STGOD 2K5 Main Game

[Kyle]

TNS Eagle
Engaging Klingon battlecruiser

"Sir, bad news. Fleet command reports that we are engaged all along the border. Command suspects that the Klingon High Command has been watching our patrol patterns and had plotted out our patrol sectors. They've hit every task group we've got arrayed on the border almost simulatanously. They also hit everyone of them, just like us, with a superior force. "

Eagle and Alexander were both pouring fire into the Battlecruiser as the first wave of fighters launched from the escort carrier launched their anti-ship weapons and then followed those missiles straight down into the teeth of the battlecruisers defensive fire to strafe the ships with short range energy fire.

The terran cruisers co-ordinated there fire with the impact of the fighter ASMs. the combined strike was able to knock down a section of the klingon ships shields long enough for a volley of energy beams to tear into the armored hull.

"Direct hit. I'm getting reduced energy emisions from the klingon ship and fluctuations in the shield grid. We hit something vital, and I'm also detecting atmospheric venting."

The Klingon ship was wounded but was far from out of the fight, and the fighters were out of ASMs, they'd have to return to the Shadow and re-arm before they could launch another strike like the last one. "Fleet Command says that Home Fleet is sending relief as well as First and and Second fleets, no ETA yet."

"Send out a general request for reinforcements. All frequencies and channels, no encryption or scrambling. Maybe the Kingdom or Commonwelath has something out this way, who knows maybe the Kzin have something in range."

[phongn]

"This is HMS Typhon with Fast Fleet Squadron South. We have copied your transmission and scrambling reinforcements. FFS East is also en route to assist. We are transiting at maximum fleet hyperfold speeds. Can you hold, over? "

The battlecruiser Typhon was straining her engines an an attempt to reinforce the scattered Terran blockade forces. She also had a trio of missile cruisers with her, plus inferior escorts but the majority of FFS South was in refit and repair. They would have to do but they should have enough firepower to relieve their allies. Elements of FFS East was also moving in at maximum speeds but it would take them longer to arrive, with only a paltry few ships in the Nemesis Sector.

[Rogue 9]

"Most assuredly. Pirate scum. We were lucky the Hermes' captain decided to stray from his usual patrol and shadow us, otherwise, I may be on the fugue plane waiting for Helm to take me into his realm." he said with a smile while he got to his feet. No small task for anyone in field plate, but he made it seem easy. Hw was definently used to wearing it. Truth be told, he could sleep in the stuff.

"I apologize of my introduction embarassed or unearved you, it is something that Helm demands I do in order to show respect when I m first assigned to a position and meet my diplomatic liason or the commanding officer of a ship, whichever comes first" he explained with a little smirk, as if he found the whole proceedure amusing. He was the sort of man who could find happiness and humor in any situation.

Captain Weston, on the other hand, was dead serious. "There are two things the Republic Space Command does not abide, Ambassador. Wars of conquest, and pirates." He turned to the pilot of the Vincent. "Where and when were you attacked, and by what force?"

"I memorized the coordinates<coordinates, in international space> It was by a light cruiser equiped with interdiction equipment. Probably trolling the area for merchant ships. The attack was 6 hours hyperspace travel from here"

"Thank you. Excuse me for just one moment." Weston pulled out his communicator. "Bridge, this is Captain Weston. Relay a pirate activity report to fleet command at these coordinates," he said as he punched the numbers into his datapad. "Six hour time delay. They probably won't still be there, but I estimate it worth sending a patrol group."

"Aye, Captain."

Joyous Gard

NRS Shieldwall quickly turned towards the coordinates relayed from Fifth Fleet Command, her squadron forming up around her. The Sixth Fleet Guardian class cruiser and her escorts immediately made the transition to slipspace, not bothering with the usual niceties of clearing the gravity well, or even orbit. A foreign sovereign ambassador to the Republic had been attacked, and if that wasn't enough he was attacked by pirates. This would not stand.

NRS Shieldwall, en route to pirate ambush site

"Conn, helm. Captain, we're coming up on the initial search point. Two minutes out."

Captain Brraskar's furred face broke out in a toothy, predatorial grin. The Zambaran drummed the armrest of his command chair with his secondary right hand, while reaching for the shipwide intercom with his left. "Acknowledged, Helm." He switched on the shipwide address intercom. "General quarters, general quarters. All hands man your battle stations." He released the switch as the alarm klaxons sounded throughout the cruiser. "Fire control, Conn. Spin up the gun batteries and load Archer missiles. They almost certainly won't be there anymore, but I don't care to take chances."

"Aye, sir."

"Rensa?"

The ship's AI projected it's hologram onto the status panel next to the command chair. "Yes, Captain?" Rensa favored a Ronoghan form hologram, and tended to be all business, if overly analytical.

"I need you to coordinate battery fire for time-on-target if the pirates are still where they were. If not, analyze the sensor readouts, see if you can find anything."

"Yes, Captain." The hologram disappeared.

