Part 3 of a slightly connected series:
(These are 99.9% accurate, following the real adventures of a virtual race)
It has been 3 years since the star fleet was decimated at the battle of X19. Multiple, uncomfirmed declarations of war have been recieved, and Section 31 reports no indications of enemy agents within the empire. It is now believed that the ememy agents have infiltrated our neighbour's governments instead. In an attempt to counter the Jreanar's medium range firepower we have spent much of our research time on developing a new particle weapon, a "polaron" beam, which gives us 20% more range and firepower. Jreanar activity is still on the rise, and the Empire's defences are at an all time low, with less than a hundred mines remaining at some points. With the defense situation approaching critical, the Empire can delay no longer. The entire military force of the empire is placed in the (Elite +27%) Special Task Force, under the direct command of the veterans of the battle of X19.
Special Task Force:
2429.7:
The fleet forms up around the science vessel Cochrane, an impressive mix of 18 ships, including six new CANDU-2 bombardment ships, 2 new Kalashnikov class assault transports, and five of the high-tech Ubernaught class Battlecruisers with quad polaron beams. The veterans of X19 are already in position, the Cochrane, two healer-class repair ships and a single Bombardment ship. Long-haul drive is engaged, and the fleet departs for HomeWorld.
2429.8:
As the fleet enters the home system, the X19 defences report two minesweepers attacking, leaving less than 50% of the field intact. A tanker is sent up from the surface of HomeWorld to top off the fleet's supplies, and they immediately take off under maximum thrust for the defense line.
2429.9:
Another minesweeper and 5 DNs made an assault at the border, but the fleet is still too distant. 83 mines remain, down from a high of 600 a decade ago.
2430.0:
The wormhole opens and the fleet dives through. Initial scans no longer show undefended civilian colonies... In their place stand worlds ringed with defense satellites, and twenty Dreadnaughts patrolling the area. Six Dreadnaughts are already moving to intercept the fleet, along with a slightly smaller craft bearing a strong organic signature.
The first two Jreanar DNs are engaged by the Fleet, and the Ubernaughts form into a PD Block formation, with the Kalashnikovs right behind them and the Bombardment ships standing ready as backup.
Five missiles are launched from extreme range by the DNs, causing confusion aboard the command ship Cochrane. Jreanar have always used triad missiles before.
PDCs blazing, the Ubernaughts move in to weapons range of the lead DN, and consulting their Talismans, slam a wall of Polaron beams into the first DN. With a halo of purple fire trailing from severly weakened shields, the DN sweeps its antiproton beams across the nearest Ubernaught, but only catches a corner of its shield.
The Cochrane returns with a report on the second Dreadnaught: they only launched two missiles because that is all they have. Most of the ship is taken up by enourmous shield generators which are giving readings that are off the scale. The bombardment cruisers are ordered to immediately move in and attack, launching a volley of missiles.
The Kalashnikovs accelerate around the Ubernaughts just as a second wave of polarons slam into the first DN, stripping away its shields and armor. Plasma streams from the heavily damaged engineering section and oxygen vents from the secondary life support systems. One of the Kalashnikovs drops its shields, turning to ram its nose into the broken hull. The forward section opens and elite troopers pour out directly behind the bridge. In a quick assault, the ship's command crew are taken, and the ship is turned to limp through the Ubernaught lines.
With the successful capture of the first DN, the Ubernaughts move forward to box in the Last DN.
The second DN fires all weapons at the captured ship, but the antiproton beam slices through empty space where an engine pylon used to be, and copious PDC fire shreds the missiles almost before they leave the ship.
BLasts of intense white rock the DN's forward and starboard sections, shields flicker out for an instant, but then two backup generators kick in at full strength.
More missiles are launched and the Ubernaughts continue to pour polarons into the intense shielding as the DN struggles to hit the weaving Ubernaughts.
Another two nukes explode near the DN's midsection, piercing the shield and melting away the armor. Oxygen leaking from its mid decks, the DN is ripped into by a well placed polaron bLast, ripping through the gash in its side to destroy two of the shields and a number of engines from the wrong side.
