Part 2 of a slightly connected series:
(These are 99.9% accurate, following the real adventures of a virtual race)
This is why I play without saving very often. You gotta make the best of every situation, 'cause you can't go back.
quote:
Historical Note: The heavy bombardment missiles are similar to CSMs, except that the bombard missiles are nuclear (as opposed to shaped chemical warheads), twice as large, quad armor on the missiles, and do quad damage to shields.
The Jreanar had HBM Vs, while the empire's fleet was armed with HBM IIs.
2426.7:
5 years after the sucess of Plan Nine-Seven-Two, the empire has grown, but alien attacks on our borders have increased greatly. During the past year, citizens have rejoiced as the long-standing domes on the colony worlds were torn down. Resource production has been converted to monoliths 3, and the budget is continually balanced with the help of the empire's resource converter. We have doubled the shield strength of our ships, and have developed satelites capable of mounting Siege weapons, but are still far behind in every technology. Unfortunately, section 31 has been unable to find and eliminate the source of the comm mimics that have kept friendly races at war with us, though we suspect the Jreanar. Jreanar forces have been very active in the X19 system, and the empire's defensive minefields have nearly been breached by continual assaults. A Cochrane class Science BC has been commisioned and been given command of our entire military force, all LCs, consisting of 2 heavy Kalashnikov class Boarding ships, a Tachyon Raider II, 2 Healer-class repair ships, 4 Candu-class heavy bombardment ships, and a minelayer. Their mission, beginning 2426.7, is to strike back at the Jreanar and attempt to stop the raids on our borders. Secondary goals include the capture of Jreanar missile and ship technology.
2426.9:
All hands were at battlestations as the fleet prepared to traverse the X19 wormhole, but it proved to be unfounded. Upon entering the fearsome Jreanar territory, all that our sensors could detect was a few undefended civilian colony worlds and a colony ship. The fleet proceeded to pursue the colony ship into Phong territory, and the Jreanar captain surrendered uneventfully.
2427.0:
We are travelling back through the X19 system, and the Cochrane has made tremendous progress in propulsion techniques and has transmitted the schematics for the Ice colony back to HomeWorld. Long range sensors have just picked up a Jreanar Dreadnaught entering the system, and we have changed course to intercept. The fleet will be tested today.
The fleet lines up, PDC/PDLs charged at maximum.
Suddenly, the Jreanar DN flashes away from the planet at an incredible speed. It appears to be travelling at the speed of our LCs despite being over twice the mass. Our bombardment ships will not be able to maintain their distance.
The Bombardment ships move into range and deploy eight Tactical Nukes.
Collision alert! The Jreanar ship had launched 3 Nukes, and they are already halfway to their target. PDLs fire frantically from the fleet, but two of the missiles are still locked. PDCs on the Kalashnikov bLast fire at the missiles and disable them only meters from the ship.
The Jreanar ship slips past the oncoming nukes, and pours antiprotons into the heavily shielded Kalashnikov, whose shields flare brightly, but hold at 80%
The bombardment nukes detonate simultaneously just behind the Jreanar DN, sending a massive EMP into the ship. The shield bubble of the Jreanar DN is visibly distorted, and fades rapidly to 20%
Another wave of Nukes lauched by the DN is immediately shot down, while the DN continues to fire into the Kalashnikov.
A second wave of Nukes detonate in front of the DN, tearing its shields to pieces and causing electrical arcs across its hull. Armor is stripped away, a missile bay detonates and shield grids trace a web of dim fire across the hull.
In a desperate change of tactics, the DN moves to point-blank range with the Capture ship while transmitting some sort of coded message and releasing two more Nuclear weapons. Hitting the shields before any PD can react, the Kalashnikov's shields are torn apart by the EMP and the shockwave sends a 100kT of shield-armor debris spinning off into space.
Two more nuclear bombardment missiles streak in and impact the DN, shredding a pair of engines and detonating the second missile launcher, which bLasts a large hole in the living decks.
Antiprotons scream through space, and the kalashnikov's regenerators manage to deflect a quarter of the beams before they rip into the hull, burning off another 30kT of shield-armors.
More nukes are released from the fleet bombardment ships, and the DN deploys one more nuke while spraying PDC and antiproton fire, bLasting 20kT of shield-armor shrapnel off of the besieged Kalashnikov.
The DN cuts down half of the bombardment with PDC, and fires another burst at the Kalashnikov, which shatters into pieces, revealing the core of the ship.
It's shields and armor gone, the Kalashnikov turns and rapidly retreats, having lost half of its original mass, while the second capture ship moves in.
More nukes detonate beside the DN, and it turns to retreat, its antiproton beams melted.
The bombard ships give chase, and launching missiles in sequence, as the DN attempts to escape, the second Kalashnikov pacing it, waiting for an opportunity to pounce.
Explosions rip through the aft section of the DN and its engines take heavy abuse from the nuclear bLasts behind it.
The dreadnaught, slowing from engine damage, a burning hulk, activates its self destruct as it's Last engine flickers out, destroying all hope of technology salvage. The mission an absolute failure, the LCs slowly come about to rejoin the command ship.
2427.1:
The fleet is cruising through the X91 system towards deeper Jreanar territory, repairs are half-complete on the shattered Kalashnikov. Without warning, SEVEN Jreanar dreadnaughts are detected only a few kilometers from the fleet. The solitary DN must have transmitted our location to it's home base before it was destroyed. Ships scramble to get into formation, but the fleet is seriously outclassed and outgunned and even outnumbered in fighting craft.
