Author Topic: Personal Log: Prime Guardian Louann Karmazyn (17)  (Read 3164 times)

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Offline Steve Walmsley (OP)

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Personal Log: Prime Guardian Louann Karmazyn (17)
« on: September 10, 2007, 05:21:29 PM »
Personal Log: Prime Guardian Louann Karmazyn

Day 120, Thirteenth Year of the Tenth Emperor
Today is the third anniversary of the Koalan Defence Force and I am proud to recall my own part in the impassioned debates in the Quorum that finally led to its creation on that historic day. Despite the few violent episodes in our own history, it is my firm belief that one day we may meet alien races out among the stars and they may be far less benevolent than the Koalan people. I wish the majority of our people shared my desire for exploration but too many still cling to the ancient traditions and believe our planet is the centre of the universe. They point to the other two planets in the Koalan system, with their poisonous, high pressure atmospheres and half-molten surfaces, and insist that Koala is a world chosen by God. Why visit other star systems, they ask, when even if other worlds exist they will be as hostile as Adramelech and Naberius. Although many Koalans believe that my own Sequoya and her two sister ships are a waste of time and money, we will guard our homeworld until the day when my dreams of interstellar travel become a reality. I pray that until then, we remain in our isolated innocence. I would rather that my concerns be without foundation and that I be thought a paranoid fool, rather than face the catastrophe that would surely accompany their validation.

Code: [Select]
Sequoya  class Cruiser    5750 tons     580 Crew     449 BP      TCS 115  TH 175  EM 300
1521 km/s     Armour 1     Shields 10-300     Sensors 5/5/5/0/0     Damage Control 0-0     PPV 20
Replacement Parts 10    

Nuclear Thermal Engine (7)    Power 25    Efficiency 1.00    Signature 25    Armour 0    Exp 5%
Fuel Capacity 100,000 Litres    Range 75.1 billion km   (571 days at full power)
Alpha R300/10 Shields (10)   Total Fuel Cost  100 Litres per day

Thermal Torpedo (4)    Range 60,000km     TS: 1521 km/s     Power 5-1    ROF 25        2 2 2 2 2 2 0 0 0 0
Fire Control S04 40-1000 (2)    Max Range: 80,000 km   TS: 1000 km/s     88 75 62 50 38 25 12 0 0 0
Pressurised Water Reactor  (1)     Total Power Output 4    Armour 0    Exp 5%

Thermal Sensor TH1-5 (1)     Sensitivity 5     Detect Signature 100: 0.5m km
Active Sensor MR2500-R25 (1)     GPS 250     Range 2.5m km    Resolution 25
Active Sensor MR8000-R80 (1)     GPS 800     Range 8.0m km    Resolution 80
Grav Pulse Detection Sensor GPD1-5 (1)     Sensitivity 5     Detect Strength 100: 0.5m km
EM Detection Sensor EM1-5 (1)     Sensitivity 5     Detect Strength 100: 0.5m km


Day 126, Thirteenth Year of the Tenth Emperor, 13:56
Less than a week since I recorded my hopes that we would not see visitors from the stars for many years, those hopes appear to have been dashed. Four hours ago our deep space sensors detected a strong thermal signature seventy million kilometers from the homeworld and my squadron was ordered to intercept immmediately. We are now eight million kilometers away and our active sensors have confirmed a 5000 ton contact moving at the incredible speed of 4000 km/s. Either their engine technology must be vastly superior to our own or their ship is nothing but engines. The alien ship has responded to our hails but their transmissions make no sense at all. Our scientists estimate it could be several days or even weeks before we can decipher the alien language.

14:12
The alien ship continues to close in, despite our efforts to warn it away, and it has now brought its own active sensors online, enabling it to accurately pinpoint our location, and begun to raise shields. Although the alien is outnumbered three to one and is smaller than our Sequoya class ships, I cannot help but be fearful of how this may end. If the alien weapons are as advanced as their engines, our superior numbers may count for nothing. I will advise the Quorum to send our geological survey ship and our three freighters away from planetary orbit and into the safety of deep space.

14:16
With the alien ship less a million kilometers away and showing no sign of slowing, I have decided it must be considered hostile. The Quorum is urging me to make peaceful contact but I do not believe that is within my power. With its great speed advantage we have little chance of engaging the alien at a range of our choosing so I will attempt to surround it and at least get one ship within range.

14:17
Guardian Gollahite and myself are taking our ships to either side of the alien?s course while the third Sequoya will fall back toward Koala for a minute before resuming its course toward the incoming ship. The alien shields appear to have stablised at strength-14, only forty percent stronger than our own.

14:18
The alien is proceeding on course toward Koala and soon moves between our flanking ships. As all three Sequoyas are within 125,000 kilometers, I order all ships to close on the alien and open fire if they get within 60,000 kilometers. We charge into the battle and the future of our people rides with us.

