-
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
------------ TRS Repulse ------------
------- Texas Class Battleship -------
-- Orbiting Ganymede, Sol System --
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Captain Drake Roberts tried his best to ignore the substantial amount of damage that remained clearly visible on his newly recommissioned ship, reminding himself that this was just a short voyage to make sure the newly installed Rolls Royce Kraken engine was operating properly and give the crew a chance to get used to operating their vessel. By that metric, at least, the voyage could be considered successful with only minor problems that were solved quickly. Even so it was difficult to not feel humiliated when the successful completion of a mission as trivial as making a simple system transit with a crippled WarShip was considered a huge step forward.
Ships as badly damaged as Repulse were supposed to be retired to a dignified death, not forced to limp on with hasty repairs that amounted to little more than patches that covered up the underlying structural damage. It seemed every day his desk was covered with new reports of failures that needed to be repaired. None of the Grav. Decks were safe to operate and the Carbon Dioxide scrubbers seemed to suffer a constant stream of mechanical malfunctions. Three of the fighter bay doors refused to open, meanwhile all but one cargo bay door couldn't be properly locked shut.
Most worrying, however, were the bugs that continued to plague the combat systems. The MORSAT targeting computer had been one of the most damaged systems and there simply was no way a spare could be found. In theory it had been completely repaired although it still suffered from delayed response time. Of course that only mattered if they could keep the ship's massive energy weapon bays functional and they refused to hold a charge half the time. Repairs were continuing, many could even be done as they underway, but it seemed like with each problem they managed to fix several more were uncovered and Drake Roberts was starting to despair that his command would ever be combat ready.
"You look like you're descending into one of your moods again, Captain." He turned to see Lieutenant Briggs, his 1st Officer approaching.
"It would be easier to keep cheerful if I could go one day without any potentially critical problems," he sighed, then looked at Lt. Briggs suspiciously. "You better not be coming to tell me communications are down again."
Lt. Briggs laughed and shook his head. "No, I was just inspecting the weapons again. You'll be happy to know our Sunspot-3L's seem to all be functioning again. There are some concerns about the cooling jackets, but at the very least we can fire our NPPC's now."
He waited for Lt. Briggs to continue. "Well?"
"Well what?"
"The only time you come to give me good news is when you have something bad tell me as well," he said, and caught Lt. Briggs grimace. "What happened? Did something happen with the life support again?"
"No--"
"Thank god. The missile tubes?"
"No sir, you know they've been working fine ever since--"
Drake waved his hand. "That only means they are due to break any day now. What is it? Tell me."
"We've figured out what's wrong with our broadside laser bays, sir," Lt. Briggs answered. "There's a lot of underlying damage in their power systems--"
"I thought we already knew that since they wouldn't hold a charge."
Lt. Briggs shook his head. "I mean more than we suspected. The whole thing is going to need to be replaced, most of the breakers have been fused shut and half the capacitors are fried."
That was bad news. Supplies of replacement parts were already stretched thin before the fighting broke out with the Dracs and Free Worlds League. There was no telling how long it would take to get such extensive replacements assuming that they came at all. "Isn't there anything you can do to get them working?" he asked. "Can they be run at reduced capacity?"
His first officer hesitated, then glanced down as he considered. "Maybe... there might be a way..." he said softly, then glanced back up. "But firepower will be compromised. Range too. And there is no telling if using them will cause more damage."
"They're useless to us right now," Capt. Roberts said. "See if it can be done. At the very least we'll be able to fire all our weapons."
"Aye aye, sir."
* * *
The piercing alert that sounded through the ship shook him from his sleep. Still feeling fatigue clawing at his mind Drake Roberts kicked himself free from his bedding and over to the com panel. It was another moment before he found the right button for the bridge and quickly keyed it.
"What's going on?" he demanded, still annoyed at the rude awakening.
"Unscheduled emergence wave, sir!" a watch stander reported. "Sensors are still gathering information but command has put us on alert. We're to wait for orders."
"I'll be right up. Tell Lt. Briggs to report to the bridge as well, if he hasn't checked in already. And I'll be wanting a full report when I arrive."
Before the watch stander could respond he had closed the connection, then grabbed his uniform and tugged it on. He hurried his way to the bridge, pushing himself through Repulse's corridors as fast as he dared to go, only slowing when he finally came to the bridge. Lt. Briggs had arrived before him and was already looking the tactical display.
