NationStates Jolt Archive

The planet hung in space. Its surface was blue dotted with the Brown and green dots of Land mass. Its surface was beautiful from orbit, almost Serine. This world once had been a world on the Outer Rims of the Empire, now it was their most powerful base.

In Orbit of the world, the tatters of a shattered fleet came in. Reports echoed through tight bands of Transmission, Craft numbers where worked out. Even now, reports filtered in on the number of craft that where left. The Reports where Grim. Of the Grand Imperial Fleet, only Four Dedicated War-Craft remained, and two of them where hosuing Damage. The Only Craft that held very little damage was the EOC Red Dragon, The flagship of this fleet. It showed various scorch marks across its surface, but generally it showed little damage.

The Remaining ships where cargo craft, bringing those still loyal to the Empire. These men and women where not soldiers, many lacked the skill, but if it came to it, they where willing to fight.

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On the Bridge of the EOC Red Dragon, the Newly Crowned Empress watched. This world was ready, it had been designed as a base to fall back on if there was ever need, but never had she expected her need to be this Great. Four Warships, two sprouting heavy damage and one Not even compleatly finished. She really had ONE warship in service, along side a fleet of carriers that where currently getting converted into Makeshift Warships.

This was almost horrible, the planet below was being settled, as troops on the ground ((She breathed thankfully that she had enough of them)) began directing people to the cities. The planet was on High alert, at least it would be until the Ships where back.

Now the Empress could do was pray they didn't come after her.

The fleet of vast sleek grey ships and slightly purple tinted ships glided through space. They had won a small victory not long ago, against a human foe that insisted on occupying a world that did not belong to them.

There were few ships, eight at most. Though, along the way, every few months they would find more of their kin, unable to remember where they had come from. This had been a trend since the main force had turned up out of no where, but now they were situated. They knew the Great Journy had to be completed.

Now they approached a world. It looked as though there were few inhabitants, and this is what they wanted to see. Fresh meat, practice so they may be able to fight greater foes when they Great Journy truely got underway.

The eight ships slipped into slipspace, and soon popped out half a lightyear from the world they had targetted for invasion. Soon the fun would begin.

"We have Contact!" The scream came across the deck.

"Where?" The Empress yelled back.

"One Light year out, Eight Ships, show Covenant design." The officer yelled.

"Covenant? Keep an eye on them, move closer to the planet and open to attack position. Their a Light-Year out though, they may only be passing by."

"I hope your right my Empress, Eight Covenant ships could cut through a large number of our craft..."

"Lets hope then that they are not comming in this direction."

The absolute admiral of the covenant fleet, an elite clad in brilliant gold armor stood on the bridge of his super carrier. He watched his fellow elites pilot the ship, govern scanners, and the grunts dealing the menial tasks. He also watched the numerous screens that were around him. The bridge did not show directly to the outside, so they had to rely in remote cameras and sensor array.

"Have we closed the gap on the infintile planet?" asked the admiral, his voice was not like the other elites, his was more.. humanlike, and less gruff.

"Yes sir, we are speeding towards the planet now. We are picking up activity, but we are too far out to make sense of it, send a probe?"

"Indeed, launch three probes, I want an accurate reading."

"Yes sir, launching them now."

And from the front of the super carrier, three probes sprouted from the ship, and sped towards the planet at super-sublight speeds.

"Empress...we are detecting Covenant probes comming closer, orders?"

"Send them back Captain" she replied, watching the three dots blimp on the screen before her.

"Displacers Online...three....two....one" THere was a pause, when the probes no longer where in the picture.

"Targets displaced...correctly I am not sure yet."

The Covenant ships would be coasting along, heading where they where, they would find all of a sudden their probes where bouncing off their hulls, slapping into enemy formations and generally making a mess of things...a reminder of the Old Code of war.

If given the change, make fun of your enemies.

The three probes slammed into the ships, but were instantly incinerated by the shields of the covenant warships.

"What happened?"

"I am unsure, they seemed to have been warped back to us."

"Damn, how close did the probes get?

"Close enough, we got a small reading before they were sent back to us."

"Good, prepare plasma torpedoes, I want seraphs ready to do point defense duty. Load the boarding pods, any major warships I want captured, and their senior crew taken alive."

As they approached the world, the small fleet started to scatter. They did so, so they wouldn't be one big target for any secret mass-damage weapons the enemy might have.

They were now much closer, almost in range for long-range torpedoes.

Beep-beep-beep, Beep, Beep-Beep, Beep, beep

-Damn it...Their scattering- The Empress thought as she watched them on sensors.