The second Kalashnikov spots an opportunity and dives in, disgorging commandos, and quickly siezing control of the DN.
Wasting no time, the Cochrane slices off samples of the Dreadnaughts' components, but unfortunately is unable to find a way to remove the heavy shield generator from the larger DN.
With a Jreanar sector fleet hot on their tails, the victorious ships retreat through the wormhole to the remnants of the empire's defense wall.
2430.1:
The Fleet looking on in amazement, a sequence of twelve Jreanar DNs slide through the wormhole and are torn apart by mines. A minelayer approaches and deposits a measly six more mines to deploy.
During this break, we have some good news; the technicians on board the Cochrane have made another breakthrough in propulsion and they were mumbling things about relating it to the shield technology recovered from the DN. I don't get it, but oh well, they know what they're doing.
Entering the X19 system once more, the fleet moves in to orbit of the system's main supply base, and levels the colony before bLasting the defence satellites. With one DN left in the system, the fleet prepares to attack the local shipyards before moving on into the Yoshri System.
2430.2:
As the warships moved into position to attack the shipyards an intense jamming signal blanked out direct communication from the command ship, and there was nothing we could do but watch as the Ubernaughts closed with the planet and were torn apart by wave after wave of missiles from the surface. With standing orders to destroy the shipyards, they held position as the bombardment ships glassed the planet with their nukes. Only one Ubernaught returned from the battle, with heavy scars on its armor.
A Jreanar Dreadnaught heading for the weak point in the Empire's defences has been intercepted, and this time, the Cochrane is staying close to prevent another disaster.
An early scan of the DN reveals it to be another heavily shielded design. The ubernaught's shield-armors are only functioning at 50%, but it takes the lead, followed by a squadron of Bombardment LCs and the two Kalashnikovs.
The DN launches missiles from extreme range, but they are completely overwhelmed by the sheer number of PDLs in the fleet. Purple fire bubbles across the DN's shields as the Ubernaught opens fire, but there is little effect. Behind the battlecruiser, fourteen nukes are released and streak towards the DN, which fires a single PDL in vain, and misses the Ubernaught with antiprotons as it manouevers.
Still charging the DN at full speed, the ubernaught and the Kalashnikovs move to point black range as a missile pair arrive and bLast an EMP through the Dreadnaught, whose shields ripple but hold.
The DN drops a pair of missiles right beside the Ubernaught and streaks away, but is caught by another pair of missiles, whose bLast causes one of the heavy shields to overheat and shut down.
The Ubernaught executes a swift dodge, and antiprotons singe space behind it while the DN comes around behind the Kalashnikovs. Four missiles impact the DN's shields, but fuel exhausted, they fail to detonate, and bounce harmlessly off the shields while the rest of the missiles drift off into space.
Another volley of ten missiles are launched and the DN's PDL is again helpless to stop four missiles from slamming into it and severely depleting its shield strength. Four polaron beams slam the DN and it trails a purple haze as it attemps to run from the missiles.
Two more nuclear bLasts and a stream of polarons overload the second shield generator, and it too shuts down.
Suddenly, nuclear fire rips across the surface of the Ubernaught, its shields collapsing, and antiprotons from the DN skim the hull, barely missing. With the Ubernaught and the kalashnikovs hovering close to the DN, the bombard ships cease fire to avoid hitting the friendlies with splash damage.
Executing a loop-the-loop, the Ubernaught avoids another antiproton burst, and slams a beam of purple fire into the aft shields of the DN. The Ubernaught launches its nuclear missiles, but the Ubernaught twists away, avoiding one more antiproton beam, and hammering the DN with a solid polaron stream.
WIth all three heavy shield generators shorting out, only a single shield-armor manages to hold off the attack long enough for the DN to fire back. With one Last skillful dodge to the left, the Ubernaught bLasts through the shields and burns a chunk out of the hull. The kalashniovs have their opportunity and unload troops through the hole, and the commandos efficiently subdue all resistance.
