OPERATION JABBERWOCKYMISSION TARGETRoss 128 Star System
Entry jump point: JP 1: Wolf 358 (2.4 billion km from primary)
Exit jump point: JP 1: Wolf 358 (2.4 billion km from primary)
MISSION OBJECTIVESPRIMARY:
Secure Ross 128 by destroying all Wolver ships present in system. This will enable salvage of wreckage and allow for the system survey to be completed.
SECONDARY:
Gather tactical intellegence on Wolver ship operations and tactics.
Field test the Escort Light Cruiser class and concept.
Field test the Fallen Class Light Cruiser class.
MISSION FORCETask Group 3(-)
7th SquadronBattlegroup
Commodore Renato Bottom (CL Michael Wells)
Cmdr Alice Schofield (CL Reece Booth)
Cmdr Lewis Bradley (CL Peter Morganrot)
Lt Cmdr Tarr Fuglson (CLE Warder)
Lt Cmdr Lena von Kranz (CO Magazine II)
Lt Cmdr Jonathan Cross (CO Quiver II)
Missile Loadout
Fallen Class CL (Arrow II Anti-Ship Missile: 36; Falcon III Counter Missile: 78)
Warder Class CLE (Falcon III Counter Missile: 60)
Quiver Class CO (Arrow II Anti-Ship Missile: 46; Falcon III Counter Missile: 127)
Support Group
Cpt GautulfR Hefinnrson (JS Altair)
Cmdr Leon Finch (JS Rigel)
Lt Cmdr Isabelle Ball (CLE Guardian)
Missile Loadout
Altair Class JS (Arrow II Anti-Ship Missile: 28; Falcon III Counter Missile: 99)
Warder Class CLE (Falcon III Counter Missile: 60)
8th Squadron Battlegroup
Commodore Eleanor Bradley (CL Brandon Byron)
Cpt Grace Pritchard (DD Chippewa)
Lt Cmdr Ewan Brooks (DD Stoney)
Lt Cmdr Allen Tamblyn (DD Assiniboine)
Lt Cmdr Hanno Stecher (CO Armory)
Lt Cmdr Eliot Pickering (CO Arsenal)
Missile Loadout
Fallen Class CL (Arrow II Anti-Ship Missile: 36; Falcon III Counter Missile: 78)
Tribal Class DD (Arrow II Anti-Ship Missile: 22; Falcon III Counter Missile: 78)
Quiver Class CO (Arrow II Anti-Ship Missile: 46; Falcon III Counter Missile: 127)
Support Group
Cpt Bart Kubo (JS Procyon)
Cmdr Alex Curtis (JS Mystic)
Cmdr Jacob Moss (JS Mage)
Lt Cmdr Freya Dale (CLE Leibwächter)
Missile Loadout
Altair Class JS (Arrow II Anti-Ship Missile: 28; Falcon III Counter Missile: 99)
Enchanter Class JS (Arrow II Anti-Ship Missile: 20; Falcon III Counter Missile: 76)
Warder Calss CLE (Falcon III Counter Missile: 60)
SUPPORT FORCE5th Squadron (Cpt Robert Holland (FFH Hong Kong)) standing by at the jump point to Ross 128 in Wolf 358.
============
The final mission briefings a concluded in early April 2315. 7th and 8th Squadrons are complete, loaded with missiles and fuel, and all ships have conducted extensive pre-mission training operations. Commodore R. Bottom will be in overall command and his vice commander is Commodore E. Bradley. The pair has a last mission brief with Rear Admiral Vaughan on April 5. They leave that meeting with the weight of the NCN on their shoulders, lacking only overt political pressure as for the moment the NCC and the Assembly are on the best of terms and the Government and Opposition are sparing over funding of social programs but raiding the NCNs budget is thankfully not on the list. Still after twice loosing the 4th Squadron in Wolf 359, a victory in Ross 128 is sorely needed. Additionally, even though any battle with the Wolvers is a "Recon-in-Force" an unwritten additional objective is given to the pair: Bring them back.
