[mobcdmoc3]

Flagship Sovereign
3rd Sol Fleet
Virgo System
Day 1

Admiral Soryu stared hard at the holographic nodemap projection. Friendlies in Aldebaran were already taking a beating from the bugs, and rumor was that one of them was already wanting to back out to resupply. Meanwhile in Draco, the 1st LSF fleet was pitted against two fleets in Draco, and also taking a beating. The 1st CRF and the 1st DD were moving in to Vega, and the 1st LSF was pulling out.

The 1st LSF are goners if we don't get in there. Looks like the 1st SF can cover whoever needs help in Aldebaran. I never liked dealing with bugs anyways.

"Helm, set course for Vega. No time to delay."

"Yes sir!"

"Gunnery control, load plasma cores and missile batteries. Start finding weakpoints on the enemy ships from what data we have, and calibrate the targeting computers to account for them."

"On it!"

"Comms, I need the following message relayed to the admiral of the Silver Arrow, 1st CRF fleet, and the admiral of the Aurora, 1st DD fleet:

There's no doubt they're going to bring in reinforcements on our front - In that event, I'll be more than happy to blitz them at their rally point and keep them busy. It might be a bit early to be planning this, but I'd rather say this now than later. Otherwise, we can just buy the 1st LSF the time they need to get back in the action.

Thoughts?"

"Recorded, encrypted, and sent, admiral."

He looked back at the nodemap - There was... something out there jumping into Tauri. There was also another unidentified fleet in Algol, no doubt ravaging the poor souls there.

"Sir...?" spoke XO Lynne Naya.

"What is it?"

"The Reyuu reported some problems with their fighters. We're fighting with outdated equipment - It might be a better idea for us to serve as rear support for the 1st LSF and set up a defensive position Aquarius. We have no idea what else could show up."

"Hmm... I see. Staying in Aquarius would also give us an angle on Virgo, just in case the other front starts taking losses. Not a bad idea, but that's a bit too conservative for this stage in the war. If we lose ground now, we may not be able to recover it."

"Understood. It was merely a suggestion."

"Naya, the ship is yours for now. I'm going to run inspection of the ship and talk to the crew."

"In person, sir?"

"It'll be good for morale. Besides, my ship isn't going to be all nice and clean after we get in the fray. Better enjoy it while I can."

"As you wish."

"Naya?"

"Yes?"

"You've never been in a full-scale war before, have you?"

"I don't imagine dealing with pirates counts, does it?"

"Heh, 'course not. This'll be good for you. Working with inadequate resources against a superior enemy is as challenging as it is impressive if you manage to pull it off. Don't worry about our equipment - Worry about the strategy."

Admiral Soryu turned his back on the nodemap, and stepped into the elevator while it still worked. Naya threw him a salute, and he returned the gesture. The elevator doors slid shut, and he began his descent into the body of his ship.

She's right though. I'd definitely feel a lot better with 4th Gen fighters at our disposal. Wonder if we'll ever get any. Hope we're not overextending by meeting the enemy head-on.

No matter. Nobody ever fought a war without taking losses.

EDIT: Fixed terribad misidentification

[X3N0-Life-Form]

Day 1, Champion-class carrier Swift, Sol Force 2nd Fleet, Aldebaran system
Briefing room #1

"... as well as the Peace Lily are in need of repairs. The Raptor was lost to concentrated gunship fire, but S&R was able to recover two third of the crew. The Red Lobster and Blue Sky report damage both sustained damage to their power plant to concentrated EM bombardment from Cordi Warriors, and can't operate their beam weapons at the moment.
- Thank you Lieutenant, that will be all for now", said the Rear Admiral. "CAG, what's your take on this engagement?
- The initial assesment of the enemy's fightercraft maneuverability was severely underestimated, caughting our Caliburn pilots off guard. The Ray III proved somewhat more successful at engaging enemy fighters. Still, I would not recommend engaging large Soldier or Warrior swarms in the open.
- Agreed", said the captain of the Legend over the vid-com. "Having our fighter escort closer would also diminish the threat of close-range gunship jumps."
The admiral glanced again at the tactical map for another 30 seconds before speaking.
- "Lieutenant, bring us the strategic situation and fleet movements."
- "The 1st and 2nd Nordera fleets moved into the Draco system and engaged the 1st LSF fleet with overwhelming alpha strikes. Rear Admiral SpardaSon was able to repel their initial attacks, but lost a significant number of ships in the process. Meanwhile, a 3rd Nordera fleet moved into the Hydra system while a 4th Cordi fleet entered Kardoen. Garrison units in Algo have reported the presence of unknown alien vessels in the system. LSF listening posts have also detected ... something moving faster than light towards Tauri, bypassing the Starlance network entirely. Rear Admiral Lorric of the 2nd CRF has already made preparation to rotate his fleet into Tauri to resupply and take defensive positions.
- CIC to admiral. Message from the Hand of Absolution. Admiral Iera is preparing to move into the system and engage the Cordi's 2nd fleet.
- Copy that. Tell the fleet to prepare for defensive action." The admiral got up from his chair, then highlited civilian installations on the tactical map. "Alright, we are going to take position around the logistical lanes, draw their fire, then try to take a shot at their motherships. 1st fleet will then come in and hopefully finish the job. If the enemy decides to launch a counter-attack, we'll rotate out of the system to resupply after fending off their attacks. If they decide to take the fight to our buddies, we'll push the fight to them. I also want strike teams ready to jump to the Aglol entry point, in case our unknown guests decide to pay us a visit. Gentlement, you have your orders. Be ready to give them hell, and good luck. Dismissed."

EDIT - to match the actual actions being taken

[Lorric]

After Action Report by Rear Admiral Lorric of the Soaring Spirit and the 2nd CRF to all Terran Fleets and Systems

Our fleet was the first into battle in Alderbaran. The first Cordi fleet, significantly larger than ours, entered the system first, followed by two more fleets of comparable size to ours. We engaged the larger fleet, while the second fleet manoeuvred into position to engage the 2nd SF. The third Cordi Fleet and the 1st UGC have not yet entered battle. The speed of the Cordi vessels is impressive. Their fighters are a match for our own. What they lack in durability and firepower compared to our own ships, they make up for with a truly impressive speed and agility that we cannot match, and a proficiency in swarming tactics. We were taken by surprise by the speed of the huge swarm of these fighters, and the fact that they left the protection of their fleet and engaged us, confounding our gunners and fighter pilots and breaking up the cohesion of our formation to allow the enemy fleet vessels to close in and engage us. On the enemy capital ships, the main mothership vessels, while of surprising durability, lack the firepower to stand before our own vessels. However, we encountered trouble from a smaller gunship-type vessel that also was with the enemy fleet. These shadowed the mothership vessels, then moved in close, settling into blindspots of our capital ships and firing away with an I have to say impressive volume of turrets. The vessel however is fragile, and will succumb to a missile swarm from a single wing of fighters. While our capital ships were able to handle the mothership vessels ship to ship, the gunship vessels caused us much grief. And the swarms of Cordi fighter vessels made it very difficult to free up fighters to strike them. These gunship vessels are not to be underestimated, their manoeuvrability at close range allows them to circle our vessels faster than they can turn, strafing away safe from our powerful frontal weaponry.

Recommendations:

We made the mistake of treating the Cordi Mothership vessels as the greater threat. This is not the case. Unless they still contain fighters, I would suggest prioritising the destruction of the gunship vessels if possible before they get close where they can do their damage. I imagine our frontal weaponry will shred their thin skins like tinfoil. The computers have been working on formation tactics for individual capital ships to cover each other against these gunships.

On the fighters, training is needed on small, fast targets for both our fighter crews and pilots to hone their reflexes. A small, fast, agile training drone with an advanced AI would be a good start for a training tool. It is unfortunate the Cyrvans are not here. Their razor-sharp reflexes and agile ships would be ideal for dealing with the Cordi fighters. Fighter pilots are recommended to watch each other’s backs to protect against and break up the Cordi swarming tactics. The Cordi weapons are weak, and if the fighters can be split up they find it hard to deliver significant damage to our fighters singularly.

