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Grand Marshal Terast looked at his subordinates clustered around the central command console. "Casualty report."

"Sixty-five percent of all fleet support vessels, including munitions tenders and assault ships, totally destroyed," said Colonel Starns. "Of the surviving vessels, over half are heavily damaged. Three-quarters of our fighters are destroyed. A third of our light warships destroyed, half our capital ships destroyed. Of the survivors, sixty percent have taken heavy battle damage."

"The Dalek fleet has been totally destroyed," said Major Rosta.

"Their support vessels survived," said General Sartis. "This victory is a disaster. It is unheard of for such an inferior race to inflict such casualties on Sontarans."

"I think," said Grand Marshal Terast, "that it is no longer appropriate to refer to the Daleks as an inferior race. They are puny and revolting, but their fighting machines are effective and they possess a warrior's courage and determnation." There were nods from around the console.

"Now," continued Terast, "as for our course of action. Despite our casualties, we possess the stronger fleet. The Daleks will produce more ships in the short term, but we hold more worlds for long term production. We must reinforce our superiority and systematically reduce their ability to produce new war material.

"Our ability to perform fleet operations has been crippled. This is our first problem to be overcome. From each class, the most heavily damaged ten percent of ships will be salvaged for parts and supplies. From the remaining ships, the most heavily damaged survivors capable of faster than light travel will be sent to the worlds that have progressed the furthest in constructing shipyards for repair.

"We do not possess the strength to attack any of their capital worlds without risking severe losses, at least for the time being. I want a target list of industrialized systems with light to moderate defences as soon as possible."

Terast's staff inclined their heads in acknowledgment. "Sir," said Sartis, "there is the matter of the surviving Dalek ships and the dispossession of Dalek vessels that were not at the battle."

"Continue," said Terast.

“Dalek raiders have launched successful attack on three of our captured worlds. The effort required in retaking them will not be insignificant and the lost productivity will cost us. These raiders have not been destroyed and are likely to be reinforced with additional forces.”

“Their overall threat is minimal,” said Major Rosta. “Barely a quarter of new worlds are in in this segment. Their immediate elimination is a priority, but not essential. We cannot afford to dilute our fleet strength.”

“The raiders are confined to this segment, for now,” said General Sartis. “But they have been successful. Reinforcing success is a Sontaran maxum that is not beyond the reach of lesser species. If unchecked they will become a much greater danger and their sphere of operations will expand. The Dalek’s supply ships survivied and now have a much smaller fleet to tend. Long range raiding operations are highly feasable.”

“General Sartis is correct,” said Grand Marshal Tesart. “These Daleks are both brave and intelligent. We cannot afford to let them strike at us unchallenged, no matter how elusive their raider squadrons. General Sartis, find me a solution to this raider problem. It will then be yours to implement.”

“Sir!” said Sartis, strikiing his chest in salute.

“Major Rosta.”

“Grand Marshal.”

“These lesser species in the Dalek Empire can be easily dealt with, but the Daleks themselves are a challenge worthy of a soldier. You will develop new tactics to help us deal with them. Your assault force will be the first to test them. Be ready within two hundred standards.”

“Two hundred standards will be a strain on our repair crews,” said Lieutenant-General Lyzan. “The amount of battle damage the fleet has suffered is considerable.”

“I am well aware,” said Grand Marshal Terast. “I do not intend to give the Daleks more time than that to come up with new strategies. Enough ships will be operational by then to resume the offensive.”

“As you command, Grand Marshal.”

“Excellent. Are their any more grounds of concern?”

"Yes," said Colonel Starns. "What do we tell High Command?"

"The truth," said Grand Marshal Terast. "We have encountered a the empire of a technologically advanced race that has managed to temporarily resist us. Casualties are heavier than expected and we will be somewhat behind schedule. We anticipate total victory in the near future."

This fanfic is great! It's the first fanfiction that I actually keep checking back regularly to see if it's been updated. Way to go, Imperial Overlord! Keep up the great work!

One question I had though, are the Sontarans just not as smart as the Daleks? They seem, superficially, so alike in their society, but the Supreme Dalek seems to be outmaneuvering them despite their superior numbers and technological advantages. I also mean that the Sontarans, like the Daleks, are mass produced, are the Daleks just better at producing intelligence?

Crom wrote: One question I had though, are the Sontarans just not as smart as the Daleks? They seem, superficially, so alike in their society, but the Supreme Dalek seems to be outmaneuvering them despite their superior numbers and technological advantages. I also mean that the Sontarans, like the Daleks, are mass produced, are the Daleks just better at producing intelligence?

The Sontarans are super soldiers. The Sontarans have big, powerful bodies with almost no weaknesses. The Daleks are fascist super geniuses. The Daleks have tiny bodies dependent on artificial life support and a humanoid sized brain linked to computers with every augmentation Dalek science can provide. Sontaran technology is superior in a number of areas and they have much greater numbers and holdings because they have been around longer, but the Daleks have near parity in most areas and superiority in a few others (dalekenium, computers, beam weapons).

In short the Daleks are smarter than just about everything in the Whoverse.

Imperial Overlord wrote:In short the Daleks are smarter than just about everything in the Whoverse.

"One Doctor, and now you're scared."

Sorry, couldn't resist

Hyper light missiles hurtled through space toward a rust coloured planet marked by splotches of blue water and the thin white streamers of clouds. Energy beams flared toward them from points in orbit, clawing them out of the void. Half the swarm died in the time that it took to close the distance. Ninety percent of the survivors hits their targets.

New stars were visible in the sky above Vortos as enormous blasts of energy hammered the force fields around the orbital weapon platforms. Multiple hits overloaded fields and leaked through, turning high tech satellites into white hot gas. The next volley followed in their wake and tore through most of the survivors.

