From the Begining New Chapter Added (9/12/06)

[Starhawk]

Uh oh sudden lack of commentary BUM BUM!

Well in all seriousness for those of you who have been reading this, Does it look like my wrighting style is better as the story developes?

[Starhawk]

2414.1
“Today on Icara Imperial News, the 3rd fleet has engaged a task force from the Phong Federation in the Fornax star system, it is this Network’s greatest pleasure to report that the 3rd fleet had an astounding victory over our enemies yet again.” The beautiful young reporter Janet Cranston was one of the most popular state reporters, and the IIN only one of two state permitted news networks so at about this time a night just over half the Icaran twenty billion people were watching.
“Admiral William Ross’ fame continues to grow as he leads the third fleet in multiple victorious engagements against several Phong battle fleets, leading the Fornax system.
Meanwhile in the Mavin Parsis system Admiral Babcock has led the first fleet in a victorious invasion of three of the planets within the system, he reports that our conquest of the Phong is only a matter of time and with the State security brigades taking up position our people will soon be enjoying the resources these conquests can bring in.” Janet stopped talking and looked over to her co-anchor “And now to you Ed”

“Thank you Janet, Riots have broken out in the Pollux system, the former Rebel Alliance citizens of an organization known as the “Citizen Rights Coalition” is leading the rioters against local police forces claiming that their kind is being mistreated by the Imperial government. Admiral Lady Selene Poule of the 2nd fleet is said to be mobilizing her fleet and the 1st Brandenburg regiment for their departure to quell these riots as soon as possible……if the rebels happen to be watching this report it is my recommendation that you surrender peacefully, or you will surely die.” Ed Hanston grimaced.

“In other news, the Icaran Tigers beat the Brandenburg Hornets 20 to 15 in the system wide crossfire tournament…..

[Renegade 13]

Yay! I was starting to get worried, no story for a few days!

[Starhawk]

Yeah wanted to give myself a day or two then re-read it like you folks suggested because I want my story to be a fun read So how am I doing on improving my wrighting style any progress you think?

[Rasorow]

No complaints, but I am not the best critic and barely surviving my own writing class right now....

Rasorow

[Starhawk]

I'm hoping to take some writing classes in the future

2416.6-2417.7
Two repair ships arrived to assist the 1st fleet back into a mobile state after the severe damage suffered during the Phong ambush at the warp point. Admiral Tyson Babcock established his flag aboard HMS Divinity after his first flagship was destroyed, he was still undergoing therapy for his injuries when he gave the order for the 1st fleet to launch an assault against the closest world in the Mestra system with the intent of capturing a forward base for his fleet.
Fortunately for the battered first fleet the invasion went off without a hitch and the self defense forces of Mestra VI didn’t inflict even a single loss to the Icaran Invasion forces. The forward base was set up rapidly after that and a State Security brigade was sent to keep the peace.

Cortina System:
“Admiral Ross, a Captain Yu to see you?” The marine sentry at Ross door chimed over the com panel and Ross jerked his head up in surprise as he tabbed the com panel.
“Captain Yu? Uh let the Captain in please.” Ross tried to keep his voice relaxed but he felt a tension rush up his spine, if it was Yu Chin then he would likely have an argument pending as the man was still resentful that Ross was given command of the third fleet after his father had been killed at the 3rd battle of Fornax. If it was his sister Yu Lin then God only knew what Ross could expect.

The door opened with it’s typical metal squeak and Ross heard two female voices coming from outside as the door paused before opening fully, his marine sentry of this watch was a woman, so the second voice must be the Captain. Ross tensed even further as the door opened all the way and a slim, relatively short woman wearing a captain’s uniform walked in. She removed her cap and Ross nearly tripped over himself as he went to stand, Yu Lin Pe was stunning, her jet black hair fell into a tight pony tail just between her shoulder blades, her almond eyes were alight with intelligence and she carried herself with a self assurance and grace that made her exotic beauty even more pronounced. She was one of the few Icarans that had Asiatic decent in modern times after the Asian portion of the Empire was abandoned to ancient China millennia before during the first great wars, she was even more rare because of the fact that her family line could be traced back all the way to the founding of Icara colony 200 years ago and had a heritage that even many nobles were jealous of.
“Captain Yu Lin Pe reporting for duty sir.” Her voice snapped Ross back into the real world, he noticed that she had been standing in salute for several seconds and that he had kept her waiting longer then was polite to return the salute.
“Welcome to the fleet Captain Yu.” Ross said stiffly as he returned her salute, somewhat embarrassed that he had been taken so aback.
“Thank you Admiral, Lenin was transferred to your fleet by order of Admiral Lord Tyson Babcock, commander first fleet stationed aboard His Majesty’s Heavy Cruiser Redoubtable.” Her tone was still formal but something in her eyes made Ross feel slightly more comfortable, but he still felt sick because he knew her ship had not received the messenger drone informing her of the Mestra incident.

