- Location
- Somewhere.
....you're welcome? (internal screaming because what if we rerolled something that was bad and it ended up with a two)You have reroll generators. Not just rerolls
Thanks for rolling one of them for me!
The Practice War [Complete]
- Thread starter Snowfire
- Start date
- Original Sci-Fi
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
...you rolled a 54.
- Location
- Somewhere.
And somebody else rolled a two.
The two was part of the first batch of rolls called for. It would certainly have been high priority for using a reroll, so chances are the 54 was what will be used in place of the 2 rather than the reverse.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
I'm about 1400 words and I'd say 60-70% into the next update. I'll aim to finish it out tomorrow.
Now, in the event people have not noticed, I've started a second quest to explore some very different sections of the sci-fi/fantasy genre from Practice War. I won't waste time trying to write a synopsis, I'm terrible at those. But if you enjoy my work, and think you might find something else by me interesting, the quest is here: In Dreams Awoken.
If it's not your jam, no biggie. Just know that it will be playing second fiddle to Practice War. This is my first quest, and it's always going to have priority in my writing until it comes to a close.
Now, in the event people have not noticed, I've started a second quest to explore some very different sections of the sci-fi/fantasy genre from Practice War. I won't waste time trying to write a synopsis, I'm terrible at those. But if you enjoy my work, and think you might find something else by me interesting, the quest is here: In Dreams Awoken.
If it's not your jam, no biggie. Just know that it will be playing second fiddle to Practice War. This is my first quest, and it's always going to have priority in my writing until it comes to a close.
Last edited:
The Third Battle of Sol: Tactics 2
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
It was the work of an instant to update Lina on your plans, a simple gestalt transmission across the lesser web held between the Two Twenty Three and her command ship. Cutting through the Shiplord jamming was still proving more than the FSN's EWAR suites could handle alone. Fortunately, they were not. Harmony stretched between the ships of humanity, between mind and souls and metal, unifying action into a single purpose. Vega shone at the centre of the greater Web, the light of her soul spinning its threads together around her circlet. To break it, one would have to assault the web itself, and nothing the Shiplords had could do that.
Core foundations, you'd been told. There were three escort groups raining fire down on you, but that was only three, and you had the manpower to handle that whilst keeping your cordon against drone launches strong. You could do that.
Your decision flashed out through the Two Twenty Three, and five Heartcircles dropped away from the blurring formation of Unisonbound around the Shiplord carriers. Light condensed around them as they switched to more focused attack forms on the move, the fruits of a decade and a half of labour unfurling with all the easy beauty of a blossoming flower. Two hundred and twenty-three bodies, twice that many souls, and every one of you united. The Shiplords had learnt to merge with their machines in battle, or so you believed. But that could only go so far, and you could not believe that they possessed the same depth of connection the Unisonbound shared.
Point defence fire shifted to the detached Heartcircles as they angled in on their targets, and pain flashing through your links for a moment as one among the larger Heartcircle took the combined fire of an entire task force to the shoulder. Yet it was only for a moment, until one of the Menders of that group reached them. Energy rippled between the two, the essence of healing made manifest, and pain vanished as the injury responsible for it ceased to be. A few other injuries flared amongst the other groups as they closed, forced into steadily narrowing vectors to do so as swiftly as possible, but none were worse than the first. Menders made short work of them, though you had to keep an eye on that. There was a limit to what you and the other Menders could recover, just as there was a limit to destructive output.
Not something you had to worry about right now, but equally not something you could afford to ignore. In front of you, a few drones were making it through the webwork of weapons fire and discordant bursts of manifested energy. But it was only a few, a handful really. Fighter Command would swat them aside with ease. You should make sure, though. The Two Twenty Three were Lina's most potent ace in the hole, and keeping up with the broader battle was easy with your perceptual acceleration. You reached out, linking into the battlenet of Lina's command ship, absorbing the new tactical situation.
First Fleet: 63 + 30 (Martial) + 20 (Web of Unity) + 20 (Void Mistress) + 15 (Harmonics) + 10 Fighter Supremacy vs 65 + 45 (Martial) + 20 (Synchronisation) + 20 (First Traditions)+ 10 (Electronic Superiority) Nullified by Harmonics = 158 vs 150. Bare Success
Here among the heavier force of Regulars, First Fleet was starting to pay for its charge straight into close quarters combat. It was still holding cohesion against the larger Shiplord force, and Fighter Command's complete dominance of the battlespace thanks to your actions was steadily chipping away at their logistics wing. At the same time, however, Lina was being forced to rotate her heavier ships out of high intensity combat faster than had been planned. Right now, it wasn't a real problem, but if the trend continued it would open holes in First Fleet's formation that the Regulars would be only too happy to capitalise on.
In some ways that was a good thing, it would make the Regulars more likely to send reinforcements into the Two Twenty Three's engagement range in the hopes of finishing First Fleet off. But it also was a legitimate concern. If the Regulars could commit everything to that attack, at the right moment, nothing you could do would be enough to prevent massive casualties. Words took time to Speak, after all. But for now, at least, Lina was holding. Her attack had shifted into a holding action, one that was beginning to tip in favour of the enemy, but nothing was certain yet.
Not as good as you'd hoped, but about what you'd expected. At least no reinforcements had entered the local battlespace yet. Thought if not here, where were they? You turned your attention to the other Regular Fleet group currently present, that the Third and Fourth Fleets had jumped to engage, and your eyes went wide with shock.
