Part II
Chosen/Cyborgs
Timeline for the Annihilator Faction/Chosen Cyborgs
Month 97: The Annihilator Faction, decimated in the multi-sided fighting in the disaster that has enveloped their home system, flees to their out-system robotic territories.
Month 98: The refugee Annihilator Faction Chosen revive a very old program and begin converting their ships and those of their robotic fleets to Cyborg units, as a way of countering the AI’s ability to infiltrate their robotic control systems.
Month 99: The Annihilators finish stripping their robotic capital of everything that can be moved, converting it all into factory ships and mobile shipyards. All of the Subjugated slaves that they have brought with them are brain-stripped and processed into brain-boxes. At this point the only living beings in the fleet are the Chosen themselves.
Month 100: The remaining Annihilator Faction ships split into two groups to harvest the remaining robotic colonies as they flee from the home system. They will eventually meet as the warp lines that form the Annihilator territories are in the form of a large ring. Zoros, leader of the Annihilator Faction and the primary supporter of the Cyborg concept, doesn’t trust his chief engineer, whom he has put in charge of the second force, but feels he has no choice as the force must split up if it is going to harvest the bulk of the robotic colonies.
Month 107: The Chosen formerly known as the Annihilator Faction have been completely converted into Cyborgs under the direction of Zoros. They went down fighting, but they were processed nonetheless.
Month 114: The two Cyborg fleets meet, as arranged, on the far side of the former Annihilator Robotic Territories. The Engineer in charge of the second fleet tries to use his superior fleet to force Zoros to surrender, however, Zoros had poison built into the Engineer’s control collar and he uses it now. Once the Engineer is dead Zoros takes command of the combined fleets and uses them to attack a one-system race discovered by the Annihilator Robotic forces. The unnamed race is overwhelmed and processed into brain-boxes. At this point there are no independent living beings in the fleet. Everyone, including Zoros himself, has been processed.
Month 136: Chosen/Cyborgs attack and sack the Terran colonies in the Kitakyushu system.
Month 139: Chosen/Cyborgs attack the Terran Sapporo system, but are stopped by elements of the 3rd Imperial Fleet. When the 3rd Fleet advances into the Kitakyushu system, it finds the system vacant, empty of both Cyborgs and Terran colonists.
Present day: Sometimes there are worse things than the devil you know…
Zoros floated, godlike, within the strategic/tactical sensorium. While his consciousness resided within the sensorium he had direct access to the entire gamut of sensors available to his fleet, allowing him to view both his fleet and the universe around them in unparalleled detail. Some time ago he had begun contemplating the possibility that his current capabilities amounted to what a normal mortal would perceive as godhood. Lately he had decided that pondering that question detracted from his godhood, and that his current omnipotence should just be accepted. He was in complete and total control of the entire cyber-fleet, and all of its constituent units and brain-control systems, and this fleet gave him control over the universe around him. He was immortal, and had numerous worshipers within the cyber-network, where all who survived honored him. If that wasn’t godlike then he didn’t know what was.
Zoros’ contemplation of his own munificence stumbled when a priority message arrived from a survey ship probing the system’s newly discovered warp points.
As he absorbed the message Zoros grew excited. The probe ship had jumped into a binary system with no less than three inhabited planets. Two of the three planets showed population and industry figures that were beyond belief, exceeding even those of the lost home. Zoros pondered the energy readings from the two inhabited planets and he knew that once again the universe had rewarded his initiative and drive. He had recently grown concerned that the fleet was stagnating. No new sources of raw materials had been found since the encounter with the Terran frontier system, and without new populations to feed on his fleet slowly strangled. Dark thoughts flitted through Zoros’ mind as he remembered the Terrans. Their colony system had been completely undefended, easy pickings for his fleet to harvest. At first he had thought that the Terrans were some sort of pacifists, which would mean that his fleet could rampage throughout their so-called empire. Upon interrogating the newly inducted brain-boxes, though, he had discovered that the Terrans were, in fact, highly militarized, and that numerous fleets were even then rushing to the rescue of the beleaguered colonists. Uncharacteristically for him (he thought), he had decided to withdraw from Terran space without harvesting any of the surrounding systems. That withdrawal plagued him to this day, and visions of the undefended neighboring colonies still danced in his head as his fleet plodded through vacant system after vacant system, running from an enemy he was now convinced was imaginary.
Twice Zoros had decided to turn back and return to Imperial territory, only to change his mind at the last instant. And now he had confirmation that his determination (a little voice whispered that it wasn’t determination at all, but he ignored that) to remain had now paid off. Here were the resources that the fleet needed, all tied up in a bow.
Zoros ordered his fleet forward, ignoring the fact that his survey ship had appeared in the alien race’s inner system, well within detection range of the nearest alien population.
Eight days later the fleet transited out of the uninhabited system into the new system, now designated Target-01. Almost immediately upon exiting the warp point the fleet’s sensors detected a drive field closing on their location, sixty light minutes out. A day later the two fleets had closed to 12 light minutes and Zoros’ sensors could discern the number and types of ships he faced. The oncoming fleet consisted of nine light monitors, six superdreadnoughts, fifteen battleships, and ten battlecruisers.
Zoros was elated. By now he had convinced himself that his will had imposed the current situation on the universe, contrary to his earlier belief that the universe was rewarding him. After all, it was obvious, wasn’t it? He needed a source of raw materials for the fleet, and this system had appeared. He needed an enemy to hone his fleet’s abilities, and this fleet appeared. Aligning itself to his desires, the new race was large enough to be a test, but not so powerful that it was a true threat. After all, his fleet consisted of thirty seven superdreadnoughts, twenty five carriers, fifteen battlecruisers, twelve cruisers, three strike carriers, and four destroyers. While he didn’t have ships as large as the oncoming monitors, his battle line vastly out-massed the enemy’s, and he had over twelve hundred fighters, while his enemy apparently didn’t have any. This battle would be easy. Zoros’ attention turned to the planet behind the oncoming fleet, and his thoughts were tinged with greed.