The Cochrane takes what it can into storage, and it looks like we got some really good pieces of their missiles intact.
Proceeding through to Yoshri, we find three DN on an intercept course.
2430.3
Two heavily shielded DNs are approaching, and the Ubernaught moves forward to protect the fleet. Missiles launched by the DNs as they come into range are easily handled by the massed PD, while the Ubernaught leaps forward to get the first hit, and causing a flaming aura around the lead DN.
A wall of missiles streak out towards the second DN, as the Ubernaught continues to splash purple fire across the defenses of the lead ship. Still unable to get a lock on the wild Ubernaught, the DNs fire blindly, and distracted by the attack, the missiles reach and detonate bLast after bLast after bLast of crushing hammer-blows to the port side of the second DN, shredding its shields to a ragged 15%. The Ubernaught turns, and Space fizzes purple around the disoriented DN, digging another 10% out of its shield energy.
The Kalashnikovs send a warning, and bLast at the DNs with their PDCs, but before the Ubernaught can react, a missile detonates just ahead of the Ubernaught. Shields losing power and sensors blinded, the ubernaught turns to follow the path of the DNs, and a second missile slams the Ubernaught from behind. Though the shields deflect most of the bLast, they collapse, and a nasty scortch mark shows where one of the shield generators was melted into scrap.
Fearlessly pursuing the DNs towards the line of bombardment ships the Ubernaught's Talisman allows a perfect shot on the weakened DN as the sensors are clearing, and breaches the shields. Swiftly, a highly trained Kalashnikov's crew manouevers through the ships to ram another group of commandos into the corridors of the DN.
Success is confirmed as the Jreanar DN breaks formation and flies to the Cochrane with weapons and shields off-line.
The surviving Jreanar captain has other plans, and manages to plant a solid beam of antiprotons from long range onto the retreating DN distorting the support structure of one of the heavy shield generators.
Launching missiles and pursuing the captured ship, the Jreanar fires antiprotons, but the commandos have re-activated the shields, and the bLast is stopped short.
The Ubernaught keeps pace with the Jreanar DN, shields back to 45% strength, and splashes polarons across the aft shields, while the commandos twist to evade another antiproton charge.
A purple blaze trailing from their shields, the Jreanar DN fakes left, and nails the commandos with an antiproton beam as the dodge right, the aft shields flaring violently, but holding at 6%.
Suddenly not interested in the commandos anymore, the Jreanar come about and fly off to the left, still trailing fire as the Ubernaught slows to make the tight turn. Reversing course once again, the Jreanar comes directly towards the Ubernaught, firing wide just as a nuclear bLast erupts. The shockwave catches the Ubernaught from behind, spinning it out of control, and overloading the shields again. Even spinning out of control, the Ubernaught's Talisman-enhanced weapons just can't miss and the shield energy of the DN continues to bubble away. The Ubernaught stabilizes just as the Jreanar loops around behind and takes off ahead. Not to be fooled again, the Ubernaught fires all aft PDCs and drives forward, still locked on with the polaron beams.
The quick start threw off the Jreanar gunner's aim and a quick PDL assist by one of the repair ships results in no damage to the Ubernaught. A dip in the Ubernaught's course, and antiprotons sail harmlessly overhead, while the purple fire of the polarons drains the DN's shields further down to 30%
Another sweep behind the Ubernaught then away, and the Jreanar captain is fooling nobody. Aft PDCs blaze and the Ubernaught continues to strip shielding. Unfortunately, the Kalashnikov is out of range, attempting to block the DN's path, so the commandos speed in and bLast at the Last missile with their single PDL, but cannot do enough damage. Another nuclear bLast rocks the Ubernaught, stripping away the half-recharged shields and burning out another generator. Firing blindly through it's own flaming aft shields, the DN misses completely, while its reserve shields begin to overload.