Third and Fourth Fleet: 100 + 95 (Nat 100 rollover) + 24 (Martial) + 20 (Web of Unity) + 15 (Harmonics) vs 28 + 45 (Martial) + 20 (Synchronisation) + 20 (First Traditions) + 10 (Electronic Superiority) = 252 vs 123. Overwhelming Success.
On the strategic display you had access to, an entirely new Shiplord force was joining the fray, trying to stop the situation from degrading further from bad to catastrophic. You didn't know how the FSN admirals had done it so perfectly, but they'd brought their forces out of FTL right on top of the second Regular assault fleet, angled so that all of their weapons could crossfire the enemy without any risk of conflicting each other. They'd focused all their fire on their target's comparatively fewer capital ships, and the results had been brutal.
A full two thirds of that assault group's capital ships had been completely wiped out in that first firing pass, and the two human fleets hadn't faltered. With a decisive edge in heavy assets, they'd closed into knife range through a hail of Shiplord fire like sharks scenting blood. Lacking the direct presence of Vega among them, their own EWAR suites hadn't been able to keep up, but that had hardly mattered. With the capital assets largely destroyed, the two fleets defaulted to tactics specifically built for such situations. Lighter task forces took their cues from pre-assigned battlegroups, concentrating fire without the need for functional comms. By the time the second Regular force entered the field, almost half of the first group's ships were gone.
Third and Fourth had paid a price in how they'd chosen to attack, but it could have been infinitely worse given that both fleets were individually smaller than the one they'd savaged. Even an instant of poor timing could have inflicted vicious wounds. But that hadn't happened. By now the two Fleets had combined their globes of fire, and their own fighters were holding in close support positions to engage the rapidly forming juggernaut of drones swarming into space ahead of them.
…wait. That many drones could only mean one thing, if Insight's fleet listing had been correct. The Shiplords had committed the rest of their heavy drone carrier strength, and not here. Why would they do that? The thought remained, niggling at your mind even as the five Heartcircles you'd detached tore into the escort groups around you in bursts of prismatic lightning.
Of Circles and Scattered Winds: Greater Success.
Not bothering to index this roll. You did not crit, that is all that matters.
Against the sort of firepower that could shatter full capital ships when properly applied, the groups of lighter escorts stood about as much chance as the drone swarm had: that being none at all. Shields died, armour buckled, and delicate internal systems blew apart under a torrent of Practiced weaponry and more elemental power. They'd gotten a few good hits in to begin with, but now that members of the Two Twenty Three were in among them, the Shiplord escorts couldn't effectively concentrate their firepower. And that doomed them. Without the ability to pull away, to reform, there was nothing they could do but die.
Yet even then, the niggling worry remained, and you saw Lina's formation shift in response to her own instincts. She'd seen the same thing, or perhaps deeper, missing and she wasn't going to give whatever it was the opportunity to surprise her. Long range bursts of lagless had brought Second Fleet to the very edge of the SEZ terminator, ready to respond to whatever had to be coming.
Your enemy was bringing ships in steadily to replace their lost logistics craft, but the pace of Fighter Command against those hateful craft was too slow to be decisive. Medicaments and their ilk were far too efficient at self-repair to be reduced by anything less than incredibly focused firepower. Yet even then, barely more than half of the Regular Fleet had entered the field. Where was the rest of it? What was it doing? Not for the first time, you wished that you'd focused more time on humanity's extra-solar detection grid, but there was nothing to be gained lamenting that now.
Third and Fourth Fleets had been replied to, with enough strength that the result should be a slow, painful grind of a battle now that their drive charge had been expended in that devastating attack. But here with First Fleet, nothing but a steady stream of logistics craft, garnished with lighter escorts to engage strikes from Fighter Command.
What Hides?
46 + 30 + 20 = 96
16 + 18 + 66 = 100
78 + 18 + 27 + 30 + (90 vs DC 80. Success) 25 = 178
96, 100, 178 vs DC ???
Bare Success, Bare Success, Second Order Success
:Where's the rest of them?: you muttered across the Heartcircle's local net, frustration clear in your voice even as you blocked a beam strike from one of the Shiplord assault carriers. :Lina's starting to flag, but they're not winning here. What are they waiting for?:
:Something,: Elil's thoughts were rife with their own brand of frustration, but his was more concerned than their own. :Something deliberate, but you and Lina have already seen that. There's something missing from the formations I can see, but nothing I'm looking for in Insight's listing is giving me an answer. It just looks…wrong.:
:Almost makes you wish we had someone like Kirstin in the unit,: Kalilah noted, an idle motion of her hand sweeping a fleeing squadron of drones from existence. :We're all feeling it, but no one can put it together. Maybe one of the analysis groups will get it. I know they have Potentials like her, who can put the pieces together instead of trying to just create an image wholesale.:
:I hope so,: is what you would have sent, but the sudden surge of thought from Vega overwhelmed your message. Her voice came across the closed link, restrained for now, but clearly unhappy about doing so.
:Mandy, we need to leave. Right now.: Her tone was almost frantic, as if aware of some unseen danger looming above. But she didn't leave it at that. :Their engagement pattern is all wrong for any of the fleets to be the focus of it. They responded to Third and Fourth because they wanted to keep them occupied, to keep our attention focused. And they're keeping this group up against the First not because they care about First Fleet, but because of what's with them.:
A terrible chill washed over you as Vega flung her own understanding of the Regular Fleet's harmony out to the rest of you, more words filling in the holes in rapidly assembling chains of logic. :They started out focused on First Fleet, but it shifted after we engaged. The escorts were to see how we would react, but also for something else. I don't know what that is, but something about what we did made their entire focus shift.:
An image of the solar system took shape between you, showing everything you could access through your tactical link to Lina's command ship. But here, lines of connection had been drawn between the Shiplord craft, sketching an image of their own harmony. And at the very centre of its focus was not a fleet, or a ship – the Regulars made a habit of targeting command ships, after all. It was the Two Twenty Three.
