From the IC News & Propaganda Forum


They will claim that the Empire had no intention of accepting the Abregado-raen Neutrality.



”Once brought back to a livable standard, the Empire would have left.” Then Kaine shrugged, “Besides, their militia outnumbered us by over one hundred thousand. What would we have done?”

He chuckled. “No. The evidence is there.

Then his eyes looked up sharply and into the cameras. “But I give the Sovereignty a chance to prove themselves better. The Empire holds out one more chance to the Abregado-Raen Pact.

We will give the Sovereignty the same amount of time they gave us…”

His eyes flashed.


“13 days.

You are charged to do all you can in 13 days and at the end of the thirteenth day, your forces will leave the world to its neutrality and you will not return.


Give the Abregado-raen’s the chance you are surely denying them with your presence.


Leave the system!


At that moment, a soldier came up to the Grand Marshall handing him a note. Kaine’s lips pursed, ”Or was it all lies? he hissed.


“My fellow citizens, it appears that more Sovereignty fighters are attacking the world of Fondor and have opened fire on the civilian shipyards there.”


And Simon Kaine, Grand Marshall of the Empire, stared out, the anger evident in his eyes.

“So, this is what you really are about?" he asked almost rhetorically.

With tightened lips, ”13 days!

Abregado-rae, the Empire, and the Galaxy are watching!


No deferring. No backtracking. No begging off. No reports of a ‘sudden occurrence’ of love for the Sovereignty. No!


They voted for independence. They voted for neutrality.


You didn’t honor it once.

Honor it now!


Or nothing that comes from the Sovereignty will be trusted again.


13 days…


Thirteen Days Later -- Abregado-Rae

As planets went, Abregado-Rae was nothing special. Located in the mid rim area, not to distant from the core but far enough to be largely ignored by those in power there, the planet had no characteristics that made it suited for war. Nothing that would induce the sort of bloodshed and violence that had struck it since the beginning of the war.

These facts were belayed by the presence of the Imperial fleet on the edge of the system. A mere microjump from contact - and detection - by the ORS forces that were still claiming lordship over the world.

It was indeed not any real tactical value that led to Abregado-Rae being choosen as a target by the Empire. The planet produced nothing of value, nothing that would justify the expenditure that such an invasion would force.

There was only one thing that led the Empire to Abregado-Rae. Back to Abregado-Rae.

Thirteen days had passed since the Grand Marshall's announcement from Imperial Centre. Thirteen days in which the Outer-Rim Sovereignty had stood by and done nothing.

Thirteen days in which the Imperial fleet had watched, and waited.

Thirteen days, which were now up.

And the enemy showed no signs of leaving. Not willingly, at any rate. No transports were seen hauling soldiers from the surface, no withdrawal of occupying forces from the planet's surface.

No fleet forming up to make the jump to hyperspace.

The word had not come down from the top, and now it was to late. In one swift action - or rather, a lack of action - the galaxy was shown that the Empire had been right all along.

The Outer-Rim Sovereignty was not just. They did not care.

They were liars.

Thieves.

Murderers.

"Admiral on the bridge!" The door guard bellowed out as Rear-Admiral (brevet) Midias Raine stepped onto the warship's command deck.

The aging man's dark eyes took in the scene as he moved to his station, gauging the reactions of his crew. The Pisces was a command he was not familiar with. Nor, indeed, was the fleet arrayed about her.

His promotion - skipping the usual in between of Commodore - was temporary. As Captain of the Razor's Edge, Midias Raine had liberated Abregado-Rae once.

It was only fitting that he be the one choosen to repeat the action.

Now, seated in the command chair of the mighty Reign Class Star Destroyer, he prepared to lead a much more prominent force into the system.

To drive out, once more, those that were unwelcome there.

"Is my flagship ready, Captain?" He asked, the ancient formality feeling only slightly akward. In the past, it had been someone else asking the question, and he giving the answer.

"The Pisces is at your command, Admiral." Came the reply. He nodded approvingly.

"Very well. Alert the fleet, we jump to hyperspace in exactly three minutes."

"Aye, Admiral."

Midias Raine leaned back into the leather chair, closing his eyes. The reports of the assault on Abregado-Rae by the Sovereignty Admiral, Ralen M'vere, had told a story of much destruction and lack of remorse on the side of the enemy.

