NationStates Jolt Archive

It had taken months to cross the galaxy to this point. Now Taskforce Hammer sat among the ruins of a dead solar system one hyperjump away from the Setian homeworld. It was a massive fleet, in Xeno standards, one intent on a goal, with many missions to fullfill to accomplish that goal.

Ships involved:

Battleships: 14
West Virgnina
Kansas
Florida
Georgia
Michigan
Maryland
Utah
Iowa
Arizona
Mississippi
Ohio
Nevada
Oklahoma
Alaska

Cruisers: 17
Pittsburgh
Chicago
Denver
Little Rock
Montgomery
Atlanta
Richmond
New Castle
Erie
Lexington
Newport
Union City
Memphis
Covington
Beaumont
Akron
Point Marion

Destroyers: 20
Anzio
Iwo Jima
Caen
Waterloo
LaFayette
Gettysburg
Fredricksburgh
Marathon
Midway
Leyte Gulf
Little Big Horn
Coral Sea
Agincourt
73 Easting
Medina Ridge
Norfolk
Thames
Antietam
Manasas
Roanoak Island

Frigates: 11
Falchion
Axe
Spearhead
Halbard
Katana
Hatchet
Bola
Lance
Dagger
Sabre
Wakizashi

Plus their full troop compliments.

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Admiral Jade stood in the CIC of the bridge of the West Virginia. Today was the day.

A brief, burst transmission sent along a series of hyperpulse messangers set up in a picket chain. Very short-range stuff. Not that it would matter at this point. It was time.

As one, the entire fleet would make the jump, arriving around 2 million kilometers from the SS homeworld.

Immedietly, a wave of 450 Exodus missiles were launched, each one bearing a massive thermo-nuclear warhead of around 1.1 gigaton (1,100 megaton) These missiles are dead-fire, once launched they move only with the momentum of the launch. There's nothing to give them away as anything other than space debris.

The Exodus missiles will streak well ahead of Taskforce Hammer on a ballistic path with the planet itself, to pepper the world's surface when they arrive in a few short hours.

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Thousands of F-1 Xeno Fighters were deployed with heavy A-1 Gunship escorts, The fleet spread out into a battle formation, sensors scourging for signs of enemy military hardware as they advanced into the system.

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Tag pending (need to analyse how much time ill have to spend on this.)

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OOC: As opposed to 'homeworld', it will be the largest of the "most heavily trafficed" 7 planets that you mentioned. So, feel free to respond appropriately.

Imperial Watch stations picked up the fleet plenty of time before it would enter one of the systems. It was a massive fleet clearly ment to bring the Empire to her knees... but it would take more than that.

On Board Imperial Boarder Defense Frigate Nor'Shada

"M'Lord, Cental Command says that we will have do with the 300 Frigates... and it looks as though the enemy fleet about to come out of jump within the next minute!", yelled the Communications Officer.

"BATTLESTATIONS, Full fleet alerts... begin firing upon those jump exits... All Batteries, all Ordinance... Tell Poth Control to prepare to fire upon enemy ships!!!", Replied Lord Admiral Sckeivia as he looked back on his home of Poth on of the Seven main planets of the Imperium.

The planet was littered with automatic production yards, civilian centers, and large areas for Bio-Mem Growth and Training- but they were empty. Few were there to witness the massive enemy armada jump in and to see archs and bolts of weapon fire erupt from the surface and defensive satilites. The 300 Defense frigates would get cut up, but they would get as much done as possible.



Meanwhile,

Higar Prime

The Entire Fleet of the Imperium sat in defense and in ambush in the system. They would wait for the fleet of the Others and they were ready to tear them to shreads... and if not the girl would hold them back, seeing as she was on the Armed Moon of Higar Prime, Eveii Moon.

Poth System

The Exodus missiles continued forward, just debris in space. Until, at around 190,000 miles out, they cranked up their second stage burners and streaked down towards the planet's surface. Each warhead is as noted, a thermal nuclear device of 1.1 gigatons. Among the 450 missiles launched, 25 of them are programmed for a high-altitude air burst, to produce an EMP.

The Xeno fleet, still too far out to be effectively targeted would close in.

Over time, they entered the range of defensive weaponry, which if energy based, would simply produce blackened marks on the warships with little effect. The Xeno warships returned fire. A massive wave of upgraded Ultra ASC guns spitting out a hailstorm of firepower.

Thousands of F-1 Xeno Fighters were breaking their squadsons into loose attack formations, escorted by the fast and manuverable Xeno destroyers and frigates, with A-1 Gunships providing extra punch.