:Oh…fuck.: Mir's youthful exhalation was almost fervent in its intensity. You had no support where you were right now, nothing you could fall back to safely. And something was stirring in the Shiplord pattern, like the ripples of some deadly monster, rising from the depths of an endless ocean. None of you could tell what it was, but its gaze was fixed on the Unisonbound of the Two Twenty Three. You hadn't wanted to try to touch that harmony, remembering what had happened when you'd delved into it during the Second Battle of Sol. But to fight an enemy, you have to know it. This didn't feel like something Insight had missed, not in terms of ship counts. Something aboard some of those ships, maybe? But what?
:Amanda!: Lea snapped, cutting into your thoughts before you could let the decision run away with you. :You know what happened last time you looked upon our enemy. Are you certain you wish to do so again?:
:Do we have a choice?: You replied levelly, as the last of the escorts blew apart and the five detached Heartcircles looped back towards the rest of you. The movement was almost tortuously slow. :If we'd gone for the carriers, then we could disengage without risking the balance tipping against Lina. You can see how close it's getting for her. Throw their drones back into the mix?:
:No certainty either way,: Elil sent, their mental tone firm and secure in its certainty. :They're equally matched at the moment. But if we can punch our way out before whatever the Shiplords think they have responds, we could help her directly instead of detaching. And we'd be able to fall back on her support when whatever it is does come in.:
:Or we go through the carriers, they're in line with First Fleet anyway, and cripple as many as we can.: Kalilah pointed out.
:That'll take more time, and energy we might not want to expend.: Mir said carefully, before you could. :It'll be worth nothing if what's behind these ripples catches us short of First Fleet.:
:And everything we're saying is based on not knowing what we might be fighting.: you sighed. :We know that Shiplord combat chassis were capable of engaging us fifteen years ago, but we've come a long way since then, so I doubt it would be that. Even so, we can't discount it. So either I go looking, with you supporting me,: you added the second part quickly, as if it had always been planned to be there.
:Or we fall back.: Lea agreed. :Doesn't matter how we do it, it'll still be retreating. And if we do that now, after clearing the space around us…couldn't that tell the Shiplords that we somehow sensed that they had something coming?:
You growled, left hand blurring to summon another shield of aquamarine light around a Unisonbound that had just been boxed in by beam fire. Unknown threats. You hated unknown threats. Anyone sane hated unknown threats. But what could you do?
Core foundations, you'd been told. There were three escort groups raining fire down on you, but that was only three, and you had the manpower to handle that whilst keeping your cordon against drone launches strong. You could do that.
Your decision flashed out through the Two Twenty Three, and five Heartcircles dropped away from the blurring formation of Unisonbound around the Shiplord carriers. Light condensed around them as they switched to more focused attack forms on the move, the fruits of a decade and a half of labour unfurling with all the easy beauty of a blossoming flower. Two hundred and twenty-three bodies, twice that many souls, and every one of you united. The Shiplords had learnt to merge with their machines in battle, or so you believed. But that could only go so far, and you could not believe that they possessed the same depth of connection the Unisonbound shared.
Point defence fire shifted to the detached Heartcircles as they angled in on their targets, and pain flashing through your links for a moment as one among the larger Heartcircle took the combined fire of an entire task force to the shoulder. Yet it was only for a moment, until one of the Menders of that group reached them. Energy rippled between the two, the essence of healing made manifest, and pain vanished as the injury responsible for it ceased to be. A few other injuries flared amongst the other groups as they closed, forced into steadily narrowing vectors to do so as swiftly as possible, but none were worse than the first. Menders made short work of them, though you had to keep an eye on that. There was a limit to what you and the other Menders could recover, just as there was a limit to destructive output.
Not something you had to worry about right now, but equally not something you could afford to ignore. In front of you, a few drones were making it through the webwork of weapons fire and discordant bursts of manifested energy. But it was only a few, a handful really. Fighter Command would swat them aside with ease. You should make sure, though. The Two Twenty Three were Lina's most potent ace in the hole, and keeping up with the broader battle was easy with your perceptual acceleration. You reached out, linking into the battlenet of Lina's command ship, absorbing the new tactical situation.
First Fleet: 63 + 30 (Martial) + 20 (Web of Unity) + 20 (Void Mistress) + 15 (Harmonics) + 10 Fighter Supremacy vs 65 + 45 (Martial) + 20 (Synchronisation) + 20 (First Traditions)
Here among the heavier force of Regulars, First Fleet was starting to pay for its charge straight into close quarters combat. It was still holding cohesion against the larger Shiplord force, and Fighter Command's complete dominance of the battlespace thanks to your actions was steadily chipping away at their logistics wing. At the same time, however, Lina was being forced to rotate her heavier ships out of high intensity combat faster than had been planned. Right now, it wasn't a real problem, but if the trend continued it would open holes in First Fleet's formation that the Regulars would be only too happy to capitalise on.
In some ways that was a good thing, it would make the Regulars more likely to send reinforcements into the Two Twenty Three's engagement range in the hopes of finishing First Fleet off. But it also was a legitimate concern. If the Regulars could commit everything to that attack, at the right moment, nothing you could do would be enough to prevent massive casualties. Words took time to Speak, after all. But for now, at least, Lina was holding. Her attack had shifted into a holding action, one that was beginning to tip in favour of the enemy, but nothing was certain yet.