TG 3 breaks Earth orbit on April 7 heading for Forge to top up their tanks. They arrive at Forge on April 20 and the ships only pause long enough to bunker fuel from the Farm and they depart for the jump point to Wolf 358. On the transit one of Brandon Byron's barbettes reports a major failure during daily readiness tests and the crew has to scramble to replace the mirrors drive motors, but this is the only incident as the ships proceed through AD Leonis. TG 3 jumps into Wolf 358 on April 27, meeting 5th Squadron who are currently on Wolver Watch. TG 3 and 5th Squadron Battlegroup proceed to the jump point to Ross 128 and the 5th Squadron takes up station 1 million km from the jump point. On May 2, TG3 picks its way carefully through the minefield and takes up station at the jump point for the pre-jump re-organization. All but one ship can be brought through in a single wave.
Ross 128May 2 0904 Jump Point 1At 5 locations ships flash into existence, each vessel wreathed in what in the past would have been called St. Elmo's fire although of a different hue as the ships equalized to the surrounding space plasma potential. Invisible to the naked eye gravitons flowed as the ships gravitational potential energy also equalized to this point in space. The faint rings in space they had passed through vanish as the jump engines stop feeding dark energy through their focus shafts whose revolution is allowed to slow down. Task Group 3 has arrived to empty space, which was the most likely scenario. Commodore Bottom orders the ships to spin up and the crews return to non-suited operations as the ships head towards the way point used by the doomed Henry Hudson at 1500 km/s. The plan is to swing through the system heading for the wreckage of the Henry Hudson.
May 10 Waypoint 1TG 3 arrives at WP1 without incident or any contact with a Wolver ship, except for the wreckage of the Henry Hudson the system would seem safe, as it must have in the past. They are still well outside the planetary system of the M4-V star now only 1.3 billion km distant. Planet VII a super jovian is conveniently placed for navigation purposes and it is designed as the first target, the Task Groups heads for it still running under EMCON 3.
May 18 Planet VII (Un-named Super Jovian)TG 3 enters a modified orbit over the Super Jovian's north pole while the ship commanders have a discussion over the next goals. It is decided to head for the gas giant planet VI and assess the situation again. They are on the opposite side of the star system from the wreck of the Henry Hudson. They settle on performing a hyperbolic pass through the system with the goal of visiting the wreck. Given the current information available on the enemy "informed choices" are difficult to achieve.
May 21 Planet VI (Un-named Gas Giant)TG 3 again slides into a modified polar orbit over the gas giant. The ships commanders use the time for a command conference but as the situation is unchanged they decide to keep their fingers out of the still functional plan and a point in space is designed as Way Point 2 and the ships break orbit heading for it.
May 22 1759 On course for Way Point 2"Passive contact! Wolver sensor emissions detected!" The Officer of the Watch hit the alert button and summoned both the Captain and the Commodore to the bridge from dinner.
Commodore Bottom arrived at the reserve bridge (used as the Flag Bridge) a few minutes later and blinking on the tank was the first Wolver contact they had seen. It was sitting square on the wreck of the Hudson.
"mmmm" He looked over at the communications tech, "Send to Task Group: all stop."
The sensors the ship had would not detect them at this range but this changed things. "Sent to Task Group: new course is the Wolver contact." It was, unprofessional, but that ship sitting there pissed him off. "When all ships acknowledge, have helm set course for it."
2315 (May 22) 17:59:56 New Active Sensor Detected! Contact ID: Akagi 002 Class ID: Akagi Race ID: Wolvers Strength 13680 Resolution 76Three hours later the sensor was turned off. TG 3 remained on course for the wreck of the Hudson.
May 23 0702 On course for wreck of Henry Hudson"Active Sensor Ping!" The computers voice was un-alarmed but the bridge crew jerked in their seats. They were still well away from their target.
"smeg! What made us?" the OoW hit the panic button summoning the senior staff.
"Warbook classifies it as Wolver Sensor from a Tone. We are made for sure." The Tone was the Wolvers long range sensor platform, unarmed so far as could be determined but with the Shoe adjustment it had a huge sensor range, easily able to see them.