But M'vere was missing, presumed dead by all sides. A blow to the ORS, to be sure. But a relief to the inhabitants of every planet that might have fallen under his guns.

Raine feverently hoped that whoever was in command of the Abregado-Rae defence force was not as much an inhuman monster as Ralen M'vere.

"Fleet reports battle readiness, Admiral."

He acknowledged with a nod. A moment later, they made the jump.





It was a short jump, less than a minute in length, and brought the Imperial forces out of hyperspace just outside the system's natural gravity well.

Shields were raised instantly, and a communications blackout resolved itself across the system.

"All ships reporting missile tubes loaded, Admiral." The tactical officer reported. "Fighters are already deployed."

That would be right. The TIE Defenders that accompanied the fleet had been launched before they made the jump, and even now were forming up in front of their respective carriers.

"Bring us up to one/quarter speed. Open a channel to everyone in the system."

The communications and helm officers gave him a thumbs up to confirm the orders had been properly relayed, and the Admiral flipped his comlink over to the channel he had requested.

"Sovereignty forces," he began, "this is Admiral Midias Raine of the Galactic Empire. You are hearby instructed to leave this system, as per our demands thirteen days ago.

Your mission here is over. Failure to comply with these demands will result in a forceful removal of all Outer-Rim Sovereignty forces.

Any independent Sovereignty forces wishing to surrender may do so by powering down their weapons and shields for the duration of any combat. Your surrenders will be accepted at any point throughout the battle."

He clicked the comlink off, cutting off any attempt by the enemy to rebut. It was their actions, now, that would speak the loudest.

"Get me tactical readouts on that fleet, their weaknesses." The Admiral ordered. "Prepare to enter combat."

If he knew the ORS, they were in for some.

<font size=1>OOC : Fleet Manifest
3 Reign Class Star Destroyers
10 Victory Class Star Destroyers
38 Sqaudrons TIE Series Defender</font>

Abregado-Rae

Brevet Commodore Melkoreth had been charged with the defense of Abregado-Rae. They had been charged by the Empire to leave the planet within 13 days and High Command was still debating about what to do. In the meantime it was his job to prevent any incursions by Imperial Forces.

"Open a channel to the enemy fleet.

This is Commodore Melkoreth. I don't always pay attention to the bullshit coming that seems to spew so freely from the mouths of your commanders. However I did notice Kaine's address and one of the things I recall is the word neutrality. I dont claim to be a scholar however if memory serves the word neutrality involves being left along by all parties including the empire. If you want your demands to be met you must meet them yourself. Good day.

Power up shields and load all launchers."

OOC:
2 Mon Calamari MC90a Star Cruiser
9 Victory – Class Star Destroyer
10 Corellian Corvette
12 Silencer-Class Cruiser

Rear-Admiral Raine watched the enemy fleet. They were not moving, as the Empire's orders had dictated. They were simply... waiting.

"It seems as if they don't want to leave." One of the junior officers commented, also watching the ORS fleet.

There was silence over the bridge for a moment, and then a strange chattering sound. The entire crew looked up at the speakers, and the coms officer smiled thinly.

"Someone trying to transmit." He supplied. "Probably their flag."

The jamming negated anything the enemy leader could say - it was his actions (or lack thereof) that would tell the Imperial ships their intentions.

"Give them a warning." Raine ordered easily. "Starfighters to assault targets Alpha and Beta. All ships to reinforce forward shields."

The orders were relayed, and within moments the fighters had lept forward, crossing the distance and releasing their initial volleys.

Across the line of TIE Defenders, blue arrowheads appeared, crossing the distance to the enemy fleet and erupting against shields.

The TIEs broke off, a bare few falling prey to enemy return fire, fired from to far a range to be of any great effect, moving back towards the Imperial fleet.

In their wake they left ten Corellian Corvettes burning in the darkness of space.

"Pull the fleet back." Raine ordered. "They chase us."

The fleet halted its forward movement, out of range of the ORS fleeet, and began to accelerate away from the planet.

"Now, we wait."