[Thirdfain]

Osiris

-::-

President Delacroix's office was opulent. It was Commonwealth tradition that the President organize and appoint the Federal Building to his or her own needs, and Delacroix's needs seemed to be as attractive as they were expensive. One end of the room was taken up by a traditional Osiran sitting-cupboard, a cozy little nest of expansive pillows, thick carpets, and low tables, upon which exotic snacks could be shared as the President discussed whatever matter of state was required.
The other end of the room was something else entirely. His desk was of the most modern design, built with electronics imported from the Corporate Sector. It's surface was of the finest Desjardins pine, a rare breed indeed since the People's War, and it was cut and varnished in the minimalist fashion which had been popular on that world, and was still popular today with the old military families. Skillfully hidden holographic displays projected a map of the Commonwealth onto the window behind him; usually, it would look out over the Osiran skyline.

It was at this desk that the President sat. Muhamet Delacroix was tall, a slightly portly man with pale skin and a neatly trimmed beard. His eyes, dark and penetrating, were the eyes of a man with ambition and power.

Across from him sat Jaquiline St. Juste- a name of surpassing fame across the Commonwealth, and even outside it. Former Chef-Admiral of the fleet which had laid Corneria low. Governer of Corneria Station for twenty years. Senator and head of the Conservative Bushido party, opposition leader in the Senate. She was old- pushing 100- but her back was straight, and her build retained some of the slender athletecism she had enjoyed in her youth.

She was also angry. Never a subtle woman, years in politics had done little to soften her style.

"Citizen President! I can't believe that you aare going along with this. The cost to the nation is going to be astronomical. This deployment, on top of the Auroran operation? We'll have half the Fleet off engaged in an operation which in fact harms us!"

The president spread his hands in a conciliatory fashion.

"Come then, Jaqueline. You know as well as I that we have obligations to fulfill."

St. Juste gritted her teeth.

"Obligations? The Republic made that deal over fifty years ago! Never mind it was made when our backs were to the thrice-damned wall. It's word can hardly be said to have held all this time!"

Delacroix grinned.

"Our obligations to the Entente go beyond the treaty our predecessors forged back during the People's War, Jaqueline. Or don't you remember?"
His grin gained a nasty note. "Wasn't it the Entente who saved us over Desjardins, while you were off in Corneria?"

St. Juste went red, her swarthy skin taking on a ruddy light.

"I... I protest, Citizen President! Look here! I'll take this before the Senate immediately. I'll call for a goddamn popular vote on the issue! It's my right, goddamit, and you know which way the people will..."

"Oh, will you, Jaqueline? Will you? I'm afraid it wouldn't do a bit of good, not at this late hour."

"I recall you saying something along those lines before I forced the Fleet Expansion bill through, Citizen President."

The president leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers.

"Yes, a lovely piece of work, that- but what's done is done. I sent the orders as soon as I recieved word from Terra."

He shrugged expansively.

"After all, Jaqueline, how can you stop this in congress- when it's already been launched? Don't look so surprised, Jaquiline. You've been deployed by Presidential decree yourself, back in the People's War. There will be no Senate vote on this matter. The ships, you see- they are already there."

St. Juste shot up from her chair.

"Citizen President, this is a clear misuse of the Cincinnatus Clause. I'll have your ass thro.... I'll have you kicked out of the office!"

Delacroix couldn't have been calmer.

"Oh, please, Jaqueline. You know you don't have the votes. Your radical invactive isn't earning you any friends in the Senate. I assume, then, that we are done speaking?"

It was hardly a credit to her coolheadedness that the former soldier managed to sketch a bow before leaving. Delacroix watched her retreating back , waiting till the door hand slid shut behind her.

He thumbed a control, and spoke. "Sanderson? I'd like a feed to the Fleet, please. Yes, on the window. Thank you, Sanderson, that will be all."

He swivelled in his chair to watch the readouts. Seems like there would be some action after all.

-:ENDRECORD:-

Code: Select all

-:FLASH:-
FROM:Sous-Admiral Abrim St. Claire (CNV Pele), Fleet Manipule Iota
TO: TNS EXCALIBUR
SUBJ: Incoming :
WARNING: TNS EXCALIBUR BE ADVISED ALLIED 3SC VESSELS INCOMING -STOP- COUNT 3 DN 3 CA 4 DD 17 FF OF 3SC GRAND FLEET 3RD CENTURY -STOP-
TONNAGE/TRANSPONDER INFO ATTACH RESPECT OUR APPROACH -STOP-
   

-Vessels in theater; One manipule will be transiting to each of the nearest threatened patrols. Assume they've been on their way for a while and should be arriving in minutes or less

3rd Century
Based: Togo Station
CO: Admiral Cameron Saito

Fleet Manipule Eta
1 “Nike” class DN
1 “Nemesis” class DN
1 “Themis” class CV
3 “Megara-II” class CA
3 “Alcyone-III” class DD
1 “Clymene” class DDG
12 “Hesperia-IV” class FFE
5 “Aegle” class FF