"Anyone figure out what's going on?" He asked, pushing his way over to join his 1st Officer at the tactical display.
"A fleet's jumped in at the nadir, sir," a watch stander answered. "We're getting reports from remote stations now."
He looked over the tactical display as it populated with information and bit back a curse. "Two Hiei battleships? An Igarashii battlecruiser?"
Lt. Briggs nodded a little bit. "And an Atago heavy cruiser with pair of those old Kumo destroyers acting as escorts. Not to mention the Assault DropShips they're lugging in... has the Combine gone insane? They're already spreading their forces thin and even with this they don't have nearly enough to take the system before reinforcements arrive."
Capt. Roberts shook his head, and pointed to the vectors as the enemy fleet broke into three groups. "They aren't here to capture, this is a raid--" his voice trailed off as his eyes settled on the track of the Igarashii battlecruiser and the Hiei battleship that was forming up on it. "Damn."
"They're going for Titan," Lt. Briggs confirmed, then traced out the projected courses for the other two groups. "The Atago heavy cruiser and one of the Kumo destroyers are headed for Lowell Shipyards at Mars. And the other Hiei battleship and Kumo destroyer are headed for O'Neil Shipyards. You're right sir, they're trying to take out our industry."
Drake Roberts didn't answer, intently watching as the Assault DropShips broke up into trailing formations with most headed toward O'Neil or Lowell Shipyards. He shook his head a little bit, considering the situation. "I need to send a message to command," he said softly, then raised his voice. "And get busy plotting an intercept that will let us block that fleet from the Titan Shipyards."
His first officer seemed at a loss. "Sir, we were instructed to wait for orders."
"I'm aware," he answered, feeling ice in his stomach. "That's why we're going to inform them that Repulse will be maneuvering independently."
* * *
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Good stuff Kit! Hopefully more to come. ;)
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Sounds like a Death Ride!
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Obedience to orders is no longer the rule it seems ;D
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Oh, new story, nice opening Kit.
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---------------------------------------
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------------ TRS Republic ------------
------- Republic Class Frigate -------
---- Titan Shipyards, Sol System ----
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Captain Samuel Hoel watched the tactical display anxiously, trying to focus on the only task force his ship was in position to block. He was finding it difficult to maintain his calm, mentally tallying up the odds. From what he could see things didn't look good at all.
The problem was the Hei battleship and Igarashii battlecruiser. Their Assault DropShip escorts were certainly dangerous and could do damage alone, however the defenses around Titan would be able to protect against those well enough on their own. The WarShips, however, would easily break through and carried more than enough firepower to completely demolish Titan Shipyards.
Theoretically the TRS Republic's superior acceleration and longer effective engagement range meant the encounter should not be a problem despite the 3 to 1 mass advantage the Combine WarShips possessed. With enough time they could be reduced at a safe distance and then engaged up close after damage had taken its toll on their defenses, but there was not time for such an engagement. The Combine task force would be in range of shipyards long before he could be certain they would be damaged enough for his smaller vessel to approach. Compounding that was how vital the yards were to the war effort, effectively tethering him to its defense.
"Sir, we've received movement orders from command," the communications officer called out.
Capt. Hoel quickly looked the orders over and mentally plotted the vector, then paused. He quickly entered in the orders to the tactical display and traced the flight path to the destination, shaking his head. Something was wrong.
"Are you sure this is correct?" he asked.
"Yes, sir. Command was very specific and had me confirm twice to ensure we got it right."
He shook his head again, eyes closed. "This doesn't make any sense," he said quietly. "I need to send a message to Repulse.â€
The communications officer nodded. “Sir, at this distance it will take nearly an hour to get any message to the Repulse and at least that long before we receive their response. At this range it is hardly--â€
“I can read a map, thank you.â€
“Aye sir, it will only be a moment.â€
* * *
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
------------ TRS Repulse ------------
------- Texas Class Battleship -------
-- Underway 1.5G Burn, Sol System --
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Captain Drake Roberts kept an eye on the time while he watched the tactical display update. Before long it would be necessary to rotate shifts and make sure the crew wasn't exhausted by the time combat actually happened. With the sudden flurry of activity as the crew did everything possible to reinforce the ship's bulkheads and make last minute repairs it would be doubly important for him to make sure they weren't run to exhaustion before the actual fighting happened.
