Battles of the Empires Campaign

[procyon (OP)]

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 (OP)]

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 (OP)]

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 (OP)]

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 (OP)]

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......

[procyon (OP)]

Shadow of Sunset
(Part 5 in the Sunset Saga)

New Empires Campaign - Month 36

Shadow at Morning  /day 7 AM

As the Drakus evacuation progressed, the hunt for the AI ships and WP they had entered the system through continued, but the needs to escort both civilian shipping and the evacuation left limited resources to hunt the AI.  The need to protect WP's into Sunset also claimed its fair share of the available assets.  While escort duty still drew the new and untrained crews, WP guards were selected from the best and most capable.
Two WP's in Sunset were known to the Wolff Confederation. The first and most heavily defended was the WP to the home system.  The second led to a system containing another small red star known as Ember.  Ember was home to a substantial Drakus population and was the gateway to the rest of the Wolff Confederation systems.  It was the duty of the Princess Kathleen Group and Rear Admiral Davidson to defend the WP and prevent the AI from gaining passage through it. To that end they had been assigned the first of a new Baltian class of ship.  The Baltian Escort Carrier Red Oak, holding the first Wolff Confederation Assault Shuttle Squadron, would assist the defense of the WP.
Only weeks after the attack on the Drakus evacuation convoy the WP Explorer Raphael, assigned to Rear Admiral Davidson, detected both an approaching Drakus commerce group and a second contact following them.  With the Kathleen Group both shields and drive fields down, they waited.  The frieghters passed the WP as a single AI gunboat squadron watched from a quarter of a light minute out.  The gunboat then left.  
Transmissions were sent of the contact, and a request for reinforcements.  As luck would have it a pair of Gherilonn Combat and Exploration Destroyers had arrived on the far side of the WP a few hours before.  The Gherilonn were the first race the New Euro had encountered since the WPs had reappeared, and had become both allies and partners. The destroyers were awaiting another group of Drakus FT's that they would escort them through the Sunset system.  A decision was made to leave the ships on the far side of the WP to await notice of an attack.
Before any further ships could arrive two AI destroyers (now code named as Jackal Class) and a single light carrier (code name Shadow Class) approached the WP in LOD.  Davidson realized the AI sensors would find it difficult to detect the motionless defenders, and waited as the ships approached.


Baltian Forces
Rear Admiral Davidson (LG/ Average)

Light Cruiser Princess Kathleen (Average)
8XOb (EDMa x1/RbM 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 x116, RbM-AFM x14

Heavy Escorts Alanis (Average) , Elaine (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 x20

WP Explorer Raphael (Average)
                  FG / 22HS
[2] S1 A1 A1(MNE) (MNE) H Xb Qb (Ia) Yca (Ia) (Ia) [4] / gig

Escort Carrier Red Oak (Poor)
                  CTfb / 19HS
[2] S1 S1 A1 H (Bsb) (Bsb) Db (icb Icb) Qb (Bsb) (Bsb) (Icb) [5] / gig x1, ast x4


Gherilonn Forces

Combat & Exploration Destroyers #17 (Green) , #18 (Poor)
4XOa (RbM x4)               DD / 30HS
[2] (S) x3 (A)x2 Za Hs Qa Xa Mgs (Ica) Rb Rb (Ica) Rb Ya (Ica) Qa Gb (Ica) [4] / gig
(Rb x3/ Gb x1)  RbM x30, RbM-AFM x9, RbM-LW x6, GbM x10, GbM-LW x2, GbM-AFM x2


AI Forces

DD 02 (Average) , 22 (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.  WP (open/C) at center of map.
Princess Kathleen starts at 20tH from WP on radian 1.
Heavy Escorts will always use EM at one and stay with the Baltian CL unless their datalink is lost.
Raphael and Red Oak starts within 10 hexes of Princess Kathleen.
All Baltian ships start with DF and shields down, at battle stations.
Gherilonn ships are on the WP hex in Ember at general quarters and will transit to Sunset as soon as a CD crosses the WP.
All AI ships start at 36tH from WP on radian 5.
AI ships begin at general quarters, moving at SPD 1 in LOD directly toward the WP.
No GBa have been launched.
AI Bga hold five load of K and five loads of R, for GB external ordinance reloads.
The external GBa sqn has R for external ordinance.
The AI CVL will stop and hold position at 30 tH from the WP.
The AI DD's will stop at 13tH from WP.
AI ships may not deviate from this course and speed, or roll for activation, until an allied ship performs an action that could be detected by the AI sensors.


Aftermath
The battle was fought for nearly an hour and a half with the allied ships guarding the WP and the AI destroyers and gunboats making one attack run after another.  The Red Oak and Raphael transitted to Ember during one of the AI withdrawls to rearm the GB's.  Slowly the allied ships were torn apart, but the AI gunboat squadrons suffered also.
After 88 minutes of combat the Heavy Escorts Alanis and Elaine (veterans of the Drakus convoy's defense) had been destroyed as had both Gherilonn destroyers and the ast squadron.  Only the Princess Kathleen, its armor deeply scored but unbreached, remained stubbornly defending the WP.
The undamaged AI DD's were left with magazines nearly empty. The AI CVL had barely half of its starting complement of gunboats and was nearly depleated of ordinance for them.  With a new contact approaching the WP nearly 12 light minutes out the AI broke off the attack in an attempting to conserve enough ordinance to deter any pursuit.
Rear Admiral Davidson was awarded the Wolff's Cross (the highest decoration of the Wolff Confederacy) for the defense of the WP to Ember, while the Princess Kathleen received the Distinguished Gallantry Unit Citation, the first awards of these made in the 104 year history of the Wolff Confederation..


Shadow at Evening / day 7 PM

The AI ships fled at best speed from the WP, covering several light minutes before dropping again into LOD in an attempt to evade pursuit. Hampered by the low speed required for LOD the AI ships were unable to slip away as sweeps by both the Raphael and the Drakus Sensor Ship Dra slowly closed the noose on the AI Shadow.  In the end the AI ships were brought to bay by the Drakus 1st Destroyer Squadron with supporting Cryocian and New Euro ships.


Drakus 1st Destroyer Squadron
Rear Admiral Embressa (LG/ Average)

Destroyers Drannar (Crack) , Drannaeus (Crack) , Drassan (Crack)
5XOa (ReM-AFM 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

Drakus Sensor Ship Dra
                  CT/16HS
[2] H (Ica) Qa Yca (Ica) [4] / gig

Drakus Tug A2
                  FT1/12HS
[2] H (ica Ica) Ta Qa (ica Ica) [4]

Drakus Missile Collier
                  FT0/7HS
[2] Mgs Mg Mg Mg Hs Qa (Ica) [4]  RbM x204


Cryocian Detachment

Storm Class Corvettes Sandstorm (Green) , Blizzard (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)


New Euro Heavy Escorts - Ruth Detachment

Heavy Escorts Ruth (Elite) , Sorcha (Elite) , Claire (Elite)
3 XOb (ReM-AFM x3)            CTb / 19HS
[2] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 Za Hs Mgs Re (Ib) Yb Re (Ib) Qb (Ib) [6] / gig x1
(Re x2 - 2 salvos/turn)  ReM-ECM1 x44, ReM-ECM1/LW x6, ReM-AFM x9


AI Forces

DD 02 (Average) , 22 (Average)
5XOa (RbM x5)         (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 x1, RbM x7

CA - CVL 03 (Average)
8XOa (empty)               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 x1(ast internal weapon - 14DP remaining) GBa x1 (sYb+Qa internal mount - 30 DP)
(Rb x2 / Db x2)  RbM x0


Setup
Standard deep space battle.  
All allied ships start within 10tH of Drakus Destroyer Sqn.
All allied ships start at battle stations.
AI ships begin at battle stations with CVL at 60 tH from Drakus Destroyers.
AI DD's start within 3tH of CVL.
No GBa have been launched.
AI CVL holds four loads of K and two loads of R total (not per bay) for GB external ordinance reloads.
AI DD's may ram when out of missiles. GBa may ram after the CVL is destroyed/wrecked. (In fact, they pretty much have to.)

Alternate setup would allow AI forces to have load out of missiles and GB ordinance as left from 1st battle.

Aftermath
This battle was over in minutes.  The first DD was destroyed even before it had emptied it magazine.  The second was torn apart by the faster Cryocian corvettes as it closed to ram with the Drakus destroyers.  The CVL was torn apart moments before it was able to rearm the gunboat squadrons.  The squadrons were able to launch but the concentrated fire of the anti-fighter missiles from the allied ships destroyed the squadrons before they could close on their targets.  In the end the Blizzard and the Drannaeus suffered some armor damage, but no ship had its hull breached.

(To be honest, it should be more difficult to stop the ramming gunboats, but my wife had some incredible die rolls.)

[procyon (OP)]

The Edge of Sunset
(Part 6 of the Sunset Saga)

New Empires Campaign - Month 37

With the Drakus evacuation of the asteroid belt nearly complete, it was hoped that soon the assets detailed to protection of the convoys would be available to help locate the entry WP for the AI into Sunset.  The economies of the Wolff Confederation were becoming strained by the large mobilization and construction efforts, so the arrival of two separate groups of New Euro ship only weeks apart was a true boon. The first was carried by Woff transit carriers and the other by the recently conpleted New Euro transit carrier
The last Drakus evacuation group was loaded and moving through the belt accompanied by the Drakus 2nd Light Cruiser and 1st Destroyer Sqadrons when they made contact with a group of AI ships.    The AI group had been skirting the outside edge of the belt and the convoy was forced to flee deeper into the debris field.  The pursuing group was slowly closing and was discovered to contain 8 Jackal Class AI Destroyers.  Outnumbered and unable to outrun the menace Rear Admiral Embressa called for assistance.  A patrol group hunting the AB was nearby and responded.  In addition to the Princess Kathleen Group, it included the recently returned New Euro Escort Carrier Nile, a pair of Gherilonn Destroyers, and the Lady Anne Group - an aging light cruiser and her escorts designed to intercept commerce raiders.  Although dated, she was highly trained and still more advanced than any Wolff Confederation ship.
Rear Admiral Davidson instructed the Drakus group to run directly for the star in the center of the AB.  The patrol group would move behind the star where the pursuing AI ships would be unable to identify them until it was to late.
Unfortunately, the slow speed of the Gherilonn ships hampered the move, and when Rear Admiral Davidson arrived he discovered he was not the only group using the star as cover.


