Turn 290, Undine Conglomerate, Lithium systemIf Helium represented one link from the Undine homeworld to their expanses, Lithium represented the other, and the hub of their expansion with nine warp points. Unfortunately, it was not secure. Hafnium, a system only remarkable for a few icy rock balls orbiting a red dwarf in a dead end warp line would have been utterly uninterersting.. if it hadn't been probed by he red fleet 58 months ago. Since then, the undines had erected warp point defenses there, deployed the mostly depleted home fleet to there, and received support of he Sri Rajs Honour fleet to guard it. But nothing had happened, so far. Wich was fair luck, as the undines were allready stretched very thin on all fronts by current events and setbacks. If more ressources had been available, defenses would have included more fighter bases and supporting ships, but still, 24 Echho class bases and 3 Omega class bases, supported by six defense destroyers and two buoy contril ships weren#t shabby. Adding in 9 dreadnaughts and a battlecruiser and a heavy cruiser as support added to the weight of fire. Unfortunately the dreadnaughts were a bit dated, defence wise, but funds for refits had not been available in the constant need to defend Helium.
Fortunately, the Sri Raj, who despite their firce predatory apearance where actually a relaxed species more prone to enjoy laying in the sun than fighting, had roused themselves enough to provide support against the common threat. They send what their economy allowed them, 3 battleships, 6 battlecruisers, 9 heavy cruisers and six screening destroyers.
The few IDEW-P available had been emplaced 1.5 light seconds back from the wapr point to Hafnium to prevent them being swepts by pinaces or gunboats, and six hundred patterns of mines had been emplaced, not in a dense field but in layers upon layers, filling a volume of space two light seconds across around the warp point.
It all begann in an allmost ritual way. Six probing battleships transited the warp point and disgourged their brood of gunboats, turning around to exit the system again. The first battleships gunboats charged ahead without hesitation, but they encountered mines... and mines... and more mines. Only a single gunboat breached the shell of mines, most others not even making it half a light second into the field.
This gave pause to their comrades, who gathered into a dense swarm. Meanwhile, the battleships and defenders exchanged fire. While one of the Echo bases suffered some vaporised armour from the still transit addled battleships. nine of the Echo bases activated and besides damaging the battleship, managed to deliver between them 14 ADM missiles on target, bringing down its drive field. Only two dreadnaughts activated, one swatting the driveless battleship from existence, the other one damaging the shields of another battleship. Of the Sri Raj, only two battlecruisers and 2 cruisers activated, their misisles and beams only slightly damaging the battleship. Of th ready squadrons of fighters, only one was ready to engage, but wisely refrained from doing so.
The remaining battleships transited out, taking with them their scan of the defenders disposition and leaving an angry swarm of sixty gunboats on the warp point. The gunboats modulated their engines and plunged into the minefields, creating a bowwave of explosions as they pushed through. Unfortunately there were not enough mines in each belt to engage all gunboat squadronss, but stll 28 gunboats fell victim to the four layers of mines engulfing the warp-point, leaving 32 bedraggled and disorganised survivors to brurst through the minefield, where they were greeted by a hail of fire from the bases and obliterated.
The warp point remained silent after this, while alarms were send out to the neighboring systems.