He let himself dwell on how amusing it was to sleep when technically the battle was already underway, but with the distances involved it would be quite some time until any actual fighting started. For now everything was crawling along so slowly it was almost agonizing. Unfortunately he knew from experience that before long it would become much more exciting in exactly the wrong way.
“Captain, several of our engineers think they can make sure our broadside laser bays can be brought up at reduced capacity like you wanted. They're working on getting it done now.â€
Drake looked up at Lieutenant Briggs, trying to remember when his 1st officer returned to the bridge, and realized he hadn't gotten any rest since the Combine fleet jumped in system. “Ah, very good.â€
His fatigue must have showed because Lt. Briggs gave him a questioning look. “Are you alright, sir?â€
“Fine, just a little tired,†he answered with a light wave of his hand, then looked at the tactical display again. “I should get some rest. Have me woken up in four hours or if the Dracs start to do anything different.â€
“Yes, sir. I'll personally see to it,†Lt. Briggs said.
He sighed lightly and turned to the nearest watch stander. “Lt. Briggs is in command,†he said and started to leave when the communications officer stood up suddenly.
“Sir? Captain! We've just received a message for you.â€
A silent curse slipped past his lips and he stepped reluctantly back from the door out of the bridge. “Of course, I might as well read it now. Let me see it.†The young officer walked over and handed him a folded slip of paper with a nod then stepped back for him to read.
From Captain Samuel Hoel, TRS Republic, to Captain Drake Roberts, TRS Repulse:
Command indicates your vessel has been approved to maneuver independently. TRS Republic has been ordered to block the Combine task force you are set to intercept. Recommend you either alter vectors to rendezvous with TRS Republic and proceed in company or alter intercept to enable simultaneous engagement.
For a moment he let his thoughts turn inward then looked up at the communications officer. “Can I write my response on the back here?â€
“Yes, sir.â€
From Captain Drake Roberts, TRS Repulse, to Captain Samuel Hoel, TRS Republic:
It is with pleasure that I recognize your willingness to engage Combine flotilla along with Repulse...
* * *
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Action.
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Oh very good!
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Hood & Prince of Wales vs Bismark & Prinz Eugen?
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Someone knows his classics ;D
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Coolness
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---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
------------ TRS Republic ------------
------- Republic Class Frigate -------
---- Titan Shipyards, Sol System ----
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Captain Samuel Hoel quietly folded the slip of paper up and slipped it into the breast pocket of his uniform. The very beginnings of a headache pressed behind his eyes leaving him irritable and looking for something to blame it on. Thankfully the crew seemed to have picked up on his mood and avoided bothering him unless absolutely necessary.
“Are we ready to get underway yet?†he asked.
“Engineering just needs ten minutes to finish warming up the reactor, sir,†a watchstander answered.
“Tell them they have five minutes.â€
So many issues demanding attention, he felt like he was being pulled apart slowly in thousands of different directions. In spite of the efforts of the best software designers and hardware specialists in Terra there still wasn't an effective way to have a computer sift through all the tactical information better than trained humans. They could organize it just fine and even prioritize it based on human requests, but with the shifting demands of combat it simply turned out software simply thought too linearly.
Typically that wasn't a problem, but now he could feel it wearing on him and was certain the same was true for the rest of his crew. It certainly didn't help that so many crew members were inexperienced. Almost half the officers were right out of the academy and the ratio was even worse among the enlisted.
“Your five minutes are up, are my engines ready to go yet?†he asked, one eye on the clock.
“They're asking for another minute, sir,†the watchstander said nervously.
He opened his mouth then quickly snapped it shut again for a moment, forcing his temper back under control. “We don't have another minute. Tell them--â€
“Engineering reports engines are ready,†the watchstander called out, relieved.
His eyes closed and he whispered a prayer of thanks. “Helm, bring us around for our burn.â€
“Helm, aye.â€
Maneuvering alarms sounded through the ship and he absently checked to make sure his buckles were all fastened securely, taking note as others did the same or braced against their stations. A minute passed before Republic's nose started to swing up and to the right. Capt. Hoel was pleased by how smoothly the adjustment was carried out, only the slightest jolt right at the start, and let himself start to relax. His crew might be mostly green but they could do jobs.
