[center:29exzzrk]Episode 3 Contact of the Worst Possible Kind[/center:29exzzrk]
13th October 2088
Geo-Survey Group 1 completed their geological survey of Lacaille 8760, a previously unexplored system from a jump point out of Kapteyns Star . They were then tasked with exploring a second unexplored jump point in Kapteyns Star system. Thus on 28th October 2088 22:45:06, exploration of a jump point in the Kapteyns Star system has revealed the new system of Gliese 832 and the group began their work. All went well until 5th December 2088 when the inevitable happened. Geo-survey Group 1 using the original Pioneer class geo-survey vessels, with virtually no onboard sensors were moving into the outlying planets of Gliese 832 when at 18:15:06, a new Thermal Contact, was detected, at strength 800. Five seconds later an active search sensor was detected, Strength 5460, Resolution 65, 10 seconds later a salvo of missiles impacted Pioneer 003. Other ships in the group detected eight 7 kiloton nuclear blasts, after which the Pioneer 003 disappeared from sensors and life pod signals detected. The two remaining survey vessels made for the jump point to Kapteyns Star. Then at 07:44:51 on 6th December 2088 a strength 15 thermal contact was detected by Pioneer 001and another eight 7 kiloton nuclear detonations detected by Pioneer 002. Pioneer 001 was observed to break up and life pods eject. Pioneer 002 made for the jump point at maximum velocity. Pioneer 002 observed the life pods being recovered by the hostile contact two days later. The next day the Pioneer 002 transited out of Gliese 832 apparently the hostile contact did not follow. Using the jump gate network she reported recent events in Gliese 832 to Star Command.
On receipt of the signal Star Command Ordered the Battle Group to make all speed to Gliese 832 and intercept this alien aggressor. The Battle Group consisted of FFGs Dido, Theseus, Ajax, Achilles, escorts Shark and Barracuda and the Jump Cruiser Fort Worth. In command was Captain Elizabeth Chapman. The auxiliaries Abdiel and Blue Rover were also despatched in support. The Battle Group reached the jump point in Kapteyns Star system at 12:45:11 on the 6th January 2089. The Fort Worth was detached and the rest of the Battle Group entered Gliese 832.
On the 7th January 2089 at 18:40:11 in Gliese 832, a new thermal contact was acquired. The contact was given the unfortunate ID: Demolisher 001. At 18:54:52 the FFGs attempted to open fire as the contact continued to close with the fleet and entered Viper missile range of just under 73 million kilometres. But due to enemy ECM (strength 40) the effective range was reduced to 57.6m kilometres. The two ill matched forces continued to close. As the contact entered effective missile range fire was opened. By 19:43:52, 20 Viper ASMs were on their way to the target. Ominously the target, Demolisher 001 was 7300 tonnes and capable of 5555 k/s. As the enemy reached 51.8m kilometres it came to a halt relative to the Battle Group. By this stage the FFGs has fired a little under 50% of their missile load and fire ceased to observe effects. There was now only the tense waiting for the results of the attack and inevitable retaliation. The Weapons Officers watched the 160 Vipers close the target at 18,400 k/s, when at 20:15:37, with a start they detected a new contact entering missile defence sensor range! Eight strength 4 contacts streaked in at an incredible 35,298 k/s! The Weapons Officers on Shark and Barracuda had to manually target the incoming salvo and hit the launch button. All interceptors missed their targets and only one missile was shot down by the lasers, seven missiles hit Dido, one magazine was destroyed but did not detonate. The armour absorbed most of the impacts. The second salvo was picked up at 20:15:53, the Pythons were quicker away, but still under manual control. This time they intercepted 2 inbound missiles, while the lasers again hit one missile, the other five slammed into Dido, this time the engines took most of the damage, more that half were destroyed and more magazines were hit, Captain Larouche, Captain of the Dido was killed by a bridge hit. The third salvo bore in at 20:16:39, still targeting the Dido. The Pythons all missed as did the lasers, eight missiles covered the Dido in nuclear annihilation, at 20:16:49, Dido suffered complete structural failure due to the amount of damage it had received and broke up.
