 20%, the second generator kicked in, but the barrge continued, tearing through the entire shield, the last shot slamming into the hull, melting throuh four meters of neo-titanium as if it weren't ever there, he counted his blessings, his ship would survive, this time.

Like flies from a corpse, the fully loaded Kamikazi boarding crafts lifted off, flying behind a second barrage of scatter torps, hoping to fill the sky wiht enough contacts to make targeting the kamikazi next to impossible

The LRR carrier group, having followed their Valinon allies to Yalta after the arrival of an LRR defense station, quickly manouvers into battle formation. Once this is accomplished, bombers start to launch, as well as light and defense corvettes, the DCs forming into spheres in front of the carriers and the LCs forming up into claws on the ends of the bomber squadrons.

aboard the LRRSV Lech Walesa......

"Prepare a full volley. All tubes to plasma deep impact."
"Aye, captain."
"Fire when ready. Bring the group foreward!"
"Aye, sir!"

The spearhead of LRR battlecruisers (on the flanks) and destroyers and frigates (in the center) begin moving foreward, slowly at first. In short order, the space in front of the LRR battlegroup is full of torpedos, headed twoards the Vernii ships. 300 in all. The carriers also empty their tubes, and form up behind the fighting spearhead, a primarily defensive formation, but ready to charge the defenses immediately. The Nash waits outside of the range of Vernii missiles, behind the carriers. As the torpedos streak inward, the bombers fly foreward at maximum accelleration.

"ATTACK!!!!!"

The bombers and acolytes charge headlong into the Vernii ships, targeting the largest ones first. As they close to within torpedo range, they let loose their torps and pull hard vertical. There are roughly 200 Thunderbolt II bombers, each of which has launched four light torpedos, and has not attacked with plasma bombs, and about 60 Super Acolyte IIT light corvettes in the LRR fighter spearhead.

The LRR carrier group, having followed their Valinon allies to Yalta after the arrival of an LRR defense station, quickly manouvers into battle formation. Once this is accomplished, bombers start to launch, as well as light and defense corvettes, the DCs forming into spheres in front of the carriers and the LCs forming up into claws on the ends of the bomber squadrons.

aboard the LRRSV Lech Walesa......

"Prepare a full volley. All tubes to plasma deep impact."
"Aye, captain."
"Fire when ready. Bring the group foreward!"
"Aye, sir!"

The spearhead of LRR battlecruisers (on the flanks) and destroyers and frigates (in the center) begin moving foreward, slowly at first. In short order, the space in front of the LRR battlegroup is full of torpedos, headed twoards the Vernii ships. 300 in all. The carriers also empty their tubes, and form up behind the fighting spearhead, a primarily defensive formation, but ready to charge the defenses immediately. The Nash waits outside of the range of Vernii missiles, behind the carriers. As the torpedos streak inward, the bombers fly foreward at maximum accelleration.

"ATTACK!!!!!"

The bombers and acolytes charge headlong into the Vernii ships, targeting the largest ones first. As they close to within torpedo range, they let loose their torps and pull hard vertical. There are roughly 200 Thunderbolt II bombers, each of which has launched four light torpedos, and has not attacked with plasma bombs, and about 60 Super Acolyte IIT light corvettes in the LRR fighter spearhead.

Tactical computers aboard the ships began assigning threat values to the incoming swarm, and active sensors began tracking the LRR fighters, with 70 PD clusters swiveling to open fire on them. Sensors also detected dozens of the boarding craft, and another missile broadside of just over five hundred laser-heads streamed from the fleet, with the first wave of one hundred set to detonate in the middle of the swarm.

The main energy mounts aboard five of the battleships, and three of the battlecruisers went to rapid fire, not aiming at any targets in particular, but firing into the crowd of missiles. They swept through the cloud, and between them, ECM, and PD defences, 650 missiles, mostly Takan, made it through, detonating against the battleship's shields, lightly damaging Repulse, Irresistable, Rodney, and Rollin's flagship, the battlecruiser Reliant.

The beams aboard four of the remaining battleships opened fire on the damaged heavy cruiser, and the other five and two battlecruisers opened fire on another cruiser.

Inside the ships, marines suited up in armored vac suits and power armor, while others passed through compartments handing pulsers to crewmen, closed hatches throughout the ships, and setting up heavy tribarrels and plasma rifles in vital areas.

OOC: Thats 40 laser and 60 graser beams toward the damaged cruiser, and 60 lasers and 87 graser beams toward another cruiser.

Forrest glowers at both Ikari and the Squallem lieutenant, "Regardless of where ever you came from, Lieutenant, these mass tactics are without honor and this blanket method of killing is a perversion against the art of warfare. Be assured that my men will see to it that any such operations are handled with due and proper protoccols," with that Forrest breaks the link.
Before bringing up Ori he turns to his fleet tactical coordinator, "Have the Tarawa ready her marine groups. I want 900 Sardaukar ready on assault transports to follow Ikari's hordes. Colonel Alderson is to command and make sure that the Takans don't slaughter everything down to the rats."
"Yes, Admiral."
With that Forrest hits the key to activate the link with a vengenace, "I apologize for keeping you waiting, Ambassador, but I was occupied with your Commodore. I feel at this time the deployment of Squallem in such a blatant disregard for those onboard the Vernii ships will lead to disaster. If there are any Yaltan citizens imprisoned on those ships I fear that they would become unnecessary casaulties. I must beseech you to restrain the Commodore on this matter. Either that or I shall deploy my own Sardaukar units to make sure the boarding operations are carried out with some degree of honor if the Vernii should choose to surrender."
He freezes the link again until the Ambassador responds.
"All ships excute manuver 33-58-Delta," with that the Valinon fleet reorients, its ships showing their broadsides to the Vernii wall of battle.
"Give them a taste of a proper broadside!" and with that the Valinon fleet opens fire with its most powerful weaponary. 2,398 missiles stream forward from the Valinon fleet. 200 of them are EMPs, 150 laser warheads, and the rest convential warheads. But then come the blinding flashes of energy as the fleet sends off fire from its energy batteries. Long streams of glowing death follow in the wake of the missiles.
Forrest watches his attack, "Have all fighters begin their runs once the wave has passed."
"Yes, Admiral."

*******

Meanwhile, assault transports scramble from the super carrier Tarawa scramble, carrying in their holds 6 squads of eight men each, and all travel under the watchful eye of escorting Longshard squadrons. They wait, biding their time until the signal comes from the Gustav for them to follow the Takan boarding pods.

Ganote stared at the tactical screen, and the sick feeling of failure began to surface.

"Tactical, continue firing, Helm, plot a course for the fleet to the hyper limit, but keep us in formation."

240 of the Armada's missiles made it past the counter-missiles as they screamed through space, through the storm of ECM, PD cluster and energy fire, and detonated. Then came the energy fire, raining against the shields of the ships. The battlecruiser Gloire was reduced to a hulk, and damage alarms screamed aboard Danton as energy hammered into its hull, ripping out several grasers, and hits gouged armor out of Ganote's flagship, Triumphant.

The fleet began to decelerate, reversing course from the enemy fleet.

Forrest watches as the Vernii fleet begins to reorient itself, "They are getting ready to run."
Instantly Forrest knows what he must do to sour the taste of a retreat even more.
"Have either of the Magellans picked up increased comm traffic to any of the ships?"
After a few moments one of the tactical coordinators looks up, "Yes, Admiral, from the ship immediately left of the center of the Vernii wall of battle."
"And there be the mind of the fleet," he mutters. "Have all ships ready another barrage, I want all energy batteries to concentrate on that ship. Relay positioning to the rest of the fleet. Meanwhile have 45% of the missile fire redirected to target that ship. Have gunships move in to fire long-range heavy rockets at the command ship."
"Yes, Admiral."
Forrest watches as another belch of energy leaves the dreadnoughts, battlecruisers, battleships, and heavy cruisers. Missiles streak ahead of the deadly energy, a massive wave coalesces to target the Triumphant.
"Have Longshards escort Javelins and Goliaths in after the wave passes they are to attack that ship! Coordinate them with the gunships."

*******

Flight Commander Josef Devanovich of the Tarawa watches as the missiles and energy of the fleet streak by.
"Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Nu squadrons form up on me. We will escort Sigma, Delta, and Omega Javelin squadrons along with the Charlie and Baker Goliath flights. Target is the command ship of the Vernii fleet."
"Understood."
"Roger, Alpha Leader."
"Delta reads go."
"Nu squad forming up."
Devanovich watches as his own command and that of the other Flight Commanders form up to begin their run. He sees the gunship wings racing in to unload their own payloads. Merlin counts down the kilometers separating his command from the Vernii ship. Once it drops below 150 he knows he is in the green.
"Bombers, let the birds away!"
With that Devanovich watches as the bombers of his own command and the other bombers let loose their payloads. They had 111 convential warheads, 100 heavy rockets, 45 heavy bombs, 16 Skipper missiles, and 26 light railgun rounds to the fleets formidable barrage.
"Longshards, prepare for strafing runs!"

"ROLL SHIP IMMEDIATELY!" Ganote screamed at his helmsman, and the immense battleship began to roll, trying to bring up its heavily armored ventral surface to face the barrage. Counter-missiles screamed outwards as the fleet adjusted its firing patterns to concentrate mostly on the missiles targeting the flagship, and 215 got through everything the fleet could throw into their path.

Triumphant's shields flared and died as they absorbed half of the hits, and flames shot from its sides as missiles detonated against it's armor, cutting deep into the hull and exposing dozens of compartments to space. It's PD clusters didn't stop firing, and began to target the fighters as they swarmed around it, their missiles gouging further holes into its hull. The energy beams came next, burning straight through and punching out compartments of the ship. Triumphant's lights flickered and went out as Fusion Two went offline, then came back on as the other reactors picked up its load. Escape pods began to stream from its hull, and the four remaining battlecruisers began locking onto them with tractors. Command passed down to Rear Admiral Williams, aboard the Black Prince.

Anger and hate burned in his expression, and he shouted to his Tac officer, "Have the fleet load all remaining nuclear warheads, and fire another salvo!" 403 missiles shot toward the Armada fleet, 33 of which contained contact nukes, and the three battleships of Kieper's squadron engaged the nearest Takan vessel with their beams.

OOC: That's 30 lasers and 45 grasers targeted at the nearest cap ship.

The LRR fighter group soon detects the Point Defense guns. The swarm of craft perform a time-trusted LRR technique.

"Three.....two.....one......BREAK!!!!!!"

The LRR formations disintegrate into a flower blossom of craft flying in all different vectors, in an attempt to confuse the Vernii PD mounts.

About 15 bombers are destroyed, their crews ejecting in the direction of the LRR fleet. The rest prepare for a second go.

"Ok ok! Second go! Gamma squadron, form up on me! Epsilion, delta, and lamba form up on me! We're going for this battleship!"

The 64 bombers form up into a giant claw, and head for the largest vernii ship. As they close, they start to fire their plasma bombs, a total of 200 bombs in the first volley. The bombers race at the ship, and peel away at the last moment. meanwhile, the LRR caps squadron closes with the Vernii fleet.

Aboard the Lech Walesa....

"Shields on full!"
"All weapons systems tracking."
"FIRE!!!!"

The 10 LRR battlecruisers let loose a barrage of antimatter cannon shots, aimed at the nearest Vernii ships. Laser point defense nodes strike down Vernii missiles, and antimatter cannons swivel to target new ships, the cruisers never slowing down one bit. The destroyers and frigates follow close behind, firing the red lances of their ion cannons into Vernii cruisers. The LRR cap ships pull a heavy-G vertical roll to exit the battle area, and SAR corvettes from the carriers prepare to move into the fray.

Foorest watches as the Vernii fleet fires its own deadly response to his attack, he looks at the AI projections of their intercept course, and realizes his victory will cost him. The break neck pace to launch these attacks have stretched the Mobile DOS network to its limits. And now more of the missiles will get through than normally would have.
Forrest watches as the Mobile DOS system rages against the oncoming horde of missiles. The core of the fleet will be safe, but the outer lying ships who got pushed out farthest aren't so luck.
The heavy cruiser Nuremburg survives the missiles, but weakened shields don't survive the energy fire from the Vernii fleet. The ships starboard side is ripped open and atmosphere spews first. A light cruiser is consumed by a trio of nuclear tipped warheads that manage to get through, all her hands are lost. Another light cruiser suffer immense damage as it shields and hull are softened by concentrated laser energy, but is ripped open by missiles. Forrest looks at the display where the fighters are trying to break away from the Vernii fleet. The nimble Longshards hug the ships close, trying to distract their fire from the bombers. Forrest watches as fighters disappear, feeling their deaths like individual stabs.

******

Flight Commander Devanovich takes his fighter close to one of the Vernii battleships, dodging fire from the ships auto-defense cannons. He watches as one of his command from Beta Squadron is blasted away when one of the battleship's main weapons consume him. Devanovich glances as the screen that shows his command. He looks at the casualties and flinches, seeing that the bombers took hits before they managed to break away.
"All ships, 180 rotate, prepare for weapon strafe!" the fighters unleash fire on the larger ship, like parasites attacking a great war beast.

Casaulties:
1 heavy cruiser
2 light cruisers
6 gunships
11 Javelin medium bombers
9 Goliath heavy bombers
8 Longshards

The wounded cruisers saw the incoming blasts, pulling a hard roll, the ID drivers stressing as the bolts hit. The HEPD fields held, sturdy, absorbing hte worse of the impact, but the energy was simply too powerful, slamming against the hull, cutting deep rents through it. The barrage was too intence, and by the time it had finished, the ship was pockmarked with hundreds of gashes leaking atmosphere, spinning through space aimlessly as its overstressed ID drivers gave out.

The other cruiser simply sailed through the fire, its shields absorbing most of the fire before the last few pelt thier way, tearing through the outer layers. It continues at full speed, dirrectly towards the nearest Vernii ship, leaking atmosphere, and escape pods.

The Frigates reached the Vernii craft, slipping between them as they opened fired for the first time, shear weight of numbers being thier greatest advantage.

The Kamikazi boarding craft swoop in through lines of AA fire, several of them taking hits and carreening out of formation, some mearly disentergrating into fireballs as they are torn apart by the fire. The survivors latched onto the hulls of the ships, wherever they could find purchase, as the bottome hatch latched on, and started cutting.

Kiepers three battleships concentrated their energy fire upon the stricken heavy cruiser, while the rest of the fleet duked it out with the frigates, and another missile broadside was loosed upon the Armada's lighter capital ships.

Five graser mounts were lost on the Renown, and twenty of the LRR warheads got through, impacting with the energy fire against shields, and breaking through on some ships already engaged in fighting against the Takan vessels. The battlecruiser Reliant suffered light damage as some of the energy bled through it's shields into its hull, and the Nike lost five missile tubes. Several ECM emitters and sensor emplacements aboard two of the battleships were picked off by the Armada's fighters, and 60 PD clusters swiveled to engage them.

*Aboard the battleship Repulse*

Intruder alarms wailed as Marine Colonel Stenson gave orders to his primary response team. Fifty of the ships marines, twenty of them in power armor and the rest in armored vac suits, were setting up an ambush in a corridor where two of the enemy craft were cutting through the hull. A plasma rifle and two light tribarrels had been set up at one end, and marines waited with flechette and pulser rifles for the enemy to come through.

OOC: The marines are set up 30 meters from the closest breach, and are spaced into five groups, 10 meters from each other.

The Kamikazi class boarding ships finished cutting through the hull at the same time, sending a harmonic shock through the material and blowing out each of the entry points, 50 in all. Rather than simply jump in, the heavy mecha from each squad chucked foam grenadeds down each end of the corridor, filling all but a narrow passage way dirrectly infront of the boarding craft with sticky blue foam, which quickly began to harden like stone, crushing those unforutnate enough to be caught in it. The heavy mecha exited first, selecting the plasma cutters, and got to wrok on the inner hull, cutting a way through to the next hallway over, the marriens and boarding mecha falling inline, ready to effect a fighting entrance to the other side.

* * * * *

The cruiser took the hits, seeming to come on even faster through them. As it's bulk filled the viewscreen of its target, the name plate Assisted Suicide came itno focus, shortly before its prow bite into the Vernii vessle's bulk. From deep within its cavernous interior, now devoid of anything but the AS system, the fold generator activates, warping time and space around it, and dragging its grappled victum with it. It contines to press fowards, hoping to get a second, just as the fold genearto takes full effect, snapping both into every Takian sailor's nightmare. . . and unguided jump into the unknown.

The LRR battlecruiser squadron pulls hard away, using their high-power drives to make a quick exit. The destroyers and frigates take longer to make their run, with older fusion drives. They try their best to deliver their weapons fire on-target, while still avoiding the larger guns.

Aboard the LRRSV Lech Walesa......

"Roll us inverted! Load all tubes, one quater ECM cluster and the rest plasma deep impact!"
"Damage report?"
"We've taken heavy damage to the port anti-caps cannon! The 'bots are on it now. The shields absorbed most of the laser fire, but some shots still got through! We've got mild breaches in the starboard hull pylon, and damage control teams are on it now! Hull integrity stable at 99.1 percent!"
"Target all weapons on the Vernii fleet! Bring us in torpedo perameters!"
"Aye, captain!"

