[geoschmo]

Year 2405.8

The fleet entered the Xi home sector in perfect spider formation, then all hell broke loose. The Xi had kept one Donetsk class destroyer in orbit, along with a dozen defense sattelites. Preliminary scans showed the bugs had 10 weapons platforms on the planet armed with standard CSM's. Those would be the priority. The ships and sats were an annoyance that had to be dealt with, but those platforms could stop the assault in it's tracks.

The Bareilly troop transport fell back well out of danger while the attack ships moved in to clear the way. The bug destroyer moved out to meet them, and suddenly broke right and attempted to move around the Sallega formation. Captain Davic recognized what they were doing in an instant.

"They are heading for the transport. All ships, break formation! Beta group, set an intercept course. Don't let that destroyer get in range of those marines. Ram him if you have too! Alpha group, form on me. Full speed ahead."

One destoryer was no match for the entire Sallegan fleet of 11 friagets and destoryers, but against the 3 ships of beta group, the odds weren't quite so bad. The bug ship was destoryed in a hail of missles and particle bLasts, but not before critcally damaging one ship and slightly damaging another. But the transport was safe, and that was the priority.

As Alpha group closed within range of the planet, the first Chang Rai destroyer let loose it's salvo of missles at the planet. They were follwed closly by the rest of Alpha group. The Sallegnas missles outranged the Xi's, but the ships closing in got in the Xi's range before their own missles impacted on the planet. Thirty blips appeared on the tactical display as the bug missles soared up from the planet below.

"All point defense, fire at will!" As the cannons opened up on the incomming wave of missles, the ships moved within range of their own particle cannons. The first round of Sallegan missles had found their marks, but there were still 6 weapon platforms operational, and the 12 sattelites to deal with. Suddenly the Dannak was rocked by twin explosions as the surviving Xi missles impacted on the lead ships in the fleet. The frigate to the left was struck 5 times and went up in a massive fireball. The Destroyer to the right of the Dannak also suffered multiple hits, but it's larger size allowed it to keep together. It wheeled away from the battle, to damaged to be of any use.

As the Aksu and Dannak turned and began firing on the Xi sattelites, the remainder of the fleet opened up with particle cannons and missles on the surface of the planet. The remaining weapons platforms were destroyed, but not before launching another wave of missles. Damaged by the first wave, and the particle cannon fire from the sattelites, the fleet did not have enough point defense to deal with the entire second wave of incoming missles. Two more frigates were destroyed, and third critically damaged. It was picked off by the Last remaining Xi sattelites, shortly before they were in turn destroyed.

The damage was extensive. Four frigates destroyed, five other ships heavily damaged, including the S.S.S Dannak. But the damaged ships could be reapaired in time, and the Aksu and three other ships were somehow not even hit in all the chaos. And most importantly, the Xi homeworld now lay before them undefended.

The marines came in to do their job. The transport moved into low orbit and launched the landing craft. They disperesed throughout the major population centers. Resistance was stiff, and causalties among the marines reached almost 40%, but in the end, they were victorious, and the planet was subdued.

The capitol had been lightly damaged in the attack. The worst news was that the space yard facility had been destroyed. It would be five months before it could be made operational and put to work repairing the fleet.

The Queen, seeing her empire coming to an end, commited ritual suicide as the marines attempted to take her into custody. The remaining Xi drones quickly submitted to marine authority at that point, and the battle for Organtrix IX had ended.

The only thing left was to deal with the other two Xi colonies. What ships could make way loaded the bulk of the marine force and made way for Organtrix IV, the smaller of the two remaining Xi worlds in the Organtrix system. But a few days before they arrived, the remainder of the Xi'Chung empire surrendered to the Norak.

The war was over.