[ooc]I finished the previous installment later last night and I have to go back and re-edit the text there are some inconsitantcies and such there. As far as area defence setting goes, that worked very well except that the chance to hit varied from 5-13%. Final fire was up to 17-19%. I think every laser armed ship though killed at least 1 missile with her lasers in area mode, the Mohawk killed 3, and the two Lakes a pair each this is at maximum around 10 leakers, but they shot a lot more often then that, at times up to 8 lasers missed the missile. Mohawk and Commanche killed around 6 missiles in point blank self only mode.[/ooc]
September 22 0337 Wolf 359 Commanche BridgeThe intel gathering part of the operation had so far been a resounding success. Peter knew which way the die would fall on the next generation of laser turrets. He suspected there would be a huge push for both better armour plus stronger and faster charging shields. The shields though had made a huge difference in this combat with the Commanche only suffering damage due to three impacts in a short time. The new Falcon counter missiles had their baptism in fire and had performed remarkably well, with on one memorable occasion all three missiles warheads triggering on a single inbound missile. Faster tracking speed for the lasers was a must but still the TorAr arrays had done an astounding job protecting the ships against leakers. Now though it was time to test the NCNs Arrow anti-ship missile against the Wolvers.
"Guns, target is Tone 2. Time to blind them."
"Aye aye sir. Target is Tone 2."
"Communications, send to Task Group: Target is Tone 2. All ships engage."
On the threat plot the Tone 2 changed to a different shade of red and Peter smiled at the thought that came to him, 'Diana sends her love.'
"ECM is foxing us sir." No surprise there. Range was dropping steadily to the 10.3 million mark when the NCNs targeting system could lock.
"Hard lock sir."
"Firing." The Commanche shuddered as the twin mass drivers launched the Arrows. "Birds are green sir." That meant the missile had accepted the target and engines are on boost. The Task Groups fire was a little ragged: 5 volleys of two missiles were followed five seconds later by 3 volleys of two Arrows.
The Taiho would have been an easier target but its sensors were only 60 and 40 million km in range. If the Tones were taken out of the battle the enemy would be a lot closer to blind, and the Trail Blazer currently returning to the jump point at full speed would be a lot safer. 150 seconds later the Task Groups second volley follows the first. 150 seconds later the Task Group volleys again on the Tone 2.
Peter watched the icon of the missile closing with the Wolver ship, any second now...
"Hard Gammas Sir!" The sensor operator's voice struggles to keep proffesional. "I make it 3 hits, no obvious counterfire."
"Spectroscopy is showing only Duranium lines, armour was not breached."
Five seconds later the second wave scores another hit on the Tone 2.
Peter swore quietly as the hits and misses were tailed by the computer, two volleys had missed badly and the hits stood at 4. Then 5, 6, and 7. Sudden the marker changed to a wreck.
"Spectrocopy?" He was stunned. The human ships errupted in cheers that the voice communication software quickly blocked.
"We read a massive internal explosion sir. An engine or powersupply must have gotten hit."
[ooc]AD 2286 (September 22) 03:49:36 Strength 49 Secondary Power System Explosion x1 detected!
AD 2286 (September 22) 03:49:36 Tone 002 has been destroyed
[/ooc]
"I'll be damned."
"Guns Target is Tone 3."
"Aye Aye Sir. Target is Tone 3." That left a bunch of missiles that were now on onboard targeting. Depending on the Tone 3's flight path it might pass through them. And as it turns out it does and two minutes later 3 of the Arrow missiles on independent IR guidance impact on the Tone 3. The range was now down to 1 million km to the Tone 3 and 4 million km to the oncoming Taiho 2, which was continuing to close for what Peter could only assume was to be a beam engagement. The ships of 5th and 6th Squadrons were now out of missiles and are ordered to return to the Resupply group to rearm, he detached the two Lake class corvettes to the 4th squadron. 6th Squadron is told to keep going to the jump point as the resupply group's missiles won't stretch that far.
"Communications send to 4th Squadron: All ships engage Tone 3 with a single Falcon battery." His destroyers had some 70 Falcons each.
"Communications send to 4th Squadron: Arbalist launchers target is Taiho 2. All ships engage."
"Guns. First battery to fire on Tone 3 in anti-shipping mode. Target the Arrows on Taiho 2."
"Aye aye Sir. First battery in Anti-shipping mode. Target is Tone 3. Arbalist launchers switching to Taiho 2."
Minutes later 2 Falcons scored hits on the Tone 3. But the ship seemed luckier than her consort and missile after missile missed her.