The battlecruiser pulls out of its elongated loop, and comes nose-down at the vernii ships, along with the rest of the group.

"FIRE!!!!!!!!"

The torpedos streak out of the cruisers' tubes, aimed at the drives of Vernii ships, about 500 torpedos in all, emptying the cruisers' stores. A group of bombers and acolytes also fly in formation with the cruisers, and they take a position out of the main fray for the time being. Bomber groups trickle out of the main battle, and dock with the cruisers for a quick patchup and re-armerment. Bomber losses had by this time amounted to 32 craft lost and around 15 damaged out of action. The acolytes, however, using their brutish powerplants and firepower were able to stay away from fighter killing weapons, downing the odd missile here and there, blasting a PD cluster on the hull of some cruiser or battleship. After the acolyte pilots round up the bombers, the LRR strike group withdraws to the safety of the formation of battlecruisers. The destroyers and frigates, however, are somewhat less lucky. They show up as both relatively large and relatively slow moving targets on most sensors, making them easier to hit than the fast and manouverable bombers and corvettes, or the insanely-driven battlecruisers.

Aboard the LRRSV Hard Rain, a Vengance II class assault frigate.....

"HULL INTEGRITY 30 PERCENT AND DROPPING!!!!!"
"SHIELDS ARE DOWN! PLASMA CANNONS 1 AND 2 ARE OUT! THE STARBOARD ION CANNON IS OUT!!!!"
"PREPARE TO ABANDON SHIP!!!!"

Crewmembers rush down the corridors to the escape pods, in full EVA gear. They rocket into the escape pods, and soon the ship is emptied. The bright yellow escape pods shoot into space, manouvering away from the combat area. The ship's corvette dodges a flock of missiles, and then proceeds to pick up the pods on a tow line. The corvette runs full speed twoards the nearest friendly ship, pods dangling behind. The frigate finally explodes as the last missiles impact its hull.

The surviving frigates continue to battle their way out of the combat area, and the more damaged ones pull right aside of the battlecruisers. Little repair bots swarm over the damaged frigates, and casualties are transferred to the cruisers' better medical facilities.

LRR losses:

32 bombers lost
15 bombers put out of action
17 pilots unaccounted for
3 Frigates destroyed
5 Frigates put out of action
2 Destroyers heavily damaged
134 crew injured
35 crew unaccounted for
5 SAR corvettes unaccounted for, presumed lost
3 Defense corvettes damaged, in repair

LRR cruiser damage report

LRRSV Lech Walesa: Port heavy plasma cannon out of action
Minor hull breaches in the vicinity of the torpedo rooms, docking bay damage; under control
12 crew injured

LRRSV Betrand Russel: Port antimatter cannon node 2 damaged, torpedo tube 3 out of action, minor torpedo explosion, warheade ejected into space, no losses
24 crew injured

Minor hull breaches and missile damage on the remainder

A couple of marines were trapped in foam, and their companions quickly set to work digging them out, after that was done, the tribarrels and the plasma rifle opened up on the foam, blowing chunks out of it, trying to dig through it to intercept the boarders.

***
Rear Admiral Williams gaped in disbelief as Danton disappeared. He sat in stunned silence for a moment, then barked at his officers, "Order the fleet to go to 90% acceleration!"

The battlecruiser Nike's aft hammerhead exploded as missiles and energy found their way through its shields and armor, and the battlecruiser temporarily lost helm control, then withdrew from the formation, heading toward the hyper-limit at max acceleration.

Energy and missile fire lanced out at the Takan and Armada vessels, while another 400 missiles were launched toward the LRR ships, and the remnants of the fleet also began to pick up their acceleration, and abandoned control of the planet's high orbit.

Forrest watches as the fleet completes the manuver that reorient itself, so that now the fleet faces the Vernii force's aft with its forward batteries.
"Mobile DOS is reoriented, Admiral," says the Gustav's AI, "those attached to damaged and destroyed ships have been re-networked back into the system. Fleet is now in full coverage of overall network except for forward attack elements."
"Good," Forrest looks at his readouts. "All ships are to target the battleship at the center of the enemies formation. The fleet is to prepare for continuous round fire after this focused attack."
"Yes, Admiral."
"Fire!" Forrest says with a calm fire in his voice. A barrage of 412 missiles stream away from the Valinon ships, toward the Black Prince. Then the energy batteries answer, pouring in one round and then another before silencing.
Forrest then looks at the new reports from the Takan boarding party.
"Have the assault transports break off. And all ships are to go to all ahead full."
"Yes, Admiral."
The assault transports that had taken shelter under the fleet's umbrella now stream away, carrying Sardaukar toward the stricken Repulse.
Forrest watches as the attack from the Vernii fleet comes in. The DOS drones and the auto-defenses take care of most the fire, and the warships shields handle the energy. But one dreadnought is vaporized, and a light cruiser slows as it takes damage to part of its energy block.

*******

Devanovich has led his ragged command away from the Vernii ships. He intends to regroup and rearm then head out again. It won't take long, the fleet is coming fast now, and his fighters are streaking in toward their carriers.
Devanovich traces the path of an assault transport group and its gunship escorts as they head for the Repulse. It shouldn't take the troop-laden ships long to reach their target, and with the hull already gaping, it shouldn't be hard to find an entrance point.

The marrines kick through the hole in the inner bulkhead, the more heavily mecha entering first, followed quickly by the rank and file marines. The last one sets the boarding craft. . . one way mission, he thinks as he preps the engine overload sequence, which will fill this hallway with buring plasma, and make a much larger hole. He scurries through the entrance, and sets up a holo field on the cut mark, making the bulkhead appear whole once more. The marines move out, quickly moving through the corridors while one, a Squallem leaps up towards a ventalation shaft, quickly scurrying through it, hoping to meet up with his cohorts from the other crafts to set up ambushes at the bridge and other sensative areas.

* * * *

Under fire, the Takians sence the break in formation, as commander Ikari reads his tactical display.

"we've routed them, now, to push on Gregor, or free Acler as well?"

he turnes to his commanding officer.

"prepare the Takian fleet for fold, call in the third wave at the Acler system, and bring us in as close to that fleet as we can."

* * * *

Ori nearly spilled his tea, Ikari's flagship was about to fold. . . he quickly opened the com's channel to the Valinon flagship, ingoring protcal in his haste.

"Commander, I do not care what you have to do, nor how you do it, but I need you to assure Ikari does not fold his flagship out. . . I can ill affoard to let him destroy our chance at a second thrust, nor can you allow him to lose that battle. . . whatever you must do, I will cover up. . . and Commander. . . I am authorizing you to use lethal force if you must. Data has been transmited to your targeting computers as to the fold driver's location. . . good luck, and god speed."

Ori transmited the data through the hacked AI system, effectivly violating every rule of ambasadorial responcibility.

* * * * *

The remaining fleet, bled but still with enough fight to make the Vernii pay for thier arrogance opened fire again, everyship giving everything it had in spraying the retreating craft with energy and torpedo fire. veritable clouds of contacts filled teh sky again, as plasma torps once more streamed out, seeking the weak spots in thier opponent's armor.

A couple of marines were trapped in foam, and their companions quickly set to work digging them out, after that was done, the tribarrels and the plasma rifle opened up on the foam, blowing chunks out of it, trying to dig through it to intercept the boarders.

***
Rear Admiral Williams gaped in disbelief as Danton disappeared. He sat in stunned silence for a moment, then barked at his officers, "Order the fleet to go to 90% acceleration!"

The battlecruiser Nike's aft hammerhead exploded as missiles and energy found their way through its shields and armor, and the battlecruiser temporarily lost helm control, then withdrew from the formation, heading toward the hyper-limit at max acceleration.

Energy and missile fire lanced out at the Takan and Armada vessels, while another 400 missiles were launched toward the LRR ships, and the remnants of the fleet also began to pick up their acceleration, and abandoned control of the planet's high orbit.

The cruiser group soon picks up the incoming missiles. The frigate crews are pulled aboard the cruisers, and the bombers and acolytes disperse in the usual multivector tactic. The cruisers use their very high speed and manouvrability to attempt to flank the missiles.

Aboard the LRRSV Lech Walesa.......

"INCOMING MISSILES!!!!!!!!!"
"HARD TO PORT!!!!! FLANK SPEED!!!!!"
"ALL SHIPS, EVASIVE MANOUVERS!!!!!!"

The cuisers pull sharp turns on the missile volley. The point defense lasers down most of the missiles, but several get through the shields to the hull of the Walesa, while the rest of the cruisers escape relatively unscathed. While not being the strongest offensively, LRR vessels are built with the utmost in protective systems.

Again, aboard the LRRSV Lech Walesa......

"BRACE FOR MISSILE IMPACT!!!!"

A low rumbling can be heard in the background.

"Breaches across the foreward lower decks! All torpedo bays out of action! Docking bay out of action!"
"This is damage control team Alpha! We are patching the leaks on C-foreward now, the leaks are being contained!"
"Casualty count?"
"None KIA as of yet.....team gamma is clearing the torpedo rooms."
"That's good news. Engineering?"
"We took some missiles in the drives section, nothing we can't repair. However, we won't be able to fix the three antimatter cannons knocked out in this combat environment."

The cruisers form up and move in with the Valinon and Takan ships-of-the-line. Destroyers and frigates move in also, firing their ion cannons and missiles into the Vernii group.

Aboard the LRRSV Neil Young.....

Plotters and controllers stand around the carrier's tactical projection screen, watching the battle. The carriers start to move into just outside the main engagement, their shields glowing blue with each stray missile impact. The point defense lasers lance out at passing missiles, and ion cannon fire is directed at any vernii frigates who try to get in the carriers' way. The 10 destroyers also remain with the carriers, but they roll and manouver like fighters.

"Valinon command, this is Georges again. It apears as though we are taking a heavy toll on the Vernii ships. It seems a good time to ask for their surrender, or at least a cease-fire. Our SAR corvettes need time to go out and collect escape pods."

6 "Peristroyka" class battle cruisers are dispatched from the Bellarussian Monkey's space port to the Yalta Sytem to the defence of LRR.

bump

Forrest was preparing to order his ships to fire again when the message from Georges comes over the comm.
"I think that would be appropriate, Group Commander. Consider it done," Forrest deactivates the link. "Give me an open channel."
"Yes, Admiral."
"This is Admiral of the Red Sir Quentin Forrest of His Majesty's Star Armada to the commander of the Vernii battlegroup. Your forces are outnumbered and have taken heavy casualties. We will now accept surrender terms if you will power down and cease-fire immediately. Rest assured you will be treated humanely, as is directed by the various international accords governing this matter."
Seconds after freezing the link, the call from Ori comes through. Forrest nods gravely, "Understood, Ambassador, leave the matter to me."
With that he turns to the gunnery and tactical stations, "I am downloading targeting data to both of your terminals. Order the Alexander, the Thor, and the Nemsis to target on it with EMP missiles in a surgical strike. They are to fire on my mark."
Severn looks at the data, "Admiral?" he says concerned.
"We have a request, Captain, and I am inclined to fulfill it," Forrest turbs around. "Fire."
With that a salvo of 387 EMP missiles fly away from the Armada warships, headed for a strike against Ikari's flaghship's fold drives. He then opens a comm link to Ikari.
"Commodore, I think you will have sometime to reconsider your tactical stance. Use it wisely, and perhaps in time you will come to learn that restraint and better judgement will mean that you may actually enjoy more fulfilling success," Forrest then breaks the link.
As the first EMP waves moves in toward it final run, Forrest opens the comm to the other Takan ships.
"Captains of the Takan Star Navy, this is Admiral Forrest. In light of recent events I will be temporarily be assuming overall tactical command of the PCDI forces in this operation. Until such time that Commodore Ikari can overcome the technical difficulties aboard his ships. Are there any objections?"

*******

The assault transports slow and match speed with the Repulse 900 Sardaukar in full NBC (Nuclear/Biological/Chemical) armor suits stream out of the airlocks and move toward the Vernii vessel using thrust packs. On board the squads begin to form up and begin to rapidly move to catch up with their Takan allies.
Colonel Alderson lands with the first wave, "All forces spread out. Keep in regular contact. The first group to encounter the Takans is to report in immedtiately."
"Yes, Sir!" comes a unison of acknowledgements. With that the Sardaukar squads begin to move out as the rest of the force boards.

"Missiles against me? You surely have forgotten we are practicaly invulnerable to missile fire here."

"I'm afraid not Admiral, with all due respect. . ."

Ikari turns, his eyes flashing dangerously as he faces his young electrical officer, standing over the shielding station, tapping orders out on the console.

HEPD fields dropped

the computer's voice says, adding in a slightly ammused tone Emergancy mode activated, shield control can now only be accessed by main terminal

"son. . . you are going to turn that field back on. . " Ikari says dangerously, moving towards him.

"So you can just get us all killed before this battle is finished? I think not, I'll take my chances with you." He stands, pulling his issued las pistol.

"you aren't going to shoot a superior officer." Ikari says, pulling his own.

"no, but with all due respect sir, I fully intend to fack you over." He points his pistol into the console controling the HEPD fields, and fires, burning the circitry away, and destroying any hope Ikari had of bringing them back online.

"you insolent son of an agrol whore!" he bellowed, pointing his las pistol at the man, just as the EMP missiles struck, the AS system shutting itself down at the last second to save itself. Sparks flew from the electrical equipment, as every last electronic device overloaded. Ikari looked stunned at his pistol, then back at the young officer, already climbing into one of the topmounted escape pods. Ikari raced after him, slamming his fist against the locked hatch as he watched in vain at it rocketed away, powered only by its chemical engines. He pulled out a pocket transmiter, dropping a powercell into it as he looked at the Valinion ship filling his glass window.

"Attention Admiral Forrest, this is chief petty officer Corrinth De'Alude, please respond."

Forrest looks up as Severn approaches, "Yes, Captain?"
"I think you may want to take this, Admiral," he calls up the comm channel.
"Petty Officer De'Alude, this is Admiral Forrest. May I ask what you need?"

"Shelter sir, I shut down the HEPD fields on the Arrogance. . . Ikari's flag ship you just disabled, and I figured it might not be the safest of places to be anymore."

De'Alude looks down over the powerless ship falling behind him, filled partialy with horor at what he had done, partialy with the pride and self assurance a true patriot feels when he stands against his leaders, and partialy wiht a growing hope that his mother's rank in the Honor Guard would save him from on the spot execution.

"Consider it granted, Petty Officer. You are now under my personal protection, and I will make sure that Ikari finds it even harder to overcome than normal," Forrest turns to Severn.
"Have a Sardaukar dispatched to escort Mr. De'Alude to the bridge at once."
"Yes, Admiral."

*******

Several minutes later De'Alude is escorted on to the bridge by a single Sardaukar, who then takes his position beside the blast door again. The bridge is calm, but underneath the quite facade it seems to pulse with energy. Then he sees a man in a stark white uniform with gold epaulets look up at him.
"Mr. De'Alude, join me if you please," the man motions to him. He is dividing his attention between the petty officer and the tactical display laid out before him.

OOC: Sorry, I was out tonight. Went to see "The Last Samurai" with some friends.

The fleets PD and ECM struggled against the enemy missiles, and sixty of them got through. Black Prince's broadside shields flared, and then died as missiles pounded their energy against it, and energy hammered into its hull, ripping out energy mounts and missile tubes, and ripping gashes into it's armor.

The lighting on the bridge flickered as Rear Admiral Williams clung to his command chair. "Sir! One of the larger Takan vessels appears to have been disabled!" his tac officer reported excitedly.

"Excellent! Designate that ship a priority target, and give it hell!"

410 missiles, and sporadic energy fire shot towards the disabled Takan warship, and the fleet then turned on it's axis to present their aft hammerheads, and went to 95% acceleration toward the hyper-limit.

The com station beeped as an incoming message was recieved, and Black Prince's com officer frowned as he listened to the message through his earbug. He turned to Williams, "Sir, we are recieving a message from Admiral Forrest of the Armada fleet."

"Play it." The message was broadcast over the bridge speakers, and Williams motioned to his com officer, "Send this response: This is Rear Admiral Williams, Acting Commander of Battleship Squadron I of the People's Navy. I must respectfully decline your offer."

****

More intruder alerts began blinking on the damage map of Repulse, and Captain Wilhelm swore savagely. "Pump the atmosphere out of external compartments. That oughta slow them down." Outside of the bridge, marines in power armor began setting up plasma rifles and heavy tribarrels, covering all paths of approach to the bridge with their heavy weapons.

Five unlucky marines in the corridor were incinerated as plasma flooded through, and the rest retreated behind blast doors before it could also claim their lives.