Not as good as you'd hoped, but about what you'd expected. At least no reinforcements had entered the local battlespace yet. Thought if not here, where were they? You turned your attention to the other Regular Fleet group currently present, that the Third and Fourth Fleets had jumped to engage, and your eyes went wide with shock.
Third and Fourth Fleet: 100 + 95 (Nat 100 rollover) + 24 (Martial) + 20 (Web of Unity) + 15 (Harmonics) vs 28 + 45 (Martial) + 20 (Synchronisation) + 20 (First Traditions) + 10 (Electronic Superiority) = 252 vs 123. Overwhelming Success.
On the strategic display you had access to, an entirely new Shiplord force was joining the fray, trying to stop the situation from degrading further from bad to catastrophic. You didn't know how the FSN admirals had done it so perfectly, but they'd brought their forces out of FTL right on top of the second Regular assault fleet, angled so that all of their weapons could crossfire the enemy without any risk of conflicting each other. They'd focused all their fire on their target's comparatively fewer capital ships, and the results had been brutal.
A full two thirds of that assault group's capital ships had been completely wiped out in that first firing pass, and the two human fleets hadn't faltered. With a decisive edge in heavy assets, they'd closed into knife range through a hail of Shiplord fire like sharks scenting blood. Lacking the direct presence of Vega among them, their own EWAR suites hadn't been able to keep up, but that had hardly mattered. With the capital assets largely destroyed, the two fleets defaulted to tactics specifically built for such situations. Lighter task forces took their cues from pre-assigned battlegroups, concentrating fire without the need for functional comms. By the time the second Regular force entered the field, almost half of the first group's ships were gone.
Third and Fourth had paid a price in how they'd chosen to attack, but it could have been infinitely worse given that both fleets were individually smaller than the one they'd savaged. Even an instant of poor timing could have inflicted vicious wounds. But that hadn't happened. By now the two Fleets had combined their globes of fire, and their own fighters were holding in close support positions to engage the rapidly forming juggernaut of drones swarming into space ahead of them.
…wait. That many drones could only mean one thing, if Insight's fleet listing had been correct. The Shiplords had committed the rest of their heavy drone carrier strength, and not here. Why would they do that? The thought remained, niggling at your mind even as the five Heartcircles you'd detached tore into the escort groups around you in bursts of prismatic lightning.
Of Circles and Scattered Winds: Greater Success.
Not bothering to index this roll. You did not crit, that is all that matters.
Against the sort of firepower that could shatter full capital ships when properly applied, the groups of lighter escorts stood about as much chance as the drone swarm had: that being none at all. Shields died, armour buckled, and delicate internal systems blew apart under a torrent of Practiced weaponry and more elemental power. They'd gotten a few good hits in to begin with, but now that members of the Two Twenty Three were in among them, the Shiplord escorts couldn't effectively concentrate their firepower. And that doomed them. Without the ability to pull away, to reform, there was nothing they could do but die.
Yet even then, the niggling worry remained, and you saw Lina's formation shift in response to her own instincts. She'd seen the same thing, or perhaps deeper, missing and she wasn't going to give whatever it was the opportunity to surprise her. Long range bursts of lagless had brought Second Fleet to the very edge of the SEZ terminator, ready to respond to whatever had to be coming.
Your enemy was bringing ships in steadily to replace their lost logistics craft, but the pace of Fighter Command against those hateful craft was too slow to be decisive. Medicaments and their ilk were far too efficient at self-repair to be reduced by anything less than incredibly focused firepower. Yet even then, barely more than half of the Regular Fleet had entered the field. Where was the rest of it? What was it doing? Not for the first time, you wished that you'd focused more time on humanity's extra-solar detection grid, but there was nothing to be gained lamenting that now.
Third and Fourth Fleets had been replied to, with enough strength that the result should be a slow, painful grind of a battle now that their drive charge had been expended in that devastating attack. But here with First Fleet, nothing but a steady stream of logistics craft, garnished with lighter escorts to engage strikes from Fighter Command.
What Hides?
46 + 30 + 20 = 96
16 + 18 + 66 = 100
78 + 18 + 27 + 30 + (90 vs DC 80. Success) 25 = 178
96, 100, 178 vs DC ???
Bare Success, Bare Success, Second Order Success
:Where's the rest of them?: you muttered across the Heartcircle's local net, frustration clear in your voice even as you blocked a beam strike from one of the Shiplord assault carriers. :Lina's starting to flag, but they're not winning here. What are they waiting for?:
:Something,: Elil's thoughts were rife with their own brand of frustration, but his was more concerned than their own. :Something deliberate, but you and Lina have already seen that. There's something missing from the formations I can see, but nothing I'm looking for in Insight's listing is giving me an answer. It just looks…wrong.:
:Almost makes you wish we had someone like Kirstin in the unit,: Kalilah noted, an idle motion of her hand sweeping a fleeing squadron of drones from existence. :We're all feeling it, but no one can put it together. Maybe one of the analysis groups will get it. I know they have Potentials like her, who can put the pieces together instead of trying to just create an image wholesale.:
:I hope so,: is what you would have sent, but the sudden surge of thought from Vega overwhelmed your message. Her voice came across the closed link, restrained for now, but clearly unhappy about doing so.