Drakus Forces
Rear Admiral Embressa (LG+1/Crack)

Drakus 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron
Light Cruiser Vanirae (Crack)
7XOb (EDMa x1/RbM-AFM 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 x35, RbM-ECM1 x35

Destroyers Drall (Average) ,  Drannall (Average)
5XOa (RbM-AFM 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 x20, RbM-ECM1 x20

Drakus 1st Destroyer Squadron
Destroyers Drannar (Crack) , Drannaeus (Crack) , Drassan (Crack)
5XOa (RbM-AFM 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 x20, RbM-ECM1 x20

Drakus Support Ships
Missile Collier 2 (Average) , 4 (Average)      FT0 / 7HS
[2] Mgs (Mg) x3 Hs Qa (Ica) [4] / RbM x204

Tug A1 (Average) ,  A2 (Average)      FT1 / 12HS
[2] H (ica Ica) Ta Qa (ica Ica) [4]

Sensor Vessel Dra (Average)         CT / 16HS
[2] H (Ica) Qa Yca (Ica) [4] / gig


Baltian Forces
Rear Admiral Davidson (LG+1/ Crack-Decisive)

Light Cruiser Princess Kathleen (Crack)
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 x109, RbM-AFM x14, RbM-LW x7

Heavy Escorts Serena (Green) , Bella (Green)
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 x20

WP Explorer Raphael (Average)
                  FG / 22HS
[2] S1 A1 A1(MNE) (MNE) H Xb Qb (Ia) Yca (Ia) (Ia) [4] / gig

Missile Collier 01 (Average)
                  FT0 / 7HS
[2] Mgs (Mg) x3 Hs Qa (Ica) [4] / RbM x204


New Euro Forces

Light Cruiser Lady Anne (Elite)
8XOb (EDMa x1/ReM-ECM1 x4)      (AM1)   CLbf / 51HS
[2] (S1) x9 (A1)x9 Zb H Qa Rca (ib Ib) (Ib) (M1) (Ib Ib) Qb Mgs Ye Db Re Re Re Dca Qb ?a (Ib Ib) [5] / gig
(Rca x1/ Re x3/ Db x1/ Dca x1/ ?a) RcaM-ECM1 x11, RcaM-AFM x2, Rca-LW/ECM1 x1
ReM-ECM1 x30, ReM-AFM x12, ReM-LW/ECM1 x6

Destroyers Queen Mary (Elite) , Queen Mary II (Elite)
5XOa (ReM-ECM1 x5)         (AM1)   DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x6 (A1)x6 Zb Hs Mgs Qa Rca (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) Re Re Ye Db ?a Qb (Ib) [5] / gig
(Rb x4/ Db x1/ ?a) RcaM-ECM1 x12, Rca-AFM x2, Rca-LW/ECM1 x1
ReM-ECM1 x40, Re-AFM x8, ReM-LW/ECM1 x4

River Class Escort Carrier 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 14 (Crack) , GBa Sqn 30 (Crack)


Gherilonn Forces

Combat & Exploration Destroyers #19 (Green) , #20 (Poor)
4XOa (RbM x4)               DD / 30HS
[2] (S) x3 (A1)x3 Za Hs Qa Xa Mgs (Ica) Rb Rb (Ica) Rb Ya Da Qa Gb (Ica) [3] / gig
(Rb x3/ Gb x1/ Da x1)  RbM x36, RbM-AFM x9, RbM-LW x3, GbM x10, GbM-LW x1, GbM-AFM x2


Evacuation Convoy #7

Heavy Passenger FT
                  FT3 / 22HS
[2] A (Qv) x4 (Ica) (Qv) x4 (Ica) (Qv) x5 H Qa (Ica) [4] / gig

Passenger FT (x3)
                  FT2 / 16HS
[2] A (Qv) x4 (Ica) (Qv) x5 H Qa (Ica) [4] / gig

Light Passenger FT (x4)
                  FT1 / 12HS
[2] (Qv) x7 H Qa (ica Ica) [4] 

      
AI Forces

BB 01 (Average) , 03 (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

DD 09 (Average) , 10 (Average) , 11 (Average) , 12 (Average),
   21 (Average) , 27 (Average) , 28 (Average) , 29 (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 04 (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
Sunset (Red Dwarf) at center of map.
Sunset is 2tH radius.
AB starts at 32tH from center (to 960 tH)
All ships start at battle stations.

Princess Kathleen starts at 45tH from center on radian 8.
Heavy Escorts will always use EM at one and stay with the Baltian CL unless their datalink is lost.
All Baltian, New Euro, and Gherilonn ships start within 6tH of Princess Kathleen.
All Baltian, New Euro, and Gherilonn ships start facing toward center of map.
CVE carries on R for GB external ordinance.

Evacuation Heavy Passenger FT starts at 32tH from center on radian 2.
All ships of Evac Convoy start within 3tH of Hvy Pass FT.
Drakus 1st Destroyer Squadron at 28tH from center on radian 2.
Drakus 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron at 37tH from center on radian 2.
Drakus support ships may be placed with any of these groups.
All Drakus ships start facing toward center of map.

AI DD's start at 55tH from center on radian 2 facing toward center of map.
AI BB's and CA start at 5tH from center on radian 8, any facing.
All GBa have been launched and start on same hex as CA.
AI Bga hold five load of K and five loads of R, for GB external ordinance reloads.


Without aggressive maneuvers, this tends to play out as two separate battles.  My wife thought about pressing both groups toward the center to try and concentrate her firepower and overwhelm the AI ships, but the first salvos from the BB’s changed her mind.


Aftermath
Although Rear Admiral Embressa had tried to summon help, in the end the Drakus convoy escorts were forced to face the AI Jackal's nearly alone.  Only the Drannaeus and Drassan (with magazines empty) survived the battle after the Jackals broke off to try and protect the AI CVL from the Euro gunboats.  The Drakus warships managed to destroy two of the Jackals in the one sided battle.
A long range duel between the Lady Anne/Princess Kathleen and the AI BB's (which came to be known as the Dragon and the Serpent) quickly went against the light cruisers.  The Lady Anne was forced to withdraw with its armor heavily scored but unbreached. 
The AI gunboat squadrons were torn apart as they closed with the allied ships, while the Euro gunboats pressed home their attack and left the AI CVL crippled with only its last engine room functioning.  Duels between the AI and Euro GB's following the anti-shipping strikes left the AI squadrons virtually destroyed.  The New Euro Squadrons suffered heavy losses that forced the reorganization of the two squadrons into one following the battle. 
Even with Rear Admiral Embressa's valiant defense three of the light passenger frieghters were destroyed with the loss of over 100,000 lives.  Embressa was forced into a life pod with the destruction of the Vanirae but was rescued by a Baltian gig operating in LOD that braved the AB in the aftermath of the battle.
The senior admiral in Sunset, Cryocian Admiral Xyxes was left with the choice of organizing a group to try and finish off the stricken Shadow by weakening the defenses of New Haven, or allowing the AI group to slip away.  Political pressure forced the admiral to retain the ships of New Haven and the AI were allowed to break off unmolested. Unknown to the allies, the damage to the Shadow was too great, and the AI were forced to scuttle the ship following unsuccessful attempts to repair the life support systems.

[procyon (OP)]

Fall of Sunset
'An habitation for dragons'
(Part 7 of the Sunset Saga)

New Empires Campaign - month 38

   Following the evacuation of the last Drakus outpost in the asteroid belt, the only populations left in Sunset were the Cryocian holdings at New Haven and Haven's Daughter.  The losses suffered in defense of the evacuation convoys and defense of the WP to Ember had left the Wolff Confederation with seriously reduced fleet levels.  With the heart of the Cryocian Fleet stationed at New Haven and supported by New Euro ships, it was deemed unnecessary by Admiral Xyxes to strengthen the defense of the Cryocian settlements.  Any extra ships were detailed to the search for the elusive WP that the AI were using to enter the system.
   Even the appearance of the second AI battleship had not shaken Xyxes belief in the safety of New Haven.  From his flagship, the Cryocian Battleship Inferno, and accompanied by her sisters the Firestorm and Hellfire, he felt secure that the Dragon and the Serpent would be unable to survive any approach to the planet and its moon.  With five squadrons of New Euro gunboats available, he was sure any attack would be doomed.
   That belief was put to the test five weeks after the battle near the system's star.  It began as a distant sensor contact moving slowly toward New Haven.  A single New Euro gunboat squadron with additional life support and sensor equipment was dispatched to investigate the contact.  At just over 30 light minutes from New Haven the Euro gunboat was turned back from the contact by three AI gunboat squadrons.  The allied group braced for the long expected attack by the Dragon and Serpent, supported by at least one Shadow.  Rear Admiral Davidson's Patrol Group was nearly 50 light minutes away, but was much faster than the approaching contact and was ordered to assist in the defense.  His arrival added two light cruiser groups to the defense.  
   As the AI ships approached the planet, ground based sensor arrays resolved that it included not only the AI battleships, but two of the huge carriers - codenamed as the Kraken Class.  Only one Kraken had been encountered in Sunset, this during the first contact in the asteroid belt by the Cryocian Cruiser Squadron and a group of Baltian Heavy Escorts.  The two heavy carriers accompanied by the Dragon, the Serpent, ten destroyers and ten squadrons of gunboats, shook the defenders convictions.
   With two additional light cruiser groups less than 25 light minutes away guarding the WP to Ember, it was tempting to fall back and prevent the spread of destruction the AI group represented from spilling into other systems.  But with 12 million civilians living on New Haven and Haven's Daughter, there was no real choice.  The battle line drew up and prepared to meet the approaching jugernaught.
   Rear Admiral Davidson, long a student of history and literature, could only think of an obscure passage as he watched the seven titanic ships approach each other.
   
"From generation to generation it shall lie waste, none shall pass through it for ever and ever....
he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness....
and it shall be an habitation for dragons.


Cryocian Forces
Admrial Xyxes (LG+2/Elite)

Inferno Battle Group

Flagship Inferno (Crack)
16XOb (PtcaM x4)            BB / 100HS
[5] (S) x6 (A) x12 Zb Qb Qb Qb Mg H Mg (Ja Ja Ja) (Ja Ja Ja) (M1) (MNE) (MNE) Qb Dzb Ptca Eb (Ja Ja Ja) Dzb Ptca (Ja Ja Ja) Ptca Ptca Ycb Tda Dzb Qb (Ja Ja Ja) Eb [5] / gig
(Ptca x4/ Eb x2/ Dzb x3) PtcaM x70

Battleship Firestorm (Average) , Hellfire (Crack)
16XOb (PtcaM x4)            BB / 100HS
[5] (S) x6 (A) x12 Zb Qb Qb Qb Mg H Mg (Ja Ja Ja) (Ja Ja Ja) (M1) (MNE) (MNE) Qb Dzb Ptca Eb (Ja Ja Ja) Dzb Ptca (Ja Ja Ja) Ptca Ptca Eb Dzb Eb Yb Tda Dzb Qb (Ja Ja Ja) Eb [5] / gig
(Ptca x4/ Eb x4/ Dzb x4) PtcaM x70


Baltian Forces
Rear Admiral Davidson (LG+1/Crack - Decisive)

Light Cruiser Princess Kathleen (Crack)
8XOb (EDMa x1/RbM 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 x109, RbM-AFM x14, RbM-LW x7

Heavy Escorts Serena (Green) , Bella (Average)
3 XOb (RbM 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 x20

WP Explorer Raphael (Average)
                  FG / 22HS
[2] S1 A1 A1(MNE) (MNE) H Xb Qb (Ia) Yca (Ia) (Ia) [4] / gig