The Arrogance sat, oblivious to the battle around it, as engeneers struggled to bring the fold systems online in the harsh red light of the backup lights. Power had been restored shortly after the electrical systems had gone out, leaving emergancy lights and life support still active, though pressious little else. The first volley struck as the Fold drivers reactivated, the energy striking first, pock marks appearing on its skin. The missiles hit next, all of them making it through without the shielding. They slammed into the hull, denting it inward as they detonated. Chucks of hull, along with large portions of the Neo Titanium exterior flecked off, and as the explosive din died down, the ship rolled away, atmosphere leaking from hundreds of small tears, as if the beast had been pinpricked a thousand times. Crews set to work closing every single blast door by hand, already in thier armored space suits, as the fold drivers activated, and took the wounded behemoth home, where a fuming Ikari plotted nothing less than outright war against Forrest, and the entirity of the Valinion navy if need be.

((OOC: I'm going to be out till Thursday, sory bout this guys, Valinon, you are free to take over the 2 remaining battle cruisers, 6 heavy cruisers, and 18 remaining frigates, the 2 battles are fine, of the 6 heavys, 3 are without shields, and 1 of those is limping baddly, the other 2 have slight hull damage, with small breachs in them. The other 3 Heavys I started with have either been disabled or destroyed.

OOC: Sorry, I was out tonight. Went to see "The Last Samurai" with some friends.

The fleets PD and ECM struggled against the enemy missiles, and sixty of them got through. Black Prince's broadside shields flared, and then died as missiles pounded their energy against it, and energy hammered into its hull, ripping out energy mounts and missile tubes, and ripping gashes into it's armor.

The lighting on the bridge flickered as Rear Admiral Williams clung to his command chair. "Sir! One of the larger Takan vessels appears to have been disabled!" his tac officer reported excitedly.

"Excellent! Designate that ship a priority target, and give it hell!"

410 missiles, and sporadic energy fire shot towards the disabled Takan warship, and the fleet then turned on it's axis to present their aft hammerheads, and went to 95% acceleration toward the hyper-limit.

The com station beeped as an incoming message was recieved, and Black Prince's com officer frowned as he listened to the message through his earbug. He turned to Williams, "Sir, we are recieving a message from Admiral Forrest of the Armada fleet."

"Play it." The message was broadcast over the bridge speakers, and Williams motioned to his com officer, "Send this response: This is Rear Admiral Williams, Acting Commander of Battleship Squadron I of the People's Navy. I must respectfully decline your offer."

****

More intruder alerts began blinking on the damage map of Repulse, and Captain Wilhelm swore savagely. "Pump the atmosphere out of external compartments. That oughta slow them down." Outside of the bridge, marines in power armor began setting up plasma rifles and heavy tribarrels, covering all paths of approach to the bridge with their heavy weapons.

Five unlucky marines in the corridor were incinerated as plasma flooded through, and the rest retreated behind blast doors before it could also claim their lives.

Most of the LRR ships had by this time moved to formation around the Valinon ships, the carriers included. The Graham Nash also moves in closer to the engagenemt, and its medical bays soon fill up with wounded LRR, Valinon, Taka, and Vernii sailors. The carriers launch their Sherpa class SAR corvettes, and they try their best to avoid vernii missiles and laser fire.

Aboard Sherpa-18, a Sherpa class SAR corvette.....

"Brace for impact!"
"Missile deflected, hull integrity 85 percent."
"Brace for hard port dive!"

The corvette spots a crippled Vernii frigate, apparently without drives and on the verge of exploding.

"Sherpa 19, this is 18. I will designate a frigate for you to clamp onto! We're going to drag it clear of the engagement, copy?"
"Roger that, 18. We're on your wing."

The two corvettes speed twoards the crippled frigate, and finally reach a position outside its hull.

"Vernii frigate! This is a Search And Rescue operation! Please de-activate your weapons and move all crew to the airlocks! Prepare to be moved!"

The corvettes take up positions on either side of the frigate, and clamp onwith their magnetic grippers."

bump

anyone?

Umm LRR? I don't have any frigates. My fleet at the beginning of the battle was 15 battleships and 6 battlecruisers. Current force is 12 BBs, half of which are moderately or heavier damaged, and 3 BCs, all of which have had the crap knocked out them. The BBs are Triumphant and Ferdinands, and the BCs are Sultans. All three types can be found in my storefront.
http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=94575

Umm LRR? I don't have any frigates. My fleet at the beginning of the battle was 15 battleships and 6 battlecruisers. Current force is 12 BBs, half of which are moderately or heavier damaged, and 3 BCs, all of which have had the crap knocked out them. The BBs are Triumphant and Ferdinands, and the BCs are Sultans. All three types can be found in my storefront.
http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=94575

D'oh!!!!!!

I thought I heard mention of Vernii frigates. Or perhaps it was all in my head?

What's closest to a frigate size vessel?

Umm LRR? I don't have any frigates. My fleet at the beginning of the battle was 15 battleships and 6 battlecruisers. Current force is 12 BBs, half of which are moderately or heavier damaged, and 3 BCs, all of which have had the crap knocked out them. The BBs are Triumphant and Ferdinands, and the BCs are Sultans. All three types can be found in my storefront.
http://www.nationstates.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=94575

D'oh!!!!!!

I thought I heard mention of Vernii frigates. Or perhaps it was all in my head?

What's closest to a frigate size vessel?

Well, that depends on how navies rank their warships. Some place frigates pretty low (in the Honorverse books, frigates are smaller then a destroyer), while others rate them high (like Homeworld).

The smallest warships in my fleet at Yalta are the battlecruisers, which are 1,600 meters long, and the three remaining are still combat capable. Taka had frigates, and several of those have been pretty badly torn up.

Well, that depends on how navies rank their warships. Some place frigates pretty low (in the Honorverse books, frigates are smaller then a destroyer), while others rate them high (like Homeworld).

The smallest warships in my fleet at Yalta are the battlecruisers, which are 1,600 meters long, and the three remaining are still combat capable. Taka had frigates, and several of those have been pretty badly torn up.

Ok, make that a Takan frigate.

OOC: This thread might have to wait a couple days before resuming, since Taka is gone for now.

((OOC: I have returned, no time to really post anything, as nothing has really happened to my forces, save a random Frigat ebeing salvaged.))

Forrest stands on the bridge, watching as the Vernii fleet approaches the final kilometers to successfully reach the hyper limit.
"Signal the fleet to engage as they believe appropriate. It seems that the battle is ours."
"Yes, Admiral."
"What of the 'special force' to the Arrogance?" Forrest says to the Gustav's AI.
"They are on final approach, Admiral. Captain Longfellow is initiating unassisted docking procedures. He says he will comm when he is ready to activate your holo link."
"Good," Forrest turns to the comm officer. "Tell the captain I expect this to be handled approriately. He is not to engage unless fired upon."
"Yes, sir."

***********

After landing on the Arrogance, Captain Longfellow exits the assault transport with his 8 squads. He turn to one squad commander.
"Stay with the shuttle."
"Yes, sir!"
"The rest of you are with me," he turns as the other seven squads follow him toward the way to the bridge of the Takan vessel.
Longfellow reviews his instructions from Forrest mentally.
Ensure that Commodore Ikari no longer poses a threat to this operation. Deal as needed with him to restrain him. Do not engage unless fired upon first. Finally, allow me to speak with any commanders you may encounter and the force guarding the bridge.

Sergant Lupin of assault team Omega stood in the hallway outside of the hanger bay. As coms were out, the entire contingent of Marines had enacted martial law, and locked down the ship to prevent its capture. He heard the ship dock, and readied his weapon, prepared to fire on what he belived were Vernii raiders. His eyes widened as he saw the Sadukar enter the hallway, weapons ready, but not agressivly so.

"hold your fire" he said to his squad, slowly lowering his weapon, turning to adress what he assumed was the Sadukar leader.

"What in Taka's name do you think you are doing here, this ship is under Martial law, and Ikari will skin us alive if he finds out that forgieners are on his ship. . ."

Sherpa class corvettes continue to scour the battlefield for survivors, but it seems as though action had died down.

"Ten seconds to hyper."
The powerful hyper generators buried deep in Black Prince's hull began to hum as they charged for the jump.

Williams shrunk into his chair as the fleet sped toward the hyperlimit, and the taste of defeat was bitter indeed.

The remnants of the fleet disappeared into hyper.

*On Yalta*

Colonel Anderson of the People's Army stared at the master plot in his command chamber as the fleet went into hyper. Several of his officer's faced paled and turned to him. He returned their stare uncomfortably, then turned his com officer. "Signal the Valinon fleet that we surrender."

"Ten seconds to hyper."
The powerful hyper generators buried deep in Black Prince's hull began to hum as they charged for the jump.

Williams shrunk into his chair as the fleet sped toward the hyperlimit, and the taste of defeat was bitter indeed.

The remnants of the fleet disappeared into hyper.

*On Yalta*

Colonel Anderson of the People's Army stared at the master plot in his command chamber as the fleet went into hyper. Several of his officer's faced paled and turned to him. He returned their stare uncomfortably, then turned his com officer. "Signal the Valinon fleet that we surrender."

The LRR fleet picks up this message, and destroyers move in to escort the Vernii ships. Four out of the five LRR carriers hyperspace back out to base, along with their cruiser escorts. Soon, the Nash is the only LRR carrier remaining, along with two cruisers, 20 destroyers, and 35 frigates. The sherpas continue to move to and from the battle area, carrying escape pods and rescued pilots. Meanwhile, a pair of destroyers and a frigate move into orbit above Yalta.

"Vernii forces, the LRR fleet accepts your surrender."
"Let's call valinon about this."
"Oh, right. Valinon ships, this is the LRRSV William Penn. Its ok that we're allowing Vernii to surrender, right? We're sending a party of naval infantry to the surface, and you'll handle the extraction of the Vernii crews off their ships, right?"

A group of six Hammer II class corvettes heads twoards the surface of Yalta, setting course for the Madras capital. They carry 60 naval infantrymen and the captain of the William Penn, Duncan Hawat. Hawat's corvette leads the LRR delta over the Yalta capital city, Duncan in the pilot's seat. He brings the 'vette down in an open area close to what appears to be the city hall and planetary governing chambers. A second and third corvette land next to his, the infantrymen they carry exiting the craft. They quickly establish a perimeter around the corvettes, and the fourth and fifth land. The sixth corvette, from the frigate, circles the area, ready to subdue any threats with its twin missile turrets.

40 marines are left to gaurd the corvettes, along with the captain of the other destroyer, Boro Kigali, an insectoid. The other 20 head twoards the city hall with Hawat.

Forrest hears Anderson's surrender while the fleet sifts through various comm messaging from the parties in the battle.
"Give me an all comm channel."
"Done, Admiral."
"Colonel Anderson of the People's Army of Vernii, this is Admiral of the Red Sir Quentin Forrest of His Majesty's Star Armada. We accept your surrender order and will treat the forces under your command as is directed by international law. Momentarily, Major General Reece will land on the planet to oversee your disarmament and surrender."
Forrest breaks the link, "Contact the carriers and have two regiments ready to land. Once we have seen that the disarament goes well, we can begin to reduce our forces and work with the Yaltans."
"Yes, Admiral."
Forrest sits back at his station and breathes deeply for a moment. Then he sees a light flickering signaling that Captain Longfellow is requesting a holo comm link.

*********

Meanwhile 9 heavy assault transports under the keep of several fighter squadrons and gunship flights move away from the fleet toward the planet below. They scream through the atmosphere and head for the Yaltan capital city. They beginning searching for the star port. Broadcasting messages to activate any surviving landing beacons.

*********

Aboard the Arrogance Captain Longfellow regards Sergant Lupin.
"Captain Longfellow of His Majesty's Sardaukar. Instead of me explaining it, allow Admiral Forrest to," Longfellow places a circular holoprojector before himself and Lupin. After a few moments it shimmers and Admiral Forrest appears.
He looks at Lupin for a moment then finds his rank insignia and name," Sergant Lupin, I understand that the Arrogance is under martial law, however, Captain Longfellow and his men are there to take care of a necessary matter. It seems that Commodore Ikari is suffering from an inordinate amount of stress, I have dispatched my men to make sure that Commodore Ikari takes a temporary vacation until he recooperate from this stress. Do you have a problem with this, Marine?"

Meanwhile 9 heavy assault transports under the keep of several fighter squadrons and gunship flights move away from the fleet toward the planet below. They scream through the atmosphere and head for the Yaltan capital city. They beginning searching for the star port. Broadcasting messages to activate any surviving landing beacons.

The patrolling corvette picks up the Valinon transports as they enter the Yaltan atmosphere.

"Hail, Sardaukar! This is C-224294 of the LRRSV William Penn. We have secured a landing area in the capital city itself and are moving in twoards the government center with a force of 60 naval infantry. We have around 300 on call. It appears as though your ships may be too big to land at our position, though. We will meet you at the spaceport."

The corvette heads out for the Yalta spaceport, using its BWB shape to maximum effect.

A Yaltan traffic controller activated the space ports beacons, and began transmitting a flight path for the incoming ships.

A 12 man squad meets the LRR officer and his men, and escort them to the city's Defence Ministry headquarters.

A Yaltan traffic controller activated the space ports beacons, and began transmitting a flight path for the incoming ships.

A 12 man squad meets the LRR officer and his men, and escort them to the city's Defence Ministry headquarters.

The 20 infantrymen and th captain follow the Vernii squad to the HQ, slow-pellet stunners at the ready in case of trouble.

The captain looks at his men, turning back to Forrest's projection.

"how long is this "temporary" vacation you're talking about?"

bump

OOC: If it's all right with you guys I'd like to make the surrender of the garrison pretty quick and get on with the rest of the war. I'll assume this is after the officers of LRR and Valinon enter the command chamber.

Colonel Anderson looked up as the LRR and Valinon officers entered the command chamber, and got up to greet them. Several of his officers grimaced, but he couldn't really blame them. Their careers would mostly likely be setback a bit, but at least they were alive. He bowed and pulled his ceremonial sword out of its scabbard, and presented it to the commanding Valinon sardaukar. "I am Colonel Anderson of the People's Army, Commanding Officer of the Yaltan Garrison. Please present that to your Admiral. As of this moment, I turn over control of this planet, it's inhabitants, the system, and custody of my troops and myself."

OOC: This is to Taka

For a moment something that could almost have been the faintest touch of a smile pulls at the corners of Forrest's mouth.
"For as long as I can insure it will last, Sergant. And I think it will be sometime before the Takan high command will intervene. Would you agree?"

*********

On the planet meeting with Colonel Anderson, Major General Reece nods respectfully to the surrendering Vernii commander.
"Rest assured, Colonel Anderson, this blade will reach Admiral Forrest, my personal honor shall guard that duty. Your command, your officers, and yourself will be treated with the utmost respect and courtesy as long as you show us the same courtesy."
Reece sighs for a moment, "However, I must solemnly demand that your command present itself for immediate disarmament under the supervision of myself, LRR representatives, and any Takan representatives that choose to attend. Also, if any of the Yaltan civil officials are under your custody, they must be released at once. The Empire and its allies will see the sovereign Yaltan government restored as soon as possible. Are these points understood?"

Anderson nods, "I understand. The Queen and her family are suspected to have escaped the planet before the surrender, and most high ranking Yaltan military officers and several civilian offficials were transferred to the fleet. The others had yet to be detained."

"Very well then," Reece nods. "The matter of the officials and prisoners are now under my jurdistiction. I would now ask that you and your officers ready your men for the disarmament. Your preparations will be overseen by myself and members of my staff. Once your command has been disarmed you will be transfered to appropriate facilities on planet until such time a ship can arrive to relocate all Vernii personnel off world."
Reece salutes Anderson, "Ready your men, Colonel."

**********

Meanwhile at Madras, a sensor officer watches the scans. Then is surprises to see that a jump space exit is opening. The ID codes mark it as a ship in the service of the Queen of Yalta and it is broadcasting a distress code. The sensor man takes a moment to ready the full message, then passes it to Captain Harstein, commander of Valinon forces at Yalta.
"Signal the long-range patrols. Have them escort that yacht here at once!" Harstein says after reading the message. "Meanwhile, contact Admiral Forrest. Tell him the Queen of Yalta has arrived and is requesting asylum. I have a feeling she will be most interested to have news of the battle for her world."
"Yes, Captain."

OOC: We'll just assume my garrison cooperated with your orders and are now POWs, and that the usual diplomatic niceties are done with the queen and that shes informed of Yalta's liberation.

The Takian thought for a moment, before Lupin reached down and tore the name plate from his uniform. Within minutes, the rest of his troops had followed suit. He slipped his helmet on, activating the oneway viewplate so his face was indistingishable and nodded to the Sadukar.

"Then let us convince him to take that vacation.

"Indeed," says Forrest, sounding moderately amused. His hologram turns to Longfellow. "Captain, work with the sergant. I believe that others in Ikari's command share my sentiment about his stress levels."
"Yes, Admiral," with that the link is broken and Longfellow picks up the projector.
Longfellow turns to Lupin, "Perhaps you would do us the honor of leading the way?"