One Last missile drop is attempted, but the kalashnikov is at point-blank range with the DN, and cuts down one of the missiles, while the Ubernaught finishes the other and drains the DN's shields to 7%
Polaron fire rings the entire Jreanar ship, but the shields somehow remain active until a fresh bLast from the Ubernaught collapses the shields and burns a hole through the armor for the kalashnikov. The elite commandos encounter almost no resistance as they take the demoralized Jreanar ship.
With the capture of two more DN's and no Jreanar ships left in the Yoshri system, the fleet will remain here to find a way for the Cochrane to carry the Heavy Shield Generators so they can be analysed. The Cochrane has sucessfully duplicated the Jreanar missile technology, and is installing the new heavy nukes on a few of the bombardment ships. Supplies are running low, so the Healer-class repair ships have broken open the emergency packages of Cheesy Poofs.
2430.4:
We are departing the Yoshri system, for the Premius system, from which we can reach the entrance to the southern defence line of the Empire. Just after passing throught the wormhole into the Premius system, explosions rock the fleet, and the new Jreanar missile tech on one the bombarment ships proves unstable. Internal explosions rip apart the Last veteran warship of the battle of X19, while bLasts continue to rock the fleet. The Ubernaught is hit, flames erupting, and the entire port shield-armor grid goes dark. Two more CANDUs in close formation are knocked into each other by a bLast, shredding armor everywhere, while one of the ships suffers a deep hull breach, cracking the engine core and irradiating the crew quarters. Another bLast lights up the repair ships as they move to assist the CANDU with the leaking reactor (hey, thats kinda funny - a CANDU with a leaky reactor
) (PS. I'm not making this up. I named the ship, SE4 says it's got engine damage), armor is melted, rehardens and peels off of both ships in large, dark chunks.
Finally the carnage is over. The crew of the irradiated ship have been moved to the laboratory stasis pod of the Cochrane, where they can stay in suspended animation until we reach the medical facilities of the Empire. A temporary radiation barrier has been set up around the engineering section, and the bridge has been decontaminated, but the living decks were ruined and will have to be rebuilt. Fortunately, there is only a small defence fleet of two Jreanar ships, but they lie directly in our path home, and our Ubernaught is damaged. The re-reprocessed Cheesy Poofs don't quite taste the same anymore. Even so, that's the Last of the good food, since we're down to 40% of our reserves, and the Healers' processing plants are now building replacement shield-armors and engine repair equipment instead of supplies. It's dehydrated TKL rations for a while.
We are drifting insystem at a slow pace, while we attempt to repair the fleet. Engine cores are tough to build out in the field, with incredibly fine tolerances, but it is our top priority.
2430.5:
The Jreanar wasted no time intercepting our fleet, but with them on the other side of the Premius Star, we had time to install a new, mostly stable engine core in the crippled CANDU. Everybody helped, and I must say that that kind of work makes you feel good. "See those bolts over in the corner, on that warning sign? I did those!
" With all that engine work to do, we never got a chance to install the new shield-armors on the Ubernaught. Got them built, but not installed. Anyways, they've still got 40% of their shields working, and those guys are famous among the fleet for their acrobatics and dodging skills. We'll see if they can keep the two dreads occupied long enough for us to nuke 'em.
The Ubernaught moves ahead of the line of ships, just inside PDL range and waits for the Jreanar.
Four missiles fire, and the Jreanar have arrived. As the Jreanar approach, the Ubernaught follows, parallel to the fleet, and hits the lead ship with a solid beam of polarons, and causing the characteristic purple afterburn to sear the front lobe of the shield. The six remaining CANDUs release thier missiles as the DNs sweep to the side of the line, and the Ubernaught follows closely, sweeping polaron fire across the port side of the DN as it cruises to one side. Antiproton fire sprays but not at the Ubernaught! The newly refurbished CANDU breaks formation on its new engines to get behind the lines, while a pulse of energy from its missiles tears at the shields of the DN.
Diving in towards the line of ships, the two DNs unleash a stream of antiprotons, clipping off a PDL, and bLasting a chunk out of the newly rebuilt engine room.
