[HH-STGOD] Main Story Thread

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-08-29 05:02am

After the short travel through the wormhole, the La Fayette set course for Manticore.

It was the first warship in decades to enter orbit around its former enemies home planet. Soon afterwards a pinnace detached itself, and lowered itself towards Landing's space port.

***
"They should about be there, Eloise. And the Manties will be here soon."
"I hope everything is prepared, Dorian?"
"Yes, The fleet has been instructed. As soon as the enter orbit, we have a little welcoming fireworks, and we'll await them at the space port, with a full honour guard. And I think even a Winton won't find anything to complain about his rooms. So, it should be perfect."

***

"Ah, Mr. Chachat, a pleasure to see you again," Fuentes greeted the man striding into his office. Still looked like a menacing fanatic, a slight shudder ran down his spine. "What can I do for you?"
"You might have sensed the increasing problems with the Andermani, as well?"
"Yes, their expansionism is quite obvious right now, seeing as they carve up Silesia..."
"Exactly," he smiled a thin smile. "Seing that the Manticorans are at last seeming to be reasonable, we still fear that Anderman might get the Manties to pursue a more militaristic politic in the future. We think it would be prudent to be prepared. Would it be possible for Erewhon to increase the naval spending? We don't want to see our partner fall before the Imperialsts." He nearly spat the last word.
"Well," he pondered it for a while. "In light of our good relations, I think we could do it. Our yards never ran at full load, anyway."

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-08-29 05:54am

Nike transited to N-space at the outskirts of the Haven system, and began a gradual aceleration toward Haven itself. It was the first Manticoran warship to ever approach the Havenite capital.

***

In the Manticore system, it was decided that a fireworks display in space might be misinterpreted by some over-eager spacer, not to mention the negative connotation of explosions near Manticoran and Havenite ships in close proximity to each other, so the Home Fleet contented itself with saluting the La Fayette with their running lights as it approached. A group of pinnaces dtached themselves from the 1st battle squadron, and accompanied the Havenite pinnace down in a perfect guard formation around it, breaking off just as it touched down at the space port, where a battalion of the Queen's own waited in perfect stillness.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-08-29 06:17am

The Manticoran formation of delegates was greeted by Eloise Pritchard at the space port.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-08-29 12:12pm

And the Havenite delegation was met by Queen Elisabeth (with Ariel)at the Landing spaceport.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-08-29 02:06pm

Loki and her consorts made the few adjustments necessary to fix navigational errors. Already they were heading in system towards the single habitabal planet. Trailing behind the ships were pod after pod of capital ship missles.

Every man and woman in the fleet was confident, especially given the "gifts" the Andies had so gracefully provided them for this operation.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-08-29 02:12pm

Mazapan:

A hastily executed coup by the disgruntled professional members of the military removed the inept leadership that had so carelessly thown away their lives.(hey, there's got to be some reason for the change in controllers, right?)

"Do we have any hope of convincing them to stop? Or holding them if they won't?" Admiral Cervantes, the new commander of the fleet, and de facto head of state asked.

"Asgard's Andermani backers are still busy in Silesia, so we probably won't see anything but the Asgard navy itself. But we could easily see the entire Asgard navy if the Andermani choose to handle the Asgard's security for them in return for concessions of some sort. And sir, you would probably be dead within the day if you attempted any form of surrender" His second in command and close friend, Admiral Panza replied.

"They are going to attack us, and soon. We will attempt to peruade them not to follow through, but our only real hope is if they split their forces, and ewe are able to annihilate whatever they send here."

"Sir, hyper translation detected in the outer system, at least 40 capital ships! a staffer burst in shouting, as alarms began to go off.

"Send the message asking for a truce, and muster our fleet. We only have one chance if they are out for blood."

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-08-29 02:19pm

"Admiral, they're asking for a truce." reported the comms officer.

"Decline. Nothing short of unconditional surrender, our orders were clear. Give them the terms." replied the Asgard admiral, "And keep the fleet on course. We have them by the balls."

No one knew if the Mazapani would surrender, and no one much cared. It would end here.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-08-29 02:27pm

"Of course they don't want to talk, bloodthirsty bastards. All ships move out to engage."

Thirty-Eight Superdreadnoughts, forty Battlecruisers, and a hundred and fifty cruisers and destroyers moved out to intercept, trailing their own pods behind them.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-08-29 02:39pm

"Three minutes to maximum range on the Andy birds. Fourteen to omptimum." announced the Tac officer.