The ranges are still too great for much effect, but, the two forces are converging on each other. (I'll give SS the first real move as defender.)

Half of the Defense Force was but a bit of space dust, but the rest fought on. It was clear that the planet was to be lost, so they would now use the 'dirty' defense. The planet's zones that were not seriously blacked out by the EM fired crude nuclear rounds at the ship. The frigates began moving in, and started to ram. As the last frigates made there run, four Command Carriers came out from Poth's moon behind the enemy and opened all batteries and fighters attacked the engines of the larger ships. They could only hold out for another hour at most.

Poth System

The West Virginia
Admiral Jade stumbled forward, gripping the padded rail around the CIC, gripping at it tightly, she regained her balance. The lights on the battleship flickered slightly, dimming and then surging back to full power.

A tech called out, "We've taken multiple nuclear detonations against the bow. Decks 23, 24, 25 and 26 indiciating breaches in the forward sections. Damage control is on the way now. The Bola and Midway are reporting full engine loss, they're dead in the water, m'am."

Space

The F-1 Xeno Fighters and A-1 Gunships made tight turns, kicking over to afterburners intercept the enemy fighters. Pairing up into wingman teams, they would close with and begin firing on the enemy fighters.

Various Xeno Frigates, specificly designed to combat fighters, would emerge from among the fleet, turning to present the bulk of their weaponry, to fill the enemy space with explosions and tracers and clouds of anti-fighter missiles.

West Virginia
Another technician calmly related, "Admiral. The Alaska is signaling distress. She has been rammed by multiple enemy ships."

One large screen on the wall seemed to spring to life, focusing on the large, black Xeno battleship, the Alaska, attempting to roll, fires and heavy damage showing all along one flank where enemy frigates had rammed.

From the edge of the screen, another frigate rammed into the rear, and everything was consumed as the Alaska's engines went critical. A blue-ish nova rippled outwards for several hundred meters.

"The Alaska has been destroyed."

Space

Half a dozen frigates would now begin to focus their fire on the inbound nuclear weapons from the planet, striking more of them down before they could explode among the fleet.

Meanwhile, the brand new Xeno cruisers and battleships would pump fire into the remaining few enemy frigates, as destroyers closed with and engaged the carrier ambush flotilla.

OOC: Sece, check your TGs dude.

Xeno Command, Mjolnir and Loki jumping in to provide flank support. Be advised we have CTDs aboard. Frigate group Casimir will jump in within sixteen minutes of this broadcast. Dedicated anti-munitions Frigates and Assault Frigates in Casimir. How copy? Broadcasted the AI, before loading the all MRML and Kinetics, the powercores brought up to full capacity, and the Ion Cannons containment fields humming to life. They were ready, all 21 MRML tubes, all 30 Heavy Kinetics tubes loaded to bear, all 300 AF/M Autocannons, all ECM, ECCM, and PCM systems ready and willing, all crew, everything was running at maximum possible efficiency, even before the twin battleships roared out of Underspace, crimson unreality spitting them out thirty kilometres aft of the Xeno Fleet.

Sorry for the late coming. Where do you want us?

ooc: how many are you allowing to get in on this SS? I'll get in but I don't want you to be worried about a dogpile.

- bump.

The Carriers held their fire, targeting weapons and vital systems on the enemy ships. The fighters began firing in the general direction of the enemy fighters, filling the space with rounds before switching to charged weapons as the distance came close. They also fired a new type of missile, a Shotgun type missile that as it came close to its target would fire many pellets at extreme speeds. They fired these as the enemies fired their ordiance.

The parts of the planet bellow were shut down due to the EMP, but most of the Defense stations were shield and continued to fire. The sky of Poth was filled with the lights of weapons fire heading up to the enemy fleet. Many nuclear devices were fired, but they finally managed to fix bring the SCHCPDC [Super Compressed Heavy Charged Particle Defense Cannon] Network online and several of the oval shaped domes came to life. They lifted themselves up, turned upwards and a revealled a their barrel and fired several shots to each of the enemy ship's engines.

Meanwhile in the battle, the for most Command Carriers started showing signs of structural fatigue along her starboard 'wing'. The fighters neared contact, and the Frigates were a cloud of debris, some of which began to fall onto the planet.

ooc: how many are you allowing to get in on this SS? I'll get in but I don't want you to be worried about a dogpile.