Overall early analysis indicates that we are technologically superior to this race, but not by a great deal. All their ships are a threat to ours, and should be taken very seriously. It has always been no secret that our forces do not perform well against a mobile enemy, the war against the Cyrvans taught us that. The mobility of a Cordi fleet affords them a tactical advantage. Taking a formation that allows maximum firepower to be brought to bear on a Cordi fleet before it can close is advised.

We have taken significant damage and are now pulling back to Tauri to regroup and prepare to meet the new enemy approaching the system. It is my hope that this information will serve us all, in particular those who will be taking our place on the front lines in Aldebaran against the Cordi. Good luck out there.

Rear Admiral Lorric

[CommanderDJ]

"They're pulling back! They're retreating!"

The shout rang out across the bridge of the Hand of Absolution, and was met with cheers.

"Discipline, people! Discipline!" yelled Captain Regulle, then turned as she heard the rear admiral's voice behind her.

"Sitrep, Captain."

"Our combined attack with 2nd Fleet has driven many of them out of the system. They've retreated back to Crux."

The admiral gave a nod. "What's our status?"

"Relatively minor damage, sir. However, 2nd Fleet took the brunt of their counter-attack, and have taken major losses."

"On screen, please."

Iera steepled his fingers as he surveyed the details.

"Comms, get me a channel to the Swift."

"Open, sir."

The Rear Admiral stood a little taller and took a breath before beginning to speak.

"Rear Admiral Fremont, this is Rear Admiral Iera, 1st Fleet. I wish to thank you for the large part you played in today's victory. I and all aboard my ships are in your debt, and we will remember the sacrifices your people made today. If you should wish to retreat and resupply your forces, let us know and we'll cover you."

"Message away, sir."

"Good. Alright, people, enjoy your victory today. I'm certain there's a lot more to do. Two enemy fleets still remain in the system. Whilst the 2nd SF will likely need to retreat and resupply, between us and the 1st UGCR, we have more than enough firepower to not just route, but destroy a Cordi fleet." The admiral clenched a fist as he emphasized the word. He turned to Captain Regulle.

"Push the attack, Captain. Target their 1st Fleet. Coordinate with the 1st UGCR if they're willing to work with us, and send my compliments to Rear Admiral Bradwater. Let's drive these aliens right back into their holes."

The Captain stood taller, emboldened. "Yes, sir!"

A salute was exchanged, and everyone aboard the Hand of Absolution set right back to work.

[Lepanto]

"Helm, you are clear to exit the Starlance."

"Roger, sir." The St. Louis's helmswoman complied, and the familiar blue vortex of the Starlance corridor was replaced first by a white flash, and then by Ruba Pegasi's starfield. Santiago thought he detected a palpable air of relief as the massive carrier dropped back into realspace. Starlance travel had long been a safe mode of transport, but men and women had never quite lost their fear of the etheric realm. Santiago repressed a shudder as he remembered the documentary on the loss of the Horizon from Dr. Townsend's Subspace Physics class.

The fleet's leading elements had already arrived ahead of the flagship, and more CRF vessels streamed into the system as the carriers deployed their Combat Aerospace Patrol wings. The 4th was still well within League territory, but Santiago was taking no chances. If an enemy fleet had slipped behind Allied lines, a sneak attack on an unprepared reinforcement fleet would have been disastrous. Also, it kept the pilots sharp for when the 4th would have to jump into a contested system.

Leaving the bridge to Captain Kerr, Santiago began his trek to the briefing room. He'd judged that now, approximately two days before battle, was the best time to bolster his crew's morale with a "Zeal Speech." The Rear Admiral knew that most foreigners stereotyped Britannia as a nation of backward romanticists playing knight in shining armor. In fact, Santiago knew that just as the CRF's anachronistic-looking plate armor was actually a vacuum- and puncture-resistant polymer-alloy combat uniform, a keen understanding of military psychology informed the CRF's glittering ceremonies and talk of knightly valor. FireSpace: Green Planet (it was a deep and informative study of subspace war and military psychology, so playing it was an intellectually justified use of the Rear Admiral's time. No, seriously.) had realistically described soldiers' psychological stress and its consequences in a prolonged war. As long as men and women still manned humanity's warships, mental health would be a key component of any front-line fighting force. Britannia's cultural focus on martial heroism, with all its pageantry and knightly imagery, imbued its citizens with an honest psychological stability which Santiago thought other nations lacked. Hence, the CRF could rely on enthusiastic and courageous recruits, who would be further refined by the crucibles of military training and service into soldiers whom commanders could rely upon to risk death, follow orders, and remain on the front line without cracking under pressure. The War College had taught Britannian commanders to reinforce and efficiently use their subordinates' loyalty, using the most effective techniques and theories which modern psychology could provide. Of course, no system could operate flawlessly under the strain of human error; the dissension in 2CRF following Lorric's retreat against Her Majesty's wishes was proof that even Britannia's morale could be strained by scandal. The CRF was, nevertheless, a model of carefully-promoted martial valor with no equal in Terran space.

One classic CRF morale-raising technique, in use since the dawn of history, was the dramatic rallying speech. CRF admirals, to no one's surprise, could deliver excellent ones. Santiago's study of Spohn's Rules of Warfare had taught him that such speeches, even to a CRF crew, could only be used effectively about once every three days, or else their effect would be cheapened. The Rear Admiral mounted the podium in the main briefing room, glancing over the assembled crowd of officers. He knew his speech was also being simulcast fleet-wide, and whether or not he wanted it, someone would be putting it up on GalVideo for all Terran space to see. The three members of his brain trust and a few aides sat behind him, and above them was a massive holo-projection, presently showing the CRF insignia. Santiago had always lacked Lorric's sheer charisma in delivering speeches, but knew how to tug his men's heartstrings with carefully-chosen words. He cleared his throat, checked the mic (counting his blessings that one piece of equipment in this fleet worked right) and launched into his speech.

"Men and women of 4th Fleet, this is your Admiral speaking. We will be entering battle in approximately two days. Sadly, our enemies will not accept any peace besides submission to their cruel empire, which is no option at all. To flee, or even to flinch, is to leave your Queen, your country, your loved ones to the mercies of a merciless foe, and to die bereft of your honor. Hence, we will fight. You will be called to meet and perhaps exceed our military's exalted standards, and you will do so, because true zeal burns in your hearts, and because all of you simply have no other choice. If you are confident in our victory, that confidence will reinforce and justify itself with victory; if you despair to face our alien aggressors, your despair and cowardice will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If all officers and men of 4th Fleet do their duty without flinching, Britannia will see tomorrow, even if many of us will not. This will be our Tours, our Lepanto, our Vienna. The survival of our civilization will hinge on our performance in the field, and upon the will of Almighty God. Britannia expects that every man and woman will do their duty. Dismissed."

The crowd erupted in a standing ovation as Santiago left the room. One Zeal Speech down. Let's hope it sticks.

============================

A few hours later, Santiago was alone in his quarters, dictating a message to his friend and fellow admiral.

"Lorric, I'm sorry for the losses which 2CRF suffered in the First Battle of Aldebaran." No doubt, it would not be the last. "I still remember having tea with Captain Kewell of the Glasgow. At least he and his ship died covering the Soaring Spirit, with the dignity befitting CRF officers." I only hope they went to a better place.

"Also, be aware that I personally support your decision to withdraw from Aldebaran, even against Her Majesty's wishes. The lives of your crew and the strength of your fleet were more important."

"On a more cheery note," Santiago gave a wry smile, "check GalVideo for my Zeal Speech. You know I've always gone for short and sweet. Let's see whose can get more views."

Slipping back into his serious tone, he finished succinctly. "Lorric, if you need me, I'm coming. Computer, end message and send."

[Lorric]

To Rear Admiral Santiago

My dear friend.