Commodore Bottom was wondering if the Wolvers had a secret plan to interrupt his meals, but the "Flag" bridge was staffed fully by the time he arrived. The display showed a Tone at the second planet in the system, a Terrestrial world with an atmosphere, water and biosystem so far as early long range survey results could tell.
2315 (May 23) 07:01:56 New Active Sensor Detected! Contact ID: Tone 004 (New) Class ID: Tone Race ID: Wolvers Strength 16416 Resolution 76
2315 (May 23) 07:01:56 New Active Sensor Detected! Contact ID: Akagi 002 Class ID: Akagi Race ID: Wolvers Strength 13680 Resolution 76
2315 (May 23) 07:01:56 A new ship of the Tone class from the Wolvers has been detected in Ross 128. Our intelligence service has designated the new ship as the Tone 004. 
A short time later a second sensor came on line. "Akagi woke up sir."
"Aye, we have been spotted for sure."
"Tracking thinks target is boosting. They say the signal is dopplering."
"Good." He leaned back in the chair, "Communications send to Task Group Commanders. Start closing up for action." They could see the clock ticking as well as he. The closing velocity would be nearly 9000 km/s, the projected course for the Akagi was an intercept. The Tone not...no real surprise there.
"Communications send to Task Force: Set EMCON Condition One." No sense hiding their existence now, and no reason to be caught with their pants around their ankles.
May 23 1156 On course for intercept with Akagi 002Commodore Bottom was just about to get up to get lunch when. "Active Contact! Multiple Contacts!"
"Talk to me!" Ok, clearly the damned Wolvers had a plan to deprive him of meals there could be no other explanation for this.
"We have two massive returns from Planet II, Warbook is calling them Kaga and kirishima. Look to be OWPs sir. Mass is near 18 kilo-tonne."
"Oh joy." He breathed. "Communications send to Task Group: all stop. Get me Commodore Bolton."
"Eleanor, you see that?"
"Yes. No doppler return; they are stationary?"
"Initial assessment was an OWP. Still looks to be true."
"Two heavy cruiser sized OWPs. You think maybe this is typical for them?"
"What is typical for the Wolvers? Damned if I know but...if this is the case then that explains 4th Squadron's loss. A OWP that size could easily mount that many launchers and extensive magazines."
"Not a ground base." That had been Intel's best guess so far.
"Range on the Magic is estimated at 30 million km, lets stay well away from that pair shall we?"
"Discretion is the best part of valour."
"So they say."
"The Tracker just paid for itself." For the first time they saw the enemy before they opened fire. In any previous NCN encounter the ships had been flying blind comparatively. The Tracker Sensor had likely saved thousands of lives just now.
2315 (May 23) 11:56:01 A new ship class of the Wolvers has been detected in Ross 128. Our intelligence service has designated the new class as the Kirishima.
2315 (May 23) 11:56:01 Hostile Ship Contact! Contact ID: Kirishima 002 (New) Class ID: Kirishima (New) Race ID: Wolvers TCS 356
2315 (May 23) 11:56:01 A new ship of the Kirishima class from the Wolvers has been detected in Ross 128. Our intelligence service has designated the new ship as the Kirishima 002.
2315 (May 23) 11:56:01 A new ship class of the Wolvers has been detected in Ross 128. Our intelligence service has designated the new class as the Kaga.
2315 (May 23) 11:56:01 A new ship of the Kaga class from the Wolvers has been detected in Ross 128. Our intelligence service has designated the new ship as the Kaga 002.
2315 (May 23) 11:56:01 Hostile Ship Contact! Contact ID: Kaga 002 (New) Class ID: Kaga (New) Race ID: Wolvers TCS 353The reason they are not 001 is because due to a bug I picked up the first two of these classes elsewhere but I have been ignoring this information in my planing. Task Group 3 changed course now heading at an angle of 170° to the systems north. It would skirt by a generous margin the OWPs Super Salvos of Magics. The Akagi changed course maintaining an intercept vector.
"Active Contact! Multiple Contacts." The Akagi had just crossed the outer limit of the Tracker.
"Sir, there are two other vessels with Akagi."
"I see them." The returns indicated another Akagi and another new class.