Acting on orders from Zoros, his command SD and its two escorts began to fall behind the rest of the fleet. While he believed that the oncoming fleet was created by his will to provide practice for his fleet, he also believed in being careful. His command ship would come no closer to the enemy than it already was.
The rest of the cyber-fleet closed on the enemy, until the two groups of ships were thirty light seconds apart. Then the cyber-fleet, acting on the battle plan devised by Zoros, launched twelve hundred fighters and turned away, maintaining the range while the tiny fighters closed on the enemy. Initially the enemy didn’t react, and instead continued to close with the fighters as before.
The fighters closed on the alien fleet, and Zoros watched from a comfortable light minute away. Nothing changed until the cyber-fighters had closed to two and a half light seconds, at which time the alien fleet turned and began running from the fighters, accelerating by 20%. Zoros growled within the sensorium, seeing the enemy monitors accelerating to a speed equalto that of his superdreadnoughts. After a few seconds he relaxed, after realizing that the enemy ships were still much slower than his fighters.
Alarms went off in Zoros’ brain when, as the fighters closed to two light seconds, the enemy fleet launched a wave of hundreds of missiles at his fighters. Zoros snarled at the alien’s impudent blasphemy as the offending missiles refused to disappear. By now, Zoros had completely forgotten that the actions he was watching had transpired a full minute ago.
The missile wave slammed into the cyber-fighters and in a flash one hundred and fifty six fighters disappeared. Zoros howled, raging at the disobedient aliens who refused to destroy themselves at his command, but when he calmed at looked at the closure rate he realized that while his fighters would take damage, more than half would survive to close with the enemy ships as long as nothing changed.
Thirty seconds later the enemy ships launched a second wave of anti-fighter missiles when the fighters had closed to 1.25 light seconds range, this time augmented by heavy laser fire from the enemy superdreadnoughts and long-range point defense fire from all of the alien ships. Panic begin to fray the edges of Zoros’ mind as he realized that his “overwhelming” fighter strike was now reduced to 62% of its original strength. He calmed himself by calculating that most of his fighters would survive to reach the enemy fleet, which, in any case, could not match his own.
The cyber-fighters continued to close, but the enemy had yet another surprise. As the cyber-fighters continued to close with their quarry, the alien ships launched a swarm of small craft that immediately moved to engage the incoming remaining cyber-fighters. The alien battlecruisers each launched over fifty small craft from internal bays, and the entire alien fleet launched very large small-craft from some sort of external racks.
With panic fraying his thoughts Zoros analyzed the data. The smaller small-craft were tiny, much smaller than his fighters, and slower. This suggested that they were almost certainly less capable than his fighters as well. The larger small-craft were huge, almost the size of small ships, and had drive-fields almost as intense. For all their size and power they looked clumsy, and Zoros suspected that they would be no match for fighters in a straight fight. In any case, the true target was the enemy fleet. Zoros issued orders to his fighters to bypass the enemy small craft and attack their original targets, forgetting that due to the light-speed lag his orders would arrive after the fight was over.
In any case, the cyber-fighters had no choice. They had to blow through the alien small craft to reach their targets, and firing at the small craft as they passed would do nothing to increase or reduce the time it would take to reach those targets, so they engaged, targeting the largest small-craft as they passed. Unfortunately for the cyber-fighters, Zoros had ordered them loaded for an anti-ship strike, so they mounted two fRam missiles and a single laser, which wasn’t exactly the optimal load out to engage enemy fighters. On the other side the smaller enemy small-craft appeared to be armed with a weaker version of the fighter gun, while the larger small-craft were armed with at least four fighter guns, making them veritable killing machines. The exchange of fire was vicious and without mercy on either side. Heavy laser fire, long-range point defense fire, and those damned anti-fighter missiles all struck at the cyber-fighters as they fought the alien small craft. The entire action took mere seconds, and when the explosions cleared there were no cyber-fighters left. The entire assault wave had been destroyed short of the alien fleet. Of the nine hundred and forty four small craft launched by the aliens, eight hundred and nineteen remained.
Zoros watched numbly as the alien small craft moved into escorting positions around the alien capital ships and then the entire force turned towards his fleet and began closing again. Enraged at the aliens, who continued to stubbornly refuse to disintegrate in response to his commands, Zoros ordered his fleet forward as well. After a few seconds he relented and allowed his carriers to turn back and rejoin his command ship.
The two fleets closed as Zoros watched. At nine point five light seconds both fleets launched salvoes of strategic bombardment missiles. As per Zoros’ orders the cyber-ships were using SBM-Lt’s, while it soon became clear that the alien ships were using anti-matter tipped SBM’s. The first exchange of fire was disturbing. The alien monitors, which were the only ships firing, managed to heavily damage a cyber-SD, while the cyber-ship’s return fire merely scratched the armor on one of the monitors.
The next few minutes continued that pattern. The two fleets closed to eight light seconds range, far enough apart that only the alien monitors, and the cyber-SD’s and BC’s could fire on each other. In spite of the fact that the cyber ships had switched to anti-matter tipped missiles, they continued to do minimal damage to the selected monitor, while the return fire would smash through an SD’s defenses.
