Space STGOD Main thread(2K9)

[Raj Ahten]

When news of what had happened in the Llearer Republic started leaking out into the Far Reaches Free Republic, no time was wasted. Various organizations from the media to even some government offices immediately and with no actual evidence what so ever started condemning the Star Kingdom of Kaeleer as an aggressive, retrograde group of warmongers. Clearly this "attack" on their ships was just an attempt by the imperialist old guard to put more people under their boot heel.

One party of enthusiastic revolutionaries in parliament called for an immediate declaration of war upon the Star Kingdom of Kaeleer. The measure was easily voted down however, as all such measures had been so far. About every month or so the most ardent revolutionaries pushed for war with the caste based Kaeleer.

[Master_Baerne]

Aboard HDMS Unbending
Flagship, Remembrance Fleet
Between Narmathar and Arceria Node, Narmathar, Llaelar Republic

"Inform the Sky Imperial forces that this is none of their concern, and that there will be no disruption of trade if we have our demands met. Even if we do not, there will not be a very great or long disturbance." Yaslana glanced toward the countdown timer flashing on the holographic projection. It showed three hours left.

OOC: The timer's purely for fluff. I'll not do anything until the Republic responds, of course.

[Rogue 9]

Civilian freighter Hangrabi Freight Seven
Narmathar Primary Spaceport
Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic

"Move it out," Captain Hrothnor ordered before reaching for the comm. "Control, Hangrabi Freight Seven here. Things are getting too hot for us; we're hauling for the node." The Ronoghan's skin was flushed a darker red than normal, indicating his agitation as the bulk freighter unhooked from the station's airlock and began to lumber out into space towards the node to Hajr territory.

[Dahak]

HIMS Supremacy
Narmathar System

Battle-Mage Frash read the message from the Kaeleer and snorted. That much was expected. Not that it would change anything, really. If they want a shooting incident over this, so be it. Letting them have the system unimpeded is not acceptable.
He recorded another message. "Kaeleer forces, this system is our business simply by being a neighboring star system of vital importance. Thus, we cannot idly stand by while you are essentially blackmailing the Llaelar. Simply, there is no way to have ample and conclusive proof of Llaelar involvement in such short time. Unless, of course, it was manufactured by you just for this reason. If a neutral investigation supports your theory, we will happily step out of the way. Until then, we cannot accept aggressive behaviour towards a friendly nation simply on your say-so. Should you not refrain, the Empire will bring your unjust and unwarranted aggression to the eyes of the UN."

***
ships present:
1 Supremacy
2 Demonstration of Will BC
5 Erebus
2 Voracity
10 Wind

[Master_Baerne]

HDMS Unbending
Flagship, Remembrance Fleet
Between Arceria Node and Narmathar, Llaelar Republic

"And our response, Your Grace?" Captain Shalador referred to the Sky Imperial ultimatum.

"Nothing. They're bluffing; we've got twice their firepower in-system. If they make any false moves, we'll destroy them." In typical Eyrien fashion, Admiral Yaslana was not worried about the possibility that he might be wrong. Arrogance was almost bred into his family, and it showed at moments like this.

[Nephtys]

Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic

Lord the Honorable Vice Admiral Renethierre seethed aboard his Heavy Cruiser flagship's flag deck upon receiving the message in planetary orbit. He scowled. "They think they can threaten us about with their damnable fleet, will they?" he seemed indignant, lifting his nose upwards. "Signalman! Orders for all ships to set course for the Arceria node! Open a channel to their flagship immediately!" he stammered, waiting and recording a message for the lightspeed transmission. It would take some time for it to arrive.

**BURST TRANSMISSION**
"Duke Yaslana, what is the meaning of this? The Llaelar Republic has no intent to attack your forces, and such a paltry dreadline!" he said, noting that the time lag had already cost the better part of two hours by gesturing towards an elaborate watch chained to the end of his wrist, as was fashionable in some parts. "We will jointly investigate this, and I must demand your fleet stand down!" he says, clearly unnerved by the sheer imbalance of forces.

"Duke Yaslana, any further maneuvering by your forces will be considered an unfriendly act. We will investigate the cause of this tragedy, without your accusations! Renethierre Out."
**EOT**

[Master_Baerne]

HDMS Unbending
Flagship, Remembrance Fleet
Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic

BURST TRANSMISSION
"Lord Renethierre, the Hourglass has determined beyond doubt that Llaelar authorities ordered the destruction of the Violet. While I appreciate your distress, no negotiations will be conducted. You will turn over the guilty parties, or the Star Kingdom will consider it an act of war. We are willing to extend the deadline in view of the time necessary to do so. Yaslana clear." By these words, Admiral Yaslana revealed the full measure of the Star Kingdom's manufactured wrath: When the news of the attack was released, massive public demonstrations had taken place across the Kingdom, numbering into the millions on Ebon Askavi alone. No course that achieved less than the punishment of those responsible would be accepted by the people of the Queen, and since the guilty parties were not going to reveal themselves...

