Beyond the Horizon

[Dracus]

*********The engagement******************
Vincent takes a quick look across the command deck.
"Bring all weapons Online. load the tube. Signal the fleet we are going in."

The engines of the Stingray come to life and the fleet start towards the planet.
"We are not detecting any defense systems and the scans of the satellites are not revealing any real information. Sir!" report the comm station."
"Johnson!" orders Vincent "as we pass over the planet, take out the power stations and knock those satellites out of the sky."
No sooner then the Last order was given, the comm officer yells out: "We have power surges on the planet and the satellites in orbit! We have incoming!"
"damn it! Break formation! Break formation! " screams Vincent, as the first missle slams into the port side of the Stingray. The explosion rocks the ship knocking a number of the crew onto the deck.
A second missle zips across the ship but does not make contact as it heads toward the scattering fleet. The remaining missles start to fizz in the wake of the retreating fleet. No other ships are hit.
"It appears sir that the range of their missles is about 12,000 miles above the surface of the planet."
"The other ships are requesting instructions." the comm officer reports.
Vincent turns toward Johnson; "Can we get into range and take out those missles launchers? "
Johnson responds. "We can use a single escort to set up target Coordinates and move the frigates to the edge of their grid; we just might be able to take them out. It will be more of a hit and run, Dipping in and out out as they fire."
"That is the most screwed up idea that I have ever heard of! So screwed up that it just might work. Order the Friendship to move in. As soon as those launchers fire up again put all missles in the water. "

+++++++Aboard the Friendship+++++++++++++

Capt. Rolen turns to the flight officer, "report!"
"The Stingray wants us to set up targeting info. They are convinced that they can take out the launchers a max range."
Alright! we have our order people! Let's rock!!" commands Rolen.
As the Friendship moves into the grid pulling away from the other 9 escorts, missle raise from the surface.
The 7 frigates return the favor.
All missles from the surface fail to make contact with any of the ships.
2 minutes later, the The first of the planet bound missles strikes it target.
A small outpost goes up.
++++++Aboard the Stingray+++++++++
"ALL incoming have failed to hit sir, Our first missle as taken out it's target."
"Get the tubes reloaded!" Vincent Yells, "As soon as all missles hit, I want a full report."

+++++++++++++++On the planet++++++++++++
A young Fazah male looks up at the dome Just as an incoming missle tears it apart.
As the air quickly begans to escape, He truns and runs for the pressure doors leading to from this dome to the main dome.
Just as he reachs the junction and the doors close behind him, a second missle hit the dome.
In an instance, The homes of 10,000 is reduced to rumble.
Just three days before, he and his friends had attended a gathering to support the war. Now his own planet was under attack.
He hated humans' yet he had never seen one. The leaders say they are demon creatures speading across the stars like a virus and must be distroyed. One more year and he would join the miltary.
Now his friends are no more. The Humans were no virus and they would not be so easy to distory.

++++++aboard the Stingray+++++++++++++++
"All 7 missles have hit sir, but only one missle launcher out of 5 were distroyed. We also took out a dome complex due to two of the missles missing their target. "
"take us in for another round." orders Vincent.
"all 7 missles in the water sir. 2 minutes to impact."
"We have incoming, moving out of the grid."
All missles have hit their targets sir. All launchers wave been taken out."
"Good order all ships toward the planet."
As the fleet moves toward the planet, the 12 satellates orbiting the planet once again began to show a power surge. All of a sudden escort 003 (still unnamed) get ripped to shreads by cannon fire.

+++++++Aboard the Stingray+++++++

"Sir, one of our escorts is taking on heavy fire from those satellites. They appear to be housing cannons. They are reporting engine damage. We must do something."
"Order all ships to target and take those damn piles of **** out of my sky!" Yells Vincent.

+++++++++Aboard the Friendship+++++++++
John quickly looks at the scans coming in from the satellites. He turns to Capt. Rolen; "Those things can only target one ship at a time, They appear to be linked together. If we can get a ship to draw their fire, the rest of us can take them out."
"Order escort 004 to move play the duck and let's take them out!" Rolen replies.

The escort 004 moves in to draw the fire. But before they get into position. The satellite array fires again.
Escort 003 goes up in a flash of light.

The friendship moves into range and fires two shots. They both hit their mark and one of the sats is blown from the sky.

Escort 004 is hit right in the command deck by cannon fire and all systems go dark.

Friendship fires again taking out another sat. The other escorts quickly blow apart the remain sats.

********Aboard the Stingray****************
"Capt. The Friendship reports the sky is clear. We lost one escort and another is not responding."
"Move us into orbit and send a shuttle to being rescue operations. Send a message to High Command that we control the planet and are awaiting the transport."
As Vincent walks off the command deck, He makes one Last comment; "And keep an Eye on thos enemy ships."

++++From the logs of Capt' Vincent Cooper+++ +++++++++ The Stingray+++++++++++++++++++++++

The battle went well. We do feel the loss of the escort and it's crew. Still unclear on how command plans on taking the planet, I guess we will see once the transport arrives.
Power to escort 004 has been restored and they are heading home for repairs. I just hope that is the Last ship we lose in this mission.

*********************************************
Next time ---- beta Fleet enters Z'trop.