:Mandy, we need to leave. Right now.: Her tone was almost frantic, as if aware of some unseen danger looming above. But she didn't leave it at that. :Their engagement pattern is all wrong for any of the fleets to be the focus of it. They responded to Third and Fourth because they wanted to keep them occupied, to keep our attention focused. And they're keeping this group up against the First not because they care about First Fleet, but because of what's with them.:
A terrible chill washed over you as Vega flung her own understanding of the Regular Fleet's harmony out to the rest of you, more words filling in the holes in rapidly assembling chains of logic. :They started out focused on First Fleet, but it shifted after we engaged. The escorts were to see how we would react, but also for something else. I don't know what that is, but something about what we did made their entire focus shift.:
An image of the solar system took shape between you, showing everything you could access through your tactical link to Lina's command ship. But here, lines of connection had been drawn between the Shiplord craft, sketching an image of their own harmony. And at the very centre of its focus was not a fleet, or a ship – the Regulars made a habit of targeting command ships, after all. It was the Two Twenty Three.
:Oh…fuck.: Mir's youthful exhalation was almost fervent in its intensity. You had no support where you were right now, nothing you could fall back to safely. And something was stirring in the Shiplord pattern, like the ripples of some deadly monster, rising from the depths of an endless ocean. None of you could tell what it was, but its gaze was fixed on the Unisonbound of the Two Twenty Three. You hadn't wanted to try to touch that harmony, remembering what had happened when you'd delved into it during the Second Battle of Sol. But to fight an enemy, you have to know it. This didn't feel like something Insight had missed, not in terms of ship counts. Something aboard some of those ships, maybe? But what?
:Amanda!: Lea snapped, cutting into your thoughts before you could let the decision run away with you. :You know what happened last time you looked upon our enemy. Are you certain you wish to do so again?:
:Do we have a choice?: You replied levelly, as the last of the escorts blew apart and the five detached Heartcircles looped back towards the rest of you. The movement was almost tortuously slow. :If we'd gone for the carriers, then we could disengage without risking the balance tipping against Lina. You can see how close it's getting for her. Throw their drones back into the mix?:
:No certainty either way,: Elil sent, their mental tone firm and secure in its certainty. :They're equally matched at the moment. But if we can punch our way out before whatever the Shiplords think they have responds, we could help her directly instead of detaching. And we'd be able to fall back on her support when whatever it is does come in.:
:Or we go through the carriers, they're in line with First Fleet anyway, and cripple as many as we can.: Kalilah pointed out.
:That'll take more time, and energy we might not want to expend.: Mir said carefully, before you could. :It'll be worth nothing if what's behind these ripples catches us short of First Fleet.:
:And everything we're saying is based on not knowing what we might be fighting.: you sighed. :We know that Shiplord combat chassis were capable of engaging us fifteen years ago, but we've come a long way since then, so I doubt it would be that. Even so, we can't discount it. So either I go looking, with you supporting me,: you added the second part quickly, as if it had always been planned to be there.
:Or we fall back.: Lea agreed. :Doesn't matter how we do it, it'll still be retreating. And if we do that now, after clearing the space around us…couldn't that tell the Shiplords that we somehow sensed that they had something coming?:
You growled, left hand blurring to summon another shield of aquamarine light around a Unisonbound that had just been boxed in by beam fire. Unknown threats. You hated unknown threats. Anyone sane hated unknown threats. But what could you do?
First Fleet maintains the tactical edge against the Shiplord Fleet arrayed against it, and the Two Twenty Three have cleared the space around them of the new escort groups, and no further craft have entered the field around them. Minimal drone forces were able to make it out through the Two Twenty Three's blockade, and First Fleet still utterly dominates that area of the battle.
First Fleet's engagement this round was even closer than it was on their initial strike, and the heavier ships of the fleet are starting to show damage. At present it remains controllable, but the frequency of combat rotation is starting to creep past preferred levels. First Fleet combat readiness now stands at 82%.
Destroyed logistics ships of the opposing Regular Force are currently being replaced from outsystem reserves, meaning that combat readiness has dropped rather less than had been hoped. Taking into account the steady reduction in carrier reserve, however, the combined combat readiness of the force is estimated at 71%.
A third Shiplord Force has entered the star system, in support of the one engaged by the Third and Fourth Fleets of the FSN. The two human fleets executed a devastating crossfire strike against the Shiplord Regulars, all but obliterating that force's capital ship strength. The lighter elements of that force have folded into the new force, which appears to have brought the rest of the Regular Fleet's heavy carrier strength onto the field. For all intents and purposes, the second Shiplord Force no longer exists.
Third and Fourth Fleets are at 85% and 87% respectively, facing an enlarged Regulars Force that roughly matches them in tonnage, but is also skewed towards lighter, non-capital assets. That force is at 100% readiness and appears well placed to wrest fighter superiority from the Third and Fourth.
As of this time, 53% of the Regular Fleet has engaged FSN forces. One FTL capable FSN fleet remains in reserve.
The Two Twenty three have cleared the escort groups around them without casualties, with the few wounded being recovered by Restorer Focused. Unfortunately, they have also detected a shift in the Regular Fleet's priorities to the Two Twenty Three. Some sort of countermeasure appears to be being prepared, though the nature of it remains unclear. The five Heartcircles detached against the Shiplord escorts are moving to rejoin the core group. They will have arrived by the time any formative decision needs to be made. So you must make a choice.
[] Into the Deep: The Shiplords have brought…something with them. Elil believes it is not more ships, and you are inclined to believe him. But if not ships, what? And why would it be focused on the Unisonbound? You need answers, and there is only one way to get them. Dive into the Shiplord web, and seek the truth. A success will require a save vs Reaction Shock, but you will be rolling with a significant bonus. Fastest way to answers, but leaves you in the middle of the Shiplord fleet.