I must apologise for not being able to speak to you sooner, but the situation has simply not allowed it up to this point. Now, finally, I have a quiet moment to take for some reflection and to reply to your kind words.

Yes, Captain Kewell. He was covering the left flank, which took particularly heavy damage from the gunship vessels which as you know we sadly did not realise the threat they posed and those on the left flank were the first to learn that. If it wasn’t for his iron will holding it together, the left would have collapsed completely. He was a true hero and a good friend, as were every man and woman on his ship, he saved so many. I will miss him. It makes me value our friendship even more now that he is gone.

I was doing some thinking. At first I was thinking that I wish you were here with me. You know how well we work together, how our different styles mesh together. But then I got to thinking that if one of us had to be right on the front, and one of us had to be right at the back, I’m glad that it was this way. You know me, a CRF Admiral in the old style, inspire the men and lead them into battle. And that’s what was called for here, that’s what plays to my strengths, and that’s what I did. I had hoped to perhaps break right through their formation, but their numbers were simply too thick. But we did stop the enemy’s surge and hold them, bought enough time for the reinforcements to arrive. But I know you’d have been out of your element in such a situation with no information to use, you need information and time to reflect and plan. And you’ll have it in abundance by the time you get to the front, and then you’ll be able to work that magic that only you can, and after what happened to Kewell I can’t wait to see it. I know if it was me in your shoes, while I’d certainly do better with the information than without it, like stopping what happened with the gunships, I’m not the calm planman you are. It would frustrate me so much watching people die while I was stuck out of the fighting. I wouldn’t be able to reflect on and use the information as well as you. Small mercies, eh? I do hope we can eventually join together again. With me leading our attack and you co-ordinating it, nothing will be able to stand before us. The sword and the shield.

Your support means a lot to me. It seems her majesty has consented to the decision, but unfortunately it still deflated the crew’s morale around here. She meant well, we all know that, she was trying to inspire us, nobody could have predicted what is about to come in Tauri. I would liken it to pumping air into a balloon only to end up letting it out again. You can physically see the deflation. I pumped up the crew, then her majesty pumped up the crew, we were all ready to stand and fight, and then we’re retreating. It just cut off all the momentum we had gained. Oh, the crew is still in good spirits, don’t get me wrong, but I would say it’s akin to the level of when this whole thing started. I hope I can get them pumped up for the next battle. The enemy will be upon us soon. An enemy that can bypass Starlances. I have to say, that makes me nervous. I need to keep the men busy. It’s not something that it does any good to dwell on. Even the Cyrvans can’t do that, or they’d have bypassed our jump blockades during the war. But with a strong defence, and the support of the 4th Sol, we will prevail. We have to. It’s still only one enemy fleet coming into a fortified system. If we can’t win such a battle, then what hope would there be for any of us?

I have good news too. I must say, it does my heart good to see all the rich resources of these systems being co-ordinated to bring our fleet back up to full strength before the enemy arrive. And it’s gone very, very smoothly, there’s a reason these systems are so rich, you should see the work ethic in these people, unbelievable. I reckon there’s a thing or two we could learn about running a tight ship here. We’re almost at full strength already. Just a little more then we’ll be at full strength, and then we’ll be able to turn our attention to tightening our defences.

I saw your speech. I found it inspiring, different style of course, but inspiring all the same. The ovation was thunderous, just about brought a tear to my eye, that’s got to be some of your best work, if not the best outright. It was the sheer conviction in your voice rather than the words you chose. You make me proud to have you as a friend. Unfortunately, the friendly contest you have in mind won’t be possible. This scandal has introduced the name of Rear Admiral Lorric to a galaxy-wide audience. And everyone wants to get a look at the man who disobeyed a Queen. The hits on that thing shot through the roof. Hey though, at least it’s something nice for them to be watching. Better than those news reports, have you seen some of that horse****? Sensationalist bull**** in the middle of an alien invasion for crying out loud, it makes me sick to my stomach…

Anyway, I don’t want to get talking about those parasites, you know how I feel about them. I am concerned about the disposition of our forces, that the North is short on ships. If my request to be reinforced goes unanswered, then I will gladly accept your offer. But don’t let your personal feelings or anything else get in the way of your judgement, that is your greatest strength, and I want you to use it to decide where you are most needed. And if it isn’t by my side, then you must do the right thing, as much as I’d love to fight alongside you once again.

Good luck, my friend. Good luck to us all.

Lorric

-

OOC: I enjoyed the rest of your post as well. I really liked the play on words with “Spohn‘s Rules of Warfare”, that was a great touch, that got a smile out of me. Poking the fourth wall. I really like the way you fleshed out and legitimised the practices of the CRF, really good stuff. It’s already making me feel loyal to the faction I chose!

[Flak]

"Get over here Markus, I need your two large ships to cover my flanks!" the man in the communicator shouted. "I had to remove some of my point defenses to make room for the experimental beams and my escort cruisers can only do so much. Together we will destroy more of them that way. Still, it is glorious isn't it, Markus."

"We'll see to that. Just like old times they said." Baron Markus replied, in a sarcastic tone. "Jaxon, we are forming up on the Golden Dawn, get the Thunderhawk to to cover the left flank, we'll cover the right. Gunnery control remember, Gunships first, full Motherships second, empty Motherships last."

"But boss, how do we differentiate between the full and the empty motherships?" one of the bridge officers ask.

"If it's been out for over 15 minutes, then you know it is less loaded than one that just appeared 1 minute ago. Still, don't worry too much about that, the Gunships are of the highest priority. That is what Admiral Lorric's reports said anyway."

"All of the fighters have been launched, Captain."

Outside, the battle rages as a Cordi fleet meets the 1st UGCR head on. The pilots, UGC regulars and mercenaries alike, struggled to keep up with the highly maneuverable Cordi fighters.

"Seventeen! Is there no end of this? Eighteen!" Commander Gavriil shouts as he takes on a wing of Cordi Warriors that attempts to bomb the Silver Falcon.

"We are 74th Vaqueros, and we are not going to let some upstart guns for hire with shiny fancy fighters outscoring us. Thirty Two!" The familiar voice of what sounds to be Captain Albrecht von Jakob is heard from the radio. Just as some Kaze-B and Leopard fighters seemingly appeared on the scene out of nowhere.

"Great, this is going to make it very interesting." Lieutenant Jerry Chen replied. "I'll never outscore one of you guys, but I can at least ramp it up in quality rather than quantity. Sanjay, can you cover my back a little?" Just as he said, Jerry's dark blue painted Lastochka fighter made a beeline into a mothership that just jumped behind the Golden Dawn, Sanjay black Berkut fighter followed loosely as it can barely keep up with the speed while they swat the Cordi fighters that tried to intercept. Suddenly, Jerry's fighter rushes into the vent above the Cordi Mothership. "Sixteen... Seventeen, now it's the time. Allright chums, let's do this LEEEEEROOOOOOY JEEEEENKIIIINSS!!"

"Twenty Three... Twenty Four. What in the hell are you doing, Jerry?" Shouts Gavriil as he sees Jerry attempts his stunt.

Sanjay who had a better view, was also quite surprised. "What? I am not following you in there."

"You don't have to, Sanjay. Just keep my exit clear." Jerry replied. Several seconds later, the engine of the Mothership visibly went dead, and Jerry's Lastochka came out of the vent shortly after. The Mothership erupted in a fireball after that.

"That still only counts as one!" yells Captain von Jakob just as the Mothership blew up.

"Fine, so that was eighteen." Jerry replied "But you can never deny that I just blew up a capital ship alone. There, another Hiveship just appeared. Your turn, Angelo, I and Sanjay will cover you. I thought you actually managed to pull that off many times in Green Planet: War in Hell mod"

"It is a lot scarier to do that out here, but I'll try." Angelo replied. His dark red with gold trim Berkut fighter then pulled alongside the Cordi Mothership that just jumped in right below the Thunderhawk. He entered from the lower vent, and likewise, the engine of the Mothership blew out. Angelo's fighter then reappeared from the top vent seconds before the Mothership goes up in flames. "That thing was sort of blew up didn't it, what a crappy construction. So was that twenty one, or twenty two, I had sort of lost count."