Another alarm sounded out right as the massive ship's bow was brought into line. The delay wasn't as long this time, a mere ten seconds, before the main engines came to life with a deep rumble that spread through the hull. The sudden 2G acceleration caused him to wince as he was shoved into his chair, several loose items clattering to the floor of the bridge.
“Thank you, helm. Steer as necessary to keep us on course and on time. We need to get into position as quickly as possible.â€
“Aye sir. We'll get there in time.â€
* * *
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
------------ TRS Repulse ------------
------- Texas Class Battleship -------
-- Underway 1.5G Burn, Sol System --
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Captain Roberts hurried his way back to the bridge, annoyed that he'd been permitted to sleep for a full seven hours instead of being woken up when he wanted but somehow unsurprised. The ship's acceleration from the burn left him feeling uncomfortably heavy and made the going difficult, a fact not helped by the pressurized suit he'd pulled on in order to set an example to the rest of his crew. At least he had it mostly on, he had no intention of putting the helmet and gloves on until the last possible moment.
“Lieutenant Johnathan Briggs, I thought I told you to have me woken after four hours,†he said when he walked onto the bridge, voice kept carefully neutral.
“Yes, sir. Unfortunately your orders were vague, sir.â€
A quick look at his 1st officer confirmed that somehow the younger man was keeping a straight face. “Would you care to elaborate, Lieutenant?â€
“I sent an Ensign to wake you but apparently you didn't get up. You didn't say what to do if you remained asleep so I chose to wait until you had a chance to clarify.†This time the corners of Lt. Briggs mouth curled up ever so slightly before he regained control of his expression.
Something told him the Ensign also had instructions to knock as quietly as possible, not that he expected he would ever prove such a thing. “Very well, you can expect we'll be having a talk about the clarity of my orders in the future, Lieutenant Briggs,†he said. “Until then you can fill me in on what's happened.â€
“Yes, sir. We've still got the crew doing what they can to ready the ship for battle, but honestly I think everything possible has already been done. We're mostly double checking for mistakes now.â€
He nodded and glanced over the tactical display and noticed they were nearly into blocking position. Unfortunately he also saw the Combine task force had altered their own course, allowing for a slower interception of Titan Shipyards that would be more difficult to disrupt. “Damn.â€
Lt. Briggs glanced down at the display as well. “Ah, yeah they altered course about five hours ago. It will take them more time to hit the shipyards, but they'll still make it long before anything can arrive to reinforce them. Smart.â€
“There goes our first plan,†he muttered, nodding his agreement. “Its a shame, I was looking forward to shooting up their engines. This will make everything more difficult.â€
“We can simply keep ahead of them until they need to make a burn to slow down, sir,†Lt. Briggs commented.
Capt. Roberts considered that for a moment before he shook his head. “There is no guarantee we would be able to slow them enough to keep them from shooting past the shipyards without getting a shot at them. And look here. And over here. If they altered their course again at either point they could slip into an intercept where we can't follow easily from being too far ahead. Even if we did catch them we would only have a single firing pass. No, that leaves us too vulnerable to what they choose to do.â€
A frown formed on Lt. Briggs face as he looked the tactical display over then reluctantly nodded. “That doesn't leave us with any good options.â€
“And a lot of bad ones,†Capt. Roberts agreed, thinking. “Helm, bring our broadside around. Combat, calculate launch bearings and ranges to the Combine ships. Lets see how they respond to being smacked in the face.â€
* * *
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Few options and none looks good.
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I'm looking forward to seeing more of what Kit has in mind. I know I had pictured one thing and thus far it has diverged from my vision.
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Ramming speed!
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I'm looking forward to seeing more of what Kit has in mind. I know I had pictured one thing and thus far it has diverged from my vision.
What a surprise ;D
-
* * *
Waves of capital missiles streaked through space aimed directly at the Combine WarShips, their internal radar questing out in front of them as they searched for targets. They flew unerringly forward until picking up hard sensor returns inside their set engagement envelope.
In unison the first wave turned toward the Combine WarShips, locking onto the much larger Hiei class battleship's return. The large craft started to move erratically while it's combat systems threw out the strongest jamming they were capable of producing, attempting to break the targeting locks. But the missiles mounted their own ECCM devices, hopping to other frequencies and cutting through the enemy jamming.