<font size=1>OOC: Damages
10 Corellian Corvettes -- Struck by 90 proton torpedoes each</font>

It was an Ensign, in charge of communications who first alerted Melkoreth to the change in disposition by the enemy forces.

"Sir, the enemy fighters have attacked our Corvettes. They all report heavy shield damage."

"What's the location of their fleet?"

"It's out of range."

"Excellent. Order Battle Group 4 to fire when ready all of their weapons designated for project 3A."

"Aye Commodore!"

"It might not be commodore for long Engisn. We'll have to win this battle otherwise I'll probably set a record for being a Commodore the shortest."

Battle Group 4, was comprised of the Silencer cruisers and 6 of the Victory Star Destroyers. Together they had a total of 500 Missile Launchers. Every single one of them was loaded with a Diamond Boron Missile. The missiles had been given to Melkoreth when the Legion-Generals had decided to not to give him any fighters. He could only hope that they did their job. These were the only ones he had so he had to make every shot count. Apparently 10 of these missiles had been found in the ruins of the Emperors vault on Wayland in a fortified underground vault. Aurora Arms had managed to reproduce them and they were just know beginning to be distributed in limited quantities to the Fleet.

18 Capital Ships fired from a total of 500 Missile Launchers. Out of everyone of these emerged a Diamond Boron Missile. The missiles had greater speed than even the Concussion Missiles and the Proton Torpedoe. The Torpedoe had outstanding maneouverability and a flight time of ten minutes which would send it half way across the system if Melkeroth needed them to go that far. Luckily the fighters were mere seconds away.

The missiles reached their targets and detonated ususally taking out more than one fighter. Occasionally they'd take out another missile but there were so many missiles and they were so powerful that within minutes the fighters were wiped out.

"Order all ships to retreat as low in the atmosphere as they can and still be able to safely get out of the atmosphere. They are to concentrate all shield power towards the Imperial Forces."

At this order Melkeroth's XO looked at him curiously.

"Sir?"

"Do it. And order all ships to reload their launchers.

"Yes sir."

OOC:


All Corvettes: Shields at 5%
456 TIE Defenders destroyed

And a reaction there was indeed.

The enemy fleet fired, tiny explosions erupting from dozens of locations across the front of their fleet. Missiles, and lots of them.

"Fighters to go evasive." Admiral Raine ordered calmly, already mentally calculating flight paths and probably intercept points.

Unfortunately for the enemy commander, his fleet was far outside normal targeting range. And while it was probable that the missiles had self-contained targetting units, they had not yet locked onto the fighters.

At the moment, the missiles were moving along quite oblivious to the presence of targets. And dumb firing missiles was never a good idea.

The TIE Defenders scattered, providing the oncoming missiles no target to aquire, and thus they continued on, straight towards the mass Imperial fleet.

"Lay down covering fire across in sectors five and six."

Turbolaser fire began to lance out as the missiles entered effective range. Normally to slow to target missiles, the heavy emplacements were among the only weapons capable of punching through a DBMs armour.

But the warheads, lacking targets, were still flying straight.

The salvo, fired from thirteen warships, caught the missiles from nearly 180 degrees of direction, and the centre grouping exploded spectacularly.

And because the DBMs were cluster weapons, the explosion began to spread. The first missile to explode took three of its brethren, which in turn destroyed half a dozen more.

And so it continued, the warheads detonating early and consuming one another.

From a distance, it appeared as if someone had erected a wall of fire in front of the Imperial fleet.

A few stray warheads made it past the line and detonated against the shields of the capital vessels. An even smaller ammount made it past these lines to explode, almost by chance, among a starfighter grouping.

Reports came in of half a dozen pilots lost, and another eight vehicles damaged.

"Admiral, enemy vessels retreating towards the planet."

Indeed, they were. The ORS ships were hiding in low orbit, obsured from view by the clouds. Of course, that meant nothing to the infared and other sensors aboard the fleet, and the vessels still showed up on sensors.

"They're concentrating their shield power directly in front."

By all accounts, the enemy commander seemed to want a slugging match. But the enemy commander was, it seemed, the same sort of fool that many of those employed by the ORS seemed to be.

"Beta and Delta group to encircle the enemy. Alpaha will move forward. Fighter screen to deploy as per usual arrangement."

