[Suicide Junkie]

Part 5 of a slightly connected series:
(These are 99.9% accurate, following the real adventures of a virtual race)

The Empire's defensive minefields have been wiped out in HomeSystem, the Jreanar and Phong making alien incursions a part of daily life. Citizens of the old colonies have built up small but effective minefields of space junk, but newer colonies live in constant fear of annihilation. Only Six ships (Ubernaught2 BCs) are available in HomeSystem, with the legendary Protector leading the Guardian and the Stalwart in patrols of the Phong wormhole, while the equally famous Valiant leads the StormCloud and StoneWall in patrols near the Jreanar front. Three BlackHole class dreadnaughts are under construction, but even our primary ship yards have only completed 50% of the work on their ship. Rumours of invisible Phong ships are being denounced as just that; rumours.

2432.8:
The Jreanar minefield outpost signals an attack, and the Valiant's Alpha wing arrives to find the outpost decimated by a minesweeper. The fleet also discovered the wreckage of an attack DN slowly dissipating near the wormhole. Despite having 6k shields, the unarmed minesweeper is quickly surrounded and overwhelmed. Only an instant later, the wormhole wrenches, spewing forth a fleet of five Jreanar dreadnaughts. Although taken completely by surprise, most of the ubernaughts' crews were already at battlestations for the attack on the minesweeper. Polaron beams, still warmed up, pound against the tough shielding of the lead Jreanar ship, overloading a single Heavy generator to cut its shield strength 30%. The ubernaughts go to full acceleration and begin to pull away from the Jreanar, antiprotons slicing through space behind them. The Jreanar are already pursuing at top speed, and launch a volley of ten missiles. Twisting and sliding through the storm of polarons and PDCs, two missiles escape destrution long enough to slam the Valiant. The heavy shielding on the ubernaught ripples from the first bLast but holds. Shields down to 40%, the ubernaught shudders from the second bLast and as fire sweeps across the hull, a wave of darkness follows, shield generators overheating and shutting down.
The Jreanar leader's shields absorb another wave of polaron fire, showing distinct signs of imminent collapse. A quad burst of polarons from the StormCloud finally breaches the shielding of the Jreanar ship, melting through its armor. The Stonewall spreads four shots of polarons across the hull of the DN, and is rewarded by two fireballs erupting from the Jreanar's Heavy shield generators. Shields cycled and recharging, the Valiant digs a lance of polarons deep into the central structure of the DN, disabling the PDL and gutting most of the crew decks. The Valiant tears a gash from the antiproton beam up to the bridge before stabbing a fiery bolt into the engine core. A nuclear bLast erupts as stored missiles detonate, and the engine pylons peel back from the ship like petals. One final sweep of polarons bLasts into the missile launchers, and the Jreanar ship breaks up in a white burst of light.
The ubernaughts have not gained much distance from the Jreanar, who launch eight new missiles towards the Valiant amid a spray of ineffective antiprotons. With Alpha wing being driven too far from the wormhole, the ubernaughts break formation to attack the DNs while the Valiant falls back to regenerate.
Shields flare and bubble away purple polaron fire from the second Jreanar ship, but the Jreanar are not to be defeated easily. PDCs whirr, and bLast six missiles from space, but click empty as the Last two missiles slip past. A bLast from behind pierces the shields of the Vailant sending another cascade of overloading generators across the hull. With shields down, the second missile slams a wall of fire into the aft hull of the Valiant, burning deep gouges into the armor panels. A third of the ubernaught's shield grid bleeds plasma into space through cracked armor.
Weaving through the DN fleet, the StormCloud and the StoneWall slam their target with polarons and dive in front, forcing it to slow to avoid a collision. The ubernaughts pull through and accelerate through the enemy fleet towards the lead DNs which continue to spray antiprotons around the retreating Valiant. Aft polarons slam the Jreanar ship from both ubernaughts, one beam piercing the shields to scrap an engine, and the next burns through the antiproton beam. Slipping past Dreadnaughts at high speed, the ubernaughts move to the front of the Jreanar fleet to block their advance on the damaged Valiant. Jreanar ships launch another volley of missiles and the PDCs are overwhelmed again. Fortunately the Valiant manages to stay ahead of the missiles long enough to reload PDCs, and the Last missile twangs off the Valiants shields harmlessly.
