[X]Train Martial Arts with your officials.
[X]Raiding the Raiders: Scouts are tracking several light raiding forces that typically preempt major Heleian fleet movements, typically striking at light targets of opportunity in its path and acting as ambushes and fast-attack reinforcements in battles. Catching them might be a bit of a challenge, but destroying them will remove Heleian eyes and ears before battle, and force them to respond with less efficient, heavier forces (- High-speed Critical, Wide-open terrain, Superior Enemy Numbers, Far Superior Own Firepower)
[X]Interact with the crew/officers. Find their quirks, likes, etc... If that doesn't cut it then try hanging out at the rec room. Do we have a rec room? [X]Civilized People Do it Better
Marshal arts seems kinda wacky to engage with as we can just shoot people. The training of 100 seasons can be cut short easily with one bullet, assuming you're not in some sort of wuxia operation or the like.
It is critical to get to know everyone's temperament, strengths and weaknesses though, not to mention building up connections that we may need later.
[X]What is this Dungeons and Dragons business? Officers' night cycle out. People reveal a lot about themselves in how they conduct themselves when they are supposed to be pretending to be someone or something else. Surely there's some widely known classical TRPGs in a Empire this big? Get to GMing Commodore. No it's not weird at all.
[X]Interact with the crew/officers. Find their quirks, likes, etc... If that doesn't cut it then try hanging out at the rec room. Do we have a rec room?
[X]Raiding the Raiders
[X]Train Martial Arts with your officials.
[X]Civilized People Do it Better
Hit the enemy in their logistics tail and you know they will feel the pain.
Anyway, all Imperial officers are required to carry a sword on their person. Yorhan Monks are noted to be extremely deadly with said melee weapons and are feared.
Melee combat seems to still be relevant (especially since "heroes" love to engage in it) so lets have our good Commodore be well practiced so he isn't taken by surprise when someone charges at him with a weapon.
Also, Reyans are space elves. Who like to name their stuff after Warhammer High Elven dieties and creatures.
They also produce gorgeous women seeing as our Flag Captain seems to look like 2B and the Admiral......yeah.
[X]Train Martial Arts with your officials.
[X]Raiding the Raiders
With our fleet being mostly green, high-risk targets are probably too risky. And since Reyan doctrine loves its capships, we should try to remove the enemy escorts before they slip through the lines and nom our precious expensive assets.
[X]Train Martial Arts with your officials.
[X]Raiding the Raiders: Scouts are tracking several light raiding forces that typically preempt major Heleian fleet movements, typically striking at light targets of opportunity in its path and acting as ambushes and fast-attack reinforcements in battles. Catching them might be a bit of a challenge, but destroying them will remove Heleian eyes and ears before battle, and force them to respond with less efficient, heavier forces (- High-speed Critical, Wide-open terrain, Superior Enemy Numbers, Far Superior Own Firepower)
[X]Raiding the Raiders: Scouts are tracking several light raiding forces that typically preempt major Heleian fleet movements, typically striking at light targets of opportunity in its path and acting as ambushes and fast-attack reinforcements in battles. Catching them might be a bit of a challenge, but destroying them will remove Heleian eyes and ears before battle, and force them to respond with less efficient, heavier forces (- High-speed Critical, Wide-open terrain, Superior Enemy Numbers, Far Superior Own Firepower)
[x]Civilized People Do it Better: Everyone needs supplies, even Heleians. Forward scouts had identified asteroid sites in Tyth-157 system as temporary forward resupply stations for Heleian fleets. In typical barbarian fashion, these are lightly guarded before fighting starts, paving a way for a strike force to infiltrate and successfully deny the enemy the chance to resupply after a long trek....and gather the ire of the barbaric huntsmen. The obvious issue is that once your are detected, you can expect major enemy reinforcements and you will be fighting at enemy's preferred astro-terrain, beyond friendly lines. (Low Enemy Awareness, Enemy Field Advantage, Reinforcements, Long Travel Time).
[X]Interact with the crew/officers. Find their quirks, likes, etc... If that doesn't cut it then try hanging out at the rec room. Do we have a rec room?