Breaking formation, the kalashnikovs and a CANDU with intact shields form a wall in the path of the lead dreadnaught at the crippled CANDU limps away behind the fleet. Missiles trailing thin exhaust fumes curve and detonate beside the DN, pouring incredible amounts of energy into the lead ship's port side. Already weakened from polaron fire and the first nuke, the shield generators overheat and shut down with some extra encouragement from the Ubernaught's weapons. The kalashnikovs, already close in the wall formation, dive in and take over before the jreanar know what's happening.
The Last Jreanar DN rushes towards the captured ship, but the shields are already recharging, and he cannot penetrate them with antiprotons. Instead, the Jreanar fires down the length of the fleet, but the group splits and the shot misses everyone.
A second volley of missiles are launched from the CANDUs, and the Jreanar fire back, but PDLs cut down the missiles. With devastating force, nuclear bLasts light up the forward, port and aft in sequence, and the shields of the DN fade rapidly. Purple flames lick at the shields from the aft across to the port side as the Ubernaught manouvers around the kalashnikov.
With a sudden move, the Jreanar darts around the still-forming box, and dives towards the fleet, spraying antiprotons towards the crippled CANDU, but misses, while the Ubernaught turns to pursue, and the purple polaron flame drains the Last of the shield energy and punches a hole in the armor. The second kalashnikov moves in to take over, and the battle ends.
Damn, it hurts to see your hard work go up in antiproton fueled flames. My little warning sign bolts are just a puddle of bubbly metal. Now the fleet will be slow for another month while we rebuild those engines again. At least the main reactor didn't crack, and so the ship is still livable, just slow. Another supply warning over the fleet comm today. All that weapons fire has severely depleted our already low supplies and even the TKL rations are being hoarded. The repair ships have transferred their supplies to the warships, they are down to 10%, so the ships of the line have 40% ammo remaining. While we were fighting, three more Dreadnaughts have entered the system, and a fourth dred has been reported in the X42 system by one of our border defence minelayers. We've cut up on of the captured DNs, and since the Cochrane cannot hold any more in it's research labs, we've decided to bring the other DN along to help the Ubernaught in CQC.
The Cochrane has detected a small storm in the system, partway towards home, but way off to the side. It has been decided that we shall hide in it until repairs are completed or we have a clear path through to X42.
2430.6:
After taking refuge in the nebula for two weeks, the Jreanar ships have drifted far enough away for us to make a break for the border. At full speed trying to outrun the Jreanar patrols, we never saw it coming. As we approached and attempted to open the warp point, we were besieged by mines. The ubernaught, in the lead, took a furious pounding, but one too many deep hull hits cracked the main support structure, and the ship broke up. At the same time, mines swept in and explosions rippled through the CANDUs and the kalashnikovs. Reactors went critical, and we lost a Kal & two of the CANDUs. Heavy damage was taken to every ship in the fleet, but the Cochrane took the worst of it. The first bLast ripped up most of the shield-armors on the hull, while a second detonated just aft of the ship, shredding the remaining armor and damaging the engines. A third bLast to the starboard side tore a wide gash in the hull. Oxygen & crewmen sprayed out into space in a horrifying shower of red and white. And yet it did not stop. Another bLast pierced the engineering area, and half the engines were gone, along with a toothy bite from the lower decks. More bLasts amidships ruined the PDL and took large chunks out of the lab areas. In all, she must have taken five or six for the fleet. The repair ships are a mess too. The forward sections were totally destroyed; no survivors. Half of the supply tanks were ruptured, and the aft engine sections were blown clean off both ships. Surprisingly, the repair bays are relatively intact. Only one of the CANDUs escaped damage, and the mines never went after the captured dreadnaught, so the surviving command officers have relocated there.
We've got a total of six ships with active lifesupport, and only the DN, the Kal, and three CANDUs with undamaged internals. You know that CANDU with the rebuilt reactor? She got really messed up. Looks like a deformed ghost fighter, with only the bridge and a PDL recongnisable among the twisted wreckage. Definitely a bad end for my carreer. Don't get me wrong, I still hope to survive this, but I don't expect to. It'll be less of a let-down this way. With nothing to do but attempt repairs to the fleet's engines, we wait.