8 Arrow missiles in 4 volleys of two close on the Taiho 2 and then just short of the ship a pair of missile beacons vanish. "Point defences detected Sir!" Still one missile impacts on the Wolver ship. Followed later by two more missile impacts, while the Tone 3's luck lets it dodge multiple Falcon missile with only the occasional missile striking home.
"Communications send to 4th Squadron: All ships engage Taiho 2 with remaining Falcon Battery."
"Communicaitons send to Resupply Group: 4th Squadron with resupply with you."
"Communications send to 5th Squadron: continue on to jump point. Do not remunition at Resupply group."
There were 36 Arrows and 132 Falcons which could remunition his destroyers rather than the frigates. His missile stocks onboard right now were dropping rapidly though.
The Taiho 2 kept closing ending up approximately 200 000 km from the NCN ships matching their speed. Falcon missile rained down on the Tone 3. A further Arrow hits the Taiho adding to the tally. Then 4 more Arrows. By now all fire was on the Taiho whose point defence made things dicy as it destroyed the first salvo fired on it without apparent fail. By 0407 his ships were out of missiles and the pair of Wolver ships were still at ranges of 150 000 and 1 million km respectively for the Taiho 2 and Tone 3.
"A long range beam weapon would be good around now." Peter leaned over the shoulder of the gunnery station hoping to see something different. "Yes Sir!" The refit to the Tribals that had added the extra magazine capacity to ships had proved its value in this battle. But at the moment if the enemy did not choose to close range further, and it seemed they didn't, he could not shoot at them with the DPPD lasers.
"Helm set course for the Resupply group." They were currently at Way Point 2 about 8 hours travel from here.
"Navigation give us a rendevous point and then have communications relay it to the Resupply group."
======
[ooc]Now at this point reality and writing diverge somewhat. What happened in the game was I hit 8 hour time advance (since no combat had occured and I wanted the resupply over with). That was stupid on a few levels but I was tired. What I found after the 8 hour time advance was a map with 2 wrecks 3 hours behind me and looking through the log apparently a wolver anti-ship missile attack. One which didn't appear to be opposed by any laser fire at all...joy. To say I was angry was an understatement...but mostly with myself.[/ooc]
The 4th Squadron and its two attached Corvettes turn and head for the inbound Resupply Group. The two Lake class ships are trailing the Commanche by 10 000 km and the squadrons 4 Pinnaces are pulled off to the sides to avoid giving the Taiho ideas. Some hours later alarms go off on board the ships.
"Vampire inbound, 170kays. Profile is ship killer." The NCN ships lasers attempted to engage the inbounds but while the ships could see the inbounds at distance the tracking speed difference cut the effectiveness of their meshed laser fire. The targets were the Lakes and over a grueling two minutes first the Lake Erie (CO: Lt Cmdr Melodie Tyon who was killed when the Erie's bridge was obliterated in a sheeting rain of splinters) and then the Lake Superiour was battered down before the rain of wolver missiles ended leaving the Sarcee without shields and the pinnaces moving in to recover the 53 crew from the Lake Superior and the 30 crew from the Lake Erie that survived.
[ooc]I actually sent the pinnaces back to collect the crew and they were onboard the pinnaces still when the pinnaces were shot down.[/ooc]
Peter stared at the plot...it would no longer be a no loss operation. Apparently the missiles had been launched by the Jintsu, which indicated the maximum range of the Wolver ship killer might be considerably longer than first thought. Some hours later 4th Squadron arrives at the rendevous with the Resupply group and the missiles are transfered one ship at a time evenly distributed as possible between the four destroyers before the Resupply group boosts for the jump point while the 4th Squadron reduces speed to allow the Trail Blazer time to make it back to the jump point. They will draw the Wolvers attention to them.
[ooc]I actually just transfered them to the Commanche and used SM mode to re-distribute them around as there isn't any way to limit the number of missiles transfered. [/ooc]
====
"Guns. Target is Tone 3." He had to shut down that long range scanner. Of the first 8 Arrow missiles launched 1 hit. Of the next 8 Arrow missiles launched three hit. Of the next 8 Arrow missiles launched none hit. The Tone 3 has a guardian angle it seems. Of the next 8 Arrow missiles launched two hit. Of the last salvo of 2 that were launched 1 hit. [ooc]I fail at basic math as that should have been a salvo of 4 missiles not 2: 8x4=32+2 = 34 < 36 onboard the 3 Edinbourghs.[/ooc]
"Sir! Sensors. The Tone 3's sensor just went down." There was every chance it might be repaired but for the moment the ship was blind and somewhat slowed due to previous hit that had dropped its speed to 10 500 km/s.
Suddenly the pinnaces were engulfed in nuclear fire and inside of 5 seconds all 4 of them were either reduced to wrecks or unable to move due to lack of engines or fuel.