Fleet Manipule Theta “St. Juste’s Own”
1 “Nemesis” class DN
2 “Themis” class CV
3 “Megara-II” class CA
3 “Alcyone-III” class DD
1 “Clymene” class DDG
12 “Hesperia-IV” class FFE
5 “Aegle” class FF

Fleet Manipule Iota “Andreson’s Heroes”
2 “Nike” class DN
1 “Nemesis” class DN
3 “Megara-II” class CA
3 “Alcyone-III” class DD
1 “Clymene” class DDG
12 “Hesperia-IV” class FFE
5 “Aegle” class FF

[Kyle]

"HMS Typhon this is Vice Admiral Muergens on TNS Pioneer. Fifth Fleet is heavily engaged with Klingon forces. We are holding and will continue to hold, but we are being pushed hard. My ships are over extended and we have no close by reinforcements and no unengaged reserve." He paused to gesture at something to an officer nearby, then turned back to the screen


"Naval Command has reported that the Klingons have combined this assault along the blockade perimeter with a strike into the second district. The elements of first, second and home fleet that were detailed to reinforce us have been rerouted to the border to stop that assault. Our closest organized reinforcement is therefore Task Force 62 which has just begun to transit the Bajoran wormhole."

He paused for a second to yell something at a subordinate offscreen to his right. "Because of this I'm gonna try and route you to hot spots as my mobile reserve. Right now Task Group 515 is the worst hot spot, I'm routing you tactical data and co-ordinates over a side band. They're in a tough fight, two heavy cruisers and an escort carrier versus a battlecruiser.

TNS Eagle

Eagle rocked as a plasma burst hit her armored hull. Burns from several similar hits scored her hull and that of her sistership TNS Alexander Both of them were giving all that they could as they did the best they could to disable the much larger klingon battlecruiser.

The fighters from Shadow had already made three combined assaults on the battlecruiser and Shadow was now beginning to run low on anti shipping munitions for the fighters. Each strike had been vectored so as to make a strafing run on the klingon destroyers engaging the terran escorts screening the small carrier after hitting the battle cruiser.

Two of the Klingon destroyers had been pounded into scrap, one was disabled with heavy damage and the other three were all hurt to varying degrees. Not that it really mattered, soooner or later the battlecruiser was going to pound Eagle or Alexander into submission, and then the other one would be made of short work, at which time Shadow and her escorts would have no other option but to flee.

"Keep pounding that quadrant, sooner or later we have to get a breech big enough to cause some serious damage, if we can do that we can hold out long for TF 62 to reach us." It wasn't likely, but news that the reinforcements from first fleet had been redirected had caused morale to spiral has people relaized that the two cruisers were causing damage to the battlecruiser but not at a rate fast enough to stop it from destroying the task group.

Especially when Shadow had reported that she only had enough ASMs left for one more strike before she was reduced to anti-fighter missiles and internal weapons for the fighters and bombers that were only thing giving Eagle and Alexander a fighting chance.

Another hit rocked against Eagles bare hull; burning another scorch mark on to her ceramic hull.

[Thirdfain]

-::-

The sororas of Dreadnought dropped out of hyperspace in three-abreast formation, already turning to present their broadsides to the Klingon battlecruiser. A trio of Megara-II class heavy cruisers took up escorting positions above and below the Dreadnought formation, filling the chinks where enemy torpedo-boats might infiltrate.

On the flag deck of the Pele, Sous-Admiral St. Claire lay in his command womb, connected to the rest of his Manipule by a high-yield direct brain jack and a half-dozen communications officers. His pupils were already shrinking to pinpoints as the combat drug glands at the base of his neck pumped his brain full of a cocktail of agents. Stimulants and tranquilizers flowed as focusing agents inundated his higher brain, sharpening his mind to a razor's edge.

His eyes flickered as projectors ran statistics and reports from the fleet's sensors before his eyes. He watched the unfolding situation, and observed the beleagured Terran cruisers as they struggled with the heavily-gunned Klingon capital ship. They wouldn't last long agains the sort of firepower it was pouring out.

"Excalibur, pull out. Let us handle the battlecruiser."

He switched channels with the flick of a thought.

"Panthesilea, roll pods, full volley. Knock that Battlecruiser out before it can finish off the Terrans. Fleet, all tubes prepare for volley-fire, full alpha strike, until we can reach gun range."

The third Dreadnought was a DNG of the Nemesis -class. Her design was new, her pod silos granting her a massive throw weight at expense of duration and hull strength- a far cry from the Artemis-class which the Commonwealth had fielded the last time they fought alongside the TRN.

Her aft silos slammed open, ejecting a rosette of eight pods into space behind her. Each of the pods exploded, hurling it's payload of heavy missiles screaming across space on tails of hot ions. Across the fleet, the other vessels discharged their own payloads, broadside tubes hurling the rounds free on low-velocity railguns.

"Fleet, one volley hypermissiles. Load. Time strike to coincide with STL impact."

The Commonwealth had arrived in shocking strength. In a couple of seconds, the Klingons would find themselves facing the brunt of that strength.

