My Survey Sqn Active sent in one of its number from Tau Ceti where it had just dropped off a Xeno team to GJ1002
to take a look around. As the "lookout" for the SV Active Sqn ship number 2 crept in with actives off to look at what was
just a few planets. Suddenly the 'bugs' switched on their Active sensors and what appeared to be a 200,000 ton ship
tried to ram me. I was faster and began pulling away but there were suddenly 24 gunboats (750 tons) on me and blew
the ship quickly losing the entire crew as I could not send the other 3 ships in to rescue them. I had notice when my
late ship had turned on its active sensors to get intel on the big one that there were 4 more ships nearby but slow, under
1200kps.
The other 3 ships on the warp point that I was sending back to finish the survey of Tau Ceti when the 4 slow ships blew thru the jump
point and my ships went to full power and pulled away. The enemy ships being very visible any my ships being very stealthy
I was able to pull them back to YZ Ceti without being seen.
I had finished reworking my 8 Oregon class DDs by replacing the 4 size 9 launchers with 6 size 6 ones and improved sensors.
These with 3 of my four new Lion class cruisers (Queen Mary being unfinished) left with 3 fleet tankers but no colliers (they
were still under construction and my missile building capacity was still enlarging. I sent this fleet to the YZ Ceti/Tau Ceti
warp point as my XII Buoy tender just dropped a Frogeye B9 JP sensor on the point and was pulling back with the SV Active
force to Sol.
The bugs were (and still are) doing something strange on Tau Ceti VI as my stranded team is reporting as the radioactive rates
on the planet are steadily rising and I cannot finish my examination of the site but the team is unfound. I figure the 4 big slow
ships are easy targets for my 11 DD/CLs with new missiles (I am in fusion tech now) so slip in (my ships average 4K kps speed
and are stealthy) with sensors off but I see him along way off.
No worries. I will just roll in at 2000 kps and barrage him with missiles. I have 560 Nike-Ajax ASM and 240 Rimfire AMM missiles plus
2-6 Colt 15cm far UV turret lasers per ship for backup.
They move about 1200kps so i come in about 1800 and begin firing off salvos of my Nike-Ajax. 72 total at time from the fleet but I
am still unsure on Sync fire and how to use it.
Well it appears the enemy slowboats have a ton of PD weapons as they easily knock down all of the missiles tho 72 at a time are targeted
on a single ship. My DDs about exhaust their magazines so I switch off sensors and drop shields to melt into the background and pull back
figuring like my survey ships to melt into the darkness and pull out of the system.
Not so fast young feller....suddenly there are the 24 gunboats again, at 11000kps. joy.
Now I crank up to full 4000kps speed, raise sheilds and like mad start pumping out Nikes and the AMMs off the DDs as its all they have left
on them and begin moving off to try and keep the range open. The CLs have plenty of both missiles left.
It turns into a running missile battle while my missiles pick off one after the other. magazine explosions detected. enemy ship reported
streaming fluid. I am starting to run out of missiles and prepare for a gun duel with my Colt 15cms...
I enemy gunboat crippled and dead in space and the last working one turns away at the last second and begins to move off but gets two Nikes
up its tailpipes. Just the last cripple and in the distance the 4 bug whatever they are.
Again I switch off actives and shields, go silent and move out of the system. out of 560 Nike-Ajax and 240 Rimfires I have a total of 27 Nikes
on the 3 cruisers total left. My ships slip away to meet the tanker to move back 2 systems to Sol. I hope they don't follow as nothing I have
appears to be able to hurt them.
It was a long day. I am going to need a much bigger stick to kill the bugs with.....
