August 2, Year 61
13:46
New bandits on screen! Nine Beastjuggler class vessels, speed is just 395 km/s! Cross section 630, last known thermal signature 250, estimated 31500 tons each. Suspected to be civilian ships, with at least 28 vessels of this class marked in intel records.
Beastjugglers were spotted by Beholder 002 277m km away from Ross 594 JP, moving in the direction of the first enemy group. Also in the direction of the planetary system.
Meanwhile, enemy warship group stopped emitting and is trying to follow the scout at 1432 km/s. Strike package is still 300m km out, ETA 8 to 10 hours.
August 3, Year 61
00:26
Banshees closed within 45m km range of the enemy warship group and opened fire, focusing Tromp 001 with 32 ASM-41 Falling Star (WH 9, speed 20.8k km/s). These ASMs have tiny heat seekers and should potentially be able to retarget other ships if Tromp 001 goes down too early. But I don't think it will.
01:01:46
Enemy warship group turned on its medium range sensors! Just as the missiles approached them, 217k km out. I guess I just couldn't detect Tromp's short range AMM emissions (GPS 90), and they switched the Poolser's and Zwaadvis' sensors on upon detecting the incoming missiles. Neat trick that I can't replicate with my multi-role warships.
NOTE TO SELF: low speed high-endurance fleet escort PD fighters for such a role, maybe?
01:01:51
New active sensor contact! Horsejuggler class, suspected medium range ASM ship (exactly the same intel data as Poolser and Zwaadvis). 78m km west of strike package.... That's gotta be another enemy warship group, popped up BETWEEN the strikers and the carrier. Damn... Fighters have already expended all the ammo, and their fuel reserve is limited. Beholder 001, that is part of the package, will have to temporarily turn on active sensors to see how big the second enemy group is. Damn...
01:01:56
Splash! 10x ASM-41 hit the enemy ship and it explodes! 20 missiles are still maneuvering. Secondary explosion and life pod ejection detected. Beholder 001's active sensors indicate that Horsejuggler 001 is a loner. It moves at 1432 km/s in the direction of the strike package. Sensor data reveals that Tromp class has an armor of at least 2. That's better than I expected! And no ECM!
01:02:06
7x energy weapon impacts detected. 12 missiles are still in flight. I guess that's enemy PD fires at work. Range between them is 15k km. I'm not sure if heat seekers will allow successful re-targeting.
01:02:16
No re-targeting. The remaining missiles gone wasted. CVL Ranger launches rescue shuttle to try and snatch the enemy crews from the life pods first. RV-1 Willie is relatively small and stealthy (cross section 2.94, thermal sig 14.4), and fast (20.4k km/s), so it should be fine on its own.
To be continued...