[ooc]This section (and possibly previous sections) pending expansion[/ooc]
11:20, 21st December, 2553
Proxima Centauri
KMS Blücher
The Republican convoy had entered the system as expected 3 days ago, and had since been passively tracked by the scout frigates Orion and Atlantis. It had not broken from its usual operational pattern, convincing Kapitän Meissner that her squadron had probably, probably, not been detected. She watched as convoy's dot reached the target area.
"Kapitän, the convoy is in position. Kapitäns Brinkmeyer and Geiger have began moving to their intercept positions and are reporting full readiness," reported Fregattenkapitän Lukas Glüklich, her executive officer.
Brinkmeyer and Geiger respectively commanded Z27 and Z28, two of her four Z-2248 class destroyers, currently split into groups of two and stationed eighty million kilometres on either side of Blücher and her support ships, Emden, Kiel, and Orion. Emden and Kiel were Meissner's two support vessels, and, although just as stealthy as her warships, were to stay out of the coming battle, along with Orion. The convoy was bracketed between Blücher and Atlantis, with the destroyer groups now moving to cut of their lines of advance and retreat to either jump point.
"Very well," said Karina. "Mister Engel?"
"Sir?" replied Kapitänleutnant Wolf Engel, her navigator.
"Plot an intercept course with the convoy. All ahead full," she ordered. "Mister Glüklich, signal Atlantis to light them up."
Glüklich grinned. "Yes sir!" he replied, swiveling his chair about and sending a prepared message to the scout frigate. In a feat that would have been entirely impossible before the advent of near-light speed communications, less than five seconds later Kapitän Bekker received, acknowledged, and executed Meissner's order.
One hundred twenty-five million kilometres away, Atlantis' Blaupunkt Ship-to-Ship Radar came online.
******
11:23, 23rd December, 2553
TRNS Independence
"Contact! Active sensor, bearing one-zero-nine, distance seven-nine million kilometres!" shouted Commander Charlie Connor, breaking the silence that had fallen over Independence's bridge in the last half hour. Blackburn instantly looked look up from her console and glared at the tac plot. A red, tentatively hostile dot had appeared to the "right" of Task Force 48. "Sir, I do not recognize the emissions. It does not match any known Republic or pirate systems. Contact is stationary," Connor continued.
"Very well. Captain Pope, launch the CSP," Blackburn ordered. In times of war, the Combat Space Patrol would be on station at all times. However, with the only threat being the possibility of a pirate raid, she kept her fighters in their hangars to save on wear and tear. That also meant that her convoy relied on passive sensors only, to reduce chances of being detected themselves - her active sensors would light her up like a beacon to anyone in-system with an electromagnetic sensor suite.
"Yes, sir. That'll be the Aces. I'll put the Rooks on standby," replied Pope, leaving the bridge.
"Sir, should I reply in kind with our actives?" asked Connor.
"Not yet, Charlie," replied Blackburn. She'd rather not give away her full capabilities quite yet. "Ed, are we receiving anything from the contact?"
"Not a thing, sir. No ident codes, nothing," reported Commander Edward Carpenter, Comms. Independence shuddered slightly as the alert fighters launched from her catapults, accelerating them to over eight thousand kilometres per second in less than five seconds.
Elise thought for a moment, and then turned to Hopkins, who was watching her intently. "Alex, signal Valkyrie and Valhalla to place themselves between the contact and the convoy," she ordered. Two of her four O class escort destroyers, they would be in a position to intercept any missiles before reaching the convoy. "And tell the CSP to close on the contact, no active emissions."
"Aye, sir," said Hopkins. He immediately set to work. Moments later, the dots representing her destroyers and fighters began pulling away from the collective lights of the convoy.
******
11:29, 23rd December, 2553
KMS Blücher
Kapitän Meissner observed the Republican's screening move with satisfaction. It was almost unfair, she thought. They have no clue what they are facing. She glanced at her ships' positions on the plot. Excellent.
"Mister Glüklich, signal the destroyers to concentrate their fire on the freighters. Weapons free at 11:30," she ordered. "Split our fire among the three larger escorts."
"Yes, Kapitän," said Glüklich, who doubled as Meissner's Tactical officer. His hands flew across his console, readying firing solutions.
11:30 hit, and Karina felt her ship shudder three times successively as three salvoes of Drachen Heavy Missiles accelerated from their racks. An instant later, Meissner realized her mistake - Her missiles would arrive on target in three, widely-separated waves, making point defense far easier. No matter, she though. Once the missiles soften them up, we'll close and engage with our beams.
"Mister Glüklich, signal Atlantis to proceed to the Eisenschloss jump point at best possible speed in twenty minutes," she said.
"Aye, sir."
******
11:51, 23rd December, 2553
TRNS Independence
Over thirty minutes had passed since the new contact, now designated Cormorant-Two, appeared, and the situation had changed little. Independence's CSP was still thirty-three minutes from the contact, and Blackburn had decided to maintain course and speed to the Sol jump point. Althought she was slightly concerned about what her pilots might find, she was confident they, and her fleet, could handle it. She noticed Charlie, a young, eager officer with a boyish face and short black hair, stiffen.
"Sir, Cormorant-Two just kicked her heels - She's making 6500 kilometres per second, heading two-seven-five," he reported.
