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The Constellation emerged from hyperspace in a blur of pseudomotion. Multiple squadrons completed their jump while maintaining formation on the survey ship's flanks. They were a ragtag force of scavenged Mon Cal fighters and old military surplus X-Wings from the Core Worlds. Each pilot knew the odds of flying against well trained Imperials in state-of-the-art interceptors. Many would not be jumping home again.
"There be a troubling sum of star destroyers on our port side, cap'n."
"You worry about those transports," Drake grimaced at the pilot droid, "Let the mandos worry about the blockade."
Lights all over the bridge flickered and an alert klaxon went off to signal deflector screens were losing power. Cursing in huttese, Atlas punched a wall terminal. Pleasing tones indicated the shields had come back online at full strength. Worn down inertial dampeners struggled to compensate for the surge in sublight engine power causing turbulence to jostle the Constellation bridge crew in their crash seats.
"Sensors spy some bandits on intercept."
"Fly casual," the captain unbuckled his flight harness, "I'll keep them off us for as long as I can."
Drake staggered from the heavy freighter's bridge and up a ladder before buckling himself into the quadlaser turret on her top deck. He grabbed a comlink headset and flipped on the short-range sensors then swung the manual weapon platform around with its control sticks. To his surprise none of the incoming hostile fighters were TIE designs.
"All squadrons, maintain course! Protect the transports. May the Force be with you."
Once they were within extreme weapons range the deep black over Dac lit up with a multicolored exchange of laser cannon fire. Tracking a droid fighter Atlas pulled the trigger, quadlaser pumping out blasts in sequence. It screamed past his firing arc in seconds, one wing trailing smoke. His sensors tracked the impact on a tiny wireframe outline of the tri-fighter indicating only light damage.
Around the Constellation his squadron broke formation to take evasive maneuvers. Panicked voices overlapped in Wing Commander Drake's ears. The Imperials sought to drive them off course and into orbital guns while the rebels were under orders not to stray far enough to leave the escorts exposed. Meanwhile both sides were attempting to line up kill shots on each other. The result was chaos.
Incoming fire peppered across the freighter's shields. Constellation couldn't hope to outmaneuver the intercept craft so instead like a heavy bomber its more robust deflector system soaked up each strafing pass while Drake's quadlaser hopefully could provide enough point defense to keep the drain from overwhelming his ship's already temperamental power reserves.
"Karabast!" Drake swung the quadlaser back around, "I can't shake them!"
He didn't recognize the design, but these newest ships were much larger than the droid craft. More heavily armed. Space superiority fighters, Atlas reckoned. Tracking one with his quadlaser revealed a pilot far more talented than any programmed brain. An X-Wing exploded in their path, and RX-P8's evasive maneuvers strained Drake against his harness.
The Constellation's turret spit cannon fire, raking back and forth across the incoming Imperial ace's attack vector. At these speeds hitting anything in outer space was much harder than it looked but the longer the Imperial maintained pursuit the better odds Drake had of scoring a lucky shot.
As the Crab Carryalls broke away from the Mecetti fleet, aiming to reinforce ground positions, Phoenix Wing executed a calculated maneuver under Aether's command.
The GAMS-346 Astrocat Blockade Runner was dispatched ahead of the Crab Carryalls, charging forward with its Twin Dual Barrel Thunderer Turbolasers and Deployable Tusk Missile Launchers primed for engagement. Aether's voice resonated through the fleet's coms: "Astrocat, intercept and block their escape. Force them to change course or face obliteration." The Astrocat unleashed a concentrated barrage, creating a wall of destruction.
Simultaneously, Aether directed specific squadrons for a coordinated strike. "Phantomray 1 and Ebonray 1, target the Carryalls from multiple angles," Aether ordered. The squadrons focused their Ion Cannons to disable the vessels while Rail Guns and Minelayers with seismic charges disrupted the enemy formation. "Phantomray 2 and Ebonray 2, support the Astrocat in creating a trap," Aether continued, ensuring the Carryalls were boxed in.
Meanwhile, Phoenix Wing's capital ships were not idle. "Sur'haai Frigate, Sarlacc-Snare, Blizzard, Aranar, Apex, and Mother." Aether commanded, "Keep focus fire on Velran's fleet. Target their aft and flanks." The capital ships unleashed a barrage of devastating weaponry, hammering the Egghead ships as they attempted to turn. The Capital Grade Shield leech weapons were being put to effective use alongside the extensive batteries mounted on the ships. Should the enemy's shields begin to deplete, the real fun would soon begin. The fleet was poised to take full advantage of the brief window before the enemy could fully turn.
One of the Mother Shark-class ships readied itself for a ramming maneuver. It was becoming increasingly clear that the long, spiked prow was specifically designed for such an aggressive tactic. The anticipation built as the ship prepared to close the distance, its shield leeching technology attempting to render the opponent's defenses nearly useless before... before the decisive impact attack that would inevitably come. There was no way that was the boarding action... was it? The large ship engines that swivvled made it clear it was fast and manuverable as it aligned it's self.
Aether prepared for the next phase. " Viper 1, Hutthound 1, and Jair 1," Aether instructed, "Engage and neutralize the incoming TIE Interceptors. Prepare for boarding once their defenses are drained."
Phoenix Wing's tactics were simple: maintain relentless pressure, prevent any chance of escape, and ensure Velran's fleet was either captured or destroyed.
Despite Phoenix Wing's resilience, the enemy's tactics, including long-range missiles and TIE Interceptors, caused some disruptions and minor damage. However, Phoenix Wing's countermeasures and Aether's strategic orders were keeping the offensive strong.
”Ions and missiles incoming, sir!” Reznik called out as he glanced at the admiral. ”Cycle shields for the ions, point defense can deal with the missiles. Last thing we need now is to be dead in the water.” Herrix ordered.
The Hellion fleet adjusted their shields to mitigate the ionic effect on the ships, though the missiles fired from the Mecetti fleet proved to strain the point defense systems enough to score a number of hits on the shields of the ships. Even after the barrage of missiles, the enemy turbolasers kept jabbing away at the defenses of the five ships.
”Admiral, enemy carriers are deploying vulture droids. I think they’re waiting for us and the Strill fleet to get closer.” The comms officer alerted as he studied his station. The admiral studied his terminal with the occasional glance out of his viewport. Something clicked for Herrix as he studied the enemy positions.
They were still forming up. Painting targets, getting into position. With the tap of a button, he opened a secure channel to the Strill flagship. :: Strill fleet, this is Herrix. Two of my destroyers will assist you with the flank and center of their formation. :: He briefed, switching the channel to the rest of his own fleet. :: ‘Nimban’ and ‘Lorta’ will assist the Strill fleet. ‘Tython’ and ‘Mon Gazza’, maintain current course and focus fire on the flank. ::
With the orders given, the fleet began to shift into their respective positions, adjusting their aim to engage their new designations. ‘Tython’ and ‘Mon Gazza’ let loose with volley upon volley against the flanking fleet (Augustus Von Strauss
) while the ‘Lorta’ and ‘Nimban’ assisted in targeting the fleet of Maldor Mecetti
alongside the Strill fleet.
The ‘Christophsis’, however, had a plan of her own as she shifted her focus to the other point in the enemy blockade (Darth Rasnuhl
). A wild idea turned in the admiral’s head as he stared the fleet in question down. ”Reznik, target those carriers with the seismic cannons, two per ship. Halen, disable the safety parameters on the hyperdrive.” Herrix called out, facing his bridge crew. Understandably, they all looked shocked at their admiral’s orders. ”Um… sir… yes, sir. Do you… have a destination?” The young navigation officer stammered with concern in her voice, staring with wide eyes at Herrix. ”That chevron right over there!” He pointed to the six cruisers flying in a chevron formation, hiding the two carriers behind them. Without another word the crew did as they were told, though all of them were protesting in the back of their minds. They knew what their commanding officer was planning.
