[Starhawk]

2437.2 What Duty Requires:
Star Admiral William Ross, commander of one of three “subjugation fleets” currently deployed by the ever expanding Icaran Empire had fast risen to the epic status of “Champion of the People” as his achievements grew, he commanded the first interstellar warship/explorer in Imperial history and had since taken part in dozens of battles and three Crusades against both Xeno and Human as the decades passed, and now the Empire expected him to win for them yet another conquest, this time it was the Corellian system which fell under the control of the powerful Mantis Star Kingdom.
What the people did not generally know about William Ross was that his conquests and epic victories cost him dearly on a personal level, he had seen thousands of men and women under his command or in his fleets die, he had seen the death of his Wife’s father and the serious injury of her brother that put him planet side three years ago. He was a Royal Navy officer, and by his very nature was a warrior, but being a man who commanded hundreds of thousands of soldiers, spacers, and marines had finally given him the chance to really affect the outcome of the Andermanian Crusade which had engulfed practically the entire galaxy and when that war ended his greatest desire was not glory, promotion or power, it was simply to return to Lin and raise children.
At the moment however Ross sat in the command chair of an Imperial superdreadnought named Damocles in command of a subjugation fleet that was even now bearing down on Corellian II, he had seen two other worlds fall before him with little resistance and Ross hoped and prayed that this time would be like the last, though for some reason he could not explain his gut kept cramping.
Ross watched the planet for a long moment before turning to his com officer and nodding for her to bring up the pre-selected channel.
“4th 6th and 7th divisions are to close on target and lay down any suppression fire required, 3rd division is to hold in reserve, all other formations are to join the main battle line and stay outside of weapons range, 1st Kyra regiment will be tasked with taking this planet…..Godspeed and good luck.” Ross had discussed the invasion plans in depth with his division commanders for the last two days and he knew that he could count on each and everyone of them to carry out their duties without the need for the jibber some commanders would have added.

Time seemed to pass agonizingly slowly as the three SD divisions and 1st Kyra regimental transport approached their target, minutes seemed like hours and Ross felt his stomach cramping with a nervous feeling he had never felt before, something just didn’t seem right and no matter how he tried to shake it the feeling of fear remained and after eight minutes of the assault groups approach not even an enemy fighter had been launched which simply increased his nerves for some reason.
“OH MOTHER OF GOD!” someone blurted and Ross jerked back to the present in time to hear the sound of a gloved hand smacking against someone’s face
“Silence!” the officer bellowed and for a moment Ross was baffled until he looked up at the main display screen and saw a stomach turning sight.
Out of seemingly nowhere dozens of massive purple beams lashed out at the strike force and like some beast of legend they touched upon the entire lead division, the 4th with a fury that seemed impossible…..and indeed would have been impossible for any ship mounted weapons…..as the six lead ships of the strike force exploded and shredded under the fire of the massive batteries comprehension swiftly dawned on Ross.
“Planetary weapons platforms!” he blurted, louder then he had intended, and looked around his bridge to see a stunned crew, and one young enlisted man holding the side of his face where a big hand shaped red mark where the chief tactical officer had smacked him.
“Com, order the reserve division forward, main line of battle is to get underway as well, pass on orders for the strike group to fire on planetary targets as necessary, I don’t care if they have to turn that planet to cinders.” Ross turned to the chief tactical officer and glared a moment, showing his displeasure at the officer’s reaction to the young man’s moment of indiscretion, Ross remembered his first real battle and remembered that he blurted some things he would rather not have, and he knew more then anyone that professionalism must remain, but not at the price of humiliating a man who simply spoke aloud what they were all thinking.
“Advanced forces are returning fire on planetary targets Admiral, reserve division and main battle line are closing in as well but I don’t think we’ll make it before the remaining platforms fire again.” Tactical officer Ramirez said quietly as she read off the numbers on her small tactical plot.
The screens showed a relay from the flagship of the 7th division as the strike group’s surviving ships opened fire on the planet’s surface, trying to carve through the massive shield generators guarding the weapons platforms, the camera suddenly shook and the screen went purple as the planetary weapons fired once again, Cain was visible in the camera’s view as she broke in half like a toy ship as the beams cut into her armored hull with incredible ease. Another flash on screen and a shattered gun turret could be seen drifting into the camera’s range followed by other wreckage.
The 3rd division had finally closed the range and added their own firepower to that of the four survivors from the strike group, moments later the entire main battle line opened fire and completely destroyed the planetary defense platforms as well a several Mantis army bases.
Ross sat back in his command chair, the fleet had obeyed its orders to the letter the second the military bases and weapon platforms were destroyed they had ceased fire but as he sat in and watched the now helpless world just hovering there, it had been there since the dawn of time and yet it was so fragile to the weapons man had created, and on his whim Ross could order the surface of that beautiful blue jewel into a wasteland of death and wreckage, for the first time in his life Ross felt tempted to order just that as he saw the massive casualty list coming in from his strike group, the men and women he had sent in to their deaths…..the Star Admiral clenched his hands into fists and turned to his com officer, fighting everything his heart was screaming at him to do “Order the 1st Kyra to drop immediately take out any remaining military units on the planet, and execute all local government officials.” Ross ordered harshly.

The battle of Corellian II had been a success and was broadcast throughout the empire as a dramatic victory in the name of the glorious Icaran Empire, yet to Ross it seemed a bitter failure, as the casualty list confirmed his fears, two and 1/3 superdreadnought divisions had been totally destroyed, and because of the sheer power and shock cased by the planetary weapons batteries there hadn’t been a single survivor from the destroyed ships, 85,400 young men and women died in the fifteen minutes that the “battle” had lasted, the single greatest military loss of life in decades and the single greatest loss of ships since the Phong crusade.
That night Star Admiral William Ross went to his quarters and wept as he wrote the general condolence letters that would be relayed to the thousands of families who had lost children, parents, and spouses this bloody day, the computer would fill in the names of the dead and mail them to the appropriate places and no doubt the fourteen ships lost this day would be added to the Imperial wall of the fallen and there would likely be memorial ceremonies on the lost ship’s christening worlds, but still nothing would make up for the loss the families, friends and lovers of the fallen would feel.

Casualty List:
HMS Sao Paulo (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Perganum (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Cain (SD) (6,100 Dead)
HMS Advanced Carnage (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Belenus (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Gryphon (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Songbird (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Mt Mckinley (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Santa Maria (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Hunter (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Lanokota (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Kilcranke (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Delowese (SD) (6,100 dead)
HMS Nemesis (SD) (6,100 dead)
Total Casualties: 85,400
Andermanian Crusade Casualties: 282,701