“Lin, I’m sorry to inform you but Admiral Babcock was severely injured, the first fleet was ambushed at Mestra warp point and they lost Redoubtable and Rossevelt during the opening engagement. Several other cruisers were also badly damaged, heavy casualties are reported.” Ross’ felt his heart sink as Yu’s expression changed to one of tortured anguish.
“Oh God, William do you know how Tyson is doing?” her voice was heartbreaking to Ross and he barely noticed that she used his first name for the first time in years.

“He’s alright Lin, he’s undergoing therapy but the Last reports said that he’s recovering quickly.” Ross indicated a seat for Yu across from his desk and almost smiled when he saw the relief on her face.
“Thank God for that, he’s a good officer, and a friend.” She managed to smile uncomfortably as she seated herself and placed her cap on Ross’ desk.
“He’s also a tough old bird who wouldn’t go down without a fight.” Ross said with a smile, when Yu laughed gently he allowed himself to relax further.
“How have you been William?” Her smile faded slightly as memories flickered behind her eyes.
“I’ve been good, it’s been odd though, I still can’t get used to the fact I’m commanding a fleet.” Ross smiled sheepishly at Yu.
“Well you always did like being out on your own, exploring the unknown, that’s why they gave you Saber after all.” She smiled back, the same smile Ross remembered from the academy, that smile he thought, could light up a room and always managed to make him feel better somehow.
“Yeah well we all know how well that turned out, I was the first one to run into a Phong exploratory ship, and the first one to destroy it and we all know how that ended.” Ross said glumly and leaned back in his chair.
“It’s not your fault William, those damned Phong’s are the ones who started this war.” Lin smiled reassuringly. “We have a lot to catch up on William, let’s not make this whole meeting a depressing one okay?” her smile disappeared and a mock stern look replaced it.
“Alright I surrender, we do have a lot to catch up on, how are you Lin?” Ross waved his hands in a gesture of submission and Yu laughed again. They both relaxed at Last and spoke for hours before Captain Yu was called back aboard her ship for the training exercises she had scheduled the day before.

Top Secret Research Facility, Deep within Icaran space:
“High Admiral Hallice may I present Chief Scientist Doctor Donald Procter.” The younger scientist waved his hand in the direction of an elderly looking man who was bent over a computer screen, apparently looking at something important.
“Doctor Donald Procter.” Hallice held out his hand and was a little surprised when the older chap just put his hand up gesturing for silence.
“There it is.” The man spoke to no one in particular before standing up and looking at the Admiral as if he noticed him for the first time. “Aaah, Admiral Hallice, welcome to my facility, how are you?” Doctor Procter took Hallice hand and shook firmly.
“I’m fine doctor but I am pressed for time so please show me what your folks considered so important you needed me to come today?” Hallice was impatient, he didn’t like scientists much but especially when they made him wait, after calling him with “urgent” news.

“Aah of course, well Admiral, as I’m sure your aware Praetor Leonidas authorized the beginning of project “Star Warrior” three years ago, well I am pleased to say we’ve made some progress in that field about a month ago, we wanted to be sure of our findings before we notified the military but now that we have confirmed our findings, well here you are.” Procter rambled excitedly as he guided Hallice to a door.

“Well sir I am pleased to report that we’ve completed the I-Laser program as well as Talisman.” The old scientist smiled broadly, Hallice pretended patience as he waited for the weird old man to get to the point.