The four seismic cannons in the bow of the battlecruiser fired.
Bright blue beams accelerated toward the two carriers at blistering speed. Upon contact, a shimmering wave rippled toward the impact points, forming swirling spheres of light for a brief second before exploding in a series of four devastating shockwaves capable of inflicting serious damage to shields and ship hulls alike. Any fighters, debris or small vessels caught in the blast would be torn apart by the sheer concussive power of the deadly weapons.
:: All hands, brace for impact! ::
The moment the catastrophic shockwaves dissipated, the ‘Christophsis’ jumped to lightspeed and dropped out right in front of the formation of cruisers, creating an illusion of teleportation at a range this short. Using the momentum of the jump and her powerful engines, the battlecruiser barreled toward one wing of the chevron, aiming to drive right through the smaller cruisers using her sheer, overpowering weight and forward momentum of her targets.
In the midst of all the chaos, the ventral, dorsal and starboard weapons systems let loose with a full broadside at the remaining wing of the chevron at the naval equivalent of point blank range. The port side weapons and ion cannons raked the passing cruisers and two carriers, making sure to hit any ships that came past, rammed or not.
With the full power of the battlecruiser unleashed, the ventral hangar doors slid open and allowed four cruisers and a host of Meteor starfighters to deploy and join in the fray. The cruisers scattered around the shuddering ‘Christophsis’ with weapons firing at the ships around them, while the fighters clashed against the enemy fighter squadrons.
With the flagship creating an overwhelming distraction, the four remaining Star Destroyers opened their port and starboard hangar doors to let their complement of Corvettes emerge to join in on the action. In a minute or two, the Hellion fleet tripled in number with the Corvettes racing toward the blockade in sporadic movements to throw off the aim of the enemy’s heavy weapons.
Following closely behind the emerging Corvettes, dozens of Meteor starfighter squadrons zoomed out to target incoming missiles and starfighters.
Hellion fleet splits up
Christophsis jumps to Rasnuhl fleet to ram and cause chaos
Corvettes and Cruisers deployed to bolster Hellion fleet
Yol Kan watched in dismay as his sensor scope lit up with complications.
He was a mercenary by trade. Enrolled in the Imperial Auxilia by choice. It was a lucrative position, if you could get it. It paid well, afforded social standing within the Empire, and ensured a lack of legal complications while you plied your trade. Moff Mecetti had even trusted him to lead men on more than one occasion, granting him the rank of Major.
This particular occasion was meant to be an insertion for a ground battle.
Not an incident of space combat.
Yet the enemy blockade-runner somehow charged through the blockade that had been put in place to prevent such things. Well... that's probably why they called them blockade runners, he supposed.
Worse, there were interceptors being deployed around the flanks,, closing in on his squadrons.
The goals of the enemy were apparent: Prevent a reinforcement of the ground position by these carryalls, by their embarked troops, and by the hover-tanks they were hauling around. Yol had only two choices, as far as the enemy was concerned: Retreat back to the main blockade force, or be destroyed.
A reasonable assumption, he supposed.
But he had a counter-proposal to put forward.
"Carryall Squadrons, this is Major Kan. We are not going to retreat. We are going to engage.
The Blockade Runner in our path has miserably poor maneuverability and speed.
The interceptors flanking us have unusually large hull-frames.
We can hit both of them with our lasers, while their guided weapons will be disrupted by the Obscurer's Electronic Warfare and Missile Jamming systems.
Target the Blockade-Runner with the Carryall's central laser cannons, and also with the Heavy laser cannons of our carried tanks.
Target the interceptors with the wing-mounted laser turrets as they make runs on us. They will not strafe us with impunity.
Whatever you do, do not stop. Charge past the enemy. That blockade runner can not outrun these Carryalls.
The foe will soon discover that they have only fed themselves into the maw of a ravenous beast, to be chewed upon as we pass."
He sounded more confident than he was. That was a requirement of Command. But at least the plan was not without merit. They would surely take casualties, but they vastly outnumbered their foes in this corner of the engagement, and they had formidable firepower to bring to bear, not to mention far superior speed and maneuverability when compared to that Blockade Runner.
Enemy fire did not take long in coming.
Ion weapons struck some of the Carryalls. A few were disabled by it. But the Ion shielding of the Carryalls proved proof against the worst of the disabling fire.
Missiles and other guided weapons often went awry, missing their targets thanks to the Obscurer's powerful electronic warfare suite.
But no countermeasure was foolproof.
Several of the Carryalls fell away or were destroyed by enemy fire, be it cannons or warheads that overcame the defense.
The Carryalls and their charges gave back some damage as well, opening up with a multitude of laser cannons, peppering space with beams of red and green. The Blockade Runner was tough. Yol wasn't sure if they'd actually hurt it as they soared past.
But soar past they did.
This left only the interceptors of unusual size to harry them as the Carryalls proceeded to orbital entry, firing wing-mounted lasers at the enemy craft as they prepared to descend.
_____________________________
Crab Carryalls – 12 Squadrons (Departing for Ground Engagements)
(48 units originally, 35 remaining)
Carrying 48 units of Hover Tanks, 35 remaining.)
Aboard the MHGN Obscurer
Flagship of the Moff Mecetti Fleet
Imperial Blockade Forces
Defending against Non-Imperial Forces
___________________________________________________________
There was a certain advantage that a foe held while attacking a blockade.
The blockading force had limited mobility. They were in a defensive posture, and so could not perform grand thrusts or wide flanking maneuvers. Not if they intended to protect a given area of territory against advances
But Moff Mecetti was not alone in this particular blockade.
He knew that other, vast fleet elements were gathered here, allied with him. As long as he stood his ground, they would be free to parry, sidestep, and thrust at the enemy. He could stand here and endure what came, like the ancient Mecetti Tercios of old. Squares of shot, shield, and pike, difficult and deadly to assail. That's how it had been in times long forgotten, before the Old Republic had ever been a gleam in the galactic eye.
It was gratifying to know the damage that his allied fleets would inflict while he stood here.
It was less gratifying to stand here and get chewed upon.
He glared at a holo-projection as the enemy shots landed amidst his forces. Not as dire as it might have been, perhaps. His ships had formidable point-defense capability and excellent shields and armor plate. They had superb damage control capability. There were also enough squadrons of fighter craft swarming around his capital-ship formations to choke a super-star destroyer.
And then there were the blast-boats. Aptly named 'Hammers,' they delivered stunning blows that could even be felt by capital ships.
Once his fleet's initial huge barrage of missiles had crossed over to the enemy, and the enemy missiles crashed into his fleet's overlapping point-defense fire, the Obscurer blanketed the starscape with missile jamming and electronic countermeasures.
Now it would be a knife fight.
Knife fights, of course, were bloody affairs.
The enemy drew close, and the suffering began. Not only suffering by the Mecetti forces, of course. But that was the suffering Maldor was concerned about. He saw reports of shield damage. Of armor impacts. Of systems taken off-line on this ship or that ship. Much of this damage was from the enemy's formidable missiles, no doubt. Now their cannons were the tools of most concern.
He saw the numbers of fighters dwindle. Some, due to enemy action. Some, due to the ordered suicide-runs conducted by his droid pilots.
One of the Tercio cruisers took damage that was much worse than the others. A lucky hit to a critical system, perhaps. Or perhaps it just happened to be where a cluster of enemy missile fire got through the fleet defenses. War was chaotic, and such things happened.