"Fire the first salvo at max range. Better to pick them off before they can fire back. Then use the second at optimum."

The tense seconds counted down. Everyone was keenly aware of how close this would be.

"Fire now!"

With that command thousands upon thousands of missles were flushed from the pods and tubes of the Asgard fleet. Extended range Andy birds they were capable of engaging beyond the range of the Mazapani birds in not so far as a proper MDM.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-08-29 03:02pm

"Drop the pods with the pre-programmed fire command, but maintain our acceleration. Move the cruisers to cover the gaps in the wall."

The Mazapan fleet disengaged its tractor beams holding its missile pods, allowing them to drift on their current course, generating as much distance as possible from them while maintaining the deception. each ship was continuously launching decoys, as the Andermani missile wave continued to close. The screen of cruisers at the front of the fleet deliberately amplified their wedge strength as much as possible, and counter-missiles began to launch from all ships. As the missile horde approached fifty thousand Km, the wall of battle rolled as one, with lighter ships covering the gaps between their Impeller bands, deliberately enticing as many missiles as possible to attack them...

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-08-29 03:15pm

The enemy's gambit worked. The escorts were damaged heavily. The missles were sucked onto them and they tore ships to peices. Few were destroyed out right but most were out of the fight.

Only six superdreadnoughts on the fringe were hit. Three of those were promptly reduced to air bleeding wreckage as missles screamed in and the rest heavily damaged.

* * *

"Damn. We didn't get enough of them. Fire the follow up salvo as soon as you have the range. I want you to concentrate them on the known cap ships."

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-08-29 03:47pm

"Order the crippled ships to evacuate as much of their crews as possible, and suck in the next attack. Fire all pods as soon as we have the range. Get the Superdreadnoughts."

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-08-29 03:57pm

"We have range, Admiral."

"Good, make sure they're targeted on the real SDs and avoid the cripples."

"Aye, aye."

A few moments later another salvo was away. It was far smaller than the first. But this time it was targeted on just six more Superdreadnoughts. The whole fleet fired as one, capital misssles screaming in along side the smaller escorts. Remorseless AI brains drove the missles into their targets.

* * *

"Eighteen minutes till conventional missle range. Twenty four minutes after that we hit energy range."

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-08-29 04:29pm

Eighteen minutes. Time to eat a quick meal, or read a chapter of a book. These eighteen minutes stretched out into an eternity, as the merciless scourge of Asgardian missiles smashed again and again into the Mazapan ships. Counter missiles would fire in their hundreds and thousands. Decoys and jamming would lure some of the attack astray. Despite the directions of their controllers, many missiles were 'wasted' killing crippled consorts who flung themselves squarely into the maelstrom's path. Despite the Mazapan fleet's best efforts though, their superdreadnoughts were still battered by wave after wave of attack. Finally though, with barely 3 battle squadrons of combat capable SD left, they achieved their own range

"Engage" Admiral Cervantes ordered.

At his command, the Mazapan wall rolled ship, presenting their less damaged broadsides to bear. The abandoned missile pods, drifting unnoticed many thousands of kilometers behind the formation now, fired as one, joined by the internal tubes of the remaining Mazapan fleet. All of this long suppressed fury was directed at a mere 16 Asgardian Superdreadnoughts.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-08-29 04:49pm

"Missle launch. Vampires inbound. Looks like they dropped their pods a ways back. They'll be ballistic by the time they get here."

* * *

The Asgard ships fired a reply from their braodsides before they too rolled up, pulling in close. Thier formation held in aboslute precision, defenses carefully intermeshed. The Asgard were confident the massive PD capability of their Odin-class would see them through.

As the missles came in they were intercepted short by a storm of countermissles. The Odin's spat missles and laser and the fleet's Andy ECM screamed. Still a dozen missles impacted on the ships. ANS Mugnin two three hits, one blasting away two of her node, Odin took a hit that wiped away her bridge. She nearly collided with her consorts before her crew got her back under control. The rest peppered the mighty superdreadnaughts but didn't much impair the leviathans.

The worst though was the horde of missles coming in on the ballistic. Though they were easier targets they still overwhelmed the Asgard. Six massive dreadnaughts fell finally fell out of formation. Two more were batter badly but held formation and all of them had suffered damage.