Of the six missiles in the first wave only one failed to maintain its lock. Two Killer Whale missiles slammed into the bow of the Hiei battleship, the warheads shattering ablative plating and leaving ugly gouges in the underlying Ferro-Carbide armor. Following close behind were the three White Shark missiles, boasting their lighter warheads that none the less were carefully shaped for improved armor penetration, slamming in a tight cluster. The shock wave from the near simultaneous impacts raced through the large battleship's hull, but its thick armor plating did its job to prevent any breaches.
Unfortunately there was another wave of missiles following just three minutes after the first, and another after that, and another, and another... Each wave acquired the massive battleship with varying degrees of success, gradually scoring additional hits across the bow and front sides.
It was only a matter of time before a White Shark missile found a chink in the battleship's armor, striking the joint between one of the massive naval autocannon turrets on the front right side. The explosion sliced through the thinner armor easily and plunged deep into the weapon's munition feed.
Powerful secondary explosions rocked the mighty vessel as unexpanded ammunition detonated. The blast shields, designed for just such a disaster, buckled slightly but held, forcing most of the force of the explosion out away from the battleship. Fire burst out through the top of the turret, ripping the weapon to pieces but otherwise caused little additional damage. Although it was trailing smoke and had lost one of its turrets the Hiei battleship remained dangerous.
Meanwhile, the Igarashii class battlecrusier, left unmolested, turned to bring its own Killer Whale missile tubes into play and began to launch a retaliatory strike. Over the next twenty minutes the entire on board compliment of 80 Killer Whale missiles was hurled at the TRS Repulse.
* * *
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
------------ TRS Republic ------------
------- Republic Class Frigate -------
-- Underway 2.0G Burn, Sol System --
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Cheers erupted across the ship as news of the hit scored on the Combine's battleship was passed along but Captain Hoel couldn't bring himself to join in the celebration. To be sure the loss of a primary weapon turret was a blow to the enemy's combat capability but the Hiei class battleships had another eleven such turrets and in fact had been designed specifically with the possibility of losing several of them in mind. It was a loss they could afford to take.
In contrast he was well aware that the TRS Repulse still carried significant damage that needed to be addressed. She was still a powerful force in her own right, certainly, but like every salvaged craft there were undoubtedly hidden points of failure that could leave her vulnerable. It was a thought he couldn't push from his mind while watching the Igarashii battlecruiser's retaliatory strike closing in on the other Terran Republic vessel.
“Tactical, is it possible for us to get our own missiles on that Drac battleship?†he asked.
“Uh, one second...†the officer said, then started to run rough calculations. “It looks like we could try, but the angle is bad. The Combine's WarShips would have a long time to see them coming and wouldn't have to maneuver much to dodge out of the way. If we were directly in front of them like Repulse they'd have to take the hits or risk letting the missiles slaughter their DropShips, but for us...â€
He rubbed his face. “Thank you, I understand. Helm, can you maneuver us ahead of the Combine flotilla?â€
“Helm, aye. We can intercept their path at any point from here, sir.â€
Capt. Hoel hesitated a moment, then nodded a little bit. “Keep us ahead of them and Repulse. Tactical, start calculating out launch vectors.â€
Before either officer could respond to his order a watch stander called out. “Sir, Repulse is maneuvering again.â€
He turned his eyes back to the tactical display and saw the massive Texas class battleship swing to point its bow at the oncoming missiles. The move made sense, reducing the radar cross section the enemy missiles had to detect, but shortly after the WarShip leapt forward with surprising speed, engines burning at their maximum thrust to propel it at over 2G's directly into the oncoming fire.
For a moment he could only stare in confusion, then a smile crept onto his face. “Clever.â€
* * *
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
------------ TRS Repulse ------------
------- Texas Class Battleship -------
-- Underway 2.3G Burn, Sol System --
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
“First wave of missiles approaching, 45 seconds, sir.â€
Captain Roberts nodded at the report and kept his eyes on the display, watching the range to the first cluster of enemy missiles closing rapidly. “Helm, pitch up five degrees, fifteen degrees to port with a 2.5G burn and hold steady.â€
“Helm, five degrees up, fifteen degrees to port. 2.5Gs. Aye.â€
The minor course change made him feel dizzy for a moment, a hint of blackness creeping in at the edges of his vision. He flexed his legs, trying to drive blood back up into his body, and sighed softly, relieved when the maneuver was completed. It was an unwelcome reminder that he wasn't as young as he used to be.
