(Belligerent Theocracies are fun to RolePlay as)
OOC Game InfoI'm playing as the Divine Empire of Valos, using Belligerent Theocracy Government Type in a TN start. I've tweaked with some of the settings and I can provide more information including empire backstory if anyone is interested.
This game has been running for 37 years and I've only recently begun to turn my efforts toward warships due to the discovery of aliens!
This battle, more a sequence of short skirmishes really, is the first taste of proper combat for Valos.
ICThe Pacification of Temple EwellBackgroundScouts under the command of Flor Eckert,
VFC Yuri Gargarin, VFC Leif Ericson, came into contact with an alien vessel on the 21st October 2063. Attempts to communicate were met with the summoning of reinforcements by the lone vessel. Subsequently, Eckert left Temple Ewell after five days of observation.
Temple Ewell was declared a restricted area.
Grand Commander Bethany Nixon, Master of the Fleets, conferred with Senior officers and diplomatic teams and constructed a strategy to engage these foreign lifeforms. They would learn of the Light of Valos... by word or by force.
It had only been thirty years since the ascendancy of Valos. The Empire's military power did not project itself fully upon the stars. Having no previous Xenological contact, a standing navy was limited only to Reconnaissance and surveillance. Should the will of Valos be extended beyond His home system, suitable vessels would need to be constructed to carry His word.
After four years, the Empire was ready. A primitive military force had been completed. First Generation destroyers, making up for a technological backwardness with a reliance on numbers, were issued. The "Peon" Class carried three sets of light Railguns along with thick armour and a top speed of 6,000 km/s.
March 31st 2067 REPORT: Conflict in Temple EwellKnight Grand Commander Maloghurst KalickTaskforce16 Peon Class Destroyers - Led by Malik Domitian
2 Pilgrim II Class Scouts - Led by Myself.
Event SummaryThe Task Force met with the VFC Janus Group who had recently finished stabilising the Warp Tunnel into Temple Ewell at approximately 12:00 March 8th.
At 14:00 we prepared to transit.
After completing Preparation, we arrived in Temple Ewell at 14:09 without receiving any hostile contacts.
We held this position for 24 hours. During this time there was no sign of any hostile vessel. The order to move was given at 12:00 March 9th. The destination was 22M KM from the Star Ewell A. It was hoped that a bold movement would entice a response from any observers.
After three days of movement contact was made at 1:30 March 12th.
"Wolverine" matched the signatures that Eckert picked up almost four years ago. They were still here. We had no idea if they had been monitoring our movements this whole time or if they merely stumbled into our force as we moved through the area.
We gave chase.
A day of pursuit went by. "Wolverine" had a top speed of 10,000 km/s, outpacing anything we had. I gave the order to follow in case "Wolverine led us into any friends.
March 13th 14:36 - "Wolverine" was joined by "Rattlesnake" and "Jaguar". Both of these ships were sighted by Eckerts party. I recall finding it strange that they had not been redeployed elsewhere, wondering perhaps if this was their home.
There was no doubt in my mind that these were a response force. Knight Domitian gave orders for our destroyers to engage "Rattlesnake".
16:38 - It became clear that they would be on us within the hour, all ships were ready and itching to fight.
17:38 - exactly an hour later, they score the first hits.
The
Boyle takes the brunt of the damage, losing 13 crew and knocking out it's weapons systems. Their weaponry appears to be much more advanced than ours, doing high damage at a much longer range.
We return fire.
We score dozens of hits on the Rattlesnake, they power up engines and move away but we stay on their tail.
(Bonus picture for posterity
Our excitement is cut short as they fire their second salvo. Focusing fire on the
Boyle, they cut through the thick armour and hit the ship's powerplant. It detonates, splitting the ship in half. Out of 223 Crew 69 survive, including CO Knight Borya Kulikov.
Incensed, we return fire.
As it turns out, the Rattlesnake was not so strong. A second salvo from our fleet set off a cascade of detonations. With our sensors detecting a dying thermal and electronic signature and the absence of activity; it was concluded that the Rattlesnake was destroyed which turned our attention to the Jaguar. The ship
Brooks commanded by Boreas Barbatos was awarded the kill.
By the time our guns are ready to fire the
Belknap had taken six hits from the Jaguar, the last had pierced the armour and took out it's Fire Control and disabled the reactor.
Belknap was ordered to disengage as it still had engine power.
A minute later, a salvo from the
Gregory puts Jaguar out of action.