The MHGN Spear erupted in a ball of plasma, the first capital ship of his forces to be lost in the exchange.
Sensors were still struggling to get a read on the damage inflicted upon the enemy. He hoped it would be equally harsh.
Stand your ground. That was his role. Let the enemy crash upon his forces like waves upon rocks. They would not pass through him without paying a horrible price.
With him as the Anvil, the other Imperial forces could be the Sledge.
Hammer them, he willed. Shatter them.
___________________________
TL;DR -
The Moff Mecetti Fleet holds its ground and engages a vigorous defense, employing electronic warfare to best effect. Kamikaze attacks by starfighter squadrons have the potential for asymmetric damage. Defensive cannon fire with support from Blast Boats makes for a dangerous crisscross of fire among Mecetti deployments. One Tercio cruiser is lost to enemy fire amidst the chaos and fortune of war.
___________________________
Fleet Makeup
1 Obscurer Class Star Destroyer (2 km total) MHGN Obscurer - Condition: 98% hull, 99% shields
The Crabs unleashed their full might against the Astrocat Frigate, but its shell proved far tougher than they had anticipated—almost like a crab itself. The Carryalls quickly realized that the Astrocat was no easy prey; its reinforced hull absorbed their fire with ease, standing resolute amidst the onslaught.
Meanwhile, the Ebonray and Phantomray Starfighters, though built with larger profiles to accommodate their dual-purpose design, weaved through space with unmatched maneuverability and speed. These sleek assault interceptors were not only fast but also armed to the teeth, their guns and armor making them formidable in the fray. Despite the Astrocat's slow pace and seemingly vulnerable appearance, the enemy soon found that delivering significant damage would be a far greater challenge than they had expected.
It was as if everything was going exactly according to plan.
As the battle raged on, it became increasingly clear that, although the Crabs outnumbered the Rays, they were hopelessly outmatched. The Ebonray and Phantomray squadrons had descended upon them like a pack of hungry manta rays, methodically devouring the crippled and sluggish Crabs in a frenzied feast; They would attempt to continue to do so. The Crabs, seemed unable to keep pace with the Rays, found their attempts to retaliate rather futile against the coordinated assault. Their carcasses drifted towards the ocean floor, defeated and lifeless.
In the end, the enemy's aggression only served to feed the maw of Phoenix 's forces.
TLDR
Crabs used guns!
It wasn't very effective…
Damage ticks have been applied to Astrocat and Rays.
Velran did not expect part of the rebel fleet to attack him, the clever little sneaks. They have guts to try to board a Super Star Destroyer, he had to admit, Velran had a teensy tiny bit of respect for their unexpected creativity. "Just a tiny bit though," Velran thought. "One surprise maneuver does not make a genius."
The Eggman inflicted moderate damage to the aircraft squadrons, however, to take down the fleet, he'll need more firepower. He couldn't use his Ion and Plasma canon as the Superstar Destroyer was very slow to rotate, but if he can shift the ship to the right side, he'll have more than enough turbolasers to rein glorious fire upon the smaller fleet. Velran needed some covering fire from the rest of his fleet.
"Crew!" Velran announced to Ensigns. "Turn this ship 180 degrees starboard! Right thrusters to full power! I want all turbolasers to fire on the fleet as soon as complete our turn!"
"What about our shields?" An Ensign asked his tone of voice filled with concern. "The enemy is draining our shields."
"What about our shields?!" Velran gave the young lieutenant a vicious mock. "Keep crying or I'm going to shove a pacifier on your mouth ya damn baby! The shields will hold! What's important is that we keep our engines safe! I want all Star Destroyers to turn and form a line in front of us while we turn!"
Eye of Prophet, Team Chaotix, Nevermore, Jungle Japes, and Tranquility moved up in a hasty attempt to form a line. Eye of Prophet and Nevermore formed up first unleashing the turbolasers to the nearest Motherclass ships who were attempting to move up and ram the Eggman.
"How are we Lamentation?!" Velran asked through the intercom.
"We're holding!" Commander Duran E'ron shilloute appeared. "We've lost one squadron but we're laying down some fire!"
"Great!" Velran said rubbing his hands. "Let's move this baby now!"
As soon as he said that, the Eggman slowly began to turn.
Enter Strill Securities
Augustus saw the massive war vessels of the Strill Securities fleet arrive and promptly be the ones to start hostilities, history will remember that. They began first by launching their field of gas. almost immediately the gunnery side of the bridge became flustered as if something was wrong.
"What is it? Why the commotion?" Augustus asked from his podium.
"Sir, our sensor readouts on the Mandalorian fleet are being disrupted." An officer replied, "It only started once the gas got to where it is. We still have sensor data, but it's not as strong as we would want it."
Augustus closed his eyes and rubbed his chin, he knew there were some gases that could disrupt sensor, but he'd never seen them in use, or read about them being in a cloud that large. He chuckled, "Well that makes it interesting. get me a read-"
He was cut off by alarms going off. "Sir, missiles. A lot of them." The solid hologram system began showing just how many there were coming directly for his fleet. Augustus stood straight up and began barking orders.
"All ships use War Cloud missile and intercept the largest groups of them. Engage all missiles with point defense and laser cannons. All ships use smaller turbolasers and ion cannons as flak, let's knock as many of these missiles out as we can." Augustus pressed a button on his podium connecting him to LtC. Sofia Von Marxson II of Tempest Squadron, "Sofia, take control of a few squads and start targeting missiles."
"Already on it Cap." she responded, the sound of screeching TIEs in the background. "Tempest, keep with your wingmen and take out as many missiles as you can." A few affirmatives could be heard through the comms.
"I'll have the controller attach the two squads of Jagdhunds to you. Play nice." Augustus said to one of his eldest friends.
"No promises Cap." She responded back.
The Mandalorian's gas had disabled their sensor readouts of their fleet, but it hadn't disrupted sensors from seeing this side of it. It would be close, but once the missiles made it to this side of the gas, they'd have all the data they would need to intercept. Many would make it through the thick anti-missile/starfighter point defense, the starfighters themselves, the flak, and the war cloud gas itself. After the missiles reached the Empire's side of the gas Augustus's fleet unleashed a total of five-hundred and ten missiles of sizes ranging from standard missile size to super heavy assault missiles, nowhere near the amount fired at them, but these missiles were filled with war cloud gas, something known to disable electronic systems. Similarly to the Mandalorian's gas, the war cloud expanded covering the fleet with it.
He felt the rumble as more than a few missiles breached the Heimdall's shields, luckily she was the most armored out of the fleet and could take the beating. So could the other ships, but not as much as she could. "Damage reports!" He said quickly.
"Nothing breached past the armor, shields are holding, a few smaller batteries were damaged. The Freyja's are reporting the same, only light damage." An officer replied. Augustus let out a sigh, his gamble worked this, but only time could tell if it would work again.
"Good, keep damage control in the loop to anything, more will be incoming. But, now it's time to retort." Augustus said loudly. "Charge all weapons and prepare to fire."
"Sir, sensor readings are still acting erratic."
"But, we are still getting readings, so focus on those. We'll miss a few shots and adjust for it." He quickly shot back. "Fire everything we have at their command vessel."
The space around the fleet became alit with the colors of various high-powered batteries unleashing turbolasers and ion cannons, to the axial-mounted plasma cannons and the fleets own concussion missiles. They all fired through the cloud of Mandalorian gas, not knowing that it reduced their effectiveness. Not until the damage reports came back.