Missile Collier 01 (Average)
                  FT0 / 7HS
[2] Mgs (Mg) x3 Hs Qa (Ica) [4] / RbM x204


New Euro Forces
Commodore Alice Krimmel (LG+0/Average)

Light Cruiser Lady Anne (Elite)
8XOb (EDMa x1/RcaM-LW/ECM1 x2)      (AM1)   CLbf / 51HS
[2] (S1) x9 (A1)x9 Zb H Qa Rca (ib Ib) (Ib) (M1) (Ib Ib) Qb Mgs Ye Db Re Re Re Dca Qb ?a (Ib Ib) [5] / gig
(Rca x1/ Re x3/ Db x1/ Dca x1/ ?a) RcaM-ECM1 x13, RcaM-AFM x2, Rca-LW/ECM1 x1
ReM-ECM1 x60, ReM-AFM x12

Destroyers Queen Mary (Elite) , Queen Mary II (Elite)
5XOa (RcaM-LW/ECM1 x2/ReM-AFM x1)   (AM1)   DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x6 (A1)x6 Zb Hs Mgs Qa Rca (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) Re Re Ye Db ?a Qb (Ib) [5] / gig
(Rb x4/ Db x1/ ?a) RcaM-ECM1 x13, Rca-AFM x2, Rca-LW/ECM1 x1
ReM-ECM1 x40, Re-AFM x12

River Class Escort Carrier Nile (Average) , Tigris (Crack) , Shannon (Crack)
                  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 14 (Crack) / 27DP
GBa Sqn 38 (Elite) / 27DP, GBa Sqn 40 / 30DP(Crack)
GBa Sqn 41 (Crack) / 30DP, GBa Sqn 42 / 30DP(Crack)

Heavy Escort Ruth (Elite) , Claire (Elite) , Sorcha (Elite)
3 XOb (ReM-AFM x3)            CTb / 19HS
[2] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 Za Hs Mgs Re (Ib) Yb Re (Ib) Qb (Ib) [6] / gig x1
(Re x2) ReM-ECM1 x40, Re-AFM x24

Missile Collier 06 (Average)
                  FT0 / 7HS
[2] Mgs (Mg) x3 Hs Qa (Ica) [4] /
RcaM/ECM1 x19, RcaM-LW/ECM1 x9, RcaM-AFM x3
ReM/ECM1 x94, ReM-AFM x40, EDMa x2


Gherilonn Forces

Combat & Exploration Destroyers #19 (Green) , #20 (Green)
4XOa (RbM x4)               DD / 30HS
[2] (S) x3 (A1)x3 Za Hs Qa Xa Mgs (Ica) Rb Rb (Ica) Rb Ya Da Qa Gb (Ica) [3] / gig
(Rb x3/ Gb x1/ Da x1)  RbM x48, GbM x13


AI Forces

DN / CVA 03 (Average) , 06 (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/ Db x2/ ?a)

BB 01 (Average) , 03 (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

DD 10 (Average) , 11 (Average) , 12 (Average), 27 (Average) ,
   28 (Average) , 29 (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

DDE 02 (Average) , 05 (Average) , 06 (Average) , 11 (Average)
5XOa (RcaM x2/RbM x1)         (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

Setup
Standard deep space battle.
Inferno Battle Group at 60tH from AI DN 03.
Lady Anne Group and Princess Kathleen Group start within 10 tH of Inferno, but no closer than 60tH from the AI DN 03.
New Euro Carriers no less than 80tH from AI DN 03 and no more than 30tH of Inferno.
New Euro GBs start with R external ordinance.
New Euro Bga carry eight loads of R and one sYb/Qb for external ordinance.
New Euro GB's, Collier 06, and Gherilonn DD's start within 10tH of carriers.
Carrier are escorting the New Euro Heavy Escorts.
Baltian Heavy Escorts will always use EM at one and stay with the Baltian CL unless their datalink is lost.
Rapael and Collier 01 start within 10 hexes of Princess Dawn.
AI datalinks are BB 01/DN 03, BB 03/DN 06, DD 10/DD 11, DD 12/DD 27, DD 28/DD 29,
DDE 02/DDE 11, DDE 05/DDE 06.
AI BB's are escorting AI DN's
All AI ships start within 5 hexes of DN 03.  All GBa have been launched.  No AI ship closer than 60tH from Inferno.
AI GBa start with R external ordinance.
AI Bga hold five loads of K and four loads of R, for external ordinance reloads.

As a side note of interest, for this battle my wife had the middle boy play the Cryocian BB's.  She doesn't have any ships in her fleet larger than a BC, and usually will only have one or two of those in a Fleet Carrier Task Force.  She also likes LRW's, and tends to struggle with SRW ships.  The middle boy (Chinese Empire) specializes in the larger ships and also maintains a number of SRW fleets, so she requested his assistance.  Their differences in tactics created some friction during this engagement, but did result in far lower losses than I had anticipated for the allied fleet.

Overview and Aftermath

   With Admiral Xyxes and the Inferno in the lead, the allied ships moved to engage the AI.  The six AI Jackal Class DD's moved to skirt the outer flank as the heavy AI ships turned to hold the distance open.  This move drew the Euro GB's and Princess Kathleen away from the Inferno Group to prevent any threat to the Euro carriers.   At this point the AI GB's moved to break away from the battle lines.  Xyxes, sensing a new threat to the carriers, turned the Inferno and her escorts directly into the AI GB formation.  
   As the AI GB's tore into the Inferno with wave after wave of missiles, the Cryocian battleships and Lady Anne Group rained death on the small craft.  Two of the AI squadrons never returned to their carriers, but the Inferno was left a broken shell, barely able to keep underway.  Xyxes was forced to transfer his flag to the Firestorm.
The Jackals began to die one after another, victims of the Euro GB's missiles and lasers.  As stragglers broke off the Kathleen and her escorts would finish what the GB's had started.  In the end only one of the Jackals reached weapons range of the Euro carriers, leaving the Nile with only light damage.
   Settled on the Firestorm, Xyxes used his superior speed to force a long range engagement with the AI heavies.  The Hellfire suffered under the barrage of the four AI capital ships, but the Serpent perished as the torpedoes and missiles of the allied ships also tore into her.  As soon as the last of the AI gunboats had landed, Xyxes made his move and drove his two remaining battleships into the heart of the AI formation.  Supported by long range fire from the Lady Anne Group, the Cryocian ships closed to beam weapon range.  The Hellfire perished as the ships drew together, but Xyxes lived long enough to see one of the AI heavy carriers torn apart with nearly all of its squadrons still in their bays.
   Still faced with five AI GB squadrons along with the Dragon and a Kraken Class, and with the magazines of the Lady Anne and Princess Kathleen nearly empty, Rear Admiral Davidson faced the hard truth that the battle could not be won.  With four AI destroyers bristling with point defense escorting the last AI capital ships, and screened by the five AI GB squadrons, the Euro GB's would suffer horrible losses if they were to attempt to attack the AI ships.  With a heavy heart, he gave the order to break off and move toward the WP to Ember.  
   Less than an hour after the battle had been joined the last settlement in Sunset lay in ruins.  Three quarters of a million Cryocians huddled in underground shelters on Haven's Daughter praying for a rescue that might never come.

The AI lost six destroyers, a BB, a DN, and five GBa while the allied ships lost only the 3 Cryocian BB’s.  The Princess Kathleen and Lady Anne each had suffered some damage to their armor, and the Nile had suffered damage to her forward engine room.  Overall, the allied ships had inflicted heavy losses on the AI.  Unfortunately, the AI could rebuild their losses far faster than the allies could replace theirs.  

[procyon (OP)]

A Wolff at the door
(Part 1 of The Tale of the Wolff)

New Empires Campaign - month 40

   Only two weeks after the destruction of the Inferno Battle Group and most of the inhabitants of New Haven/Haven's Daughter, a rescue mission lead by Rear Admiral Davidson and assisted by the New Euro Lady Anne successfully rescued the last survivors in Sunset and moved them to colonies in Ember.  With no more civilians left in the system, priorities could now be shifted to the defense of the WP's out of Sunset.  Rear Admiral Janus' forces at the WP to Ember swelled as ships were released by the Baltian and Cryocian governments.
   The arrival of the New Euro's recently operational heavy transit carrier brought new hope to the defenders of Ember.  It had not only brought the New Euro Light Carrier Destruction and its two Flower Class Escort Destroyers the Carnation and Tulip, but it bought the New Euro Vice Admiral Hermione Shepherd.  A veteran of the early Tauran Campaign, her leadership skills were legendary within allied space.  With five squadrons of the most advanced interceptors, the two carriers in the Invincible Class represented the cutting edge of New Euro technology.  With four Baltian Light Cruiser Groups, four Baltain Escort Carriers, three Pan Euro Escort Carriers, and now the Destruction with her escorts, and several other combat ships, the WP to Ember was considered as secure as it could ever be.
   That was tested two weeks after the Destruction's arrival.  A freighter transiting from Inferno on a return trip from the Wolff Confederation system of Ruby brought dire news.  The Honaw, once foes and then allies of Earth, had appeared in orbit of the only inhabited planet in Ruby and announced that they were claiming it for the Regulan Clan of the Honaw.  They had also appeared in the Wolff Confederation nebula known as Four Winds at the WP to the New Euro system of Poseidon.  They had announced that with no other presence in the system they were claiming the nebula as their own.  
   But Four Winds was the only connection between the New Euro and Sunset.
   Complicating matters was the trade and military treaties that already existed between the Euro and this Clan of the Honaw.
   Hermione was faced with a horrible decision.  She could honor the treaties between the Honaw and Euro, withdraw from Wolff space and allow this dispute between two of the Euro's allies to resolve itself.  She would be able to avoid another war that the Euro could scarce afford to fight in this way.  But she would also certainly doom the millions of inhabitants in Ember, and the billions in the Wolff home system to death.  And the human settlers in Ruby would doubtless find themselves slaves of the Honaw Clans.  Men, women and children who also called Earth their long lost home.
   In the end their was only one decision she could make.  Far from home and now cut off from resupply, she ordered now Rear Admiral Alice Krimmel to take the Nile and both of the Gherilonn destroyers, and support the Wolff Confederation ships in their attempt to clear the Honaw from Four Winds and Ruby.  Detaching the Baltian Light Cruiser Group Igraine commanded by Rear Admiral Davidson, plus four Cryocian Strom Class Corvettes from her task force, she hoped what remained would be able to stop the spread of one war as she started another.

   Twenty two days later the group of warships exited from Inferno into Four Winds Nebula and released from their transit carriers.  The ships then proceeded toward the WP's to Ruby and Poseidon. Six days after that the first group reached the WP to Poseidon and confronted the Honaw forces their.  Rear Admiral Krimmel announced her intention to transit the WP.  The only Honaw response was to engage their drives and targeting sensor arrays.

