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2433.3: Patrols into Phong space by Alpha Wing (Guardian and StoneWall) show no indication of agressive military activity, but the Phong colonies all have significant orbital defences in place. Beta Wing (Protector and StormCloud) managed to intercept a Jreanar minesweeper before it could reach the perimeter defences, but the Ubernaughts expended over a third of their supplies to cut through the intense shielding of the sweeper. Three Jreanar ships have been detected on patrol in X19, and two more are clearly headed for the wormhole to HomeSystem. Beta Wing is currently on an intercept course, and should be able to strike and return to the safety of our borders before Jreanar command can respond. Repairs on the Matador have begun, and our engineers estimate nearly half a year's work just to replace the damaged shield grid and outer armor. The Avenger is coming along well, and will have her shields back Online by the end of the month. Her basic internal armor installation will push back reactivation until at least 2433.8. The Valiant's repairs are nearly completed, and she is scheduled to join the new Delta Wing battle group. Delta Wing is lead by the Stalwart, with the newly arrived Thor providing additional firepower in dreadnaught form. The legendary fleet lead by the science vessel Cochrane is currently undergoing a complete refit with our newest technology, and will be unavailable for several years.
Recently, a new idea has surfaced for a military defence. To supplement the minefields, a system of siege satellites could be placed as a permanent line of defence just outside the bLast area of our minefields. The key to the system is a large command sattelite which contains a talisman and a wide-field shield generator. Multiple slave sats will carry a Polaron Siege Cannon, as well as a more powerful, but short range Polaron Beam. With targetting coordinates downloaded directly from the command sat, accuracy will be high. Homeworld will begin producing the command satellites after completing the re-colonization ship for X100 I, and four of our colonies have begun production of Heavy Slave Sats. These heavy Version prototypes are built inside small asteroids, and can withstand 1500 ADU on average. Completion of the first heavy slaves is projected to be sometime in early 2434. The weakness, of course is the master command satellite, so a tender will be stationed in the area with backup masters.
Beta Wing has just intercepted the Jreanar forces, and both enemy DNs have fired missiles. PDCs swivel around and begin firing rapidly while the ubernaught's main polaron beams lock on and stab at the shields of the lead dreadnaught. Two fireballs light up the Protector's hull as PDCs destroy the nearest missiles, and the lead Jreanar ship turns aside with polaron fires trailing from it's shields. PDCs turn to track the second missile pair, but click on empty, and the missiles hammer waves of energy into the forward and starboard sections of the Protector. Her shields flicker dangerously, then buckle as the powerful pulse of energy overloads generators all over the ship. Lights dim momentarily as the ubernaught's regenerators quickly go from standby to maximum, and the purple arcs of polaron discharges fly freely through space, striking the Jreanar ships. A second wave of Jreanar missiles are deployed from the now-retreating Jreanar ships, and as the missiles turn to bear down on the Protector, PDCs hungrily bite off chunks from two of them. The PDCs again die from insufficient ammunition, and two more missiles slide in to strike the Protector. With her shields down to 25%, and unable to completely block either missile, the Protector's hull is ravaged by nuclear fire. 40% of the shield grid shatters into space and trails bright red plasma while the ubernaughts pace the dreadnaughts. Meanwhile, the Jreanar leader is suffering the effects of the sustained polaron bombardment, with its shields falling below 50%, then down to 10% before they can reload missiles.
With more time to regenerate than before, the Protector's shields are back to 35% before the Jreanar missiles launch. Once more the PDCs blaze away all their ammo and fall silent with two missiles still locked on the Protector. White spheres of radiation bloom on the port side of the ship, and her shields are breached. Explosions ripple across the hull as the shield grid surges and generators explode through armor plating. With the hull awash in plasma fires, and her wingman spraying wide beam polarons into the Jreanar leader, the Protector pierces the shields of the besieged DN multiple times, striking twice amidships to cut power relays to the shields, and twice on the forward hull to disable a missile launcher and cut deeply into the main decks of the dreadnaught. Now defenceless, the Jreanar ship is sliced by polaron beams and her hull begins to melt down.
The remaining dreadnaught launches missiles, and PDCs blaze fire. One missile detonates early due to a withering stream of fire from the StormCloud, but the second withstands the Protector's PDC long enough to clear the minimum safe distance mark, and the ubernaught reels in a single fireball. 25% shielding is insufficient, and all but one of her generators shut down permanently from the raging heat and radiation. Full power from the regenerators is diverted to the Last shield generator, and the Protector's shields max out at 10% in seconds. The Jreanar ship absorbs a concentrated pounding from polaron beams, but its shields hold at 70%, and the Protector goes into full retreat. With an uncharacteristically daring move, the Last Jreanar ship cuts infront of the StormCloud. Unable to risk a ramming from the larger ship, the StormCloud is forced to slow and turn away while the Jreanar dreadnaught accelerates in the other direction after the Protector and launches missiles. PDCs on the Protector fire from point blank range at the missiles, but they rapidly deplete their ammo, and another missile streaks in to slam the ubernaught from behind. Shields flare up, but only deflect a fraction of the damage before the nuclear bLast breaches them. Surprisingly, the Last shield generator remains scorched, but intact, as the Protector's stealth plating breaks down under the assault. Even the improved targetting lock and plasma-lit path of the wounded battlecruiser dosen't seem to help the dreadnaught, for a roll and a dive send antiprotons sailing through empty space. Polarons suddenly strike the Jreanar ship from behind, for the StormCloud has caught back up with the Jreanar ship. Hammered from both sides, the Jreanar shields collapse. Purple fire engulfs the entire dreadnaught, rapidly consuming the outer hull, but the Jreanar manages to launch its Last missiles before it loses power. The StormCloud's PDCs expend their entire store of shells, but only manage to disable one missile. Fortunately, it is enough, and the PDCs aboard the Protector finish the job just before the Jreanar's engine core goes critical and the dreadnaught turns itself into a small nova.
Beta Wing has retreated back to the safety of the Empire's minefields, but with her crew decimated by radiation effects, the Protector has been diverted to X100 III for decontamination and repair. Delta Wing is being broken up, and the Stalwart will proceed to support Beta Wing.
[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 25 May 2001).]