There was a pause as the ships formed up, then two groups of Victory Star Destroyers broke away and, still outside the planetary gravity well, made the jump to hyperspace.

The Reigns, along with the remaining four Victory class vessels, moved forward, awaiting word from their brethren.

(Losses: 6 TIEs destroyed, 8 damaged)

Fleet Group Alpha

"Contact from Beta and Gamma, Admiral. On station."

The commander nodded. The sensor board did not show the second and third groups, blocked as they were by the planet. But with the signal from their respective commanders, Raine knew the fleet was ready to act.

"Give them a thirty second mark. Bring the rest of the fleet into range."

They did, the Reign Class Star Destroyers following behind the smaller Victories, targets locked missiles ready. The fleet held just within effective missile range, the fighters poised on either side.

"Give them a half-volley. Targets One and Two."

The Victory Star Destroyers, the four remaining after the previous splitting of the task force, fired their warheads. The concussion missiles slammed home along the forward shielding ridges of the enemy Cruisers, overloading generators and shorting out defences.

As the first salvo began to die away, the VicStars fired their second. Utilizing onlu half of their launchers saved them forty missiles apiece, which were now aimed into the weakened shields of the enemy vessels.

They were reinforced shields, but enough hammering would bring them back down.

"Hold fleet here." Raine ordered. "Reroute engine power, aft shields to our forward defences."


Fleet Group Beta

The second fleet group was moving fast, crossing ocean as they descended into the atmosphere of Abregado-Rae. Their hyperspace jump had taken them behind the enemy fleet, and now they were forced to reposition themselves to strike.

Missiles were loaded, shields charged and reinforced, and weapons active.


Fleet Group Gamma

Startled locals looked up and cheered as the shadows of the great Victory Star Destroyers passed by overhead, flying at supersonic speeds. Sonic booms tolled out behind them, warning bells pronouncing the arrival of the Imperial liberators.

Missiles were loaded, shields charged and reinforced, and weapons active.

The missiles fired by the Imperial forces were mostly to no effect. The missiles were either sent bouncing off the atmosphere or the minimal shielding on the missile was quickly burned off upon entry into the atmosphere. In seconds the missiles were nothing. Less than 50% of the missiles fired made it’s way to the Mon Cal Cruisers.

"Rather good of them to waste their missiles for us weren't they?"

"Quite."

"Sir ground units report that there are two groups of enemy star destroyers in atmosphere trying to flank us."

"Even out shields and proceed full speed to the closest group."

"Aye Commodore!"

"Will our missiles burn up the same way theres did Commodore?"

"No, our missiles won't have gravity and the same time to build up speed so they won't be flying as quickly."

"Aye Commodore!"

"Sir, the Silencer Cruisers and Corellian Corvettes have reported contact."

"Order them to wait for us."

"Aye Commodore!"

"Sir we're seconds out of range of the first group of enemy star destroyers."

"Excellent. Battle Group 4 is to fire the initial volley. We are then to proceed at full speed using conventional weapons to attack and destroy the star destroyers. Don't slow down. Make sure that there’s no way we could collide."

"Aye!"

500 Concussion Missiles struck the enemy Victory Star Destroyers. The two opposing fleets charged each other like medieval knights. Thousands of laser batteries fired hammering the enemy ships again and again.

OOC: Just like to point out while you’re deciding the damages that the three Vics had 500 Concussion Missiles and approximately 6 times their total meterage firing at them. My opinion is that qualifies the Vics as dead.

Fleet Group Alpha

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>the minimal shielding on the missile was quickly burned off upon entry into the atmosphere. In seconds the missiles were nothing.<hr></blockquote>

Indeed, the missiles were reduced to nothingness. Whether by the poorness of the ORS sensor units or simply poor reading of those devices, the enemy ships failed to respond in any form to the salvo of missiles.

In seconds they had struck against the shields of the enemy command ships, exploding and washing them in the fiery glows of detonating baradium and fuels.

"Groups Beta and Gamma are reporting contact, Admiral." The communications officer reported from his station. Raine nodded.

"Sir! Enemy vessels coming about! They're turning to engage."

Indeed, the enemy fleet was ignoring completely the presence of the largerest Imperial formation and turning their entirty to fire on the incoming fleet group Beta.