Cryocian Detachment

Storm Class Corvettes Blizzard (Crack), Gale (Crack), Deluge (Crack), Tornado (Average)
                  CTb / 19HS
[3] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 A1 Hs Qb (jb Jb) (Jb) (Jb) Eca [7] / gig x1
(Eca x1)

New Euro Detachment
Rear Admiral Alice Krimmel (LG+0/ Average)

River Class Escort Carrier Nile (Crack)
                  FT4b / 35HS
[2] S1 S1 A1 H (Icb) (Icb) (Icb) (Bga) (Bga) (BLa) Yb Dca Qa (Icb) [4] / gig , GBa x1(La internal weapon)
GBa Sqn 14 (Crack) / 30DP

Gherilonn Forces

Combat & Exploration Destroyers #19 (Average) , #20 (Average)
4XOa (RbM x4)               DD / 30HS
[2] (S) x3 (A1)x3 Za Hs Qa Xa Mgs (Ica) Rb Rb (Ica) Rb Ya Da Qa Gb (Ica) [3] / gig
(Rb x3/ Gb x1/ Da x1)  RbM x48, GbM x12

Honaw Forces

3rd Armed Survey Lance

Ys oa1 (Average) , oa2 (Average) , oa3 (Average)
3XO (ReM x3)   (AM1)            FG / 22 HS
[2] S1 S1 A1 Za (Ib) Mgs Yb Re (Ia) Hs Xa Db (Ia) Le Qb (Ia) [6] / gig
(Re x1/ Le x1/ Db x1)  ReM x20

Bouy 2 with Apew-La x2 / x18

Setup
Occurs in reflective nebula.
WP to Poseidon in center of map
Honaw ships will not transit WP.
Any allied ship may transit WP in one pulse.  
All allied ships start within 10tH of Escort Carrier Nile, GBa may be launched.
CVE Nile starts at 60tH from WP on any radian.
Honaw ships start at 20 tH from WP on the same radian as the Nile.
All ships start at battle stations.
Honaw buoys are positioned at one hex from the WP in six groups of three.
Bouy2 will fire on any large unit within 4 hexes.

Aftermath
The Cryocian Corvettes lead the attack, while Krimmel held the Nile's gunboats in reserve trying to avoid direct involvement in the fight and possibly avert starting a war between the Honaw and the New Euro.  Long range fire from the Honaw ships tore into the Cryocian corvettes, and their lack of active sensors left them unable to see the Honaw mines until it was too late.  The Gherilonn destroyers had been moving to support the attack, but their slow speed prevented them from saving the Cryocian ships.  The Nile launched her gunboat squadron, but they were to distant to immediately intervene, and the Gherilonn ships also suffered against the more advanced systems of the Honaw.  In the end the continued attacks wore down the Honaw ships, and then the gunboats finished what the other ships had paid so dearly to start.  In the end the only Cryocian ship to survive was the Blizzard, and it was forced to scuttle when the crew was unable to restore engine or life support power.  Combat and Exploration #20 was also destroyed and #19 was left with her weapons intact but her hull breached in several areas.  The Euro gunboats were able to clear the mines from the WP opening the route to Poseidon, but the price had been dear.  Ships that the Wolff Confederation had been counting on to assist in the relief of Ruby would not be there.


My wife probably had the most horrible rolls she has ever experienced.  The CT's missed nearly a dozen shot, then blundered into the mines.  They had outrun the DD's and by the time the Gherilonn ships had closed the FG's tore into them also.  By the time the gunboats got there the last DD had nearly finished off the FG's, and the smcft made short work of what was left.  But my wife had sent them in piecemeal, over confident in the E beam armed CT's and paid the price.

[procyon (OP)]

A Wolff at the Gates
(Part 2 of The Tale of the Wolff)

New Empires Campaign - month 40

   A week had passed since the WP to Poseidon had been cleared.  Rear Admiral Krimmel had tried repeatedly to order the bulk of the mobile WP defenses in Posiedon to assist in the clearing of the Baltian WP to Ruby, but the Captain of the Light Cruiser Princess Sophia had refused to move the group from its station.  His orders had come directly from Admiral Jude Chuites and he refused to abandon his post without confirmation from Central Command.   
   With great misgiving, Rear Admiral Krimmel took the CVE Nile (recently resupplied and with the 55th Anti-Shipping Squadron added to her complement) and the Gherilonn Destroyer C & E #19 (with only hasty repairs in place) to the rendevous with Rear Admiral Davidson and the Princess Igraine Group. 
   Hidden by the sensor disruption caused by the nebula, and with engines on low emission profiles, the five ships of the allied group approached the WP known to the Wolff Confederation as the Emerald Gate, and whatever ships might guard it.

Baltian Forces
Rear Admiral Davidson (LG+1/Crack - Decisive)

Light Cruiser Princess Igraine (Average)
8XOb (EDMa x1/ RbM/ECM1 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 x81, RbM/ECM1 x35 , RbM-AFM x14

Heavy Escorts Luna (Average) , Angelina (Average)
3 XOb (RbM/ECM1 x3)               CTb / 19HS
[2] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 Zb Hs Mgs Rb (Ib) Ya Dzb Rb (Ib) Qb (Ib) [6] / gig x1
(Rb x2 / Dzb x1) RbM x30 , RbM/ECM1 x10 , RbM-AFM x4


New Euro Detachment
Rear Admiral Alice Krimmel (LG+1/ Crack)

River Class Escort Carrier Nile (Crack)
                  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 14 (Elite) / 30DP    GBa Sqn 55 (Crack) / 30DP

Gherilonn Forces

Combat & Exploration Destroyer #19 (Crack)
4XOa (RbM x4)               DD / 30HS
[2] (S) x3 x x x x Hs x Qa x (Ica) Rb Rb (Ica) Rb Ya Da Qa Gb (Ica) [3] / gig
(Rb x3/ Gb x1/ Da x1)  RbM x24, GbM x4

Honaw Forces

4th Armed Survey Lance

Ys oa4 (Average) , oa5 (Average) , oa6 (Average)
3XO (ReM x3)   (AM1)            FG / 22 HS
[2] S1 S1 A1 Za (Ib) Mgs Yb Re (Ia) Hs Xa Db (Ia) Le Qb (Ia) [6] / gig
(Re x1/ Le x1/ Db x1)  ReM x20


Setup
Occurs in reflective nebula.
WP to Ruby in center of map
Any ships may transit WP.
Any ship may transit WP in one pulse. No simultaneous transits allowed. 
All allied ships start within 10tH of Escort Carrier Nile, GBa may be launched and up to 30tH from Nile.
No GB may start within 20tH of any Honaw ship.
CVE Nile starts at 50tH from WP on any radian.
Honaw ships start at 20 tH from WP on the same radian as the Nile.
All allied ships start at battle stations.
Ys oa4 starts at GQ, all others at standard readiness.
All ships have surge data for the WP.
WP transit exits to a standard deep space map without nebula.
Honaw ships may only move at SPD 3 the first turn, with +1 to that SPD each additional turn until SPD 6 is reached.

Alternate set up would involve using damage/ advancement rolls/ emergency repairs rolls from the previous battle played out instead of ours.

Aftermath
The Honaw ships had little warning of the approaching forces, and the GB's were on them before they could even all come to battle stations.  Slow to come about and run for the WP, they did manage to send a flurry of courier drones away to warn of the attack.
With their datalink down and engine rooms damaged, the Euro GB's picked apart the Honaw ships apart before they could even transit back into Ruby.

This battle is actually less about killing the Honaw ships, which really are goners, but in conserving as many missiles as possible without getting the sqns damaged to badly before the next battle, which is the REAL challenge for Davidson.

[procyon (OP)]

Trials of the Wolff
(Part 3 of The Tale of the Wolff)
'A gem can not be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.'

New Empires Campaign - month 40

The allied ships proceeded into Ruby, knowing full well that the ships near the colony were aware of their presence.  Rebel transmissions indicated that the formal government had surrendered to the Honaw invasion forces after nearly half a million people had died in nuclear strikes.  The rebels indicated that the Honaw currently had one heavy cruiser, a destoyer, and 6 smaller escorts near the planet.  Rear Admirals Davidson and Krimmel consulted for hours debating what should be done.  With the technical superiority of the Honaw ships in respect to the Baltain warships, the battle could be a disaster.  With the Gherilonn destroyer damaged it would be up to the Nile's Anti-Shipping Sqns to balance the engagement.
But with 11 million human lives at stake, the decision was made to releive the planet.
   
Baltian Forces
Rear Admiral Davidson (LG+1/Crack - Decisive)

Light Cruiser Princess Igraine (Average)
8XOb (EDMa x1/ RbM/ECM1 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 x81, RbM/ECM1 x35 , RbM-AFM x14

Heavy Escorts Luna (Average) , Angelina (Average)
3 XOb (RbM/ECM1 x3)               CTb / 19HS
[2] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 Zb Hs Mgs Rb (Ib) Ya Dzb Rb (Ib) Qb (Ib) [6] / gig x1
(Rb x2 / Dzb x1) RbM x30 , RbM/ECM1 x10 , RbM-AFM x4


New Euro Detachment
Rear Admiral Alice Krimmel (LG+1/ Crack)

River Class Escort Carrier Nile (Crack)
                  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 14 (Elite) / 30DP    GBa Sqn 55 (Crack) / 30DP

Gherilonn Forces

Combat & Exploration Destroyer #19 (Crack)
4XOa (RbM x4)               DD / 30HS
[2] (S) x3 x x x x Hs x Qa x (Ica) Rb Rb (Ica) Rb Ya Da Qa Gb (Ica) [3] / gig
(Rb x3/ Gb x1/ Da x1)  RbM x24, GbM x4

Honaw Forces
Vice Admiral Ta'toonak

2nd Light Battle Group

CVL Eertnyk (Average)
8XO (GBa x1)   (AM1)            CAf / 60HS
[2] (S1) x6 (A1) x6 Zb Le Qv (Ia Ia) Dzb (Bsa) Qb Qb Yb (Bga) (Bga) (Ia Ia) (Bga) (BLa) H (Ia Ia) Dzb Qb ?a (Ia Ia) (Ia Ia) [5] / gig, st, GBa x4 (L internal weapon)
(Le x1/ Dzb x2/ ?a)  20CP (Average) in Qv
GBa 1 (Average) / 30DP       GBa 2 (Average) / 30DP
GBa 3 (Average) / 30DP       GBa 4 (Average) / 30DP

Rli'm ga1 (Average), ga2 (Average) , ga3 (Average) , ga4 (Average)
2XO (ReM x2)               ESb / 14HS
[2] (S1) x3 (A1) x2 Zb Ht Dzb (Ib) Mgt Qv Le Qa (Ib) [6] / ReM x14
(Le x1/ Dzb x1) 10CP (Average) in Qv

DD-S Soihlo'k (Average)
5XO (ReMx5)               DDb / 35HS
[3] (S1) x5 (A1) x4 Zb (MNE) (MNE) Qa (Ib) Re (Ib) Dzb (Ib) Yca H Qb ?a (Ib) (Ib) [5] / gig
(Re x1/ Dzb x1/ ?a) ReM x20

Rlo'm fa1 (Average), fa2 (Average)      ES / 12HS
[2] S1 A1 Zb Ht Dzb (Ia) Mgt Re Qa (Ia) [6] / ReM x14
(Re x1/ Dzb x1) ReM x 34

Setup
Planet in the center of the map.
All allied ships start within 10tH of Escort Carrier Nile, GBa may be launched and up to 30tH from Nile.
CVE Nile starts at 60tH from the planet on any radian.
Honaw ES start at 1tH from the planet, with one ES per hex.
Honaw CVL and DD-S start within 10tH of the planet on any radian.
CVL starts with DF and S down, GB on XO racks are crewed.
XO launched Honaw GBa will stay within 5tH of carrier.
Honaw Bg have full loads of R external ordinance.
Honaw GB have not been launched.
Honaw datalinks are CVL/ES ga1-4 , DD-S/ES fa1-2
All ships start at battle stations.
The Bg on Nile have already used one load of R external ordinance.