Forming into three lines as the minelayer retreats, the Tachyon Raider II leads the row of 4 bombardment ships, followed by the repair ships with PDLs while The Kalashnikov-class capture ships fly at the side.
The fast DNs close rapidly in a 'V' formation, and just as the fleet enters formation, the tactical screens light up with 18 new small targets. The new contacts are IDed as Tactical Nukes, all heading for the damaged kalashnikov.
Waiting just long enough for the Jreanar Leader to come within range, the Bombard ships deploy all 8 nukes, turn and fall back, while the Tachyon Raider, Kalashnikovs and Repair ships stand their ground.
PD fire crisscrosses space, two Jreanar Triads detonate early, while half of the Fleet's missiles slam into the leading DN, waves of energy coursing through the energy field and draining half thier strength.
The Tachyon Raider moves in to fire, miraculously getting three solid hits where one hit was expected. Unfortunately, only a single PDL on the leading DN was disabled. The closest DN's open fire with Antiproton beams, the damaged Kalashnikov's shields drop to 70%, and the Tachyon Raider has picked up a triad of missiles, closing fast.
An incredibly intense bLasting of PDLs and PDCs cuts down most of the Jreanar missiles, luckily, the few that were missed failed to detonate.
The DNs are eating up space, and closing fast. The leading DN knocks another 5% off of the Kalashnikov's shields, and the rest of the DNs unleash a furious barrage of antiproton fire which instantly overloads the Tachyon Raider's shields, burning out 20% of the generators.
While the Fleet continues to fall back, the DN's unleash another barrage of missiles.
Fleet missiles are launched, and the DNs continue their charge, the leading DN misses from point blank range, but the other DNs heavy antiproton fire collapses the Kalashnikov's shields, and one burst of fire shuts down another generator on the Tachyon Raider.
PD screams, and Antiprotons flare, crushing the shield-armor on the Kalashnikov & taking another chunk out of the Tachyon Raider. Nuclear bLasts rock the lead DN, nearly shutting down it's shields. The Tachyon Raider turns and dives towards the leader, smashes through the shields, detonating and leaving a hole in its armor. The shattered kalashnikov rams itself into the hole and commandos spread out into the DN. The panicked Jreanar DN self-destructs, spewing flames & microparticles everywhere.
Stunned by the loss, the Jreanar ships pause, allowing the Fleet to form into a tight 2x4 square formation before they swarm angrily.
Both sides lauch all missiles, and the point defence flares once again. Two missiles impact the closest DN, but its shields hold at 80%, tight Fleet PDC fire cuts down all the incoming missiles.
Continuing to fall back, another missile salvo results in the new lead DN's shields down to 70%.
Now, a mysterious repulsive force prevented our fleet from continuing to retreat, and the DNs pounced.
The ships of the fleet peeled away to one side, but the DNs were too close, and raked the Last Kalashnikov with antiproton fire, dropping its shields to 50%
Reloaded, all ships loose missiles, and the point defence flares everywhere.
Both fleets have a tight PD formation, and no missiles get through, but the DN's continue to pour antiprotons into the Kalashnikov, and its shields sputter out.
The DNs pursue the tattered fleet, and though the regenerators manage to block the first hit, antiprotons score the hull of the Kal.
One more wave of antiprotons, and the shield-armors are totally destroyed. The kal starts to fall behind with engine damage.
Now, the DNs turn from the wounded Kal to concentrate their antiproton fire on the nearest bombardment ship, the light shielding is cut through and explosions ripple across the armor. The DN that was hit before turns away and heads for the minelayer, who is trying to quietly deploy mines on the other side of the sector.
Missiles are launched, and the wandering DN returns with full shields, but is too late to prevent two nukes from slamming into one of the other DNs. A blaze of light, and the Last Kalashnikov turns to dust in a nuclear bLast. Antiproton beams rake the exposed hull of the bombardment ship, annihilating the atoms of the starboard sections.
Once again, the fleet has run into an invisible barrier and are forced closer to the DNs
One DN moves alongside and vapourizes the bridge and lifesupport with antiprotons and nukes the area for good measure. The rest of the DNs rip into another bombardment ship, stripping it of its shields and armor before launching another salvo of nukes.
The bombard ship explodes in a blaze of nuclear fire, and the DNs methodically turn to the next ship in line.
Spotting what may be the Last opportunity to hurt the enemy, the bombard ships drop missiles in space as they retreat, hoping the enemy will run ito them. Unfortunately, the enemy DN moves to the side, giving his wingmen's PD a clear shot, and the missiles are of no effect.
Something strange: most of the enemy DN fleet is falling behind with some sort of engine trouble! The closest DN rips into the bombard ship's internals and launches nukes before falling behind, while the wandering DN comes in range and opens fire on the Last bombard ship, dropping its shields to 50%.
Both DNs fire antiprotons and the shields of the bombard ship are down to 10%, with nukes en route.
The remaining PDLs in the fleet barely manage to disable the three nukes, and antiprotons rip through the shields of the bombard ship, causing one of its shield generators to flare on the hull. Now even the wanderer is showing engine trouble, and is falling out of range.
The four remaining ships pull away from the enemy DNs, failures, but alive.
2427.1:
As the Fleet was shifting to long-haul drive, one of the mines detonated, revealing a Jreanar DN with severe damage to the forward armor and a ruined bridge area. The DN carreened into two more mines before exploding. Section 31 will need to look into this new information.
2427.19:
The fleet has just entered the secure territories of the Empire, and is proceeding to Starfleet Academy for additional training while they await the construction of reinforcements.
[This message has been edited by suicide_junkie (edited 28 April 2001).]