"Communications send to Task Group: all ships make ready for action."
"Send to Ship: all hands ready for action. De-spin the ship in 10 minutes. All hands to don survival suits."
2315 (May 23) 12:55:46 Hostile Ship Contact! Contact ID: Akagi 002 Class ID: Akagi Race ID: Wolvers TCS 179 Active Sensor S180/R76 (Existing)
2315 (May 23) 12:55:46 Hostile Ship Contact! Contact ID: Akagi 003 Class ID: Akagi Race ID: Wolvers TCS 179
2315 (May 23) 12:55:46 Sensor Data reveals that the alien ship class Akagi (Wolvers) has a target cross section of 179. Estimated tonnage is therefore 8950
2315 (May 23) 12:55:46 Hostile Ship Contact! Contact ID: Mikuma 002 Class ID: Mikuma Race ID: Wolvers TCS 179
2315 (May 23) 12:55:46 Sensor Data reveals that the alien ship class Mikuma (Wolvers) has a target cross section of 179. Estimated tonnage is therefore 8950The NCN formation continued on course while the three Wolver ships continued to close.
"Thermal Contacts!"
Commodore Bottom watched the information update. Drive signatures were standard for a Wolver ship, heavily dopplered due to their tremendous velocity.
"Communications send to Task Group: Action Imminent. All ships to Action Stations."
"Send to Ship: All hands Action Stations. Prepare for combat pressure in 5 minutes. All sections report readiness to depressurize."
He reached up and flipped his visor down, and started strapping himself into the chair and connecting his suit to the life support system.
2315 (May 23) 13:23:16 Contact Update for Akagi 003. Thermal Signature Detected! Strength 1500
2315 (May 23) 13:23:16 Contact Update for Mikuma 002. Thermal Signature Detected! Strength 1500
2315 (May 23) 13:23:16 Contact Update for Akagi 002. Thermal Signature Detected! Strength 1500 "VAMPIRE! VAMPIRE! VAMPIRE!"
It was hardly a surprise to Commodore Bottom that his sensor ratings voice was more shrill than he had ever heard it in training.
"Warbook classification is MAGIC! Salvo size is 3! Range is 450-kay."
That was a relief...no Super Salvo. But it also settled the X-ship question. He had 3 inbound Wolver vessels, but only 1 standard 3 missile salvo...so the Mikuma had to be the X-ship. The theory the X-ship was a small stealthy ship was all but conclusively disproved.
The Warder was in lead and two of the light cruisers had launched a total of 9 Falcon III's at the inbounds. Then while he was contemplating his navel more missile launched at the next inbound salvo.
"Guns! Take the Target's off auto engage." No point as they were too slow to catch the Magics.
13:32:16 Warder leading the formation engages the first missile salvo. Six Goalie Twin Array mounts split the 3 missiles between them. Pulses of laser light begin filling a cone around the missiles flight path. All three missiles are destroyed short of the ship.
"I'll be..." Commodore Bottom was shocked. The first salvo was stopped cold. THAT he had never expected, maybe...maybe...he cut the thought off.
Five seconds later the second volley meets the same fate and the next and the next. Then one missile slipped through and the Warders Barrier weakened as a coil quenched shunting aside the plasma from the warhead. This was followed five seconds later by three slipping through.
"Guns, Assiniboine and Chippewa are to do one on one engagements one Target launcher." He looked at the plot and made adjustments to the formation trying to cover the Warder with as many ships as possible. The missiles might do something.
Another group of missiles slammed into the Warder weakening its barrier more.
"Guns, add the Warder and Stoney." He needed more missiles in space...no he needed more warning and there was one way to get that, but the last time the enemy had destroyed the helpless pinnaces. Damn.
The Warders barrier were holding at around 80% when the Brandon Byron's anti-shipping laser barbettes destroyed a missile the first. The odd Falcon III has also caught an enemy missile but most have been self-destructing.