[X]What is this Dungeons and Dragons business? Officers' night cycle out. People reveal a lot about themselves in how they conduct themselves when they are supposed to be pretending to be someone or something else. Surely there's some widely known classical TRPGs in a Empire this big? Get to GMing Commodore. No it's not weird at all.
GM's Note: Since we were tied on the fleet objective, I had to use my tried and proven tiebreaker (i.e coin flip) and hitting the enemy raiders won out. Also, due to a number of constraints and issues last week, I wasn't able to devote as much time as I'd like to writing, so the Obligatory Training Montage will be played out later as an interactive Interlude. But before that, exploding spess ships!
[X]Train Martial Arts with your officials.
[X]Raiding the Raiders
****
Catching a Heleian fleet sounds simple in theory. In practice, like with all theory, it is somewhat more involved. The Heleians are wild, aggressive race, and though your forward observers do good work, it is difficult to anticipate their movements in full. It doesn't help that, while swift, your own formation still lags behind theirs. In fact, by the time your ships depart, half of the forward observers had reported that they lost track of the enemy forces.
What is supposed to be a quick, decisive action turns into a slow, meandering plodding along Tansei Ways, chasing down sensors ghosts and extrapolating enemy presence from incomplete scouting reports. It is frustrating, and frequent jumps wear on novice crew. You do ran across a few scouting parties, and dispatch them without issue, but the main raiding force remains illusive.
But you remain adamant, staying on bridge all day staring at strategic screens while watches changed below you. The Heleians were barbaric, true, but they were still sentient. They had goals, objectives. Something they would attack. Much like in the layered game of pizeres, though enemy movements could remain obscure and incomprehensible, the competent player knew that sooner or later, the enemy would be forced to take one of the objectives. Identify objective and its most likely path, and you can use it to trace the enemy...
It is then that you have an epiphany. You scour through the list of every Imperial colony and station in the sector, interposed on the local galactic map. Most are duds of course, but one - one target fits the profile.
Akin Station was a remote deep-space habitat in Tyth-459 system, orbiting a prospective colony world. A civilian installation, it was warned of oncoming attack, but lacked any local defending forces, nor could it count on reinforcements. A wild settlement, vulnerable in the face of oncoming storm. And within lay the life-sustaining prizes - air, water and food, and whatever valuables Heleians would take from the would-be dead crew and pioneers aground. A good raid target to gather provisions, bloody the troops and strike the first blow unopposed. And, more importantly, an occasion which would absorb most of the frontier fleet element. You could catch them in one system, perhaps even destroy the fleets one by one as they assembled.
But only if you make it on time.
It is still a narrow-thing - your fleet pushes the drives to its limits, and in-between jumps you manage to catch some semblance of sleep. If your calculations are correct, you should arrive right into the thick of enemy attack...but quietly, you admit that you wouldn't bet your life on those odds. One way or the other, it would be a near-run thing.
***
"Jump Completed. All vessels accounted for." Noire reported as the bridge crew went to work, command nests vibrating with dull sound of quiet conversations. "As you've suspected, Commodore. We are picking up Heleian fleets converging around...wait, stand by-" Your tactical screens blink as they're fed with new information, while Noire quickly falls into a rapid conversations with her First Officer and sensor operators.
"We are detecting a major Heleian fleet element near us. Judging by their vector, they must have Hyshed out just before us."
Your eyes narrow as you observe the formation before your eyes. It was fairly large, but mass and energy estimates put most vessels around Corvette-weight, with scant heavy vessels. Against a pure skirmish force a challenge, but your bulk and weight could smash them apart easily...
"Signal to fleet, execute attack plan Silver-3. Cruisers will take the front, while our Command element will commence support. Reserve the fighters until ordered." You quickly order. Attack Plan Silver was the general term for a fast, frontal attack; the third variant emphasized the staying power of your cruisers as a mailed fist, with lighter forces conserved for screening and further action.
