(Kamon, let me explain something to you. Warships such as these are not made of air. They weigh millions of tonnes and do not turn on a dime. To entirely turn a fleet around would take several minutes, not a few seconds as you seem to be implying. I've told you this more than once.)


The battle, thus far, was going well for the forces of the Galactic Empire. The Tholatin fleet had lost its three lead Star Destroyers, two of them utterly destroyed and a third crippled and slowly spinning away from the scene of the battle.

Some escape pods had been noted fleeing the destroyed ships, and many had been shot down by either side, whether by accident or design no one would ever know.

The Empire's ships, all of them relitively undamaged from the firefight with the opposing ships, pressed their advantadge, and hard.

The Tholatin ships had, for the second time, commenced a turn, trying to bring their remaining warships back to face the Empire directly.

The massive, wedge-shaped Imperial Star Destroyers drove heard into the enemy's flank, guns firing in a deadly sequence that with each bombardment brought the enemy vessels closer to collapse. The unknown enemy Battle Cruisers had thus far taken the brunt of attack from the Star Destroyers, and despite their strange shielding that seemed to absord shot after shot without damage, they were faltering.

The Support line still stood at more than 2500 fighters, and they had not yet exhausted their missile supplies. They had hammered away at the opposite flanks of the enemy fleet, weakening their shields on all sides. Presently, even when a new shield was moved into place, it was as weak or weaker than the shield it replaced.

Even the return fire of those vessels was diminished, still suffering from the ongoing ion bombardment that the Empire had targeted them with (and continued to do so). As for the shields of the Star Destroyers, these were easily reinforced with power from the ship's rear shields.

The other ships of the Tholatin fleet were faring no better. The Aegis Cruisers, ships designed purely for power and not for prolonged space combat, were taking a beating from the Star Avengers that had targetted them; and the commanders of those ships had choosen to ignore their assaulters and concentrate instead on the Star Destroyer that hopelessly outclassed it.

The enemy ships were not limping, and terribly. The SATAPs outgunned them, and with the enemy attempting to both make a hard turn trapped in a gravity well and engage a far larger enemy, they had no way of stopping the weapons fire from those ships.

The SATAPs were sparing no effort for the enemy, ripping guns from her hull with an amazing show of style, grace, and accuracy. Barely a mark was to be seen, aside from the spaces where the turrets had been blasted into oblivion.

Bhindi watched all of this from the bridge of the Osciliath, which was currently holding between the two enemy Battle Cruisers and splitting her fire between them.

The Tholatins had finished their turn, and they now faced the Imperial warships again, for what little good it did. The ships had suffered enough damage now that the remaining battle, for the Imperial side, would be little more than janitorial duty.

Turbolaser fire continued to fly forth, pounding the Tholatin fleet back into the oblivion from wence it had come.

Some people, it seemed, just didn't learn.


<hr>


Damages (This Round)


TTR

2 Saberie Class Battle Cruisers - Heavy Damage
<font size=1>Shields at 20%, Guns at 30%, Hull at 70%</font>
2 Aegis Class Cruisers Heavy - Severe Damage
<font size=1>Shields at 30%, Guns at 15%, Hull at 55%</font>


TNO

2 Imperator Class Star Destroyers Light Damage
<font size=1>Shields at 90% (reinforced), Guns at 100%, Hull at 100%</font>

"Sithspawn."

The battle was turning against them rapidly and Kamon wasn't liking it one bit. He couldn't turn again. Reverse thrust might work. It'd get them more towards the ORS ships that had just come into the system. They really needed reinforcements but Kamon knew they weren't coming. Every soldier on the vesel knew they weren't coming.

"Bring up back-up generators to add strength to the shields. Redirect unnecessary power systems to the shields. We need those shields to last. Reverse thrust towards the ORS fleet."

The orders were carried out smoothly and the shields gained strength. They did not go to full strength but got near enough. The weapons continued to fire on the enemy Destroyers as the fleet reversed thrust and headed backwards towards the ORS fleet. Laser cannon blasts lanced out at the enemys many fighters, blasting many of them to space dust.

