It appears that you have not registered with Aurora 4x. To register, please click here...
Scenarios > Starfire
Battles of the Empires Campaign
procyon:
I intend to use this forum to write up a few of the battles from the original Empires Campaign and New Empires Campaign.
This will be the first.
ASSAULT OF WP H7
Background
The New Euro 2nd Survey Group had completed the survey of a starless red/brown reflective nebula that had been named Abbadon. It was identified as having two WP's. One led to a system that was unsuccessfully probed by a scientific drone. The WP Explorer Picasso was able to successfully negotiate the WP to a system that has been named Hades, as it is a Red Star Mazer Nebula. The second WP was to be probed by drone, but prior to the launch of the drone a race jumped the WP and attacked the survey group. The Armed Science Vessel Red October and the Tatianna Group was able to repel the two Frigate Class vessels, but was unable to obtain prisoners or identify the drive fields. The survey group fell back to the entry WP for Abbadon. The survey group was again attacked in force but the presence of the Mine Warfare Vessel 02 at this WP was able to contain the alien menace. A relief force from the local Battle Group was detached to re-secure the system and force the WP to the next system. This group was commanded by the young Fleet XO, Rear Admiral 'Jenny' Potts. The WP into Abbadon was found to be unguarded and the group proceeded to the WP held by the hostile race.
Assault of WP H7
NEW EURO FORCES
Detachment of Commonwealth Battle Group/Archangel
Rear Admrial 'Jenny' Potts / BG+1
Vestia Link
Vestia (BG+2) , Evangeline (BG+2)
Vestia Class Heavy Cruiser AM1 11XO(RbMx11) CAb 67HS
[2] S1x10 A2x16 H Qb Qe (II) (II) (II) Qe Mgt Mg Mg Rca Dcza Rca Dcza Rca Rca Ye Zca ?a (II) [4] / gig
RcaM x83, RcaM-LW x12, RcaM-AFM x12
Joan of Arc Group
Joan of Arc (BG+1) , Aethelfled (BG)
Joan of Arc Class Heavy Cruiser AM1 11XO(RbMx11) CAb 67HS
[2] S1x6 A2x16 Ze H Mg Qb Qe (II) (II) (II) Qe (M2) Mg Re Re Dcza Re Re Dcza Re Re Re Ye ?a (II) [4] / gig
ReM x183, ReM-LW x28, ReM-AFM x49
Anne Boelynn (BG+2) , Mary Boelynn (BG+2)
Anne Beolynn Class Light Cruiser AM1 8XO(RbMx8) CLb 51HS
[2] S1x6 A2x12 Ze Hs Qa Mgs (I) (II) Qb (I) Re Re Re Dcza Re Re Re Qb Ye ?a (II) [4] / gig
ReM x96, ReM-LW x24, ReM-AFM x24
Armed Science Vessel Red October (BG+1) 3XO(ReMx3) FG 22HS
[2] S1x3 A1x3 Za H (I) Mg Rb (I) (I) Rb Qb Xa ?a Yb (I) (I) [7] / gig
RbM x60, RbM-LW x10, RbM-AFM x10
Tatianna Group
Tatianna (BG+2) , Rebecca (BG+1) , Sheeba (BG+!) , Isabelle (BG+2) , Catherine (BG+1), Sorcha (BG+1)
Anastasia Class Heavy Escort AM1 3XO(ReMx3) CT 19HS
[2] S1x3 A1x3 Za Hs Mgs Re (I) Yb Re (I) Qb (I) [6] / gig
ReM x40, ReM-LW x12, ReM-AFM x12
Mine Warfare Ship 02 (BG) DDfb 35HS
[2] H H Qa H H (Bsa)x6 (BLa) H H H H H (APCa) Qb (Icb) (Icb) [2] / gig
Bouy 2 -Db, DMg, sYa (x2)
Bouy 1 -n (x1)
Drone 2 -DEEP1, sYa, cm (x2)
Drone 2 -sYb, Xa, cm (x2)
Drone 2 -6XO/ReMx2, ADMa x1 (x4)
Drone 2 -6XO/GbMx3 (x4)
Drone 2 -Apew/Ea (x3)
Seine (BG)
River Class Escort Carrier FT4b 35HS
[2] S1x2 A1 H (Icb) (Icb) (Icb) (Bga) Bga) (BLa) Yb Dca Qa (Icb) [4]
GBa/E Sqn 37 (BG+1) 30DP
GBa/E Sqn 38 (BG+1) 30DP
HIVE FORCES
Battlecruiser x2 13XO(RbMx13) BC 80HS
[4] Sx10 A1x9 Zb Hs Qb Qb Mgs (II) (III) Qb Mg Rb Rb Rb (II) Qb Rb Rb Rb Rb Yca Rb Rb Rb Rb Db (III) Rb [4] / gig
RbM x204
Light Cruiser x6 7XO(RbMx7) CL 45HS
[3] Sx5 A1x6 Zb H Qa Qa (I) (II) Yb Rb Fb Qa (I) Fb Fb (II) Fb [4] / gig
RbM x10
Frigate x4 3XO(RbMx3) FG 22HS
[2] Sx3 A1x3 Zb Hs Xa (iI) (I) Ya Qb Fb (I) Fb [5] / gig
Frigate x8 3XO(RbMx3) FG 22HS
[2] Sx3 A1x3 Za Hs Xa (iI) (I) Ya Qb Fb (I) Fb [5] / gig
Prologue
The aftermath of the battle included the complete destruction of the hostile forces by Jenny's detachment. The Hive ship's lack of Point Defense proved telling against the heavy missile armament of the New Euro ships. The Cruiser Vestia suffered minor armor damage, while two members of the Tatianna Group were destroyed. The group paused at the WP while the Vestia link returned to Abbadon and a waiting Repair Ship, and the missile colliers that remained in Abbadon moved forward to resupply the main body of ships. The remaining ships then moved in system following resupply.