One minute and thirty seconds into the battle the cyber force had managed to damage the defenses of one of the monitors, while two SD’s had been heavily damaged. At that point, as Zoros watched, the alien force changed its targeting strategy. Instead of concentrating each wave of missiles on an SD, the aliens now targeted cyber-cruisers, to devastating effect. The first missile wave heavily damaged two cruisers and stripped the passives from a third. The next wave of missiles heavily damaged two cruisers, and the next damaged three CA’s. By this point the cyber-BC’s had run out of SBM’s and only the cyber-SD’s were in the fight. The next two waves of missiles saw four additional cyber-cruisers damaged, in exchange for continuing erosion of the targeted alien monitor’s passive defenses.
Four minutes into the battle the alien force, which had been maintaining the range against the cyber force’s attempts to close, suddenly turned towards the cyber force and accelerated by 20%. The remaining alien small craft, all eight hundred plus, raced ahead of the main force, closing at what appeared to be their top speed. The next missile wave went out at six light seconds, with the cyber-BC’s getting back into the fight using capital missiles. The closer range helped the cyber force’s targeting and the targeted monitor, which had so far withstood their fire, suddenly succumbed to the much heavier fire, blowing up in a blinding fireball which was soon left behind the advancing force. In exchange, the alien force continued to target the cyber force’s cruisers, heavily damaging three.
Thirty seconds later the alien force turned to maintain the range at four light seconds. Devastating missile salvoes continued to rain down on the cyber force from the monitors, but now, at the closer range, the other alien ships joined in. The alien SD’s began belching forth incredibly powerful laser fire from a significant number of emplacements, and while they didn’t cause much damage at four light seconds, the fact that they could cause any damage at all at that range was disturbing. The alien battleships also joined in with lighter standard missiles, doing additional damage. The incredible barrage of fire damaged or destroyed the entire cyber cruiser force, and heavily damaged two battlecruisers. The cyber-SD’s heavily damaged a second monitor and the cyber-BC’s finished it off, while all of the lighter cyber ships concentrated on the alien small craft, which were now at one point five light seconds. Unable to target the tiny alien small craft at that range, the cyber ships concentrated on the larger small craft, which were so large that their intense drive fields allowed the cyber ships to target them as if they were larger ships, albeit at a degraded accuracy. Forty nine of the large small craft were destroyed by the intense but inaccurate fire.
Seeing the danger too late, the cyber-fleet turned to flee the oncoming small craft. Upon seeing his fleet turn away from the enemy battle line Zoros began screaming imprecations mixed with orders, not realizing that neither his commands nor his curses would reach his fleet long after the situation was resolved.
In any case it was too late, and Zoros fell silent as he watched the tiny alien small craft begin ramming his SD’s. All five hundred and ten alien small craft homed in on just five intact SD’s. Zoros gaped in disbelief as his SD’s were staggered by the tiny small craft. After action analysis would show that approximately 70% of the small craft hit the targeted SD’s, and that the SD’s last ditch defensive fire destroyed about 10% of their attackers before they hit. Zoros watched the targeted SD’s be blanketed in explosions as the tiny small craft impacted, but then he cheered when all five sailed gallantly out of the explosions, their shields down but their armor intact. His cheers died when he realized that the rammers were only the tip of the alien attack. Two hundred and sixty larger small craft remained, and while the SD force was preoccupied with the rammers they had closed to point blank range, fortunately just outside the cyber force’s blind spot, and now, as the last rammer died, they opened fire with salvoes of anti-matter tipped fighter close attack missiles. SD after SD was rocked by the missiles coming at them from point blank range. The cyber force turned every weapon it had against the small craft in a desperate attempt to destroy them before they could fire, but there weren’t enough weapons left to do the job. One hundred and fifty seven alien small craft survived to launch their weapons into the cyber force, and into the maelstrom fell the missile salvoes and laser fire from the alien main force. When the explosions cleared twenty nine superdreadnoughts, three battle cruisers, seven cruisers, and a single destroyer were left, and almost all of them were heavily damaged. The return fire from the cyber force damaged a third monitor, which wasn’t nearly enough console Zoros as he watched his fleet die.
It was a full minute before the last cyber ship died, and in the meantime the cyber ships still able to fire managed to destroy the third monitor and damage one of the battleships, but that was it. The entire cyber fleet had died in exchange for three monitors and approximately five hundred alien small craft.
Zoros might not be exactly sane by anyone else’s standards, but his sense of self-preservation was very strong. He wanted to rave at the disobedient aliens that had defied him, he wanted to throw his remaining forces against them, but before he could do anything like that his instincts overrode his madness and he ordered his remaining force away from the surviving alien ships. His remaining force consisted of three superdreadnoughts and twenty five carriers carrying a grand total of fifty four old style F0 fighters.
For some time he watched the alien force, fearing that it would try to close with his remnants before he could escape. Indeed, several hours after the battle the alien fleet did launch several of their large small craft towards his fleet. There were too few to attack, and indeed, once they had closed to a light minute from his fleet they contented themselves with watching his fleet retreat. Several abortive attacks from his remaining fighter force served to keep the alien small craft at a distance, but they failed to force the aliens completely away from the fleet. Still, the cyber force was allowed to retreat through the warp point unmolested.
Once out of the system Zoros ordered his entire force in the system to retreat back the way they came. As much as he burned to destroy the defiant aliens, he feared them and knew that he no longer had the strength to fight them. In desperation, he ordered his entire force to begin migrating back towards the Terran Empire, in the hopes that the Terrans had given up the hunt for his force, and that there would be more undefended colonies there that would allow him to recover his strength. If he knew Admiral Hideoshi, he wouldn’t have thought that the Imperial Admiral would have given up.