The damaged Jreanar ship turns away, and the ubernaughts ignore it to concentrate a furious bombardment on the new lead ship. The valiant, shields back to a maximum 70%, moves in to help pound the Jreanar. With three ships from each empire head-to-head, the lead Jranar DN absorbs a terrible pounding, and two of its heavy shields overload. Another volley of polarons from all three ubernaughts hammers the DN, whose shields collapse, leaving polaron fires to scortch the armor on the hull. The Jreanar ships respond with a missile salvo, and the Valiant turns to get some distance. PDCs blaze fire between the ships, but the Valiant's PDCs fail to catch the Last two missiles, and it is slammed hard on the port side. Shields barely hold the searing bLast from the hull, but the second missile tears through the ragged shielding to light up the armor. Fires erupt, tracing lines across the hull as more of the Valiant's shield grid burns into the night. Fighting back, the Valiant stabs purple fire at the lead DN, polarons scattering off the regenerating shields before penetrating the forward defences to bLast away the starboard missile launcher. More polarons cut into two of the DNs engine pylons before a fourth beam bLasts a wave of polarons into the dorsal shield generator. The StormCloud moves to the side of the DN to bLast away another shield generator, and then carve out a thick slice out of the forward hull, separating a missile launcher and the antiproton beam. Continuing on behind the DN, it stabs fire through the main engines on the DN, to burn deep into the aft living quarters. A final stab into the ship results in the Last shield generator burning free from the ship to shear off another engine pylon.
With another DN disabled, the ubernaughts close on another target to drive a series of polarons across its shields from point blank range. Circling like flies, the ubernaughts continue to pour purple fire into the DN, and its shields drop to 30%. Again the Jreanar have reloaded and scatter missiles to home in on the Valiant. PDCs blaze away but again are overwhelmed. The Last rounds from the Valiant's PDC clip the Last missile, but it rights itself and returns to smash the Legendary ship. Waves of energy slam into the ubernaught's shields, but the fireball breaches the defences and two more shield elements flare up on the surface of the ship. Combined bLasts from the ubernaughts doggedly trailing the Jreanar ship finally pierce the shields, but the armor does its job and protects the hull from the Last of the polaron fire. Shields hold against the first polaron beam from the Valiant, but as the Jreanar ship sails past, the ubernaught's weapons penetrate to crush the antiproton beam emitters and slice off an engine pylon. The Last burst of polarons from the Valiant catches the aft shield generator, which burts into a shower of shrapnel. Allowing the DN to pass, the Valiant makes its way back towards the crippled DNs while the StormCloud and the StoneWall engage the damaged DN and its wingman. Jreanar missiles are launched, and the Valiant skewers one of the crippled DNs, which explodes into a giant orange fireball.
PDCs from the other ubernaughts pick off three missiles from behind the Valiant as the StormCloud claws at the slightly damaged DN. The DN's shields are breached on the first shot, but a second bLast is required to finish off the heavy shield generator. The Last shield generator melts down in a wash of polaron flames, and a fourth beam cuts into the engine core. A succession of internal explosions tears apart the aft half of the ship, but the dreadnaught somehow manages to hold together. Unable to escape, the DN is helpless as the StormCloud slices it in two with a finely focussed polaron beam; within seconds the ship breaks up into a cloud of debris.
The Valiant's PDCs fire madly as two missiles from the Last crippled ship scream towards it. One bursts, but the other takes only a glancing blow, and swings back around to hit the Valiant from behind. 16 ADU from the maximum 35%, the ubernaught's shields buckle under the bLast, white fire gripping the aft end of the ship with fingers of flame stretching to the forward sections. The Jreanar ship fares much better, as its regenerated shields hold at 20% against the polaron assault. Closing to point blank range, the Valiant hammers the Jreanar with full-power polaron beams, but the Jreanar's shields continue to hold.