Combat is concluded at 17:41. Orders are given to recover the survivors of the
Boyle.
At 17:43 we still detect the signature of Wolverine. At his own behest, against my advice, Malik Domitian ordered the pursuit of the signature. Our losses so far amount to the destruction of the
Boyle and the crippling of the
Belknap. I was concerned that we may be advancing into an ambush yet without my sensors Malik would be flying blind. I followed him yet his speed outpaced mine.
18th March 21:43 - our sensors jump alive, detecting two different signatures. Classifed as "Krait" and "Kingfisher", these two ships appear to be launching from Ewell A-I. I alerted Malik and we agreed to meet at a waypoint about 5M KM outside of the Ewell asteroid belt and await pursuit.
We regrouped at the waypoint on the 20th. Wolverine had decided to follow Malik, whether it was taunting him or attempting a diplomatic offer was never revealed: Wolverine was annihilated by the
Beatty commanded by Yeremi Lazerian.
Hoping that this left the enemy flying blind. We agreed to investigate the signatures around Ewell A-I.
Two days later we set off towards the planet.
The
Herbert loses it's commander after a missile hits the bridge squarely. While we return fire it is hit again. Due to the deaths of it's command staff the crew were in disarray. The engines took the brunt of the damage. The detonation of it's Miro-Cherkas wiped out 20% of the crew with most unable to reach safety before it was too late. Only 37 survived.
On the enemies third salvo, the
Hancock is hit the hardest. I do not yet know how the ship broke so easily. It is assumed that Knight Commander Malik Domitian was slain due to a systems explosion. All that is known is that Command radio was silenced and the Lead vessel of our destroyer group detonated. After half a minute silence, I assumed command from my vessel, the Hudson.
During this time the
Gregory, the ship that had put the Jaguar out of action, was crippled. Although the "Kingfisher" took a fatal salvo from Knight Yeremi Glacius of the
Fletcher, the "Krait" launched a devastating volley which destroyed not only the
Gregory but many of it's escape pods. 39 survivors were located with CO Harley Gaskamp not among them.
The superiority of Valos won out however. With 12 ships left and only one target, the "Krait" proved unable to resist our might. Conor Hurst of the
Ericsson was credited with the destruction of the Krait.
With many senior officers dead, I assumed control of the Squadron. All active escape pods were recovered and orders were made to fall back to the jump point.
I viewed the system as "secure". The retreat to the jump point was ordered as a form of bait. IF any hostile craft remained in the area they might take our supposed fleeing as a sign of weakness and be emboldened into to a pursuit which we would then punish them for. The men also felt safer for being closer to home.
During these events, the Janus group had moved into the system in order to secure our passage home. At the time of my writing, they have encountered no hostiles and work on the Jump Gate is proceeded expediently.
It is hoped that the Light of Valos can find many homes among this system with no less than three planets designated as "Suitable" for colonisation. Our actions this month secured not only Valos Superiority but homes for our future generations.
Summary of lossesFriendly:
Four "Peon" Class Destroyers destroyed
BoyleHerbertJohn HancockGregoryOne "Peon" Class Destroyer Crippled
BelknapOfficers:
Knight Commander Malik Domitian
Knight Harley Gaskamp
Knight Tom Hughes
687 Crew
Hostile:
Destruction of all signatures
Loss of unknown amount of "Crew"
Loss of Temple Ewell.
RecommendationsSecure foothold in Temple Ewell. Conduct surveys and scout for any signs of hostiles in neighbouring systems.
Use lessons learnt to overhaul the "Peon" Class. Stronger weapons while retaining the same armour thickness? Heavy Armour layering saved many lives.
Commendations and promotions for the officers involved in the first military action undertaken by our people against a foreign species.
Knight Commander Maloghurst KalickIf you read this far down I'm impressed. This turned out to be a hell of a lot longer than I first anticipated. Big props to Steve, I've had so much fun playing these last three years and yet it only just feels like I'm getting decent at Aurora. Thanks for making a game so deep and complex that something like a simple skirmish turns into something like this! The ships I used here are the first Non-missile, first generation ships that I've ever used in a combat situation. For the first time I actually used terrible tech to fight instead of waiting for overwhelming superiority.
This here is probably the first actual "battle" I've had despite playing for so long. Maybe it's the fact that I'm playing as Space Knights Templar but I just feel much more immersed and invested, I don't know. All I know is that Valos will prevail.
Feel free to leave comments of any kind!
Thank you.