"You want to try that on the next one, Sanjay? Or maybe you, Junichi?"

"Forty Two! Oh, what was that, Jerry? One of them Hiveships you mean? Nah, I am content of swatting the small bugs, especially if that Albrecht guy said it 'still only counts as one' and I don't think my fighter will fit on the vent. I'll try one of the Gunships maybe. Was that Forty Three?" Junichi replied. Despite being a heavy fighter, Lieutenant Commander Junichi Nakamura's white and red Sodesuka gracefully dances in the sky while tearing the Cordi fighters left and right. "At least I will try to beat von Jakob. Is there no end of this?"

"Hahaha, come on." Captain von Jakob's voice suddenly echoes in the radio. "I thought you want to win, why do you wish for this to end so quickly?".

Meanwhile, in Golden Dawn bridge, it seems like everyone is filled with more bloodlust than concern. There is a wicked grin in the face of Duke Nightwing as well as Captain Anderson just as another Mothership gets torn apart by the Golden Dawn's beams.

"Come on, you worthless bug scum!" yells Duke Nightwing as he brandish his officer's sabre in a menacing gesture. "You want death, we'll give you death! You want to be vented to space as your life waste away in vacuum, we'll arrange for that too."

[Veers]

The 1st Commonwealth Royal Fleet was truly a sight to behold, the jewel of New Britannia. 1st Fleet was not just home to some of the most advanced technologies available, but home to some of the youngest and brightest minds and soldiers in Her Majesty's Service. Despite what some say, the best are CRF!

They had arrived in Vega some time ago and taken up patrol and defensive positions, after communicating at length with Admiral Ralwood of the Delest Dynasty and Admiral Soryu of the Sol Force, as well as the local garrison, Veers believed they had finally reached a plan of action. A plan designed simply to ease their fleets into their first battle, and eliminate an enemy fleet. Their target is Draco and the 4th Cordi Fleet.

Rear Admiral Ralwood had already moved his fleet into position near the Draco starlance, and is still making his final preperations before the attack. As apart of the plan, Veers was organising several scout and support elements to enter Draco with the initial Delest advance, this way they could establish a beachhead quickly around the starlance and the bulk of the 1st CRF would follow closely behind.

Then they would immediately join the fray by reinforcing the Delest Fleet and assaulting hostile positions throughout the system, the initial support and scout groups would also help identify positions that the 1st CRF could deploy to upon arrival.. while also allowing the 1st Delest some breathing room after the first counter-attack.


"Comms, signal The Aurora, 1st Delest Fleet. Inform Admiral Ralwood that our support elements are ready to deploy and are waiting his signal. Captain Fel, I give you the Silver Arrow. Let's bloody the nose of our enemy and display to them, the mighty Commonwealth."

Veers strode over to a nearby viewport and gazed out into space..., several small fighter patrols flew on by in the distance. Flying in perfect formation, discipline, honour.

This is what would lead the CRF to victory, their unwavering loyalty and honour. It burned like a fire within each citizen of New Britannia, civilian and enlisted alike. He snapped out of his thoughts for a moment just to overhear Captain Fel being informed that the latest Intel upon the Cordi Fleets was being distributed to the fleets, He strode back to the Comms Officer...


"To the pilots and crew of the 1st Commonwealth Royal Fleet. To my brothers and sisters, In the name of Her Majesty we are soon departing for Draco. Once we arrive we shall reinforce the 1st Delest Defence Fleet and then assault the system together." He motioned for Fel to step over to the station,

"You have all been briefed and trained for this moment, our latest intel reports are being distributed as we speak and some minor adjustments are being made by our technicians."

"Draco is only defended by one enemy fleet, we shall be engaging the Cordi in close combat. Here in Draco, we. Soldiers of Britannia, shall join forces with the Delest Dynasty and the Sol Forces, to bring our first overwhelming victory of the war. Here in Draco, we shall annihalate the enemy and send a strong message to them, that we are no push overs. This war that they have begun will be their complete and utter undoing."

The message was only being broadcast in audio at this time, which allowed Veers to signal something to Fel, who quickly turned to the Comms station.


"Through Loyalty, We shall have victory. I an honoured to be leading New Britannia's finest into battle today, fight well, fight together. And we cannot be defeated. Captain Fel, if you please...."

The Captain called out a Royal Salute, the fleet echoed in response. Mere moments later, the fleet fell silent as the theme from the Royal Fleet Academy began to grow louder... Fel spoke, just loud enough to be heard over the growing music. "Live from the Academy initiates... for the hearts and ears of the 1st CRF and Commonwealth Loyalists everywhere..."


(Just assume the New Britannia theme is being played. Otherwise I'd go with the British Grenadiers theme.. but I am really really biased towards it right now )

[Jellyfish]

4th Sol Fleet 'Battlegroup 11''s flagship Firelance
Rear Admiral Jason Windforce's personal log, day 18 since deployment from Sol.

Here at last. Tauri. The soon-to-be frontlines.
We've joined forces with the 2nd CRF and entrenched ourselves here, abandoning the initial plan of rushing to Algol in light of intelligence suggesting an unknown species may attack here, bypassing what we believed was the enemy's entry point, Crux, and Aldebaran. They aren't using the starlances for interstellar travel. I can only pray intelligence can keep tracking them regardless.

I heard news from, and about, the 2nd CRF. They said Lorric retreated against his Queen's wishes, after she 'requested' him to remain in Aldebaran. Apparently, disobeying the Queen... let's just say it isn't a good thing to do in New Britannian society. His crews won't fight with the fervor that characterizes the New Britannian knights. It matters little, surely their morale will shot up back to their awe inspiring standards after this unknown enemy falls before us.

The Queen. Versed in many fields as she may be, military strategy and tactics is not one of them. Lorric is. His decision to retreat was sound. She should leave control of his fleet to him.
I can only hope he, or any of the other CO of the other CRFs never read this log. They'd have my head for speaking ill of their Queen. But I digress.

The enemy is coming. Let them come. We'll show them why we are the Iron Wall of Humanity. They shall not pass.

A zeal speech from 4th CRF. They sure know how to do those. Never been a particular fan of speeches, as I found out the weapon systems on the Firelance are better at oratory than I am, but I can still appreciate an uplifting speech when I hear it. It's now set to fleet-wide comms. It certainly breaks the monotony.

[mobcdmoc3]

Flagship Sovereign
3rd Sol Fleet
Vega System
Day 2

Well, here we are. We gotta hold em' here. If they get into Aquarius, they'll be able to jump unfettered wherever to the front, or into the heart of Terran space.

The 1st LSF made it out, as did the 2nd CRF. Only two days in, and two fleets are already in disrepair.

And yet, there's more coming.

Admiral Soryu's gaze drifted off the floor back to the nodemap. He didn't like what he was seeing - There were bugs at his doorstep, and there was an unknown fleet sitting at Kardoen with a damaged fleet sitting next to them.

Algol was no more, as expected. There was nothing they could've done to save the poor souls in there.

He put them out of his mind, and pulled up what they knew on the 'Cordi,' the species that insisted on using bug-shaped ships. They had to assume that they were going to be stronger than them, given previous engagements with them.

What did they know? They're a pain in the ass to deal with. Fast, numerous, and small fighters, paired with gunships and other nasty anti-warship assets.

But they were alone in that system, and there were three here in Vega - The 1st DD fleet, and the 1st CRF. Even better, they had just perfected their blitz strategy. They'd definitely have the jump on em' if they decided to strike now.

Admiral Soryu shook his head - He couldn't get over the fact that his opponents were bugs. Really big, and really mean bugs. He clenched his fist, and turned his head toward his requisitions officer.

"Officer Ra'an, I've got an order to place."

"Now? We're a long ways away from Sol, sir..."

"I don't care, just make sure it gets here one way or another."

"Very well. What did you want?"