Noire transmits your orders, and you watch as your ships come about, impulse engines whirling into full power. Your crews were green, but the harsh training you've had them put in is now paying off as ships quickly and efficiently assume their positions. There were still a few rough spots, but they would be polished with experience. Besides, you are confident in your Sub-Commanders - your meet was...unconventional one, but for the most part you were confident in their ability to both obey orders and react to unforeseen circumstances.
"Well." You grin wryly. "A little bit of luck didn't hurt either."
Indeed, you were fortunate to arrive into the system at all on time, and even more so to catch the trail end of enemy fleet by surprise at the same time.
You watch as the fleet takes a wedge-like formation, resembling a squashed spearhead. The Heleians ahead have finally became aware of your presence, but their reaction time has cost them dearly.
"Hold fire until ordered." You declare, silently watching as your formation closed in. Your prism cannons were already in range, but a handful of batteries wouldn't deal as much damage as you'd want. Instead, you hold them until remaining weapons are in range. Shock and awe was as important as raw firepower - not just destroying the enemy by panicking the survivors, denying them the ability to reform.
"Be swift as a coursing river, powerful as a roaring storm and unmovable as a mountain" You mentally recite one of your old readings as painfully slow minutes trickle by. Heleian vessels begun to rapidly turn, like a flock of spooked fish, but it was too late now.
"Captain, you may fire when ready."
Noire nods, before stretching out her hand, as her voice clearly rings above command nests. "All batteries - fire!"
As one, the guns fire, lighting the space in brilliant kaleidoscope of colors while the missiles streaked onwards like rogue meteors. The element of surprise and superior range of the Imperial gunnery proves lethal as ship after ship explodes, each becoming a little star on its own. Though few in number, the bright beams of your prism cannons are clearly visible as they scythe through what few heavy units the Heleians have. With last battle still on your mind, you can't help but feel satisfaction as you watch what is possibly the enemy flagship snap in half as its hit midship, fire and debris pouring from hull breaches. Elsewhere corvettes and destroyers come apart under positron hits, fine burning debris showering other ships in the fleet. Missiles swerve and chase after more mobile strike craft and frigates, to great effects as you watch their signals wink out.
The weight of your first assault is enough to halt the barbaric mass - and the second breaks it. Though you may be only a Light Assault element, against an isolated Heleian fleet element you are a hammer. And appropriately, you watch as you slam the guts out of the technobarbarians, as further ships turn to dust. With the priority targets destroyed, your prism-bearing ships focus on the main fleet, scything through it like swords of light. In their path, surviving corvettes tumble in uncontrolled flight, trailing smoke and missing halves of their hull...those that are not incinerated outright, at least. Your own ship rumbles, as Noire adds her personal arsenal to the symphony of destruction.
At this point, discipline among Heleians breaks down, and a few surviving vessels begin to scatter right and left. Most however continue on, dead set on ramming into your fleet. At long last, green particle shots begin to rain onto your fleet. However, with most of the enemy down, and with your lightest forces held back, they take no ships - though a few of your light cruisers are left scarred, hulls twisted with heat and trailing black clouds. Inside, engineers and medics fought desperate battles of their own among fused decks and clouds of burning oxygen, restoring systems functionality and saving whoever survived. Meanwhile, your return salvo hits the Heleians at point-blank range - close enough that a few ships don't even bother with guns and simply tear apart Heleians with massed point defense fire.
Like an armored knight, your fleet barrels through what was left of Heleian fleet, leaving behind only the specter of death.
Command Element
- Flagship
- 10x Isha-pattern Line Cruisers
- 15x Lileath-pattern Line Cruisers
Strike Craft: At full capacity
Morale: Eager
"A fine beginning, but merely a start of a greater battle." You think cautiously, while Noire gathers reports on the deck beneath.
"Sir" she calls you "We have passed through the Heleian fleet. Their casualties are total. However, that brought us from behind the moon, and the remaining Heleian fleets would surely notice the discharges from the battle..." she trails off, while you drum your fingers against your command throne.
"Formation White-2. Accelerate to attack speed." You order, watching as the fleet assumes a more conventional formation composed of multiple three-dimensional wedges and spherical formations of your screening forces. The gauntlet was thrown; now all that remained was the barbarian's reaction...