Earlier today, government officials confirmed that Admiral Ganote's task force has made a tactical withdrawl from the Yalta system, to help aid in the defence of the homeland. Patrols of the outer reaches of the Gregor system have been increased, and Home Fleet has increased it's alert level. Fleet Admiral Harris was quoted earlier while speaking to his staff, that Home Fleet would be a "...wall in the stars that the enemy shall not pass." Secretary of Foreign Policy Elaine Jurgens issued a statement urging foreign governments to condemn the Takan and Valinon "police action", after ships of the People's Navy liberated the populations of Madras, Acler, and Yalta from their oppressive governments, which has so far seen the unprovoked and almost total destruction of Commodore Heathman's light cruiser squadron, and minor damage to the Yaltan fleet. A new monument was unveiled yesterday along the Avenue of Heroes, a black marble monolith, seven meters in height, engraved with the names of dead crewmen from Heathman's squadron, including the commodore himself.

This broadcast brought to you by PubInf, "The only news you need."

LRR naval infantrymen move to secure vernii weapons caches, and disarm, but otherwise leave alone Vernii personell. The Nash continues to treat its large ward of patients, sending them back to their respective nations' ships when they are fully treated.

Meanwhile, the captain of the Penn tries to learn about the government of Yalta. Although the United Nations records showed Yalta to be a decently governed planet, the talk of a queen disturbes many LRR crew, as elements of the LRR fleet have taken part in many uprisings against monarchies.

The Takian officer nods, and leads the way for the Valinon officer, bypassing most patrols, convinceing the others to join them. They arrive at the bridge, the TAkian ordering his men to spread against the walls so as to not be seen when the Sadukar enters.

"He's going to call for guards and order you shot on sight, if we play guard duty and turn on him at the eleventh hour, then he'll have no chance to get to an officer escape pod, the mechanics might have fixed the fold drivers on it by now, and I don't want to take any chances of this coming back to biting me in the ass, I hope you understand."

With that, he puts his helmet back on and likewise spreads against the wall. The rest of the marines have likewise removed thier rank and name badges, and all have helmets on to obsure thier faces.

Double Post

Captain Longfellow, "A good plan, we will move with you. But one must wonder, if Ikari did order us shot on sight, how many people would actually follow him? It seems that his popularity is.....somewhat lacking. As for the fold drive, do not worry about that. The science vessels of our own fleet will be watching the Arrogance like a hawk. If so much as a thermal unit is turned on, they will notice the energy spike. I don't think they would miss the fold drives coming back online."
The Sardaukar ready themselves, and after a few moments, Captain Longfellow leads his team through the blast door.
The Sardaukar fan out, seven squads in NBC armor with weapons at the ready.
Longfellow speaks in a cold voice, "Commander Ikari, I am Captain Longfellow of His Majesty's Sardaukar. Admiral Forrest has dispatched me personally. It seems that you are suffering from severe stress, Commander, and it is time for you to take sometime off. Come with us peacefully, and no one will be harmed."

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

Meanwhile, in the space near Yalta an exit point opens. A single massive ship of ultarian grey exits. It bears the insignia of House Alderman, and a painted design of the flag of the Empire. The ship looks grim, and old. It is a dungeon ship, designed during the Outer Dominion Wars to hold prisoners captured in the battles on Proxima III. The ship glides into orbit, slowly, like an undertaker.
It awaits the personnel captured when Yalta was seized. Ready to stash them away inside its massive hull and bide its time. The moving Alcatraz is staffed by Sardaukar and ESS personnel. And the shuttles begin to ascend from the planet, and deliver the Vernii prisoners of war.

http://www.shipschematics.net/yamato/images/bolar/cruiser_bolar.jpg

The LRR naval infantrymen quickly move the Vernii prisoners in their custody into the LRR corvettes, lest they be imprisoned on the dungeon ship. The corvettes quickly take off for the Nash, with their cargo of vernii POWs.

Ikari doesn't even turn around, simply snapping his fingers and pointedly ignoring the flurry of action around the bridge as the officers reached for hidden shredders and boarding rifles. Leveling the weapons at the Sadukar, they stood unflinchingly, waiting for orders to fire.

"Find the guards" he says to one of his commrads, pointing towards the door the captain had come out of. "Bring them here, with orders to turn safetys off of the weapons."

The man nodded grimly and ran out, being clotheslined by the marine sergeant as he left the . The entire boarding party, over a hundred marines strong, marched in and took up firing possitions, weapons towards the Sadukar.

"corp, er, se. . . where is your rank insignia trooper?" Ikari asked, eyes flashing dangerously at the breach of protocal.

"Don't need it sir, I don't take orders from you anymore."

He turned, the boarding party of marines folowing suit, leveling weapons on the Takian officers.

"What the hell is this, a mutinay?!?" Ikari's face literaly turned violet, pulling out his fried pistol and pointing it towards the sergeant. "Do you know what we do to traitors in Taka?"

"I'm well aware of what they do to traitors, but I'm a patriot Commander, and with all due respect, if you don't come quietly, then I'm going to have to shoot you"

Ikari glared manevolently at them, slowly backing towards one of his officers holding a shrapnel gun. "so you think you've won. . . "

Suddenly the holo comm glows and Admiral Forrest appears before Ikari, "Indeed Commander I think I have. You have a choice now. You can come peacefully and enjoy your "vacation" aboard my flagship, or you may pay an inspection visit to the newly arrived DS-2. It is entirely up to you."
The Sardaukar move to cover Ikari, and the officers standing with him. Forrest hologram surveys its surroundings.
"Besides, I would hate to think what would happen to a warship if its bridge were to become severly damaged. Especially a warship that is already somewhat disabled."

The navigation station beeped as the "freighter" Astaria slipped into its orbit over Earth. Commodore Tolliver leaned back into his command chair and looked at the holomap of Earth. The other ship in his division, Captain Webster's Astra floated into position a hundred kilometers astern of them. They subtly altered course and floated over the Valinon treaty port of Boralis. "Sir, Admiral Trinh's vessels are in position."
********
Rear Admiral Trinh sat in his command chair on the Q-ship Vega as it and its sister ship Caravan took up position over another treaty port, Armandur. He didn't like attacking emplacements with civilians nearby, but if the Admilitary had decreed the targets were vital to the war effort and might possibly make the enemy recommit his forces, then he would carry out their orders to the best of his abilities. "Missile tubes loaded, energy batteries ready to fire Sir." his tactical officer reported. Trinh smiled grimly, "Signal Commodore Tolliver to fire after our first broadside," Trinh turned his chair to face his tactical officer, "You may fire."

Ten 90 centimeter wide laser beams fired down and fourty bunker buster missiles streaked down into the atmosphere, each designed to penetrate dozens of feet underground before detonating, toward Armandur. Tolliver's division opened fire five seconds later upon Boralis.

OOC: The same amount of weapons are also being fired into Boralis, and to anyone thinking it'd be rather difficult to put those ships into position without being detected, Earth has a lot of traffic, and four freighters with false transponders could very easily go unnoticed. The attack was also discussed between me and Valinon over AIM.

Boralis and Armandur are caught off guard, Earth has long been low on the list of proirities for the United Star Empire. The fire devestates buildings in both cities, ships of His Majesty's Blue Fleet are hit in their docks. The aerospace port of Boralis loses its control tower and a large portion of its civilian quarters. The garrison of Boralis takes a hit, over 400 Sardaukar die in an instant, with untold hundreds wounded.
At last the defenses of the Empire's port cities on Earth come to readiness. Shields draw on power generators deep underground. The projection stations glow, and the shield towers activate. The cities lock themselves away from their attackers as they scream in pain.
The other Valinor port cities are alerted, shields activate and planet based fighter and bomber squadrons scramble. The HMS Reaper, a Libra-class carrier, is alerted.

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

Aboard the Reaper Commodore Acthinson, Commander of the Earth Orbital Defense Squadron, comes to the bridge of his flagship.
He moves to his command station, "Scramble all fighters, full power to our engines. Do we have a vector on the attackers?"
"Yes, Commodore. Captain Hadrim is asking to be allowed to take a portion of the squadron and engage the Armandur attackers."
"Deny that request. These are Verniian Q-Ships, to divide our forces would be suicide. Have all ships set a vector to intercept the two ships attacking Boralis. Inform Lord Marshal Adonis that we need reinforcements from Voltaic."
"Yes, Commodore."
Acthinson turns to his ship's AI, "Deploy and coordinate the Mobile DOS network. Extend its coverage to all ships."
"As you wish."
"Flight Control, have all fighters move ahead to engage. I want rocket runs by the Javelins and Goliaths at once. Coordinate with the squadrons from planetside as well. Have some of them engage the Armandur attackers."
"Yes, sir."
"Commodore, comm call from Voltaic."
"Put it through," Acthinson is then shocked to see Lord Reynard Adonis himself before him in full holo.
Acthinson draws himself to attention, "My Lord!"
"At easy, Commodore. I have recevied your call, I am en route with the Fearless now. We will engage the Armandur attackers once we have completed the jump to Earth."
"Yes, My Lord."
"Godspeed, Commodore. Give these Verniian upstarts what they deserve."
"Yes, Lord."

*********

Adonis stands on the bridge of Ares-class dreadnought watching as Voltaic recedes.
"Activate Verner drives!"
"Yes, Lord Marshal!"
The heavy task group of the Sol System Task Force jumps for Earth.

OOC: Numbers:
Acthinson's Command:
1 carrier
8 heavy cruisers
12 light cruisers
12 destroyers
24 gunships

Adonis' Group
1 dreadnought
2 carriers
4 battlecruisers
6 battleships
9 heavy cruisers
6 light cruisers
16 destroyers
36 gunships

http://www.theforce.net/jedicouncil/castingcall/pics/pellaeon02.jpg
Lord Marshal Adonis

"Shields over the ports have been raised, sensors are detecting fighters coming up from the surface sir." Vega's sensor officer reported. Trinh's tac officer began keying in commands on his station, "engaging enemy with point defence systems. "

Twenty counter-missiles raced out, trying to rip apart enemy fighters with their gravity fields, and fourty laser clusters aboard the ships began firing.
Ten energy beams swept over the shield, and the launchers aboard the Q-ships switched to standard laser-head missiles, and fired off another salvo of fourty.

OOC: Same thing is happening over Boralis.

The fighters rushing up to meet Q-ships register the missiles and laser fire. The agile Longshard interceptor squadrons escape most harm, however the slower and less agile bomber squadrons are not so lucky. The Goliath heavy bombers take the worse losses.
At the end though, large portions of the group remain entact. The word comes from the leaders of the each squadron to open fire.
Over 100 ships send missiles, heavy rockets, and heavy bombs streaking toward the ships over Boralis. The two wings (a wing being 144 fighters) send their own response to the Q-ships over Armandur. The fighters break the atmosphere and at last move into space, rapidly moving to take advantage of their manuverability.

OOC:
Fighter losses:
8 Longshards
14 Javelin medium bombers
18 Goliath heavy bombers

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

Commodore Acthinson watches as the lead Q-ship over Boralis comes into range. He activates his comm link to the group.
"All ships open fire! Concentrate on the lead Q-ship!"
With that the Valinon orbital group fires with its forward weaponry. Sending 187 missiles toward the lead Q-ship with beams of energy following close behind from the longer range batteries of the carrier and the heavy cruisers. After the first barrage the fighters streak away, another wing from the carrier, while the other ships fighters are held in reserve.
Acthinson turns to his tactical officer, "Have the rest of the force prepare for another barrage! They are to fire as soon as possible. I want those ships out of the skies now!"

Point defences engaged the incoming missiles, and jammers and other electronic countermeasures were brought online. Fourty-four of the missiles over Boralis broke though, eight impacting against Astra's hull, denting its armor. Five made it past Astaria's shields, detonating against its hull and ripping minor breaches into its cargo bays, and energy fire splattered over it's shields, and damage alarms rang on the bridge as several outer compartments were opened to space, and three of it's launchers were knocked out of their ammo feed. Twenty-two of the fighter's missiles made it through over Armandur, and Vega shuddered as several light hits impacted against its hull.

The Astaria rotated to present its undamaged side to the enemy battlegroup, and it and Astra fired off their energy mounts and another salvo of missiles toward them, while point defences continued the engagement with the fighters. Over Armandur, Vega and Caravan began sweeping through the fighter groups with their energy weapons, and hurled another salvo of missiles toward the treaty port.

OOC: I think an official declaration of war will be forthcoming from the Imperial Diet......

The shield of Armandur begins to shrink around the edges, opening the outskirts of the island city to attack. The missiles and lasers send up plumes and fire from civilian portions of the city. 12 blocks are decimated, buildings collapsing and untold hundreds killed or wounded. The reserve power generators are activated as the defenders try to protect the innocents on the shields fringes.
In orbit the Mobile DOS network of Acthinson's group dispatches the initial missile attack for the most part. Four missiles slip in under all defenses, two strike a light cruiser, sending several sensor arrays off line, the other two strike gunships, destroying one and crippling another.
Acthinson looks coldly at the ships as he hears the reports from Armandur, "Open fire on those bastards."
194 missiles streak for the Astaria first followed by a wave of fire from energy batteries. The ships then turn their attentions toward the Astar sending a wave of 192 missiles and more energy toward the Q-ship.

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

Meanwhile in orbit over Armandur four exit jump points open, and spilling out of them is the fleet under the Fearless and Reynard Adonis. The Lord Marshals deep and resonating voices comes across the comm as the force forms up around the dreadnought.
"Verniian ships! This is Lord Reynard Adonis, Marshal of the Sol System Protectorate Zone. Stand down now and prepare to be bordered or face my fleet. Unless you can only acquit yourself to attacking civilians."

Admiral Henri Georges sits in his command chair on the bridge of the Graham Nash. The singing of the crew in the mess hall can be heard in most parts of the ship, and Georges listens to the crew's rendition of "Along Peter's Street" while studying the tactical plot. The bulk of the crew partakes in the merriment in the mess hall, but the bridge still has a regular compliment. The Lech Walesa sits to the Nash's left, along with a quartet of destroyers.

"Looks like Vernii ships have made a raid on Valinon ports on earth."
"This has gone too far. Admiral Forrest? This is Henri Georges. I propose that we offer the Vernii government a peace deal. As long as the soverigenty of Madras, Acler, and Yalta are guaranteed, we see no need to continue fighting."

Several missiles made it through both Astra and Astaria's shields, and more minor hull breaches appeared along their outer hulls, and several sensor and point defence stations were lost to energy fire.
Red spots appeared on the damage map of Astaria, and Commodore Tolliver's expression began turning grim. "Concentrate our fire upon that ship," he pointed to the lead heavy cruiser in Acthinson's force, "after firing, roll ship and set course for the rendezvous with Vega." The deck lightly shuddered as Astaria fired off another twenty missiles along with Astra, and the two ships' energy batteries went to rapid fire upon the cruiser.
**********
"Cease fire on the port, chart a course for the hyper limit, and concentrate fire upon the incoming warships." Trinh got out of his comand chair, "let's discourage pursuit." Missiles and energy fire leapt out from his ships toward the lead Valinor vessel.

Adonis watches as the missile from the Verniian Q-ships streak in toward the Fearless, but the ship does not even have to fire its own point defenses. The oncoming missiles are blasted out of the sky by the combined might of the ships surrounding it, as the Mobile DOS network comes online. Like a behemoth dispatching a disparaging parasite.
Adonis watches the ships with a hard, cold gaze, having just received the reports from Armandur.
"Tell all ships to target the Q-ships they have best range on and open fire. I want these mass murderers taught a lesson in the art of war," his voice is calm, filled with a cold-fire rage.
Rear Admiral Sheridan standing at his side nods, "Yes, My Lord."
Seconds later the ships of the Star Armada open fire on the attackers of Armandur. It is a barrage of vengance, an enraged warrior striking out against those that have been judged to be without honor. In the end the total is 410 missiles, followed by a constant stream of energy barrage from the main ships as the gunships and fighters streak in ward, moving into close quarters combat.

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

The Mobile DOS network tries to destroy the oncoming fire headed for the heavy cruiser Sphinx's bow. But the attack is too much. Eighteen missile escape the Mobile DOS network's fire. Point defenses on the heavy cruiser spark to life. But they cannot handle the attack fully, seven missiles continue onward and they detonate. The heavy cruiser is consumed in flame from the front. When it sails through the fireball, its bow is mangled, weaponry, sensors, and bulkheads marred and warped. Then the energy beams hit. The shields, strained by the loss of projectors, buckle, and the heavy cruiser belches atmosphere. The heavy cruiser slows, quickly following behind the rest of the group.
Acthinson watches stunned, "Bring us around for a broadside! I want all ships ready to fire on my mark!"
"Commodore, Lord Adonis is engaging Armandur orbital attackers!"
"Inform the Lord Marshal that the ships over Boralis are trying to meet up with their fellow butchers."
"Yes, sir."
"Guns!"
"Yes, Commodore?"
"I want the next barrage to be laser and nuclear warheads."
".....Yes, Commodore."
"Inform the heavy cruisers to do the same."
"Yes, sir."
Acthinson hits the comm activation stud with his fist, "All ships open fire!"
He barely closes the link, "Godspeed to hell."
The fighters swarming around the Q-ships rapidly move away, using their booster systems to gain distance. The attack of Acthinson's command comes quickly. 346 missiles, each a deadly laser or nuclear warhead, followed by brilliant beams of energy-fired death.