Alternate set up would involve using damage/ advancement rolls/ emergency repairs rolls / missile load outs from the previous battles played instead of ours.

Aftermath
The Honaw ships had been aware of the incoming allied ships long before the battle was joined, and were waiting with their squadrons crewed and ships ready.  As the Euro GB's neared the group they quickly launched their GB's and moved into their links.  The Honaw warships moved to hold the distance open with the allied groups as the GB's dueled.  The Euro GB's fought hard to hold the Honaw smcft in check, but the weight of numbers was to great.  As the squadron battle turned against the allies, their warships withdrew without ever having come in range of the Honaw ships.  The 55th Sqn was lost in the battle, with the 14th left nearly combat ineffective.  A second strike by the Honaw GB's was avoided by the allied ships dropping into LOD after they had moved away from the planet.  The allied ships were able to slip away into Four Winds and the relative safety of the nebula.

My wife was ready for a hard ship to ship battle, but found herself in her first battle where she was badly outnumbered by smcft that were the equal of hers.  As her sqns were savaged, she saw all hope of victory disappear as her group would never be able to bring the Honaw ships into range for ship board weapons due to the Honaw ships' superior speed.  Her manuever of dropping all but one ship into LOD but leaving one of the Baltian CT's still at standard emissions after they had moved far enough away to avoid being anything but a D type contact left the Honaw with a continuing contact and no way to know the bulk of the allied ships had changed course.  The Honaw gunboats followed the contact as they launched after rearming for a second strike, but discovered that shortly afterward it suddenly sped up, and then disappeared as it also dropped into LOD.  The GB quickly returned to avoid the possibility that the allied ships had circled around to get in an unopposed attack.
(Which I made a mental note could be a good way to sucker someone into committing their sqns after a decoy to allow just such a thing.  I was fairly sure the players had planned some such thing all along as they love gambits to win with, but they hadn't)

[procyon (OP)]

Teeth of the Wolff
(Part 4 of The Tale of the Wolff)

New Empires Campaign - month 41

   Following the failed attempt to relieve the population in Ruby, Rear Admirals Davidson and Krimmel were forced to return to Four Winds to prevent their ships from being cut off from any support should the Honaw seize the WP into Ruby again.  The group again proceeded toward the WP to the New Euro system of Posiedon and sent a courier drone ahead with the results of the battle in Ruby and of their ETA to the WP. 
   The return broadcast surprised both admirals.  Following the Honaw declaration of war, Admiral Jude Chuites had ordered the WP defenses of Posiedon into the Four Winds nebula to prevent the Honaw from again seizing and sealing the WP.  Guarded by mines, armed drones, and warships the WP was now secured in Four Winds, but the Honaw had not left.  Three Honaw warships had approached the WP to probe it, but had been driven back by armed drones from Mine Warfare Vessel #05.  One Honaw ship had even been streaming atmosphere as they had withdrawn.  The Honaw ships now sat one half of a light minute away, waiting for anything they could intercept.  The Cryocian Transit Carriers which had loaded up with supplies for the New Euro ships in Sunset were now unable to return as they would be easily intercepted and destroyed by the Honaw warships.
   Davidson and Krimmel signalled ahead and a plan was formed.  The Honaw ships which simply evaded attempts to engage them from the WP would find themselves caught between the Wolff of Baltia and the powerful New Euro WP defenses.


Baltian Forces
Rear Admiral Davidson (LG+1/Crack - Decisive)

Light Cruiser Princess Igraine (Average)
8XOb (EDMa x1/ RbM/ECM1 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 x81, RbM/ECM1 x35 , RbM-AFM x14

Heavy Escorts Luna (Average) , Angelina (Average)
3 XOb (RbM/ECM1 x3)               CTb / 19HS
[2] S1 S1 S1 A1 A1 A1 Zb Hs Mgs Rb (Ib) Ya Dzb Rb (Ib) Qb (Ib) [6] / gig x1
(Rb x2 / Dzb x1) RbM x30 , RbM/ECM1 x10 , RbM-AFM x4


New Euro Detachment
Rear Admiral Alice Krimmel (LG+1/ Crack)

River Class Escort Carrier Nile (Crack)
                  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 14 (Elite) / 15DP    

Light Cruiser Princess Sophia (Elite)
8XO (EDMa x1/ReM/ECM1 x4)         CLb / 51HS
[2] (S1) x6 (A2) x12 Zb Hs Qa Mgs (Ib) (Ib Ib) Qb (Ib) Re Re Re Dcza Re Re Re Qb Ye ?a (Ib Ib) [4] / gig
(Re x6/ Dcza x1/ ?a) ReM/ECM1 x120, ReM-LW/ECM1 x12, Re-AFM x 12

Destroyer Queen Rachel (Elite) , Queen Rachel II (Elite)
5XO (ReM/ECM1 x5)            DDb/35HS
[2] (S1) x6 (A2) x12 Zb Hs Mgs Qa Re (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) Re Re Ye Dzb ?a Qb (Ib) [4] / gig
(Re x3/ Dzb x1/ ?a) ReM/ECM1 x60, ReM-LW/ECM1 x6, Re-AFM x18


Gherilonn Forces

Combat & Exploration Destroyer #19 (Crack)
4XOa (RbM x4)               DD / 30HS
[2] (S) x3 x x x x Hs x Qa x (Ica) Rb Rb (Ica) Rb Ya Da Qa Gb (Ica) [3] / gig
(Rb x3/ Gb x1/ Da x1)  RbM x24, GbM x4

Honaw Forces
Vice Admiral Za'ish (LG+0/Average)

3rd Strike Group

Y'th qz3 (Green)
8XO (EDMa x1/ReM x4)   (AM1)         CAf / 60HS
[2] (S1) x5 (A1) x4 Zb Mg Qa Re Re Re (Ib) Qb Re Re (Ib Ib) Yb Re Re H (Ib) Dzb Qb ?a (Ib Ib) [4] / gig
(Re x7/ Dzb x1/ ?a)  ReM x200

N'hi ra5 (Green)
5XO (ReM x5)      (AM1)         DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x2 (A1) x1 Zb (Ib) Le Qa Re (Ib) Mg Re Re Yb H Lpa Dzb ?a Qb (Ib) (Ib) [4] / gig
(Re x3/ Le x1/ Lpa x1/ Dzb x1/ ?a) ReM x120

N'hi ra6 (Green)
0 XO          (AM1)         DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x2 x  Zb (Ib) Le Qa Re (Ib) Mg Re Re Yb H Lpa Dzb ?a Qb (Ib) (Ib) [4] / gig
(Re x3/ Le x1/ Lpa x1/ Dzb x1/ ?a) ReM x120


Setup
Standard deep space battle.
All Baltian and Gherilonn ships start within 10tH of Escort Carrier Nile, GBa may be launched and up to 20tH from Nile.
CVE Nile starts at 40tH from the Y'th on any radian.
Princess Sophia starts at 30tH from Y'th on opposite radian from CVE Nile.
Honaw Y'th start at center of map.
Honaw DD's start within 1tH of the Y'th on any radian.
All ships start at battle stations.
The Bg on Nile have already used three loads of R external ordinance.

Alternate set up would involve using damage/ advancement rolls/ emergency repairs rolls / missile load outs from the previous battles played instead of ours.

Aftermath
The Honaw ships began to move away from the Sophia group as they left the WP, only to run into Davidson and Krimmel approaching in LOD.  In an attempt to break away the Honaw ships detuned their engines and tried to slip past the Baltian ships but the 14th Anti Shipping Squadron, still damaged from the earlier action in Ruby, made one pass and left both Honaw DD's streaming air and slowed.  With no chance to escape and their fire control shattered the Honaw ships turned on the Baltain group.  Even damaged the Honaw ships metted out a horrible toll on the Baltain group.  Even detuning their engines was not enough to bring the Sophia and her consorts in range to support Davidson until the battle was nearly over.
In the end, the Heavy Escort Luna was lost, while the Angelina was left battered.  The Igraine managed to escape without damage but Davidson's group was in tatters.  Of the seven Wolff Confederation warships, only one was left in any condition to fight.  The hopes of rescuing Ruby were quickly fading.


It may not appear so on the surface, but this battle is again about preserving missile stocks.  This battle was pretty much a ‘gimee’ for my wife.  She would pay for it in the next one.  Four days after this would find Krimmel and Davidson fighting for their lives and the safety of Posiedon as the 1st Honaw Battle Fleet arrived.

[procyon (OP)]

From the Wolff to the hounds
(Part 5 of The Tale of the Wolff)

New Empires Campaign - month 41

Part A.
   The defenders in Four Winds settled in to guarding the WP in the nebula, and were glad to hear that reinforcements were enroute.  The first to arrive were a pair of Gherilonn destroyers that had been transferred to Admiral Chuites command.  Both of the New Euro's Mobile Shipyards had also arrived with replacement crews for the 14th Anti-Shipping Sqn.  As they were capable of crossing the maser nebula Inferno, one Mobile Shipyard slipped into Four Winds bound for the Wolff system of Ember to support the New Euro ships in that system.  It was a gamble sending it, along with the three Wolff Confederation Transit Carriers, through Four Winds unescorted but there was no choice. The second stayed at the WP in Poseidon. Also transferring in from the Tauran front were three more ships that would form the backbone of the defense in Poseidon.  The first was the Light Carrier Duchess of Kent.  An older ship, she had been pulled from the Lady Anne Group and this deployment would get her closer to returning to her primary assignment.  With her was a pair of heavy cruisers from the Commonwealth Battle Group, the Phobos and Deimos.  Although not the cutting edge anymore, they represented a great deal of the New Euro's combat power.  The crews of all these ships had seen extensive action in the Tauran war and were hardened veterans.  Last were three small bases that were being assembled at the shipyards in Poseidon and which would assist in the WP defense.
   With the bases still under construction, and the cruisers still weeks out, the New Euro WP Explorer Raphael identified a contact moving through Four Winds at a distance of nearly 18 light minutes.  With drive fields clearly visible and moving quickly toward the WP, Rear Admiral Alice Krimmel sent several courier drones off to warn of the new threat, and to request that the inbound cruisers make best speed to the WP.  With the contact only twelve hours out though, this battle would be fought with the ships she had under her command.
   As the ships closed to 17 light seconds, they became visible and Admiral Krimmel was faced with a terrible truth.  With the Honaw group including a battle cruiser, a heavy cruiser, three destroyers, and a half dozen lighter ships it was obvious she was out classed.  As three gunboat squadrons slowly closed with the WP and began the task of destroying the mines that had been sowed around it, she gave orders for the last of the armed drones to be launched at the gunboats and Honaw ships while the group transited back to Poseidon.
   Positioning herself at 15 light seconds from the WP she awaited the Honaw ships’ assault.  Whether a Honaw ship had been damaged or had suffered some other mishap would never be known, but for whatever reason the Honaw waited five days to transit the WP.  During this time the slower elements of Rear Admiral Krimmel's command moved even farther away from the WP and dropped their drive fields in the hope that they would be overlooked and available to close the WP if the Honaw left nothing behind to secure it.
   One hundred and twenty seven hours after she had transited back into Poseidon, the Honaw attacked.  With little hope of victory, her group turned to run toward the only populated planet and its defenses.  The long pursuit by the Honaw and the repeated sorties of their gunboats would begin.