“Aaah anyway Admiral the I-Laser or “Imperial Laser” is actually a Fusion beam, we called it a laser because it uses a laser focusing beam, but I’m sure your not interested in that, it is a thirteenth generation weapon done in the energy stream research field, even more powerful then the Anti-proton beams you military types wanted to put into production years ago.”
“Doctor please get to the point.”
“Well sir we are ready to make refits to the existing General class cruisers in project “Midwinter’, heavy cruisers with Midwinter weaponry will have one hundred percent accuracy and more firepower then some of the other star nation’s battleship sized craft.” The scientist rambled for hours about the joys of his project’s completion until finally Hallice got the gist of it.
The “Star Warrior” project was a complete overhaul of military technologies to increase the fighting abilities of the Icaran Royal Navy, it consisted of multiple programs to reach that goal and finally after years of research most of these projects were completed.

The new Lord Nelson class dreadnoughts would take another six months to put into production because that is about how long it would take the scientists to get a working model of the “Solar Sail” which was really just a modified grav sail used to implement solar energies instead of warp space energy to propel a ship much faster.

The development of the Quantum reactors was complete, the Q-Reactor would enable not only infinite fuel for a ship using it but it’s development also had the odd side effect of enabling matter sequencing technologies to be implementable, this exotic new technology enabled a ship to turn waste products into consumables, though Hallice knew it would take some time for crews to be comfortable with eating and drinking products that used to be their waste no matter how many times scientists told them that the matters was completely broken down into it’s atomic basics before being turned into food or drink.

Project Talisman had also finally been completed, this device was a hyper advanced targeting sensor which would enable one hundred percent accuracy for the warship it was plugged into.

AI was also perfected and with these new computers aboard starships crews could be reduced to the point that more systems could be added to the warships of the Royal Navy, though no true navy man was willing to give total control of their ship over to an AI no matter how many scientists claimed that the Ais could handle every function of a starship without the need for a crew.



2417.8
Midwinter class heavy cruiser refits begin throughout the Royal Navy.

[Starhawk]

A dagger falls
Captain Yu Lin and her ship had been ordered to separate from the fleet and return for routine repairs at Parsis II’s shipyards, the most immediate concern was the GFGs which had been acting up on them during simulated jumps.
The massive heavy cruiser slid silently into the shipyard slip that had been left open for her at Parsis II, some of her damage scars still stood out on her hull plating, the yard master informed captain Yu that a complete repair would take over two weeks and that the rest of the fleet would have to continue on without her.

Captain Yu sat in her day cabin, quietly reading the reports from the yard hands and sipped a cup of coffee absently as she noted the large numbers of Phong listed on detail to her ship, she would have to order her marines and engineers to inspect any repairs those yellow creeps did on her ship. The com began to buzz and jerked her away from her train of thoughts.
“This is Yu what is it?”
“Captain, Bridge, Governor Fallon wishes to talk to you, ma’am.” The com officer’s report made Yu sit straighter, what would a governor want with her?
“Put it through, thank you.”
“Aye ma’am.”

Governor Fallon’s square jawed face appeared on screen, his grim look and squinted eyes made the hair on the back of Yu’s neck rise.
“How can I help you governor?” She used the same tone she would have used in battle, and her face was almost as expressionless.
“Captain Yu, I would like you and some of your marines to come to the surface this afternoon, I have to discuss something with the Navy, and you are the closest person here that represents any ranking naval officer.” Governor Micha’s voice was tense but the expression on his face was more concerning then anything else.
“Governor what’s wrong?”
“Just come here as soon as possible Captain.” The governor frowned again and cut the channel.

Yu sat stunned for a moment before she tabbed a control on her personal com screen.
“Marine Barracks, Sgt Kemper here.” A young voice replied crisply.
“Sgt Kemper, Captain Yu here, my compliments to Major Hernandez and tell him I need to see him in a quarter of an hour in my briefing room.”
“Aye Ma’am.” Yu could almost feel the marine brace to attention as she cut the channel.

Tabbing another key Yu began to scroll over the readiness loadout of her boat bay, one of her three marine dropships had been destroyed in the Last battle when the boatbay took a direct hit another had been damaged, that left her with a single dropship and four cutters at her disposal. The marine compliment of a heavy cruiser was normally two hundred but with the recent engagements she was down to ninety two combat effective marines with another thirty seven in medical.
She continued to read on the resources she had available to her, but the nagging concern of why the governor would want her and Royal Marines on planet when he had a full brigade of State Security troops haunted her, 500 state security troopers should have most definitely been enough to deal with any local issues.