*Over Boralis*
Tolliver smiled approvingly as the Valinor heavy cruiser began to lag, his tac officer immediately switched targets to another heavy cruiser, and fourty missiles and energy swept toward it.

Point defences engaged the incoming missiles, but ten made it through against each ship, and space lit up as miniature suns flared briefly. Astra lost almost its entire port broadside as its port generators collapsed against the strain. Astaria was slightly luckier, losing seven missile tubes and two lasers, along with their weapons crews, and both ships rolled to present their starboard broadsides to the enemy, firing a second salvo of 37 missiles as they increased acceleration, trying to put distance between them and the enemy.

*Over Armandur*
Six LACs dropped from Caravan as its hangar doors opened, and fired off all 180 missiles, dividing them evenly between two light cruisers, joining another missile and energy salvo as the Q-ships targeted a heavy cruiser. Two of the LACs exploded as enemy energy fire found them and the other four darted back into their hangar to reload. Vega lurched as three of its starboard launchers were destroyed, and Caravan lost four of its own launchers, along with several minor hull breaches as hull plating buckled.

Boralis

Reoriented for broadside engagement, Acthinson's command handles far better with the second wave. The Mobile DOS drones eliminate all but 8 of the oncoming missiles, with point defenses of the targeted heavy cruiser finishing off all but two of the missiles. The twothat slip through detonate, destroying several point defense rapid-fire lasers.
A gunship saves the heavy cruiser from most of the energy fire, having the unfortunate problem of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is vaporized as it shields crumble and its hull is slagged.
Acthinson personally directs his command from the task force command link, "All ships fire a barrage of laser warheads. The Reaper deploy nuclear warheads."
He turns to the gunnery stations, "Launch from starboard pods. Target the Q-ship that took the least damage from our last barrage."
"Yes, Commodore."
The other ships of Acthinson's command fire first, sending 268 missiles divided between the two Q-ships. Slightly delayed, the Reaper fires, sending off a round of 92 nuclear tipped missiles toward the Astaria.

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

Armandur

Adonis watches as one light cruisers bow is eclipsed in flame, then as it entire front quarter explodes. The a lucky group of missiles had managed to almost completely blind the Jehadim before the rest got there. Exposed the light cruiser had not stood a chance. The other targeted light cruiser fairs much better, with the intervention of two destroyers the attack is turned for the most part. A few missiles get through causing mostly superficial damage.
"Did we get a clear lock on the flight bay of those Verniian LACs?" Adonis looks at his sensor officer.
"Yes, My Lord."
"Good, send that information to the gunners on the battlecruisers and battleships."
"Yes, My Lord."
Adonis opens a comm to the captains of the 4 battlecruisers and 6 battleships of his command.
"Fire on these coordinates when I give the order. We will make sure those LACs do not get a second chance.
"Yes, Lord," the officers say in unison.
Adonis turns to his own gunnery stations, "Open fire!"
The Fearless, 4 battlecruisers, and 6 battleships send a salvo streaking in toward the Caravan's LAC bay. The total attack comes to 229 missiles followed by energy batteries.
Adonis opens the comm to the rest of his force, "All ships, engage at will. Destroy the Verniian Q-ships."
The rest of fleet ruthlessly pounds away at the Q-ships with a near constant stream of fire. Roughly divided between the two Q-ships. Meanwhile the Fearless, the battlecruisers, and the battleships set their sights on the Caravan, continuing their own merciless barrage.

Double Post

*Boralis*

Tollivers smile faded, "Helm, forget the rendezvous, get us out of --." Nine of the missiles got through Astaria's point defence, and when the light of their detonation faded, Astaria had been reduced to a drifting wreck, with over 2/3 of its crew dead and running on emergency power only. A dozen escape pods launched from its ventral surface, their computers setting them on a course toward Earth, and a couple pinnaces managed to leave their bays, also carrying escaping crewmen to Astra. Five missiles got through its point defence and shields, wiping away another launcher and a sensor station. Astra fired off another salvo toward an enemy gunship, this time only seventeen missiles, and fired its lasers toward another gunship. It then tractored the pinnaces into its boat bays, spun about its axis to present its aft to the enemy, and went to maximum acceleration away from the planet. The ship began deploying missile decoys and EW pods, broadcasting fake emission signatures, to cover its escape.

*Armandur*

Twenty of the incoming missiles made it through point defence, and Caravan lurched in agony as its boat bay was wiped away, and hits pierced its hull. Energy fire began to start to make its way through the straining shields, and several missile tubes were destroyed, along with more hull breaches in its cargo bays. Vega lost several more sensor stations and two launchers, and the two battered vessels fired off a last missile salvo, concentrating on the lighter vessels of the Valinor attackers. Their suriving energy mounts went to rapid fire, sweeping the enemy gunships several times. Their launchers then fired off another salvo, but this time half weren't missiles, they were decoys. Then they rolled to present their sterns, and also went to maximum acceleration away from the planet, while the ships chase armaments began to fire off energy beams, targeting a light cruiser.

Boralis

The escape pods streaking away from the Astaria are not lucky enough to find the safe haven of the Astra. The fighter squadrons of the Reaper and the treaty ports intercept the pods. Tracking them in close to their bellies and rapidly moving toward their home bases with their coveted prizes.
The gunships harrassing the Astra's flank never no what hit them. In seconds both become nothing more than expanding clouds of atmosphere and shrapnel. All hands are lost.
Acthinson watches as the Q-ship reorients, and accelerates.
"All ahead full! Signal the other ships! I want continous fire!"
"Yes, Commodore."
The Earth orbital group reorients, the damaged heavy cruiser valiantly tries to stay with the rest of its fellows, but still drags behind.
Meanwhile a stream of missiles and laser fire continues onward, as Acthinson drives his force after the surviving Q-ship.

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

Armandur

Adonis watches as the tactical display changes to show the destruction of eight gunships from the concentrated attack by the Q-ships. A light cruiser leading the main spear against the Q-ship is reinforcing its bow shields as it takes fire from the chase armaments.
Adonis watches as the Q-ships make a run for the hyper-limit of Verniian FTL tech. Then there wave of missiles.
"My Lord," says the sensor officer, "close readings from the destroyers are showing approxiamately half the current salvo is decoys."
"Give priority to the actually warheads. Decoys are to be secondary."
"Yes, My Lord."
Adonis watches as the AIs reorient the DOS network, dispatching most of the actually warheads. An unfortunate pair of destroyers takes the brunt of the damage. Overextended from the main network, they cannot cope with the decoys and the actual warheads. The bridge of one is shattered, it careens onward towards its target, the Vega. The other destroyer has its portside hammered, losing 75% of its weaponry, and crippling its shields.
Adonis glowers at the Q-ships, "Signal the forward flank. Inform them we are preparing an EMP barrage."
"Yes, Lord."
Adonis watches as the forward runners begin to decelerate.
"Contact the battlecruisers and the battleships, have them launch an EMP barrage. We cannot allow those ships to escape. And have Colonel Dorlin prepare a Sardaukar compliment for each ship."
"Yes, My Lord."
A few minutes later the core ships of Adonis' command send 231 EMP missiles streaking toward the two Q-ships.

The two Q-ships performed a rapid turn to present their least damaged sides, and space lit up as counter-missiles raced out to meet the incoming swarm, destroying just under sixty. Missile decoys lit up on scanners, bringing their systems online and broadcasting the emission signatures of the two Q-ship, luring away another fifty. Jamming systems and EW emitters "battered" the incoming warheads as point defence lasers opened up, and five made it through against each ship.

Lights flickered on both vessel and briefly went out before secondary generators came online.

Trinh looked around in confusion as displays on the bridge went out, some coming back online but others not. "What happened?" "EMP barrage sir, some secondary systems are offline, including our backup computer, main computer's shielding protected it. A bunch of our sensor systems were fried though. Caravan's fire control and sensors are having a few problems, should be sorted out in a few minutes."

"Drop acceleration a bit, we'll take position just aft of Caravan to cover it. Target a destroyer, and have Caravan do the same." The decks shuddered as another missile and energy salvo swept toward the unlucky destroyers.

One of the foremost destroyers loses half of its engine block. The crippled vessel limps toward the protection of the core of the fleet. The other targeted destroyer, with the assistance of its brethren, turns the attack. Safeguarding itself from all but superficial damage.
Adonis drums his fingers on his admiral's chair armrest, "Apparently their EMP shielding has improved."
"Guns," he stands up and walks to the end of the command catawalk. "Do we have a line on the rearmost Q-ships impeller rings?"
"Yes, My Lord. A direct shot from our own forward batteries. The battlecruisers and the battleships have the same."
"Excellent. Prepare a barrage, concentrate on the impeller rings. Use our carbon buster missiles. We will at least try to take them alive, mostly. Contact our forward bomber squadrons, I want them to get in close enough to drop Skippers on the lead ship. They are to get in as close as possible."
"Yes, My Lord."
Adonis turns to Rear Admiral Sheridan, "Inform Colonel Dorlin that I will follow his boarding parties after initial breeching."
"Is that wise, My Lord?"
Adonis looks sagely at his current second, "Admiral, I have survived 5 wars, more artillery barrages than I care to remember, capture at the hands of the Dominion, and seen more boarding actions than years you have lived. I assure you, I can still acquit myself well."
"Of course, Lord Marshal."
Adonis turns back to the viewport and watches the wave of missiles leave the Fearless and the surrounding battlecruisers and battleships. 228 carbon buster missiles head directly for the Vega's main impeller ring. The Goliath and Javelin bombers make their move on the Caravan under the escort of the remaining gunships and the Longshard squadrons. As they come close enough to see the individual plates of the Q-ships, the bombers let lose 40 Skipper missiles. After breaking off the missiles stealth. Beginning their erratic course toward the Caravan's impeller rings.

Shields flared as energy impacted against them, and then collapsed. Alpha and Beta nodes disintegrated, and fires broke out in Vega's impeller rooms as power conduits exploded. The ship's impeller field flickered and died, and the ship drifted in space.

"Damage?" Trinh asked the CO of Damage Control Central. "Our after impeller ring is shattered, and we lost several nodes from our fore ring. Repairs to the forward one will take several hours, and the after ring doesn't look repairable. Fires in both rooms are being brought under control, but we lost 10 men."

Trinh groaned and sat back in his chair, "Initiate memory wipe of the main computer. Destroy all sensitive information."

OOC: I can't remember if Skippers carry a conventional or nuclear warhead, so I'm going to post about the Caravan later.

A medium-sized cargo vessel approaches the Vernii home planet. It operates under minimum emissions, moving foreward with short bursts of a nitrogen thruster. Broadcasting captured Vernii IFF codes, it attempts to penetrate the defenses and start wreaking havoc in Vernii orbit.

It is actually an LRR Q-ship, copying Vernii tactics. It mounts four foreward-firing destroyer-grade ion cannons and a missile bay. Its crew of four hope for the best as they approach Vernii space.

"Vernii space control, this is the Ore Carrier Sheldon. We request entry permission, over."

"Sheldon, this is Traffic Control Central, please state your cargo and destination."

OOC: Stations currently in orbit above Vernii are:

Traffic Control Central
4 orbital fortresses
4 shipyards, each with 12 capital ship docks
5 orbital factories
2 solar mirrors (above the poles)
1 hydrogen farm
1 asteroid smelting planet
10 habitats (each with 3-5k people)
2 cargo stations
and several sensor stations

"Sheldon, this is Traffic Control Central, please state your cargo and destination."

OOC: Stations currently in orbit above Vernii are:

Traffic Control Central
4 orbital fortresses
4 shipyards, each with 12 capital ship docks
5 orbital factories
2 solar mirrors (above the poles)
1 hydrogen farm
1 asteroid smelting planet
10 habitats (each with 3-5k people)
2 cargo stations
and several sensor stations

"Vernii traffic control, we are currently carrying a load of 10,000 tons of titanium, uranium, steel and iron. We wish to deposit at the <insert name here> orbital factory, over."

"Clearance granted Sheldon. We are uploading your course to your computer now."

"Clearance granted Sheldon. We are uploading your course to your computer now."

"Roger that, Vernii control. Course recieved. Our computer is a bit old, and it might fudge some of the coordinates. Nothing serious, though. If all else fails we'll eyeball it. Over and out."

The transport continues towards the orbital factory. It operates at normal power levels, its hefty load of weapons remaining unpowered at present.

*Aboard Orbital Factory GC-5*

The factory's computer beeped as Traffic Control updated it.
"That's odd."
"What is?"
"We're recieving a shipment of metals, but it isn't listed on arrivals for today."
"Maybe its just early, go ahead and open the dock."

The Sheldon approaches the factory, the crew very surprised to have avoided detection for so long. The dock opens in front of the freighter, and it starts to motor inward. When the freighter has almost docked it stops.

The ship transmitts an all-frequency message to the factory and its workers.

"ALL VERNII PERSONELL!!!! EVACUATE YOUR FACTORY IMMEDIATELY OR BE DESTROYED ALONG WITH IT!!!"
"Now! Now! Now!"

The four ion cannons suddenly start to power up. Missiles streak out of their launch bay and head towards the hull of the factory.

"To the pods! Move!"
Several escape pods jettison from the factory as the crew of 65 escape.
Automated distress beacons activated as they plunged toward the planet.


OOC: Heh, I was actually surprised that you gave the crew a warning. Oh, and the pods are capable of planetary landings.

Shields flared as energy impacted against them, and then collapsed. Alpha and Beta nodes disintegrated, and fires broke out in Vega's impeller rooms as power conduits exploded. The ship's impeller field flickered and died, and the ship drifted in space.

"Damage?" Trinh asked the CO of Damage Control Central. "Our after impeller ring is shattered, and we lost several nodes from our fore ring. Repairs to the forward one will take several hours, and the after ring doesn't look repairable. Fires in both rooms are being brought under control, but we lost 10 men."

Trinh groaned and sat back in his chair, "Initiate memory wipe of the main computer. Destroy all sensitive information."

OOC: I can't remember if Skippers carry a conventional or nuclear warhead, so I'm going to post about the Caravan later.

OOC: Skippers can be fitted with a variety of warheads. The only things they ARE NOT GENERALLY fitted with are EMPs. It is my own fault for not mentioning there armament. These would be x-ray laser warheads with a complimentary convential package too. Our fighters' version of a strategic missile. Hope that is enough information...

Adonis watches as the Vega slows to a ballistic object. He activates a comm to one of the breeching craft.
"Colonel Dorlin, you have permission to launch. Capture officers and crewmen. The soonest data port you find, dump one of our invader AIs in their computers to get any information you can."
"Yes, Lord Marshal."
Adonis turns back to the bridge crew, "Scramble our best ECM drones to cover the breeching transports. Detach our fighter squadrons and two wings of gunships along with three destroyers to cover them. Flight Control, I want my personal fighter ready to launch at a moments notice."
"Yes, Lord."
Six breeching transports streak for the Vega, carrying a grand total of 768 heavily armed Sardaukar streak toward the crippled and disabled Vega. A smaller, sleeker shuttle bearing the markings of the ESS follows suit. Under the close guardianship of AI directed ECM drones, three squadrons of Longshards, twelve gunships, and three destroyers they make their way toward the Q-ships portside.

OOC I don't feel like typing up another three paragraphs for Caravan, so let's just assume the same thing happened to it as on Vega.


"Open fire on the boarding ships, tell the crew to prepare to repel boarders. I'm going to my cabin."

The 500 marines on board each ship suited up in power armor, and began closing blast doors and setting up chokepoints in the ships.

Trinh saluted the guard stationed outside of his door, then entered and locked the door behind him. He found his steward, who was busy putting a kevlar vest on. "Get me a bottle of whiskey, and then go get in an escape pod." He took the bottle, and began pouring himself a glass, watching the liquid ripple as the ships remaining launchers and lasers began hurling missiles and beams of energy. Taking a sip, he opened up a drawer and pulled out his personal pulser, and sat it in front of him.

OOC: Assume similar happening aboard Caravan as well.

Despite the fire, the loss of several fighters, and more than several ECM drones, the breeching transports make it through. They grapple themselves to the Vega's hull and begin to cut through. Inside the Sardaukar ready themselves. Weighted down with enough weaponry to throw back a small army, they wait until the hull is broken through. Then they spill out into the ship.
They move in a leap-frog pattern through the corridors, setting up an initial perimeter. Colonel Dorlin turns to the ESS men behind him.
"Find your data port and get that AI working. I want a schematic of this ship at the very least."
"Of course, Colonel," says the Nightwatch operative.

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

Acthinson watches as the Astra still tries to make a run for the hyper-limit.
"You will not leave unpunished," he says in a silent voice that speaks of wrath and a rage driven vengance.
"Signal all ships, I want a full nuclear barrage. Let us send that ship to join its cousin."
"Yes, Commodore."
"Guns, transfer fire control to my station."
"...Aye, sir."
Acthinson waits until his other ships have acknowledged readiness.
"Burn," he mummers and lets the missiles loose. The heavy cruisers and several of the destroyers join in. At the end of the barrage, 205 nuclear warheads are on a straight course for the Astra. In the annuals of the Star Armada, it will be a moment of overkill not known since the end of the Outer Dominion Wars.