"Get me a few cargo containers filled with Raid-tipped missiles, or with whatever is the leading brand in bug-spray."

"Uh... Bug-spray tipped missiles?"

"Just do it."

"... Yes sir, right away, sir..."

Now he could actually concentrate on figuring out what to do, with his guts at ease. He didn't give a damn that half of the crew on the deck was giving him strange looks.

"Admiral Soryu...?"

"Not now, Naya. Comms, I need another message sent to the admiral of the Silver Arrow, 1st CRF fleet, and the admiral of the Aurora, 1st DD Fleet:

There's three of us, and one of them. I can blitz them to give us the advantage, but I'm no going to do that unless you guys want to jump into the fire with me. The only thing we'll have to worry about is that unknown fleet in Kardoen crashing the party. If you guys will commit, I'll lead the charge."

"Done."

"Next, I need a channel opened up to the rest of the fleet."

"Channel open. You're live in five."

"Ladies and gentlemen of the 3rd Sol Fleet this is your admiral speaking. We may be blitzing into Draco with our comrades in arms within the day. You all know the drill - Overload engines to 130% once out of subspace, and bypass firing safeties.

Our target - The 4th Cordi Fleet. They look like bugs, they fight like bugs, and if I had to venture a guess, the Cordi are actually bugs. And for that reason, we're going to crush them beneath our heels as bugs. Unfortunately, we don't have the time to squish every single one of them, so I've ordered some special provisions for us.

Bug-spray tipped missiles. I'm sure that if one of those gets inside their ships, it'll knock em' on their backs regardless of whether or not they're actually bugs. Enough noxious gases inside a ship can't be good for the crew. They won't arrive for a while, but it'll be something to look forward to.

Assemble into combat formation, and prepare to depart at a moment's notice. Dismissed!"

"Admiral..."

"Ok Naya, what?"

"Do we seriously have bug-spray tipped missiles?"

"Don't know, don't care. It'll be good for morale to literally characterize our enemy as bugs, and we'll get a few laughs if we do end up with those missiles on our hands at some point."

"All this was for a pre-battle speech and your personal entertainment? I'd have never thought of that."

Admiral Soryu brought his XO close, and whispered into her ear.

"Between you and me, I just hate bugs. I'm sure you and most of the crew will agree with me on this matter."

"Right..."

He knew what Naya was doing - She was recalling the time they got a cargo container filled with bug-infested food. They had to quarantine the ship for several days before the exterminators arrived. That was almost as bad as being shot at.

"Don't worry about the upcoming attacks. We'll be fine."

She nodded, and stepped into the elevator behind them. As the elevator doors slid shut, Admiral Soryu relaxed into his chair, trying to enjoy the last moments of peace they would have in a while.

Alright you oversized bugs - Get ready for the wrath of the 3rd.

[Lepanto]

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Condolences and greetings

Lorric,

I've been remiss in keeping contact myself. Between managing the 4th's return to combat readiness and savoring a few rare moments of relaxation, I've had little time to compose a proper message. You don't know how many technical and personnel problems we had to fix in Harcon. Beresford, my logistics chief, was tearing his hair out by the end of our stopover. Now that we are finally en route to the front, we've been able to partially relax our schedules. It's given me some time to stop and think about our broader war plans, and I've come up with a plan that might swing the course of the war in our favor. You wanted a calm, reflected plan, and here it is.

Captain Kewell, and many more like him across the front, died as heroes. I'm afraid we have little time to mourn the dead. All that's left for us, as officers, is to win this war as quickly and decisively as possible, to spare as many lives as we can. I'm naturally reluctant to advocate a forceful counter-offensive, but I think such a course will save more lives in the long run and liberate our systems faster. Quoth the master, "There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare." Instead of trying to hold the enemy on both fronts and fighting a war of attrition, a war we might not be able to win if the enemy keeps throwing more fleets into the fray, I'm advocating we aim for a concentrated knockout punch in one sector, namely the south. You mentioned that the North was short on ships, but I think that concentrating in the south gives us a decisive strategic opportunity. If we can recapture Kardoen, we can hold one bottleneck system much easier than with our current multi-system defense. The northern front would have to hold until our counter-offensive can secure at least a partial victory, but I think that if we concentrate our forces and execute effectively, the gains will be worth the risks. We have three inbound fleets which can be deployed to the southern theater, plus the 1st LSF once it resupplies, and unless the enemy sends massive reinforcements into Kardoen, we would have localized force superiority in the south. If all goes right, the three fleets in Vega should be able to shatter the 4th Cordi in Draco by tomorrow, and then we can finish the enemy in Hydra and press into Kardoen. If all goes well, we can keep a reduced holding force in the south and then shift units north once the south is more-or-less secure. It's basic concentration-of-force. Our enemy has ignored this basic principle and committed to two separate invasion corridors, a mistake reminiscent of Hitler's Barbarossa; this gives us an opportunity to counter their numerical superiority with some adroit strategic maneuvering.

I would have rather deployed to the north, fighting alongside you, but you will understand that I must go where the 4th will be most effective. Please, give me an honest assessment of my plan, and quickly; time is of the essence. If you approve, I'll contact the relevant fleet commanders and request their co-operation.

Your assessment of our respective strengths and weaknesses is spot-on, as usual. When the invasion started, the Terran fleets needed your ability to coordinate an immediate, local defense. But now that the front has semi-stabilized, I think it's time to start a unified counter-attack. If the Terran fleets had a unified command structure, able to coordinate and execute an effective war plan, we wouldn't need to rely on this ad-hoc coordination between individual fleet commanders. But they don't, and we've had to make do with what we have.

On a local scale, I've been drawing up impromptu fighting instructions based on the information we've gotten from the front, your briefing included. All told, we should be much more ready to fight the Cordi or Nordera than the first-responder fleets were. The unknown fleets, though, are what really worries me. The enemy should have a good picture of LSF technology and tactics by now; if they commit unknown units to a decisive engagement, it could prove disastrous for us. But, well, fog of war; we'll just have to act as the situation develops.

You'll be facing some of the worst of it, I can see. If the enemy fleet attacking Tauri can bypass Starlances, their tech levels are likely beyond ours and possibly even the Cyrvans'. Perhaps these are the rulers of the enemy Hierarchy, which I've heard rumours about. I only hope and pray that the 2nd and the 4th SF will be able to hold Tauri. Even with the recent scandal, I trust your men will fight effectively; we'll have to see if that's enough.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how well the repair and resupply efforts in Tauri and in other systems have gone. Not long before, the Terran systems were divided against each other by petty proxy wars, and now that they are all threatened, they have come together as one. If you had asked me if Terran fleets could efficiently resupply in each other's systems on a moment's notice, I'd have laughed and thought it would have been an impossible logistics nightmare. But a common enemy has always been a powerful centralizing force, and  now we're seeing Terran unity on a scale unprecedented since the T-C War. I just hope it lasts, possibly even beyond this war.

Why, thank you for your compliments on my speech. When I heard the applause in my briefing room after I'd finished, I was worried that my men were only applauding out of politeness. Your approval, that I trust. You've never been one to let my failures pass unnoticed.

Point to you on the video contest. Last I checked, yours had cleared 19 mil. I will remind you, though, don't let your 15 minutes of fame go to your head, especially not when you're famous because you disobeyed the Queen. It's our job as commanders to squelch the rumour mill to promote discipline, not feed it for our own aggrandizement. You should know that, but I just thought I'd remind you.

On the topic of the news media, I'm also disgusted by their lies and sensationalism, especially with a war for the fate of our civilization ongoing, and you being on the front lines. But, here's a piece of advice from me: don't take their accusations so seriously and personally; they aren't worth it, and we don't have time to play politics. Just treat it as a joke; "giggle at the ghostie" if you will. You have to admit, that one in the Guardian about you being a shapeshifting Cordi infiltrator was simply hilarious.

Pax vobiscum,
Santiago

======================================

CommanderDJ, I'd be open to that. Do you have any ideas?