My wife was rather proud of herself for coming out of this battle nearly uscathed while obliterating the opposition.
(Sorry I don't have anything written for the weekend on the Nemesis Campaign. The last few days have been tied up in 3 large battles in the New Empires Game (if you follow drakars piece on the SDS site you will get parts of the USN events/story). The first was a six hour WP defense by the middle boy (China), now known as the Terran Dynasty. The next two involved the New Euro in a WP assault and a planetary assault. This is just a small write up of the forces and ships in the WP assault....)
procyon:
Tears at Sunset
New Empires Campaign - month 30
This battle did not actually involve the New Euro, but was the opening engagement of a war one of her allies is fighting. It occurred two months after the closing of a trade and defensive treaty between the New Euro and the Wolff Confederation - a group of three races caught together in one system by the closing of the warp points. Its members include the original inhabitants of the system, an ice race known to the Empire as the Cryocians, the Cryocian's original partner race known as the Drakus, and a population of Euro and Chinese colonists placed there after partnership was gained with the Cryocians.
After the warp points reopened they expanded from their system and now claim five other systems. The first system reached was named Sunset and is a larger red star with a few planets and a small asteroid belt. The Drakus placed colonies in the belt, with the humans (now calling themselves Baltians after their new home planet named Balto) occupying the two moons of the innermost gas giant. The Cryocians have a colony and small population on the innermost Ice planet and its moon.
The situation starts with a Drakar colony in the belt detecting a distant drive field signature approaching the inner system at slow speed. A series of drones launched to investigate discovers that the signature belongs to ships with a drive field matching that of the old enemy of the Empire, a machine race simply called the AI. Genocidal and implacable, the only result of contact would be war.
The Drakar colonies of the asteroid belt immediately blacked out their emissions, as did the human colonies. The Cryocian populations began the preparations to 'go bush' and try to disappear. With the Cryocian holdings on the far side of the system, and the Drakar colonies in the belt being nearly impossible to find, the greatest danger now lies to the human populations orbitting the only gas giant of the system.
The only defensive elements in the system in range to intercept the AI ships were a small group of human patrol ships based on the old Heavy Escort design (and named for famous Imperial craft), and the Cryocian Cruiser Squadron. The Cryocian ships were the best of the Cryocian fleet, and represented the bulk of its combat power. Due to the creatures long lives, the ships were actually veterans of the original battles with the AI when they had found a WP into the Cryocian home system. They had fought the massive AI ships and only barely managed to save the Cryocian homeworld with the assistance of two Chinese Battlecruiser groups, plus the Pan European Nike Independant Cruiser Group. The battle had ended within sight of the Cryocian homeworld with nearly every allied ship damaged or destroyed, and the AI withdrawing under heavy losses, but not destroyed.
They understood this battle, if lost, would cost the lives of the 23 million inhabitants of the system.
With the Cryocian ships designed for combat in their home system - a nebula - and the AI generally being designed as LRW platforms, the Cryocian Admiral chose to wait for his foe where their course would bring them into the belt, disrupting the AI sensors and allowing the Cryocians a chance to bring their weapons into range.