Fifteen minutes later on the dot Major Hernandez stepped into the briefing room, Sgt Kemper at his side, both marines braced to attention and saluted, Yu returned the salute politely and waved the two men to their chairs.
“Major Hernandez as you may be aware Governor Micha has requested that I go to the surface with a compliment of marines and has been vague on what his reasons for this request are, I have attempted to contact him twice since I sent for you and his office only replies that he is “in conference”.” The marine officer nodded and his Sgt shrugged, “The specific request that I bring marines with me is what has me concerned Major, now perhaps there is nothing to worry about but I’ve never met a Frontier Nobleman that wants his personal space crowded by a Naval officer and a compliment of Marines unless he thinks that his own SS forces are inadequate.” Yu’s matter of fact tone spoke volumes as did her specific use of the term Frontier Noble.
The Icaran Empire was ever expanding these days and it was cleanly divided into “The Frontier” and the “Core Worlds” the Core Worlds held the bulk of he Icaran populace as well as the major military bases and academies within Icaran space, the peace was kept by Local Militia’s, and the Royal Military and most of the nobles enjoyed the military security provided them by their location in the galaxy.
The frontier however was a far less secure place the bulk of the military presence there was mobile with a handful of military shipyards and supply bases scattered throughout, only worlds with such bases had Royal Army presence, the other worlds relied on the State Security Brigades or SSB to the population at large, better known as SS by the military. These units were non mobile, heavy security forces equipped with small artillery weapons, darter rifles and hand guns and class 2 body armor, many of the units that occupied recently conquered worlds also had a number of armored, assault cars in their service, though some nobles paid out of their own pockets to better equip their SS brigades.
Frontier Nobles were very low ranking in the overall standings in the House of Lords and they were also far more independent minded, most of them hated having any military presence in their territory unless it was there to save their noble asses.

Twenty minutes passed as Major Hernandez and Captain Yu discussed the best deployment plans for the marines that were combat ready, she would take 12 marines with her on a cutter, the rest would remain aboard the dropship and the other cutters where they would await her specific order to deploy should the need arise.
After the briefing Yu proceeded to the boatbay with 12 marines that Hernandez had hand picked for her bodyguard the entire unit wore heavy body armor and fully automatic darter rifles, one of them even carried a grenade launcher.

The cutter darted from the bay of Lenin and burned through the atmosphere at 4 gees before breaking just 50 clicks off the surface before coming to a complete hover over the central landing pad in the city.
“Ma’am the launch facility looks empty.” the pilot sounded nervous as he continued to run scans of the landing pad.

“Try contacting air control Pilot” Yu turned to the marines “Alright marines, assume a hot LZ lock and load.” Yu pulled her sidearm holster’s lock open and slid the holster where she could more easily grab the darter pistol she carried.
“Ma’am no contact from Air control, but my scans are showing burn and bLast marks on the pLastacrete around the control tower, wait ma’am receiving a signal, patching it through now.”

“I repeat this is Governor Micha to navy cutter do NOT land in the main pad or you’ll be…” the governor’s voice was suddenly cut off as a missile impacted on the left wing tearing a hole clean through it and sending the cutter spinning out of control. A second missile impact tore off the right wing sending the cutter careening out of control.
“BRACE!” Yu heard the pilot shout and as she saw a building coming up in front of her she barely managed to unhook her straps and throw herself through the hatch leading to the crew compartment, the impact was bone shattering the sound of crunching metal and screaming sound of the sole remaining engine pushing the wrecked cutter further into the building was ear splitting…

After things had finally stopped moving, Lin managed to force herself to her feet “Is anyone there.” the cabin was pitch black and at first she couldn’t hear any noise, then she heard movement and several voices chimed in
“Aye ma’am, we’re here….I’ve got two marines dead though, have you checked on the pilots?” Sgt Kemper turned on his suit light and the shattered remnants of the troop hold revealed a grizzly sight, two armored suits were sprayed with blood and gore, the faceplate of one was torn open by the splintered remnants of a battlesteel beam the other body was just mangled beyond recognition.
“The pilots are dead.” Yu heard a voice behind her and turned to see private McNiel.
“Damn, let’s get the hell out of here before whoever shot us down takes a pot shot at us.” Another marine cut in and was waved back by Kemper.
“He’s right, let’s go.” Yu shook her head at the bodies and stepped over to the shattered remains of the door.
Two marines stepped up and helped her tear the wrecked doors open
A bullet ricocheted off of Yu’s armor and sent her wheeling back through sheer force of impact one of the two marines also took a bullet square in the chest plate and fell to the deck grabbing the rippled piece of armor.
“Sniper! Get back.” Kemper shouted as more bullets tore into through the opened door, Yu rolled out of the way of a stream of bullets and forced herself to her feet the marine that had been hit got to his feet as well.
“Morette, get up here.” Kemper snapped as a large marine stepped forward, he was carrying an M-52 grenade auto-cannon and a bandolier of grenades strung around his chest.