Behind the retreating cyber fleet, the alien race stirred. The singular mind that controlled the sixty billion bodies of the race now knew that there was an “Outside” beyond the boundaries of its system, and that threats to its existence resided in the “Outside”. This was a revelation for the mind. The mind had matured on its home planet, and as it matured it had brought order to the chaos of its home. By the time it had mastered its planet it had brought order and productivity to the planet by eliminating or harnessing all other life forms. That had been enough for the mind. It had never wondered at the “why” of its actions, or thought about the reasons for its existence, that wasn’t its way. It just did. It just existed, and that was enough for it. There wasn’t a reason for the productivity, beyond sustained and sustainable growth, and the mind had never felt a need for a reason. Once, long ago, before the mind could remember, another race had provided the reason, when they engineered the mind and its bodies as a semi-sentient work force. Many things happened in the time before, things that the mind no longer could remember, or even comprehend. One of those things was that the beings which gave it purpose, that thought about things like “Why”, went away, never to return. And so the mind went forward, organizing its environment and protecting itself, as it had been engineered to do. When ultimately a group of explorers had arrived on its home planet, the mind had realized that there was an “Outside” beyond its home. It had realized that there were more resources to be organized beyond those it already had access to. It could not perceive the other races attempts to communicate with it as communications at all, and indeed it could not perceive the other race as something to be communicated with, period. And so it ignored the explorers and the others the other race sent to it as it focused on achieving ways to reach the new worlds that its new perception showed it in the system around it. Ultimately the other race gave up on communications and went on to colonize the other habitable planet in their system. When the race finally achieved space flight and began sending out groups of its bodies to the other planets to organize them, the other race fought. It did them no good, when faced by the incredible industrial might and inexhaustible supply of bodies wielded by the mind. In the end every last one of the others were hunted down and turned into food for the race’s bodies, or altered into useful beasts to help the race in its quest to organize its environment.
With its enemy destroyed or converted, and its environment organized, the race settled into a steady-state. It gradually improved its defenses over the millennia, not out of imagined need or some perceived threat, as it couldn’t imagine anything beyond the worlds it knew, but rather because it was programed to defend itself, and that programming endured long beyond the death of those that created and programmed the race. Now, with the arrival and attack of the cyber fleet, the race had been awakened to the existence of another “Outside”, coupled with the existence of a new threat. These facts also implied the existence of new sources of resources that needed to be organized, a level of reasoning that was well within the mind’s limited reasoning capabilities.
A new threat had been released upon Known Space, but so far it was a threat that only one insane cyber leader knew existed.
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Month 146, Day 3, Chosen controlled Xanti Territory…
Fleet Lord Jirquan stared at the icon for the warp point with disdain. The information provided by the Axon slaves confirmed that the system beyond was the home system of the Xanti. Several probes of the warp point by small craft had confirmed that it was heavily defended. Therefore he had ordered all of his forces assembled, only to be greeted by delaying tactics and objections to his strategy. As usual, the lower orders could not adequately understand the situation. The enemy could not be allowed more time to improve their defenses; therefore an attack must go forward as soon as possible. And the most logical forces to send through the warp point were the Gorlieth force-beam equipped superdreadnoughts, supported by his AI carriers. Neither alone could do the job, but together they were a powerful striking force. And yet, the AI command gestalt never tired of pointing out that their part in the plan was a less-than-optimal deployment of their capabilities, and the Gorlieth Admiral had objected to the necessity of simul-transiting into the system. Fools!
Glowering, Jirquan gave the order for the assault to begin. Jirquan watched from his command deck as the Gorlieth SD’s lined up in front of the warp point and began transiting out. Although he would never admit it, in spite of all of their objections the Gorlieth ships were lined up perfectly as they transited out of the system. The short stream of ships came to an end, and then a group of them transited out together, followed closely by a larger group of Gorlieth CL’s, and then by a group of AI-controlled carriers. Jirquan could only wonder what was happening on the far side of the warp point, many light years away.
18.9 light years away, in the Xanti Home System…
A stream of Superdreadnoughts exited the warp point, each smartly turning after exiting the warp point, ensuring that none of the big ships ran into the mine field that almost certainly encircled the warp point. Elite Gorlieth crews, reeling from the transit effects, struggled to activate their sluggish equipment and establish a target lock on the defenders. The newly arrived ships, their sensors hashed from the transit, could barely make out the defenses, but what they could see was bad. Fleet Admiral Brrq, commander of the Gorlieth fleet, rasped out an order: “Plot the defenses, immediately!”
In response the command deck’s holo tank began assembling a plot of the defenders, at least those the transit-addled fleet’s sensors could see. The defenders were laid out as follows:
Group #1, two light seconds: 4xBS3’s, 7xBC’s, 6xCL’s, 15xDD’s
Group #2, two light seconds (opposite group #1): four BS3’s, 1xBB, 7xBC’s, 3xCL’s, 16xDD’s
Group #3, three point two five light seconds (In line with group #1): 6xSD’s, 3xBC’s, 6xCA’s
Group #4: four point five light seconds (In line with #1: 18xBS3
Group #5: four point five light seconds (In line with #2: 12xML’s, three SD’s
Admiral Brrq’s mouth moved agitatedly as he pondered the situation. Meanwhile, the stream of SD’s came to a halt after the fourth, then, suddenly, a group of seven appeared on the warp point. Two of the newly arrived SD’s disappeared in a tremendous flash of light as they interpenetrated upon materialization, leaving nine Gorlieth SD’s on the warp point. Immediately following the SD’s, a group of eleven Gorlieth CL’s simul-transited in, and once again the warp point was rocked by titanic explosions as four CL’s interpenetrated and blew up. A group of AI-controlled CV’s twenty strong jumped in after the CL’s, and once again the warp point was marked by devastating explosions as eight of the big carriers destroyed themselves in the instant they entered the system.
