[member="Coryth Elaris"], [member="Sarge Potteiger"], [member="Anika Od'Manteiv"]
With a flash the
SQS Artemisia manifested into existence in the orbit of Sullust. The time had come. At long last the Eldorai would take their rightful place in the universe as the superior race. They would welcome Sullust...and tomorrow the Galaxy, into the loving embrace of the Eldorai Matriarchy! Today the Greater Eldorai Empire would rise!
Oh, wait, that's not what'll actually happen, as fun as femnazis going on a conquest spree would be. But unfortunately, Kaida was a a rather sober person and a lot less megalomaniacal than her writer. Kind of boring, when you think about it, dear reader. Anyhow, the large battleship, accompanied by a host of smaller vessels and escort ships drawn from the small Eldorai flotilla, what was left of Firemane's naval assets and what the Protectorate had been able to spare, swept through the fathomless void towards the planet.
Aboard the bridge of the Alcori-Class Star Defender, Kaida wasted no time but started issuing commands.
"Assume blockading position and keep space free of hostiles, prevent unauthorised vessels from entering or leaving the planet. Send a communique to the Protectorate stating we are deploying. Launch ground forces. I shall lead the initial strike force to find Elaris, our heavy armour will follow. Forces will land at the outskirts of the capital and the spaceport, then move in. Direct Protectorate troops to land at the shipyard."
No speechifying, orders were transmitted and soon she was aboard a dropship as it roared out of the belly of the Star Defender, soon to be joined by a swarm of dropships and gunships that were running escort as they descended down upon the uninviting looking planet. Even at the best of times Sulllust was a rather inhospitable place. Large bouts of ash and smoke had risen into the sky from the last volcanic eruptions, the city beneath them seemed wreathed in flames, chaos and destruction as the heavily armoured transport ships passed through the atmosphere. The Eldorai forces had some limits in manpower, so they could not launch a full-scale occupation, hence the gradual approach in terms of takeover.
For her part Kaida directed her pilot to follow the last-known location of Coryth, tracing the location of the distress signal she had sent. It was in this moment that suddenly swarms of
fighters erupted from the ground, seemingly out of nowhere. They looked primitive, seemed to lack shields and have virtually no armour, but there were so damn many of them. Indeed, it seemed like the sky was covered with hostile fighters.
"Incoming fighters. Legions of them!"
"Stay the course," Kaida ordered stoically, calmly.
"Fighter squadrons, give us cover. Kaeshana expects every Eldorai to do her duty." Bursting from the ground the enemy fighters rocketed from the surface of the planet, many aiming for the landing forces, others shooting further through the atmosphere to fall upon the Eldorai battleships. Aboard the Artemisia CIC was desperate to identify them all, but their numbers kept growing as more and more emerged from the harsh surface of the volcanic planet. Battle stations closed, gunners rushed to their batteries, and a hailstorm of fire was opened upon the enemy.
Scores of enemy fighters were pulverised and blown to oblivion by the Adril-fighters that fell upon them like birds of prey, many more by the defence systems of the Artemisia, but it seemed that wherever one fell, there were five more. Moreover, as the Eldorai would soon find out whilst the enemy fighter craft were terribly lacking in armour, they pulled quite a punch. Their primary, and only weapon, was an axial laser that was designed to fire a powerful laser for a few seconds of time. Using their high mobility to their advantage to dancy out of enemy counterfire, the Klaxxi fighters could in many cases keep their beam targeted for the entire duration. One dropship experienced this to its peril as the laser beam mercilessly shore through its shields and then sliced through its armour, likewise above in space a corvette found itself set alight as a swarm came upon it. The fleet's weapons continued tearing into the swarms of fighters. For every one they destroyed, five more seemed to manifest and vie for supremacy with them. However, many were blasted into oblivion before their powerful lasers could do damage, at least in most cases.
As mayhem and chaos raged, Kaida remained calm, placid even. Some Eldorai soldiers and Angelii around were whispering prayers, holding on to icons of the Goddess. the Seraph did not pray, for there was no deity she believed. Well, no deity except the nation of Kaeshana.
"We are coming in for landing, ma'am," the pilot spoke through the intercom and Kaida nodded.
"Fan out and secure perimeter," she said calmly, a look passing between her and every Angelii aboard the dropship. No speeches because they were not needed. The virtue of an Angelii was to get things done and leave all the speechifying to others. The dropship rocked as it came under enemy counterfire, unleashing a laser volley of its own to ward off enemies, then came down in a fast descent, landing near the wreckage of Coryth's ship, but at a far enough distance that it would not be damaged by it blowing up.
Swiftly the Angelii fanned out of the transport ship and set up a perimeter security, heavy bolters, shattercannons and e-webs forming a barricade of ridiculously brutal firepower. Angelii equipped with Taegis shields would form a phalanx if need be, providing cover against projectiles and blades for their battle sisters, whilst their sarzmigars could keep even formidable enemies at bay, using tactics not unlike the hoplites of ancient, long-forgotten times. Given how wonky the Force was, they were under orders not to use their elemental powers unless there was extreme need, for it would be terribly embarrassing if say they conjured up a firestorm and it backfired upon them.
Gouts of smoke were rising from the wreckage of Coryth's ship as Kaida quickly raced towards it, trying to push away the rubble that barred her entrance before simply having one of her battle sisters blow it away with a couple bolter rounds.
"Seraph, contact! Hostiles sighted. Engaging!"
No sooner had these words been spoken than that hordes of Ozzlites and armed Sullustans emerged, having apparently followed the dropship. Volleys of blaster rounds and spears rained down upon the Angelii, to be answered by the roar of bolters and shattercannons. Kaida did not even bother to respond to the attackers when laser bolts slashed at her armour. Cortosis was very energy-resistant and, moreover, she had something more important to do.
"Kill them. I'll get out Elaris," she ordered simply. As a hailstorm was unleashed upon the attackers and they were cut down by the dozens in a hail of bolt and shell before Angelii moved it to cut them down with sarixi, with the ground soon being stained with the ichor and innards of the hostile xenos, Kaida rushed through the wreckage.
Fires were spreading throughout the wreck and flames whipped at her body, seeking to burn through it and consume her, but the fully sealed Seraphim Combat Armour resisted the searing flames. From further ahead she could hear Coryth speaking, perhaps into a commlink, she sounded pained and as if she was having trouble speaking. No surprise given the injuries she must have sustained and the fact that all the smoke would make it difficult to breathe.
"Coryth! It's Kaida! I'm coming," she called out, having to shout to make herself heard. With all her might, the Seraph tried to grip the command console and pull it away so that the pinned down short stack of fire could get out, before the flames swept across the whole ship.