Spraying wide angle polaron flames into their DN, the other two ubernaughts' dodging manouevers are interuppted by a missile launch. With both DNs shields collapsing, the Jreanar deploy missiles point blank, and the quick PDCs are not quick enough to cut down all the missiles. One lands a sledgehammer blow to the Valiant's forward shield, bLasting through the remaining defences and bLasting apart all but one element in it's shield grid. The StormCloud braces for impact, but none comes. The missile loops around to head for the Valiant, giving the ships plenty of time to cut it down with PD. The StormCloud burns the nearest DN with polarons, breaching the shields and scortching the armor. With a clear shot, the StoneWall proceeds to carve out two shield generators, the antiproton beam and a missile launcher in sequence. Two beams from the Valiant pierce the shields on the other DN, bLasting a shield generator and an engine. The Jreanar's supplies and defences depleted, the ubernaughts dig out greedy hunks of hull, and both ships detonate in large fireballs.
A wrenching of space, and two more Jreanar DNs appear directly behind the ubernaughts. The Valiant leads the ubernaughts away while aft polarons strike deep into the nearest Jreanar ship. Missiles are launched, and the darkenss of space is lit by crisscrossing PDC tracers, polarons and antiprotons. With only four missiles to target, PDCs emerge victorious, and the constant stream of polarons burns through the shields of the Jreanar ship. Antiprotons cut across the path of the Valiant, but swift manouevers keep the ship one step ahead. The StoneWall slams two polaron beams into the forward shields before piercing the defences and tracing a flaming line down the starboard side of the ship, disabling antiprotons, a missile launcher and severing an engine. Four simultaneous beams from the StormCloud wash fiery polarons across the hull, imploding two shield generators, melting and twisting the engine pylons into scrap. The Valiant lines up a double shot and bLasts into the Last missile launcher, detonating it. In a fiery spray of rubble, the ship breaks up and the ubernaughts turn to the Last Jreanar dreadnaught. Unable to slip any missiles past the intense PDC fire from the ubernaughts, the Jreanar ship absorbs a furious pounding. Surrounded by a withering cloud of polarons, the shields of the DN fade rapidly, and after three more charges of polarons are added, the shields of the DN collapse, allowing purple fires to burn through the hull. An instant later, the polaron cloud puffs out and is dispersed by the exploding dreadnaught.
Still undeterred, three more Jreanar DNs appear from the wormhole, and immediately launch missiles. The ubernaughts return fire with polaron beams and PDCs, but there are simply too many missiles too quickly, and the Valiant is struck. Twin missiles burst through the weak shielding on the ubernaught, scattering the remaining armor into space and severing power feeds to one of the Valiant's polaron cannons. The Valiant breaks formation to retreat while the others attempt to slow down the onrushing DNs. Polaron beams slam into the weakened Jreanar leader, penetrating the shields and bLasting away most of the forward section. Hits to the aft section smash the engines, and the ship drifts helpless. Missiles launch from the remaining Jreanar ships, but with time and ammo to spare, PDCs easily block the attack. Ships weave around but the Jreanar cannot get a lock on the nearly defenseless Valiant with their antiproton beams. The second DNs shields waver and collapse amidst the furious beams striking from the ubernaughts, and the ship simply turns to flaming dust as polarons sweeps through the ship.
The Last Jreanar DN tries to pull away, but the faster ubernaughts hang on and slam polarons into the aft shields. Caught unawares by the Jreanar's distracting move and a pet razorbeast loose on the bridge, the Valiant fails to avoid the missiles dropped point blank by the Jrenar ship. A bLast cuts through the 50 ADU shielding provided by the remaining regenerators, and burns through the engine wings, while the second missile sails over the ship to bLast the dorsal surface. The bridge is completely vaporized, PDC turrets and a second polaron cannon are reduced to slag, and the ship's talisman shatters.