It would be an unpleasant day for the Republic.

[Darkevilme]

Clan Essena grand palace
Second Moon of Chamara
Chamaran space

A sight one can never tire of, the homeworld girdled in rings glittering specs moving in a complex dance, their paths taking between rings and up and out beyond the moons and to them. Thousands of ships in ceaseless motion and so many of them are her ships, the vessels of the mighty Clan Essena...Neru-Na Essena earflicks and turns her gaze from the windows as she hears a rapping upon her chamber door “Enter.” She turns slowly to face the feline.
“Honoured matriarch” says the newcomer, showing respect “I have news from Llaeler.”
“They have agreed to our proposal at last?” Nera asks, the aide takes a small swallow of air and lowers her ears...this is not gonna be good news.
“No matriarch...The Kaeleerian kingdom detached a fleet to the system of Narmathar enroute to meet up with another nations fleet for joint exercise. However one of the tenders they requested of Narmathar for resupply exploded destroying one of their warships. Kaeleer is accusing Narmathar government of doing this and demanding retribution. They want the system to hand over the entire Narmathar cabinet, the Archelonian and Sky Empire officials have both expressed strongly worded suspicions of foul play regarding this.”
Nera goes still for a few moments, tail swishing in agitation as she lets some teeth show...then whirls to face the window again “The Narmathar government has never struck me as overly suicidal, we dare not act at this time without the queen's approval however. Ready our fleet for the securing of her majesties will, we cannot allow this potential loss of trade to further weaken us amongst the other clans.”
“We will go to Narmathar's aid?”
“No their loss of soverignty was inevitable placed as they are and Kaeleer strikes me as reasonable should we need to extend our tradeing ties further south. We will go to stop Kaeleer from getting greedy about the other systems of the republic further north however.”
“Your will be done Matriarch”
“Leave me, i have arrangements to make if i am to have audience before this situation escalates.”

[Dahak]

HIMS Supremacy
Narmathar System

"They are still advancing, Sir", sensors reported.
"Nothing else from them?" "No, Sir," comm confirmed.
This was unpleasant, really. He did not want a shooting war now, but he was not prepared to let the Kaeleer have it their way. But, if it had to come to it, so be it. He was Itan, and dying in battle is at least better than being stabbed in the back by one of his subordinates in two hundred years or so...
"Very well," he turned towards the comm station deep within the dark corners of his bridge. "Send a courier down the Line, inform the Citadel, we might be needing more firepower here. And They should bring this to this be-damned UN." He had one more thought.
"Sensors," his head snapped around, "are the Ousters already in-system? If so, I want comm to contact them. If Turanat was right, they can be talked to. Let's see if we can get more shooters into this."
Courier drones flittered of the ship, burst transmissions were sent.
"The fleet will advance," he ordered his XO. "Full flank speed towards Narmathar. And get us to action station."
Shields flared into existence as mages thought of them, the space around the fleet began to drown in anti-sensor magic, weapons were readied.

[Master_Baerne]

Aboard HDMS Unbending
Flagship, Remembrance Fleet
Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic

"So be it, then. Communications! Fleet order: Form wall of battle against the Sky Imperial forces. Sound General Quarters." Admiral Yaslana muttered "Meddling bastards" under his breath, then sat down in his command chair.

[Thirdfain]

Ormungan City
Scaldr
Llaelar Republic

The Honorable G. Barmelous left the casino and ordered a limo to take him back to his hotel.

He climbed into a sleek vehicle. "The Republican, please."

The driver pulled out of the parking lot and sped off down the road.

It wasn't more than thirty seconds until the bomb went off.

[Dahak]

HIMS Supremacy
Narmathar System

"It seems we have their attention now," Frash chuckled. It seemed the Kaeleer admiral has biten. Now, let's keep him distracted. He wanted to give the Citadel enough time to do something.
"Change course to keep distance. Let them run a bit around, give them chance to appreciate the scenery..."

[Master_Baerne]

Aboard HDMS Unbending
Flagship, Remembrance Fleet
Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic

"Keep us outside missile range, and at battle stations. Position two of the battlecruisers and five cruisers against the Llaelar ships, and await further orders."

