[Cheeze]

The combination of the unpredictability of ship combat tactics and overly-obvious advantages produced an devastating defeat for the United Flora Empire. The despicable Thermolians launched an attack into Flora space, meeting a gathering of Flora ships that were in photosynthesis mode. Thermolian ships were equipped with superior weaponry, and generally all light cruisers, where the Flora were a mix of destroyers and light cruisers along with some escorts. Despite their position to await an incursion, the Flora ships were positioned about as far from the Thermolians as could be imagined for two large fleets at one warp point. The ship formation apparently was designed to minimize any actual shooting at enemy ships, and in spite of orders to close, Flora captains preferred to minimize their already-slight chances to hit by moving as far as possible from Thermolian ships, in order to present themselves as easy targets later. Since the Thermolians have a phenomenal natural advantage in combat, the additional incompetence of the Flora command made a predictable result even less damaging to the Thermolian barbarians. Far from "bravey in the face of a superior enemy", the Thermolians had the advantage in firepower, movement, accuracy and evasion.

One Flora ship, and only one, showed courage and intelligence in the entire battle. Somehow separated from the collective stupidity of the rest of the plants, one ship managed to manuever around the Thermolian fiends and attacked the minesweepers, severely damaging and destroying a number of them. Depending on future Thermolian movements, their victorious fleet should meet a slow yet steady diminishing death upon finding the floating Flora "fire blossoms".

[ April 06, 2003, 06:48: Message edited by: Cheeze ]