-::-

[Ace Pace]

As the shuttle docks and its occupents drop off, a pair of droids move in to scan the cyborgs, chattering to themselves.
The droids turn back, apprently statisfied.

Slowly the main hanger door opens, a mammoth door, and 1 small figure walks out quickly to the waiting chairman.

"Hello, welcome to the Galactic, I am 2nd in command of the Galactic, so theres no doubt about me, now, lets get down to buisness, if you will please follow me?
Your cyborgs may acompany you, but not to the negotiationing room, that place is screened from most electronics and will harm most cyborgs."

"Now follow me, quickly please"


Someplace deep in the Galactic

"Now please, tell your cyborgs to stay outside, this is the negotiationing room"

Before the group was a small door, but elegently writtin upon was "Guest Room", within seconds, the door silently opens, revealing a old style dining table, made out of pure wood, and several chairs arranged in a circle around it.
Upon each chair, a note was writtin, identifying who should sit upon the chair, the Chairman and the Ambassador on one side, the officer and another aide allready seated, on the other side.
Infront of the chairman and the ambassador was allready a small data screen, carrying the the terms.

"As you can see, the terms are said clearly, i'll repeat them for the nice recording device in the table.

1) All trade between all 3 of us will be completly open, and unregulated.

2) The Hub will supply maps and information of area's it enouncters, and in return will recive detailed maps of The Imperium and the Coroporate Hegemony.

3) The Hub will act, if neccesarry, as a self defense fleet for the empires, and as protection for the Joint colonies that will be established at [Cordinates follow].

4) The new joint Colonies, if founded, will be completly neutral.


Now.. are these terms acceptable to you, chairman? And to you, Ambassador?"

The tired man leans back and waits for reply.

[General Zod]

the chairman listens, nodding in silent agreement after informing the honor guards to remain outside. 3 meter tall cybernetically enhanced marines had a tendency to be somewhat imposing. "i believe the terms are acceptable. provided the ambassador agrees, i cannot foresee any obvious problems."

[Alyrium Denryle]

When the Tyr's Fist and Binder jumped out of hyperspace, the situation was grim indeeed


The Startide's shields were down and it was suffering hull damage , weapons and shields were damaged beyond the capacity to repair in the field, and the Friendly Relatins had successfully avoided most enemy fire

The Tyrs Fist moved to interpose herself between the pirate armada and the crippled cruiser, with the Interdictor behind them both

"This is the Dreadnought Tyr's Fist of the Federation of Thaumaturgists. You are ordered to stand down and prepared to be boarded. This is your only chance to surrendur. Any resistance beyond this point, and you shall recieve no mercy"

The cruisers attempted to turn tail and jump int hyperspace, but found themselves unable to

"Scum like you are not the only one's with interdictors. FIre control, target the cruisers and open fire."

The Mage and the Cleric really did enjoy their jobs. They watched on their viewscreen as the massive 16 gun batteries on the flanks of their vessell turned to face their enemy, The fire control teams in each battery making use of the Sensor spell enchantments on their guns through an illusory screen, and spoke the command word for each of their guns, Sounding off in a way as each gun let loose with a blinding beam of pure white magical energy. Starboard batteries 1D-10D fired at the first cruiser. The 10 ventral Batteries 1V-10V fired at the first cruiser. Several missed but over 150 Heavy Ruin Beams hit each vessel's aft shields, causeing a massive energy flare. The first ships aft shields went down and a beam drove deep within the bowels of the reaction engine"

"Magus, we are detecting energy fluctuations in their reactor. And their engines are damaged and offline, Cruiser Alpha has maneuving thrusters only"

"Excellent" he replied, his face grim and stone-etched like that of a well-carved statue

The second cruiser fared slightly better and didnt suffer physical damage only shield failure. Seconds later, the standard ruin cannon's crews acheived targeting solutions on the destroyers. Only being medium guns, their blinding flashes of lightt were slightly smaller and less blinging, and the energy beams they produced, danced accross the shielding systems of the pirte ships, like sequin-encrusted ballet dancers on a mirror glass stage.

The cruisers, in ther damaged state, their back to their enemy could not bring most of their weapons to bare on their attackers. Only sporadic fire ever made to the starboard shieds of the Tyr's Fist hitting them like small firecrackers against a mailbox in the blackness of a deep night.

"Starboard Dorsal and Starbpard Ventral SHields at 99% Magus and Father, until they can bring a broadside to bare they arent a danger"

"Order the pilots to their fighters"

"Already done sir"

"excellent"

The smaller vessels, being hit constantly by fie from the lihgt and medium guns, opened fire on the 10 KM long behemoth.

As energy and projectiles danced across the Dreadnoughts Starboard DOrsal shields, the officer called out again

"Starboard Dorsal shields at 93% they could be problematic if ignored my sovereigns"

[Kyle]

Code: Select all

FROM: Vice Admiral Muergens (TNS Pioneer) Fifth Fleet, TF 52, TG 521
TO: Sous-Admiral St. Claire (CNV Pele) Fleet Maniple Iota
SUBJ: 3SC Support

Admiral St. Claire
 Royal Navy vessels are vectoring to support Task Group 515. All forces are heavily engaged. I will route your forces to immediate hotspots. 