Range to the first missile wave continued to shrink, their icons racing toward the Repulse . Then in a flash they were past, a single shock wave rippling across the hull.
“We've taken a single hit amidships, sir. No damage reported. The other missiles weren't able to compensate for the maneuver swiftly enough. Next wave of missiles approaching, 75 seconds.â€
“Good,†he said and glanced back at the display. “Helm, bring us around to head directly for the next wave of missiles. At 45 seconds to impact bring us down five degrees and fifteen degrees to starboard.â€
“Helm, aye.â€
* * *
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This needs to be written into the Shattered Dawn canon.
-
This needs to be written into the Shattered Dawn canon.
Aff
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Everything you've been reading so far is canon enough for me. Keep up the good work Kit!
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The full speed ahead manoeuvre reminds me of Marko Aleksandrovich Ramius. 8)
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------------ TRS Republic ------------
------- Republic Class Frigate -------
-- Underway 1.0G Burn, Sol System --
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Captain Hoel sighed at the problem he faced and shook his head. Repulse's maneuver had been mostly successful, avoiding the majority of the Combine's missile attack and taking mostly superficial damage. To his surprise, though, the battleship continued to close with the enemy and in fact swung to present her broadside obviously spoiling for a fight.
And unexpectedly the Combine's two WarShips declined the encounter, instead altering their course for a faster intercept of the Titan Yards while their DropShip escorts continued on at the same course. Repulse continued to close, altering her own course to keep interposed between the enemy and the vital yards. Already she was nearing the maximum range of her energy weapons and the Dracs were launching their on board fighter compliment.
An undamaged Texas battleship would have a good chance to prevail in the encounter, leaving the Republic to handle the DropShips which were certainly capable of inflicting horrible damage but were unlikely to destroy Titan Shipyards alone. Only Repulse wasn't undamaged and if the Hiei battleship or the Igarashii battlecruiser survived the status of the enemy DropShips ceased to matter. Either of the two WarShips could destroy the shipyards completely with ease even if critically damaged.
There was only one decision that made sense. “Tactical, re-plot our missile launch to intercept those DropShips. Get it fast, I want every missile we have loaded to be headed to their targets within the half hour.â€
“Captain, wiping those DropShips out isn't possible. They could alter course to avoid the sort of concentrated attack that would be necessary to destroy them.â€
“Then aim to inflict maximum damage regardless of how they attempt to dodge,†he ordered, glaring at the tactical display. “We've got a full load of one hundred missiles on board. Use them.â€
“Yes, sir.â€
“Helm, plot the fastest course to those enemy WarShips that will keep us away from their main guns.â€
* * *
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
------------ TRS Repulse ------------
------- Texas Class Battleship -------
-- Engaged, Sol System --
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Captain Roberts secured his pressurized suit's gloves into place, flexing his fingers to ensure they fit properly. He watched the two Combine ships launch their fighter compliment, wishing Repulse likewise had fighters to launch instead of the still empty, mangled fighter bays she currently carried. Of course, that didn't mean there was nothing to be done.
“Lieutenant Briggs, see to it those fighters are introduced to our Barracuda missiles. Use the last twenty Killer Whales on them as well. I don't want to give any bombers a chance to make a run on us.â€
Lt. Briggs nodded. “Aye, sir.â€
“Bring our PPC turrets onto the Hiei battleship, ignore the battlecruiser for now. Target their heavy naval autocannon turrets. I want as many of them silenced as possible.â€
It wasn't long after he spoke that the first shots from the heavy NPPC's hurled their first ion bolts out at the Combine WarShip, followed shortly by the first wave of Barracuda missiles. Enemy ECM coupled with the existing targeting problems threw off the shots, scoring only a single glancing hit along the dorsal side of the oncoming enemy battleship, but already the computers were compensating and swinging the turrets to line up for a second shot.
The missiles, however, fared much better. At this short range there was little to dodge even for such nimble craft leaving much more up to the ability of the missiles to achieve a hard targeting lock. While the Barracuda missiles didn't carry a very large warhead they made up for it with better sensors and maneuverability. This made them not very useful against large, hardened targets like WarShips, however they were ideal for taking out small fighters.
