The Walkers, updated 9-28-03

[chewy027]

Rebel Alliance 17th place with 98.4k pts
Terrans 16th place with 117.8k pts
Vandron 6th place with 277.8k pts
Aquilaeians 3rd place with 593.8k pts
Klingon Empire 2nd place with 624.8k pts
Star Empire of Romii 1st place with 872.6k pts

2405.6 – 2406 ~ Adaptation

“All hands to battle stations!” cried Commander Halas of the Gliese Protectorate Battle Group. “Close on the lead battle cruiser, and fire at will.”
Vice Lord Defcon had immediately mobilized this battle group to intercept the Rebel threat in the Alpha Leo System. Presently, there were two separate Rebel battle cruisers posing a threat to Alpha Leo Prime, the system capital. It was these two ships that the battle group had to intercept.
“Commander, I am detecting no shields on the present target.”
“Excellent, maybe we can end this engagement quickly with some swift boarding action.” He collected his thoughts and then went on, “Captain Ambron of Overtaker Thirteen, make your way to that vessel and board it.”
“Yes sir” came the reply, “and what about those guns?”
“Don’t worry about those guns; we’ll take care of them. Just get in close enough to launch your boarding pods…All other vessels lay down cover fire for Captain Ambron’s ship.”
In an instant, the space around them was lit up by PPB fire. Overtaker Thirteen skillfully navigated the distance between itself and the battle cruiser and made ready to launch its pods. Just then, the battle cruiser took notice of what was going on.
“Commander, the battle cruiser is turning towards us, they are beginning to loose their gu…” just then the enemy vessel let loose a broadside barrage into the oncoming Overtaker that instantly depleted the ship’s shielding, decimated its boarding pods and main weapons, and blew away much of the top portion of the ship including the bridge.
“Damnit, those were good men!” the commander screamed aloud to no one in particular. “Redemption eight and thirteen, swing around that ship’s starboard side and unleash hell. The rest of you, shoot to kill.”
The two redemptions drew across the starboard side of the ship raking it with PPB fire and disabling two of the main large DUCs aboard the ship. At the same time, they evaded or absorbed all return fire within their shields. The ships to the fore of the engagement surrounding Commander Halas’s own Redemption Five continued to loose their PPBs into the ship. They succeeded in destroying the enemy’s crew quarters and life support.
“They’re crippled” exclaimed Halas, “Redemptions Eight and Thirteen target the main engines, don’t let them escape.”
Just then a faint buzz was heard over the comm., “this…i…ensi…Farragut abo…Over……teen. I have con……the…engi……attempt…ram….Rebel…”
“What was that?” asked a bewildered Halas, “Are there still people alive on Overtaker Thirteen?”
Just then the tiny little vessel’s engines flared and the crippled ship turned toward the mighty Rebel battle cruiser and plunged full speed into the mid underbelly of the ship. A blinding flash lit up space as the Overtaker’s engines ignited and hit what must have been the weapons Cache aboard the battle cruiser. Explosions reverberated through the ships hull and tore it apart from the inside out
“Battle group report in” said Commander Halas in a solemn voice, “what’s your status.”
“All ships report zero to minor damage Commander” reported his first officer. “They are awaiting their orders.”
“All ships regroup into formation; make way for the second battle cruiser. Let’s try this again, without losing anyone this time.”