 Route Maniple Eta to support Task Group 522, which is engaging a battleship and twelve escorts.

 Route Maniple Theta to Task Group 514, they are engaged with a battle cruiser and eight escorts.

 Route Maniple Iota to Task Group 525, they are engaged with a battlecruiser and six escorts.

     The Terran Navy owes you Admiral St. Claire.

          Vice Admiral Dayn Meurgens, UTRN 

Edited to account for Thirdfains post, 525 is in the same situation as 515 and has the same makeup, so just change Eagle to Excalibur, to make it all work.

[Thirdfain]

FROM: Sabine Erfurter, Secretaire d'Etat de la Commonwealth Troix-Sols
TO: Comission of the Eastern Rim Trading Compact
SUBJ: Quylthulg Confederaton

-::-

The Three Suns Commonwealth is sponsoring the Quylthulg Confederation for entrence to the Eastern Rim Trading Compact, as full members. If voted in, they will enjoy the rights, priveleges, and obligations of the ERTC charter.

1. All members shall take what efforts are necessary to maintain free flow of trade along the Eastern Rim; In particular, no trade sanctions or punitive trade practices will be levelled against other signature nations.

2. All members will operate with co-operation in the stemming of piracy in all it's forms along the Eastern Rim trade route.

3. All members will take what measures are necessary to enforce said flow of free trade, including the mobilization of military forces, as decided by the Trade Commission.

4. The Trade Commission, consisting of selected ambassadors from each signature nation, shall make decisions through voting, with a 2/3ds majority required for passage.

We place a vote before the Trade Commission.

For membership of the QC to the ERTC, the Commonwealth votes "Aye."

-:ENDTRANSMISSION:-

[frigidmagi]

In regards to the membership of the Quylthulg Confederation, the Realm of the Knights Templar votes Yea.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Looking over the sensor data and video files vice Admiral Rankin just showed him, the Supreme Archmagus, Antininus stroked his beard, as if trying to remember the ships class from memory. recalling historical files and old sillouette data.

FInally he answered.

"That is a Black Alliance vessel my friend. They are a massive group of pirates who were driven into the Magellianic(sp because Iam lazy) cluds several decades ago. They like to have a monopoly on piracy from what I remember... we never had many dealings with them though until recently we were to small to really bother with, so our data on their exact nature is somewhat limited."

[Alyrium Denryle]

Alystarian Sevrail and Atinius Belanaus meet on a nice sunny afternoon to discuss something that is bothering them both.

A distinct lack of response to a request for diplomatic relations between them and the Knights Templar.

"It has been well over a week and they still havent responded" ALystarian said
"Hells, I dont even know of they recognize our sovereignty" he added

The elderly cleric looks at him
"that is true. Frankly it is rather rude to not even respond to such a request. Maybe there is a variablewe are missing? SOmething in their history. Maybe they just misfiled the request. It happens. Just last week I discovered that I misfiled someones request for a planary indulgence, I had to grant it post mortem"

Alystarian chuckles before responding

"give them another week, of tey havent repoded by then, ask them if they misfiled or are actually having trouble deciding f they want to exchange ambassadors"

"Sounds like a goodidea to me"

[frigidmagi]

Meanwhile on the Moon of Demos.

"You must be joking! You can't let uncontroled Mages run around the realm! It's insanity my Lord!" Lady Maven Sephenrina of the Pandion Knights yelled.
Her husband Vanion nodded in agreement, his arms crossed over his chest.

"That will do my Lady, it is not your place to question the Grand Master's sanity!" Snapped Lady Master Ehlana of the Order of the Hatchet. Grand Master Talen sighed quietly has the assorted Lady and Lord Masters bickered back and forth. This had been a painful issue. Especially with the Pandions. In a way that was a good thing, has guardians of the Blood Mages age old secrets and knowledge, it was their duty to view other magic workers with distrust and limited paranoidia. But this was getting tiresome.

"That is enough." Grand Master Talen roared standing to his feet. He was a tall man, large enough to look down at anyone in the chamber. Silence reigned in response to his bellow.

"We will accept their reasonable request. If the Pandions have security fears, then they had better find a way to meet their duty while having a Mage presence within the realm, they will not be allowed in Pandion systems at any rate." Grand Master Talen declared.

"Now, find a way to make this work, or get me Order Masters that will." The Grand Master commanded and was obeyed.

[InnocentBystander]

The interdiction field only slowed the ship and the missiles in warp, they zipped around the battle field, but the cruiser held fast. Several more fighters came down under its guns, downing eight and disabling two more. ECMIts pre-launched missiles went into the debris cloud toward the known path of the destroyer. They went in a wide circle, with the destroyer in the middle. They were no probes but they still had sensors. They coordinated via ansible, combining the effectiveness of their meager sensors. When they had a definite target they struck at once, coordinated with a strong blast of from the Arrowhead, to fault the PD on the destroyer. Even so the destroyers weapons downed one missile, and another detonated short only very slightly damaging the destroyer. The other two hit dead on, their explosions being directed into a narrow cone that was almost a beam. Those two explosions caused great damage to the ship.