2432.9:
Somehow, Phong dreadnaughts have penetrated deep into HomeSystem, to strike two of our undefended colonies. X100 I, a peaceful solar research world, and X100 V, one of Section 31's main intel worlds. Somehow, six million tons of military hardware got past our defence lines from Phong space, and even I am starting to believe in this invisible ship thing. After the short campaign against the Jreanar attack forces, both wings of ubernaughts have been forced to turn in-system to combat this new Phong threat. The Valiant is making her way to the spaceyards on X100 III, and will have to spend at least two months in radiation decontamination before workers can even start repairs. The Guardian and the Stalwart have been transferred to Alpha wing, and will strike the large Phong force at X100 I, while the Protector will proceed alone to confront the single Phong DN at X100 V.

The protector arrives at the planet to find a calmly swirling gas giant. All traces of the floating colony have been swallowed by the giant planet, and only a guilty lookin Phong DN remains. As the ships enter weapons range, the Phong DN opens fire. Swerving left, then right, crystal shards zing past, but the Protector gets hammered by a HEM beam. Shields flaring from the impact, the ubernaught crashes right through the second HEM beam. The ubernaught slows to fire polaron beams into the Phong ship before turning away to get some distance, crystalline shards sparkling all around. With shields recovering to 50%, the ubernaught drives another quad burst of polarons into the Phong shielding, blinding the Phong sensors and avoiding the return fire of the shard cannons. A glow on the forward hull indicates a locked HEM, but the ubernaught dives to the left and the dual beams sear space beside the battlecruiser. Four more polaron beams spray a purple glow around the forward shields of the DN, while a quick right-left shicane manouever avoids more crystal shards. With shields falling below 30%, the Phong ship drives the Protector into the corner. Despite closing the gap between the ships, the Phong is unable to track the ubernaught's quick course changes or get a weapons lock, and HEM beams cross in front and behind the nimble BC. Closing to within a distance of 4, the shard cannons are still ineffective, and the polarons dig deeply into the Phong's overloading shields. As the Protector begins to pull away again, it dodges sideways to avoid both a HEM bLast and crystalline shards, but the move was predicted, and the second HEM flares against the Protector's recharged aft shields. A polaron beam heading the other way wraps fire around the forward shield of the Phong ship, while a second pierces through to burn away armor. Another wash of polarons dulls the Phong's scattering armor and the fourth stab breaks up the Last of the DN's armor.
The ubernaught turns and flies around behind the DN, whose shard cannons spray deadly shards just behind the swiftly moving BC. Polaron fire overloads the DNs shielding once again, and a second burst burns through a shield generator and shatters a HEM crystal. More fire melts down the aft shield generators and a shard cannon, then a final stream of polarons rips through a shard cannon to bLast an engine. Buzzing over the larger ship's hull, the ubernaught avoids the HEM bLast, and passes too fast for the Last shard cannon to track. Polarons cut furrows in the dreadnaught's hull, bLasting the starboard shields and shard cannon, then smashing through the engine section. Carving a giant smiley face through the hull, the ubernaught turns back towards the forward section, bLasting the Last weapons from the ship and opening the bridge to space. One more stream of polarons tears into the forward electronic warfare pod and targetting arrays. Circling back, the ubernaught fires a final bLast of polarons which pierce the shields of the dreadnaught to burn through the living quarters and structual supports. As the enemy ship breaks up, the Protector returns to the planet to search for survivors.