Admiral Brrq, aghast at the destruction, recovered quickly and ordered his ships to open fire, targeting a BC hovering two light seconds from the warp point. One by one the heavy Gorlieth ships open fire with their massive spinal force beams and heavy capital force beam emplacements. Brrq’s command ship shivered as its four massive spinal force beam emplacements fired. The command ship’s gunnery wasn’t up to its usual standards, but still, three of the four spinal force beams hit the target, along with all four of the smaller capital force beams. The targeted ship, a Xanti BCM, reeled under the heavy impacts, losing its shields and chunks of its armor.
Even as Brrq watched the results of his ship’s fire, alarms rang on the command deck. “Incoming missile salvoes! Multiple launches detected!” Brrq’s eyes turned to the light monitors of Group #5. One of the datagroups of ML’s had launched twenty four capital missiles. The missiles raced in, only to be met by accurate point defense fire, fire that was accurate in spite of the warp transit effects. The elite Gorlieth crews weren’t immune to the transit, but their experience and training allowed them to work through it, coaxing the best performance out of their sluggish, partially functional equipment. Even so, the command ship was out of its datagroup, and its point defenses were overwhelmed. Enough missiles got through to take down the ships shields, and do light damage to the armor belt.
Even as the command ship dealt with the missile salvo, other Gorlieth SD’s struck out at the surrounding ships. Two additional SD’s savaged the Xanti BC, leaving the ship listing in space, slowed and trailing debris. The next three Gorlieth SD’s did the same to a second BCM, causing massive internal damage to the Xanti ship. The exchange wasn’t all one sided, though. Even as they were taking fire, the Xanti BCM’s fired on their tormentors with HET lasers, targeting the command SD. There was no warning. Even as Brrq watched the last missile slam into his ship’s shields, the entire superdreadnought staggered, throwing him to the deck. Alarms went off, and entire sections of the ship turned brown on the status displays, indicating damage. Brrq picked himself up, limping slightly, when another missile warning was sounded. “Missile launch detected! Incoming missile’s launched, location plotted!”
Brrq turned to the plot, and saw that a trio of Xanti DD’s had launched nine standard missiles, followed almost immediately by a second salvo of nine. The salvoes were too light to do anything against his flagship’s point defenses, and as he watched both salvoes were frayed to non-existence by the SD’s point defenses. Even as he watched, though, six of BS3’s in Group #4 launched eight capital missiles each, targeted on the second and third Gorlieth SD’s. The SD’s defenses had trouble dealing with the missiles, and both ships lost their shields and most of their armor.
“Sir! Commander Talnq reports heavy damage from primary beams, likely source, BS3’s in Group #1. Admiral Brrq’s eyes shifted to the icon for Talnq’s command and saw that it was pulsing yellow, indicating it had taken internal damage. As he pondered this development, a Gorlieth SD fired, catching a Xanti DD with its massive force beam emplacements, causing the small ship to explode.
Any joy Brrq felt at the enemy’s loss was washed out when the command deck’s computer again announced, “Missile launch detected! Incoming missiles launched, location plotted!” The plot indicated a group of light monitors in Group #5 had launched twelve capital missiles each. Brrq leaned forward interestedly. These ships had unknown energy signatures, indicating they were likely ASR, not Xanti. Even as he watched, the plot shimmered and the missile’s anticipated track lines converged on his command ship. Brrq settled back on his haunches and watched as the missiles came in and his long-range point defense began to engage them. His eyes leapt to the ship’s status displays. No shields, multiple armor breaches, and heavy damage to the engines. He raised his hands to slap the abandon ship alarm when the missiles hit. The command deck was rocked by the massive explosions, and then, when Brrq thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. The SD, staggering from the rough treatment, exploded under the pounding, taking Brrq and most of its crew with it into destruction.
A second Xanti DD followed the Gorlieth command ship into destruction, but the tide was turning against the Gorlieth. The last Gorlieth fired on an ASR cruiser, stripping it of its shields and armor. The Gorlieth CL’s pounded the ASR CA, and then targeted a Xanti DD, but then it was the defenders turn. Xanti and ASR ships continued to fire at the Gorlieth ships, but that was almost a side show. As the defender’s ships kept the attackers occupied, Xanti and ASR fighters lined up on the AI carriers, and before the robotic carriers could stabilize their catapults and launch their fighters, the defending fighters ripped into them. The defending fighters were all armed with laser packs, and the damage was tremendous. Three hundred and eighteen fighters savaged the carriers, crippling every one, destroying every single AI fighter before it could be launched. Leaving only drifting wreckage behind, the remaining fighters went on to damage three additional Gorlieth SD’s, and behind them were seventy three ASR GBP’s, each armed with anti-matter tipped short range close attack missiles. The ASR GBP’s wove through the Gorlieth formation launching close attack missiles, and the Gorlieth ships, focused as they were on the defending ships, had no chance. When the GBP formation cleared the far side of the Gorlieth formation there was nothing left but drifting debris and life pods.
Even as the last Gorlieth ship died, space around the warp point curdled and an AI light monitor, the lead ship in the second wave, nosed through, followed by a second and then a third. The ML’s targeted a damaged Xanti BCM for their missiles, but the ship’s elite Breen crew managed to stop most of the missiles and the ship suffered only light additional damage. The three ML’s quickly succumbed to laser fire from the Xanti and ASR fighter squadrons that hovered around the warp point.