Cryocian Forces
Admiral: Xenexis, LG+1
Cryocian Cruisers Dark Angel (Heroic) , Demon Child (Crack) , Lucifer's Hammer (Crack)
10 XOb (EDMa x1, PtbM x2) CAb / 67HS
[4] S1 S1 S1 (A1)x9 Zb Qb Qe H (Jb Jb) (Jb Jb) (MNE) (MNE) Ptb (Jb Jb) Eb Epa (M1) Qe (Jb Jb) Dzb Ptb Yb ?a Epa Te (Jb Jb) Eb [5] / gig x1
(Eb x2/ Epa x2/ Ptb x2 - salvos 10/ Dzb x1/ Te x1/ ?a x1)
Baltian Forces
Heavy Escorts Tatianna (Average) , Anastasian (Average) , Rebecca (Average)
3 XOb (RbM x3) CTb / 19HS
[2] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 Za H Rb (Ib) Ya Dzb Rb (Ib) Qb (Ib) [6] / gig x1
(Rb x2 - salvos 10/ Dzb x1)
AI Forces
DN / CVA 01 (Average)
18 XOa (RcaM x5, GBa x1) (AM1) DN / 130HS
[3] (S1) x24 (A1)x24 Za Qa Qb (Ia Ia Ia Ia) Qv Qb Qb Qb Db Db Qb (Ia Ia Ia Ia) Bga Bga Bga Bga BLa H Qv (M1) Rca Rca Rca Qb Rca Rca Yca ?a (Ia Ia Ia Ia) [3] / gig, GBa x4 (ast internal weapon), 40 CP GB crew in Qv (Average)
(Rca x5 - salvos 10/ Db x2/ ?a)
BB 01 (Average)
14 XOa (RcaM x7) (AM1) BB / 100HS
[3] (S1) x14 (A1)x13 Za Qb Qb Qb H (Ia Ia Ia) Mg Db Qb (M1) Rb Rb Rca Rb Rca Rb Rb Db (Ia Ia Ia) Db Rb Rb Rca Rb Rca Rb Rb Yb Db ?a Qb (Ia Ia Ia) [3] / gig
(Rca x4 - salvos 15/ Rb x10 - salvos 12/ Db x4/ ?a)
DD 01 (Average) , 02 (Average)
5XOa (RcaM x1/ RbM x3) (AM1) DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x8 (A1)x8 Za Ht Qa (Ib) (Ib) Rca (Ib) Db Rb (Ib) Yb Rb ?a Qb (Ib) [5] / gig
(Rca x1 - salvos 10/ Rb x2 - salvos 10/ Db x1/ ?a)
Initail Setup:
AI DN and BB will be in escort formation with BB escorting the DN.
AI DD's will be in the same hex spaced 5 tH in front of the DN/BB.
Two AI GBa (including the one from the XO racks) will be on CAP in the DN hex.
Cryocian and Baltian forces start in same hex on any facing the player wishes.
Cryocian and Baltian forces start with DF and shields down.
Due to a miscalculation on the Cryocian Admiral's part, the Cryocian and Baltian ships begin in a hex 28 tH from the AI course.
The scenario begins at any time the Cryocian Admiral orders his ships to turn on their DF or Shields. As the AI will be unable to detect the Cryocians at a range of 28 tH, the Cryocian ships may begin anywhere on the map 28 tH from the AI course.
The Baltian Forces will not ram. The Cryocians may.
ast weapons may damage large units. (OK, I know the Starfire site has officially ruled that they can't, but this occured before that.)
All forces regenerate shields 1 per turn if not hit.
This scenario is terribly tricky for both sides. The AI have a huge firepower advantage, but the reduced sensor range of the asteroid field forces them to close to use their missiles. The Cryocian and Baltians have to try to make telling attacks while avoiding the AI gunboats and the murderous DN/BB broadsides. The AI gunboats can be devastating when using their LRW's, but only having ast weapons as a back up makes them rather helpless when the external ordinance is fired.
Using the tractors on the CA's helps to keep the gunboats from rearming, but limits your ability to use the needle beams decisively.
Aftermath.
The battle was a grimly fought affair, with no quarter given or asked from any side.
A battle fought at the edge of sensor range opened the hostilities The tractors and energy beams of the cruisers tore at the gunboats, while ships struggled to trade position to allow shields to regenerate while others bore the fury of the huge AI ships. The battle quickly changed to a murderous charge into the AI formation as the gunboats attempted to land and rearm. In the end it was over in minutes. The Cryocian ships were destroyed almost within sight of the AI ships, with the last one - Lucifer's Hammer - dying as it tried to ram the drive field of the AI battleship.
The last of the Heavy Escorts died in a long running duel with the AI gunboats after its engine burned out from extended detuning.
For the AI, one of the DD's was destroyed, and the other heavily damaged. The DN was gutted into a floating wreck by the Dark Angel and Lucifer's Hammer. Only the BB escaped without severe damage.
In the end it was a mixed victory. The BB turned back with the damaged DD and one GBa on its XO's (sans crew). But it rejoined the forces covering the WP the AI had used to enter the system.
Nineteen days later the Baltain moons of Sunset were wiped clean by the AI battleship and three accompanying destroyers.....and the Wolff Confederation's Home System would be cut off from its colonies.
Twenty one days after that the New Euro River Class Escort Carriers Tigris and Nile would enter the system with a rag tag collection of Cryocian, Drakar, and Baltian ships to try and liberate any remaining colonists in Sunset.
(To be continued.)
procyon:
Flames at Sunset (Part 2 of the Sunset Saga)
New Empires Campaign - Month 32
Six days after the AI battleship destroyed the human colonies on the moons of the gas giant Regan, it arrrived at the Icy planet and its moon inhabited by the Cryocian colonists of Sunset. Known as New Haven and Haven's Daughter, they held over twelve million Cryocians. With fallout shelters only partially constructed, the populations awaited the inevitable result of the AI ships arrival. The AI battleship and its accompanying destroyer began the bombardment of the surface of New Haven, but inexplicably stopped. With casualties in the millions, it was a horrible event, but nearly three quarters of the population had survived. Whether the ships had simply run out of munitions or were unwilling to use what they had was unclear. The two AI ships then settled into an orbit of the planet at 7.5 light seconds and quietly waited.