"Designate targets." Raine ordered, wondering at the tactics of the enemy fleet. "Relay to Beta and Gamma. And inform them of the situation."

With sensors still partially impaired by the atmospheric conditions, the Reign Star Destroyers (hovering at a higher plane than the Victories) were playing the role of observer, taking in the entire battlefield.

It was an advantadge the enemy forces did not have.

"Engagement in thirty seconds, Admiral-"


Fleet Group Gamma

"Communications, Captain."

The Captain of the lead VSD looked over the new data and smiled thinly.

"Bring the group around to here," he selected a place on the tactical map. "Prepare to release missiles on my mark."

"Thirty seconds until engagement."


Fleet Group Beta

"Coming into effective missile range now, Captain."

The group of Victory Star Destroyers had recieved the communications from the flagship and their plans had neccessarily changed. Their speed had dropped, and the timing threw the enemy fleet off. And allowed for the second group, Gamma, to position themselves for their role.

"Volley fired." The report was calm as the enemy commander released his warheads ahead of his fleet.

"Cut power to repulsorlifts by fifty percent." The Captain ordered, as per the plan. In atmosphere, the only thing keeping the ships hovering where their repulsorlifts.

As soon as the power was cut, the three ships began to drop like stones. The missiles fired by the enemy fleet continued on their straight-line courses, flying through the planet's atmosphere until they would eventually run out of propellent and fall back to the surface.

"Bring repulsor power back to full." The Captain ordered, arresting the fall of the Star Destroyers. And placing them directly under the enemy craft, passing directly overhead.

"Targets locked in."

"Fire."

The missiles lanced up, two dozen into the underside of each of the enemy Victory Star Destroyers. And then the two fleets were passing.

But it was not over.


Fleet Group Gamma

Coming around from the rear of the enemy formation, the Gamma fleet group settled on a flanking course and fired their missiles seconds after the Beta group. Theirs struck against the rear shields, a bare few penetrating to strike hull plating.

But there was always more to come.


Fleet Group Alpha

Alpha Group, mantaining its course above the enemy fleet just out of laser range, watched the full exchange on sensors. Once again, Raine wondered at the tactics of the enemy commander.

"Aquire targets, fire on my mark."

The fighters began their second run, moving in on the enemy Star Destroyers from the back, missiles armed and targets locked in.

"Mark."

900 proton torpedoe trails lanced out, crossing the distance between the fighters and the enemy fleet in seconds and striking en mass against their rear shields, weakened from the barrages of the Beta and Gamma groups.

Many began to strike home, blasting through hull plating and exploding against the engine and repulsor units.

Smoke began to issue from the ships, and they began to visible slow. They couldn't mantain flight, and they certainly would lack the power to escape the atmosphere now that they were in it.

"Reform the fleet in laser range. All shields to full, fire at will. Fighters to form a skirmish screen."

The battle was well under way.


<font size=1>(Notes on damages to VSDs: This makes the third post attacking the VSDs, the first being the ships making their microjump, the second being them moving into position. The damages are attained due to a combined total of 150 missiles striking the VSD's engines and repulsor units, which means they are currently unable to mantain flight and will soon crash on the surface. They still have flight capability, but their fate is pretty much decided.)

The assault against their fleet went without response, as was evident when the Imperial VicStars reformed astern of them and began to pour laser fire into their compromised rear shields.

Equipment began to melt as the enemy commander allowed his fleet to take the fire, and it was of little surprise when an explosion tore the stern of one of the enemy ships to pieces and it plunged, flames bellowing from her shattered hull, deeper into the atmosphere where it would impact on the surface and explode.

"Prepare missile volley." Raine ordered, watching with distate as the enemy fleet continued to suffer the ill effects of the Empire's fire. Fighters to commence straffing run against predesignated targets.

Even without firing missiles, the sheer number of starfighters and heavily damaged state of the ships they targetted came together, and aboard the flagship the viewports darkened as another explosion tore an enemy VicStar apart.

Within seconds, the enemy had lost to of her capital ships, and the others were listing heavily and seemed ready to fall.

"All right, we surrender! The battle is yours!"

The ships began to flee in dissarray, as the planetary defences stood down.

The battle was over, and the ships made for any cover that could be provided