The Arrowhead launched three more missiles towards the hostile ship. The ECM was only stopped long enough for the missiles to reaffirm their target's position. Then they struck as well, only one being shot down, the other two hitting dead on.

The fighters around the ship were suffering in the thick soup of space after the ECM was turned on. So were the Arrowheads guns, but by leaving a band open and changing it every few moments it fared somewhat better.

(ooc: As per the interdiction discussion, your torpedoes and cruiser no longer benefit from FTL.)
Deep Space
Edge of the Waste
Time: 00:19 (+00:08 Arrowhead)

The Four torpedoes sped towards the debris cloud, sensors onboard both the Fidelity and the Arrowhead registered two detonations in proximity to the suspected target. Though they didn't know it, one had hit dead on, and the other was a near miss, detonating nearby. Damage could only be spectulated (ooc: foreward shields down), turbolaser fire continued to eminiate from that region of the debris cloud.

By now the Fidelity was able to re-establish communication with the Arrowhead, targeting information was relayed and the Fidelity fired a salvo of 12 light missiles from it's foreward silo, and two light anti-ship, shielded, torpedoes from it's port and starboard tubes. It's single cruiser turbolaser could not be angled to fire, but a number of it's heavy escort turbolasers could, they opened fire into the debris cloud.

This new squadron of uglie's was not so poorly equipped as the others, PD from both ships managed to wipe out or disable 8 uglies.

The Arrowhead continued to take turbolaser fire from three angles (ie: 3 ships), and uglies buzzed about it, some firing potent plasma bombs and light turolasers into it's shields. The well-shielded cruiser wouldn't be in danger of losing it's shields for another couple minutes however.

Results: (including fire from the Fidelity)
Uglies remaining 22
OOC - Pirate destroyer, Foreward shields down, starboard shields ready to collapse. Slight damage to starboard broadside.

[phongn]

"Task Group 51.5 this is Typhon. Break off your assault now. Say again, break off your assault and clear the zone. Fold re-entry thirty seconds."

The commodore in charge of 515 barked orders as every Terran ship smoothly broke off the attack against the Klingon battlecruiser. Fortunately, the inferior Klingon technology meant that it was too slow to pursue and coupled with battle damage meant that it had to be cautious. Meanwhile, Terran fighters were desperately clawing for as much space as they could; the warning had been terse but they understood what it meant.

A squadron hyperfold transition took place and HMS Typhon was in excellent position with a clear ship. Further back were six escort carriers and a number of destroyer escorts; all miserably cheap ships but dangerous in numbers. They were already launching fighters with several DEs leading the way as damage sponges and heavy torpedo boats. The paltry torpedo fire sent their way was easily knocked down. The fighters were mostly second- and third-line fighters operated by the Space Guard but were heavily loaded with antiship munitions. The etheric warheads would wreak chaos on the lightly-constructed SIF-dependant Klingon ships, shields up or down.

Of course, the biggest ship -- the enemy battlecruiser -- was about to die. Already severely wounded by the Terran cruiser pair, Typhon's axial reflex cannon speared it straight through, blowing it in half. The battlecruiser and her three missile cruiser consorts advanced at a fast clip, trapping the remaining Klingon ships against the Terrans who just moments ago had been their prey. Soon it was all over.

"This is RADM O'Bannon to TG 51.5, do you require assistance or resupply? A squadron of auxillaries in en route with munitions and a repair crew if required. "

[Darksider]

[KSN Nemesis-class dreadnaught Warhawk, escorting large supply convoy to TSC border]

The Warhawk and the thirty-five ship trade convoy reverted to realspace on the edge of the TSC border.

"Open a channel to Commonwealth border command"

"Channel open sir."

"Commonwealth border command. This is the KSN dreadnaught Warhawk. We are escorting a trading convoy out of Ragnar."

"Captain. We're reciveing a broadband distress call from UTRN units engaging Klingon forces in the blockade zone."

"Which ones?"

"All of them."

"We should hyper over there and check this out."

"Re-open the comms channel."

"Commonwealth border command. We have other buiseness to attend to. Can you escort the convoy from here?"

[Alyrium Denryle]

The Victory Class Light Cruiser Hermes sped through hyperspace, shadowing the pirate destroyer at the edge of its sensor range. It had jumped into normal space, and so dod the Hermes, runnng silent.

Father Monat and Magus Jonaleth turned to the sensor pit and asked what passive sensor spells were picking up.

The crews, peering into 3d illusory images of the surrounding area noted that there was a large concentration of pirate vessels, and they were detecting what looked like it could be a space station of some kind.

"Send an ansible transmission to the Nashtar and our own government. I want this thing destroyed."

"Yes sir"

"Also, keep running silent after that, lets watch them and see what we can find out."