3-4 more if [big if] i get any allies

ooc: ok then I'll refrain from entering at this time.

ooc: ok then I'll refrain from entering at this time.

OOC: Same here, but for slightly different reasons.

Poth System

Exodus missiles would once again be launched to start raining down towards the planet, aiming for the defensive systems and weaponry. These are non-nuclear warheads this time, 7 ton ballistic bunker-buster type missiles that would streak down towards the defensive weapons.

Weapons targeted on the Xeno 'engines', would do little harm. The engines are buried in the ship itself, and the large glowy type things at the rear are just thrust vents, where the energy shoots out and pushes the ships forward.

Targeting these outlets does little more than chip away at the armor, as any energy weapon shot into them can't match the heat already coming out, and firing a missile towards the 'tailpipe' would just have the missile evaporated in the heat and energy.

Targeting weapons on the Xeno ships is more-effective, and several of the weapon stations are effectively crippled and destroyed on many of the Xeno warships.

A trio of Xeno battleships and a quartet of cruisers would turn, to begin pounding away with their anti-ship cannons at the carriers, pounding high-impact kinetic slugs out at a rapid pace. If there was air in space, the big 'bullets' would be glowing hot as they streaked towards their targets, from air friction. The 7 warships break up into an over-and-under formation to attack the enemy carriers from top and bottom.

The Xeno Fighters spin and twist under the onslaught of missiles and enemy fighter weaponry, eagerly diving in to continue the battle while dozens break up from damage, a few pilots even manage to eject safely. Each one would ripple off Swarm anti-ship rockets, each one self-guided to turn and chase after the enemy fighters. They would follow these up with cannon fire, 40mm guns tearing away.

A-1 Gunships were also in the mix, their multiple guns tracking after individual enemy fighters, heavier guns reaching out to try and claim more enemy lives.

***

Battleships, destroyers and cruisers were still firing their cannons down towards the planet, focusing on fixed positions, since a defensive turrets can't get up and run away. Their shells, fired straight down at the planet would glow white in the atmosphere for several seconds, aided by gravity and mass as they went to their targets.

Several more warships were floating crippled now, 3 battleships crippled, 1 completely destroyed, with 2 destroyed cruisers, 1 cruiser, 1 frigate all destroyed as well. Almost all of the Xeno fleet were showing signs of damage, but with the planet a fixed position.. they were able to 'roll' and present fresh armor to absorb more abuse.

Dropships and shuttles were cut loose, moving with gunship and fighter escorts towards 'blackened' (EMP affected) areas of the planet where planetary defenses wouldn't be a threat.

Setian, check TGs.

The planets surface was taking a serious as the defense stations were hit. But as one got hit another powered up and began firing at clearly weaked sections on the hulls of the Xeno ships. A few Defense teams on the ground continued wiring explosives to buildings, especially any with electronic of text data. Libraries were demolished along with thousands of other buildings. Power centers were rigged for detonation and a few blew emitting a massive red flash that cover several miles and left nothing but dust behind.

The Command Carriers, continued to fire all guns against the enemy. Valkayries were launched and speed in and engaged their enemy gunship counterparts. All ships held strong as fighters were lost, no-one eject, they all fought to the death or sucide.

The Command Carrier that was showing signs of structural damage suddenly jumped away. The other three continued punching the heavy Xeno ships, aiming for what seemed to be the common weak points on this ships. It was not until a few minutes that the same carrier that had jumped away jumped in, this time in the middle of the Xeno fleet. At about 8.8 km long she was a massive sight in the middle of the Xeno fleet, and her engines hit full and she charged the nearest Xeno Battleship, guns blazing at the others.

The Xeno warships are still far enough from the planet, that incoming shots from planetary defenses could be anticipated and dodged, or at least enough of an adjustment made that hits could be taken to fresh armor. That's what the armor is there for, afterall. The warships have the advantage of being able to move, and they would continue to do so.

No more Exodus missiles are fired, just common cannon rounds sent streaking down to the planet's surface. Once the rounds hit atmosphere, they seem to catc on fire, laser-like streaks of white light glimpsed as they fell to their targets. The sonic boom from each round is incredible.

**

The Arizona was the 'nearest' battleship when the command carrier warped back in. In an amazing display of manuverablity (The Xeno don't build HUGE ships for a reason) it would tip its nose upwards, climbing as the carrier charged. It would preform a full backwards loop, applying massive thrust to 'kickback' the rear of the battleship.