Intruder alarms rang out onboard Vega, and three marine squads of 12 men each moved through the ship to block main access routes that the invaders would likely take, setting up a light tribarrel at each. (OOC: Assume your men did find a data port, but there isn't all that much left in the computer, just the basics required for navigation and running the vessel.)
****
Thirty of the missiles made it through Astra's point defences, and shields collapsed under the power of the detonations. The hull collapsed inward like an egg smashed with a hammer, and the ships reactors went critical. What was left of Astra exploded with all hands lost.

Sardaukar Squad 4 of Platoon 2 Company 113 move in a recon pattern, probing the innards of the Vega. According to the captured schematics, they are heading along main crew access 37, toward the ship's magazine.
Meanwhile the ESS AI shifts through the ships computer core, looking for even the most shattered fragments, and locking down the navigations and key systems so the bridge can no longer direct them.

***********

Acthinson watches the wreckage of the Astra cool.
"Helm," he says calmly, "lay in a course to meet up with the Fearless. And send a transmission to Lord Marshal Adonis. Tell him that the remainder of the Verniian threat has been dispatched."
"Yes, Commodore."

Marine Sergeant York whispered to his men through his suit's comlink as they crept toward the exit of Crew Access 37.
"Alright, you boys in position? Let 'em have it!" He pulled a flechette grenade from his belt and hurled it through the passage exit, and then stepped back to the rest of the squad as they clustered around a light tribarrel, and the nearest two marines to the passage stepped around the corner and opened fire with their pulser rifles.

"To the pods! Move!"
Several escape pods jettison from the factory as the crew of 65 escape.
Automated distress beacons activated as they plunged toward the planet.


OOC: Heh, I was actually surprised that you gave the crew a warning. Oh, and the pods are capable of planetary landings.

The ion cannons, fully charged, are fired full-strength at the factory. The missile bay of 70 missiles with plasma warheads is soon emptied at the factory.

bump

The factory explodes brilliantly as the missiles and ion beams rip through it.
***
Admiral Thompson, Commanding Officer of Orbital Fortress Bastion looked up as one of his aides came into his office.

"Sir, several automated distress beacons have engaged. Energy spikes have been detected, and Factory GC-5 isn't responding to any hails. There is also an unidentified vessel near the factory, its transponder claims its an ore hauler."

"Bring us into weapons range. Order the hauler to power down all systems and stand by for boarding."

The factory explodes brilliantly as the missiles and ion beams rip through it.
***
Admiral Thompson, Commanding Officer of Orbital Fortress Bastion looked up as one of his aides came into his office.

"Sir, several automated distress beacons have engaged. Energy spikes have been detected, and Factory GC-5 isn't responding to any hails. There is also an unidentified vessel near the factory, its transponder claims its an ore hauler."

"Bring us into weapons range. Order the hauler to power down all systems and stand by for boarding."

The 'ore hauler' immediately turns tail, and speeds away from the factory. It makes for the hyper-limit at maximum accelleration.

"Well, that answers what to do. Open fire."

240 laser-head warheads fire from Bastion toward the fleeing vessel.

Commander Simonds of the destroyer Jupiter relaxed in his chair as the destroyer and two of it's squadron mates turned about on a new heading to head out on patrol of the outer reaches of the Gregor system.
"Sir, we are recieving priority orders from Fleet Command. We are to intercept and engage a fleeing enemy raider."
"Very well, helm! Bring us about on a new course, I want a zero km intercept with the raider."
The three destroyers turned about and accelerated at maximum power, zero range intercept calculated at 30 minutes.

"missiles, incoming!!!"
"Eject!!!!!"

The four crewmembers rush to their ejection seats, and two are shot out into space before the missiles completely destroy the ship.

"missiles, incoming!!!"
"Eject!!!!!"

The four crewmembers rush to their ejection seats, and two are shot out into space before the missiles completely destroy the ship.

A few minutes later an LAC picks up the surviving crewmen of the LRR ship, and tractors them into into its small escape shuttle bay.

A few minutes later an LAC picks up the surviving crewmen of the LRR ship, and tractors them into into its small escape shuttle bay.

When they become consious, the two survivors find themselves aboard the LAC.

"That was a very successful mission."
"Yes, I think it was. Too bad we lost the rest of the crew, but half the reason they were on this mission was because we needed to get them out of the way."
"Really? I had a feeling there was something funny about those two."

Five members of the LAC's crew enter the shuttle bay. Four of them carry pulsers and the fifth carries a flechette rifle. One of them, wearing a uniform of a junior officer, speaks. "I am Lt. Anderson. I am here to inform you that this LAC will soon be landing at a planetside base, where you will be taken into custody by the navy. In the meantime you will remain where you are. I also require some basic information, your names, ranks, and nationality."

Marine Sergeant York whispered to his men through his suit's comlink as they crept toward the exit of Crew Access 37.
"Alright, you boys in position? Let 'em have it!" He pulled a flechette grenade from his belt and hurled it through the passage exit, and then stepped back to the rest of the squad as they clustered around a light tribarrel, and the nearest two marines to the passage stepped around the corner and opened fire with their pulser rifles.

Two Sardaukar are killed instantly by the fletchette gernade because of their proximity. Another screams in agony as several pieces of the shrapnel pierce his left leg and send him to the floor. The rest of the squad hid in the off-corridor ways and blast doors.
"Corporal cover screen now!"
"Yes, Sergeant!" the corporal readies a quartet of flashbangs, three smokescreens, and two reflective material gernades (meant to block field sensors).
"Opaque!" the sergeant shouts over the squad comm. The six survivors activate the reflective shield of their face plates.
As the first flashbangs explode, the sergeant raises his platoon command.
"Platoon Con, this is Squad 4! We are under fire, one squad of marines, and one light artillery piece. I have lost two men so far, another wounded. Request support!"
"Squad 4, this is Platoon Con, support on the way. Hold the line."

Five members of the LAC's crew enter the shuttle bay. Four of them carry pulsers and the fifth carries a flechette rifle. One of them, wearing a uniform of a junior officer, speaks. "I am Lt. Anderson. I am here to inform you that this LAC will soon be landing at a planetside base, where you will be taken into custody by the navy. In the meantime you will remain where you are. I also require some basic information, your names, ranks, and nationality."

"Sub-Lieutenant Moses Hawkins, Lunatic Retard Robots."
"And Master Chief Georges Macini, Lunatic Retard Robots."
"And we'd like to remind you that we didn't kill anyone, only blew up a factory."
"That must count for something."

The marines helmet visors protected them from the light, but their suits sensors were blinded by the reflective grenades, limiting them to optics only.
***
"You'll be considered prisoners of war. You will be kept in a prison camp for the duration of the conflict, you won't be physically or mentally harmed."

"Standard suppression fire!" the sergeant shouts over the comm as he brings his Impaler rifle up and begins to fire. The five remaining Sardaukar spray the corridor with the spike rounds of the gauss rifles.
"Squad 4, this is Squad 1, we are closing in on your position."
"Squad 4, this is Squad 3, coming to your assistance."
"Squad 4, this is Plat Con, we have alerted Colonel Dorlin of this resistance. Platoon 12 is to divert assets to assist us for reservces."
"Understood Plat Con."
The sergeant hears on of the other squads approaching. He activates the rear view suite and sees Squad 3 coming to his assistance. One of the Sardaukar has a gernade launcher assembled and ready. He kneels on one knee, and sends three gernades through the screen of Squad 4. Two are fletchette gernades, the other is an acid paste gernade. It will adhear and eat away at whatever it touches.

The two marines nearest to the corridor were killed as the flechette grenades detonated, and another was injured from the acid grenade.
The marine operating the tribarrel pulled the trigger, and layed down suppression fire through the smoke cloud, sweeping the passageway with hundreds of explosive darts.

The wounded Sardaukar trying to crawl toward the "line" is rended to shreds by the tribarrel's fire. The sergeant of Squad 4 has his head exploded as fire from the tribarrel pierces his faceplate. Another Sardaukar from Squad 4 and one of the newly arrived Squad 3 also have their careers ended.
The reinforcements from Squad 1 arrive, and the corporal of Squad 4 finishes assembling his own gernade launcher. Sergeant of Squad 1, now senior officer takes command.
"Gernade launchers, four shot stream fire on source point of cannon fire. The rest of you, suppression fire, keep those bastards down!"
The two with gernade launchers send off a rapid round of fire with their launchers. The fire consists of 4 fletchette gernades and 2 detonators.

The tribarrel's fire ceased abruptly as it was wrecked by the enemy grenades. It's gunner was also among the casualties, along with three other marines standing too close to it.
"Lay down suppression fire with pulsers and grenades! Commence withdrawl to the magazine."
Five flechette grenades bounced down the corridor, accompanied by a hail of pulser fire for several seconds, then the marines grabbed their wounded comrade and retreated from their position.

Two advance members of Squad 3 are taken by the fletchettes. The rest of the advance line from Squad 4 manages to dive for cover, although armor is weakened across the board. Squad 1 is the only squad to escape unscathed. The Pulser fire slowly withdraws in the distance.
The sergeant of Squad 1 raises Platcon, "Plat Con, this is Squad 1, requesting permission to pursue marine group."
"Granted, Squad 1, merge with what is left of Squad 4, leave Squad 3 to hold position."
"Understood," the sergeant turns, groups his men, and moves toward the end of the corridor, surveying the wreckage of the enemy tribarrel.

"Squad 6 we are approaching your position, we have one wounded and six men left."
"Understood sergeant, take up position near the magazine doors."
Twelve marines from Squad 5 stood about eight meters from the magazine entrance, with another light tribarrel. Ten meters in front of them at the passage junction, marines from Squad 6 had set up another tribarrel, along with moving metal crates to barricade the passage.

The sergeant of Suqad 1 brings up the map of the Vega's interior, and has his position tagged.
"Halt!" the sergeant brings his men to a stop. Looking at the map and realizing where the retreating marines are headed.
"Plat Con, this is Squad 1."
"This is Plat Con."
"Marines have retreated to ship's magazine. Request support."
The sergeant waits for several minutes.
"Squad 1, you are to wait until Squad 2 and Platoon 5 arrive."
"Understood, Plat Con."
Eight minutes later, the four squads of Platoon arrive. It is a heavy platoon, with two squads mounting two heavy Impaler cannons on hover-jet platforms. As the approach the turn that leads to the magazine, the sergeant of Squad 1 turns.
"Initial screen gernades," he says. Seconds later an array of flashbangs, smokescreens, and reflective gernades roll down the corridor toward the awaiting Verniian positions.

A pair of Rockland Class destroyers in earth orbit rush to Valinon's aid. They soon arrive at the site of the battle, to find the bulk of the combat aboard ship. Each destroyer carries 2 squads (10 troops each) of Naval Infantrymen.

"Valinon ships, this is the LRRSV Leon Redbone and the LRRSV Boris Yeltsin. We have a total of 40 naval infantrymen, which we put at your disposal. Where should we board, over?"

"Prepare to fire!"
Three of the marines pull out flechette grenades, ready to throw them. The other eight crouch behind the containers, readying their pulsers or flechette rifles.

Aboard the Rockland destroyers, the comm is filled with the image of a distinquished man with pure white hair and full mustache.
"LRRSV Leon Redbone and LRRSV Boris Yeltsin, this is Lord Reynard Adonis (OOC: Remember him?). Gentlemen, I do not know the weaponry are armaments your naval infantrymen carry, so please bear that in mind. Currently the Vega the site of intense battle. From the Verniian marine reaction, I believe a flag-rank officer is on board. Therefore, I would recommend that you deploy your men there with extreme caution. The other ship, the Caravan, has stood down to our boarders. If you wish, you may assist our Sardaukar in overseeing the disarming of the prisoners."

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

A lieutenant arrives, apparently the CO of Platoon 5. He surveys the situation.
"They will be waiting for us. Impaler cannons forward along with gernade launchers. The rest of you, construct a barricade."
A few minutes later, the Sardaukar are entrenched enough. The lieutenant looks over the "lines." He has two heavy Impalers, 5 gernade launchers, and the squads of regulars.
"On my mark, fire gernade rounds and cannons open fire."
He waits for just a few heartbeats, "Open fire!"
The Impaler cannons roar, spilling spikes two times the size of normal rounds flying down the corridor. The launchers open next, sending 10 fletchette gernades, 5 acid burn, and 5 detonators down the corridor.
"Don't let up," he says to the heavy troopers. "The rest of you, supression fire!"

"Grenades!"
The enemy grenades bounce down the corridor and roll toward the entreched marine positions before exploding.Four of the marines are taken down, and another two are injured.
"Open fire! Give 'em hell!"
Five flechette grenades are hurled down the corridor, the marine operating the tribarrel opens fire, and the remaining five marines begin firing their pulser rifles.

Three Sardaukar die from tribarrel fire, but several on the foremost line still live. Including two squadmates from Platoon 5 Squad 2. They look at the gernades rolling toward them. They scoop up four. Three find their way back toward the Verniian lines, but one Sardaukar losses his hand, and then his life when a gernades explodes in his hand.
The lieutenant watches as his front ranks are stitched with fire.
"Cannons concentrate on the pulsers! Keep them down! Grenadiers! Detonator rounds on the tribarrels! NOW!"
The cannons reorient to supress the marine ranks, and the grenadiers send 12 detonate grenades and 8 fletchettes toward the tribarrel positions.

The five marines duck as incoming fire spatters the containers, flinging off shrapnel. The marine firing the tribarrel is gunned down and the gun is wrecked when the grenades detonate, along with injuring another marine. One of the surviving marines pulls the flechette rifle from the body of a dead comrade, and sets it to maximum dispersion, and begins firing down the corridor.

Two Sardaukar on the front die, a grenadier is flung backwards, his head skewered, and one of the cannon gunners is wounded.
"Acid burn and fletchette gernades now! Cannons, supression fire! Pin them down! Concentrate fire on anyone using full dispersion!" the lieutenant shouts to his command, as he reloads his own Impaler rifle.

The marine with the flechette rifle dies, and another is injured.
"Withdraw to the magazine!"
Two of the three remaining marines grab their wounded comrade and pull back. The third grabs the remaining flechette grenades from his comrades' bodies, hurling two down the corridor. He then takes the remaining three, and sets the timers on them to 30 seconds, then hides them somewhat out of sight between the containers.

"We understand, Admiral Lord Adonis. Inorm your troops that our naval infantrymen are dressed in blue and white uniforms, with orange stripes at the knees and elbows."
"All troops, board your corvettes!"

The naval infantry squads board their corvettes, and head out to thier target ships. 30 naval infantrymen are sent to the Vega, and 10 to the Caravan. Soon the first corvette reaches the Vega.

The corvette attatches itself to the ship's hull, its twin mass driver turrets swinging from side to side, lest there be any PD weapons. An extendable airlock is lowered down to the ship, and a pair of naval infantrymen float down, carrying a plasma cutter.

"Stand clear! Eye protection on!"

The bright blue flame of the plasma cutter spouts from its cutting head, the end of two open plasma conduits. The plasma slowly cuts through the hull, the high-intensity stream able to penetrate most ship hulls. Naval infantrymen check their gear, consisting of five stun grenades each, one AkSU-74 SMG each, and one Mk. 12 Plasma rifle each.

Finally, the hull is cut through, and the infantrymen descend into the ship. Several stun grenades are thrown down first.

OCC: I hope it's ok for me to have cut through the hull there.

And Valinon, was he the guy who told my Medical forces to turn back fom Lusaka???

A stun grenade emits a static electric field capable of stunning anyone within a five-foot radius. They last for about 6 seconds.

bump

This thread must not die!!!!!!!

CLEAR!!!!!!!!

*Zap*

Come on, buddy! Wake up!

This thread must not die!!!!!!!

CLEAR!!!!!!!!

*Zap*

Come on, buddy! Wake up!

Patience LRR, waiting for Valinon to post.

The two fletchette gernades flying down the corridor soon find their way back toward their masters. The sergeant of Squad 1 stands up and surveys the area.
"Plat Con, preparing to move!" he signals to his men then the lieutenant of Platoon 5 voice interrupts.
"Hold your positions! Send in a scanner probe. No doubt the entrance is rigged. Sergeant Major, send in a recon probe!"
"Yes, Sir!" a few seconds later a recon probe hovers down the corridor, looking for any unusual energy spikes, tell-tale traces of laser traps, or tripwire lines. Its readings are never completed, the fletchettes explode, consuming the probe. One Sardaukar is non-critically wounded.
The lieutenant looks grim through his faceplate, "Signal Platoon 12, tell them we need their support. And get those heavy Impalers into position! Move! Move! I want cover fire into that entrance-way! You two," he gestures at two grenadiers, "send in typical cover gernades into that doorway."
The two nod, five minutes later the corridor is filled with renewed smokescreens, reflectors, and flashbangs.