* * *

The Asgard return fire concentrated on just four dreadnaughts. They had deliberately targeted the volumes that ought to contain the squadron flags. It was a calculated move to decapitate the Mazapani fleet.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-08-29 05:27pm

The gambit had essentially failed. While the Asgard fleet had been hurt, the superior EW provided by their Andermani patrons had prevented the crippling of the enemy fleet. The shift in fire patterns caught the Mazapan fleet off-guard, and two squadron flagships disappeared in globes of fire as their fusion bottles let go. A third was battered to near-impotence, and the fourth escaped with moderate damage. The Mazapan activated their contingency plan, forming two oversized squadrons around their remaining flagships, tightening their formation to protect them, still hurling defiance at the ships damaged by their initial mistimed hammer-blow.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-08-29 05:41pm

"Resend the surrender terms. This has gone on long enough." yelled the beleaguered admiral "But prep the next salvo."

The Asgard fleet was suffering; eight of it's ships were outright losses even if two attempted to keep up. And all the survivors were badly damaged. If it came down to an energy engagement it would be a slaughter neither side wanted.

Missles stood ready in their tubes. There would be only be time for a few more salvos before the fleets closed to energy range.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-08-29 07:39pm

A reply was sent, "No surrender. There is no way any Mazapani commander could survive the attempt. Hope you enjoy being an Andermani client state after this battle.", and punctuated by a fresh salvo of missiles.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-08-29 08:01pm

The day after the formal reception, the historic signing of the Haven-Manticore Peace Treaty took place at noon on the Place la République, under the eyes of thousands of happy citizens and millions on screens.
After the signing, scores of courier ships raced to all places in Haven, and other star nations.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-08-29 10:22pm

"Fucking fools." swore Adlophus.

The Matapani were going to die to the last man in the name of a hopeless cause. Why did they think they'd wind up slaughtered? Asgard had behaved honorably. Oh well, let the lunatics die if they wanted to.

* * *

The Asgard salvo was concentrated now upon the two flagships, their manuevers giving them away, and four more hapless victims. The salvo shreiked in on the rending the ships horribly. Even as the eneny ships were battered more of the Asgard ships were struck. Their massive point defense saving them some of the horror of the Mazapani. Still one the crippled SDs finally heeled out of formation before he fusion bottle let go and the high pressure plasma consumed the ship, another had her broadside gutted. Another took a hit to her foward impellers blasting away her nodes. And yet another took a wrenching blast to her vitals. The whole formation slowed.

The two flagships were now finished as was one of the other superdreadnaughts and damage to the rest. But that weighed against one Asgard destroyed out and three more lamed. This was becoming a race to an apparent mutal suicide.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-08-30 01:04am

Pride, honor, duty. These words tasted like ashes in Cervantes mouth, as he stood on the airless flag bridge of the cripple Matapan fleet flagship, El Cid, knowing that the only reason he yet lived was that he had made no special efforts in his own defense.
'Unconditional Surrender', feh. He knew that his countrymen would accept no surrender to the Asgard, and that he would not survive the attempt. The hatred ran too deep, fanned by their now dead leaders over every slight, real or manufactured. If only he had had more time to guarantee the fleet's loyalties. If only he had had the courage to act against the power grubbing fools before the disastrous attack on Asgard. If only they had been willing to stop even for a moment and listen. If only the words 'If only' did not signify the true and utter depths of his failure to his nation, his men, and himself.

His men looked to him for a miracle, but their were no miracles for either side today. The only thing that was left to them was to die well.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-02 09:14am

The Asgard warships unleashed one last salvo at the fleet before they reached energy range. It was but a handful of seconds now and then it would begin.

The superdreadnaughts and battleships took their positions for the coming duel. All the ships ready to interpose their wedge if need be. This was going to be a slaughter, neither side willing to budge.

"All ships, fire as you bear!"

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2003-09-03 03:46pm

"Engage" Cervantes ordered, as the fleets closed to the deciding range.

Every surviving Mazapan ship went to continuous fire on all energy mounts, concentrating upon the enemy SD contingent, in an effort to remove their most dangerous opponents.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-09-03 04:00pm

Fire plans went into action and the Asgard ships used their heavy firepower to maul their enemy. Coordinated fire cut down enemy superdreadnaughts even as their own ships were raked by broadside after broadside.

So far the BBs held their wedges to their attackers, safe from the torrent of fire. It was ruthless bid to save them for the crippled enemy.

Ship after ship exploded. Asgard or Mazapani they both died. Man made stars flared and blinked out as the evenly matched fleets slugged it out.

Dahak · Post by **Dahak** » 2003-09-03 06:11pm

Under utmost secrecy, a third division of SD(P)s with screen was sent from Barnett towards Erewhon, bolstering the SD(P) strength to 3 solid divisions.