"What the hell? Tracking?"
Countermissile launches blosemed over the formation while the humans tried to sort out what was happening.
"High speed inbounds Sir."
"Spectroscopy is showing scale 1 warhead detonations sir."
The squadrons counter missiles self destructed as their targets vanished before they could acquire. First the order was to switch to 1v1 engagement in an attempt to thin the flow then when tracking finally got a hard read on the inbound missiles velocity: 50 000 km/s; Commadore Morgenrot orders his ships to take the counter missile batteries off PD mode as it clear that it is waste of missiles. All ships are ordered to Mode 1 with their DPPD arrays but against a missile moving that fast only divine intervention would allow an intercept. At least the Super Vigilant CM sensor is living up to its name and the ship can see the inbound missiles. These were the missile that had killed the 1-1-1 Peter realized, only 4th Squadron was individually a lot tougher but against this
magic missile he could do no more than his predecessor. Still the enemy kept swapping targets allowing the destroyers to rebuild shield protection. After nearly 2 minutes of fire not letting up Commadore Morgenrot orders all ships to engage the Taiho 2 with their remaining counter missiles. Compared to the hell raining down on the NCN destroyers it is a mild return but it is clear that the only thing going to save the NCN ships is the enemy running out of missiles.
The Sarcee is the first battered down her shield continously knocked out, then her armour breached and her interior spaces becoming arbetoirs. Commadore Morgenrot orders all ships to maintain course their only task now to draw as much fire onto them as possible to shield the remaining ships still in system. But the NCN destroyers were tough, their systems redundant and though Sarcee was slowed to 444 km/s she stayed together. Her bridges destroyed allowing only intermitted contact with the Task Group command as Commadore Morgenrot tried to get a status report. Fire then shifted mainly to the Mowhawk and the cycle repeated. Missile after missile struck the ship until gaps in her armour allowed plasma to strike deep inside the ship. The ship like the Sarcee soon acquired a comet trail of debreis and bodies until two missile strikes caught her engines and one after another they detonated the ship distingrating in a fireball of its own making, her CO Commander Elisabeth von Schirmer does not make to a life pod but some 50 crew do. Fire shifted to the Commanche and Algonquin. Damage began to mount in those two ships. Then with a final volley of two missiles it was over. Approximately 560 to 600 size 1 missiles had hit the 4th Squadron.
[ooc]Shown above is a picture from the battles the time is: 23.09.86 at 07:59. The destroyers are still getting snowed under by size 1 missiles. Mohawk is still intact at this point.[/ooc]
The Jintsu, assumed to have launched the attack, is still approaching. Commadore Morgenrot directs his ships to repair damage and after several minutes establishes contact with the Sarcee. They can repair one engine but they have only 10 000 litres of fuel onboard. Even with 2 engines it will take 3 days to reach the jump point with the Sarcee and it seems the best solution is scuttle her. During this time the Jintsu crosses the NCN's sensor envelope and is revealed to be also a 8950 tonne vessel. While the situation was being sorted out the three human ships had seperated and Taiho and Tone were clustered around one of the surviving crippled pinnaces the Fairmile C1 003 of the Commanche's Loner's Early Warning Pinnace unit. The last surviving crewman had kept the feed from the sensor system going through the battle and had given warning of many inbound strikes. The Wolver ship was just a few thousand km away from the crippled pinnace.
"Commadore! The Jintsu it...it just rammed the Loner!"
"What?" Peter stared in shock at the threat plot; the notepad in his hand forgotten.
"Oh...God...Helm. Bring us about. Set course for the Sarcee. Full Speed." If they would ram...of all things ram...a pinnace the Sarcee was a sitting duck; all her weapons were out.
"Communications: Send to Sarcee. Wolver ship may attempt ramming attack. Get your people to the escape pods but don't abandon ship." Unfortunately the Sarcee was a cripple and better she be rammed then either of the two still essentially functional ships remaining.
"Oh my God...Sir...sir...the Jintsu just rammed the life pods." Peter stared in shock. Well that explained the lifepod signals going silent in previous encounters. At least the families would know for sure now. The lifepod beacons of the other pinnance surivors and the 50 crew from the Mohawk vanish. "Course confirmed as intercept with the Sarcee sir."
The Algonquin and Commanche didn't make in time and it is unlikely even if they had been there they could have prevented the Wolver vessel from impacting the Sarcee.
[ooc]AD 2286 (September 23) 09:27:31 Sarcee hit by 179 points of damage from Ramming Attack. 177 damage caused to shields. Shield Strength now 0. 2 damage absorbed by armour.
AD 2286 (September 23) 09:27:31 Sarcee suffers complete structural failure due to the amount of damage it has received. The ship is destroyed.