The heavy weapons marine walked forward and leveled his auto-cannon calmly as bullets bounced around him and three rounds even hit him dead on. Seconds later the cannon burped out six shots directly into the building where the snipers had been firing from tearing it apart in a series of explosions.
“Everybody out!” Kemper bellowed as the marines poured past Captain Yu and out into the landing pad, only then did it become apparent just what had happened, at least two dozen SS troopers lay dead on the pad, several civilian workers also lay dead, some butchered terribly.
Yu winced as she saw some of the butchered bodies, a crack bang drew her attention to another building, the sound of several darter auto-rifles split the silent sky in a torrent of darts some of which began bouncing off the marine armor. A marine went down with a scream as blood sprayed from a hole in her armored throat, the scream quickly turned into a gurgling cry before the marine stopped twitching.
“Return fire!” Yu shouted as she lined up her auto-pistol on a figure wearing gray and yellow armor and squeezed the trigger, a small explosion erupted from the figure and it fell back dead, the marine lines erupted in a return fire dropping three more of the attackers before the rest ducked back into cover behind a building.

The sound of darter fire erupted from behind the marines suddenly and another marine went down in a spray of gore and blood as a dart pierced his helmet, the poor marine didn’t even have time to scream as his headless corpse fell limply to the ground. Yu whirled her pistol around and saw a massed formation of armored figures running at her and her marines, she squeezed the trigger twice dropping two more targets before ducking behind the wrecked dropship.

“Follow me marines, Keep Yu between us damn it if she gets hurt your asses are mine!” Kemper shouted as he and three other marines came up in front of Yu and began herding her towards a wrecked building at the closest part of the landing pad.
More darts sang through the air but miraculously none of the marines were killed, though one took an explosive dart in the leg that pierced his armor and tore a gaping hole in his calf.

The marines barely made it into the door before dozens more darts began tearing away at the pLastacrete building. A dart just barely missed Kemper’s face and exploded in a wall painting behind him.
“What’s going on here?” Yu asked no one in particular as she leveled her darter at an armored figure outside, sending a dart screeching into the enemy’s head.
“Ma’am, getting a com signal from Micha.” Corporal Bradley said calmly as the sounds of pLastacrete blowing apart filled the room.
“Captain Yu, he says that there was a Phong resistance cell hiding in the outskirts of the city, by time he mobilized his SS troopers to respond the resistance had already launched their assault on the landing pad and government building. SS brigades are still trying to secure government building and the brigade guarding the landing pad took heavy losses before pulling out.” The Corporal said something into his com and looked over to Yu.
“Corporal ask him if he can get us any reinforcements before we end up like those SS outside.” The Captain said bitterly as she watched another marine take a hit in the shoulder and writhe on the ground before his suit’s medical pack administered painkillers.
“He says he’s already got a brigade inbound but they won’t arrive for another hour because of the street fighting Captain”

“Alright then, I want three marines upstairs and firing out of those windows NOW, Captain please stay back.” Kemper’s voice echoed in the building as another series of rounds tore into the wall.
“Stand easy Kemper I’m not going anywhere.” Yu ducked under the window to reload her darter as another round exploded overhead.
The marines continued firing out the windows while the marines that ran up stairs joined in the fight and poured rounds into the rushing hordes of gray armored figures dropping several of them.