13:33:06 Brandon Byron - Grundig Sureshot Mk3-60/48X targeting Missile Salvo #6544 at 20k km: Base Chance to hit: 88% (Fire Control To Hit: 79% Modified by Crew Grade: 88%)
13:33:06 Brandon Byron: Thales MilL-VIS Deegan (To Hit Modified by Tracking Speed: 5%) hit the target and destroyed an enemy missile. The missile after missile struck the Warder and its Barrier strength dropped to 67%. He needed more range.
"Communications, send to Warder and Arsenal: Launch pinnace. Take up position given in this message." He hit a button to send the positions he wanted them at to the communications station.
The pinnaces were on their way. Hopefully the enemy was committed to the Warder. He adjusted his formation watching as the 8th Squadron maneuvered to bring as many arrays as possible into play. Falcon III were hitting the missiles though, making the job of the ships easier still it took an inordinate amount of laser fire to stop the Magics, but for the first time they were being stopped and the Warders Barrier was
holding at near 67%.
There the pinnaces were giving him better warning he could see the Magic salvo's blinking into existence further out. He still could not believe it, the Warder had been under bombardment for nearly 2 minutes now and its Barrier was intact, and growing in strength...even with the odd downward jerk the trend was there.
Two minutes into the battle Commodore Bottom realized he had been relying on an old combat setting.
"Guns, set the missile intercept range to 600 Kays." He had not been using this increased detection range, and the further out the missile was fired upon the better the chance the Falcon III had to engage it.
After this change the number of Falcon III intercepts climbed, it was still a crap shoot but every missile knocked out by a Falcon was one missile less the close in defenses needed to deal with and that meant more firepower on the missiles that they did have to engage.
Less than a minute later, "Guns, push the engagement range to 800-kays." He continued to mess with the positioning of the two pinnaces desperate to get the maximum possible detection range on the inbound Magics. "Communications, sent to Chippewa: Launch Pinnace, take up station at these coordinates." He transmitted his wish to the station and returned to monitoring the battle.
Warder's interior temperature was slowly increasing as its radiators struggled to dump the waste heat from its laser cavities and their associated systems. Each five seconds more power than most cities required was converted into light and shot out in hundreds of 10 nano-second long bursts. The crew was focused on their own survival, the ship largely in the hands of its combat computer but the bridge crew working to prioritize and refine the information on the stream of missile salvos the ships sensors plus those of the pinnaces were sending them.
Three minutes into the Bombardment and Warder is tucked into the formation but her Barrier is still holding at 75%. The question on Commodore Bottom's mind is...'how much longer?'
Four minutes and the Warder's Barrier, which had nearly reached full strength is dropped to 80%. But it is an astronomical difference to the first encounter of the NCN with the Magic.
"Where is the next Salvo?"
"Pinances say there is no further contacts Sir."
It was over? The Warder was intact. The NCN had weathered a Magic attack and not a single ship had even had its paint scuffed. Hot damn.
13:37:01 CLE Warder - Grundig Snapshot Mk2-120/16X targeting Glamatus Anti-missile Missile at 10000 km using point blank fire: Base Chance to Hit: 74% (Base To Hit: 69% Modified by Crew Grade: 74%)
13:37:01 TorAr Goalie Twin Laser Array (Modified by Tracking Speed: 17%) hit the target and destroyed an enemy missile Confirmation the Mikuna was the X-ship was made when it turned away, surprisingly heading for deep space rather than towards planet 2. But this encounter meant there must be a pair of Mikuna's in Wolf 359 as 4th Squadron had been engaged by 2 sets of 3 Magic Volley's. The ~30 m km range of the Magic was also confirmed as the engagement had begun not long after the Mikuna had crossed the 36 m km thermal detection range. The ship carried 198 Magics in it magazine as 66 salvo's had been detected and engaged. That left the pair of Akagi's still closing on an intercept course. Why had they not fired? Wolver anti-ship missiles had about this range.
May 23 1407 On course for WP 3"Guns?"
"Target is Akagi 2. All ships report hard-lock, board is green, range is 17 million. Target is closing." That was the maximum range of the Arrow II anti-ship missile, but it was unlikely the Akagi's would evade, they would not even be able to see a missile with that sensor until it impacted.
"Good. 4 Salvos total. Commence bombardment."