AD 2286 (September 23) 09:27:31 Jintsu 002 hit by 180 points of damage from Ramming Attack.
AD 2286 (September 23) 09:27:31 Strength 73 Secondary Power System Explosion x1 detected!
AD 2286 (September 23) 09:27:31 Jintsu 002 has been destroyed.[/ooc]
The Commanche rendevous with the 73 surviors of the Sarcee, and collects their lifepods before the two ships head for the jump point now some 1 day and several hours distant. Over the next three hours the crews repair the critical battle damage on the two ships. The Algonquin repairs her knocked out engine and then her Sureshot fire control plus the damaged TorAr laser array in the dorsal turret, lastly bringing her Super Vigilant CM sensor back online. The Commanche repairs her ASM fire control and some minor internal damage to quarters and fuel storage tanks.
===
At 9:05 on September 24 the 5th and 6th Squadrons transit back to Sol. As they are out of munitions and Commadore Morgenrot has said he will use the munitions on the 3 Enchanters for his two ships they set course for Earth.
===
At 13:19 of that same day, some 72 million km from the jump point and with nothing on their passive or active sensors suddenly the action stations alarm is triggered by the automatic threat detection system.
"VAMPIRE! 110Kays. Size...one." It was the magic missiles again and though both ships immediately went to mode 1 point defence there was nothing else to be done but pray.
[ooc]This realy ticks me off. There was nothing on my sensors, active or passive and the Trail Blazers passives were also available...they are about 50% better than the regular navy and nothing showed up. Those missiles just showed up out of the blue sky. 9 hours out from the jump point. [/ooc]
Commanche is hit first as missile after missile detonates near the ship. Her shield blocks the first 3 salvos and then her baddly breached armour is left bare to the plasma shock fronts. The missiles are now coming in waves of 12 every 5 seconds. 15 seconds later one of her engines explodes and lays most of the aft end of the ship open to vacuum and her speed drops to 888 km/s. Commadore Morgenrot orders the Algonquin to not slow down. 75 seconds into the attack Commadore Peter Morgenrot is killed as the bridge of the Commanche is blasted apart by spalling splinters of his ship as most of the ships structure is now bare to vacuum. Five seconds later the ship breaks apart having survived 80 seconds of fire.
It is now the Algonquins turn. The first group of 12 missiles arrives on target at nearly 60 after the Commanche was destroyed. 40 seconds into the battle Lt. Cmdr. Dylan Skinner dies at the conn as the bridge is opened to space and fragments slash his survial suit to ribbons. 65 seconds into the attack two damaged engines detonate and the last NCN destroyer is torn apart by the force of the blasts.
The timing between the final fire on the Commanche and the first salvo on the Algonquin suggested the firing platform was no more than 15 millon km from the pair of ships yet no sensor signal had been picked up. The two ships cost their unseen enemy nearly 380 missiles.
Cmdr. Ellen Barker onboard the Enchanter at the jump point launches the Oracle, her pinnace, on the several hour long trip to retrieve the suvivors of the two ships. It will take the pinnace around 14 hours to complete the round trip and the crew is told to leave their sensor off in the hopes the Wolvers won't see them.
===
At 1500 the Resupply group arrives and is ferried through the jump point by the Enchanters and then dispached to the waiting Support Groups the ships were drawn from originaly. By 20:30 the pinnace has completed its mission and the 153 survivors of the two ships are crammed into the pinnace willy nilly as it sets off trailed by the Taiho 2. By 22:15 the pair of ships of Instellerar Survey IV have jumped back to Sol with the ships heading back to Earth. Only the Enchanter, Sorcerer and Hippogriff remain in Wolf 359 waiting on the Oracle.
September 25 0330 Wolf 359 Near Jump Point to Sol Bridge EnchanterCmdr. Barker watched the pinnace close trailed by the Wolver ship Taiho 2. It was now less than 500 000 km from the jump point and showed no sign of stopping; trailing the pinnance by some 150 000 km. "Communications send to Hippogriff: Engage target." Seconds later 6 Falcon missiles were launched at the oncoming Wolver ship. It would take several minutes for the pinnance to dock and the Enchanter to spindle her drive but 0338 the three NCN ships jumped for Sol. Unfortunately leaving the Taiho to observe their departure.
September 25 0341 Sol Near Jump Point to Wolf 359 Bridge Bloodhound "Hostile Transit detected!" The threat plot blossemed with an icon for the Wolver ship. Tracking suggested Taiho 2 as an identifier. Even though the ship arrived only some 20 k km from the jump point not a mine activated. "smeg!"
[ooc]Shown above is the arrival of the Taiho 2.[/ooc]