"Captain, whats our range?" she called across.

"Just over 500,000 Kilometers..." he called back. The Empress looked at the sensor data, then onto the main veiwscreen.

"Magnify" she said simply.

The crafts veiw zoomed in, showing the Covenant fleet begining to spread out.

"Their going to engage" she said, sighing. "Bring Xeorloran Online."

*Combat AI Online*

"Empress?" the computer asked, echoing across the hull.

"Take command, hostiles have been marked."

"As you wish."

The Massive craft seemed to shimmer, its hull begining to unfold to show the war design. Smooth and slim, the craft had hundreds of weapon systems in this form, able to lay waste, the enemy would pay.

But the ship could only be at one place a time, it couldn't fight all eight ships spread out...that would have to go to the modified transports, and the swarms of fighter craft.

The Super-carrier headed straight towards the large ship. They were now in range for the plasma torpedoes, and opened fire. Several large and powerful blue spheres shot forth from the ship and sped towards the large ship. Plasma torpedoes were large highly explosive ordinance, and weren't all that accurate.

The super-carrier still sped towards the ship though, after it fired its payload, intent on getting as close to the enemy ship as possible.

The other seven ships, a couple battleships and normal carriers spread out more, moving to circle the planet and assault it from above.

The Dragons Forward sheilds rose, forcing it to halt fire while it delt with the heavy damage let out by the torpedos. The Sheilds held, but the craft only managed one salvo of Torpedos before the craft would be within boarding range.

**On the Bridge**

"AI Take the Bridge, Captain, assist the rest of the fleet." The Empress Roared. She herself moved to the wall, motioning for Marines to follow. She Took a Carbine, Pistol and Sword off the walls, hooking each up.

"Empres..." The Captain began.

"Their taking a boarding run, I will lead the marines to counter them." She nodded. "You keep us alive."

**Planet Orbit**

The ships began to move into position, weapons firing sparsly along their hulls. They let loose torrents of fighter craft. These craft began to head towards the base, striking with both KE and Energy weapons alike.

**Planetside**

The Theater sheilds came online within moments of the attack, now the defenders moved to man the walls ((The walls are made to resist FT weaponry)), this was not yet over, in space they may be shocked, but on the ground, the Tsurani lost very little.

The great carrier took the brunt of the salvo, her sheilds absorbing nearly all the damage dealt. But now she got close, and as her broadside matched the Dragon's broadside, a torrent of boarding craft were sent away fromt he carrier, and sped towards the hull of the Dragon, intent in boaring their way through.

Meanwhile, the other ships and carriers released the Seraphs, fighter craft especially made to counter other fighters and bombers. As they did this, the massive ships pounded the Theater sheilds with plasma weaponry, but to their suprise, the weapons did nearly nothing.

***The Dragon***

The torpedos lauched onto the hull, boring through the armour. Yet as the troops would storm the craft, they would find they only had once access point. It was set up to allow troops from the outside to enter, and troops inside to get out, but only if they had permission.

The Empress watched the door, around her Illetrians towered, many of them standing with what to her would be shouldermounted like a rifle. She smiled, holding the Carbine tight, pointing it to the Door.

**The Dragon/Super-Carrier battle**

Forward Batteries opening...Fire

This was more deadly. Unlike the Torpedos, the Forward Batteries where highly powerful. Massive amounts of power fed themselves into the cannons, which in turn fired, quick succession. Along the front of the craft, Gun turrets deployed, letting loose a massive amount of Forward fire.

Meanwhile, torpedos fired their seccond salvo, letting loose their second torrent.

**Orbit Battle**

The Battle would go badly, the Damaged craft INV Dekuli Revenge let loose its firepower, a shattering salvo of MD, Torpedo and Cannon Fire. Along with a few sparse shots from two flanking ships converted to carriers, they fired their shots.

Meanwhile the other Damaged craft, the INV Hells Mascot engaged its own carrier, letting loose a less intense hail of bolts, and fired none of the Torpedos or MD rounds that would usually accompony, which they had lost in intensive combat and failed to resupply. The craft would do barely anything, unless it rammed the enemy craft.

The Not yet compleated Craft, the INV Another Hope simply ignighted its engines, charging headlong into the carrier before it. The craft held a ramming prow, meaning that it might even survive the collision.

The remaining destroyers where engaged by modified craft, whose only hope was to outnumber the enemy in sheer numbers.

The fighter craft where in hell, only the newer modles had true pilots, while the rest where mostly privatteers or Joy riders. The taste for combat was growing weary as time moved on.