[Master_Baerne]

Aboard HDMS Yare
Foreign Service Courier
Exiting Ouster Territorial Node, Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic


The small ship, essentially a small pod of crew quarters and communications gear attached to a pair of massive engines and a reactant tank, transited into the system that had of late been the focus of so much trouble. It's mission was to alleviate at least a part of that, and to prevent the needless deaths of tens of thousands of spacers. On what passed for the ship's bridge, Lieutenant Michael Collins, attached to Her Dark Majesty's Foreign Service, gave the order to his sole crewmember to send a communications laser to the Unbending.

FROM: His Excellency the Baron Medici, Opal Caste, Her Dark Majesty's Ambassador to the Hajr
TO: His Grace the Duke Yaslana, Ebon-gray Caste, Her Dark Majesty's Commander for Ebon Askavi Fleet

Your Grace,

It is with great pleasure that I am able to report that a provisional agreement has been reached between the Star Kingdom, the Empire of the Sky, and the Hajr to the effect that the system presently occupied by Your Grace's forces will be divided in an equitable manner to be determined later. In short: Do not fire upon Sky Imperial forces, under any circumstances.

May the Darkness Embrace You,
Baron Medici

Seconds later, a Sky Imperial courier transited from the same node, and sent what Lieutenant Collins presumed to be a variant of the same message to the other fleet's flagship.

[Ohma]

Stealth Carrier Prototype Deslar, Archelonian Space

“This is a big risk, the Archelonians have some of the most advanced sensors tech in known space. I don't know why the Four want us in Network space, but if they want us to stay silent all the way there and back, shouldn't we be taking the long way around?” Michael looks around at the other Slayers.

Shaela nods. “I don't like this either, first those rumors about the Four fighting about something. Next we get sent on a mission away from Guymelus, our first mission, and we don't even get all our orders before we leave?”

Galei glances up from the table. “I know it's not our place to question their orders. But I agree this is strange, did you two notice that the signal ID wasn't even from the Four's chambers?”

The man lounging in the darkened corner of the room chuckles malevolently.

“Idiots, if it wasn't the Four then who would it be? Nobody else on Guymelus knows how to contact this ship. Besides, I've been aching to stretch my new wings for a while, I have a feeling this mission will finally allow us to do so.”


TRAVEL TIME TO EPSILON SYSTEM REMAINING: 3 DAYS 15 HOURS

[Dahak]

HIMS Supremacy
Narmathar System

Battle-Mage Frash read the cryspaper that had flown from the courier drone to the bridge. He read it carefully and smiled. He has been correct in his hope that this crisis would be solved elsewhere.
"Comm, please report message for Kaeleer forces." He waited shortly, then continued, "in light of recent changes in this situation, we should stop hostile posturing. Dropping all pretenses, it seems that we are suddenly together in this, and the Llaelar forces need to go. Do you agree?"

[Master_Baerne]

Aboard HDMS Unbending
Flagship, Remembrance Fleet
Narmather System, Llaelar Republic

"Indeed, Battle-Mage. I have a detached squadron just outside missile range of them, which should be sufficient to eliminate the enemy threat."

[Rogue 9]

Civilian freighter Hangrabi Freight Seven
En route to the Hajr node
Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic

Agent Volks looked at the sensor readout in disbelief. "They've stopped facing off... and there's a cruiser squadron pulling within range of the Llaelar navy. What in blazes is going on?"

"I do not know, Samuel Volks, and it is not my concern to find out," Hrothnor said tensely, reverting back to the Ronoghan manner of formal speech without thinking about it due to the stress. "We will leave this system as quickly as we are able, and that will be the end of our involvement."

'But not the end of mine,' Volks thought to himself as he continued to study the screen.

[Dahak]

Aboard HDMS Unbending
Flagship, Remembrance Fleet
Narmather System, Llaelar Republic

"Indeed, Battle-Mage. I have a detached squadron just outside missile range of them, which should be sufficient to eliminate the enemy threat."

HIMS Supremacy
Narmathar System
"So I see," he observed. "I will detach a squadron to secure the other node to Llaelar space. We should not be unpleasantly surprised I think. If we dealt with the problem at hand, would you care for a dinner? If we are to be partners, a more personal relation should be quite helpful. Frash out."

[Master_Baerne]

Aboard HDMS Illustrious
Squadron Flagship, 2nd CruRon
Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic

"Commodore, we've got the orders. We are cleared to engage." The communications officer on the Illustrious was an Eyrien fresh out of the Fleet Academy, and it showed in the eagerness in her voice. She'd not yet tasted battle.

"In that case, Ensign, squadron orders: Weapons free, Vengeance is to keep station on us and the cruisers are to engage on their own initiative."

Results: Let's get this battle started.