"Sir, we inflicted damage, but its mediocre, even with the hits we scored." An officer said scratching the back of their head. "It doesn't make sense we aren't having any weapons malfunctions."
Augustus crossed his arms and looked at the cloud on the horizon. It was the only variable that they knew nothing about. "Chief gunner, would we be able to use our tractor guidance to shoot around the cloud?"
"Umm theoretically, we could. We would be using telemetry and erratic data so we might miss more than the last salvo, but yes, I think we could swing it."
"Perfect, do that. Share our data with friendly vessels and have the fleet prepare another full salvo to go around the cloud." Augustus said, continuing to look at the data pouring into his podium. He looked up hearing the sound of weapons beginning to charge.
The buzzing of weapons fully-charged and ready to go crescendoed until they let loose. Again beams of masers, turbolasers and everything these new ships had to offer lit up the space around his fleet, working their way around the gas cloud. Albeit inaccurate, but large enough in volume that some of it was sure to hit anything along the path. Good it worked, then he ordered his gunnery crews to fire at will, continuously filling the skies with vibrant bending colors.
Enter The Eggman
The plan was going smoothly, Augustus fleet was using their technology to the best of its ability to score hits on the enemy fleet, again inaccurate fire, but voluminous enough. Then the Emperor arrived with the calvary offering the Coalition terrorists the chance of redemption, deep within the mines of Kessel, a good offer but an offer they were sure to refuse.
The Emperor's fleet was barely in the system before another fleet jumping in behind his. Cut off from their allies, but in a position to cause serious harm to the Emperor's fleet. Augustus was about to order his fleet to swap targets to engage the new enemy fleet, to support the Emperor. But before he could even blurt out an order a voice rang out over the comms:
"Von Strauss!" He said. "Continue to engage the Mandalorian Fleet! Do not break off! You'll expose our flank! Keep them occupied until I finish off this nuisance!"
The Emperor ordered him to continue engage the Mandalorian fleet. A direct order from the Emperor, to him. He was giddy, but he didn't let that go to his head. He has a job to do, a battle to win, and a father to make proud. He rehashed his earlier order to fire at will at the Mandalorian's command vessel.
Oh Black Betty and Crabs?
Augustus was entirely focused on the Mandalorian fleet, and his enemy took advantage of that. A mistake he would not make twice. The Hellion fleet had two star destroyers targeting his fleet with volley after volley. The heavy salvoes rained down, but Augustus did not faulter. He kept his head up looking at the solid state hologram around him and gave orders,
"Have the Hofunds begin targeting the Hellions firing at us, load Baradium missiles. Even if the gas disrupts sensors our missiles can reacquire targets on the other side." Augustus loved the technology stuffed in the FAE universal missiles, they were just perfect, especially at a task like this. "Unfortunately, their energy weapons will be a little lighter hitting, but that's the price we pay."
Then he noticed a bright blue light streaking across the battlefield. Then BWOOM as they exploded near Darth Rasnuhl's fleet, quickly followed by microjumping battlecruiser. He was being pushed, but across from the battlefield Augustus wasn't in any position to help other than offer some long-range turbolaser support.
"Gunners, have half of our broadside assist Darth Rasnuhl's fleet. It costs us nothing to help him." A resounding affirmative sounded off from the officers as many guns went silent before firing at the pushing Hellions.
He looked again at the holograms around him and saw that Moff Mecetti's carryalls were being targeted. He quickly pressed the button connecting him to Tempest squadron. "Sofia, please tell me you still have missiles."
"Of course Cap, never know how long an engagement will be." She fired off maser fire in the background.
"Good, take Tempest and the Jagdhunds and support the Moff's carryalls, they're beginning to be cornered."
"Copy that Auggie, I mean Cap." She said with a chuckle. "Tempest and attached, we are going to help the carryalls. Fall in, we are going for a ride."
With that Augustus could see the small lights of sixteen of his best and most elite fighters going to assist. They'd have the power to even things out. But he couldn't worry about them he had a command ship to destroy.
Retort on Mando fleet, targeting command vessel.
Shooting through the gas not very effective
Using technology what is was made for to shoot around gas cloud. Inaccurate, but works.
Brief interlude with orders from the Emperor
Hellions target Augustus
Augustus targets Hellions
Hellions rush Rasnuhl
Augustus helps by providing long-range fire support
Moff Mecetti's carryalls being attacked
Augustus sends Elite fighters to help.
Sorry for the long post I had a lot of catching up to do. Thank You all
The insertion went smoothly enough, but it didn’t take long for the station’s occupants to initiate a lockdown. A textbook response, Jas just wondered how long it would have taken them. ”Contact front!” He called out, dropping to one knee as a squad of stormtroopers rounded a corner. The hallway became an all-out warzone as the two groups fired at each other.
When the shooting stopped, Jas stood up with a groan and massaged a spot on his cuirass where a bolt slammed into him. ”Let’s keep moving, blast doors will be-” Before he could finish his sentence, the archways in the hall slammed shut and turrets deployed from the ceiling.
The troops reacted quickly, but not before two troopers were gunned down where they stood. Placing one last bolt into each of the turrets as well as a nearby security camera, Jas glanced at the fallen soldiers with a sigh. ”Grab their tags, we’ll get the bodies once the station’s ours.” The Pureblood ordered as he studied the situation.
”Fox, does anyone in your squad have a wrist computer?” He asked the officer with a neutral tone. ”No need to waste the breaching charges just yet. Turbolifts should be nearby, we can wing something from there.” He remarked with a hand on the back of his neck. He had a feeling that they were going to need it.
Waiting for his troopers to sort out the blast door, Jas opened a comm channel to the fleet. :: Retail to Overlord, come in. :: He spoke up, but all he received was static. :: Overlord, this is Retail, do you read us? :: He tried again to no avail. ”Of course they’re jamming us. Well then, we’re on our own for the moment.” He commented, mostly to himself. When did they ever catch a break?
A feeling crept up the back of his neck, drawing his focus to the blast door ahead of them. ”Fox, hold up. There’s troops on the other side.” He ordered with a stern voice before they could open the door.
Pulling a thermal detonator from his belt, he indicated for a few others to do the same and stood by the door. He motioned for Fox to only open the doors partially as he primed his thermal detonator. They could just as well use the durasteel barrier to their own advantage.
On the other side of the station, Karst was locked in a furious firefight with the station’s defenders. ”Get the repeaters on ‘em!” He called out over the carnage, waiting for two support gunners to take up positions. The hallway lit up with blasterfire as the two gunners formed a cone of overlapping fire towards their enemies.
The moment they had some pressure off them, several thermal detonators were thrown at the stormtroopers. ”Get back!” One of the troopers shouted, prompting the Hellions to huddle behind what cover they could find just before the detonators went off, tearing a chunk of the hallway apart. ”Alright, let’s move it, ladies!” Karst barked, charging ahead with several other troopers to rush their enemy.
They didn’t get very far before turrets deployed and blast doors boxed them in. Luckily they took the turrets out just in time, but one unfortunate soul screamed as a blast door caught him in the midriff and closed up. Several groans and murmurs resounded among the soldiers as they stared at the one half of the trooper. The half with the dog tags were unfortunately on the other side of the door. ”Kark’s sake. That’s just wrong.” Karst remarked with a shake of his head.
”Get the breaching charges up, we can’t get locked in like this.” He spoke up. The soldiers took one last glance at the trooper’s legs before planting breaching charges on the other end of the hallway. It wouldn’t blow through the doors, but it would dislodge the mechanisms.