Also, everybody who could head south, do you think OOC that massing to the south would be a good idea?

[Flak]

Cordia System
Supply Depot Foxtrot

Since the alien invasion, the depot has been more busy than ever. Requests of weapons, ammunition, and other provisions seems never ending.

Quartermaster Branson has been sitting on his table for hours and is looking at the latest request for the fleets. The door of his office opens, and there appears Corporal Kent Ramsey.

Corporal Ramsey sits down in the chair in front of the Quartermaster's desk and deliver a few sets of papers and holodisks. "As usual, even more request, sir. The 1st LSF has ordered a large batch of VX-02a and the 4th SF has ordered a large shipment of Spiritus Lucis to be sent to Librae. Other than that, it is all the usual requests for capital ship spare parts, and food supplies."

"Good, though I am getting worried of our supplier's ability to get all these things in time. How is the order of VX-153 coming through?"

"It's not here yet unfortunately, both the Heinkel & Krauss and Kobra companies claimed they are backordered. Looks like they have been flooded with orders themselves. Do we have any alternatives so we can get them earlier?"

"Unfortunately no at this moment. They are the only ones who have the equipment to manufacture them in this area. However, the last I checked, they said they were busy about making something they claimed we also requested a couple of days ago."

"Did we sent any odd requests back then, sir?"

"I actually didn't read any of it I think. Too many request you know, if I try to read every single one of them, I probably won't have any chance at completing any of the necessary work. I just sent in through, it must be all the usual anyway if it is from the fleets."

"Actually I am worried they asked something odd, sir. Maybe we should check that one out if we still had any of the copies?"

"Now that you ask for it, I am now thinking of the same thing. Let's see the archives, that one's nothing and this one. There it is. The only request we sent was the one from the 3rd SF. I doubt there is anything strange in there. More VX-153 no doubt. Do we have to tell them the manufacturers can't handle that number of requests?"

"Are you sure it is just plain VX-153's sir? We should open it up I think, I am quite curious. The Kobra company managed to deliver the request of VX-153 from the 2nd LSF in time."

"I am opening it now. Hell no, it is not VX-153 at all. Wait, this doesn't make any sense."

"What is it, sir? Did some hackers just messed around with the mail?"

"Not at all, it is from Rear Admiral Soryu himself. They requested something like, Bug-spray warheads?"

"And the companies are producing them?"

"There is only one way to find out, I should get in there and check the crates that just delivered from the Kobra company yesterday."


Later, in the shipyard

"These crates have poison warning labels slapped right next to the Kobra company logo."

"I don't think they are smuggling anything if they have all the necessary safety labels. Let's take a look"

Corporal Ramsey then carefully opens one of the crates, revealing missiles with what apparently odd chemical warheads in them.

"Oh my God, am I dreaming at all?"

"Isn't this bug spray?"

"Didn't the Kobra company think this is a mistake in requests?"

"I think Admiral Soryu contacted them himself, otherwise they will at least ask us again for confirmation."

[X3N0-Life-Form]

Day 2, Champion-class carrier Swift, Sol Force 2nd Fleet, Aldebaran system
CIC

"Mothership Epsilon is retreating. Message from the Cleaver: they have successfully engaged and destroyed their primary target and are now finishing off enemy gunships and fighters.
- The Legend's shields won't hold for much longer.
- Swift to Ram, engage mothership Zeta. Drive them off the Legend. Batcat, move your wing to assist them.
- Message from our scout group: the Fox has found another Cordi rallying point. The are also picking up massive fleet movements from the other two Cordi fleets in system.
- Alright, time to call in the cavalry. Give Admiral Iera the greenlight and send all known coordinates of 2nd Cordi fleet assets. To all ships: push the attack. We're going to try and draw more enemy forces, keep them away from the 1st Fleet while they strike vulnerable cordi elements."

Later that day ...

" Fearsome, you've got more Warriors inbound on your port side.
- Helm, turn our broadside toward these gunships. Divert power to starboard shields.
- Sir, we've lost contact with both the Cleaver and Peace Lily
- Jockey to Swift: the Cleaver is gone. PL's engines and coms are down, requesting -
- Jockey, we've lost your signal! Hang in there.
- Send the Fox and their escort to investigate.
- Two more gunships jumping in underneath us. Moving to engage the Legend.
- Sir, the Arcturus's main reactor coolant system has been damaged. It will go into meltdown within 40 seconds unless they power down.
- Tell them to power down and abandon ship. Tell the Legend to move above us.
- 1st Fleet is reporting major successes. The Cordi won't be able to hold for much longer.
- Neither are we. That plan worked a little to well. We are getting wasted out here and they are taking shots at my ship. Sir, we can't risk the Swift any further.
- Agreed. All ships prepare to withdraw.

... Even later that day ...

...
Wall - status unkwown, search in progress
Cleaver - lost, 47% of the crew rescued
Peace Lily - lost, 85% of the crew rescued
Plank Walker - lost with all hands
Fox - major damage, unfit for combat
Arcturus - abandonned, unsalvagable, 92% of the crew rescued
Legend - major damage, unfit for combat
Ram - moderate damage, unfit for travel, repairs in progress
Fearsome - moderate damage
Swift - minor damage

The Rear Admiral finished reading the Fleet Status Report, feeling bitter. He had expected the 3rd Cordi to jump to the rescue of the 2nd, but he assumed the 1st would be busy launching a counter-attack on the 1st UGCR. Between the loss of important fleet assets, talented pilots and entire crews, the only thing keeping the moral to be bottom low was 1st Fleet's success.
" Admiral to Captain.
- Go ahead Admiral.
- As soon as the Ram's drives are repaired, have the Fleet prepare to make the jump to Virgo. 1st Fleet will be covering our retreat."

[Flak]

Aldebaran System

Commander Gavriil takes a look around his fighter, his hands are still breaking some cold sweat. "This sudden silence, it is maddening is it not. Six hours ago we are heavilly engaged, and now, nothing."

"They are retreating, but why?" Junichi who was still on the same predicament asked. "Maybe they are too afraid after seeing Jerry and Angelo just blew up some of their Hiveships without any anti capship weapon? And then that Captain von Jakob managed to score one too after he got tired of watching their stunts. Or was it those big beams on the Golden Dawn?"

"Somehow, I don't think so." Gavriil said. "This is just one little front, and they were retreating fleet-wide."

"That was a little harder than Winds of Dusk, or even Shadow Revelation..."Jerry exclaimed casually "but I think I am starting to get used to this."

Back on the Silver Falcon bridge. The bridge officers are having a holo communication with some of the other ships.

"Wasn't it glorious, Markus?" said Duke Nightwing, with a big smile on his face "Just like old times when we together kicked those pirates' backsides. None of our ships get severely damaged on top of that."

"Right." Answered Baron Markus, "But somehow I presume this is part of the tactics of theirs. After their retreat from this area, we just got report that the 2nd SF is getting hit hard."

"At least you 'Black Knights' do live up to your reputations." said Commodore Jameson. "Captain von Jakob just told me that you all did well out there. He even reported some kind reactor weakness in the Cordi Motherships that one of your pilots found and he had even proven it for himself. A risky tactical consideration, but it does work given the chance. Oh what was that?"

Commodore Jameson pulls back to the allied communication network computer and reads the latest notice put up by allied command. Shortly, he returns to the holo communicator on his ship.

"Forgive me for interrupting our little 'break', gentlemen but we just got an order from allied command. We are to cover some elements the retreating 2nd SF. Your group just happen to be the closest one, so I'm afraid they just requested the closest element of our fleet to get in there and give them some cover."

"Not a problem, Commodore." answered Duke Nightwing, "Me and my men are still wishing to get even more bug blood in our hands. And so is Markus and his men I believe."

"Then I'll leave you to it. I believe I can trust Black Knights a little more than other kinds of sellswords. Here is the coordinate, be sure to come back here when you are done, otherwise you guys won't get paid."

Later on, they reached the designated area. There was a damaged Crusader, being escorted a Challenger, and a Skirmisher, along with some fighter escorts.