[] From the Field: You are alone amidst the Shiplord fleet, with no safe place to find harbour. If there is an unknown threat coming, it is simple sanity to seek allies. Return to First Fleet, and only then seek the truth. This will allow the carriers to recover and rebuild a drone shell. Also carries the risk of alerting the Shiplords to your ability to see further into things than those not gifted with Practice should.
-[] Upon Wings of Fire: Of course, you could attempt to hide that awareness by engaging the carriers on your way. Assault the heavy carriers that you have been keeping at bay, aiming to remove as many of them from the battle as possible in a single firing pass. Will reduce the effectiveness of any reformed drone shell, and the chance that the Shiplords will recognise your actions as reactive.
[] Unbowed We Stand: You know something is coming. You know that it's coming for you. A final FTL capable FSN fleet remains unengaged, and the true breadth of the Two Twenty Three's capabilities remains unused. Let yourself be bait, and when the trap closes, spring your own. Means facing an unknown threat, without knowing any details of it, but will not risk them realising that you'd become aware of it until it is already engaged. If chosen, pick one of the following options as your offensive focus.
-[] Render Unto Dust: These carriers have continued for long enough. If you are about to be the focus of a Shiplord assault, they have to be removed. End them.
-[] Unbreaking The Storm: More escorts continue to join the battle, preventing Fighter Command's assaults from being truly decisive. Assault those ships, ignoring the carriers for now – they will take time to recover, after all. Remove the escorts, and let the rest burn.
-[] Shattering Everest: Why waste time with carriers or escorts, when First Fleet is bleeding. Strike at the heart of the Shiplord formation, their heavy capital assets. Remove those, and First Fleet will be able to crush anything that remains.
A note: querying Lina for orders at this point would not be an effective decision. She's aware that something is wrong, but the choice of how or where to find out what would lie fully in your hands.
First Fleet's engagement this round was even closer than it was on their initial strike, and the heavier ships of the fleet are starting to show damage. At present it remains controllable, but the frequency of combat rotation is starting to creep past preferred levels. First Fleet combat readiness now stands at 82%.
Destroyed logistics ships of the opposing Regular Force are currently being replaced from outsystem reserves, meaning that combat readiness has dropped rather less than had been hoped. Taking into account the steady reduction in carrier reserve, however, the combined combat readiness of the force is estimated at 71%.
A third Shiplord Force has entered the star system, in support of the one engaged by the Third and Fourth Fleets of the FSN. The two human fleets executed a devastating crossfire strike against the Shiplord Regulars, all but obliterating that force's capital ship strength. The lighter elements of that force have folded into the new force, which appears to have brought the rest of the Regular Fleet's heavy carrier strength onto the field. For all intents and purposes, the second Shiplord Force no longer exists.
Third and Fourth Fleets are at 85% and 87% respectively, facing an enlarged Regulars Force that roughly matches them in tonnage, but is also skewed towards lighter, non-capital assets. That force is at 100% readiness and appears well placed to wrest fighter superiority from the Third and Fourth.
As of this time, 53% of the Regular Fleet has engaged FSN forces. One FTL capable FSN fleet remains in reserve.
The Two Twenty three have cleared the escort groups around them without casualties, with the few wounded being recovered by Restorer Focused. Unfortunately, they have also detected a shift in the Regular Fleet's priorities to the Two Twenty Three. Some sort of countermeasure appears to be being prepared, though the nature of it remains unclear. The five Heartcircles detached against the Shiplord escorts are moving to rejoin the core group. They will have arrived by the time any formative decision needs to be made. So you must make a choice.
[] Into the Deep: The Shiplords have brought…something with them. Elil believes it is not more ships, and you are inclined to believe him. But if not ships, what? And why would it be focused on the Unisonbound? You need answers, and there is only one way to get them. Dive into the Shiplord web, and seek the truth. A success will require a save vs Reaction Shock, but you will be rolling with a significant bonus. Fastest way to answers, but leaves you in the middle of the Shiplord fleet.
[] From the Field: You are alone amidst the Shiplord fleet, with no safe place to find harbour. If there is an unknown threat coming, it is simple sanity to seek allies. Return to First Fleet, and only then seek the truth. This will allow the carriers to recover and rebuild a drone shell. Also carries the risk of alerting the Shiplords to your ability to see further into things than those not gifted with Practice should.
-[] Upon Wings of Fire: Of course, you could attempt to hide that awareness by engaging the carriers on your way. Assault the heavy carriers that you have been keeping at bay, aiming to remove as many of them from the battle as possible in a single firing pass. Will reduce the effectiveness of any reformed drone shell, and the chance that the Shiplords will recognise your actions as reactive.
[] Unbowed We Stand: You know something is coming. You know that it's coming for you. A final FTL capable FSN fleet remains unengaged, and the true breadth of the Two Twenty Three's capabilities remains unused. Let yourself be bait, and when the trap closes, spring your own. Means facing an unknown threat, without knowing any details of it, but will not risk them realising that you'd become aware of it until it is already engaged. If chosen, pick one of the following options as your offensive focus.
-[] Render Unto Dust: These carriers have continued for long enough. If you are about to be the focus of a Shiplord assault, they have to be removed. End them.
-[] Unbreaking The Storm: More escorts continue to join the battle, preventing Fighter Command's assaults from being truly decisive. Assault those ships, ignoring the carriers for now – they will take time to recover, after all. Remove the escorts, and let the rest burn.