The Imperatrs the fleet was firing on began to lose their shields and took some hull damage as well when torpedo's or missiles got through a hole and ripped open the hull. If the TTR fleet joined forces with ORS they could turn the tide of the battle. He was still wondering whether that skipray had gotten the message out before being slagged. Unlikely, but hope was always a good thing.

"I wish we had a few of those ships the techs back at Tholatin are developing."

The Force flared up and Kamon looked out the viewport to see a brightspot flare on the enemies shields. He quickly yelled to fire there and a small hole appeared which allowed a few missiles through before the enemy got it repaired. The hull ripped a bit on the enemy ISD. The fleet was steadily pulling back out of the planets gravity well in an awkward fashion. Turning took too much time so reverse thrust was the only real option.

"Why is it we always seem to get wasted while the enemy only takes minimal damage?"

The enemies fighters were being picked off one by one by the laser cannons on every ships in the fleet. If they kept it up they could take out many of them and quickly. It would help to even up the odds. He gave the order and all unnecessary systems on the ships that were damaged shut down. Their power was shunted into the shields and engines. The lasers kept firing and the missile and torpedo's kept lancing out.

At the rate they were going there was a slim possibility they could make it to the ORS fleet in time to save their skins. If not this fight was surely lost. How such a fleet ont heir part could take out the advanced ships of TTR he didn't know. Things had turned bad very quickly. Why the ISD and MC90 hadn't come when called he didn't know.

Losses and Such
TTR
Saberies- Shields up to 80% because of being reinforced, hull holding steadily at 70%, Guns still at 30%
Aegis Cruisers- shields at 85% because of being reinforced, guns at 15%, Hull at 55%

TNO
232 fighters destroyed by laser cannon fire and some stray torpedo's/missiles
Imperator Mark II Destroyers- shields at 30%, Hull at 50%, Weapons at 60%

RSD Osciliath - Carida System


"Admiral!" The call was yelled out across the bridge of the Reign Class Star Destroyer by Lieutenant McKathy. "We have massive hyperspace revision!"

Bhindi, watching the Tholatin fleet as it slowed to a stop and, in time, began a slow reverse action, turned away from the viewports.

"Where?" There was no visible evidence of the reversion, but she had learned to trust the word of her officers in battle. It was better than competing with them and the enemy at once.

"Some distance, Admiral. They're far out of range - in fact, we wouldn't have seen them without the radiation effects of their exit."

Bhindi nodded calmly. Whoever they were, they were still to far away to render the Tholatins any assistance. And if they tried to jump in, the gravity wells still projected from the Osciliath would pull them out of hyperspace before they reached the planet.

"Very well, Liuetenant. Keep an eye on them - I don't want any unwelcome surprises.

"As ordered, Admiral." The man turned back to his duties, and Bhindi looked back to the viewports.

The Tholatin warships - their big Battle Cruisers, were still absorbing fire from the three Star Destroyers the Empire faced them with. Their shields had shown some attempt at recharging, but that was quickly put down by a concentrated volley of missiles from the Support line that had drilled through and detonated several of their generators.

"Status of the enemy Cruisers?" She asked, watching as another salvo from the Tyrant rocked the suffering Tholatin warship.

"Not more than 25% shield power there, Admiral. Most of her guns are off-line... even her hull is starting to crack."

"Very good. Move the fleet forward at the same rate as-"

"Admiral!" For the second time in as many minutes, McKathy's voice rang across the bridge. "We have detonation!"

Bhindi swung around to gaze out the viewports, where the Star Avenger Steel Rain was backing quickly away from the torn and shattered body of what was vaugly recognizable as an Aegis Cruiser.

"Something just exploded, Admiral. Looked like a secondary generator, or something. But that fucker is definately out of the fight."

Lifepods had begun to explode from the sticken warship, some flying only a few meters to slam into a piece of wreckage and crumple, leaking air. Others made it to the remaining Tholatin ships, where they were reeled in as fast as possible by tractor beams.