"4 Salvos, Aye Aye Sir. Bombardment commencing."
The ship shuddered as the mass driver activated and the missiles moved down their launch tubes. The ships thrusters firing to compensate for the several tons of missiles the ship was launching. Commodore Bottom had to school a fierce grin, for this was the most powerful launch...even if the Stoney was delayed...the NCN had ever made. The four CLs salvoed 16 Arrow II and the 3 DDs added another 6. In 75 seconds they would repeat the action, and then again and again.
The 88 missiles were on their way for 13 minutes even at the closing velocity of 21K km/s.
"Hard Gamma! We have detonations Sir. Spectroscopy is showing only Duranium lines."
Best guess was 6 missiles managed to localize their target which was disappointing. The next salvo had 8 missiles impact, then 11 and back to 6 the last one. The missiles accuracy was not overwhelming but it was likely the ships, undoubtedly thick armour belt had been reduced. During this time the Mikuna class vessel slipped outside of the range of the Tracker.
The range was now 10 million km and dropping rapidly.
"Guns, Target is Akagi 2. Commence Bombardment."
"Aye Aye sir. Target is Akagi 2. Board is Green. Bombardment is commencing."
The Stoney is again delayed. But the distance is now so close that the first missiles strike while the ships are still reloading from the second salvo.
"Active Sensor Lost!"
"Target is slowing, thermal signal is dropping."
"Active Sensor Detected! Akagi 3 has gone active."
Akagi 2 is hit with 9 missiles from the first volley and its active sensor and an engine is destroyed its speed ramping down to 6703 from 8379 km/s. Akagi 3 activates its sensor as its consort lost hers. But there was a major problem that Commodore Bottom could see on his display his magazine capacity was dwindling. But Akagi 2 was hurt bad, it had been struck now by 51 missiles which was a heavy blow to any destroyer sized vessel. Its armour belt was breached in at least one if not more places. To accomplish that had taken 6 of his light cruisers 9 volleys; his destroyers had 11 in total. He needed the Arrows to penetrate the armour belt of the Akagi 3. Stay on target was his first instinct, it was wounded...but no.
"Guns, target is Akagi 3. All ships fire all remaining anti-ship missiles. Commence Bombardment."
"Aye Aye Sir. Target is now Akagi 3. All ships confirming target. Board is green. Commencing Bombardment."
He would use his Falcon's in anti-shipping mode on the Akagi 2. Hopefully they would find the weak spots. The NCN considered using Falcon's in anti-shipping mode: maximum missiles, minimum effect. Their warhead was too small. His gaze fell on his colliers magazines. He had many more missiles but transferring them would take over an hour while he was at 0 velocity, and his ships had their barriers down and hatches open. Not something to be done with two hostiles now 6.2 m km away and closing.
5 minutes after the launch the first volley impacted and 12 missiles were on target. The next had only 5 impacts and the one after it jumping up to 10. But now it was only his 3 destroyers. Three hits, then no more hits. The range was now low enough that the Target fire control could burn through the Wolver fire confusion, the Falcons could be used in their secondary mode.
The CLs first launch of the Akagi 3, hoping that they can damage the on coming vessel. Then their fire is switched back to the Akagi 2 as it reaches range where it can be targetted. Waves of Falcons streak towards each of the ship as the Target launchers cycle every 15 seconds and the magazine levels in the drop quickly.
Missile after missile detonates near the alien vessels but with no obvious effect and the range is now below 0.5 m km. Where is the Akagi 3 headed?
Its course is taking it toward the trio of pinnaces that are hanging back.
May 23 1446 Cockpit Farmile D1 Pinnace (Callsign: 20-20)Leading Spacer Patric Hanson was watching the battle and wondering also were the Akagi was going, it appeared to be heading for the pinnaces but what for? It was around 300K km from them according to the feed he could see on his scope but they had their sensors array off line and were there to recover survivors.