2430.7:
The Jreanar forces seem unconcerned about our presence in their ex-minefield, and we have rebuild the engine core of the "Scotty's Hell" as we now call her. We've got a basic lifesupport unit working, and are using refurbished cargo pods as crew quarters. We managed to crape a working missile launcher together, but there's not a whole lotta ammo to go around now. Just over 7000 supplies for nine ships. The status Boards look like a bunch of christmas trees, with all the blinking red and amber lights. We are so close; just one empty system between us and home sweet home. So close, and yet we cannot move while our supplies run low. The Kalashnikov picked up a transmission from HomeWorld, saying that a pair of rescue ships are on the way, fresh out of the academy. Not exactly a whole lotta help there. Two rescue ships, captained by novices, but apparently they were the top in the class for fleet actions in the simulators. I know, what you're thinking is "hey, thats a simulation, this is real life." Just don't say that to the crew around here. Just mention the fact that they're coming with a pair of Ubernaughts.
2430.8:
We've finished off the repairs on Scotty's Hell, and did some major work on another CANDUs engines. All of our attack ships are mobile and armed, even if not fully operational. It'll still be a while before we can get outta here, since we can't make it home without the Healer class ships' help, and they are still hostile environments, with no decking to speak of and certainly no lifesupport. Two Jreanar dreadnaughts are currently heading in our direction, and a third has entered orbit of a planet in the system. The rescue ships report being most of the way through X83 and approaching the warp point to X42. We have moved most of the personnel to the Kal, the CANDUs and the dreadnaught in preparation for battle.
2430.9:
One of our Healer class repair ships is mobile again. The crews have been doing a fine job despite being stranded without any Cheesy Poofs for close to six months now. We haven't moved from this accursed patch of space for what seems like forever. Even the XXXX Star is nothing to look at; out here on the edge of the solar system, it looks like nothing more than an ordinary star. Everyone in the Fleet knows where to find HomeWorlds Star. Some gaze longingly during off-hours, some ignore it totally, perhaps pretending that they are home, working in the shipyards. We are fortunate that the Jreanar have ignored up for so long, but our increasing power output was ultimately bound to draw attention. But my mind wanders. Woah. During a battle alert even. It seems two Jreanar Dreds are attacking simultaneously from insystem.
The four remaining CANDUs form a line, while the Kalashnikov and the Drednaught pull ahead to draw fire.
The Jreanar reach maximum range and lauch nukes at the Kalashnikov while the fleet comes to a halt and waits. AS the Jreanar approach, the rear line of CANDUs release their warheads and fall back with PDLs covering the Kalashnikov. Missiles streak towards their targets and PDLs blaze through space. Though the Jreanar score a few hits, the heavy missiles are still locked. Fleet PDLs are much more effective, cutting down all of the incoming targets.
The Jreanar are rapidly pressing forward towards the damaged fleet ships, so the CANDUs dive to the side in an effort to draw the Jreanar away from the rest of the Fleet, but the Jreanar are intent, and loose missiles at the immobile repair ship. Jreanar PDLs disable a missile, but seven more detonate and distend the heavy shielding of the DN, but the shields hold. The fleet DN adds two more nukes and a bLast of antiprotons point blank, but the Jreanar ship shrugs it off and continues its run towards the repair ship. Desperate now, the CANDUs move together to attempt to form a wall with the dreadnaught and kalashnikov to slow the progress of the Jreanar. The DN slows slightly as it pushes around the group nearly within antiproton range and the second Jreanar ship launches its missiles, but they are quickly cut town by a blaze of PDC from the kalashnikov.
The CANDUs turn to follow the Jreanar leader and form a 5-ship box against forward movement while releasing nukes at extremely close range. With PD unable to react in time, eight missiles slam waves of energy into the DN, collapsing its shields and burning a hole in the armor. The kalashnikov deploys commandos and turns to join the 5-ship box being formed by the other ships.