The carrier swept past, literally yards from striking the Arizona. Weapons turrets turned 'upwards', the Arizona 'back to back' with the command carrier. Guns began to blaze away, pounding anti-ship rounds towards the spine of the command carrier, seeking out damaged areas where the armor-piercing shots can blast through.

Other battleships and cruisers were still focusing on the carriers, while thousands of friendly and enemy fighters continued to duel back and forth between.

Xeno Frigates would make the difference here, as their rapid-fire anti-fighter weaponry filled space with a deadly hail of ammunition.

**

Xeno dropships and shuttles were landing in an open plain in a 'black' zone affected by the EMPs to disembark Xeno soldiers.

First though, shuttles had made passes and Xeno Infantry had lept from the shuttles in flight, using auxillary jetpacks to land safely, then dumping the packs and moving to secure the landing zone.

The Carrier's starboad 'wing' began shwoing more signs of damage as she turned and began to target the most crippled of the Xeno warships. Her cannons continued to fire hard on the weapon systems of the enemies. The other Carriers continued to fire as they slowly advanced on the Xeno Fleet, they began targeting their heavier cannons towards the small Xeno frigates.

The fighters began losing their grip as the the enemy frigates came in, but the Valkayries we in relative bulk now. Their autocannons fired on passing Xeno fighters, and their primary weapons were focused on the gunships.

Imperial Defense and local militia were still on the ground, but all of the vital data centers were destroyed of rigged. Explosions rocked the planet-wide industrial complex that is Poth. The soldiers sat in wait, and watched the Xenos landed. There were Sebecean snipers everywhere along with many explosives. They would wait for the right moment, but for now the Xeno would not know they were here.

Space
The most-damaged ships would begin taking fire, and battleships and cruisers with fresh armor manuvered themselves into place to absorb some of the incoming damage. Still though, several more ships were just floating there with power out, just as likely the damage too much to repair.

Onboard the West Virginia, the Admiral growled at her weapons tech. "End it. End it now before we lose anyone else."

The battleships opened up their missile bays, and the tips of Exodus missiles could be seen for a second before they launched, streaking towards the enemy carriers in a wave, each one packing tons of high explosives in an armor-piercing warhead.

Ahead of the Exodus missiles, waves of Swarm rockets twisted and turned, providing cover and distraction.

The A-1 Gunships were still out, not being targeted by enemy fire they had free reign, chasing after enemy fighters and pounding them with heavy weapons fire.

Planetside
Recon teams were out now. Thousands of infantry unloading and dispersing so as not to be clumped up targets.

The recon teams moved forward slowly, their sophisticated helmets fluttering through several types of vision, from heat-seeking, to magnetic, to motion-sensing all to provide the scouts with a better idea of what is out there.

Heavy armored APCs rolled down dropship ramps, their weaponry twitching back and forth, seeking targets before they clawed their way into nearby cover.

The Xeno would mass before advancing on the nearest city.

The missiles hit the front of the thick armor of the Carriers, a few causing internal damage, but most causing a impressive lightshow on the surface of the Carrier. The was wisdom in the size and construction of massive warships like the Command Carrier, and this battle proved it: they can hold against a superior foe for awhile.

The fighters were getting torn up badly as a releif squadron entered the fray and attacked the larger gunships. Missiles streaked from the wing stubs of the Banshees, and arched around chasing their targets. Debris hit the and bounced off of the fighters, a few causing severe damage. The Valkayries still had lost none and chased the enemy gunships. The Valkayrie class gunship was the fastest ship in the Sebecean fleet, and they used this well.

The battlesuits of the Sebeceans kept them invisible to IR and they provided an advanced helmit display. The entire suit was light and used alot of nano-technology. The Sebecean Defense Forces had their weapons plugged into the targeting system of the suit, and they waited. All was still until a Xeno APC exited the open space of the Parade ground and entered a narrow Electro-Mag Trainway as a missile streamed down the street and hit the APC on a armor gap. The point where it was fired from was a Automatic Launcher stand... no one was there.

IC:

Deep within T-Space, the lone Infiltrator Cruiser floated silently among its shroud of Triple-S vessels. The smaller ships extended the sensor array to allow detailed scans through the Dimensional Barriers. The data was compiled and transmitted using the Space Minus Transmitter back to Command for a more detailed analysis of the tactics and hopefully to determine the location of the Throneworld by triangulating the transmissions of the defending fleets.

This part of the battle was not for them, they only observed for a possible future conflict. The younger nations needed to accomplish their task on their own so they could stand proud of their own accomplishments.

The Watchers waited…


OOC:

*TAG*