"New contacts on radar. Three battlecruiser or carrier class vessels, and three cruisers."

"They have Britannian IFF, but I thought the 2nd CRF already pulled to Tauri?"

"There a Lord class and two of what looks like somewhat modified Elephant attack carriers, two Duke cruisers, and oddly, a Grazhdanin."

"They must be some mercs then, probably the Black Knight type with their Britannian IFF. Odd that they trust mercs to do escort duties. In some large ships no less."

"I thought that is what they do best, Captain? Escorting VIPs or other things is what they usually do."

"I just hope they don't run away if the shooting starts again and leave us to our fate. They are hailing us."

"This is Captain Anderson of the Golden Dawn. We have been ordered to you cover. Can you give us the sitrep?"

"This is the SF Battlecruiser Ram, our engines are damaged during the last battle and is in need of repair. We just need some cover until we can pull out. Most of our damaged ships had already retreated."

"What happened? I thought you just sent one their fleets running."

"No idea, after we routed one of their fleets, the last thing we know was two large fleets suddenly converged on us in a pincer movement. We were caught off guard. The rest of the fleet probably already caught up with the 1st SF by now, but my ship is no condition to move."

"How much longer is the repair going to take?"

"Probably 30 minutes, maybe more, but we are trying as fast we can."

"Okay, let's launch our fighters. Hopefully they will be long gone before the bugs come back."

[mobcdmoc3]

Flagship Sovereign
3rd Sol Fleet
Vega System
Day 2

The last few hours were spent with XO Naya, discussing battle formations and tactical opportunities. There was also the message from Rear Admiral Lorric, of the 2nd CRF - Apparently he thought that blitzing into Draco was perhaps not a good idea, and that the effort and time it would go into such an attack could be better use.

"How the hell did he catch wind of our plans anyways? I didn't ask for anyone to broadcast our plans, did I?" muttered Soryu.

"He probably just tapped into a report or something, everyone does it," replied Naya.

"Yeah, fine. So what do I tell the crew then? This was a drill?"

"Isn't that the usual crap?"

"I bet I can get away with it. Not like the crew can do much other than complain anyways."

He took another look at his holographic displays. The fleet's ship roster was ready across the board, and everyone was blitz-ready.

A shame that their preparation was for nothing. Well, they'll just have to deal with it.

"Naya," said Soryu without looking at her. "Could you tell comms to get the fleet-channel ready?"

"Of course. Was there anything else?"

"No. You're dismissed. Thank you."

Naya shut the door, and for a few seconds there was nothing but the gentle hum of his displays in the air. His gut was churning back and fourth - He could feel the node getting closer by the second, despite being deep within the cold metal confines of the Sovereign. What was he worried about? He just couldn't tell. His men? His ships? His pride? No, none of that. The crew was prepared as ever, and his ships were at their finest.

There was the unknown fleet sitting in Kardoen, but he had no reason to believe that one fleet could wipe out three of theirs.

He took a breath, interrupting drone of his monitors, and got out of his warm chair. Whatever it was he was worried about could wait - The crew was waiting for his address.

Once at the deck, he cleared his throat, and signaled his comms officer.

"To the pilots and crew of the 3rd Sol Fleet, this is your admiral speaking. I'm proud to announce that you've broken the record for the best blitz preparation by 32.3 seconds."

Through the metal floors, he could hear his crew cheering and congratulating each other - 30 seconds was quite a significant improvement.

"However, I regret to inform you that this was just a drill. Re-prepare for a standard breakthrough into Draco we'll be making the jump shortly. Rear admiral Soryu, out."

The cheering was silenced nearly immediately. Perhaps not because of the fact that it was a drill, but because of his remark regarding their imminent departure to Draco.

"Admiral, you might want to see this," called officer Ra'an. "It's about those missiles you ordered earlier."

"Bring it up on my monitor."

"You got it."

A window materialized before his eyes, quickly revealing a shipping manifest, dated several hours ago.

No way. I don't believe this.

"Seriously? Are you sure this manifest is valid?"

"The encryption codes check out and their firewalls are still intact, so I believe so," replied Ra'an.

The bug-spray missiles were on their way. The weights that were on his chest vanished, having been replaced by the urge to laugh and a sense of excitement.

"That's... Outstanding. Give Kobra company my personal regards."

"On it."

I could tell the crew right now that those things are on the way... But I think I'll let their arrival come as a surprise. They're still some time out anyways.

Soryu could barely believe it, but if the manifest was indeed valid, then they'd have a weapon hopefully as effective as it was entertaining on their hands in the foreseeable future. That news had dispelled his worries - Whatever was waiting for them in Draco or Kardoen, they'd be ready to tackle with no fear.


@Flak - That post about the supply depot brought such an enormous smile to my face. That was such a glorious post. Kudos to you for making my day.

[Lepanto]

1123 hours, St. Louis IX Ready Room, Ruba Pegasi-Tamy Node, Ruba Pegasi


"Now, gentlemen, could one of you please explain just what happened out there?"

Neither of the two officers communicating with Santiago via hologram volunteered an answer at first. Santiago kept his tone even, but both Commodore Tryon and Commander Markham could detect their commander's displeasure. The undercurrent of tension was almost palpable, even through holograms. The Admiral had called this private holo-conference to personally get answers from his two subordinates, without the stress or the disruption of a full military tribunal. Hopefully, it won't come to that, Santiago thought.

Lloyd Tryon, a blonde minor baronet with a slicked-back hairstyle whose svelte form hardly showed his thirty-eight years, finally spoke up. "My command was conducting our standard close-quarters maneuver drill outside the Harcon node from 1000-1100 hours. I had considered our present situation and ordered a final round of maneuver drills, as we would likely be engaging Cordi or Nordera vessels at point-blank range, and avoiding collisions would be vital in those battle conditions." On this point, at least, Santiago found Tryon's logic mostly sound. "At 1021 hours, my flagship Thunderchild and Markham's cruiser Camperdown were scheduled to approach each other at flank speed and turn hard to starboard just before impact."

Santiago felt his headache intensify. Commodore Tryon's elaborate maneuver drills were well-known in the 4th; before the war began, the constant drills had kept the restless crewmen of his 2nd Battle Group in top form. But now, with the fleet deploying for war and bound for Tamy at 1400 hours, Santiago had already regretted giving his flamboyant subordinate leave to conduct another exercise. This incident had clinched it.

Tryon continued, keeping his noble's composure fully intact despite the interrogation. "As our vessels approached, the Camperdown's top starboard maneuvering thruster blew out, preventing her from making her turn." Santiago could see Markham's brow furrow at that comment. "Though we both attempted emergency evasive action, and avoided a full-on collision, the Camperdown's bow scraped the Thunderchild's port side. The inertial dampeners held, and there were no fatalities or major damage, but five of my crew and 13 of the Camperdown's suffered various minor injuries from the force of the impact. They are all expected to make full recoveries."

Santiago narrowed his gaze; Tryon did not shrink. "Who, in your professional opinion, was at fault for this accident?"

Tryon replied, obviously choosing his words carefully. "I do not believe there was any criminal negligence by either party." Markham was visibly disturbed, but did not speak up. "According to the simulations, the planned maneuver had a 99.94% chance of success. All units of 2nd Battle Group had drilled this pattern multiple times. I had confidence that our crews would perform the maneuver as planned."

Once Tryon had finished, Santiago turned to Commander Roger Markham, a shorter, dark-haired and bearded man in his early forties. "You have permission to speak freely, Commander. Is your superior's version of events accurate?" Markham was silent for a few seconds. Reading his face, Santiago presumed that Markham disagreed, but he was reluctant to shame his commander.

Finally, Markham cleared his throat. "On most points, yes." Markham's voice was deep and slightly raspy. "I do, however, wish to point out that the Camperdown's maneuvering thruster only failed because the Commodore's maneuvering drills had forced us to skip our most recent maintenance cycle." There, he said it. Tryon raised an eyebrow. All three officers were well aware that skipping regular maintenance cycles outside of emergencies was a major violation of Fleet regs. Santiago tapped on his console, and a quick look through 2nd BG's recent reports confirmed Markham's statement.

