ALLIES: [member="Vela Alya T'Ser Sipal"] [member="Atlas Drake"] [member="Acaleus Thorn"] [member="Cuan Kunn"] | ORC
ENEMIES: [member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Vanessa Vantai"] [member="Darth Morbus"] [member="Khonsu Amon"] [member="Darth Ophidia"] [member="Fiolette Raaf"]| TSE
The Victator shook. Kiff grimaced as he gripped railing, his knuckles going white as he fought to keep balance. These Sith just couldn't give him a rest, could they? After muttering some carefully-chosen curses, he turned back to Jol and the large holotable that sat in the rear center of the battlecruiser's bridge. Whatever had just fired had hit the Victator, and hit hard.
"What hit us?" Kiff managed to get out before taking a shallow breath. His chest hurt, and that couldn't be good.
Jol was the first to respond, the comm-scan officer's mouth still opened in mid-reply. "Sith reinforcements, mostly carriers and smaller assault craft. A few Star Destroyers, but the majority of them seem to be holding back. One rather big artillery battlecruiser, whose missiles just contacted, and a Super Star Destroyer. Fortunately, outside of the first volley it seems that they aren't deploying their entire fleet on our rear. We have Therapy Command to thank for that," Jol said as the offier nodded in confirmation. Kiff cursed -- he'd been so focused on the cloaked Super Star Destroyer and his maneuvers into the first Sith Fleet that he seemed to have completely missed the second fleet coming at their rear. He marched over to the holotable, watching the projected beacons displaying the newcomers.
"It looks like everyone wants to be the gatecrasher today," Kiff sardonically quipped as he studied the new field of battle. What he saw, he did not like. Not only did the arrival of the new Sith fleet throw a massive wrench into his already-complicated plans, but if he didn't act fast he might as well kiss his armada goodbye. "Tell me what ships I should be worrying about," Kiff quickly ordered the comm-scan officer.
Looking rather taken aback by the sudden order, the officer took a second to remember what he was doing before he completely processed the command. Clearing his throat, he stood up and began pointing at various icons on the holotable while he listed out the multiple new threats. "The artillery battlecruiser is the only ship that has fired, and at the Victator. So far, no other ships are damaged by the Sith reinforcements, but multiple Sith warships are moving to engage our rear. The Judgement Day is reporting incoming Sith Fighters, as well as the Hardshell. Rickrack is reporting long-range fire from two cruisers." The officer said as the various ships on both sides were highlighted in a red aura if enemy, or blue aura if friendly.
Kiff nodded. The pain in his chest made sure he didn't forget about the Victator being targeted, and the simple readjustments that needed to be made for that weren't rocket science.
"Readjust shields to the rear to protect the Victator from further damage, and instruct the entire fleet's point-defense and anti-missile systems to prepare for fighter engagement and missile bombardment," He said to the communications and lower deck officer at the same time. Turning back to the comm-scan officer, he motioned for him to continue.
The officer coughed into his hand before flicking a switch on his console, changing the indentations on the holo-table. "A large number of Escort Corvettes and Assault Frigates, accompanied by two Escort Crusiers, seem to be heading towards various Valiant II Star Destroyers. They have yet to reach engagement range, but are closing fast. The Valiant and Arkanis are expected to bear the worst of the force, while the Requiem is being targeted by three light Star Destroyers. Likewise, one Star Destroyer and two Heavy Cruisers are approaching the Hallast and Nordson."
Kiff grimaced. This was about to turn into a bloodbath for both sides, and he wasn't seeing much of a way for his fleet to escape unscathed. At the very least they had a bit to prepare, but that was the extent of it. “Instruct the Valiant and Arkanis
to turn port to open up their artillery against the corvettes, and for all ships to shift their shield projections accordingly.” Kiff’s fingers were tapping absentmindedly against the top of the holotable’s edge.
“I want fighter wings not already engaged to form a defensive perimeter centering around the Nest-class cruisers. All ships that still have fighters in their bellies must launch their fighters now to combat the ranging Sith fighters.”
Kiff turned towards the opposite command pit. “Astrogation, turn the Victator slightly to port. Artillery command, computate firing solutions for incoming ships. Instruct our hyper velocity cannons, proton torpedo silos and composite beam laser to target and fire at the artillery battlecruiser before it can cause more damage. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the Victator’s artillery to dissuade the approaching Xo’Xaan
Star Destroyers.” The specialists for each station nodded as they prepared the shift for the ship. Kiff cleared this throat, raising his hand to stop his incessant tapping.
Klaxons blared as the Victator began to make a slow curve to port. It was good thing that the Sith ships were far out - impressively armored and armed as it was, it was cumbersome to make tight maneuvers. Thankfully, listing to port while the enemy ships were still out of range did not take much effort, and soon the change had been made. Now with the port side of the Victator facing towards the Sith fleet, the guns of the massive battlecruiser were free to work their wonders.
All at once, the hyper velocity cannons of the Victator opened fire at the Sith artillery battlecruiser. The roar was accompanied by the hiss of proton torpedoes as they left white streaks across the void, crossing the expanse at ridiculous speeds to find their target. Not as fast-firing as the hypervelocity cannons or torpedo silos, the dual-emitter composite beam laser was still more deadly than the combined force of the former. Two massive blasts of yellow-orange lasers erupted from the battlecruiser, intertwining over the distance to create a ray of death.
Meanwhile, the other Star Destroyers and heavy cruisers had already adjusted. Two of the Augrim-class Heavy Cruisers has moved in to support the carriers in the rear of the fleet, who had in turn dispatched fighters that were now beginning to form a screen against the incoming Sith fighters. Kiff cursed that he had not had the foresight to bring any larger dedicated carriers than the Nest-class, yet most CIS ships were inherently designed around Starfighter combat so it wasn’t that much of a downside. He’d have to trust it to point-defense and the multiplicity of the Confederate droid fighters to deal with that threat.
As for the rest of the Sith fleet, an urgent message was sent to Therapy Command - not even a recording, just a text relayed on a tight beam to the capital ship of the ORC task force asking for urgent assistance. The Coaliton effort may be saved yet.
FLEET