"All right. What kind of shape is the Star Avenger in?"

"She was right beside that Cruiser went it went, Admiral. The Captain is reporting a fourty percent loss in shields, a twenty percent loss in systems. They're still connected to their fighters, though."

"Very well. Bring Steel Rain alongside, try and cover her with our bulk. But I want her firepower with us."

"Aye, Admiral." The SATAP began to move away from the wrecked Tholatin warship, coming alongside the larger Reign Star Destroyer and directing her fire at the more heavily damaged of the two Battle Cruisers. The Osciliath was concentrating on the other vessel, lending her firepower to the Devestator.

Bhindi watched as those two enemy ships shook further. The concentrated assault from the Imperial ships had taken its toll, shattering those vessels' shields and hulls. There was little left of them now but the general shape of the vessel, and a few working guns.

She turned to the officer who was in charge of the ship's weapons, a faint smile on her face.

"Guns; I want tractor beam locks on the Tholatin Battle Cruisers. Bring our fighters back, let's give them a full missile barrage."

The response came back in the affirmitive, and within moments the two Imperator Star Destroyers had locked onto the Tholatin Cruisers with their tractor beams and were effectively holding them in place.

Turbolaser and missile fire pouring in from all sides as the Osciliath, now in the centre of the damaged Battle Cruisers, released a torrent of fire from every cannon she had operable.

The fighters were hardly neccessary; the turbolasers stripped the last of the weapons from the Battle Cruisers' hulls and left them effectively dead in space.

As the Star Destroyers released the now-dead hulks from the grips of their tractor beams, the last of the Tholatin warships seemed to gain a new resolve to escape. The Imperial fleet was coming!

The remaining Gunships fourteen of the, joined the pursuit of the remaining Tholatin ships. The Empire's Attack Sphere and damaged Star Avenger stayed back and set about collecting the lifepods from the enemy vessels. There had been much blood spilt today, and the Empire would not see those who had been forced into service with the Tholatin Empire killed if it could be avoided.

And for the first time in the battle, Bhindi Drayson transmitted to the Tholatin fleet the chance of an immediate, unconditional, surrender.


<hr>


Damages Standing (This Round)


TTR

1 Aegis Class Cruiser - Destroyed
1 Aegis Class Cruiser - Severly Damaged
<font size=1>15% Shields, 10% Guns, 20% Hull, 20% Engines</font>
2 Saberi Class Battle Cruisers - Destroyed
<font size=1>0% Shields, 0% Guns, 30% Hull, 0% Engines</font>


TNO

12 Starfighters (Various Classes)

OOC: Umm. DUde. You have to wait for ORS. And their's no way you could destroy those Saberies before the Aegis cruisers.

"Frick!"

The last remaining Aegis cruiser kept pulling back as technicians rushed to get the shields back. They set about working as fast as possible. Outside the gunships had finally made it in front of the craft and were shielding it from the enemy fleet. Kamon breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe the last one would survive and they'd be ok.

THe fleet kept firing on the enemy destroyers. Blasts of laser fire and torpedo's, with the occasional missile, lanced out at the enemy ships. They lost their shields finally after being pounded heavily by the TTR fleet and then hull ruptures began to appear. Missiole and torpedos slammed into their hulls, blowing huge chunks of material off. Laser fire melted the hull and caused secondary explosions to rip the ships to shreds.

"Destroyers destroyed!"

A chear rose up on the command vessel and Kamon smiled. That was two large ships out of the fight and the SATAP was heavily damaged. The ORS fleet had already moved to engage the enemy Reign-class and were pounding on it. Kamon mentally gave the order to move forward and the fleet began to slow. After about a minute of slowing, while laser cannons were blowing up fighters, the ships kicked in their engines and pushed forward at the damaged SATAP. It could be destroyed rather quickly thanks to it being so close to one of the TTR ships when it was destroyed. Fire poured out at the SATAP from the TTR ships as they moved forward. Laser cannons continually pounded the enemy fighters.