Sensors from the planet would occasionally record another pair of destroyers circling farther out from the planet, but they would never approach closer than 11 light seconds, and the AI ships moved with reduced emissions making tracking difficult. Broadcasts were made of the planets situation, but help would be unavailable for weeks.
Fifteen days after the blockade of New Haven help would arrive in the form of the Baltian Light Cruiser Group commanded by Vice Admiral Beckett, the Drakus 1st Destroyer Squadron commanded by Rear Admiral Embressa, the Cryocian Exploration Cruisers Outreach and Traveller, and the Escort Carriers of the WP Security Group of Survey Squadron II.
This would not be the first engagement to see the use of New Euro gunboats, but would be the first to find them faced with other armed small craft. The first carrier vs carrier engagement of the New Euro would find two small River Class Escort Carriers intended to face pirates and commerce raiders thrust into use as main line combat units.
Cryocian Forces
Exploration Cruisers Traveller (Crack) , Outreach (Crack)
8XOb (PtcaM x1/ EDMa x1) CLb / 51HS
[4] (S1) x3 (A1)x3 Za (Jb) (Jb Jb) Qa (MNE) (Jb) Qb (MNE) Xb H Te Epa (Bsa) H (Jb Jb) Dzb Yca Qb Tda (Jb) (Jb Jb) Eb [6] / gig & st
(Epa x1/ Eb x1/ Dzb x1/ Te / Tda)
Baltian Forces
Vice Admiral Beckett (LG/Average)
Light Cruiser Princess Mia (Average)
8XOb (RbM x8) CLb / 51HS
[3] (S1) x6 (A1)x9 Zb H Qa Mg (MNE) (MNE) (Ib) (Ib Ib) Qb (Ib) Rb Rb Rb Dzb Rb Rb Rb Rb Qb Yb ?a (Ib Ib) [4] / gig
(Rb x7 - salvos 18 +4RbM/ Dzb x1/ ?a)
Destroyers Queen Elizabeth (Average) , Queen Mary (Average)
5XOa (RbM x5) DDb / 35HS
[3] (S1) x3 (A1)x9 Zb Hs Mgs Qa (MNE) (MNE) Rb Rb (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) Rb Rb Yb Db Qb ?a (Ib) [4] / gig
(Rb x4 - salvos 16/ Db x1/ ?a)
WP Explorer Van Goeh (Average)
FG / 22HS
[2] S1 A1 A1(MNE) (MNE) H Xb Qb (Ia) Yca (Ia) (Ia) [4] / gig
Mobile Repair Ship 1 (Average)
FT4b / 32HS
[2] (MS7) H H Qa (Ica) (Ica) [2] / gig
Missile Collier 01 (Average)
FT0 / 7HS
[2] Mgs (Mg) x3 Hs Qa (Ica) [4] / RbM x204
Drakus Forces
Rear Admiral Embressa (LG/Average)
Destroyers Drannar (Average) , Drannaeus (Average) , Drassan (Average)
5XOa (RbM x5) DD / 30HS
[3] (S) x3 (A)x3 Zb H Qa Rb Rb (Ia) (Ia) (Ia) Rb Rb Yb Da Qa (Ia) (Ia) [5] / gig
(Rb x4 - salvos 10/ Da x1)
New Euro Forces
River Class Escort Carriers Tigris (Average) , Nile (Average)
FT4b / 35HS
[2] S1 S1 A1 H (Icb) (Icb) (Icb) (Bga) (Bga) (BLa) Yb Dca Qa (Icb) [4] / gig , GBa x2(La internal weapon)
(GBa Sqn 37 , 39 - Crack, 38 , 40 - Average)
AI Forces
BB 01 (Average)
14 XOa (RcaM x3, GBa x1) (AM1) BB / 100HS
[3] (S1) x14 (A1)x13 Za Qb Qb Qb H (Ia Ia Ia) Mg Db Qb (M1) Rb Rb Rca Rb Rca Rb Rb Db (Ia Ia Ia) Db Rb Rb Rca Rb Rca Rb Rb Yb Db ?a Qb (Ia Ia Ia) [3] / gig
(Rca x4 - salvos 15/ Rb x10 - salvos 12/ Db x4/ ?a)
DD 02 (Average) , 03 (Average) , 04 (Average)
5XOa (RcaM x1/ RbM x3) (AM1) DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x8 (A1)x8 Za Ht Qa (Ib) (Ib) Rca (Ib) Db Rb (Ib) Yb Rb ?a Qb (Ib) [5] / gig
(Rca x1 - salvos 10/ Rb x2 - salvos 10/ Db x1/ ?a)
DDE 01 (Average) , 02 (Average)
5XOa (RbM x5) (AM1) DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x5 (A1)x5 Za Hs Qa (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) Db Db Db Rca Yb Db Db Db ?a Qb (Ib) (Ib) [5] / gig
(Rca x1 - salvos 10/ Db x6/ ?a)
CA - CVL 01 (Average)
8XOa (GBa x1) CA / 60HS
[2] (S1) x3 (A1)x3 Qb Qb Qv Qv H (Ica Ica) (Ica Ica) (Bga) (Bga) BLa) Rb Rb Db Qb Db Yca (Ica Ica) [3] / gig , GBa x2(ast internal weapon)
(Rb x2 - salvos 10/ Db x2) 24CP for GBa in XO racks
Mobile Repair Ship 01 (Average)
FT4b / 35HS
[2] (Icb) (Icb) (Icb) H Qa (MS7) (Icb) [4] / gig
Missile Collier 01 (Average)
FT1 / 12HS
[2] (Mg) x8 H Qa (Ica) [3] / RcaM x180
Setup
New Haven (Ice planet) in center of map. Haven's Daughter (O1 moon) at 3tH on radian 3.