-[] Shattering Everest: Why waste time with carriers or escorts, when First Fleet is bleeding. Strike at the heart of the Shiplord formation, their heavy capital assets. Remove those, and First Fleet will be able to crush anything that remains.
A note: querying Lina for orders at this point would not be an effective decision. She's aware that something is wrong, but the choice of how or where to find out what would lie fully in your hands.
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Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
This round went…oddly in the background rolls. You did exceptionally well against the other Shiplord group, and the 223 exhibited their usual lawnmower tendencies when exposed to Shiplord warships. You also rolled high enough to detect the shift that occurred in the last combat phase, and the new focus of their attention. I am happy to confirm by word of QM that order of battle obtained by Project Insight is as they described. I doubt this will be entirely comforting, however.
Many thanks to @Killer_Whale for checking this for me, and happy voting! Any questions to the usual address.
Many thanks to @Killer_Whale for checking this for me, and happy voting! Any questions to the usual address.
That was a very tense chapter, great work @Snowfire. And on the note of it being tense:
[X] Into the Deep: The Shiplords have brought…something with them. Elil believes it is not more ships, and you are inclined to believe him. But if not ships, what? And why would it be focused on the Unisonbound? You need answers, and there is only one way to get them. Dive into the Shiplord web, and seek the truth. A success will require a save vs Reaction Shock, but you will be rolling with a significant bonus.
I do not like surprises, particularly about vague 'something' that threatens one of our greatest assets.
[X] Into the Deep: The Shiplords have brought…something with them. Elil believes it is not more ships, and you are inclined to believe him. But if not ships, what? And why would it be focused on the Unisonbound? You need answers, and there is only one way to get them. Dive into the Shiplord web, and seek the truth. A success will require a save vs Reaction Shock, but you will be rolling with a significant bonus.
I do not like surprises, particularly about vague 'something' that threatens one of our greatest assets.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
I mean, it's a vague 'something' being targeted at the Two Twenty Three. If it's actually a threat? Well, that's the question now, isn't it.
Please note that I've updated the text of Into the Deep to emphasise how it keeps you in the middle of the Shiplord fleet instead of falling back first.
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Something to consider certainly but.. It's a battle and they are the enemy. I feel it's a fair assumption that anything they aim at us should be considered a weapon until proven otherwise
Enerael
We Shall Wake to Sanity
Well, this is a nasty one.
First thing first. Do note that what they are cooking up might be some kind of a scan to figure out what's going here, which is after all why the Regulars came here at all. To figure the anomaly that is Sol and Humanity out.
That info would get out, with their EWar skills and number of couriers.
Returning to the fleet without taking out the carriers on the way would be... costly. This is not the last battle of Sol, and letting the capabilities of Insight focused slip would be giving up a lot.
Going for the carriers, which "incidentally" puts us next to the First Fleet, is a good compromise. Gets us hit with the unknown and raises the risk of getting hit without support compared to going straight for our fleet as it will take longer, but otherwise costs nothing.
Facetanking this is a NO. Do not underestimate the Shiplords, and we have the added issue of... complications upon losing a member.
Lastly, diving into the web. This would allow better preparation against whatever it is, but also far less fleet support if they are needed. Which they might not be, this seems more on the esoteric side than firepower side, though having cover in case that we are incapacitated by this thing would be nice. Also the low chance of a reaction shock.
Something to consider: SLs know of something like Practice, and possibly can use it if they sacrifice their lives for it. This might be it.
Also, this is unlikely to be a one shot weapon that we will never encounter again. If they have something that could possibly neutralize the 223, Practice, or Potentials, we need to know as much as we can about it. Especially since we plan to mass produce Unison devices.
Overall, I think that [] Into the Deep is probably the best option, though -[] Upon Wings of Fire is not a bad choice.
First thing first. Do note that what they are cooking up might be some kind of a scan to figure out what's going here, which is after all why the Regulars came here at all. To figure the anomaly that is Sol and Humanity out.
That info would get out, with their EWar skills and number of couriers.
Returning to the fleet without taking out the carriers on the way would be... costly. This is not the last battle of Sol, and letting the capabilities of Insight focused slip would be giving up a lot.
Going for the carriers, which "incidentally" puts us next to the First Fleet, is a good compromise. Gets us hit with the unknown and raises the risk of getting hit without support compared to going straight for our fleet as it will take longer, but otherwise costs nothing.
Facetanking this is a NO. Do not underestimate the Shiplords, and we have the added issue of... complications upon losing a member.
Lastly, diving into the web. This would allow better preparation against whatever it is, but also far less fleet support if they are needed. Which they might not be, this seems more on the esoteric side than firepower side, though having cover in case that we are incapacitated by this thing would be nice. Also the low chance of a reaction shock.
Something to consider: SLs know of something like Practice, and possibly can use it if they sacrifice their lives for it. This might be it.
Also, this is unlikely to be a one shot weapon that we will never encounter again. If they have something that could possibly neutralize the 223, Practice, or Potentials, we need to know as much as we can about it. Especially since we plan to mass produce Unison devices.
Overall, I think that [] Into the Deep is probably the best option, though -[] Upon Wings of Fire is not a bad choice.
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- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
[X] Unbowed We Stand: You know something is coming. You know that it's coming for you. A final FTL capable FSN fleet remains unengaged, and the true breadth of the Two Twenty Three's capabilities remains unused. Let yourself be bait, and when the trap closes, spring your own. Means facing an unknown threat, without knowing any details of it, but will not risk them realising that you'd become aware of it until it is already engaged. If chosen, pick one of the following options as your offensive focus.