The marines fought of wave after wave of attackers, and two more marines fell to snipers as an hour passed, then two hours and still no reinforcements had come. The Icaran troops were beginning to run low on ammunition and the newest wave of enemies was getting closer to the building where the marines were taking cover in.
Phong resistance troops hammered down the door and rushed into the building with bayonets and force knives, marines and Phong fought hand to hand and blade to blade, Yu slammed her bayonet into the throat of a Phong warrior and threw a kick into the ribs of another Phong warrior and the resounding crack of bones shattering filled the room as the injured warrior dropped.
The whine of darters came from outside the building but the embattled Icarans were too busy fighting for their lives to notice, the marines that had been upstairs raced down and opened fire into the mass of Phong cutting down several of the enemy warriors. The three troopers on the staircase continue to shoot down Phong as their fellow marines continued to beat the enemy back with bayonet and rifle butt.
A marine dropped at Yu’s feet, his faceplate punctured by a Phong bayonet, blood pooled rapidly on the floor making it slick, the Phong that had killed the unfortunate marine leaped over his victim towards Yu but Kemper’s bayonet slammed into it’s side draining the noxious yellow blood from the alien as it hit the floor twitching.

Almost as fast as it had began the attack was over, a wave of black shirted figures charged into the melee and sprayed the Phong warriors with non-explosive darts knocking them down long enough for Marines to bayonet them.
When it was all over an SS trooper wearing the standard black flak armor of his branch walked forward to Captain Yu and braced to attention.
“Ma’am I’m Lieutenant Sharpes 5th State Security brigade Governor Micha has ordered my men to escort you to the government building, as soon as possible.”
“What about my wounded lieutenant?” Yu asked dangerously as the young officer looked around, 3 marines were found dead outside, another four lay dead inside the building and two were badly wounded.
“Captain We can bring them with us but we have to move now! There are more of these “resistance“ troops on the way” The Lieutenant’s tone was pleading and Yu could barely contain the contempt she felt for the man, he was an officer in one of His Majesty’s services yet he was acting like a frightened child, not even waiting for the wounded to be loaded onto stretchers before he started for the door.

“Lieutenant do you mind telling me what the hell happened on this planet, and why you SSBs couldn’t keep the peace by yourselves?” She almost spat the sentence at the young officer who stopped dead in his tracks and looked at her, stunned.
“Captain, there was nothing State Security could do about it, we did not know their numbers or targets, we assigned security where it was most necessary.” The young man turned his back on the captain and began walking down the street again, watching the buildings carefully.
“So Lieutenant instead of dispatching mobile patrols Governor Micha ordered the SS to stay in two! Locations, and dispatched only a single brigade to guard your main landing platform?” Yu felt the rage building in her, the tactical folly was born out of cowardice, government house had four of the five brigades guarding it, while the landing port had one brigade protecting it, and that brigade was ordered to withdraw after barely a half an hour of combat against the resistance cells, and of course they pulled back to government house.

Hours passed before the Icarans reached Government house on foot and Yu had been forced to call down the entire marine compliment of Lenin to pull the marines and SS platoon out of a serious ambush, in the end the marines and SS were able to reestablish control over the city but of the twelve marines that had landed with Yu only four survived, and of the SS platoon that had been sent to escort them, half had died including their Lieutenant.

Yu immediately sent a dispatch to Admiralty requesting a board of inquiry be formed against Governor Micha for his failure to adequately deal with the uprising that had inflicted heavy losses on the civilian workforce and Icaran State Security forces….losses which would not have been so high if Micha had just ordered his men into mobile patrols instead of having them guard his house so tightly while the rest of the city was embattled.


2414.5
The Last world of Mavin Parsis fell before the vast column of Icaran ground troops, not a single Icaran had died in the invasion, yet the Phong had suffered many thousands of dead, their survivors were forced into the labor camps, the youth were placed in Icaran re-education facilities under the watchful eyes of Imperial teachers and state security troopers.
The heavy cruiser Lenin floated silently in formation with the rest of the parade that was being held for media benefit, her battle scars covered with fresh paint and plating, her half strength crew hidden from the camera drones orbiting the fleet. The public would get their triumph over the conquest of an entire star system by the Icaran Empire, but the military would move on to the next target, their “celebration“ party had been a glass of old champaign for the flag officers in the Admiral’s briefing room aboard Redoubtable.
Yu still had bad dreams about what had happened back on MP two but she was comforted by the fact that the admiralty had dispatched a JAG officer to investigate governor Micha's shortcomings.
The 1st fleet was already headed for Fornax at speed and would arrive at their first target in about eight months, all there was now, was the long wait before the fleet entered the maelstrom once more.