AI datalinks are BB 01/DD 02, DD 03/DDE 01, DD 04/DDE 02.
The BB is escorting DD 02, while the DDE are escorting thier linked ship.
No two links may start in the same hex.
BB 01, DD 02, DD 03, DDE 01 are at 30tH from New Haven on radian 9.
All other AI are at 60tH from New Haven on radian 9 with shields down, drive fields off.
The GBa on CVL 01's XO racks are crewed and ready for launch. There is no crew for the GBa on the BB's XO's.
ast weapons on the gunboats can damage ships.
AI, Baltian, and Cryocian ships regenerate shields at 1 per turn if not hit.
Drakus regenerate shields at 1 per turn if not hit for 3 consecutive turns.
There was no ramming in this scenario, although technically the Cryocians would be allowed.
'Historically' the main group of the allied forces come in between radians 1 and 2.
The allied ships all approach on the same vector, with the non-combat ships and carriers trailing the warships by 16tH.
The AI were able to monitor the allied group as it approached and positioned themselves with the planet oriented as described.
Technically, the Ultra rules only allow one bay per 30HS (FRU). We have always felt this was to small and allowed one per 30HS (FRU), plus one.
So a 35HS ship can mount 3 bay systems [35/30 (FRU) = 2, plus one for 3) instead of two. This does seem to make small carriers more powerful than small warships, but balances the small carriers against the big carriers. The big carriers always seem to overshadow the big warships, so the disparity on the small end didn't seem that 'unfair'. It also allows a small carrier with GB's or FQ's to overpower a low tech carrier with a bunch of ast's, which only seems right. But enough with house rules.
For us, this was a difficult scenario to run, simply due to the distances that were invovled. Our hex map is about 100 x 120 hexes, and we still had to shift the play and tuck an extra map along one side to get enough room. The initial battle involved the fleets closing to missile / beam range with the carriers hanging back, but as missiles ran low the ships began to congregate around the carriers to protect them.
Aftermath.
The battle openned with the war fleets closing while the gunboats moved to support them. With neither side having enough small craft to dominate the field initially, the battle raged between the allied ships and the AI. The Cryocian cruisers, never intended for front line combat, were torn apart as they closed with the AI battleship. Then the Baltian and Drakus warships began the murderous duel with the AI destroyers and battleship. The Euro gunboats helped to cripple a pair of the AI destroyers, while the AI gunboats focused on the Euro small craft. The Euro carriers stayed forward in the battle to quickly rearm the gunboats, but paid the price as two AI destroyers were able to break free of the melee and pursued the unarmed carriers.
As ships began to exhaust their magazines, the battle began to draw apart. The Princess Mia finally fell to the firepower of the AI battleship, but the two Royalty Class destroyers refused to break off, and continued to duel with the battleship even as other ships withdrew. The Drakus Destoryer Squadron and Baltian Missile Collier displayed conspicuous galantry (and recieved several awards) as they docked and transferred missiles even under pressure from continued attacks by AI gunboats.
The Euro gunboats finally managed to win superiority and destroy the AI carrier, but lost one squadron in the effort, with the remaining three so badly damaged that only post battle reorganization allowed them to operate as two functional squadrons.
At the end the battle drifted apart with neither side claiming a clear victory. The allied forces had relieved the planet, and destroyed three AI destroyers and the light carrier, but the battleship and three other destroyers successfully withdrew from the battle. The Allied forces lost both of the Cryocian light cruisers and the Princess Mia. Admiral Beckett died when the Mia fell. The Queen Mary was left a wreck barely capable of combat. The Nile was damaged so badly it was no longer able to operate as a carrier with all of its bays damaged or destroyed.
Incredible bravery in the face of the enemy was the only thing that saved the allied forces - the Baltian destroyers galantry in the face of the AI battleship, the Drakus destroyers parked with their drive fields down to dock and reload protecting the Missile Collier with their point defense as AI gunboats pressed home attack after attack, and the single minded drive of the Euro gunboat crews as they died one after another attacking the AI carrier to ensure its destruction. The lists of medals and citations stretched for pages, far to many post humously.