Baltian Forces
Rear Admiral Davidson (LG+1/Crack - Decisive)

Light Cruiser Princess Igraine (Average)
8XOb (EDMa x1/ RbM/ECM1 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 x70, RbM/ECM1 x21 , RbM-AFM x14

Heavy Escorts Angelina (Average)
0 XOb                   CTb / 19HS
[2] S1 S1 S1 x x x Zb Hs Mgs Rb x Ya Dzb Rb (Ib) Qb (Ib) [6] / gig x1
(Rb x2 / Dzb x1) RbM x28 , RbM/ECM1 x6 , RbM-AFM x4


New Euro Detachment
Rear Admiral Alice Krimmel (LG+1/ Crack)

River Class Escort Carrier Nile (Elite)
                  FT4b / 35HS
[2] S1 S1 A1 H (Icb) (Icb) (Icb) (Bga) (Bga) (BLa) Yb Dca Qa (Icb) [4] / gig , GBa x1(La internal weapon)
GBa Sqn 14 (Vet) / 30DP    

Light Cruiser Princess Sophia (Elite)
8XO (EDMa x1/ReM/ECM1 x4)   (AM1)      CLb / 51HS
[2] (S1) x6 (A2) x12 Zb Hs Qa Mgs (Ib) (Ib Ib) Qb (Ib) Re Re Re Dcza Re Re Re Qb Ye ?a (Ib Ib) [4] / gig
(Re x6/ Dcza x1/ ?a) ReM/ECM1 x96, ReM-LW/ECM1 x12, Re-AFM x 12

Destroyer Queen Rachel (Elite) , Queen Rachel II (Elite)
5XO (ReM/ECM1 x5)      (AM1)      DDb/35HS
[2] (S1) x6 (A2) x12 Zb Hs Mgs Qa Re (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) Re Re Ye Dzb ?a Qb (Ib) [4] / gig
(Re x3/ Dzb x1/ ?a) ReM/ECM1 x48, ReM-LW/ECM1 x6, Re-AFM x18


Honaw Forces
!st Battle Fleet
Admiral Glyn'K' (Elite/LG+2)

Kir'lit  (Green)
13XO (EDMa x1/XOB-Le x1/ReM x6)   (AM1)         BC / 80HS
[3] (S1) x9 (A1) x9 Zb Re Re Qb (Ia Ia) Qb Re Re H (Ia Ia Ia) Qb (M2) Lca Dzb Lpa (Ia Ia) Yb Tb Qb Lpa Lca ?a Db (CICb) (Ia Ia Ia) [4] / gig
(Re x4/ Lca x2/ Lpa x2/ Dzb x1/ Db x1/ Tb x1/ ?a)  ReM x200

N'hi ro1 (Average) , ro2 (Average)
5XO (XOB-Le x1/ReM x2)         DDb / 35HS
[3] (S1) x2 (A1) x1 Zb (Ib) Le Qa Re (Ib) Mg Re Re Yb H Lpa Dzb ?a Qb (Ib) (Ib) [4] / gig
(Re x3/ Le x1/ Lpa x1/ Dzb x1/ ?a) ReM x120

CVL Eertnys (Green)
8XO (GBa x1)         (AM1)      CAf / 60HS
[2] (S1) x6 (A1) x6 Zb Le Qv (Ia Ia) Dzb (Bsa) Qb Qb Yb (Bga) (Bga) (Ia Ia) (Bga) (BLa) H (Ia Ia) Dzb Qb ?a (Ia Ia) (Ia Ia) [5] / gig, st, GBa x4 (L internal weapon)
(Le x1/ Dzb x2/ ?a)  20CP (Average) in Qv
GBa 5 (Average) / 30DP       GBa 6 (Average) / 30DP
GBa 7 (Average) / 30DP       GBa 8 (Average) / 30DP

Rli'm ga5 (Green), ga6 (Green) , ga7 (Green) , ga8 (Green)
2XO (ReM x2)               ESb / 14HS
[2] (S1) x3 (A1) x2 Zb Ht Dzb (Ib) Mgt Qv Le Qa (Ib) [6] / ReM x14
(Le x1/ Dzb x1) 10CP (Average) in Qv

DD-S Soihlo'r (Average)
5XO (ReMx5)               DDb / 35HS
[3] (S1) x5 (A1) x4 Zb (MNE) (MNE) Qa (Ib) Re (Ib) Dzb (Ib) Yca H Qb ?a (Ib) (Ib) [5] / gig
(Re x1/ Dzb x1/ ?a) ReM x20

Rlo'm fa3 (Crack), fa4 (Average)
2XO (ReM x2)               ES / 12HS
[2] S1 A1 Zb Ht Dzb (Ia) Mgt Re Qa (Ia) [6] / ReM x14
(Re x1/ Dzb x1) ReM x 34


Setup
Standard deep space battle with floating map.
All allied ships start within 5tH of Lt Cruiser Princess Sophia except CVE Nile.
CVE Nile may be up to 16tH from Princess Sophia on radian 1.
GBa may be launched and up to 20tH from Nile.
Kir'lit starts at 90tH from Princess Sophia on radian 7.
Honaw ships start within 5tH of the Kir'kit on any radian.
All ships start at battle stations.
The Bg on Nile have seven loads of R external ordinance and three loads of fG external ordinance each.
The Bg on the Eertnys have 10 loads of R each.
This battle will continue until either the allied ships are destroyed, the Honaw ships break off, or 36 hours game time elapse.

Alternate set up would involve using damage/ advancement rolls/ missile load outs from the previous battles played instead of ours.

Aftermath
   The flight from the WP lasted for a day and a half with the Honaw gunboats making repeated strikes, occasionally with the Rli'm and Rlo'm Escorts supporting from long range with their external ordinance or internal launchers as the gunboats closed for their attack runs.  First to perish was the Angelina, already damaged she was easy prey.  The 14th was slowly torn apart as they tried to fend off one strike after another.  One strike managed to break past the Sophia and Igraine to reach the Nile, leaving most of her engine compartments in ruins. Crippled and too slow to avoid her pursuers, Admiral Krimmel was forced to abandon her for the Sophia, as her 'flagship' for the last year was scuttled.  Shaken by the loss, she turned over command to Davidson as the pursuit continued.
   But the losses of the allied ships and squadron were not in vain as the Honaw squadrons were also savaged in the exchanges.  The Honaw attacks trickled off as their gunboats were eventually reduced to one squadron after several consolidations to maintain combat effectiveness.  The Honaw Escorts also stopped their attacks as return fire from the Sophia group proved too devastating even for their linked defenses.  
   After thirty six hours of terror, leaving behind the dead or abandoning those in their life or ejection pods, the battered survivors of the Krimmel's command met their reinforcements and the battle for the fate of Poseidon began.

Tips for the allies,
-Positioning the Sophia group so that its members are escorting/escorted by the Igraine group is a big help.  It allows one group or the other to bring its D into offensive mode while maintaining the protection of the other from the LRW attacks of the Honaw gunboats.  
-The time between strikes as the gunboats rearm also allows ships to reset their datalink groups to maintain full Dz sets so this is important.
-Keep crippling each squadron to reduce its effectiveness as you know that at this speed and over this short amount of time repairs aren't going to make much difference.
-Watch the position on the 14th GB Sqn and don't allow it to be caught away from the support of the Sophia.  If the Honaw can shoot at the 14th, make sure the big ships hit that group hard to keep the 14th in play as long as possible.  Never go after the Honaw ships or you will lose the 14th, and then your ships shortly after.
-When the 14th loses a few DP's switch to the fG's as they will keep full dmg longer.  Played well the 14th should cost the Honaw dearly.
-Remember if you chose to target those pesky Honaw ES that can catch you, your ReM-LW will skip shields and get rid of those offending XO’s.  They also give the Honaw an extra -1 on intercepts which helps get past their potent Dz links.

Tips for the Honaw,
-You can press in attacks against ships with your internal weapons, but be wary of the Sophia.  If she can bring her D into play she can rip squadrons apart.  It is usually more effective to return and rearm the externals. (at least it was for us.)
-Rearming the GB allows the allied shields to come back online, so concentrating on ships with weaker shields is important for the Honaw, as is breaking up the datalinks to reduce the defenders point defense fire.  The links might be repaired between strikes, particularly by the high grade ships, but once they fail on their repairs it will stay down.  
-Don't try to detune the BC to bring the allies in range.  They will just do the same and are higher grade.  The odds are against you.  Burn out and engine room and fall to far behind and the allies may slip into LOD and get away.
-Do let the faster ES support the GB.  Make sure they just get into the extreme end of their range at the same time the GB get into theirs.  This will help tie up the allies D.  Don't worry about your XO's as you can drop back, drop your shields and drive fields, rearm from the internal Mgt, and then use your speed to catch up.  Just don't stay longer than one round.  Even a launch from the Igraine can cripple an ES, and the Sophia can take out several in a round even at long range.
-Don't get all your GB destroyed unless you are sure you can finish off the allies.  You will need them for the next battle.  Even if you can finish off the Sophia group, it won't be easy without your GB.
-Try working for blindspots on the fleeing ships as their turns will help reduce the range between the groups, reducing the time between your strikes or bringing your heavies in range.


Part B.
   Waiting with drive fields and shields down were the reinforcements (known as Jude's Hounds for their relentless pursuit and destruction of Tauran warships) who had pushed their engines and arrived in position to assist.