In a few moments, the charges exploded and a pair of troopers pulled the blast door open, revealing a torn up hallway ahead of them. ”Let’s go, engineerin’s not that far.” Karst ordered, dropping into a jog with his rifle at a low ready position. He hoped that the commander had an easier time than they did.
Though any time in the cockpit of a ship, or even shoulder deep in one of a ship’s many mechanical parts was something that filled Kharuna with joy, there was something about being in the middle of a battle that just made her smile wider than anything else in the galaxy. Her new Sestina fighter was able to power through the line of enemy fighters. Her quick trigger and superior instincts allowed her to put a few of the fighters she passed down. But that was not the aim of Kharuna’s charge. She was full bore intent on taking the head off this beast that had shown up on her doorstep.
The other members of her squad seemed to be holding their own, which Kharuna took as a sign that she could maintain her focus on the leader. Though she did keep a pretty balanced amount of energy between front and rear shields. Krenth Squad was still outnumbered after all. The enemy might have been just as talented as Krenth Squad in flying ability, but the disparity in fighters was apparent in this part of the battlefield. That it seemed was the Empire’s only advantage in this fight.
As she made it to the front of the enemy formation, Kharuna eased off the acceleration and started trying to pick spots to take out the leader. Whoever was at the controls of the freighter was rather talented, but Kharuna knew that the old jalopy’s shields would only hold out for so long. She continued to lay into the defenses with her beam cannon, while waiting for an opening to use some of her other toys. Shots rang out from the enemy making a determined smirk appear on the young woman’s lips. When a shot was absorbed by her shields she gave a slight flinch, but it didn’t impact her flying much.
When the X-Wing exploded in front of her target, Kharuna was forced to juke in the opposite direction to avoid becoming part of the blast herself. On the other side, she juked back in towards the freighter and worked hard to acquire a steady line on them. Laser shots were lighting up Kharuna’s vision and the energy in her shields was draining fast. Kharuna switched fire to her Scattercannon and began firing again. ”Damn it. Don’t you know you’re out gunned? Change course. Do something!”
Objective: Eat Location: The Eggman Outfit: Armor Equipment: See character sheet for basics [Specifics will be mentioned upon entering PVP] Forces:Pinwheels [Kanni's company of Galactic Marines] Tags:Velran Kilran
In the belly of the beast, that’s where you will find her. Right there on the precipice of combat, but not at a cannon. No, that wasn’t where she was needed at the moment. Leave the turrets for the operators who operated them. Fingers on triggers, they would blast at their enemies which consisted of anybody and everybody who wasn’t serving Emperor Velran Kilran. By the time this endless night and day in space was done away with? They’d be dead meat.
“Heh.”
Kanni Ugaiya Kilran said as she looked at her fist. It gripped nothing at the moment, not even her shuriken, but soon it would have it within it as much as her lightsaber. One or the other. Then again, she did have two hands and an assortment of weapons on her person amid her armor.
“We’re gonna take the cake.”
So promised the princess. In the ship of her father, the Eggman, that Velran-class Super Star Destroyer, but not in the bridge. Not in the armory or the cargo bay. Not in her quarters or the medbay. She was currently stationed in the mess hall, obviously.
“THEY’S GONNA KEEP ATTACKING US, HUMMFY, BUT WE’S GONNA SHOW ‘EM WHO’S THE FUNNY-WUNNY AND WHO’S THE FUZZY-WUZZY, YUPPFY!?”
Kanni turned to her troopers who made up her team, Galactic Marines, the 251st Hellhound Corps or, as renamed by their mistress, the Pinwheels. They even had pinwheels pinned to their breasts. They were colored green.
“YES, KANNI! WE GET YOU! WE THINK!” They echoed.
“NOBODY’S GONNA TAKE VICTORY AWAY FROM ME AND MY DADDY, CAPEESH!?”
“OH NO, KANNI, AIN’T NOBODY GONNA WIN EXCEPT FOR US! WE ARE THE BEST!”
“We’re a beast!” Someone said.
“Huh?” Kanni blinked. “Who said that?” She asked.
“...Uh…” They replied.
She looked left, looked right. “I ain’t gonna keel ya…heh…nah…just wanna know who thinks we’re beasts compared to deities who will stomp and bomb the beasts…yeh…”
“...Um…it was…me…” Said somebody.
At that, Kanni craned her neck, heard a pop, cracked her knuckles, jogged on, and whacked.
-WHAM!-
“WAGH!”
Her trooper fell back but would stand again moments later. But not yet. Heh.
“SOMEBODY BRING ME MY DINNER!”
“BUT…KANNI…YOU ALREADY ATE DINNER MINUTES EARLIER!”
“Woofoo? Oohoo…then bring me my SECOND DINNER!”
“YES, KANNI! QUICKLY! MAKE HER THE MOST EXQUISITE BURGER THIS SIDE OF THE UNIVERSE OR WE END UP LIKE FRED!”
“Heh.”
Total length: 8.8km
6 Impetum x 877m
2 Cynosure Nidus x 1,767m
Darth Rasnuhl had dropped in to the opening salvos of the battle. The Mandos had deployed obscuring gas, then Augustus had followed suit. The RDF Sandstorm and RDF Kalafax had just begun deploying their vast amount of fighters starting with mostly vultures and a handful of Sri-Fighters when Arjen Herrix
's massive ship the "Christophsis" fired the Ai reacted faster than the crew could tell what was coming their way... But not fast enough.
The Ai worked to shunt the shields to the bow but not before the beams seismic guns went off. Darth Rasnuhl and the ship were vibrated on the bridge before alarms went off and the Ai went on the audio "All Personal, evacuate from the bow. This is not a drill, pressure hull critical. Bulkheads will close in T minus 25 seconds... 24.. 23.."Holy Thats the first thing that popped into the Darth mind after the hit followed by the Ai in his helmet <<Lord Rasnuhl>> that's where the voice stopped as the 4km long ship popped up heading into his fleet. Bloody... Such unconventional maneuvers. The bows of both the RDF Sandstorm and RDF Kalafax bore the marks of the vibratory hit, panels on the bow of the ship amiss, or gone, some of it warped.
The bulk of the Impetum's quickly changed course to not hit the large ship after its micro jump, to the dismay or maybe shock of the Christophsis the Impetum's dorsal & ventral sides had the same armaments as each other. The RDF Couragous and RDF Defiant Couldn't move in time. The RDF Courageous had its super structure sheared off leaving only the secondary bridge to take control, before be pounded by the massive ships weapons. Inside was turmoil the command chain had just be shaken up by the sudden loss of the bridge, multiple hull breaches from point blank range brought absolute chaos as the organic and droid crew threw what they could at patching what could be. The two main shield batteries dropped from the collision leaving about a minute as the Ai diverted power to the secondaries. The Ship began to dive away and turn so its edge would point towards the Christophsis. leaving less to hit & half its guns (the still operational ones) able to return fire. The RDF Defiant had part of its port side corner of its triangular shape sheared off. The crew scrambling to mitigate the damage along with the Droid crew compliment. The one shield matrix temporarily shorting with spectacular arcs of energy as the automated system salvaged the shield node.
The Impetum's got a facefull of fire from the enemy ship, but it got the same in return along with a wave of missiles. To their surprise the massive ships hangers opened. Aboard the RDF Couragous still reeling from the damage the once demoted captain, now Field commander Xelnar got a bright idea to launch his group of 10 LAAT's from the side hanger pointing towards the Christophsis and into the massive ships hangers amid the swarm of Vultures that have jumped off the hulls of the Impetums into the fray with the enemy fighters releasing.