Santiago took a few seconds to weigh his options; now that he had all the information, he needed to make his next call carefully. Finally, he spoke. "Thank you, gentlemen. Commander Markham, you are cleared of any responsibility, though I will request that you report such violations of maintenance regs, even if it means going over Tryon's head." Markham visibly exhaled. "You are dismissed." Markham made a cutting gesture, and his hologram flickered and vanished. What happened next was between Santiago and Tryon.

Next, Santiago leveled his gaze at Tryon again. He saw the Commodore tense up, almost imperceptibly. Getting a read on Tryon, beneath the man's omnipresent mask of poise, had never been easy, but Santiago had experience at reading other people's body language. "Tryon, I shouldn't need to spell this out. Your exercises had their place, but by continuing them at the expense of important maintenance, you made an error in command judgment. Be thankful that you didn't get anyone killed. I can't afford to court-martial one of my top subordinates this close to a combat engagement without good cause, but if this happens again, I won't be so lenient next time." Santiago thought a few well-chosen words would be sufficient to get his point across.

Tryon, himself, took a few seconds to formulate a reply. "Crystal clear, Sir. On my word, it won't happen again." He'd said those ten words more earnestly than Santiago had ever heard him speak in their three years of acquaintance. "You could've ended my career right here. Thank you, Sir."

"I didn't do this for the sake of your career. You're a good officer, your attachment to your little ballets notwithstanding, and I don't want to lose you. Please, don't make me regret this. Dismissed."

Tryon quickly cut the holo-feed and winked out.

Santiago, now alone, got up and left for his quarters. A nice, hot cup of darjeeling tea was sounding lovely right now.

[Veers]

Silver Arrow
1st Commonwealth Royal Fleet
Draco System
6 hours after initial incursion

Several replies could be heard from across the bridge, "Standing down from Condition Red", "The third battlegroup is reporting minor losses with total victory against their objectives", "Our advance scouts distrupted an enemy rally point, stand-by for SITREP"

Admiral Veers flicked off the direct line to the bridge, the reports would still arrive to his terminal but the audio was only temporary, Captain Fel had everything under control. The Draco system spun slowly before him, displaying every site of friendly and hostile forces, their engagement locations and how the entire assault had progressed in the last 6 hours.

The overall reports coming in were of overwhelming success, all three fleets appeared to have suffered minor losses while the 4th Cordi fleet were caught completely off-guard, they were met at every turn by Allied reinforcements that were vectored in by the advanced scout forces. Disrupting and destroying counter-attacks and rally points before any coordination could be established.

Everything had gone according to plan, perfectly according to plan...

Veers changed the view, bringing both the Draco-Vega Starlance and the Draco-Kardoen Starlances onto the screen. Last report, the CRF were moving to hold the Kardoen Starlance, while the Delest Dynasty held the Vega lance.

The Draco-Hydra Lance was being monitored by several scout wings, but the Allied Fleets in Hydra were keeping the enemy occupied, in their latest report anyway.

The room suddenly flashed red and battlestations was sounded throughout the ship, the communications buzzer was flashing wildly, Captain Fel was on the line, "Admiral, we are receiving scattered reports of Cordi vessels approaching Allied positions throughout Draco..."

"They appear to be surrendering..."

"I'll be right there Captain, defensive formations for all units. Do not engage", Veers grabbed his jacket and headed towards the door. Intel had so far been helpful with some sort of a translation device, but nobody had expected it to work.

[Flak]

Aldebaran System
Golden Dawn bridge

"Thanks for the cover, Duke Nightwing was it." The man in the communicator said, seemingly letting go of the pressure that hung heavy on his mind. "We were honestly worried that you mercs are going to leave us to our fate as soon as that hunter killer group arrive to finish us off, but you really wiped them all out."

Duke Nightwing calmly approaches the communicator "That is not a problem, Captain. Afterall, we Britannian mercs aren't called Black Knights for nothing. Besides, I don't think my men would like to miss any of the action."

"Well, if there is nothing else, we'll be on our way." The Captain of the Ram gives a salute as the ship begins to move. "We'll get the necessary repair, and perhaps we will meet again in the battlefield some day. Give my regards to the Prince for me." The Captain turns around, seemingly forgetting to switch off the communicator "Signal the Fearsome to move out as well."

The communicator flickers, then Baron Markus appears on the screen. "That's it then, we should get back to the UGCR fleet immediately. Commodore Jameson just informed me that we are going to coordinate an assault on a Cordi fleet, and they are already on the move."

Duke Nightwing gestures at Captain Anderson on the other side of the bridge. "You heard the man, let's go."

Captain Anderson then uses the ship's PA "All personel, take the necessary break if you need to, but get back to your stations as soon as you are done. We have more battles ahead of us."

[Lepanto]

From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Bound for the front

Dearest Helena,

Forgive me for not writing sooner. My schedule's been insane these past few days.

4th Fleet and I are bound for the front, to engage the enemy. We will do our duty and conduct ourselves with dignity. Let me be blunt; I may die in battle, and this may be my last message to you. I think it unlikely, but in case I do die, know that I died as a Catholic and soldier, without regrets. The Lord gives us life, and He takes it away as He wills. Do not grieve for me long. Raise our children in the Faith, and always keep your love of life.

I'll write to Anthony and Felicity shortly. Marco, I support your choice to follow me into the military, now more than ever. If fortune smiles upon us, this war will be over in time for me to attend your Academy graduation. Stephen, I wish you well in your college aspirations, and trust you will find some way to use your gifts. Angela and Mary, remember that the best years of your life are still ahead of you. Thomas, I trust you will find your vocation eventually. Also, for Mommy's sake, please don't set your room on fire again. Sarah, Daddy loves you, but please just admit that Sunlight Shine is obviously best pony.

I would write more, but I am needed on the bridge shortly, and I trust I have said all I need to. If Providence wills, I will write again before long. Perhaps, when this whole business has finished, I can finally introduce you and the kids to Lorric. I think he and Marco would get along famously. Then, we can all read this letter again, and get a good chuckle out of it. I trust you all are praying for me. Farewell, dearest.

Pax vobiscum,
Carlos

[Flak]

Aldebaran System

New enemy ships just appeared on radar. The specs seems similar to the report of the 4th SF.
While the fleet was already engaged the Cordi, they are joined by a fleet of another race. "

"Incoming long range missiles" shouts Gavriil as lock warning alarm flares up in his fighter, "Prepare for evasive action!"

"Wait, those large missiles can be shot down." said Jerry, just as he noticed he 'accidentally' found the flaw in the enemy weaponry "I thought those missiles are going to hit me in the face for sure."

As the enemy fighters close in, Jerry just noticed something odd on a few of the hostile fighters. Everyone else however, appears to be too busy fighting to bother. "Hey, did anyone saw that?" 

"Not this time, Jerry we all need to focus here." Gavriil replied, seemingly annoyed by the distraction caused by one of his wingmen. Suddenly a familiar voice flares from the radio "Yes, I saw that." The voice immediately rings a bell in Gavriil's head. "Captain von Jakob, since when you arrived?"

Despite the chaos and destruction around them, the Captain replies calmly "I and my squadron has been here all the time, you guys just too busy too notice. And I believe that mouse saw that too, I can't get a lock on that either, now where was it."

"Junichi, behind you!" As soon as Jerry shouted his warning, Junichi immediately moved out of the way. "That was close, but you are not going to get me that easily, lizard. Damn, he is good, he just disappeared again."

"A stealth fighter, now this is getting interesting. Tell you what, if I or one of my wingmen destroy that thing, you guys should buy me and my squadron a drink. If you win, we'll do that for you."

"Deal, Albrecht." Gavriil immediately agrees to the challenge "I don't care who gets him, but I just want to see that lizard's tail on a platter when we are done."