New Euro Detachment

Heavy Cruisers Phobos (Elite) , Deimos (Elite)
11XO (EDMa x1/RcaM-LW/ECM1 x2/ReM-AFM x3)   (AM1)      CAb / 67HS
[2] (S1) x10 (A2) x16 H Qb Qe (Ib Ib) (Ib Ib) (Ib Ib) Qe Mgt Mg Mg Rca Dcza Rca Dcza Rca Rca Ye Zca ?a (Ib Ib) [4] / gig
(Rca x4/ Dcza x2/ ?a) RcaM/ECM1 x80, RcaM-LW/ECM1 x8, Rca-AFM x 12, ReM-AFM x6, EDMa x2

Light Carrier Duchess of Kent (Elite)
8XO (FQa x1)         (AM1)      CLfb / 51HS
[2] (S1) x4 (A1) x3 Ht Qb Qb Qv (ib Ib) (Ib) (Ib Ib) Dca (CICb) Ye H (Bga) (Bga) (Bga) (BLa) Qe ?a (Ib) (Ib Ib) [5] / gig, GBa x3 (La internal weapon),
FQa x1 (La internal weapon, fG external)
GB Sqn 24 (Elite) / 30DP   GB Sqn 25 (Elite) / 30DP
GB Sqn 26 (Elite) / 30DP   FQ Sqn 2 (Elite) / 20DP
(Dca x1/ ?a)


Setup
Standard deep space battle with floating map.
Survivors of first allied group at center of map.
Allied CA's and CVL are no less than 20tH from Sophia on radian 1 with drives and shields down.
Allied GBa/FQa are not launched.
Kir'lit starts at 90tH from Princess Sophia on radian 7 or at last position of Part A.
Honaw ships start within 5tH of the Kir'kit on any radian or at last positions.
All ships start at battle stations.
The Bg on Duchess of Kent have 10 loads of R external ordinance each.
The Bg on the Eertnys have R as remaining from Part A.


Aftermath
The heavy shielding and armor of the Hounds, along with the fresh Sqns of the Duchess spelled the doom of the Honaw ships.  Rear Admiral Krimmel transferred to the bridge of the Duchess to assume command and took out her vengeance on the Honaw.  She avenged the loss of her Nile and the many crewmember who had died, never asking for surrender.  The Kir'lit was torn apart by capital missiles as her consorts were destroyed by the wounded Sophia and Igraine.  The last Honaw squadron died moments after meeting the New Euro interceptors while the carrier and its escorts died under the guns of the Duchess' gunboats.
Minutes after the engagement was joined, the Honaw had been defeated.
Several days later (after hasty repairs) the survivors of the battle left the Gherilonn destroyers and three new laser bases guarding the WP to Poseidon as they moved to close off the WP from Four Winds to Ruby and trap the Honaw ships in that system.  It was here that Davidson learned that two other New Euro groups had stormed WPs into Regatta Honaw space, seizing two systems and nearly 7 million Honaw colonist.  The Honaw then rapidly began negotiating for a cease fire with all parties and for the safe passage of any Honaw ships from allied space into Honaw systems.  The systems of Four Winds and Ruby would be returned in exchange for the withdrawal of New Euro ships from Honaw space and the release of any prisoners held by either side.  With only the battered Igraine left of the group he had brought to Four Winds, Davidson had found victory and freed the millions of souls in Ruby.  Rear Admiral Krimmel had already petitioned for use of the New Euro Transit Carrier to move the Duchess to Ember following a formal cease fire, pending the refit and upgrades of the Hounds with more advanced launchers and systems to allow them to cross Inferno.
The Wolff of Baltia finally found time to relax, knowing that at least this portion of the Wolff Confederation was secure, and that he would be returning with far more powerful ships than he had left with.  With the Duchess, Destruction, and the Hounds, the AI would face a formidable force.

He had no way to know that when the news of the cease fire reached him that his long time friend Vice Admiral Embressa, the Gray Swan of Drakar, had just died discovering and giving warning of an AI force.
One that would threaten the Wolff Confederation home system with extinction.


This closes the Tale of the Wolff in Four Winds....

[procyon (OP)]

A Swan at Sunset
(Part 8 of the Sunset Saga)

New Empires Campaign - month 41

As the defenses of the WPs out of Sunset became stronger, the need to find the entry WP of the AI into the system became vital.  No patrol had ever found any ship or sign of the AI anywhere near an unsurveyed WP.  It was decided that the WP the AI were using had to be far from the inner system in the vast empty stretches of space surrounding the red dwarf.
In an attempt to be certain that previous surveys had simply failed to identify the WP, another hasty resurvey of the system was begun.  With the combined survey fleets of the Baltians, Drakus, and Cryocians it would be completed in only a few months.  While this was going on, Vice Admiral Embressa (long known as the Grey Swan of Drakus) took the Drakus 4th Cruiser Squadron, 1st Destroyer Squadron, the Sensor Vessel Dra and two support ships to look for any AI activity or to intervene in attacks on the scattered survey vessels.  It would be nearly impossible to save the small unarmed ships if they were attacked, but the chance to find, track, and attack AI groups could be invaluable.
The first attack on the survey ships occurred late in the month, with a single Baltian ship being destroyed by a pair of AI destroyers. It had occurred in deep space near nothing of particular interest.   It was nearly 60 light minutes from Embressa's position, but she began to move to the vicinity of the attack.  Hopeful that a survey vessel had strayed near the AI's entry WP, she reported her intention to investigate.
It was 30 hours later that a second survey vessel was destroyed.  It had occurred only 7 light minutes from the first attack, but this attack was only discovered by the arrival of the Omega drone at the WP to the Wolff Home system.  News of the attack reached Vice Admiral Embressa nearly 24 hours after it had occurred.  She checked the positions and was suddenly bothered by the plotting of the attacks.  On a hunch, she set off at the best speed she could manage on a course designed to intercept any group maintaining the course plotted by the destroyed survey ships.
As she reached the location she had plotted, she turned her ships into the course of the AI ships that might appear if they had held their previous course.  Shifting her ships to a low emission profile, she hoped her small sensor vessel would be able to detect any AI ships before they realized the Drakus ships were hunting them.
Two hours later the AI Group came into focus at a range of only 15 light seconds.  Vice Admiral Embressa ordered the launch of all drones from each ship in the 4th Cruiser group, targeted to the WPs to Ember and the Wolff home system.  Most as code omega.  She ordered the 1st Destroyer Squadron and the support ships to break off and attempt to flee.  As she watched the AI gunboat squadrons pour out, she knew there would be no daring last minute rescue this time.

Drakus Forces
Rear Admiral Embressa (LG+1/Crack)

Drakus 4th Light Cruiser Squadron
Light Cruiser Vakyr (Average)
7XOb (RbM x7)               CL / 45HS
[3] (S) x4 (A) x4 Zb Hs Mgs 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 x94

Destroyers Drannaeus (Crack) , Drassan (Elite)
5XOa (RbM x5)               DD / 30HS
[3] (S) x3 (A)x3 Zb Hs Mgs Qa Rb Rb (Ia) (Ia) (Ia) Rb Rb Yb Da Qa (Ia) (Ia) [5] / gig
(Rb x4 / Da x1) RbM x64

Drakus 1st Destroyer Squadron
Destroyers Drasala (Avereage) , Daveska (Green) , Dravik (Green)
5XOa (RbM x5)               DD / 30HS
[3] (S) x3 (A)x3 Zb Hs Mgs Qa Rb Rb (Ia) (Ia) (Ia) Rb Rb Yb Da Qa (Ia) (Ia) [5] / gig
(Rb x4/ Da x1) RbM x64

Drakus Support Ships
Missile Collier 2 (Average)          FT0 / 7HS
[2] Mgs (Mg) x3 Hs Qa (Ica) [4] / RbM x204

Tug A1 (Average)             FT1 / 12HS
[2] H (ica Ica) Ta Qa (ica Ica) [4]

Sensor Vessel Dra (Average)         CT / 16HS
[2] H (Ica) Qa Yca (Ica) [4] / gig


AI Forces

AI GB Sqn 12 / 30 DP   AI GB Sqn 16 / 30 DP
AI GB Sqn 38 / 30 DP   AI GB Sqn 17 / 30 DP
AI GB Sqn 39 / 30 DP   AI GB Sqn 18 / 30 DP
AI GB Sqn 41 / 30 DP   AI GB Sqn 19 / 30 DP
AI GB Sqn 42 / 30 DP   AI GB Sqn 20 / 30 DP


Setup
Standard deep space battle.
All ships start at battle stations.
Vakyr starts at center of map facing radian 1.
The rest of 4th Cruiser starts within 3 tH with same facing.
The 1st Destroyer and support ships start 20tH behind the 4th Cruiser in LOD on the same facing.
The 1st Destroyer MAY NOT initiate combat. It must attempt to evade in LOD (orders are orders...)

AI GBa 16-20 start at 20tH from Vakyr on radian 1.
GBa 12,38,39 start at 25tH from the Vakyr on radian 1.
Remaining AI GBa start at 30tH from Vakyr on radian 1.
AI GBa Sqn 16-20 have R external ordinance.  All other GBa have K external ordinance.
AI GBa have ast guns for internal ordinance.
Any Drakus ship that is detected must be followed by at least one AI GBa within sensor range to track target.

Hidden movement for the 1st Destroyer and support ships should be utilized.
Any Drakus ship that escapes the map but is in sensor range of an AI GBa is considered destroyed.
If any ship of 4th Cruiser is able to move 35 hexes along radian 1 it is considered an AI loss.
(Read below, you'll see why)

Comments.  My wife decided that she really should have had the 1st Destroyer in the lead.
This is pretty much about trying to get the 1st Destroyer away from the GB. 
Winning is about getting any ships out alive at all.

Aftermath
Vice Admiral Embressa fought ferociously against the onslaught of AI gunboats, trying to draw them all onto the 4th Cruiser Squadron and spare the rest of her ships.  Salvo after salvo ripped into her ships as they fought the tiny craft.  The first wave of gunboats destroyed the Drannaeus and left the Drassan damaged.  The second wave finished off the destroyer and left the Vakyr struggling to make way.  As the gunboats began to break off and spread out Embressa ordered the Vakyr to detune her drive and move directly toward the AI formation.  The gunboats quickly pressed in on the wounded ship and finished her off with their small onboard weapons.
Almost no one bailed for life pods as the approaching AI ships would leave no survivors.  The 1st Destroyer slipped away safely, watching the destruction of one of the most respected commanders in Drakus history.
Vice Admiral Embressa died giving a warning that would give the allies a slim hope in the battle to come.  She had found the main AI fleet operating in Sunset.  Her last sensor records showed three Kraken Class Carriers, two Dragon Class Battleships, a dozen destroyers and over a dozen gunboat squadrons.
And they were on a direct course for the WP to the Wolff home worlds.