Fornax System
Admiral Ross won yet another victory over a Phong fleet headed to reinforce the Mavin Parsis defenses, the Icaran 3rd fleet killed 10 enemy light cruisers while losing only HMS Farrogot and three hundred of her four hundred man crew.
Ross sent a dispatch to the Admiralty with his after action report requesting that the officers and crew who had died aboard the unlucky destroyer be posthumously awarded the Icaran steel cross for valor and bravery in the face of the enemy.

[Starhawk]

BTW the "Dagger falls" story was not actually based on anything that happened in game I just ran with a few months of nothing happening

Just for those of you who were wondering why a Heavy Cruiser would be carrying troop units they don't.

[Starhawk]

2415.3
The 1st fleet began it’s invasion of Fornax like a thunderstrike, Fornax V was swept through like locusts through a cornfield and already a military base was being established on world for the continued advance of the Icaran war machine.
Meanwhile Ross’ famed 3rd fleet scored yet another victory over a Phong squadron sent to reinforce Fornax V, not a single Phong ship escaped alive and the 3rd fleet suffered minimal damage.
Both Icaran news networks played the victories up to the hilt, proclaiming Admirals Ross and Babcock “Heroes of the Empire” and people all over the Empire cheered their military victories and letters from grateful citizens poured into the naval mail delivery bureau to the famous captains and Admirals of the battle.
The “Long March To victory” had begun 15 years ago and from the very start Icara had proven herself a conqueror and an unrelenting foe, the war with the Phong had Lasted almost twelve years now and the people rejoiced that the stalemate had finally been broken by the Icaran Royal Navy and Army, yet throughout the empire all knew that the march was far from over and that in the end it may end up becoming more a crusade then a march.

[Starhawk]

2415.8 The march continues
Admiral Babcock sat stiffly in his command chair as his fleet closed on Fornax I, it was a heavily defended world the most heavily defended his fleet had yet been asked to seize, 8 weapon platforms, 20 squads of enemy light infantry and an unknown number of militia.
HMS Hornet and the other cruisers of her division formed the vanguard of the fleet, while Redoubtable and the heavy cruiser division formed the second line behind the transport, the other cruisers fell into the flanking slots to ensure a full 365 degree defense perimeter around the troop transport.

As the fleet approached the world it’s surface guns tore space with shells the size of a fighter craft, most of the shots were aimed at the heavy cruisers and thankfully due to extreme range missed, but the next volley fired at Hornet and the other cruisers of the lead division, most of those shells missed as well but Hornet was damaged seriously enough to begin withdrawing from battle, her hull bled atmosphere, and a trail of wreckage followed behind her as she limped away.
The troopship was almost within drop range, once she landed her forces they could claim all eight platforms intact and not have to worry about leaving ships to guard their new conquest.
Unfortunately instead of picking a new targets the surface cannons opened fire on Hornet again, shell after shell tore into the battered wreck that had once been a proud cruiser until the structural integrity of the ship failed outright and shells tore clean through one end and out the other as the screamed in at near light speeds, one lucky shot struck home in what was left of the reactor core of the crippled cruiser and as containment failed a brilliant blue star was born. 2,100 Icaran spacers died as that star was born.,
Babcock clenched his fists in rage and sorrow as he watched the star fade and saw the wreckage that remained of a ship that had boasted a glorious service record.
The troopship reached dropship range at the same time the Last shell killed the cruiser, thousands of infantry and hundreds of armored vehicles cut through the atmosphere at speeds that were too fast to intercept by the planetary defense platforms.

Landing forces seized control over the most heavily defended target that Icara had ever faced, and they had done it in less then two weeks. The Phong governor of that world had relied too much on weapons platforms and when the ground forces of Icara landed the Phong ground forces were totally overwhelmed in a far from exciting battle, not a single Icaran Army trooper died in the battle.


[i]notes after the battle.
Two days after the battle Admiral Babcock dispatched Lenin to intercept a Phong Light cruiser that was headed towards the warp point to the Mavin Parsis system,
Captain Yu Lin Pe and Lenin are to be reasigned to Third Fleet as soon as Fornax system is secured
Her crew performed excellently in their kill of the enemy warship, and proceeded to the warp point with renewed vigor, Lenin scored their first ship to ship kill and suffered absolutely no damage in the process and not a single casualty had been sustained much to Admiral Babcock and Captain Yu's mutual relief after the tragic loss of His Majesty's Warship Hornet and her valiant crew.