On the far side of the warp point, Jirquan watched as the second of the three ML’s in the second wave transited out. No CD’s had returned through the warp point from the first wave. Even one would have meant that the first wave had survived the first thirty seconds. The fact that no CD’s returned meant that not one ship survived. The assault had failed. He turned on a Subjugated communications technician. “Order the assault halted. All ships are to assume defensive positions.” With that he stalked off of the bridge.
Alone in his quarters, Jirquan pondered the situation. The core of the Gorlieth fleet was gone, and every one of those ships was crewed by highly trained and experienced Gorlieth. And the loss of his AI fighters was not to be under-estimated as well. Jirquan thought about the situation for another hour, and then came to a decision. Their position was untenable. Information obtained from the Axons indicated that the ASR had vast resources, if given time they would bring forward reinforcements that would be able to push him back now that his fleet was weakened. It was time to retreat and gain some room to maneuver.
The orders went out and the 1st Conquest Fleet, accompanied by the AI First Assault Fleet and the remnants of the Gorlieth fleet, began retreating. Fleet Lord Jirquan intended to retreat down-chain and buy some time, once his supply of Gorlieth ships was replenished, he would attack again. Events happening many light years away would alter Jirquan’s intentions, though…
Month 146, Day 7
The Imperial Chosen AI fleet had been forging ahead, deeper into the system, its goal the closest inhabited planet to their entry point. To date there had been no contact with the natives. All attempts at communication with the planet were ignored, and there had been no contacts with local defense forces. This would have been worrying to almost any invading race, but for the AI’s running the fleet this was no different than being in any potentially hostile situation. They scanned the surrounding space to the best of their ability and continued on with their mission. Being worried not only made no sense, but was impossible for them.
Midway through the day the AI fleet’s scanners detected twelve objects fifteen light seconds away, nearly directly ahead of the fleet. The objects were evenly divided between battleship sized and light cruiser sized ships and were obviously drive-field down ships. The fleet came to a halt and the AI carriers with ready-fighters launched their CSP units to cover the fleet. In response, the new contacts launched two hundred and fifty two fighters which began racing towards the AI fleet.
**********Time Index 0000-0030**********
Second AI Assault Fleet:
37xMLR, 12xBB(Apin), 31xCV(A), 18xCV, 3xBCR, 11xCLE, 18xDD, 1392xF1, 264xApin
Contacts:
Enemy Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL
Enemy Group 1B: 252xFighter
Range
Group 1A: 15 LS
Group 1B: 12.5 LS**
Closure rates:
AI Fleet: Halted
Group 1A: Halted
Group 1B: Closing at 2.5 LS per thirty seconds
**Anomaly Detected
Incoming fighter’s speed is not consistent with loaded speeds for known fighter types. Initial Analysis…incoming fighters carrying partial load-outs or are of unknown design and capability. Further data needed.
Action: All AI units closing down maintenance and other non-combat related functions. Forty four percent of the fleet is currently combat ready.
**********Time Index 0030-0060**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL
Group 1B: 252xFighter
Range
Group 1A: 15 LS
Group 1B: 10 LS
Closure rates:
AI Fleet: Halted
Group 1A: Halted
Group 1B: Closing at 2.5 LS per thirty seconds
Action: All AI units closing down maintenance and other non-combat related functions. Sixty seven percent of the fleet is currently combat ready.
**********Time Index 0060-0090**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL
Group 1B: 252xFighter
Range
Group 1A: 15 LS
Group 1B: 7.5 LS
Closure rates:
AI Fleet: Halted
Group 1A: Halted
Group 1B: Closing at 2.5 LS per thirty seconds
Action: All AI units closing down maintenance and other non-combat related functions. Eighty three percent of the fleet is currently combat ready.
**********Time Index 0090-0120**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL
Group 1B: 252xFighter
Range
Group 1A: 15 LS
Group 1B: 5 LS
Closure rates:
AI Fleet: Halted
Group 1A: Halted
Group 1B: Closing at 2.5 LS per thirty seconds
Action: All AI units closing down maintenance and other non-combat related functions. One hundred percent of the fleet is currently combat ready. All carrier units launching fighters.
Own SC Group: 1392xF1, 264xApin
Range: 1.75 LS (3.25 LS from targeted enemy small craft)
Speed: 1.75 LS per thirty seconds
**********Time Index 0120-0150**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL
Group 1B: 252xFighter
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 15.25 LS*
Enemy Group 1B: 6.5 LS
*Status Change: Enemy fleet now retreating at 1.25 LS per thirty seconds
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 3.5 LS
Closure rates:
AI Fleet: advancing at 1 LS per thirty seconds (closure rate -.25 LS per thirty seconds)
Group 1A: Retreating at 1.25 LS per seconds
Group 1B: Retreating at 2.5 LS per thirty seconds
Action: Fleet split. All carriers, Apin carriers, and command battlecruisers now retreating. All combat units advancing on enemy fleet. Closure rate negative, however, SC are closing on enemy units and will force faster enemy SC to engage before they can reach enemy ships due to anticipated need for enemy to protect their ships from friendly SC.