-[] Render Unto Dust: These carriers have continued for long enough. If you are about to be the focus of a Shiplord assault, they have to be removed. End them.
-[] Unbreaking The Storm: More escorts continue to join the battle, preventing Fighter Command's assaults from being truly decisive. Assault those ships, ignoring the carriers for now – they will take time to recover, after all. Remove the escorts, and let the rest burn.
-[X] Shattering Everest: Why waste time with carriers or escorts, when First Fleet is bleeding. Strike at the heart of the Shiplord formation, their heavy capital assets. Remove those, and First Fleet will be able to crush anything that remains.
//
Well, that was the idea behind our strategy - concentrate SL forces where the 223 can get most of them.
@Snowfire - did I read that correctly that Unbowed basically means to wait for the SL trap and reinforcements to concentrate, and then to bring the last fleet reserves and start speaking?
-[] Render Unto Dust: These carriers have continued for long enough. If you are about to be the focus of a Shiplord assault, they have to be removed. End them.
-[] Unbreaking The Storm: More escorts continue to join the battle, preventing Fighter Command's assaults from being truly decisive. Assault those ships, ignoring the carriers for now – they will take time to recover, after all. Remove the escorts, and let the rest burn.
-[X] Shattering Everest: Why waste time with carriers or escorts, when First Fleet is bleeding. Strike at the heart of the Shiplord formation, their heavy capital assets. Remove those, and First Fleet will be able to crush anything that remains.
//
Well, that was the idea behind our strategy - concentrate SL forces where the 223 can get most of them.
@Snowfire - did I read that correctly that Unbowed basically means to wait for the SL trap and reinforcements to concentrate, and then to bring the last fleet reserves and start speaking?
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Pretty much, yes. Though it does mean that you won't know what form the trap will take. You'll be putting a lot of faith in your Speaking.
- Location
- Germany
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Yes. Tipping off the SL earlier compromises our basic strategy.
Edit: Wouldn't taking out the carriers now tipp of the SL that we were sandbagging?
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- Location
- Somewhere out there
Remove "to"
ships
Medicaments (you picked a mouthful of a class name if not only half the players but the QM can't spell it consistently!)
I'm reasonably certain they know we're sandbagging given how efficiently we've been carrying out what we HAVE been doing. To a competent general, our actions are going to look clearly like a set of strategic decisions. They don't know WHAT we're holding back, but they knew they had to expect us to have SOMETHING big up our sleeve, considering we wiped out a Tribute fleet so thoroughly and we've had time to build up our technologies since then.
@Snowfire Can we ask Iris for help?
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
Help with what?
Shwaggy
Weapon of Math Instruction
- Location
- Texas
- Pronouns
- he/him/his
Gotta admit, I'm torn between the Into The Deep "Knowledge is Power" option and Upon Wings of Fire "Fighting Withdrawal".
If we know what's coming, we can prepare specifically for it. That includes folding it into our "take as much of the fleet out in one Speaking as we can" plan, and perhaps even trying to come up with a response that doesn't give away that we had prior knowledge (unlikely, but maybe.) On the other hand, that leaves us in the middle of our enemies when it comes, AND spends a turn not hitting a regenerating opponent. And, if I'm not mistaken, we still don't know what happens when a unison-bound dies while we're all linked. Hopefully we still don't find out, but if we do, unsupported in the middle of the enemy might be a rather bad place to be.
I keep wavering, so I'll hold off for now and see what y'all are thinking.
If we know what's coming, we can prepare specifically for it. That includes folding it into our "take as much of the fleet out in one Speaking as we can" plan, and perhaps even trying to come up with a response that doesn't give away that we had prior knowledge (unlikely, but maybe.) On the other hand, that leaves us in the middle of our enemies when it comes, AND spends a turn not hitting a regenerating opponent. And, if I'm not mistaken, we still don't know what happens when a unison-bound dies while we're all linked. Hopefully we still don't find out, but if we do, unsupported in the middle of the enemy might be a rather bad place to be.
I keep wavering, so I'll hold off for now and see what y'all are thinking.
Errr... Potentials all draw from the same well of power, right? Heck, all of humanity does, even if they can't focus it. The Shiplords are clearly familiar with Practice even if they don't use it themselves due to apparently loathing it. They probably know more about how it works than anybody. The billions of people they took are connected to it, and some of them must have been Potentials. Could they use that to suddenly drain/block/poison the common well?
Also, can we try "revive kills zombies" this time?
Also, can we try "revive kills zombies" this time?
[X] Into the Deep: The Shiplords have brought…something with them. Elil believes it is not more ships, and you are inclined to believe him. But if not ships, what? And why would it be focused on the Unisonbound? You need answers, and there is only one way to get them. Dive into the Shiplord web, and seek the truth. A success will require a save vs Reaction Shock, but you will be rolling with a significant bonus.
Snowfire
Polyglot of Chimera
- Location
- Wordcats
To clarify, Into the Deep will keep the rest of the Two Twenty Three running down the mass storage on the carriers. It'll just involve Amanda focusing...elsewhere.
Indeed you do not.
Um, no, not really. Practice didn't manifest until six months to a year after the Week of Sorrows.
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Shwaggy
Weapon of Math Instruction
- Location
- Texas
- Pronouns
- he/him/his
Oh. That does change things a bit. So...if the Two Twenty Three can run ops while Amanda focuses, and I assume she can still move and either evade or be shielded during that since we're still in the middle of the enemy's fire...why can't she do Into The Deep while the unit withdraws? I mean, I get narratively why it's an either/or choice, but now I'm wondering why mechanically.