On the bridge of the RDF Sandstorm Darth Rasnuhl His bridge abuzz with multiple ships captains or acting captains using their comms to check in for orders. Darth rasnuhl reacted without hesitation, but filled with the rage of the dark side "Launch the rest of the droid fighters, I want that thing crawling with Buzz droids. HMP's blitz their hanger dropping B1's and B2's. Tri-Fighters cover and hunt their fighters. Vultures aide the Tri-Fighters in their operations. All ships light up the enemy ship. Make them feel our wrath for this insolence " This behemoth had made a calculated move... a calculated mistake they were soon to learn.
Field Marshal Varae aboard the RDF Coiled Shadow at the point of the chevron watches in horror as the massive ship blinks across the gap and immediately to the right. She grabs the control pushing the nose of the ship down under and towards the large ships rear. Yelling at the bridge crew "Fire everything we can! prep the LAAT's for boarding their hanger." The ship shuddered with the extra engine power and the cacophony of sold fire that tore through the shields. Peppering parts of the armor with scorch marks and in a few spots breaching the armored hull leaving the crew to scramble. The shields dropped before the backups fired up. A similar scene was seen across the others to a degree since parts of their ships blocked the fire that was unleashed from making it to the next one.
Impetum's closest to the huge capitol ship dive in directions to miss getting rammed if not rammed in the first place.
Damage crews run to keep their ships afloat
The two Cynosure Nidus take bow damage and unleash their full droid complement
The vultures in the area all deploy with the Tri-Fighters, Vultures, and HMP's into a swarm of lasers, missiles, buzz droids deployments, and cold Ai directions
Vultures on other ships given control to those ships 25 vultures to Augustus Von Strauss
to direct as needed
While the Blockade Runner was quickly left behind, the interceptors were another matter.
"Do not deviate from formation," Yol Kan ordered, "remain in staggered flight, with overlapping fields of fire from wing turrets. It will thereby be hazardous to approach from any vector."
As the squadrons entered orbital space, another Carryall exploded at the fringes of the formation. Like any unescorted formation, they were taking losses. Yol hoped they'd still have a useful insertion force by the time they made landfall.
His gaze turned towards the sensor scope. As they entered orbital space, they were leaving the wide theater jamming signals being put out by the Obscurer. That would make them more vulnerable to enemy missiles... but it would also have a similar effect on their enemy.
"Tanker gunners, your concussion missile launchers should begin to become viable. Get sensor locks on those interceptors, and launch missiles as needed for defense."
A good thing about the Crab Carryalls is that they weren't entirely enveloping the hulls of the tanks they carried. They could even spread their mechanical legs as needed, using attractor nodes alone to tow their passenger vehicles. As a consequence, the carried tank's weapons were not obscured, and were free to fire. Few dropships allowed embarked vehicles to join in the fighting the way the Crabs did.
As Yol continued monitoring the scope, he saw a group of friendly fighters moving to assist.
Praise be to Von Strauss, he thought.
"Check your Friend-or-Foe tags when locking on. We don't want a friendly-fire incident."
There was a pause, and then several missiles arced out, chasing the interceptors that were chasing them. Green laser bolts also peppered the starscape at multiple vectors, turning the Carryall formation into a blazing porcupine.
TL;DR - Crab Carryalls fly in staggered formation for overlapping fields of fire. The carried tanks launch missiles to destroy encroaching interceptors.
_____________________________
Crab Carryalls – 12 Squadrons (Departing for Ground Engagements)
(48 units originally, 31 remaining)
Carrying 48 units of Hover Tanks, 31 remaining.)
Drake uttered a stream of profanity. His quadlaser turret swiveled back and forth lighting up the Constellation's aft with steady streams of cannon fire. The freighter captain tried to anticipate his tail's flight path but every time he got close the Imperial pilot pulled some kind of hot shot maneuever. Voices crackled in his ear, Hellion mercs landing in the first wave before jamming reduced their transmissions to static. Every soul was counting on his squadrons to keep enough reinforcements alive so that Coalition rebels could seize the orbital yards.
"Dank farik!" Atlas scowled at his targeting computer, "That's one hell of a pilot."
He unleashed a few more ineffective volleys before the Imperial special forces fighter responded in kind. Their salvo struck a weak point in the survey ship's deflector grid penetrating through her outer hull. Atlas silently begged the Force for intervention but despite all the smoke and klaxons he was still flying. Lights all over his weapon station flickered dark. Return fire from the quadlaser sputtered out.
"I've lost power!" the captain shouted into his headset, "Rama!"
Barely audible anzellan mumbling over the freighter's internal frequency let Drake know that his diminutive engineer Rama Tok was crawling around somewhere no one else could reach in some mad idealistic crusade to bypass a growing number of damaged systems. His squadron wasn't faring much better. Against the droid ships they scored some kills but these cutting-edge predators had already eliminated several friendlies and driven other rebel pilots way off course just to survive.
"Reckon we might be in some trouble, RX. Permission granted to...discourage our pursuit."
"Music to me audio receptors, cap'n."
While her main gun was disabled, the Constellation fell back on improvised smuggling tactics. Multiple servo claws which were already handling the complex task of finding the safest path through a maelstrom of lasers paused for just a second to arm one of the seismic charges in the ship's aft launch tube. They were mainly used for shipbreaking or clearing stellar debris, but he wasn't the first scoundrel to think up a more devious use.
"Bombs away."
RX-P8 set the mine's charge to a several second delay, attempting to calculate the Imperial bandit's trajectory and speed relative to the still burning freighter. It drifted on a lazy collision course lights blinking furiously in countdown like a short fuse sizzling down.
Aether moved with purpose down the dimly lit corridor toward the prow of the ramming spike, the blue glow of his photoreceptors casting an eerie interplay of light on the walls as he passed. His mind was linked to the ship's systems, pulling in data from every corner of the battlefield. He didn't need to be in the command center—every vital piece of information flowed directly to him, a seamless integration of machine and warrior.
As he walked, Aether's voice, though calm and calculated, carried the weight of the imminent conflict, broadcasting his final commands across the fleet:
"Vipers 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6—deploy immediately. Pursue and finish off the remaining Crab ships. Ensure none escape."
He passed through the final bulkhead, the narrow corridor opening up to the spoke, where the massive ramming spike lay in wait. The ship's vibrations intensified as the engines powered up, readying for the brutal impact to come.
"Mother Sharks, initiate evasive maneuvers. Continue the barrage on the Eggman as it turns. The moment its shields fall, engage ramming maneuvers."
Aether could feel the anticipation building among the crew, the tension of the coming clash reflected in the rapid exchanges of data flowing through his systems. He approached the sharp prow preparing to pierce the enemy hull As he scanned Data.
"Jair 2 and 3, Phantom 3, and Ebon 4—converge and overwhelm those fighters."
Force
Ship
Speed
Maneuverability
Armament
Defenses
EoTL
HMCC-1 Crab Carry-all
Average
Average
Average
Very High
EoTL
Tempest Squadron (TIE/DL Defender of the Lost)
Very High
Very High
High
Fragile Upon Depletion
EoTL
NCE-101a Elite Superiority Fighter (Jagdhund)
High
Very High
High
Very Low
TAC
Directorate Viper Interceptor
High
Average
Average
Low
TAC
HF-2 Jair Kyr'am Heavy Fighter
Low
Low
Very High
Very High
TAC
SS Phantomray Stealth Assault Interceptor
Very High
High
Very High
Very High
TAC
SS Ebonray Assault Interceptor
Very High
High
Very High
Very High
TAC
Convor-Class Corvette (Astrocat)
Very Low
Very Low
Very High
Extreme
Ship Type
Your Ships
Enemy Ships
SS Ebonray Assault Interceptors
24
SS Phantomray Stealth Assault Interceptors
12
HF-2 Jair Kyr'am Heavy Fighters
16
Directorate Ghost Viper Interceptors
60
Total (Your Ships)
113
Tempest Fighters
8
Jagdhund Fighters
8
Crab Carryalls
35
Total (Enemy Ships)
51
Yol Kan
| Augustus Von Strauss
The Crab Carryalls seemed highly unlikely to reach the planet, as they were being bombarded by curtains of seismic charges amidst a relentless barrage of gunfire.