14:19
The alien charges directly for Cupressaceae, the ship lying between it and our homeworld, and opens fire at 67,000 kilometers with a pair of 15cm Near Ultraviolet Lasers, a weapon far in advance of our own technology. Both lasers hit and reduce Cupressaceae?s shields to strength-6. Cupressaceae responds within five seconds, launching four Thermal Torpedoes at 40,000 kilometers. Unfortunately, our tracking systems cannot cope with the high speed of the alien and all four torpedoes miss. As it will take twenty-five seconds for Cupressaceae to recharge her launchers, I order her to run for home and try to stay away from the alien.

It is a forlorn hope. Five seconds later the alien fires again at less than 30,000 kilometers. Two strength-6 hits blast through the remnants of Cupressaceae?s shields, wreck two of her engines and disable a shield generator. Eighteen Koalans are killed. My own Sequoya and her squadron mate Taxodiaceae try to close in but the alien has passed us. My tactics were designed to give one of our ships a close range shot, and they were successful in at least that regard, but now we cannot provide mutual support and Cupressaceae is likely doomed.

Another ten endless seconds pass before a third alien salvo smashes into Cupressaceae, destroying three more of her engines, her long-range sensors, one of her fire control systems and half of Engineering. However, the Sequoya class is built to be tough and her secondary fire control system survives, as do her reactor and all four of her thermal torpedo launchers. By the time the alien is ready to fire again, Cupressaceae has recharged her own weapons. She launches a defiant spread of torpedoes at point blank range, straight into the teeth of the alien ship. Finally a torpedo impacts on the enemy?s shields, causing a crimson flare that is cheered by the crews of all three ships, but it is only one. Our fire control simply cannot deal with such a fast-moving adversary. The price for that hit is high. Two more laser strikes shake Cupressaceae to her keel, ripping through her remaining operable systems and reducing her to a crawl. The alien remains close to Cupressaceae?s burning hull and fires another point blank salvo. Somehow she still survives but her end is near. Her death may not be in vain because Sequoya and Taxodiaceae are closing in and if the alien holds its position we may yet reach weapon?s range.

As Taxodiaceae moves within 80,000 kilometers, the alien suddenly realizes the danger and accelerates away toward Koala at 2000 km/s, half its normal speed but still high enough to remain outside our weapon?s range. Almost as an afterthought, twin beams spear the helpless Cupressaceae and she finally explodes. Two hundred of her five hundred and eighty crew make it to the life pods.

14:20
I have failed in my mission. Cupressaceae is lost and there is no way to prevent the alien intruder from reaching our homeworld. Although the atmosphere should protect Koala from laser attack, if the enemy ship is armed with missiles or bombs and is prepared to use them, the casualties and industrial losses will be horrific. I only wish the Quorum had agreed to my plans to build planetary defence centres as well as the Sequoya class cruisers.

14:21
The alien has accelerated to its previous speed of 4000 km/s and is now hailing Koala, although our scientists are still unable to understand its signals. We are carrying out rescue operations before deciding on our next move.

14:29
It is plainly impossible to stop the alien and with only two ships I am unable to surround it. Therefore I have decided that it is important that the Koalan Defence Force survive as a symbol to our people. Sequoya and Taxodiaceae will split up and head away from the course of the alien in opposite directions. At least one of us should make it outside alien sensor range. We can remain in contact with the homeworld and return if the alien withdraws or strike at any targets of opportunity.

14:30
The alien has reversed course and is closing on Taxodiaceae. Its commander obviously realizes our intention

14:40
Taxodiaceae is under fire and her shields are failing but she is maintaining her course in an attempt to draw the alien away from Sequoya.

14:41
Taxodiaceae trails atmosphere like blood as the alien weapons tear into her. Only the determination of the alien to remain outside her 60,000 km weapon range has saved her from destruction thus far but I fear the end is close. My own ship is less than two million kilometers away and our bid for safety is unlikely to succeed.

14:46
Although Guardian Gollahite somehow held his ship together while being pounded for seven long, agonising minutes, Taxodiaceae has finally perished. Only ninety-five made it to their life pods. Even my plan for a dishonourable escape has failed as the alien is now 2.3 million kilometers astern and closing fast.

16:03
I have awoken to find myself in a life pod with the surviving bridge crew. My last memories are of a futile charge at the alien ship, a series of devastating explosions wracking my ship and finally an exploding bulkhead sending me into welcome blackness. Although the pod has no sensors, we can pick up communications from Koala. The alien ship has apparently resumed its course for our homeworld and is continuing its meaningless hails. I fear the worst.

17:00
Some better news at last! The latest update from Koala is that the alien has halted two million kilometers from the planet, possibly fearing ground-based defences, and does not appear to have spotted the retreating freighters or the geological survey ship. For now, it appears the alien is willing to continue communication attempts, probably so he can demand our unconditional surrender.

The Koalan Species


Steve
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Steve Walmsley »