[procyon (OP)]

'Give me where to stand'
(Part 9 in the Sunset Saga)

New Empires Campaign - month 41

Vice Admiral Embressa's warning had reached the WP to the Wolff Confederation home system barely 100 hours before the AI force would arrive.  The survivors of Embressa's command arrived at the WP only hours before the AI fleet, and waited in Sunset as their enemy approached.  After the Sensor Vessel Dra confirmed that the AI ships were nearing the WP, they transited into the Wolff home system to assist in the defense.  A few hours later a single AI freighter transited the WP and was destroyed by the defenders, but it had served its purpose before it had even arrived in the home system.  The AI had monitored its transit and calculated the WP's capacity.  With the WP's size now known, the AI waited only a short time before the assault began.
Baltian Vice Admiral Penn had prepared his defenses as thoroughly as possible.  He knew this would decide the fate of his homeworld, and that no support from the New Euro would be available for this.  For better or worse, the defense would depend on the races of the Wolff Confederation alone.  They did not possess the advanced weapons of the Euro, but they did have the knowledge that they were all that stood between their homes and families and the destruction that would come if they failed.  They also had one advantage.  The AI would attack unaware that the far side of the WP was located in a nebula.
With the Drakus 5th Cruiser and 1st Destroyer Squadrons supported by a group of Cryocian Storm Corvettes in reserve should any AI ships break through, the assembled forces of the three races stood as one, and waited.


Baltian Forces
Vice Admiral Penn (LG+2/Elite)

Heavy Cruisers Peter the Great (Crack) , Alexander the Great (Average)
11XOb (ADMa x1/ RbM x7)            CAb / 67HS
[3] (S1) x6 (A1)x12 Zb Qa Qb Qb Dcza (Ib Ib) (Ib Ib) (Ib Ib) Qb (M2) H Mg Rb Rb Rb Dzb Rb Rb Rb Dzb Rb Rb Rb Yb ?a (Ib Ib) [4] / gig
(Rb x9/ Dcza x1/ Dzb x2/ ?a) RbM x150

Destroyers Queen Elizabeth (Average) , Queen Mary (Average) ,
   Queen Victoria (Average) , Queen Camilla (Average)
5XOa (ADMa x1/ RbM x1)            DDb / 35HS
[3] (S1) x3 (A1)x8 Zb Ht Mgt Qa Dcza Rb Rb (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) Rb Rb Ya Dzb Qb ?a (Ib) [4] / gig
(Rb x4/ Dcza x1/ Dzb x1/ ?a)  RbM x54

WP Explorer Picasso (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 02 (Average)
                     FT0 / 7HS
[2] Mgs (Mg) x3 Hs Qa (Ica) [4] / RbM x204

Tug 01 (Average)                 FT1 / 12HS
[2] H Ta (Ica Ica) Qa (Ica) [3]

System Defense Fort A1 (Average) , A2 (Average) , A3 (Average)
10XOb (RbM x10)               AF/60HS

• (A1)x18 Zb H Qb Qb Rb Rb Rb Rb Db Rb Rb Rb Rb (CICb) Rb Rb Rb Rb Qb Yb
• / gig

(Rb x12/ Db x1)  RbM x120

Buoy2 - 6XOb/GbM x3  (x120)
Buoy2 - Apew/E x2 (x24)


Drakus Forces
Vice Admiral Callasenne (LG+1/Crack)

Drakus 1st Cruiser Squadron
Heavy Cruiser Jasinik (Average)
10XOb (ADMa x1/ RbM x6)            CA / 60HS
[3] (S) x5 (A) x4 Zb H Qb H (Ia Ia) (Ia Ia) (Ia Ia) Qb (M2) Mg Rb Rb Rb Da Rb Rb Rb Da Rb Rb Rb Yb Da Qb (Ia Ia) [4] / gig
(Rb x9/ Da x3) RbM x150

Destroyers Dysyn (Average) , Dahlirn (Average)
5XOa (ADMa x1/ RbM x1)            DD / 30HS
[3] (S) x3 (A)x3 Zb Hs Mgs Qa Rb Rb (Ia) (Ia) (Ia) Rb Rb Yb Da Qa (Ia) (Ia) [5] / gig
(Rb x4 / Da x1) RbM x64

Drakus Support Ships
Missile Collier 1 (Average) , 3 (Average)          FT0 / 7HS
[2] Mgs (Mg) x3 Hs Qa (Ica) [4] / RbM x204

Tug A1 (Average) , A2 (Average)             FT1 / 12HS
[2] H (ica Ica) Ta Qa (ica Ica) [4]

Sensor Vessel Dru (Average)            CT / 16HS
[2] H (Ica) Qa Yca (Ica) [4] / gig


Cryocian Forces

Armed FT's 01 (Crack) , 02 (Crack) , 03 (Crack) , 04 (Crack) ,
   05 (Crack) , 06 (Crack) , 07 (Crack) , 08 (Crack)
                     FT2 / 16HS
[2] A Qv H H Qv H H Hs Pgb H Qa (Ica) (Ica) [4] / gig x1
(Pgb x1)

WP Defense Bases 01 (Crack) , 02 (Crack) , 03 (Crack) , 04 (Crack) ,
   05 (Crack) , 06 (Crack) , 07 (Crack) , 08 (Crack)
                     BS0 / 15HS

• (A1)x6 Hs Pgb Qa Tb Eb

(Pgb x1/ Eb x1)


AI Forces

DN / CVA 03 (Average) , 04 (Average) , 06 (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 Mg Dzb 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 +1 (ast internal weapon), 40 CP GB crew in Qv (Average)
(Rca x5/ Dzb x1/ ?a) RcaM x80

BB 01 (Average) , 04 (Average)
14 XOa (RcaM x7)            (AM1)   BB / 100HS
[3] (S1) x14 (A1)x16 Za Qb Qb (Ia Ia Ia) Dzb Qb (M1) Rb Rb Rca Dzb Rca Rb Rb Mg (Ia Ia Ia) Dzb Rb Rb Rca Dzb Rca Rb Rb Yb Qb H ?a Qb (Ia Ia Ia) [3] / gig
(Rca x4 / Rb x8 / Dzb x4/ ?a) RcaM x70, RbM x80

DD 13 (Average) , 14 (Average) , 15 (Average), 16 (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

DD 32/b (Average) , 33/b (Average)  
4XOa (RcaM x2)               (AM1)   DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x7 (A1)x7 Za Ht Qa Mgt (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) Rca Dzb Rca Yb ?a Qb (Ib) (Ib) [5] / gig
(Rca x2/ Dzb x1/ ?a) RcaM x27

DDE 07 (Average) , 08 (Average)
5XOa (RcaM x2/RbM x1)         (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

DDE 02/b (Average) , 05/b (Average) , 06/b (Average) , 11/b (Average)
5XOa (RcaM x2/RbM x1)         (AM1)   DDb / 35HS
[2] (S1) x5 (A1)x4 Za Hs Mgs Qa (Ib) (Ib) (Ib) Db Db Db Rca Yb Db Db Db ?a Qb (Ib) (Ib) [5] / gig
(Rca x1 / Db x6/ ?a) RcaM x22


Setup
WP at center of map.  WP size is C.
Wolff system is a reflective nebula.
Buoy2(GbM) x10 and Bouy2(E) x2 on each radian at 2tH from WP.
Buoy programming at allied players option at beginning of battle.
Baltian CICb's may activate/reprogram/control buoys after the BS it is in reached battle stations.
Cryocian ships/bases on any radian and grouping at 10tH from WP.
Each Cryocian WP Def BS will have tractored its corresponding Armed FT prior to the WP assault.
Baltian AF are at 18tH from WP on radian 1.  AF's may not occupy the same tH.
Drakus and Baltian tugs are in the same hex as an AF - one tug per AF.  They have not tractored the AF's.
The two Baltian CA/DDx2 groups and one Drakus CA/DDx2 groups rotate GQ, determined randomly.
The GQ CA/DDx2 group will be at 17tH from the WP on radian 7.  
The other CA/DD's will be at 30tH from the WP on any radian.
All unarmed allied ships will be no closer than 35tH to the WP.
As this is home system defense - any allied ship may attempt to ram.

AI Bga have 5 loads of K and 5 loads of R for external ordinance.
AI know the WP size, but not surge.  Random facing on exiting WP.
AI transit order, links, etc. to be determined by AI player.
AI ships may ram, but not ST.

Notes.  This is a nearly impossible nut to crack if the defender has much ability.  Loading more GBa into the XO's would have helped the AI and could be an option, but is unlikely to change the outcome.  Any ships that slip past the defenders would face a Drakus Group identical to the one in Swan at Sunset, plus 5 Cryocian Storm Class CT's (as in Death in the Silent Places but all crew grade of Green x2 and Crack x3).  They are shields/DF down and on a random radian at 90tH.

Aftermath.
Six AI destroyers led the assault and were met with only fire from the Baltian Cruiser Peter the Great and sporadic mine detonations.  Even with this light weight of fire, deprived of their shields four of the six destroyers were left venting air and more importantly, none of the destroyers' datalinks were left intact.  Thirty seconds later as the first AI carrier and two escort destroyers transited, the first wave's sensors came on line and assessed the true depth of the defenses.  Courier drones flashed back through the WP even as the first Kraken Class carrier was destroyed moments after clearing its XO's.  With all of the bases and Peter the Great link now at battle stations, fire poured onto the WP as the bases took direct control of the mines to concentrate fire.  The AI courier drones were to late to prevent the transit of the second Kraken Class ship and it also disappeared moments after appearing at the WP.  No more ships would transit after this and several of the destroyers would successfully transit back into Sunset.  Of the ten destroyers that made transit, only three escaped - all of which were damaged to a greater or lesser degree.  The other seven perished.  Two attempted to ram the Baltian forts but were stopped short.  They did occupy the defenders long enough to allow the two AI GB sqns that had launched from XO's to reach the forts and crash into them.  One sqn had suffered enough fire that the remaining gunboats kamikaze runs barely breached the heavy fort's protective outer skin.  The other fort was less fortunate and left with barely a third of its launchers still online - but it survived.  The rudimentary sensors of Baltian and Drakus courier drones sent through the WP showed the remaining AI ships to be withdrawing.
Vice Admiral Penn weighed his options.  With only a single AI Kraken Class carrier, two Dragon Class battleships and five destroyers -most damaged- if the defenders were to summon their reserves and give chase there was a good chance they might overwhelm and defeat the remaining AI ships.  But the damage had been extensive.  In less than five minutes half of the Cryocian Armed FT's and bases had been destroyed, two of the three forts were damaged -one heavily- leaving them unable to link into an effective fire group, and possibly most serious was that over two thirds of the mines had been used stopping the attack. And with no Euro small craft to counter the AI gunboats losses would be heavy.  With billions of civilian lives at stake - there could be no pursuit from the home system.
But one hour later Rear Admiral Levianna transited the WP with the Drakus reserves and sent a message speeding toward the WP to Ember and the defenders waiting there.  She intended to avenge Embressa and all of the allied crew members who had died that day.
Three hours later New Euro Vice Admiral Hermione Shepherd sortied from the WP to Ember with the CVL Destruction and her escorts, CVE's Nile and Shannon, the Baltian CVE's Red Oak and White Oak, the Lady Anne, and two sensor vessels to hunt down the last of the AI ships.  Four days later, and only 3 light minutes from where Cryocian Rear Admiral Xenexis first fought the AI in Sunset, elements of the two groups would meet.