Task Group Commander, Captain Chapman ordered fire to be reopened, since if this carnage continued any missiles in the magazines would be lost. The fourth salvo approached at 20:17:19, this time picking out the Theseus. Her engine spaces were hammered by the impacts as seven missiles immolated themselves against her armoured flanks. The fifth salvo was detected at 20:17:39, this time the Pythons hit one missile, the lasers two more, but five still blanketed the Theseus in Nuclear fire. The sixth salvo came regular as clockwork at 20:18:04, only one missile was stopped by the lasers, the other seven hit Theseus, and when the detonations cleared at 0:18:14 the Theseus was no more. The enemy salvos continued to bore in relentlessly, the next appeared on scanners at 20:19:04, eight new missile contacts glowed menacingly on the sensors screens. Now it was the turn of the Battle Group Flagship, Ajax, to suffer, only one missile was intercepted, the other seven stripped the armour off the ship, causing minor internal damage. The Ajax was now effectively defenceless. Of the next salvo two were intercepted, both fell to the Python interceptors. But six still detonated in close proximity to the Ajax, both engines and magazines were destroyed, but the greatest loss was the destruction of the S80-R100 active search sensor, now only Achilles possessed a search sensor with the range required to pick up the enemy contact. Already three quarters of the Vipers were homing using onboard sensors. The Escorts had their most successful interception to date with the next salvo, stopping fully half of them, unfortunately the lasers again failed to capitalise on this success, unable to take down any further missiles. Once more Ajax shook under the hammer blows on the surviving missiles, further degrading her systems. The attempt to intercept the next salvo was a disaster, not one missile was stopped, this was the death knell for the Ajax. The ship, stressed far beyond her tolerances, suffered complete structural failure as a secondary power system went up, venting through the spine of the ship. Captain Elizabeth Chapman, Battle Group Commander, made it to a lifepod before the destruction of Ajax, and awaited pick up with trepidation.
The next salvo was aimed at the Achilles, this time the lasers finally found the target, killing two missiles, while the Pythons failed to score any hits. The six missiles began the process of Achilles destruction by scouring the armour off the hull. The next salvo was reduced by three as the Pythons took one bird down and the lasers another two. The Achilles received most of the damaged to its engine spaces, reducing its velocity to less than half. At 20:21:39 what would prove to be the final salvo for the Achilles raced in. The lasers and Pythons were honours even for this salvo and got one each. The six remaining missiles caused catastrophic damage, destroying the final ion engines, the Achilles was now wallowing in space, rocked by the near contact nuclear fireballs. But most importantly of all the final S80-R100 set was destroyed, leaving the Battle Group blind to everything out of the range of the Python interceptor search sensors, the S80-R20GB, with a range of a mere 16m kilometres. The Achilles fire control set was also destroyed; all missiles now in flight had to depend on their own sensors, but were still millions of kilometres away from the target.
At 20:24:14, after a brief conference over the laser com, the Captains of the Achilles, Shark and Barracuda reached the decision to abandon the Achilles, recover lifepods and make all possible speed to the jump point and hope to escape. The recovery of survivors went well with no interventions from the hostile Demolisher 001. However, the bad news was not yet over as telemetry from the Vipers revealed the missiles launched first had failed to find a target and run out of endurance. There was not even the satisfaction of having hit, let alone destroyed the enemy ship. It was a fraught 28 hours as the remnants of the Battle Group ran for the jump point. Finally making transit in the early hours of the 9th January and linking up with the Fort Worth before making all speed to Sol. The only bright spot was for Commander Sam Hussain, former captain of the Achilles, confirming his promotion the captain.
On the 10th January 2089 at 18:15:49, the minelayer Abdiel reached the jump point to Gliese 832 in Kapteyns Star system and began to lay a minefield of sixty DSM Stonefish at a few million kilometres around the jump point, providing the Solar Union with some security. The DSM15-2 Stonefish had a sensor range of 2 million kilometres and an endurance of nearly 17 months with an offensive payload of four AMT2.25-1 Sprinter missiles, capable of greater than 20000 k/s and carrying a 5 kiloton warhead.
The news reached the House of governors within hours of the Battle Group transiting into Kaptenys Star system. The Solar Union was virtually defenceless! The only modern warships were the Grey Mk II class FAC. Any new FFGs would take years to design and complete without considering the great improvements required to enable them to face the hostiles in Gliese 832. The decision was rapidly taken to build more Grey class, 50 being authorised, to be built by the BEA Corporation Yard. A research project was initiated to develop an S1400R100 search sensor so that the fleet would no longer be so myopic, but this project would take ages to be translated into a fleet Scout. The idea of a carrier for the FAC was accepted, being able to double up as a LCA carrier for the Troop Transports. But this would take a further eighteen months before the first ship left the Yards.
The Minefield in Kaptenys Star System, Jump point to Gliese 832