But both sides still had footholds in the system, and neither intended to be pushed out easily.....
procyon:
Death in the Silent Places (with my apologies to Mr Capstick)
Part 3 in the Sunset Saga
New Empires Campaign - Month 34
Following the battle for New Haven, forces were redeployed within the Wollf Confederation. Defenses of the WP to the home system were strengthened and the remains of the battered Princess Mia Group were replaced by the Baltian Princess Amalthea Group. The heavily damaged Escort Carrier Nile returned to New Euro space for repairs and replacement squadrons and crews. The New Euro forces were hampered by the presence of a mazer nebula known as Inferno on the only available warp line to the Wolff Systems. With no warships equiped to cross the system, the New Euro was dependant on the few Transit Carriers of the Cryocians and Baltians. The transit ships were unable to carry anything larger than a New Euro destroyer, limiting the support that could be readily moved to the system.
The destruction of four Drakar freighters near the asteroid belt by three squadrons of AI gunboats showed that the AI were still active in the system, but not willing to attack the defenses at New Haven. The AI had often resorted to destruction of civilian shipping or unguarded populations when unable to immediately defeat an opponent. The Drakar Rear Admiral Embressa realized that deploying elements to cover shipping and populations within the system would weaken the defenses of the Cryocian population, but with four unguarded Drakar colonies near the site where the freighers had been destroyed - was left no other choice.
The Drakar 1st Destroyer Squadron, Baltian Princess Amalthea Group, and several Cryocian Storm Class Corvettes were redeployed to the asteroid belt to hunt for the AI carrier, while the New Euro Escort Carrier Tigris and newly arrived Ruth Heavy Escort Group remained at New Haven. A small group of Cryocian Strom Class Corvettes was also deployed to support the defense of New Haven.
Thirty seven days after the relief of New Haven, a single Drakar freighter was attacked in the asteroid belt. Unfortunately the freighter was nearing the end of its run and was near a Drakar belt colony. The AI gunboat squadrons destroyed the ship and then salvoed the last of their missiles at the colony. The colony was severely damaged, but not destroyed. The rapid response of the nearby Princess Amalthea Group prevented its complete destruction as the gunboats withdrew.
Anticipating a follow up strike, the only other nearby ships, the Cryocian Tempest and Typhoon were rushed to the colony. When the AI follow up strike arrived 48 minutes later, the ships were dismayed to find that two AI destroyers now accompanied the three gunboat squadrons. The five allied ships prepared to give their lives protecting the 600,000 colonists as the AI group closed. But unknown to the AI, the Baltian ships had one ace up their sleeve. The only New Euro ship left that was capable of crossing a system like Inferno was an old heavy missile collier designed to support battles against another race in a system known as Tiamat. It had arrived with the New Euro Heavy Escort Group and had several magazines loaded with missiles designed to be compatible with the Baltian and Drakar launchers, but using far more advanced New Euro software. With the new missiles, the allied ships hoped to make the AI pay for the lives they would destroy.
Baltian Forces
Rear Admiral Janus (LG -1/Green)
Light Cruiser Princess Amalthea (Average)
8XOb (EDMa x1/RbM-AFM x4) CLb / 51HS
[3] (S1) x6 (A1)x9 Zb H Qa Mg (MNE) (MNE) (Ib) (Ib Ib) Qb (Ib) Rb Rb Rb Dzb Rb Rb Rb Rb Qb Yb ?a (Ib Ib) [4] / gig
(Rb x7/ Dzb x1/ ?a) RbM x52, RbM-ECM1 x35, RbM-LW x28, RbM-AFM x15
Heavy Escorts Rhiannon (Average) , Sarah (Average)
3 XOb (RbM-AFM x3) CTb / 19HS
[2] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 Zb H Rb (Ib) Ya Dzb Rb (Ib) Qb (Ib) [6] / gig x1
(Rb x2 / Dzb x1) RbM x10, RbM-ECM1 x10
WP Explorer Van Goeh (Average)
FG / 22HS
[2] S1 A1 A1(MNE) (MNE) H Xb Qb (Ia) Yca (Ia) (Ia) [4] / gig
Cryocian Forces
Storm Class Corvettes Tempest (Green) , Typhoon (Green)
CTb / 19HS
[3] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 Hs Qb (jb Jb) (Jb) (Jb) Eca+ [7] / gig x1
(Eca x1)
AI Forces
DD 25 (Average) , 26 (Average)
5XOa (RcaM x1/ RbM x3) (AM1) DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x8 (A1)x8 Za Ht Qa (Ib) (Ib) Rca (Ib) Db Rb (Ib) Yb Rb ?a Qb (Ib) [5] / gig
(Rca x1 - salvos 10/ Rb x2 - salvos 10/ Db x1/ ?a)
GBa x2 (ast internal weapon) - K external ordinance
GBa x1 (sYb internal) - R external ordinance
Setup
The entire map is an asteriod field (1/2 sensor range).
Drakus colony with 12 PTU remaining in center of map.
Princess Amalthea Group in escort formation with colony.
Heavy Escorts will always use EM at one and stay with the CL if the group moves from the colony, unless their datalink is lost.
Storm Class Corvettes start within 3 hexes of the colony.
Van Goeh starts within 10 hexes of colony.
