[Starhawk]

The Marjoram Offensive

Admiral Nelson paced the deck in his cabin aboard the mighty base ship Emperor often but tonight it was different, because tonight he was wrighting up estimated casualty percentages and looking over his resources.
It had been decided that the final crusade would make it's full start in the Marjoram system, a vital system to the enemy's scientific endeavors and a perfect jumping off point for the offensive against the Earth alliance, but it was also heavily fortified and the second the invasion fleet had entered the system they had detected over 100 EA warships waiting at the other end.

The Prime fleet was now only one day's journey away from Marjoram IX and the 1st Spartan Regiment was preparing for their role in the invasion of the enemy planet. But the enemy fleet was still sitting menacingly at the other end of the system, apparently just waiting but the only question was for what? Nelson threw the datapad over to his desk and sat down on his cot, unbuckling his jacket he began to wonder how many soldiers and spacers he would lose in the coming days.

24 Hours Later:

The might of the Imperium sat in orbit over Mirjoram IX and was preparing for the enemy fire, however Admiral Nelson was pleasently suprised to find only 2 weapons platforms and 28 star fighters waiting for his fleet.

"This is Admiral Nelson to the Normandy and it's escorts advance on target, the fleet will sit 500 kilometers off in support." Nelson looked at the display as three dreadnoughts, two base ships and a heavy troop transport broke formation and began advancing on their target world.

28 Enemy fighters burned through space and opened fire on the base ship Montana but soon found themselves outgunned by the mighty imperial attack squadron, the dreadnoughts Tortega and Python opened fire with their main AP batteries and the Montana brought it's massive mount AP guns to bare on the foolish EA fighters, within seconds all that was left of the Earther attack squadron was debris.

However engaging the enemy fighters brought the squadron into range of the Weapon platforms on Marjoram and as it's powerful Anti-Proton guns tore through the blackness of space the Tortega rocked as it's shields absorbed the first volley from Marjoram. But as the squadron advanced the second volley tore through the Tortega's shields and crippled several of her guns, forcing her to withdraw from the battle.

Two more vollies knocked the Python out of the engagement leaving only 1 dreadnought and 2 basesships to escort the Normandy as it brought it's precious cargo within dropship range.

The Captain of the Montana requested permission to open fire on the planet's surface and destroy the Weapons platforms however the farsighted Nelson forbade such an action and ordered the warships simply to screen for the Normandy until it dropped it's troops.

A few seconds later after the massive weapon's platforms opened up several more times the only warship left to escort the Normandy was the Montana herself as the others had been forced out of the engagement due to shield failures and crippled systems.

Despite the hellish firepower brought to bare and the lack of counter fire from the Imperials the Normandy made it into dropship range and unleashed her cargo....400 dropships launched from the cargo bays of the Normandy each carrying 10 troopers and a light tank into battle.

Within seconds the 1st Spartan regiment was on the ground and engaging enemy mechanized infantry units and planetary milita. The 4,000 Troops and 400 tanks of the 1st Spartan advanced in one massive front on the capital city of the enemy colony and within minutes had reached the Earth Force lines.

The advance was quick and nearly bloodless to the Spartans as their massive armored might rolled over the enemy trenches and their Infantry followed up cutting down over 1,200 EA soldiers and milita leaving the city wide open to assault....the first assault had cost the lives of only 24 Spartan soldiers and the destruction of 2 tanks while the Earth colony and it's 1.2 billion people were swiftly brought into the Imperium's grasp.

In Marjoram IX' capital city the entire Spartan regiment entrenched and began to round up any Earth alliance citizens that would become troublesome including local governing persons and executed them quickly, before placing a "trustworthy" local citizen in charge as governor. Plans had it that the 1st spartan would occupy Marjoram IX for at least one month before leaving a loyalist milita force to guard the planet.

Nelson smiled humorlessly when he recieved the reports, 80 Imperial soldiers and spacers had died and nearly 200 more were wounded but the first world had fallen to the Imperium and soon the real battle would come and he would test the mettle of his fleet for real.....the first world he thought ironically one world out of over 400 that still belonged to the cursed Earthers.