Meanwhile, at X100 I, the four ubernaughts arrive to find four Phong DNs and a carrier. Fighters race ahead to meet the ubernaughts, but the long range weapons of the capital ships reach out first. All weapons seeking the Stalwart, the Phong unleash a barrage of HEM beams and crystalling shards, but the veteran crew of the ubernaught keeps their cool zig-zagging around to avoid tagetting locks. With the Phong also in range, the ubernaughts lob polaron beams through space, the talisman guiding each shot true to the target. Trailing long tendrils of purple fire, the Phong DN's shields fall to 30%. PDCs blaze from the ubernaughts, and a large number of the Phong's small fighters blossom into puffs of fire. The more heavily armed medium fighters deflect the occasional shot from their armor, and dive in to spray shard cannons wildly throughout the fleet of ubernaughts. Though the fighter's attacks do little damage, the sheer volume of fire manages to overload the regenerators on the StormCloud, draining its shields. With the fighters hindering the movement of the ubernaughts the Phong ships close in, straight through bursts of polarons. The weakened DN took the worst of the polaron sweeps, its shields breached. Two additional quad bursts from the Stalwart and the StoneWall tear into the ventral hull of the ship, gutting the engines, shield generators, and smashing through most of the forward weapons. PDCs whittle away at the dense armor of the Phong's medium fighters. The phong fleets regroup and the fighters turn to pound 20% out of the Stalwart's shields. The Phong DN fleet surges forward with a lock on the Stalwart, firing all weapons. The first HEM beam strikes dead center on the Stalwart, bLasting its shields down to 50%. Turning quickly, the ubernaught avoids the second bLast through the same spot, but a second DN lights up the starboard side of the ship with its own HEM. With shields collapsing, the ubernaught dodges two more beams before the Last Phong DN punches a beam of energy through the aft shields, ripping away half of the armor on the ship. The Phong fighters dive in to attack, overwhelming the PDCs on the fleet and driving crystalline shards through the Stalwart's armor. One of the Stalwart's polaron cannons misfires and detonates, tearing a ragged hole if the port side where the shield regenerator and a PDC used to be. Oxygen leaking from the gash burns with the plasma leaking from the ruptured shield grid to form a spectactular trail of fire. One Last burst of polarons from the crippled ubernaught melts down the damaged Phong DN, only a single lifesupport module remains spewing gasses into non-existant decks.
Overheating PDCs finally finish off the Last fighters and power down to standby while polaron beams continue to sweep across the Phong fleet. Pouring on full speed, the Stalwart is missed by the Phong shard gunners and pulls out of HEM range. One of the Phong DNs shields are weakening, so the remaining ubernaughts lock on and bLast away. The Last few polaron beams pierce the shields, but are refracted away by the Phong's armor.
The lead Phong ship moves in to fire a Last burst of shard cannons at the distant Stalwart, but then unexpectedly fires its main guns into the Guardian at the same time. Quickly going into evasive manouevers, the Guardian slips away from the next five beams from the fleet, and its shields regenerate to 75%. Eleven polaron beams stab out from the fleet of ubernaughts to bLast chunks of debris from the weakened DN, until nothing remains but flaming dust and loose metal struts. With the Phong DNs passing around the ubernaught fleet to pursue the Stalwart, the ubernaughts have no choice but to close with the Phong and attempt to slow them down. Polarons smash the shields of the Lead Phong ship, but the StormCloud falls behind, supplies depleted.
Polaron fire rages across the shields of the lead Phong ship before they collapse and fire burns deep through the armor, disabling weapons and exposing the bridge to space, but a navigational error on board the Stalwart allows the Phong to close to HEM range. Partially regenerated shields barely withstand the first bLast and despite the best efforts of her crew, the Stalwart is skewered by a second hit. The Last of the armor and shields break away and fall behind as the Stalwart accelerates back to full speed, but another Polaron cannon is sparking dangerously, and only a fitful snapping of the starboard shield regenerator provides 25 ADU of shielding.
With the lead Phong ship crippled, the ubernaughts concentrate fire on the Last DN, and send bolts of polarons cascading around the shields. Weapons recharged, lead Phong ship nails the StoneWall with a HEM beam, draining 40% from the shields while the other DN pounds its own intense beam into the Guardian. Polarons flare up against the shields of the Last Phong DN leaking through to burn off the ship's armor. Fires burst from the Phong hulls as one more wave of polarons burn across the surface, from the three ubernaughts. All Phong weapons have been disabled, and there is nothing left but a cleanup operation for the ubernaughts.

The fleet has been broken up, with the StormCloud proceeding via tug to the nearest supply depot. The Stalwart is forced to travel to Curyok to find the only available shipyard left. The Protector, Guardian and StoneWall will rendezvous at the X100 IV mine factories and resupply depot to prepare for the next attack. Although our force of active ubernaughts has been cut in half, our main shipyards report the installation of the first shield generators on the BlackHole class ship "Avenger". She may be able to help defend the system if it becomes absolutely nessesary.

Take a moment to remember those who have fallen...