AI gunboats start at 30 hexes from colony on any radian - facing toward the colony with AI DD's three hexes behind them.
AI gunboats with K external ordinance will target ships, R external ordinace will target colony.
Aftermath.
The battle was a brief and bloody skirmish. The AI destroyed both of the Cryocian Corvettes, but not before one of the destroyers was deprived of its shields by the Baltian ships and torn apart by the energy beams of the Cryocians. The Sarah was gutted by the gunboats but survived, and the EDM plus datalink point defense prevented all but four missiles from reaching the colony. One AI squadron was lightly damaged by the AFM's before the small craft launched, and the gunboats immediately broke off following the launch. The surviving AI DD was able to disengage with its shields still up.
After the engagement, the Princess Amalthea Group was relieved by the Drakus 1st Destroyer Squadron. The dreaded attack by the AI battleship at large, or another attack by AI gunboats did not materialized.
procyon:
Even in the cannons' mouth
(Part 4 in the Sunset Saga)
New Empires Campaign - Month 35
In the wake of the AI attack on the Drakus Colony in the asteroid belt, the Drakus began the whole scale evacuation of their populations in Sunset. Large convoys of passenger freighters were organized and escorted by allied warships. The first priority was the colony which the AI had located, and it was quickly rescued from its damaged habitats. The other three populations were scheduled to be evacuated at the rate of one per month - which still strained the Drakus CFN to its limit.
With production of allied warships increasing, escort and patrol groups in Sunset became more prevalent. The evacuation convoys were given the second highest priority, behind only the defense of New Haven. But the most experienced and highly trained crews were still deployed to protect the WP from Sunset to the home system of the Wolff Confederation, so much of Sunset's defense was left to new crews, still learning and training. Escort duties were left to the newest crews of all.
It was during the evacuation of the second belt colony that a convoy was detected and intercepted by AI warships. Thankfully the AI ships made contact from the convoy's rear quarter. The AI ships were forced into a pursuit that allowed a Baltian sensor vessel to detect the approaching AI vessels. The convoy quickly broke up and began movement using reduced emission profiles, while the escorts turned back to buy the colonists on the freighters, over half a million Drakar souls, time to make good on their escape. With both a Drakus and Baltian Light Cruiser Group in the escorts, supported by Cryocian Storm Class ships, it was anticipated that the convoy raiders would break off from the concentrated firepower of the allied escorts.
As the ships closed and the sensor readings resolved, the convoy escorts realized this was no small detachment of destroyers supported by a few gunboats. The appearance of the AI battleship, now known as 'The Dragon' to the allied crews, signalled that savings the colonists lives would cost many of theirs.
Undaunted, the allied ships faced a battle from which there could be no victory, save that the list of lives saved would far outnumber those that were lost.....
Baltian Forces
Rear Admiral Jamison (LG -1/Green)
Light Cruiser Princess Dawn (Green)
8XOb (EDMa x1/RbM-LW x4) CLb / 51HS
[3] (S1) x6 (A1)x9 Zb H Qa Mg (MNE) (MNE) (Ib) (Ib Ib) Qb (Ib) Rb Rb Rb Dzb Rb Rb Rb Rb Qb Yb ?a (Ib Ib) [4] / gig
(Rb x7/ Dzb x1/ ?a) RbM x77, RbM-ECM1 x14, RbM-LW x18, RbM-AFM x21
Heavy Escorts Alanis (Green) , Elaine (Green)
3 XOb (RbM-LW x3) CTb / 19HS
[2] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 Zb H Rb (Ib) Ya Dzb Rb (Ib) Qb (Ib) [6] / gig x1
(Rb x2 / Dzb x1) RbM x16, RbM-ECM1 x4
WP Explorer Van Goeh (Average)
FG / 22HS
[2] S1 A1 A1(MNE) (MNE) H Xb Qb (Ia) Yca (Ia) (Ia) [4] / gig
Cryocian Forces
Storm Class Corvettes Storm (Green) , Thunderhead (Green)
CTb / 19HS
[3] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 Hs Qb (jb Jb) (Jb) (Jb) Eca+ [7] / gig x1
(Eca x1)
Drakus Forces
Rear Admiral Levianna (LG-1/Green)
Light Cruiser Vanirae (Average)
7XOb (EDMa x1/RbM x3) CL / 45HS
[3] (S) x4 (A) x4 Zb H Qa (Ia) (Ia Ia) Qa (Ia) Rb Rb Rb Da Rb Rb Rb Rb Da Qa Yb (Ia Ia) [4] / gig
(Rb x7/ Da x2) RbM x70
Destroyers Drasak (Green) , Drassin (Green)
5XOa (RbM x5) DD / 30HS
[3] (S) x3 (A)x3 Zb H Qa Rb Rb (Ia) (Ia) (Ia) Rb Rb Yb Da Qa (Ia) (Ia) [5] / gig
(Rb x4 / Da x1) RbM x40
AI Forces
BB 01 (Average)
14 XOa (RcaM x7) (AM1) BB / 100HS
[3] (S1) x14 (A1)x13 Za Qb Qb Qb H (Ia Ia Ia) Mg Db Qb (M1) Rb Rb Rca Rb Rca Rb Rb Db (Ia Ia Ia) Db Rb Rb Rca Rb Rca Rb Rb Yb Db ?a Qb (Ia Ia Ia) [3] / gig
(Rca x4 / Rb x10 / Db x4/ ?a) RcaM x60, RbM x120
DDE 02 (Average)