[Rogue 9]

RSC Central Command comms center, Nashtar

"Sir, incoming transmission from a Federation of Thaumaturgists cruiser, identifies itself as the Hermes. They say they've tracked the pirates that attacked their ambassador to their base, and request reinforcements for an assault. This message was copied to here and their own government."

"Verify. Copy the message to FoT naval command, confirm that they do in fact have a cruiser Hermes tracking pirates in that area."

"Yes, sir."

There was a delay of a few minutes as the message was sent. The answer returned swiftly. "Confirm cruiser Hermes' last reported position was tailing pirate cruiser in the sector named. Message forwarded appears authentic."

In the interim, Vice Admiral Danforth had been called down to comms. Upon confirmation, he nodded to the sergeant operating the comms post, took a copy of the Hermes' communique, and briskly walked to the operations room. "Commander Hammond, orders for the Shieldwalland her task force. They are to proceed to the system designated Gamma 6298 and engage hostile pirate forces there. They should expect a Federation of Thaumaturgists cruiser already in the area. It is to be considered friendly."

"Understood, Admiral. Lieutenant, send the message, encryption protocol Beta."

"Aye, sir."

NRS Shieldwall, ambush site

"There's residual radiation and a small amount of carbon-scored plating on the sensors, Captain. Nothing else relevant found."

Brraskar snarled and clenched his primary right fist for an instant before calming himself. "Helm, Conn, bring us about. We'll search the surrounding systems and a little further down the trade lane to see if they've set up ambush at another nearby point."

"Aye, sir."

"Conn, Comms. Orders from fleet command, sir. The pirates were tracked by a Thaumaturgist vessel to Gamma 6298. The cruiser requests reinforcements to take out the pirates. We're closest."

"Helm, belay last order. Set new course for Gamma 6298. Comms, orders for the task force. Wraith is to engage her cloak and enter the system immediately to guage opposition. The remainder of the task force will revert one lightyear outside the system and enter once the enemy's force strength and disposition is reported."

"Aye, sir."

Destroyers and frigates formed up around the cruiser, while the task force's two carriers fell in behind the formation with their own frigate group. The Wraith took point position, prepared to engage her cloak before reverting to realspace.

Slipspace disruptions appeared in front of every ship for a moment. The ships entered into the miniature rifts and the entire task force was gone in a series of blinding white flashes.

Force declaration: 5th Battle Group, Sixth Fleet.

1 Guardian class light cruiser
4 Polaris class destroyers
2 Sunburst class escort carriers
6 Bandit class frigates
1 Shadow class frigate
1 Praetor class assault ship

[Kyle]

"Admiral O'Bannon, this is Commodore Rost, TG515. We've been hit hard but we can handle it for now. Right now our biggest concern is saving the fleet. TG 524 is reporting that its being pushed hard, they were first engaged by a battlecruisers, and four escorts. They've just reported that two heavy cruisers and three more destroyers have just jumped in."

Soemthing had gone very wrong for the UTRN, and now all anyone could do was scramble around and try to salvage something out of this mess. "We can handle our damages until the repair ships get here, but if your able TG 524 really needs the help."


(Phong, your squadron was routed to 515, 525 is being reinforced by the TSC)

[Alyrium Denryle]

Central command bustled with activity as the nearest vessels were scrounged up on short notice to assist the Hermes.

They jumped to hyperspace from patrol routes on the western side of the Federation, trading vessels being detoured around the affected areas to avoid a possible local increase in pirate activity.

FOrce Declaration;
1 dominator class Superdreadnought
1 Eviscerator CLass Dreadnought
1 Interdictor
2 Light Cruisers

[Dahak]

Coreward, near old hyperlane

The science vessel Truth Revealed has been sent to research physical phenomena of the galactic structures and astronomy of the more coreward galaxy. All in all, a very dull and boring job. The people aboard were busy surfing the Datasphere, just relaxing, and some even performed sexual activity. The work was done by the ship's consensus, anyway, formed by their minds, so it didn't matter.
They were just calculating their next jump, after they had done some scanning of a very curious pulsar when it happened.
<<Detecting interdiction field heading 24.5 by 128.4,>> the navigational sub-consensus observed. <<just been powered up in the last two microseconds.>>
<<Plot STL course for evasion, full power,>> the ship consensus ordered.
The ship's powerful gravitic drive came online with its full force, ripping and twisting space all around it.
Unfortunately, it wouldn't do them any good because just then several other signals lit up on the scanners. Then a communication signal was directed towards them.
"This is Captain Barnes of the Blood Savage. Power down drive and prepare to be borded."
<<Probability of escape?>> the command sub-consensus asked.
<<Less than 0.12 percent.>> the ship's analytical sub-consensus answered.
<<We will not allow this ship to be captured or boarded by any foreign or pirate power. Activate self-destruct.>>
The last sign of life sent from the Truth Revealed to their home were the last mind updates of their crew.
Then the ships reactor and the self-destruct loads exploded and engulfed the ship in an expanding cloud of pure destruction.