As the Astrocat's shields went offline, it broke away and maneuvered to rendezvous with a support boat. Meanwhile, the Rays pressed on with their assault, with the Jair squadrons continuing their bombardment of enemy vessels. The Rays took full advantage of their speed and maneuverability, weaving through the chaos and ongoing gunfire. Seemingly overpowering the enemy forces with a near two-to-one numerical advantage—especially with the Vipers joining in—the enemy should effectively be overwhelmed.
Aether Continued to issue orders, "After the ramming maneuver, redirect all heavy weaponry to the Eye of Prophet. Focus fire and weaken it significantly. Once it's neutralized, shift attention to Nevermore, and then the next ship that shows vulnerability. Methodically whittle them down."
He stepped into the spoke, the chamber sealing around him with a pressurized hiss, locking him into position as the ramming spike prepared for launch. The cold metal felt familiar, almost comforting.
"Five minutes after the initial ramming, draw back and reverse main engines. Re-align for successive ramming maneuvers, executing them one at a time. Continue ramming every three minutes once the area is clear."
Aether's photoreceptors flickered as he accessed the final contingency protocols, ensuring every possible scenario was covered.
"If any larger ships are compromised, split into groups of two and disperse into a spread formation. All other units, scatter and wreak havoc. Create chaos across the battlefield."
The ship lurched as the engines roared to life. Aether's mind was focused, every calculation, every maneuver precisely aligned with the strategy he had laid out.
As the enemy ship loomed closer, he gave his final command, the words resonating through the ship like a battle cry.
"May the Force be with you."
The impact was imminent, the moment of truth. The time for strategy was over; now it was time for action.
Aboard the MHGN Obscurer
Flagship of the Moff Mecetti Fleet
Imperial Blockade Forces
Defending against Non-Imperial Forces
___________________________________________________________
Maldor gripped the holo-table in front of him as the Obscurer shook.
Of all the opponents' weapons, it was the seismic warheads that most concerned him.
His ships were robust, and good take a beating. But they were mechanical constructs, and he worried about what those seismic charges might be shaking loose every time one of them hit.
On the s tactical holo, he could see the overall situation unfold. The countermeasures were thick. So were the cannons and warheads. Guided munitions were less of a concern given the electronic soup out there, but some weapons didn't require advanced targeting to make a hit. Salvos were being exchanged between his forces and the enemy. It wasn't clear what impact the kamikaze attacks by his fighters were having. He'd anticipated an outsized effect, but so far it did not seem to be materializing.
A large quantity of enemy craft were dispatched to chase the Carryalls. Some sixty units, all told. But the Carryalls had been moving steadily away and towards the planet for some time. He doubted that those new craft- freshly dispatched on a pursuit vector- would catch their quarry before the well-protected dropships made atmospheric entry. Too late to prevent insertion, in his opinion.
His gaze shifted to his own forces just as one of the Singularity carriers took a direct hit. These carriers, along with their cruiser vanguard, were busily firing massive quantities of point-defense weapons to intercept enemy munitions. Still, no defense was perfect. He felt like his forces were akin to a thick tree-stump being whittled by a hundred knives.
Velran was maneuvering to bring weapons to bear. It was a rough maneuver for such a large ship, but it could afford to take its time. It was a massive powerhouse in the field, and was escorted by vessels which were formidable in their own right.
Some of the enemy forces seemed to be attempting a... ramming attack? That seemed like a desperation move for a living crew, and sure to end badly for the people undertaking it. He couldn't fathom attempting it this early in the battle.
Perhaps it was a special feature of that particular ship design? Was this part of a boarding attempt? Surely they realized that any boarding actions would be a difficult slog for those attempting them. Imperial ships were notorious for having ample troopers aboard, and ramming your prow into another vessel immobilized your own.
Overall, it seemed the attention of the enemy fleet was largely centered here, which was a good thing. That was, after all, the point of a blockading force.
The Obscurer shook again, and one of the overhead lights flickered.
"We have idle resources. Utilize tractor/repulsors to divert warheads that get through our point-defense screen. The farther away they detonate, the better for us. Pull the Cruisers around to envelop the Carriers. This will serve to intensify point-defense fire and create deadlier kill zones between vessels."
He pointed, "It looks like that ramming vessel is about to back up and do it again." He shook his head, not quite comprehending this style of warfare. "Have two squadrons of the droid Tie pilots arm their fighters' ordinance rings and smash into the engines of that enemy ship. The enemy is in no position to avoid such a blow while coupled with another vessel, and the on-board ordinance should make quite an impact when it goes up. OOC: (This action deleted by request of a fellow writer, who explained that while the re-ramming action was ordered, it was not carried out yet.)
"Meanwhile, keep up on turbolaser and Ion fire. We will continue to grind against the enemy as our allies take better attack positions. We just need to hold a while longer, and then the full might of our Emperor will crush these interlopers."
TL;DR -
The Moff Mecetti fleet continues to take damage as they maneuver into a position for better protection of the carriers and mutual fire support. Two squadrons of Ties are dispatched to kamikaze the enemy ship which is ramming an allied vessel.
___________________________
Fleet Makeup
1 Obscurer Class Star Destroyer (2 km total) MHGN Obscurer - Condition: 92% hull, 80% shields
Tie/mg Starfighters w Ordinance Rings – 40 Squadrons
(480 units originally, 420 units remaining. 24 units are performing kamikaze attacks on an enemy ship engaged in ramming maneuvers. They will be expended in the next round.) Hammer Blastboats – 20 Squadrons
(80 units originally, 67 remaining)
Objective: I Above Salt and Sulfur
Location: Mon Cala Space Station, Avril XVII
Enemies: TAC | Jas Katis
| Tamna Korvan
Engaging: See Above
Allies: EOTL
Crew Members Commander Nril Jubnern Imperial Crusaders Stormtroopers
Commander Nril Jubnern listened as his troopers were slaughtered in the hallways of his station. Explosions, blaster fire, it all rang through his ears. before he had the officer turn it down. Their enemy is tough and resourceful, and they knock down his troop numbers like dominos. That had to stop, he needed to think of a plan to engage them and be smarter about it. He had to do something, and then an idea formed.
"Clear all troopers in that sector, and the sector above it and below," Nril roared walking over to one of the gunnery officers. "I want all troopers to relocate to the sectors leading to the bridge, armory, and engineering and create layered blockades."
"What the hell do you think you're doing Commander!" the Imperial Crusader officer shouted. "Keep the troopers encircling the enemy. Belay his orders and do what I tell you."
"Who's station do you think you are on Crusader." the Commander bellowed. "Now if you will listen to me I have a plan that will help to save our troopers and this station."
The crusader had a horrified look on his face, this commander who had recently been calm and timid had just raised his voice. The Commander looked at him and then gestured for him to stand at his side. He pointed at the gunnery officer's screen after pressing a few buttons. "Now lieutenant, do your crusaders have breathing apparatuses?"