A few of the misses resulted in the missiles flying off into deep space. The remainder struck atmosphere like hammer blows from an angry god. The heat and stress of reentry changed them into super heated balls of gas before they touched the surface, but they were still travelling at a substantial fraction of the speed of light. Fireballs blossomed on Vortos's surface and the earth shook, heralding the arrival of the Sontarans.

"System based and orbital defences neutralized," said Colonel Mulgus as he read data from the central console. "No sign of planetary defence installations, but at this distance any moderately concealed facility would escape detection. One battlecruiser lost to enemy fire. No other damage."

"Very good colonel," said General Stahl. He looked across the command console at his staff. He tapped the screen displaying the planet's surface. "We shall land troops here, away from their population centers and probable locations of their planetary defence batteries. The population of this world is mostly Skarosian. They will be easily dealt with even if reinforced by Daleks."

"Yes sir," said Colonel Mulgus. "We will begin preparations for the landing.

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"Incoming transmission from Administrator Calson," said Dalek Szem. The Dalek turned to Dalek Theta. Theta's casing was not white marked with black globes like that of his underlings, but pure black.

Theta turned his casing. "Display on the main screen." The Dalek command center was a mess of bundled cables snaking over the walls to attach to computer consoles. Functionality had been the dominate concern. Functionality and time.

The main screen glowed and a middle aged man with greying dark hair appeared. "We are under Sontaran attack," he said. "Our orbital defences have been destroyed." There was a slight edge of hysteria to his voice.

"We understand," said Dalek Theta. "Recall all your populations to your main cities or mining areas. The Sontarans will wish to capture these areas intact."

"And then what? Wait?"

"Yes," said Dalek Theta. "You will wait for orders."

"What about the militia. We can fight these things. We're not soldiers, but by the gods we can fight."

"Gods are irrelevant. Militia volunteers will not be capable of resisting Sontaran soldiers. You will hold them in reserve until I call for them."

"You have a plan? You can defeat them?"

"The Daleks do not plan to fail. End communication." The screen went dark.

"We received only two hundred soldiers from Skaro," said Dalek Szam. "They were young with only five experienced Daleks among them. The Sontarans will be landing at least ten thousand soldiers."

"Up to a hundred thousand soldiers," said Dalek Vaan.

"The Sontarans have to advance over rocky terrain to capture industrial and mining facilities intact in order to further their war aims," said Dalek Thay. "And they do not have maps of the mining tunnels. We received only two hundred Daleks from Skaro, but we received additional equipment and we have built war machines of our own. The Sontarans are avoiding planetary defence installations in their landing approaches. They will have to advance over land, along routes we can predict. They shall soon feel the power of the Daleks."

Colonel Mulgus opened the hatch to his command crawler and stepped inside. He closed the door behind him. Red dust clung to his armour. He pulled off his helmet and consulted the holographic display. The Sontaran forces were mobilizing nicely.

The planet was a barely inhabitable wasteland with a thin atmosphere and high speed winds. The Skarosians had unleashed a horde of engineered microorganisms and plants to ecoform the world and then planted six colony bases in the northern mountains to begin extracting the world's vast mineral wealth. Local light and heavy industry and quickly followed soon after.

Too bad orbital suppression of planetary defence systems followed by a direct landings was out. They would have the planet at the end of the day, although perhaps at the cost of a few warships and an assault ship or two. The grand marshal had gotten spooked in Mulgus's opinion. Yes the enemy had inflicted unheard of casualties with their small force, but that was more reason to step on them hard regardless of the casualties. The losses had made Terast too cautious. It gave the enemy too much to work with.

Not that there was anything Mulgus could do about it. His job was to obey his superiors and issue correct orders to his inferiors. Every Sontaran in his place, everyone an expert at his job. That was the Sontaran way of war and they had no equals anywhere in the galaxy.

He consulted the topographical map again. He would have to move his army through the shielding mountain range by one of several passes, through some rocky highlands, low sunken plains, and then back into the more mountainous terrain to assault the settlements. The enemy would oppose his advance, of course.

"Dispatch three recon platoons, one for each one of the nearby passes. Have an technical intelligence platoon follow after."

"Yes sir," said Captain Morvus. The chances of one or all the passes being trapped was too high. Mulgus had no intention of losing a third of his forces to a nuclear mine before firing a single shot. Who knew what tricks the Daleks had waiting for him?

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"Sontaran forces have landed and are beginning their advance," said Szem. "Spy eye system in place and relaying data normally."

"Excellent," said Dalek Theta. "Display troop disposition on the main screen."

"I obey," said Dalek Szem. The loose crescent of the Skarosian colonies was at the top of the screen. At the bottom was the Sontaran advance parties as they probed the passes.

"Long range rocket artillery can engage Sontaran advance elements if our leading units advance," said Dalek Aarn. "They will enter range in approximately two thousand rels."

"Negative," said Dalek Theta. "They will not advance. Concentrate Dalek and militia forces in Sector Three-Nine-Seven," he said, indicating the lower left horn of the crescent. Travel is to be exclusively be tunnels to hide troop disposition from the Sontarans.

"First and Second Long Range Battery are exempted from this order. They will be sent to Six-Eight-Two." This was the right hand horn of the crescent.

"I obey," said Dalek Aarn.

"What if the Sontarans do not advance in the way you anticipate?" asked Dalek Szem.

"I am not leaving the choice to the Sontarans," said Dalek Theta. "We shall make their other options non-viable."

Imperial Overlord wrote:"I am not leaving the choice to the Sontarans," said Dalek Theta. "We shall make their other options non-viable."

And that is how you win wars -- put the enemy where YOU want them.

Great chapter.