On board the Akagi 3 a port opened and between the Wolver ship and the pinnace stretched a reddish glowing line as the particle beam ionized the background hydrogen into plasma. The beam started out with a diameter of some ten centimeters but had expanded to a half a meter when it intersected the pinnace at a deflection angle just aft of the nose. The ships hull went incandescence and then converted to plasma allowing the next pulse form the linear accelerator to penetrate into the hull, the interior lasted only fractions of a millisecond as pulse after pulse struck the small vessel, the ship tore apart when the engine detonated.
The screaming sound of his suit alarm caused LS Hanson to slam his visor closed as the nose of the pinnace started to tumble free of the still glowing and highly radioactive wreckage that had been a pinnace less than 5 milliseconds before this. He shuddered as the helmet visor closed and the golden light of a seal showed on his hud.
He turned to check on his pilot but had to swallow convulsively, there was no question of if Tom was ok. The back of the helmet was covered in molten metal and was clearly deformed. Still swallowing he reached down to pull the ejection handle blowing his chair and himself free of the tumbling wreckage and activating his chair jets to slow his spin.
========
"What the hell!"
"Spectroscopy is showing ionization path."
Commodore Bottom could not believe it. The 20-20 was sensors down, sitting there to rescue anyone and the Wolver ship had just reduced it to scrap. Ignoring every other possible target.
"Communications, sent to Warder, Arsenal and Armoury: Form on Brandon Byron."
"Communications, send to 8th Squadron Flag: the 7th Squadron will advance for a rake."
"Send to 7th Squadron: Form on Flag. Maneuver for Rake. Minimum engagement distance 48 K."
"Send to Helm: Maneuver for Rake, maximum boost."
"Guns spin up the Deegans, Target is Akagi 3."
"Communications, send to Runner and Überwacher: back to the barn, flank."
The 2 other Fallen's of 7th Squadron broke formation and forming on the Task Group Flag. The trio began maneuvering to close the distance to one where their forward mounted laser barbettes could engage. A stream of Falcons was headed towards both Wolver vessels the NCNs version of a Magic strike. As the CLs tried to close with the faster Wolver ship it danced away hovering only 183K km away but outside range for the Deegan. Over the next three minutes the Wolver avoided the NCN cruisers even after a Falcon missile impact reduced its speed to 6703 km/s. Eventually both Akagi's turned away disengaging but still faster than the NCN ships. The Akagi 2 had been slowed to 5027 km/s by a Falcon hit.
Disgusted Commodore Bottom orders a final few salvos against the retreating Akagi 3 and then sets course to recover the lone survior of the destroyed pinnace.
At 1504, the engagement being over, the NCN ships stop and drop their Barriers to allow the colliers to re-munition the Task Force. The Wolver ships extend the range and at 1549 the Akagi 3's Thermal signal is lost while the Akagi 2's is lost at 1555. It is clear that without something able to make 6000 km/s the NCN is simply unable to force an engagement. This makes the armed pinnaces even more critical. The Akagis could have been engaged by the Starslayer class as it can make 6857 km/s; higher than either of the two Wolver ships at the end. By the time the task force completes its re-munitioning at 1630 both Wolver ships are out of engagement range and are lost as contacts at 1649 for the Akagi 3 and 1736 for the Akagi 2.
With the Wolver ships Akagi 3 and Tone 4 playing coy Task Group 3 changes course angling away from Planet II and toward Planet III aiming to check it for signs of a Wolver infestation and then swing north again to sweep the opposite side of the system. The mood of the crews on the ships is cautious, and both Commodore Bottom and Bradley had to struggle with the question of just leaving or to gather as much information as possible. The fate of the 4th Squadron hangs heavy on their minds but the Tracker sensor system at least means that no Wolver ship can engage them without being first observed and no Wolver ship seems to be interested in closing with them.
May 25 0606 On course for Way Point 1"Active Contact!" Akagi 2 had showed up again and true to form the OoW was obligated to disturb Commodore Bottom just as he was about to head to a meal. The Wolver ship was moving faster than before, apparently it had repaired one of its engines but its sensor was not active.
06:06:38 Hostile Ship Contact! Contact ID: Akagi 002 Class ID: Akagi Race ID: Wolvers TCS 179The Task Group maintained its heading and an hour later the fact it was operating one less engine than normal but one more engine than it had at the end of the previous engagement is confirmed.