***

Avalon system, Avalon Prime, Fleet High Directorate

The High Directorate's sub consensus noted the destruction of the ship the moment it happened, scanned through the last sensor readings, and activated regrow protcols for the los bodies of the crew.
Orders were prepared, cleared with the appropriate parts of Datasphere and Consensus and a group of heavy cruisers and escorts was launched towards the target of the destruction within 65 seconds after the destruction of the vessel.

[Jaded Masses]

The interdiction field only slowed the ship and the missiles in warp, they zipped around the battle field, but the cruiser held fast. Several more fighters came down under its guns, downing eight and disabling two more. ECMIts pre-launched missiles went into the debris cloud toward the known path of the destroyer. They went in a wide circle, with the destroyer in the middle. They were no probes but they still had sensors. They coordinated via ansible, combining the effectiveness of their meager sensors. When they had a definite target they struck at once, coordinated with a strong blast of from the Arrowhead, to fault the PD on the destroyer. Even so the destroyers weapons downed one missile, and another detonated short only very slightly damaging the destroyer. The other two hit dead on, their explosions being directed into a narrow cone that was almost a beam. Those two explosions caused great damage to the ship.

The Arrowhead launched three more missiles towards the hostile ship. The ECM was only stopped long enough for the missiles to reaffirm their target's position. Then they struck as well, only one being shot down, the other two hitting dead on.

The fighters around the ship were suffering in the thick soup of space after the ECM was turned on. So were the Arrowheads guns, but by leaving a band open and changing it every few moments it fared somewhat better.

(ooc: As per the interdiction discussion, your torpedoes and cruiser no longer benefit from FTL.)
Deep Space
Edge of the Waste
Time: 00:19 (+00:08 Arrowhead)

The Four torpedoes sped towards the debris cloud, sensors onboard both the Fidelity and the Arrowhead registered two detonations in proximity to the suspected target. Though they didn't know it, one had hit dead on, and the other was a near miss, detonating nearby. Damage could only be spectulated (ooc: foreward shields down), turbolaser fire continued to eminiate from that region of the debris cloud.

By now the Fidelity was able to re-establish communication with the Arrowhead, targeting information was relayed and the Fidelity fired a salvo of 12 light missiles from it's foreward silo, and two light anti-ship, shielded, torpedoes from it's port and starboard tubes. It's single cruiser turbolaser could not be angled to fire, but a number of it's heavy escort turbolasers could, they opened fire into the debris cloud.

This new squadron of uglie's was not so poorly equipped as the others, PD from both ships managed to wipe out or disable 8 uglies.

The Arrowhead continued to take turbolaser fire from three angles (ie: 3 ships), and uglies buzzed about it, some firing potent plasma bombs and light turolasers into it's shields. The well-shielded cruiser wouldn't be in danger of losing it's shields for another couple minutes however.

Results: (including fire from the Fidelity)
Uglies remaining 22
OOC - Pirate destroyer, Foreward shields down, starboard shields ready to collapse. Slight damage to starboard broadside.

(ooc: Only the first part of my post mentioned FTL, and what happened to the 2 heavy escorts?)
The uglies were and annoyance, but weren't the real threat. What was more of a threat was the turbo lasers coming from the cloud. They weren't accurate, but if the destroyer got its fire control together it could cause damage. The cruiser sent it's last three probes around the destroyer. They went in apart, taking turns running quiet and active scanning on the unjammed bands while taking evasive actions. The probes soon did pinpoint the destroyer, slightly further from where it was last. It sent the data back, then all went stealthy. The Arrowhead lept forward at full speed into the debris cloud. It sent five missiles and several decoys, which took an oblique approach to the destroyer. As it was bearing down on the destroyer it began firing its light cannon and pushed its ECM to the limit, just as the missiles started their attack run. The PD weapons on the destroyer went crazy, but with the ECM it wasn't that accurate and targeted the decoys first. Only two missiles were shot down, though one managed to explode prematurely. The other three hit right on, crippling the destroyer. The cruiser matched velocity with the ship, and blasted out what was left of its engines with its cannon. It gradually lowered its ECM, then hailed the hostile ship demanding its surrender.

[Rogue 9]

From: Grand Master of the Knights Templar, rightful overlord of the attendent orders, Lord Protector of the Wenasi Holds and Grand Admiral Talen

To: President of the Nashtar Republic and holdings.

To our neighbor Nashtar, happy greetings. It has come to my attention that currently the realm has no ambassdor assigned to represent us to your peoples. If you so desire I would like to make good the lack and send one to futher fair and open relations between our two peoples. I would also if you so permit accept an ambassdor from your nation.

In My Own Hand
Grand Master Talen

To: From: Grand Master of the Knights Templar, rightful overlord of the attendent orders, Lord Protector of the Wenasi Holds and Grand Admiral Talen

From: Republic of Nashtar Ministry of State

We would be glad to exchange ambassadors. I look forward to further diplomatic contact. We shall discuss the particulars at a later date.

Anthony Hardin, Minister of State