“I want the good news from each of you first,” commanded Lord Chagnon. “We’ll start with Vice Lord Exnon.”
“The good news, ah yes, let me see,” he thought for a moment and then went on, “Well, we have colonized several new worlds and our ship on its way towards Bastion in the Gamma Pavonis System is progressing rapidly.”
Bastion is a fully colonizable gas world in the far south of the star cluster below the Vandron’s home cluster. It holds more ancient ruins in an uninhabited system. It had been decided that Captain Impo head there instead of the previous target and begin construction of a system capital, far away from Aquilaeian Space, in the off chance that they should have to flee.
“Is that all?” asked Chagnon.
“Yes my Lord,” Exnon answered, almost sounding sorry. “With the increased production of the military vessels, there has not been much new exploration or colony ships built.”
“I understand,” replied Chagnon, “see to it that the ‘ruin worlds’ continue to get top priority.” He then turned to Mandron and addressed him, “So what have you got?”
“I’m afraid I don’t r…really have any g…good news sir. Our relations have remained the s…same with all known races. However, there is b…bad news.”
“I didn’t ask for that yet now did I,” said Chagnon a bit jokingly, but stern nonetheless.
“I’m s…sorry sir.”
“Well spit it out then, what is this bad news,” commanded Chagnon.
“Well we have m…made contact with a new r…race sir, the Klingon Empire. Unfortunately, they immediately d…declared war on us, citing something of our unworthiness, and the g…glory of battle.”
“I see,” answered Chagnon, no one else would dare speak. “And how great of a threat do they pose to us?”
“That is unknown at this time,” answered Mandron.
“Anything else then?”
“No sir,” replied Mandron as he slouched back in his chair as if having gotten a great burden off his shoulders.
“Junon, surely you have something good to report.”
“Yes, my Lord,” he began. “I finished my project on the warheads for the mines, and I believe I have reached as high a level as is possible. As for the mines themselves, I also finished my research into developing a larger size; still, I believe it would be possible, with much more research, to increase the size once more. However, I believe my time would be better served in a different area of research with the onset of this war with the Rebels.”
“What did you have in mind?” asked Chagnon.
“Increasing the range and firepower of our PPBs, sir.” He went on, “After much discussion with Defcon, we decided that in order to give ourselves a tactical advantage we must have the most powerful weapons available to us to pierce the armor and shields of our enemies.”
“Sounds alright to me, continue on with that line of research then.” Finally, he turned to Defcon, “and what news from you.”
Defcon’s face was a mix of emotions as he spoke, “Well my lord, I too have mixed news, though I fear the bad outweighs the good.”
“Go on,” commanded Chagnon, “Lets have it all then.”
“Well, sir, the Gliese Protectorate has recently engaged the two Rebel vessels in the Alpha Leo system. They destroyed both, but lost an Overtaker in return.”
“I see,” commented Chagnon. “This is to be exp…”
“If I may finish then, sir” interrupted Defcon.
“I’m sorry, go ahead.”
“The worst news however is a recent discovery Junon and I made. We recently went over everything we knew of the Aquilaeian ship designs, and found that all of their most recent designs are using self-destruct devices.”
“What does this mean for us?” asked Chagnon.”
“It means, sir,” answered Junon, “that if an Overtaker captures a ship with one of these devices on it, the ship will automatically explode and most likely destroy our Overtaker with it.”
“Those treacherous Aquilaeians,” sputtered Exnon, “they know exactly what we will try to do to them.”
“Precisely,” put in Defcon. “We will still be able to capture ships that do not have these devices, but they are not expected to be in great number.”
Just then Lieutenant Tramom, the aid to the High Command, entered the room. “My Lords, we have just received word that the Rebel colony on Alpha Leo II has completed a battle cruiser and is sending it towards Alpha Leo Prime. The Gliese Protectorate is not in range to intercept it in time.”
“We only have one option then,” answered Defcon, “we must move the Gliese battle group to take out that ship, and then we must order the battle group to attack that Rebel planet. We can not allow it to continue to produce ships that can take out our colonies at will.”
“Wait,” put in Exnon, “isn’t there an Overtaker that was just finished on Alpha Leo Prime? Perhaps it may succeed in capturing this attacking ship.”
“Yes, there is” answered Defcon. “But look what happened to the Last Overtaker that tried that.”
“Still,” exclaimed Chagnon, “we must try.” He paused and then went on, “However, I agree that we cannot allow that colony to continue to produce ships to attack us. This is a fact that I have puzzled over in my daily prayers and meditations, and I have decided that in this war, or any others, if the enemy is willing to burn our worlds, then we must do everything in our power to stop them, even if this means destroying their colonies. This may not be the way of peace, but it is the wisest thing for us to do.”
There was a moment of silence as the High Command took this in and pondered what it meant for their people. Throughout their history, the Vandron had prided themselves on their commitment to peace as well as wisdom. This would now change; they would now employ the means necessary to ensure their own survival, even if that meant destroying an enemy’s world.
Chagnon then went on, “this does not mean that we will look for a fight, it simply means that if, and when, war comes we must do whatever is necessary.”
After some more brief discussion, the High Command agreed on this new policy and set to work on the various duties given to them. In the meantime, they anxiously awaited the outcome of the upcoming battle between the lone Overtaker and the Rebel battle cruiser approaching Alpha Leo Prime.

[ September 11, 2003, 23:15: Message edited by: chewy027 ]