07:08:38 Contact Update for Akagi 002. Thermal Signature Detected! Strength 1200 "Communications, send to Task Group: All ships set condition Action Imminent. All hands to survival suits, but do not de-spin or depressurize." There was little likely hood there would be more than a single launch against the Wolver ship and there would be time after observing the results to engage in standard pre-battle preparations.
At 0753 the Akagi 2 was 15 m km from Task Group 3, deep enough in the Arrow II's envelope that it could not out run the missiles even if it changed heading.
"Guns, Commence Bombardment."
"Aye Aye sir. Bombardment Commencing." As usual the Stoney was Johnny come lately but in total 22 Arrow II's were launched at the onrush alien vessel. The missiles required nearly 13 min to close the distance.
"Spectroscopy detected a massive explosion sir. Largest we have ever seen. They figure a power plant must have cooked off."
08:06:18 Strength 4 Nuclear Detonation x9 detected!
08:06:18Strength 31 Secondary Power System Explosion x1 detected!
08:06:18 Akagi 002 has been destroyed
08:06:18 New Wreck Detected in Ross 128A total of 6 Arrow II missiles remained from the 22 launched on the Akagi 2. Commodore Bottom decided to not command detonate them. Let them loiter at the wreck in case the aliens decided to investigate. Their onboard sensors would home them on any active engines they detected.
June 2 Way Point 1Since the suicidal charge of the Akagi 2 the situation has remained the same. TG 3 has been shadowed by both the Akagi 3 and Tone 4 as it proceeds outbound from the system. The Wolvers have maintained the same separation the whole way. The ships having passed Way Point 1 alter course heading for the jump point to Wolf 358.
June 7 0853 Ross 128 Vicinity of Jump Point to Wolf 358Task Group 3 rejoins their Jump Ship who have been patiently waiting at the jump point. It takes an hour to sort out the organization for the jump back to Wolf 358, all ships signalling readiness at 0955. The jump ships trail their consorts through the jump point at 0959 arriving in Wolf 358.
The ships immediately drop their Barriers and the jump ships execute their secondary mission as colliers re-munitioning the Task Group's combat ships plus the 7th Squadrons colliers. When completed the jump ships and the empty colliers Quiver II and Magazine II head for the jump point to AD Leonis. The combat ships move into ambush positions as it is expected like the Tone in Sol Akagi 3 will follow them through the jump point. Commodore Bottom orders the Leibwachter's Red Star Packet class courier (call sign: Signal) to jump into Ross 128 to act as an early warning system.
The Packet arrives in Ross 128 at 1007. This begins for the 7 man crew of Red Star Packet 010 a tense period of time. They don't have anything but a navigation sensor and are relying on their onboard passive arrays which aren't that extensive they will pick up the ship at 1.5 m km on their FLIR.
13:15:08 Contact Update for Akagi 003. Thermal Signature Detected! Strength 1500"Ok...there she is. Spindle the drive it is time to get out of here."
"Go...Go...Go." The range to the Akagi 3 continued to drop and no one in the Packet wanted to find out what the maximum beam range of the Wolver particle beam was first hand.
Still it took nearly a minute before the engineer confirmed the jump point was stable, and they could broadcast their warning to the waiting NCN warships.
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"Where is it?" Commodore Bottom looked at the clock, the Akagi should have transited by now.
"It isn't going to Red Rover?" Eleanor Bradley's reply was irreverent but accurate. "Lets go get it...we jump in and its deep in our envelope..." She stopped.
"Damn..." The jump ships were heading for the AD Leonis jump point now over an hour distant from the combat ships.
June 7 1639 Ross 128 Vicinity of Jump Point to Wolf 358"Damn it all to hell." They had lost the gamble. The Akagi was again over 100 m km from the jump point picketing it. Given the delay due to the dispatch of the jump ships to "safety" the only chance had been that the Akagi would linger near the jump point, it had not.
"Communications, send to all ships: Return to Wolf 358, Reform on designated jump ship."
OP Jabberwocky was over. Task Group 3 set course for the jump point to AD Leonis.