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

A few mintues later, a Sardaukar patrol finds the LRR officers.
"Stand down," a Lieutenant says to the 4 platoons under his command. "LRR boarders."
He approaches the LRR field CO, "Glad you could join us. My Platoon is to meet up with two recon squads. Colonel Dorlin wants the ship's reactor probed. We are trying to take prisoners, but so far the Verniians aren't cooperating. Will you continue with us to the reactor?"

The two fletchette gernades flying down the corridor soon find their way back toward their masters. The sergeant of Squad 1 stands up and surveys the area.
"Plat Con, preparing to move!" he signals to his men then the lieutenant of Platoon 5 voice interrupts.
"Hold your positions! Send in a scanner probe. No doubt the entrance is rigged. Sergeant Major, send in a recon probe!"
"Yes, Sir!" a few seconds later a recon probe hovers down the corridor, looking for any unusual energy spikes, tell-tale traces of laser traps, or tripwire lines. Its readings are never completed, the fletchettes explode, consuming the probe. One Sardaukar is non-critically wounded.
The lieutenant looks grim through his faceplate, "Signal Platoon 12, tell them we need their support. And get those heavy Impalers into position! Move! Move! I want cover fire into that entrance-way! You two," he gestures at two grenadiers, "send in typical cover gernades into that doorway."
The two nod, five minutes later the corridor is filled with renewed smokescreens, reflectors, and flashbangs.

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

A few mintues later, a Sardaukar patrol finds the LRR officers.
"Stand down," a Lieutenant says to the 4 platoons under his command. "LRR boarders."
He approaches the LRR field CO, "Glad you could join us. My Platoon is to meet up with two recon squads. Colonel Dorlin wants the ship's reactor probed. We are trying to take prisoners, but so far the Verniians aren't cooperating. Will you continue with us to the reactor?"

"Sure. How many troops do you need? We've got three squads here, and one on the Caravan."

The LRR naval infantrymen are soon all assembled in the Vernii Q-ship, and they prepare to move out with the Sardaukar.

OCC: So, how are things on Salusa Secondus?

OOC: Wouldn't know, I just like the name. :lol: Phear my might army of men dressed in black and purple!

"Three squads should be sufficient. Besides, the squad on the Caravan will no doubt be of more assistance helping to pacify the prisoners. Tell me, what kind of armaments are you carrying?"

A marine enters the magazine, carrying a box of pulsers from the armory, "You boys are probably going to need these soon. Make sure not to shoot one of us in the back," as he began passing them out to the twenty crewmen. Several marines begin welding the doors shut, and barricading it with anything not nailed down, along with several things that had been.
***
The eighteen marines guarding the doors to the armory check their weapons, and several crouch behind their barricades, including three with flechette rifles.

OOC: Wouldn't know, I just like the name. :lol: Phear my might army of men dressed in black and purple!

"Three squads should be sufficient. Besides, the squad on the Caravan will no doubt be of more assistance helping to pacify the prisoners. Tell me, what kind of armaments are you carrying?"

"We are carrying plasma rifles, but they have a rate of fire comprable to a Bolt-Action rifle. Accuracy is unmatched, though."

The CO somewhat reluctantly displays his AKSU-74.

"We also have AKSU-74 SMGs. What will these do against Vernii armor?"

OCC: But Valinon, don't tell me you never even read Dune.

OOC: I submit! I have read all of Dune, the prequels, and the current Butlerian Jihad series. You have exposed me for what I really am, a shamless borrower of good SF goodies :cry: :lol:

"Unfortunately, there is only one way to find out," says the lieutenant. "So far our Impaler rifles seem to be holding their own, and it seems the Verniians use a similar weapon. If accuracy is what your weapons emphasize, I woulld suggest you make every shot count. Aim for the faceplates."

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

The attack on the magazine has beein reinforced now the First Mobile Company formed by Platoon 5, Platoon 12, Platoon 1, and the remnants of Platoon 2 move down the corridors. Captain Danson is in command. He gets to a junction that according to his map is the last one before the final passageway to the magazine itself.
"Deploy two recon drones," he says to his recon specialist.
"Yes, Sir!" Danson watches as two of the hovering drones manuver rapidly down the junction, and on to the final corridor to survey the situation.

Prime Minister Jorge Fremont and Foreign Minister Marion Talbott step into the receiving room of Archduke Raphael Corrin III's office in the Torino Palace's wing given over to the offices demanded by the duke's state affairs. They are escorted in wordlessly through the ornate door by a member of the Corrin Ducal Guards.

The Archduke looks up at the new arrivals, "Mr. Fremont, Mr. Talbott, I do not think what you have to tell me is good news."

"No, Your Grace, it is not," says Fremont. "We have received word of an attack on two Valinor treaty ports on Earth by Verniian "Q-ships." We have no word of casaulty numbers as of yet, but the port city of Armandur took a heavy barrage in its civilian quarters."

"No...." the duke breaths.

"I am afraid so. It is likely that Ortagan citizens were lost as well."

"This....this is an outrage!" Raphael says with a fiery voice.

"We know, Your Grace," Fremont says. "Members of my own party, and the rest of the Coalition, want a declaration of war. Many are afraid that a strike like that of Earth could hit Proxima."

Talbott clears his throat, "Rest assured, Your Grace, we will not be alone. I have been in communication with our ambassadors to Valinon. They expect that the Imperial Diet will no doubt declare a formal state of war against the People's Republic of Vernii."

Corrin turns to look at the window, "And we can do the same?"

"Assuredly, Your Grace. My own coalition, and many of the other parties will support it. The House of Lords will not interfere either, on the word of Lord Desquin himself."

"Put it to vote, Mr. Fremont. I will alert the Admiralty and the Army. The Solar Navy will be ready when the time comes."

"Thank you, Your Grace. I will contact you when the matter has been resolved."

"It will not be resolved, Jorge," the current monarchy of the Grand Duchy's decorum slips. "No, this is only the beginning."

OOC: Uh, Valinon, I had eighteen marines in front of the magazines doors. So far you've just secured the passage junction leading to the magazine.

The LRR marines follow the Sardaukar down to the corridor leading to the reactor, and prepare for the attack.

OOC: Uh, Valinon, I had eighteen marines in front of the magazines doors. So far you've just secured the passage junction leading to the magazine.

OOC: Sorry, Vernii, misconstrued your post thought you had fallen back to the magazine. I will retype my post. Although it seems that New Ortaga is going to come knocking at your door.

The LRR naval infantrymen continue to wait for the attack. This will be the first test of the new 7.62mm Ak round developed for space combat, and the infantrymen are somewhat surprised that their ammunition has not already exploded in the chamber. The CO passes out extra magazines to the troops, and then heads over to the Sardaukar CO.

"Find anything in there?"

Meanwhile, aboard Starchaser 1, in WWSETI orbit......

Flag Admiral Yves St.-Paul looks out the viewport in his office. It offers a view of part of the massive docks and shipyards that surround starchaser 1, and which are always buzzing with activity.

His robotic assistant walks in as the Admiral watches a Rockland destroyer motor past his viewport.

"Sir, the communications link is open."
"Ah. Thankyou."

He walks over to his communications panel, adjacent to the viewport.

"Valinon fleet command, this is Admiral Yves St.-Paul of the Isaac Newton battlegroup, LRR space fleet. We have been wondering if you have any plans to make incursions into the Vernii home system. Our sailors are somewhat apprehensive about such a mission, and it seems to me that we've accomplished our goal in freeing the captured systems. The Parliament has also called for a peace offer with Vernii. What do you think of such a thing?"

bump

"Bring them down!"
The marines open fire upon the recon drones as it appears in the passageway.
**Inside Fusion Two***
Two squads of marines finished welding the doors shut, and took up firing positions. Pulsers had been passed out to the reactor's crew, and many had expressions of fear as they crouched down behind their control panels.

Captain Danson watches as the feed from the drones stop. He puts the comp-pad down.
"Fire cover pattern," two grenadiers send an alotment of smokescreen, flashbang, and reflective gernades down the hall.
"Grenadiers, full fire, use detonators and fletchettes. Cannons, fire down that hall way. The rest of you, once the corridor is cleared enough from our fire we will take the battle to the magazine!"
The screen in place, the Sardaukar advance and open fire. A hail of 10 detonators and 10 fletchettes scream down the hall, followed by the continous stream from the Impaler cannons that methodically sweep the corridor.

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

To LRR

An image of Reynard Adonis resolves again, "Admiral St.-Paul, this is Lord Adonis. I cannot fully speak on that matter any longer, Admiral. Initially the operations called for the mere liberation of the occupied worlds, but now the Verniians have introduced a new factor. The deaths of civilians at Armandur will not set well with His Majesty or the Imperial Diet, Admiral. An appropriate action will no doubt be called for by the members of the Government. I cannot speak as to what that will be, but I have no doubt it will have reprecussions for the People's Republic of Vernii. I cannot say what that will be yet. But if ti does come down to an offensive against Gregor itself, we will not require the LRR to follow us. You have done more than you should have now considering relations between our nations. I know I appreciate your efforts, and I am sure that the same can be said of Admiral Forrest."

Six plasma grenades and five flechette grenades are hurled down the passage, and two marines are killed, and another three are wounded. Ten of the remaining marines open fire with their pulser rifles, and two others bring up flechette rifles set to maximum dispersion. The tribarrel's high pitched whine fills the corridor as it begins sweeping it with explosive darts.

(( OOC: *bangs head against wall*

I'm gone for one week and I find a war breaking out already? can someone give em a recap of whats gone on, the remainder of the Takian fleet is about to come to bare *removes gloves* and for a note to all, its really freaking cold in Michigan in January. . . ))

OOC: I regret to inform you, the person who plays Vernii is currently without computer access, its all his fualt though, not mine...

I also dont know when he will be able to get back online and post, probably in a few days.

The LRR naval infantrymen add to the Valinon barrage with their AKSU-74 fire, riddling the corridor with 7.62mm high explosive rounds. The infantry troopers' plasma rifles are also used, and several shots are fired down the corridor.

*screams*

NO! DON'T DIE ON MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CALL AN AMBULENCE!!!!!!!!!!1

(bump)

*screams*

NO! DON'T DIE ON MEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CALL AN AMBULENCE!!!!!!!!!!1

(bump)

LRR, chill. The thread isnt suddenly going to die if no one posts for a day. Hopefully my computer will be fixed later tonight, meaning I'll be able to post then. If not, then I'll try and have it fixed this weekend.

EDIT: It's spelled ambulance.

OOC: Valinon, you need to post your response to my post above, where the marines guarding the magazine doors open fire. I'm going to try and get my computer fixed this weekend, I finally know what's wrong with it (fried the motherboard). To speed things up a bit, I'll just assume that Fusion Two was taken, all the marines and most of the crew in it died, but six crewmen were captured.

After the pitched battle when the Vega finally capitulates, the tactical officers cull all available data from the Sardaukar on both Q-Ships. The casaulty report reads as such:

Caravan Boarding Group
48 Casualties of Action
22 Wounded in Action

Vega Boarding Group
88 Casualties of Action
37 Wounded in Action

OOC: Me and Valinon discussed this over AIM, to bring the battle for the Vega to a conclusion.

Out of 1,500 crewmen and 500 marines onboard the Vega, 473 crewmen and 76 marines were captured. Rear Admiral Trinh and his captain were not among the living. Trinh stuck a pulser into his mouth as Valinor marines began beating his cabin door down, and the captain died in the fight for the bridge. Vega's executive officer, Commander Terrell, was the one who surrendered the ship after the bridge fell.

Admiral Forrest stands in the flag bridge of the Gustav Alderman carefully reviewing the situation. Militarily the action against the Verniians could be finished quickly, but the latest reports from the Fatherland told of a far more concerning solution.
Despite the attrocities committed by the Q-ships sent to Earth, Forrest knows that a greater tactical situation will need to be addressed soon. But Vernii needs to learn a lesson. He looks at the holotank, at the newly arrived ships from Proxima that came with the courier.
It is time to demonstrate that the Valinor can match the actions of the Verniians blow for blow. Forrest accesses the star charts of the Gregor system, and begins to plot one of the battle plans that made him the master of the Outer Dominion Wars.

Forrest watches the ships form up around the Gustav Alderman, 4 battlecruisers, 6 battleships, a carrier, and 6 Magellan science vessels set at the core of the formation of heavy cruisers, light cruisers, destroyers, and gunships.
But the ships at the rear of the fleets formation are the key to it all. Several modified freighter designs and two control ships form the basic elements of the Solar Array II weapon, purchased from New Ortaga several years earlier.
And the perfect weapon to break a seige Forrest thinks quietly.
He turns away from the external views, and reactivtes the flag bridge's tactical holo display.
"Are all ships ready to jump?"
"Yes, Admiral."
"Good, signal the bridge and the rest of the group. Lay in a course for Gregor," Forrest says as he takes his position at his own command station.
Ten minutes later, the small detached force of the Valinor fleet jumps away from Yalta.

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

Midway between the third and fourth planets of the Gregor system, six jumpspace exit points form. What emerges is a vast fleet of the Star Armada, worthy of those that engaged the forces of the Dominion of Outer Centauri almost half a century ago.
8 massive dreadnoughts city at the core of the formation, surrounded by 16 battlecruisers, 25 battleships, a carrier, 34 heavy cruisers, 44 light cruisers, 48 destroyers, and a horde of gunships and fighters.
Forrest's carefully crafted illusion has begin.
"Deploy sensor probes, and send out the recon flights. Monitor all possible vectors," he says scrutinizing his displays.
"Yes, Admiral."
"And signal the SA ships, tell them they are to begin deployment."
"Yes, sir!"
Forrest watches as the odd freighters begin to move. Long cylinders begin to shoot out, and form up, the two control ships take up their places. A vague shape begins to emerge, faint even to the sensors of the warships close to the careful deployment process. The eyes of the Star Armada watch the Vernii home fleet with long-gazing eyes. Waiting for any change.

Alarms rang inside Bastion's Central Command. Admiral Thompson, CO of the fortress flew through the doors into it at a run. "Status report?"

Captain Maxwell sprang to attention and saluted, "A large enemy force has come out of FTL between Vernii and Endicott. Sensors indicate the force is 50 capital ships, and 126 escort warships, along with several flights of gunships and fighters. Sensors ID'ed them as belonging to the Valinor Star Armada. Home Fleet and the fortresses have gone to battle stations."

"Damn. Begin deploying missile decoys, but don't activate them yet."The green dots representing Home Fleet in the holographic master plot began to move. "Admiral, Home Fleet is forming into wall formation."
********
Fleet Admiral Harris strode onto the bridge of the superdreadnought Empyrean, flagship of the People's Navy. The immense ship was the newest capital ship in the fleet, and her crew was going about their duties with professionalism.

"Sir, the last elements have reported in. All units have formed into the wall of battle." Captain Hallock reported. The five superdreadnoughts, thirty dreadnoughts and six battleships of Home Fleet were spread out into an immense rectangle, spaced out 200 km from each other, and 114 escort warships formed a loose multi-layered hemispherical net in front of the wall.

"All ships report combat ready status Sir."

"Good, have BC Squadron V drop back slightly behind our wall, bring up the ECM emitters, and take us out to meet them."

"We have confirmed Verniian movement, Admiral," Forrest regards the tactical display.
"Indeed," Forrest eyes the movement. He had expected a more defensive position from the Verniians. "Deploy the Mobile DOS network. What is the status of the Solar Array?"
"72% deployed, Admiral."
Forrest sets back in his chair, "Have the initial barrage prepared. Start to coordinate the drones. Begin to move across the Array's face, 1/3 acceleration. Let us see how willing they are to give chase. Also have the Longshards harrass their escorts. They are to engage at will."
"Yes, Admiral."

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

Closer to the Verniian fleet, 6 squadrons of Longshard interceptors vector toward the escorts. They close, and send an initial barrage 144 missiles outward. The conventional warhead tipped weapons are not nearly as powerful as those from a warship, but then the escorts aren't as powerful as full ships of the wall either.

22 of the missiles make it through against the lead destroyers, and two of the small ships roll out of formation, both rendered combat ineffective. Point defence lasers (48 total) onboard the lead squadron of six destroyers engaged the interceptors, and 24 laser-head light missiles race out to meet the fighters.

Forrest watches as 18 fighters are destroyed, the deadly lasers reeking havoc on the Longshards shields and armor. The survivors begin to accelerate away from the oncoming fleet, back toward Forrest's task force.
"Status of the Array?"
"83%, Admiral."
Just a few seconds more Forrest thinks.
"Open fire, use the weapons drones for the battlecruisers as well."
"Yes, Admiral," Forrest watches as new, faster images appear as the "ships" of the fleet begin to fire. The 7 other "dreadnoughts" send out a wave, along with half of the battlecruisers. At the end the overall amount totals 356 missiles, most conventional, but with several laser warheads, and ECM missiles to cause additional havoc.
"All ships are to accelerate to 2/3s power. I want to be clear of the Array when it is ready."
"Yes, Admiral."

54 of the missiles made it through, destroying the destroyers Hawkwing and Eagle and crippling the light cruiser Achilles.