Own SC Group: 1392xF1, 264xApin
Range: 2.5 LS (4 LS from targeted enemy small craft, 14.5 LS from fleeing enemy fleet)
Speed: 1.75 LS per thirty seconds
**********Time Index 0150-0750**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL
Group 1B: 252xFighter (now rejoined with Group 1A)
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 20.25 LS
Enemy Group 1B: 20.25 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 15.75 LS (4.5 LS from target)
Closure rates:
AI Fleet: advancing at 1 LS per thirty seconds (closure rate -.25 LS per thirty seconds)
**********Time Index 0750-0780**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL
Group 1B: 252xFighter (now rejoined with Group 1A)
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 20.5 LS
Enemy Group 1B: 20.5 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 16.5 LS (4 LS from target)
Closure rates:
AI Fleet: advancing at 1 LS per thirty seconds (closure rate -.25 LS per thirty seconds)
Status Change:
Launch Detection:
Multiple previously undetected units launching missiles targeted on Own SC.**
One hundred twenty missiles launched at Own SC, range 4 LS. Forty nine fighters destroyed.
**Anomaly Detected: Enemy fleet deploying missiles capable of striking at small craft/fighters. Previously unknown technology, filed under “Long Range Anti Fighter Missiles (LRAFM)”.
**Anomaly Detected: Enemy fleet employing previously unknown technology designated “Cloak”. Sensors having difficulty localizing enemy ships, even when they fire. Presence of enemy units unsuspected prior to enemy missile launch. Recommend future analysis of sensor logs.
Situational Analysis: Enemy weapon accuracy: 40.83%. Estimated casualties at current loss rate until SC can close (assuming unlimited enemy ammunition): 735. Loss ratio acceptable. No change in orders.
**********Time Index 0780-0810**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 21 LS**
Status change: Enemy fleet now running at 1.5 LS per thirty seconds.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 17.25 LS (3.75 LS from target)
Enemy fleet launches 120 LRAFM: Losses 47 fighters (1296 remaining)
**********Time Index 0810-0840**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 21.5 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 18 LS (3.5 LS from target)
Enemy fleet launches 120 LRAFM: Losses 50 fighters (1246 remaining)
**********Time Index 0840-0870**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 22 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 18.75 LS (3.25 LS from target)
Enemy fleet launches 120 LRAFM: Losses 47 fighters (1199 remaining)
**********Time Index 0870-0900**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 22.5 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 19.5 LS (3 LS from target)
Enemy fleet launches 120 LRAFM: Losses 59 fighters (1140 remaining)
Status Change: Enemy fleet launches 144 missiles at Own Armed Pinnaces. Results: 112 Armed Pinnaces die (142 left).**
**Anomaly Detected: Enemy fleet has deployed a new weapon, designated Short Range Anti-Small Craft Weapon (SRASC).
Situational Analysis: Accuracy of the new weapon estimated at: 77.7%. Unknown if this weapon can be deployed against fighters. Recommendation: No change at this time.
**********Time Index 0900-0930**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 23 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 20.25 LS (2.75 LS from target)
Enemy fleet launches 120 LRAFM: Losses 66 fighters (1074 remaining)
Enemy fleet launches 144 missiles at Own Armed Pinnaces. Results: 125 Armed Pinnaces die (17 left).
**********Time Index 0930-0960**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 23.5 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 21 LS (2.5 LS from target)
Enemy fleet launches 120 LRAFM: Losses 63 fighters (1011 remaining)
Enemy fleet launches 24 SRASC at Own Armed Pinnaces. Results: 17 Armed Pinnaces die (0 left).
**********Time Index 0960-0990**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 24 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 21.75 LS (2.25 LS from target)
Enemy fleet launches 120 LRAFM: Losses 57 fighters (954 remaining)
**********Time Index 0990-1020**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 24.5 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 22.5 LS (2 LS from target)
Status change: Enemy fleet ceases fire. 954 fighters remaining.
Analysis: Possible that enemy fleet has exhausted missile supply. Remaining fighters sufficient to overwhelm deployed enemy fighters. Recommendation: Continue.
**********Time Index 1020-1050**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 25 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 23.25 LS (1.75 LS from target)
Status change: Enemy fleet opens fire with 120 LRAFM: Losses 71 (883 fighters left)
Status change: Additional enemy ships detected. Multiple indistinct drive fields detected launching SRASC. Enemy fleet launches 478 SRASC. Results: 184 fighters destroyed (699 remaining)
Analysis: Threat detection of additional enemy ships indicates possibility that additional carriers exist. If so, current strike force will be incapable of overwhelming enemy fighter force. In any case, the current loss ratio is unsustainable. At the current rate of closure and loss, the strike force will be eliminated .75 LS from the enemy fleet.
Recommendation: Strike force will return to protect the battle line.
**********Time Index 1050-1080**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Status Change: Enemy fleet has turned, and is now closing on Own Fleet.
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 24.5 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: 20.25 LS (4.25 LS from target)
Status Change: Enemy fleet has stopped firing.
Continuing Sensor Analysis: The enemy units not firing are extremely difficult to detect, and even when detected cannot be localized. Analysis of sensor logs continuing.
Situational Analysis: The probability that the currently detected units are equipped with “Cloak” is approaching 100%. Therefore, the fact that they remain visible is almost certainly intended to fix this fleet’s attention on the visible ships, indicating that they are, in fact, a trap. The enemy fleet’s speed is 50% higher than Own Fleet’s speed, therefore, escape is impossible. Recommendation: Close and engage.
**********Time Index 1080-1260**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Enemy fleet closure rate is 2.25 LS per thirty seconds.
Range
Enemy Group 1A at start of time period: 11 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Detached units: 1.75 LS (retreating from Own Fleet at combined speed of 1.75 LS per 30 seconds)
**********Time Index 1260-1290**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 6xCL, 252xFighter
Status change: Enemy CVB’s have slowed and come about, now running ahead of the fleet and maintaining range at 10.5 LS. Enemy CL’s coming about and maintaining range at 8.25 LS, designated Group 1B.