"Interesting. Alright Charlie, start warming up the sensors. I suppose it's time we show them we care," Elise replied.
"Aye, si- Sir! Multiple active emissions, bearing three-one-one, distance four million kilometres! Connor all but screamed.
"Hit the lights, Charlie!"
"Aye, sir!" said Connor, visibly rattled as he activated the carrier's considerable sensor suite. Moments later, the tac plot was suddenly inundated with red dots in a full semi-circle to the "left" of her position. "Vampire, vampire, missiles inbound, bearing three-one-one, distance four mil!" The new missile contact correlated with the active emissions, meaning that even if the launching vessel were destroyed, they would continue to home in on their targets. Behind the initial wave were twenty larger missiles, moving far slower than the closest inbounds, and additionally there were two other same-sized groups of large missiles, coming from either side of the semi-circle. "Multiple contacts, designate Raid-One through Three! Raid-One bearing three-one-four, distance four-one million kilometres! Raid-Two, bearing zero-zero-si-"
"I see them, Charlie," said Blackburn calmly, standing and walking to the plot. In the center of the semi-circle was one two-hundred ton contact, automatically designated by Independence's computer as Provider-Two, advancing on Task Force 48 at sixty eight hundred kilometres per second, while on either edge of the semi-circle were two fifty ton contacts, designated Prestonian-Two through Five, also on intercept courses. They, however, were moving at a hasty ten thousand kilometres per second.
"Alex, signal Vanquisher and Vampire to redeploy along the threat axis, one million kilometers out. Inform Köln of the situation. Tell Captain Robinson to remain with the civies." Köln was an escort cruiser, lead ship of her class, and capable of deluging twelve Scythe anti-missile missiles every five seconds, in addition to her six standard missile launchers. She would be instrumental in keeping Blackburn's charge, six Titan class superfreighters, intact. "Mister Falk, bring us to four thousand kilometres per second. Alex, instruct Mount Hood, Valkyrie, and Valhalla to form up on Independence, and recall the CSP. Andrew, bring us to a heading zero-eight-six."
She received a chorus of "Aye's" as Independence's bridge burst to life. Elise settled back into her chair, her long, thick black hair falling haphazardly about her small, lithe frame. She suppressed the urge to sigh in frustration, and did her best to give off an air of confidence. The tac plot began to come alive as her ships began carrying out her orders. She watched as Köln's powerful missile radar came online.
"Sir, Köln reports target acquisition. She's commencing defensive fire," reported Lieutenant Commander Carpenter. As Blackburn looked on, Köln, and her escort destroyers, began launching salvoes of anti-missile missiles. The closest group of inbound missiles consisted of sixty missiles inbound at sixty thousand kilometres per second, four million kilometres out. They would be there in less than a minute.
"Alex, scramble the Rooks. Tell Rachel to head for the northern two contacts, launch from maximum range. Signal Alexandra to do the same to the southern group," Elise ordered. Moments later, Independence shuddered as her catapults operated. VF-45, "The Rooks," appeared on the plot, and immediately veered towards their targed. Simultaneously, The Aces adjusted their course to intercept theirs. Roughly forty-five minutes until they launched their strikes. By then, the last of the enemy missiles will have been destroyed, or hit home. Blackburn waited patiently, watching the digital time-to-impact timer counting down. Twenty-three seconds.
******
11:55
KMS Blücher
"Kapitän, our missiles are less than thirty seconds from impact. The Republicans seem to have been alerted, but it is unlikely they will be able to react quickly enough to matter," said Glüklich.
"Let us hope so. Signal Atlantis to reduce to one-third speed," said Meissner.
"Aye. Twenty secon-Sir! Strength one detonations detected! We've lost contact with fifteen missiles!" reported Glüklich.
"Understood, Mister Glüklich," replied Meissner. Karina, along with the rest of her bridge crew, watched with a mixture of excitement an anticipation. Today, we strike back. Today, we avenge Deutschland, they thought.
Or at least, they thought until the last of Blücher's missiles was destroyed a mere four hundred thousand kilometres from its target.
"No matter," Karina said, "We shall close, and engage our enemy up close!" She looked at over to Glüklich. "Order the destroyers to close."
"Yes, sir!"
******
11:56
TRNS Independence
Cheers erupted on the bridge as the last of the first wave was destroyed - albeit, far closer than preferable. Elise felt the same elation, but couldn't shake the specter of two further missile waves, and the rapidly closing hostile vessels.
"Sir, next wave will enter our defense envelope in ten minutes. However, they'll have to traverse the full ten million kilometre range of our AMMs - an unlikely prospect, at best," reported Hopkins.
"Thank you, Alex. I suppose now we consider our offensive options. Our fighters should engage the two Prestonian within the next hour. Let's keep putting distance between ourselves and the hostiles, and keep an eye on Provider-Two. Instruct Köln to engage with his Mockingjays if it comes within 20 million kilometres of the convoy," ordered Blackburn.
"Aye, sir."
Elise kept staring at the plot, her dark blue eyes narrowed in thought. Who are they? Where did they come from? Why haven't they communicated at all? Why attack us? Unfortunately, she didn't know any of these things. She resolved to find the answers while she sifted through the wreckage of her attackers.