Harris watched as the two destroyers light codes went out on the holographic plot, and the cruisers light turned from green to red.
"Have our lead elements open fire on their escorts, then execute firing plan Volley Fire."

The destroyer squadrons swung around to present their broadsides, and 252 missiles launched from their tubes, joined by 324 from the light cruisers, and 432 from the heavy cruisers, all concentrated upon the lighter warships of the enemy fleet.

Two seconds after the massive volley from the lighter warships, the wall turned to present its own broadside. Dreadnought Squadron I fired off the first salvo of 210, sixty of which carried jammers or ECM emitters designed to confuse enemy point defence. Two seconds after that salvo cleared its tubes, Squadron II fired its own 210, all composed of regular laser-heads, followed by Squadrons III, IV, and V (630 total) as they fired in waves. Finally, the five superdreadnoughts and six battleships fired 391, 50 of which carried fusion warheads, and another 40 carrying ECM and jammers.

Total: 1008 fired at the lighter units, 1441 total missiles fired from the cap ships, including the ECM missiles.

Even Forrest takes a sharp breath at the incoming horde of missiles flying toward them.
"Have the Mobile DOS focus defenses on the ships, have the projection drones run sim program 337," Forrest says quickly.
"Array is at 85%, Admiral!"
"Thank God," Forrest says, and watches as the DOS network engages the oncoming swarm. The DOS network slices through over 900 missiles, their mobility allowing them to see through the ECM illusions. But the warships themselves are not so lucky. Many that the missiles "destroy" are shadows and ghosts, like most of the fleet. But not all, 2 heavy cruisers are destroyed, 4 light cruisers, 7 destroyers, and 12 gunships die in reality. A battlecruiser takes a hit that disables several sensor sections, and battleship loses long-range communications.
Forrest responds quickly, "All ships of the wall are to focus fire on the Verniian dreadnoughts. All escorts, cover the flanks."
He turns to the tactical officer designated to the Array, "Have the control ships activate what is ready and begin to focus, the transports are to continuing deployment."
"Yes, Admiral."
Forrest watches his display, and watches the missiles of his own ships respond. 1005 fly toward the Verniian home defense force, but the surprise has just begun. Behind the Valinor ships, a massive cross-like shaped mirror array comes into being as the cylinders activate. They rapidly begin to focus.
The Solar Array, a massive weapon designed by the Ortagans, called "the Eye of God" by Valinor techs. It begins to focus the light of Gregor's primary, like a behemoth magnifying glass. The cocentrated beam of solar energy begins to move across the Verniian fleet, consuming anything in its past, including several Longshards and 130 of the Valinor missiles.

131 of the incoming missiles got through the anti-missile net formed by the escort warships. Four destroyers, Turbulent, Ottoman, Saber, and Typerrary vanished in flashes of light, and the light cruisers Unicorn and Ajax reeled out of formation with gashes torn down their sides.

The beam of energy swept across the fleet, and Harris gaped in horror as the elderly battleship Glorioso exploded, joined by fourteen more destroyers, CL squadron II and the remnants of Squadron I, and the heavy cruisers Goeben, Regina, Moreno, Benbow, Malborough, and Anson.

Harris stared in shock for several seconds as the light codes identifying those ships vanished from his display, then recovered. "Reverse acceleration, open the range! Switch priority targets to that array. Signal our escort shield to loosen up their formations to cover the gaps. Have CL squadron IV target that wounded battleship."

126 missiles shot from the remaining destroyers, followed by 243 from the light cruisers, 54 of which concentrated on the wounded Valinor battleship, and 288 missiles from the heavy cruisers, all targetted at the enemy fleet.

Missile fire rippled from the dreadnoughts as they targetted the mirrors, 1255 missiles hurtled from their tubes, with fourty 20 megaton fusion warheads scattered among them.
155 missiles fired from the old battleships, concentrating on the Valinor battlecruiser that had been hit earlier.

Forrest watches the oncoming fire.
"Have the Array begin refocusing, it is to concentrate on the dreadnoughts this time."
But then he watches the projection as the missile fire sweeps in.
"Redeploy DOS network, give priority to the Array and its control ships."
The massive attack and counterattack begins. The Valinor battleship belches atmosphere, its battlecruiser takes several hits knocking out weaponry. Another heavy cruiser, three destroyers, and a light cruiser are lost. The rest are the fake deaths of the sims.
"Regroup," Forrest says. "I want the fleet ready to support the Array by the next barrage."
Forrest watches as the DOS network begins to engage the massive wave sent against the Array. The agile satellites cut through the missiles with interceptor missiles, rapid-fire lasers, and their particle cannon. But it is not enough, 30 missiles still get through. Gunships and fighters rush to the defense, but still. The rays of the laser warheads are redirected by the mirriors, although some explosions cause several new gaps to appear. But suddenly, a new sun lights one end of the Array. The mirriors shatter, the cross becomes uneven.
"Status on the Array?" Forrest says quickly
"86%, Admiral."
"Tell the control ships to continue focusing, they are to give full attention to those dreadnoughts. Have all other ships and weapons drones engage nearest Vernii ships at will."
"Yes, Admiral."
A new beam of light erupts from the Solar Array, lancing toward the heart of the Verniian fleet's formation, toward the dreadnoughts.

Another five destroyers vanished, followed by the light cruiser Tito as enemy fire swept down on them.

The dreadnoughts Collingwood and Malaya vanished in flashes of light as their fusion reactors went critical and missiles exploded in their tubes, and the Birmingham reeled out of formation, its entire port broadside gone. Shields weakened to 75% on the Colossus and Warspite.

Harris immediately began shouting a frenzy of orders to his officers, "Increase acceleration, widen the range immediately! And take out that damned mirror!"

The remaining 13 destroyers launched their missiles, 91 in all, concentrating on the gunships in the enemy fleet. 153 missiles launched from the light cruisers, including another 54 concentrated on the wounded battleship. Two of the heavy cruiser squadrons retargeted their fire upon the battlecruiser, firing 144 laser-head missiles at it, while the other two squadrons fired another 144 at the array. The dreadnoughts and battleships again targeted their fire upon the array, 1305 total, including twenty fusion warheads.

Forrest looks shrewdly at the oncoming wave.
"Retarget the Array, have it take care of those missiles. Ready the fleet's defenses."
Forrest watches as the Array charges, another blinding beam of light stabs through space, almost all of the missiles vanish coming toward the Array. Remainders get through, causing far less damage.
But meanwhile, Forrest's fleet engages its own storm. The battleship belches more atmosphere, and reorients to present its undamaged side to the Verniians in time to cut down the few straggling missiles. Lasers rip at the battlecruiser, blinding areas and reducing its shields, but it manages to hold together. The true casaulties are the gunships, 16 are lost in all, even their manuverability not saving them.
Forrest looks at the Verniian fleet, and to the Array.
"What is the status?"
"87%, Admiral."
"Have them begin to refocus toward the dreadnoughts. And give me an open channel."
"Yes, Admiral."
Forrest waits for a few moments, "Verniian Commander, this is Admiral of the Red Sir Quentin Forrest. The United Star Empire of Valinon is willing to discuss an armstice at this time. We will await your response, but we warned, further hostilities will result in the continued use of the Solar Array, and the continued wrath of the Valinor people."

Harris listened to Forrest's message, then thought for a few minutes before responding. "This is Fleet Admiral Harris, Commanding Officer of the People's Navy. The President has entrusted me with securing the safety of this system and it's people, and it is a responsibility I place the utmost priority on. I will confer with my superiors as to their response, but I am optimistic that they will accept, providing the terms are reasonable."

Forrest listens carefully, then reopens the comm.
"Very well, Admiral Harris. I will await the response of your government. For now we have an understood cease fire, you have my word that I will not attack unless fired upon."
He cuts the comm again and regards the tactical map.
"Keep the Array ready, and tell all ships to remain at battle stations as well."
"Yes, Admiral."

President Calimar called the emergency session of the Cabinet to order in less then 15 minutes after Harris' transmission. Calimar sat down in his seat, noting that the Education and Public Health ministers hadn't arrived yet, but they hardly mattered for this meeting.

"The situation at present is this. A fleet from the Empire of Valinon has entered our system, and is currently engaged with Home Fleet. The admiral in command of the enemy fleet has proposed an armistice between our nations, and a temporary cease fire is in place until we come to a decision. We don't yet know the proposed terms of the armistice, but I'm sure they will be reasonable, as we still have the industrial and military capability to draw out the war if need be."

Secretary Bergen spoke first, "The fortresses have moved between our planet and the enemy fleet. If we launched now with their entire nuclear stockpiles, I'm sure we could cripple that array."

"No Bergen. In the event that the attack failed I don't think they would be very reasonable in the event of any future situations similar to this, provided of course that we would be able to drive off this attack. No, our only chance of ending this war without being crushed is to accept their armistice proposal, and rearm. Any other opinions?.....no? Good."

Three minutes later Calimar transmitted to the Valinor fleet. "This is President Harris, leader of Vernii. I accept your proposal for an armistice between our nations."

Admiral Forrest reopens the comm, "I am grateful to hear that, Mr. President, and on behalf of His Majesty's Ggovernment I request permission to meet with you and other necessary office holders to work out the basics of the treaty. Would it be possible for myself and a small delegation to come to your capital as soon as possible?"

The request caught Calimar by surprise, but he responded quickly enough. "Certainly Admiral Forrest. I will immediately arrange for shuttle clearance to be granted for your delegation."

Several hours later, a shuttle breeches the atmosphere of Vernii. The pilot follows his prearranged course to Cardona's main aerospace port. After circling for a few moments awaiting clearance, the shuttle lands, and the debarking ramp descends. A small group of Valinor walks out. Dressed in the pure white uniform of a full Admiral of the Red, complete with dress saber and gold-braided shoulder epaulets, is Sir Quentin Forrest. Standing next to him in equally formal dress is Captain Iven Severn, Forrest's ever-present second in command and protégé. The other members are Sardaukar, eight in all a full squad.
But Forrest has let appearances be deceiving. These are not normal Sardaukar, but Imperial Sovereign Protectors. Emperor Rowald likes to rotate his personal guardsmen into combat units, that way they are kept at best fighting trim. It also serves the nice purpose of being effective hidden weapons in a flag officers arsenal if they have the clearance to know which Sardaukar are more than they seem.
Forrest awaits the Verniian delegation with a calm cool.

Vice Admiral Hirtzel stepped from his aircar outside the spaceport's main terminal. Two military aircars hover overhead protectively as the Vice Admiral meets twelve marines sent as escorts. Together the group marches through the terminal of the spaceport to the Valinor shuttle. The marines stand at attention as Hirtzel strolls over to Forrest. He salutes, then extends his hand in greeting. "I am Vice Admiral Hirtzel, I'm here to show you to your meeting with the President. If you will follow me there is a VIP aircar waiting."

Forrest shakes Hirtzel's hand formally, "Thank you, Vice Admiral. Allow me to introduce Captain Iven Severn, my second and adjutant."
The tall man bearing the insignia of a full Captain of the List steps forward. There is something strange about him. For starters, he is taller than Forrest, an impressive feat considering the Admiral's towering height. Severn extends a long-fingered hand and graps Hirtzel's hand, the strength belaying the thin and willowy frame.
But as they look at each other, Hirtzel see Severn blink. For just a moment it looks as if though Severn's gray-green eyes switch to a strange violet-blue, but as quickly as the change "appears" it vanishes.
"A pleasure, Vice Admiral," says Severn.
"Good," says Forrest. "Now let us be on our way. I want to get down to business as soon as possible."
He moves toward the air car.

After everyone enters the aircar, it lifts up off of its landing pad, and turns toward the city. The two military aircars take up escort positions, and the trio enter an air traffic lane that had been cleared of all other traffic. Ten minutes later, the aircar lands in the rooftop garage on the 250th floor of the Tower of the People.

Six soldiers of the Presidential Guard snap to attention as the doors to the aircar open. Hirtzel steps out first, "If you will follow me, I will show you to the conference chamber."

"Thank you," says Forrest with a nod. He motions to his small party. Severn falls in close behind the Admiral. The "Sardaukar" carefully measure up the Presidential Guards in the way of opposing soldiers since the times of old long past.

The Guardsmen return the Sarduakars' gaze levelly. Hirtzel leads the way through several hallways, before coming to a transit shaft. After everyone enters he keys in the appropriate floor, and the transit car whisks the party down to floor 125. Hirtzel then leads them down several more hallways, before coming to a pair of ten foot tall wooden doors. Two more Guardsmen stand before the doors, and open them as the group approaches. Inside is a room about fourty feet wide and sixty feet long, with a marble floor, a small fountain at one end, and a black marble conference table sits in the center, with about thirty seats at it. Twelve Guardsmen are stationed around the room. Eleven of the seats at the table are filled, including ten Cabinet members, and in the large leather chair at the head sits President Calimar.

Calimar is middle aged, with streaks of grey in his black hair, and he wears an expensive business suit. He stands up and walks over to Forrest, extending his hand. "I am President Calimar. It is a pleasure to meet you Admiral."

"A privilege, Mr. President," says Forrest as he accepts Calimar's hand. "Allow me to introduce my second, Captain Iven Severn, as well."
After the pleasantries are exchanged, Forrest nods solemnly.
"Now perhaps we should attend to the business at hand?"

Calimar motions the table, "Please take a seat." After everyone has taken their seats, Calimar is the first to speak. "So, Admiral Forrest, perhaps we can start by you stating what your terms are."

Forrest takes the offered seat, and draws forth a comp-pad.
"The terms that His Majesty and His Majesty's Government wants are simple, Mr. President. For starters an immediate cessiation of all hostilities between the United Star Empire of Valinon and the People's Republic of Vernii. Second, that Vernii recognize the sovereignty and independence of the Yalta, Madras, and Slocum systems. Third, that Vernii realize that further attacks against Yalta, Madras, or Slocum will result in the intervention of the United Star Empire on behalf of these systems. Fourth, that free trade will be allowed between Valinon and its allies and the Acler system."
He sets the comp-pad down, "Fifth and finally, that reparations be made to the Yalta and Madras systems on a time schedule to be set at a later date and to be made accordingly based on the damages incurred by the citizens and governments of these systems. Those are the terms His Majesty proposes, Mr. President. I will now hear your thoughts and proposals on the matter."

"So we keep Acler? Everything sounds acceptable except the reparations to Yalta. The system is relatively wealthy, and my navy didn't actually do all that much damage financially. Targets we hit were a sensor station, the orbital defences and their navy, and the mass driver emplacement on their moon. Their commercial infrastructure was left intact."

Forrest nods, even as his mouth tightens, "His Majesty is willing to allow the Acler system to remain as a protectorate of your government. As long as Valinon and its allies can continue trade with it unfettered within reasons. As for the matter of reparations, you may waive that part of the treaty. But in return, you will waive the matter on speaking about what future armaments may take place in the Yalta, Madras, and Slocum systems."

Calimar thinks for a few moments before responding. "What sort of armaments? And would they be under local control or yours?"

Forrest smiles, "Armaments to ensure the continued safety of these systems. They will be under the control of the local system governments. But for the immediate future Valinor advisors will be overseeing their basic training and preparations. Also, the systems of Strocum, Yalta, and Madras will be signing an agreement with the United Star Empire of Valinon forming the Preventer Alliance. This alliance will help the governments of Strocum, Madras, and Yalta become more stable and to become more adept at defending themselves."

"Very well, as long as we have your guarantee that their new militaries will not be used against us, then I will sign the agreement."

"You have the personal word of His Majesty and myself that the fleets of the Preventer Alliance will not attack unless attacked first. We do not seek to further prolong this conflict. After all, I do not think that some of the actions many within the Diet wish to take would end pleasantly for you, Mr. President."
Forrest turns to Severn, who produces a formal diplomatic pouch. The Admiral draws forth a formal piece of paper, bearing the crest of House Alderman and the flag of the United Star Empire of Valinon.
"All that is required, Mr. President," says Forrest, "is your signature and seal. I will then sign the agreement and complete the document in the name of His Majesty and His Majesty's Government."

Calimar pulls a pen out of his pocket and signs his name on it.
[code:1:fcdbb60540]Hereditary President William Calimar, People's Republic of Vernii.[/code:1:fcdbb60540]

He then stamps the Presidential Crest onto the document. "There, may this peace between our nations last."

"Let us hope so, Mr. President," says Forrest. "Let us hope so, indeed."
He hands a ceremonial copy to Callimar, and then hands the signed copy to Severn, who returns it to his pouch.
"I must return to my ship, Mr. President. There are matters that await me in Yalta."
Forrest rises from his chair, and gives Callimar a half bow. Severn follows suit, but once again, as he goes down and comes back up, his pupils seem to shift colors. Moving to red flecked with gold, but then they are gray-green again, as if nothing had changed.

The six Presidential Guards and Hirtzel escort Forrest's delegation back to the aircar, which takes them to the spaceport.

OOC: I'm almost sad to see the war end, it was a nice diversion from my schoolwork and such. Now to rebuild my navy....