5XOa (RbM x5) (AM1) DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x5 (A1)x5 Za Hs Qa (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) Db Db Db Rca Yb Db Db Db ?a Qb (Ib) (Ib) [5] / gig
(Rca x1 / Db x6/ ?a) RcaM x10
DD 21 (Average) , 22 (Average) , 26 (Average) , 27 (Average)
5XOa (RcaM x1/ RbM x3) (AM1) DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x8 (A1)x8 Za Ht Qa (Ib) (Ib) Rca (Ib) Db Rb (Ib) Yb Rb ?a Qb (Ib) [5] / gig
(Rca x1 / Rb x2 / Db x1/ ?a) RcaM x10, RbM x20
CA - CVL 03 (Average)
8XOa (GBa x1(sYb internal mount) ) CA / 60HS
[2] (S1) x3 (A1)x3 Qb Qb Qv Qv H (Ica Ica) (Ica Ica) (Bga) (Bga) BLa) Rb Rb Db Qb Db Yca (Ica Ica) [3] / gig , GBa x2(ast internal weapon)
(Rb x2 / Db x2) RbM x20, 24CP for XO-GBa in Qv
Setup
Standard deep space battle.
Heavy Escorts will always use EM at one and stay with the Baltian CL unless their datalink is lost.
Van Goeh starts within 10 hexes of Princess Dawn.
Drakus and Cryocian ships start within 3 hexes of Princess Dawn.
AI datalinks are BB 01/DDE 02, DD 21/DD 22, DD 26/DD 27.
All AI ships start within 5 hexes of BB. All GBa have been launched.
GBa start with K external ordinance.
AI Bga hold four load of K, five loads of R, for external ordinance reloads.
Allied and AI ships start separated by 90tH, facing each other.
After the battle, we all unanimously decided that if the AI did not have gunboat support available, this battle could have been a near even match.
Prior to the gunboat strikes, the battle had actually been favoring the allied ships.
Aftermath.
The battle was a crushing defeat for the allied ships. The Cryocian corvettes, designed for close combat in a nebula, were forced to do little more than draw the AI's fire from the Baltain and Drakus ships. They managed a few shots at the AI gunboats, but to little avail.
Initially a formation with the Baltian ships escorting their Drakus counterparts allowed the more advanced Baltian defenses to protect the Drakus group. The initial volleys of AI missiles were decimated by lucky Baltian point defense crews and the New Euro EDM's. But the AI gunboats with their high speed kinetic ordinance punched through the Baltain defenses tearing into the Princess Dawn and shattering her fire control, but not before one AI gunboat squadron was badly damaged. With allied ships reduced to relying on their own defenses, long range harassing fire from the AI DD's capital launchers coupled with the tremendous power of the BB tore into the weakened group.
In the end the Princess Dawn was lost, as was the Drassin and both Cryocian corvettes. The AI lost a single destroyed, and saw two other destroyers suffer light damage. The AI broke off the battle as the surviving allied ships pulled away from the battleship and the AI destroyers expended the last of their capitial missiles.
After the battle Baltian Rear Admiral Jamison was post humusly court martialed and sacked for failing to use the allied group's speed advantage to prevent the AI battleship from ever coming in range.
Rear Admiral Levianna was commended for saving many of the allied ships from destruction.
The New Euro continued to try and support their allies, but the distance of the battle from any New Euro core systems coupled with the presence of the mazer nebula Inferno limited their ability to intervene. Construction of a larger transport carrier was underway in the New Euro system of Poseidon, but it would be months before it was in service and even longer before it could deliver its first 'cargo' of larger New Euro ships.
Unknown to the crews and commanders in Sunset - in a system at nearly the extreme other end of the New Euro Empire - New Euro Survey Group One conducted the planetary body survey around an orange star known to the New Euro as Hera. Although the system was uninhabited, the discovery of what was obviously a habitable planet had pulled the group from its assignment of plotting and exploring WP's to the more mundane duties of system body survey. Hera was a distant binary located nearly 1800 light minutes from its primary, a giant blue star known a Zeus. Zeus and Hera were located at the end of what was known as the Olympus chain, a string of mostly unpopulated systems.
When the desparate radio transmissions of two Da Vinci Class Survey Vessels - engaged in the survey and mapping of the moons of the outermost Icy planet - were received as the two ships were destroyed, the dynamics of the war would be forever changed. Even as the rest of the Survey Group evacuated the system, analysis showed that the attackers had been AI gunboats.
A new front had openned, this one only five systems away from the New Euro Imperial Capital in Hercules Prime.
At the time of contact only a single New Euro Battle Group, the Lady Di Squadron - boasting only three warships, two small carriers and a minelayer - stood between Hera and the capital......
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version