Unable to proceed forwards, the Jreanar ship bLasts antiprotons into the nearest unshielded CANDU, which is forced to break from the formation, leaking heavy engine plasma. The Fleet DN pours antiprotons into the Jreanar, but it's vast regeneration capacity soaks up the damage, leaving the shields at full strength. The dual bombardment nukes blaze white light across the starboard shield of the Jreanar ship, stripping off almost 20%, while the CANDUs reload and deploy their own, smaller but more plantiful warheads. Jreanar missiles aimed at the Healer are easily shot down, but it sweeps antiprotons towards the Kalashnikov, whose shields are still weak after deploying the commandos. With a flare of energy the shields collapse, but the hull is spared.
Antiprotons again lash out at the Kalashnikov, this time the regenerated shields deflect only part of the beam, leaving more dark scoring and the flash of a burning shield-armor glittering on the hull.
The Fleet DN releases its own missiles and probes the shields with its antiproton beam for a weak spot, finding none. The heavy nukes bLast again at the immobilized DN, and the shields flicker dangerously near collapse. CANDU missiles are deployed, a double bLast rips into the starboard shields, and as the DN tries to compensate, a second double bLast smashes the forward shields, leaving scortch marks directly on the hull. The third pair of missiles tear into the hull on the port side, bLasting free one of the heavy shield generators and knocking our one of the DN's engines. The Jreanar fire their antiproton beam towards the Kalashnikov, but it has gone into evasive manouevers and slips out of the weapons lock. A well aimed antiproton beam from the Fleet's DN slices off another shield leaving power conduits sparking in space. Regenerated shields provide only a moment's respite from the vicious antiproton beam as it cuts back the shielding and burns the PDL from the surface of the Jreanar ship. Still unable to lock the Kalashnikov, the Jreanar fire blindly. Two missiles bLast into the Jreanar ship, melting the antiproton beam crushing the shield generator and disabling half of the engines. Now the Jreanar ships attempts to run, but it is too late, and the Fleet's Dreadnaught burns through the vehicle leaving nothing but shrapnel burning the the rapidly dispersing oxygen cloud.
We have only one ship left to rebuild engines for, and then we can move out. Another Jreanar DN is coming up from in-system, and the rescue ships report an enemy DN heading for the wormhole and about to come in right on top of us. Though they are already in the X42 system, they doubt they can intercept in time. The Jreanar DN we captured had a good supply of missiles, which are being spread amongst the CANDUs, but that still leaves less than 30 missiles per ship at a rough estimate. The heavy antiproton beams on the dreds are real power hogs, and we may have to shut them down to conserve our limited resources.
Coming up on a year away from home, and it's going to be more fighting the Jreanar instead of celebrating with friends.
2431.0:
Well, no attack has come. The Jreanar ship we were tracking has stopped at a resupply base and another DN just came through a wormhole from deeper Jreanar territory, while the inexperienced rescue fleet lost track of thier contact while passing through an asteroid belt. The ubernaughts expended most of their supplies getting here, but with the protection of the new ships, we should be able to get the Healers operational and reach the safety of the Empire. In fact the work on the Healers is going quite well, all things considered. One of them is operational and even has limited shielding on-line. We are still having trouble starting an engine core for the other, and the lack supplies is not helping. A request has gone out for all batteries and hand weapons to be turned in, so we can scrap them for radioactives needed in the core. News from home indicates that we have achieved a sort of legendary status among the population for having survived so long, deep in Jreanar territory. I much prefer this "living legend" status to the alternative.
2431.1:
The Jreanar have ignored our fleet, but thier forces in this system are clearly too thin to compete with our new Ubernaughts. We also suspect a renewed Phong offensive may have distracted their forces from our weakened and immobile ships. While we are still working on the reactor for the Last Healer, structural work is being done on the Cochrane. We've doubled the habitable volume in there and most of the engines are Online now. With a wormhole behind us, and the real threat of a DN coming through to attack our support vessels, the repaired Healer will follow the ubernaughts through the wormhole on a scouting mission, and remain on the other side with one to guard against an ambush.