While the alarms were still blaring, the hallway turrets were still active, and blast doors were still closed, there were no signs of troopers, as the halls of sectors G, H, and I grew eerily quiet. The Commander's plan is in motion, silent, but in motion. Crew members and Crusaders moved as units carrying missile warheads, placing them in the main ventilation rooms and shafts as they could access them. These were not ordinary warheads, no, these warheads were filled with war cloud, a chemical fog of war to starship systems, and noxious gas to those who breathed it in. It wouldn't kill their enemy but knock them out.
In the engineering, armory, and bridge sectors troopers moved quickly to create a layered defense. Their layered defense was four barricades, the first three were filled with infantry that alternated between blast doors, and the last barricade looking down the center path had an E-Web heavy repeating blaster. Not the most glamorous, but it was the best the station commander had to offer, and they were backed up by the hallway turrets.
The gas worked quickly covering sectors G, H, and I in a thick sleep-inducing fog of war. This not only worked for knocking out their enemies but also for confusing them, taking away visibility. Commander Nril knew that the gas wouldn't be enough, that's why he only wanted the troopers to retreat to increase defenses. The Crusaders on the other hand with their lightsabers and force-wielding talents would slink into the fog of war, to go hunting. They kept their lightsabers off until they found their enemy, waiting for the best moment to strike as they wandered through the fog, wandering into their trap.
This station only had around six crusader squads, and four of them were protecting vital infrastructure, leaving only two squads to conduct this attack. Their lightsabers flicked on with a wave of energy, hoping to find contact with the vanguard of the enemy platoon. Catching their prey off-guard, they would try to strike down as many hostiles as possible using their force abilities and combat prowess.
'New contacts detected at long sensor range,' a synthetic voice announced.
Yol Kan nodded, "I see it. Sixty craft. But they can not teleport instantaneously across the vast expanse we have been traversing all of this time. They will not arrive before our atmospheric insertion.
The enemy was too slow in dispatching those reinforcements to this engagement. I suspect they failed to appreciate the resilience of these Carryalls, even if our own weapons have had less impact than I'd hoped."
Another Carryall exploded at the periphery of the formation, as though the universe was mocking him a bit.
He clicked on his mic to transmit to the squadrons, "Carryalls, begin atmospheric insertion. All troops, prepare to jump."
He turned to the droid co-pilot. "The remainder of this journey is yours. Get as many of the tanks to the ground as you can."
'Acknowledged,' the synthetic voice replied.
This Crab Carryall began to shake as contact was made with the periphery of the planetary atmosphere. Yol Kan unbuckled himself and headed through the door that connected to the craft's expansive interior bay.
Inside, other members of the Auxilia stood ready. He donned his helmet, the suit's air supply hissing briefly as it pressurized his hard-shell electromesh armor. The other members of the auxilia did the same.
Yol reached up to take one of the overhead support rings as the jostling of the craft became more intense. They were penetrating the thermal layer, now. Outside, a fireball was doubtless engulfing the craft as it seared through the atmosphere.
A synthetic voice announced, 'Thirty seconds until thermal layer penetration.'
Yol waited, his mind's eye imagining one or more additional Carryalls detonating as the interceptors already present harried them during their descent.
Then the shaking of the craft lessened, and the red light in the internal bay switched to green.
Yol released his support ring and moved to the doorway, punching the big red button that made it yawn open. The turbulent winds outside would have swept him off his feet if not for his Bounding Boots.
Then he leaped free from the craft, dropping like a stone to the surface below.
The other members of the Auxilia needed no incentive to follow him. Few of the Carryalls were likely to make it all the way to the ground, considering the tenacious opposition of the enemy fighter craft.
The ground seemed to leap up to meet him, at a brisk pace of thirty feet per second, per second...
______________________________________________
TL;DR - Crab Carryalls descend into atmosphere, releasing embarked personnel.
_____________________________
Crab Carryalls – 12 Squadrons (Departing for Ground Engagements)
(48 units originally, 26 remaining)
Carrying 48 units of Hover Tanks, 26 remaining.)
520 members of the Auxilia engaged in a Combat Drop.
_____________________
As the battle rages above the orbit of the watery world of Dac, something begins to shift around the planet. Following the critical failure of the remaining shield generator the barrier around the planet falls, leaving the airspace open. Now all that stands between the surface of Mon Cala is the Imperial Blockade.
Various squadrons had already been unleashed to sow chaos across the battlefield, ensuring that the TIEs' mission would be anything but easy. Before even approaching Mother Shark 1, they would have to survive relentless waves of allied starfighters, each eager to intercept and neutralize the threat.
The point-defense systems on Mother Sharks 1, 2, 3, and 4, Baby Shark, Aranar 1, 2, and 3, and the Blizzard were poised to engage any enemy starcraft that dared to venture too close to their diamond-shaped formation. These formidable defenses were anchored by the state-of-the-art Araniik Point-Defense Systems on all of the sharks, designed for extreme accuracy and devastating power.
Each of the Aranar ships, bristling with 60 twin rotary laser point-defense turrets, further amplified this defensive network. Baby Shark, despite its smaller size, boasted the same advanced point-defense capabilities as the larger Mother Sharks, making it a critical component of the fleet's defense. These turrets, capable of rapid-fire and precise targeting, created a nearly impenetrable wall of laser fire, ready to shred any incoming threats.
The Blizzard added its own unique firepower to the mix, wielding 10 Quad Particle Cannon point-defense turrets. These powerful cannons unleashed devastating bursts of energy, capable of obliterating incoming starcraft or ordnance, ensuring the Blizzard could hold its own in any defensive situation.
Further bolstering the fleet's close-in defenses, the Mother Sharks were equipped with PCBL-01 Point-Defense Cluster Bomb Launchers. These launchers, designed to be a last-ditch measure, fired lethal cluster bombs that exploded into a deadly array of magnetized grenades and shrapnel, capable of inflicting extreme damage on any starfighter or ordnance that managed to slip through the other layers of defense. However, their indiscriminate nature meant that careful targeting was essential to avoid friendly fire.
The Araniik systems, seamlessly integrated into the Manda tactical battlenet, extended the sensor net across the fleet, creating a comprehensive and coordinated defensive barrier. These systems included advanced mass-driver autocannons and missile launchers, capable of delivering precise and devastating strikes against enemy craft. The missile launchers, capable of firing long-range interceptor missiles loaded with depleted baradium warheads, were designed to target and destroy incoming ordnance from a distance, reducing the risk to the fleet. Additionally, tractor beams and jamming beams were employed to confuse and disrupt incoming enemy ordnance, further enhancing the defensive capabilities.
In the chaos of battle, any TIE fighter foolish enough to make a direct run at the engines would find itself not only targeted by precision autocannon fire but also potentially trapped by tractor/pressor beams, reducing its chances of survival even further. The combined firepower and advanced technology behind the Araniik systems, supported by the rotary laser turrets, particle cannons, cluster bomb launchers, and long-range interceptor missiles, made it increasingly clear that the diamond formation of the fleet was not just for show—it was a highly effective, deadly defense strategy.
While the outcome could never be certain, it was highly probable that any enemy starcraft coming within range of these defenses would meet a swift and fiery end, long before they could threaten the critical systems of the Mother Sharks, Baby Shark, or the Blizzard.
TLDR:
The fleet's defenses were so comprehensive that breaching them was tantamount to impossible. The variety of advanced systems and coordinated tactics created numerous obstacles, making success highly unlikely. This explanation details the range of factors that led to this conclusion.
Kharuna Tan
Maldor Mecetti
Augustus Von Strauss
Darth Rasnuhl
Velran Kilran
Ekkeke Shale
Nyles Kote
Arjen Herrix
Aether of the Iron Order
(Moderate Damage)
(Severe Damage)
(Destroyed)