[Alyrium Denryle]

Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic

Just as weapons were being fired, a small fast-courier vessel the AUS Darter sped across space toward the northern node, with a destination toward the Chamaran. From there it would get the TDI to the Archelonian embassy. There its data would be Burst Transmitted back to HQ

Agent Baska, posing as a private courier feverishly typed out his preliminary report. Which was that the most likely scenario was a manufactured incident. The Kealeer vessels were not even expected in system. This would be useful back home.

"Hey Pict?"

"Yeah?"

"How long until we reach the node? Those Kaeleer ships are firing weapons, I dont want to get caught in a crossfire"

"It will be a while, but this courier is faster than anything but their fighters and we have hours of lead time. We will be safe from their weapons unless this battle takes a long time."
...

[Master_Baerne]

Aboard HDMS Illustrious
Squadron Flagship, 2nd CruRon
Engaging Llaelar Fleet, Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic

The two battlecruisers, Illustrious and Vengeance, plunged straight into the heart of the enemy formation, missiles targeted on the pair of older heavy cruisers at the center of the cluster of Llaelar ships. Blossoms of nuclear energy hammered the shields of ships on both sides, though many of the missiles were shot down by point defense - the range was still long. Unfortunately, three destroyers and a Llaelar light cruiser targeted a single Kaeleerian cruiser, overwhelming it's defenses and shattering the ship's bow. Despite the range, the other cruisers more than avenged their fellow: five destroyers and two Llaelar cruisers were destroyed in a holocaust of splintered armor and flash-burned atmosphere. The enemy heavy cruisers were luckier; none were destroyed, though both showed scars.

On the Illustrious's bridge, Commodore Van de Venter cursed silently. If the cruisers had been tied into the battlecruisers' point defense net, the Warspite might have survived.

The Llaelar Admiral had time to watch doom in the form of the two battlecruisers coming for him, and chose to fall back onto the planet, hoping to reach protection under the guns of it's defenses, or perhaps on the surface. The remaining eleven Llaelar ships turned and raced towards Narmathar, scattering missiles and decoys alike from their aft launchers as the Kaeleerian ships rapid-launched their own weapons, a cruiser even burning out one of it's forward missile tubes in an attempt to destroy the enemy before they could reach sanctuary.

They needn't have worried. The rest of the fleet, some fifty vessels strong, arrived at that point, their own missiles racing ahead, thousand of boosted nuclear warheads wiping the Llaelar forces from the face of the universe in a blast of radiation and shattered armor. The last salvo of the enemy, launched even as they died, was particularly effective, like the leveling hand of some vengeful deity of chance: It claimed two more Kaeleerian cruisers and destroyed three of Illustrious's turbolaser mounts.

Beyond the battle, a Llaelar courier winked out of existence before popping into it again, on the other side of the node that led to Llaelar space.

Results: 3 Kaeleerian light cruisers destroyed and one battlecruiser damaged in exchange for ten Llaelar destroyers, five light cruisers, and two heavy cruisers. The fleet gets and opportunity to demonstrate some Massive Overkill, and the rest of the Republic is aware that they're now at war.

[Rogue 9]

Civilian freighter Hangrabi Freight Seven
Hajr node
Narmathar System, Llaelar Republic

"Jesus," Sam Volks breathed as the Llaelar fleet disintegrated before the Kaeleeri onslaught.

"We've reached the node, Cap'n," Jim said, hands already on the subspace drive lever.

"PUNCH IT," Hrothnor ordered in an uncharacteristically agitated voice. The familiar white subspace rift opened in front of the freighter and it surged forward through it, leaving the Llaelar Republic and the Narmathar killing ground behind.

It would be several days before the freighter made it back to Nashtari space, making it's way through multiple systems as it worked its way back home, but the news would be there far sooner.

[White Haven]

Patches of empty space more through, oddly enough, empty space in the Laellar systems, a bewildering array of passive receptors peering out at almost every conceivable part of the electromagnetogravatopsychotic spectrum, trawling for messages, trawling for ships, hunting for the only currency that matters to their crews and their masters.

Cold, hard data.

[Nephtys]

GNN, the Galactic News Network

"...and so concludes the speach in the Llaelarese Parliament, ratifying a declaration of war against the Star Kingdom of Kaeleer following the destruction of the Narmathar system fleet. It is expected for the Llaelar Ambassador to be making an official request for foreign intervention later this week..."

Hyperwave Faxes United

"...increased piratical activity in the galactic southwest, along the rim of Kaeleer space. Reports remain sketchy as to the level of organization of these pirates, but civilian shipping is disappearing at a heightened rate..."

Transtellar Financial News

"...continued economic activity in the Kavort Association stock exchange, with the recent takeovers of five of their thirty largest interstellar corporations. Two major transportation companies recently purchased by private interests within the Archelonian Union are expected to merge in a 670 billion Kavortian Mercanticred deal..."