2431.2:
We had to halt repairs this month to replenish our supplies. More missiles and food are the order of the day. Jreanar forces are only passing through, still ignoring us.
2431.3:
With its PDL and control systems back, the Cochrane has traded places with the Healer, and we are almost ready to install the new engine core. There are a pair of Jreanar DNs approaching from insystem, but their course may just be taking them to the resupply depot here. Over in X42, two dreadnaughts are heading for the southern minefield and imminent destruction.
2431.4:
With the new core, the Healer has reactivated half of its engines, but before we could escape through the wormhole, the two Jreanar picked up another ship at the system supply depot, and attacked.
The two Dreadnaughts, one ubernaught and the Kalashnikov take up a wall formation and charge towards the incoming dreadnaughts, while the crippled ships of the fleet limp away.
Scans reveal one old-style heavy weapon DN and two of the heavy shield Versions. Dreadnaughts enter missile range and deploy thier nukes on both sides as PDLs charge. With beams crisscrossing space between the two fleets, half of the missiles go dark. The lead Jreanar ship slams into a wall of polarons and antiprotons as missile bLasts tear into its sides, shields blazing, and recuced to 20%. The Fleet attack ships form a wall to slow them down, but content to fight head to head, the Jreanar ships rake antiprotons across one of the dreadnaughts.
Finally in range, the CANDUs spray PDL fire into the remaining Jreanar missiles and launch thier own missiles towards one of the heavyshield Jreanar ships while, with a splash of purple polaron fire, the lead ship's shields collapse, leaving a trail of burning generators across the hull.
More Jreanar missiles are lauched towards the CANDUs, but a blaze of PDLs and PDCs cut them down, and the fleet dreadnaughts fire their own salvo back Too quickly for the Jreanar PDLs, a pair of missiles slam the lead ship with twin fireball, bLasting through the regenerated shielding and shredding armor all over the ship. With the Jreanar defenceless, the Ubernaught opens fire, and the inside of the DN spews debris. An antiproton bLast, and the Last weapon aboard the lead DN falls silent. As the striken DN turns to retreat, the ubernaught moves in and with a final bLast of purple fire, the engine core goes critical and the Jreanar ship explodes in a giant orange-red ball of fire. With ten missiles rocketing towards the next DN, the ubernaught adds its polarons to the stream of antiprotons flaring off of the already weakened shield of the DN, reducing them to 40%. BLasts rock the DN, hammering its shields into nothingness, and the fleet dreadnaughts add four more missiles which bLast through engines shields and weapons, stripping the DN to the bone. Antiprotons combine with polarons and the Jreanar ship breaks up in another giant fireball.
Still absorbing streams of antiprotons from the Jreanar, the fleet's DN regenerators are overloading but manage to keep the shields over 90% while the fleet turns all weapons on the Last Jreanar ship.
Moving around to get behind the Jreanar, the Ubernaught drags a beam of polarons across the shield of the DN, cutting them to 80% as twelve missiles close simultaneously on the ship. With incredible fury, the missiles envelop the ship in a wash of intense light and radiation, but the DN pushes through, shields gone, but with no appreciable hull damage. With no shield barrier standing in its way, the Kalashnikov moves in and its legendary commandos swiftly take the ship with minimal casualties.
With the sucessful defence of the fleet, we have proceeded to move through the wormhole to meet up with the other ubernaught and the Cochrane, and are now proceeding through the X42 system, using the star's gravity to speed our passage through the inner system.
2431.5:
We nearly overtook a Jreanar ship on the trip in-system, but by the time we arrived at the wormhole, the Jreanar had already been annihilated by the vast minefield in the sector. Finally safe within the borders of the empire, we now have only the long trip through uninhabited systems until we arrive home with our captured dreadnaughts in tow. The vast knowledge of Jreanar technology we have collected will enable the empire to build an entire new generation of ships perhaps even able to fight one on one with the great empires around us. Homeworld reports that many more assaults on the depleted defences of the home system were repelled, and the fields are holding near a hundred mines.
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Asteroids Champion!
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