Involved ship classes (This will be of interrest in the comming turns, I am sure)
Undine ship classes:BS3 ECHO III class BS3 17 XO Racks 85 Hull TL 10
[1]S1x24Acx24H(BbM)QWaWaFcDzDzWaFcDzM6DWaFcDMgDWaDDz!2LhQFcDz?2WaWaZiMgXr[0]
85 RCP 15 MCP Trg:7 Bmp +4 Tem -2 Cost = 2039/ 101.9
HTK 76 S1x24 Acx24 Dzx5 Fcx4 Wax7 Mgx2
BS OMEGA class BS2 10 XO Racks 50 Hull TL 10
[1] S1x6Acx6H(BbS)Vx36Qx4LhXrMg
50 RCP 36 FCP Trg:1 Cost = 1474/ 73.7
HTK 57 S1x6 Acx6 Vx36 Mgx1
SD QUEBEC II class SD AM2 26 XO Racks 130 Hull TL 10
[3]S1x30Acx30HQ(IIII)(BbS)HWaWaDcWa(IIII)DcFcQWaWaDzFcWaDcFcWa(IIII)DzFcWaM6DcLhQWaXr!2(IIII)ZiDzFc?2(IIII)MgMg[5]
130 RCP 20 MCP Trg:7 Bmp +4 Tem -2 Cost = 3605/ 540.7
HTK 115 S1x30 Acx30 Dzx3 Dcx4 Fcx5 Wax9 Mgx2
BC WHISKEY III class BC AM2 16 XO Racks 80 Hull TL 10
[2] S1x21Acx21H(BbS)Q(II)Rc(III)RcDx(II)RcRcDxDxRcM5(III)?2!2LhQXr(II)ZiDxFc(III)Mg [6]
80 RCP 20 MCP Trg:6 Bmp +4 Tem -2 Cost = 2112/ 316.8
HTK 78 S1x21 Acx21 Dxx4 Fcx1 Rcx5 Mgx1
CA ROMEO V class CA AM2 12 XO Racks 60 Hull TL 10
[1] S1x12Acx15H(BbS)(II)?2(II)QDxXr(II)Wax4!2M5Wax3(II)(II)DxLhQZiDx(II)Mg [6]
60 RCP 40 MCP Trg:6 Bmp +4 Tem -2 Cost = 1738/ 260.7
HTK 60 S1x12 Acx15 Dxx3 Wax7 Mgx1
DDE II class DD AM2 6 XO Racks 30 Hull TL 10
[1] S1x6Acx6H(I)(I)(I)Qs(I)Wa(I)DcWa(I)?2!2M5MgQsZiDx(I) [7]
30 RCP 20 MCP Trg:6 Bmp +4 Tem -2 Cost = 867/ 130
HTK 31 S1x6 Acx6 Dxx1 Dcx1 Wax2 Mgx1
DSB INDIA II class DD AM 6 XO Racks 30 Hull TL 7
[2] S0x6Aix6ZHQs(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)DzXr(DCS)QsDz(I) [7]
30 RCP 20 MCP Trg:1 Cost = 624/ 93.6
Sri Raj ship classes:DREADNAUGHT III class BB AM2 20 XO Racks 100 Hull TL 9
[2]S0x14Acx15HQ(III)(BbM)(III)(III)(III)WaWaLxWaDzLxWaWaMgM6!2DzWaLxWaLx(Dec)WaDzWaDiZiDiMgXr?0LhQ(III)[5]
100 RCP Trg:7 Bmp +1 Tem -2 Cost = 2575/ 386.2
HTK 75 S0x14 Acx15 Dix2 Dzx3 Lxx4 Wax9 Mgx2
LION III class BC AM2 16 XO Racks 80 Hull TL 9
[2] S0x12Acx12H(BbS)Q(II)(III)?0(II)(III)(II)RcDcM5!2RcDc(HET)RcDcZiRc?jXr(HET)LhQMg(III) [6]
80 RCP 20 MCP Trg:6 Bmp +1 Tem -2 Cost = 1846/ 276.9
HTK 60 S0x12 Acx12 Dcx3 (HET)x2 Rcx4 Mgx1
INVINCIBLE III class CA AM2 12 XO Racks 60 Hull TL 9
[1] S0x10Acx15H(BbS)Q(II)(II)?0(II)(II)(II)WaWaDz!2WaM5LWaWaLVx6QZiDzXrsLhQ(II)MgMg [6]
60 RCP 65 MCP 6 FCP Trg:6 Bmp +1 Tem -2 Cost = 1597/ 239.5
HTK 63 S0x10 Acx15 Dzx2 Wax5 Vx6 Mgx2
TRAFALGAR class DD (AC) AM 6 XO Racks 30 Hull TL 6
[2] S0x4Aix3ZH(BbT)(I)Qs(I)(I)(I)(I)(I)FM2DcFQsF(I) [7]
30 RCP 20 MCP Trg:3 Cost = 550/ 82.5
HTK 24 S0x4 Aix3 Dcx1 Fx3
Red Fleet Classes:BB DAIKU II class BB AM2 12 XOg Racks 100 Hull TL 11
[2]S1x36Acx24AlAcx30HQ(III)(III)Q(III)(BbS)Q(HET2)HDxz(III)Q(HET2)M5?jDxz!3LhQ(HET2)?kXr?3Wc(It2)Z2DxzX(III)Mg[6]
100 RCP 120 FCP Trg:6 Bmp +6 Tem -3 Cloak Cost = 3614/ 542.1
HTK 132 S1x36 Alx1 Acx54 Dxzx3 (HET2)x3 Wcx1 Mgx1
Standard heavy WP probe ship, now upgraded.
Note: The Raj are defenitely at a disadvantage here with their point defence two generations behind the Red Fleet. But unlike the Undines they have anti-matter, increasing their offensive punch. also, they add another 54 F1 to the fight. also... Pax Utopian tigers make for some image.
Anti-gunboat shells are effective. They would be even more if they were dense enough to engage every squadron. 10 patterns per hex wasn't enough, but even so it was 600 patterns in total in 4 shells.
Overall this went quicker. The system sure appeared important to the red fleet, but their currrently assembled force did not have the weight to go in (no ship heavier than a BB). But unlike Tantalum, they can send in heavier ships here. So I guess I will have to swap lfeets around or activate a system defence fleet from one of the nearby core fleets.
Still the Red Fleet is keeping ships and the allies are loosing, usually.
Also the undines learned something. Next time they'll send the ADM all down on one target, and the rest of the fire on another.
And the Sri Raj scanned S1, Dx, HET2, pGB in action.