You grimace.
Unfortunately, whoever was in the overall command of the enemy force, they weren't a complete fool. The fleets dispersed around the world and Imperial station immediately begin moving, coalescing into two separate fleets. A few units - likely transports and heavier vessels - remain anchored at the station, but the intent was clear.
They were going to run.
"Aspect change!" One of the crew reports, almost happily. "Enemy units...are disengaging! We've got them on the run."
"Picking up transmission from the station!" Another reports. "They are requesting urgent relief!"
Your fleet had enough speed that you could still catch them, if barely. But that would necessitate engaging the entire remaining fleet at close range, hardly an optimal solution. If you chose a more classic engagement, you would make the most of your qualitative superiority, and likely destroy them completely, but you'd then have to chase down other groups...but by then, most would probably get away. The station was an issue too. Technically, they aren't your problem...but they have requested your aid, and it would be just and proper to answer. You could commit your strike craft assets to task...but that would leave them out of the coming battle, where their influence could be decisive.
You decide to...:
[]Charge the fleet: The enemy raiders cannot be allowed to disperse again. Though the circumstances are less than ideal, you have the bulk and firepower. You will engage ship-to-ship.
[]Stay in formation: Heleian uncoordinated-but-fluid battle style works well in chaotic, close-range actions. It would be prudent to keep your distance to maximize the effectiveness of your fleet. You will have only limited opportunity to engage however, while the rest of the enemy fleet scatters.
Meanwhile, you order your strike craft to...:
[]Help the station: It is a difficult choice, but manageable. You will loose your fighter assets for a while, but you can still protect your fleet with destroyers and seeker missiles.
[]Support the fleet: The assistance of your fast-moving fighters and gunships is too crucial to spare. They will remain with the fleet and assist in action against the enemy you came here to defeat.
[x]Charge the fleet: The enemy raiders cannot be allowed to disperse again. Though the circumstances are less than ideal, you have the bulk and firepower. You will engage ship-to-ship.
[x]Support the fleet: The assistance of your fast-moving fighters and gunships is too crucial to spare. They will remain with the fleet and assist in action against the enemy you came here to defeat.
[x]Charge the fleet: The enemy raiders cannot be allowed to disperse again. Though the circumstances are less than ideal, you have the bulk and firepower. You will engage ship-to-ship.
[x]Support the fleet: The assistance of your fast-moving fighters and gunships is too crucial to spare. They will remain with the fleet and assist in action against the enemy you came here to defeat.
[X]Charge the fleet: The enemy raiders cannot be allowed to disperse again. Though the circumstances are less than ideal, you have the bulk and firepower. You will engage ship-to-ship. [X]Support the fleet: The assistance of your fast-moving fighters and gunships is too crucial to spare. They will remain with the fleet and assist in action against the enemy you came here to defeat.
[x]Stay in formation: Heleian uncoordinated-but-fluid battle style works well in chaotic, close-range actions. It would be prudent to keep your distance to maximize the effectiveness of your fleet. You will have only limited opportunity to engage however, while the rest of the enemy fleet scatters. [x]Help the station: It is a difficult choice, but manageable. You will loose your fighter assets for a while, but you can still protect your fleet with destroyers and seeker missiles.
[X]Stay in formation: Heleian uncoordinated-but-fluid battle style works well in chaotic, close-range actions. It would be prudent to keep your distance to maximize the effectiveness of your fleet. You will have only limited opportunity to engage however, while the rest of the enemy fleet scatters. [X]Help the station: It is a difficult choice, but manageable. You will loose your fighter assets for a while, but you can still protect your fleet with destroyers and seeker missiles.
[x]Charge the fleet: The enemy raiders cannot be allowed to disperse again. Though the circumstances are less than ideal, you have the bulk and firepower. You will engage ship-to-ship.
[x]Support the fleet: The assistance of your fast-moving fighters and gunships is too crucial to spare. They will remain with the fleet and assist in action against the enemy you came here to defeat.
These raiders were running about for some time, their supplies may be getting low. And we denied the opportunity for looting the rescources of the space station.