“Captain, the enemy WarShips have started to close more rapidly,†the tactical officer called out. “They're trying to close the range.â€
He nodded and glanced over the flurry of updates registering on the tactical display, his eyes running over the list of disabled enemy fighters. “Thank you, Tactical. Helm, when they close to within 700 kilometers of us bring our bow toward them thirty degrees and hold a 1.5G burn.â€
* * *
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Sounds like its almost time for the boarding parties.
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More good stuff!
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Boarding parties with samurai ::)
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Boarding parties with samurai ::)
Are DCA Marines issued with Katana's?
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Are DCA Marines issued with Katana's?
No clue but it sounds fun.
-
* * *
The TRS Repulse threw out charged bolts from its heavy NPPC turrets at its maximum rate of fire, not willing to waste even a second of time while the Combine's ships were still unable to engage. Every hit she could land on the Hiei battleship before the enemy could get their own guns in range would even the odds just a little more.
Hits slammed into the enemy battleship's bow and front sides, vaporizing whole armored plates as they stabbed into the hull. Even as thick as the battleship's armor was it couldn't completely protect the mighty vessel from the punishment it was taking. A navel autocannon turret took a direct hit, the barrels of the weapon melting under the intense heat to render it useless and several thrusters along the left side were mangled when a glancing blow melted the exhaust ports to fuse them shut.
It was the Igarashii battlecruiser that turned to present her broadside first, her lighter guns having longer range then the heavier ones carried by the battleship, but with the range gap targeting was still difficult for the Combine crew. Unlike the Repulse which had access to the SLDF's classified firing algorithms which made bracketed firing feasible the Combine's sailors were forced to adjust fire the old fashion way.
Yet what the battlecruiser lacked in technology it made up for in volume of fire, able to bring no fewer than 6 turrets into play once her broadside was fully presented. Gradually shells started to impact the Texas battleship, blasting jagged wounds into it even as she rolled to constantly present new armor to her foes. And the Hiei battleship continued to come on, fighters sweeping out ahead of it in spite of the missiles that tore away at their numbers.
Then, just as the Combine got their heaviest guns into range the Repulse suddenly turned sharply toward the enemy battleship and closed at her maximum thrust.
* * *
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
------------ TRS Repulse ------------
------- Texas Class Battleship -------
-------- Engaged, Sol System --------
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
The ship heaved as the Combine's battlecruiser scored another hit, then bucked a second time when another flight of missiles shot out seeking to kill more enemy fighters before they got any closer. Captain Roberts tried his best to keep an eye on the two Combine WarShips and the rapidly approaching TRS Republic, doing his best to estimate the times and distances involved.
“Helm, continue to turn another thirty degrees, 2.5G's,†he called out.
“Helm, aye.â€
“Lieutenant Briggs, once we get those laser batteries in range I want you to direct their fire until they burn out. Try to drag them along the aft sections of the enemy hull. Don't worry about sustainability, we need the maximum intensity you can get.â€
“Yes, sir,†Lieutenant Briggs answered, then leaned in to whisper. “Sir, I'm not certain we've inflicted enough damage upon the enemy battleship to close yet. With another ten minutes we could--â€
Capt. Roberts nodded slightly. “You are right. Ideally yes, but we don't have ten minutes, Lieutenant. It will be brutal, but that is the way it has to be if we're going to save the shipyards.â€
Lt. Briggs didn't seem convinced but nodded again. “Aye, sir. I'll make sure we put every ounce of power we can through the laser batteries.â€
He almost didn't hear the answer as he glanced over the tactical display again, then opened his eyes in surprise at how sluggish the Combine's Hiei battleship was responding. “What are they... we got their thrusters?â€
The tactical officer grew quiet for a moment before speaking up. “It looks that way sir.â€
For a moment he bit his lip then nodded. “Helm, bring us straight on with the Hiei battleship.â€
There was a moment of silence and the other officers all stared at him. “Sir?â€
“Bring us on a course that will intersect with the battleship,†he said again. “Here is what I want you to do...â€
* * *
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Oh, I should also probably mention:
I am going to be heading out of town this week to go visit my grandmother who recently had a kidney stone removed. So there will likely be fewer updates. Just a heads up.
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No problem, Kit. Family comes first. My best wishes for her speedy recovery.
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Same here Kit, best wishes. Looking at your newest chapter now.
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Take your time, family comes first.
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As everyone else has said, family comes first.