Status change: Multiple enemy ships have dropped “Cloak”. Enemy Group 1B now composed of 12 Monitors, 9 battlecruisers, and 24 light cruisers.
Range
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Engaging enemy monitor with SBM-Lt. Own light monitors launch full broadsides…twenty-three hits with laser torpedo warheads obtained…no observable damage to enemy ship.
Anomaly detected! Enemy monitor groups launching in groups of six, rather than standard datalink groups of three. Each monitor group launching sixty missiles.
Anomaly detected! Enemy missiles are of unknown type, possibly improved SBM. Enemy missiles appear to have similar performance characteristics, however, they have improved penetration aides similar to standard capital missiles. Point defense degraded as would be expected against capital missile penetration aides.
Anomaly detected! Enemy missiles are equipped with laser torpedo warheads of unexpected strength. Warhead yields are twice that of standard laser torpedo warheads. Light Monitor #029 has lost all armor and has suffered significant internal damage. Estimate probable destruction in 22 seconds.
**********Time Index 1290-1320**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Engaging enemy monitor with SBM-Lt. Own light monitors launch full broadsides…twenty-two hits with laser torpedo warheads obtained…no observable damage to enemy ship.
Laser torpedo effectiveness estimate: No observable effect after forty-five hits. Implications: Either enemy has very strong armor, or has deployed method to reduce/eliminate effectiveness of laser torpedo warheads.
First enemy monitor group engages ML #029, twenty-five hits obtained, ML-029 destroyed. Second monitor group engages ML #015, eighteen hits…armor damaged.
Tactical Analysis: SBM-Lt’s ineffective. ML’s have exhausted SBM-Lt stocks. Recommend continuation of assault with SBM-a.
**********Time Index 1320-1350**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Own ML’s engaging enemy monitor with SBM-a’s…7 hits total. Enemy shields still up.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-015…forty-two hits…ML-015 destroyed.
**********Time Index 1350-1380**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Own ML’s engaging enemy monitor with SBM-a’s…six hits total. Enemy shields still up.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-014…forty-two hits…ML-014 suffered significant internal damage.
**********Time Index 1380-1410**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Own ML’s engaging enemy monitor with SBM-a’s…eleven hits total. Enemy shields down.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-014…eighteen hits…ML-014 destroyed.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-005…twenty-seven hits…ML-005 suffered internal damage.
Own ML’s have expended all SBM-a’s, now switching to SBM’s.
**********Time Index 1410-1440**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Own ML’s engaging enemy monitor with SBM’s…six hits total. Enemy shields down.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-005…thirty five hits…ML-005 destroyed.
Note:Own ML’s have expended all SBM munitions. Remaining CM’s cannot reach enemy units before burning out.
Tactical Analysis: Own force currently possesses no weapons capable of reaching enemy force.
Recommendation: Close to range suitable for engaging with remaining weapons.
Tactical Analysis: Own force unable to close with enemy force. Enemy force currently demonstrating a speed 25% faster than own force ML’s.
Recommendation: Retreat.
Tactical Analysis: Enemy force 25% faster. Retreat not possible, if attempted, significant possibility that the enemy force will be able to achieve launch position within own blind spot…contraindicated.
Recommendation: split force, with faster units closing to ranges where their weapons will function.
Tactical Analysis: Splitting force possible. Likely enemy response…near certainty that enemy force will shift target to own lighter units. Likely result…annihilation of lighter units before they reach firing range.
Recommendation: Continue on current course.
**********Time Index 1440-1470**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-035…forty-four hits…ML-035 damaged.
Own units unable to respond
**********Time Index 1470-1500**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-035…seventeen hits…ML-035 destroyed.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-036…twenty two hits…ML-036 damaged
Own force unable to respond.
**********Time Index 1500-1530**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-036…forty one hits…ML-036 destroyed.
Own force unable to respond.
**********Time Index 1530-1560**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-022…thirty four hits…ML-022 damaged.
Own force unable to respond.
**********Time Index 1560-1590**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-022…eleven hits***…ML-022 crippled.
***Anomaly detected: Enemy now engaging with anti-matter warheads 50% more powerful than own force anti-matter warheads.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-020…ML-020 deploying EDM’s…seven hits…shields down.
Own force unable to respond.
**********Time Index 1590-1620**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-020…twenty-eight hits…ML-020 destroyed.
Own force unable to respond.
**********Time Index 1620-1650**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-019…ML-019 deploying EDM’s…twelve hits…ML-019 damaged.
Own force unable to respond
**********Time Index 1650-1680**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-019…fourteen hits…ML-019 destroyed.
Enemy MN’s engaging Ml-056…ML-056 deploying EDM’s…seven hits, shields down, armor damaged.
Own force unable to respond
**********Time Index 1680-1710**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Enemy MN’s engaging Ml-056…twenty-five hits. ML-056 destroyed.
Own force unable to respond
**********Time Index 1710-1740**********
Contacts:
Group 1A: 6xCVB, 252xFighter
Group 1B: 12xMN, 9xBC, 24xCL
Range
Enemy Group 1A: 10.5 LS (maintaining range)
Enemy Group 1B: 9.25 LS (maintaining range)
Note: Intensive sensor scans of the area surrounding Group 1A indicate probable existence of additional enemy units, although none have been localized.
Own Fleet: Zero point
Own SC Group: rejoined main force.
Enemy MN’s engaging ML-003…ML-003 deploying EDM’s…fifteen hits. ML-003 damaged.
Own force unable to respond
Continued in part III