Losses
TNO
189 fighters destroyed
2 Imperator Mark II Destroyers destroyed

TTR
Minor shield damage to the Gunships

TTR Staging Point

Captain Dunstin looked up from her screen as a message was received from the battle site. To her surprise it was from ORS instead of the TTR fleet. SHe figured ORS was on the edge of the system and wasn't under a comm. Jam. She read it over and nodded.

"We're to move to Carida. SHould be a five minute jump."

The engines powered up and the two ships moved forward towards the jump point. SHe hoped they would arrive in time. Things were liekly going bad for TTR. They should have been called in earlier.

Manifest
Imperial-class Star Destroyer Mark II Serenity
-72 Rapyir-class Starfighters
MC90a Heavy Cruiser Nova Star

OOC: This was approved by Damalis.

(Operating under Kas' ruling that the ISDs were not destroyed.)


VSD Righteous Fist


“All systems are showing 100%, Captain.” Commander Loyyd reported dutifully. As with everyone else on the bridge, he was watching the sensor screens that showed the scans of the Carida system, and the battle that was taking place there. Upon the arrival of the Tholatin fleet, the Galactus had gone to Red Alert and was prepared to jump on a moment’s notice.

So far, though, the young and untested Admiral had done a competent job of repelling the enemy forces. Discounting the loss of a few Gunships, she had handled her fleet fairly well, and presently she had the enemy ships on the run.

“Thank you, Commander.” The check was done every five minutes, in order to ensure that the ship could jump whenever it became necessary.

"What of the Imperial forces?"

"Handling themselves admirably, sir. So far."

Essian nodded slowly. They would certainly not need the assistance of the Righteous Fist. But still, perhaps the enemy could be convinced to remain in the system.

He smiled thinly.



RSD Osciliath


"Status?" Bhindi asked, breathing again. The enemy had hit her Star Destroyers, and hard. One of the shields had even blown out, albiet temporarily, allowing for a stray missile to slip through and detonate against one of the fuel deposits. Undoubtadly, the resulting explosion had registered as the ship's destruction on enemy sensors.

But the shields came back up within moments, and the vessels were still firing with all of their guns. The enemy fleet had been reduced to two powerful ships, and a far greater number of lighter vessels. The Corellian Gunships were, with the aide of the fighters and other support ships, engaging the Tholatin support vessels, while the larger ships concentrated their fire on the remaining line ships.



VSD Righteous Fist


Captain Essian observed the continuing battle, his expression unreadable by any of the crew. He was deep in thought, tactics and countertactics running through his mind.

Finally, he seemed to come to conclusion.

"Alert Narasil. Hyperspace, now."

There was no second guessing the order. The two ships, the Command ship first, made the jump to hyperspace.


RSD Osciliath


"Sensor contact! Forced hyperspace reversion!" Bhindi swore. Emerging from hyperspace, directly between her fleet and the Tholatin one, was a massive wedge in the shape of a dagger.

Shields came up, and weapons fire began to poor from the behemoth. Surely that couldn't be the enemy's Command Ship? It was shorter, more compact. And the precision exit in her interdiction field showed skill that only the Empire could display.

"Admiral Drayson," a voice came over the com...


VSD Righteous Fist

"Captain Davin Essian of the Command Destroyer Righteous Fist, at your service. Do you have any orders for me?"

Essian said, smiling thinly. The ship had emerged, as he'd intended, directly between the Tholatin and Imperial fleets, turned ninety degrees relative to Bhindi's ships to present her topside to the opposing vessels.

It was an unusual orientation, but no other allowed for this ammount of weapons fire to be put forth.

Sheilds were already up, raised before the ship had even registered on enemy sensors. Weapons fire had followed, preprogrammed into the computer to fire on reentry.

Both fleets were taken by surprise, but as the Imperials did not have the added burden of being attack straight away, they recovered first.

Bhindi's ships were moving upwards, joining the Narasil above the Command Ship's right side (above being relative, from Bhindi's perspective). The Imperator vessels, having taken the most damage in the battle, remained behind the bulk of the Righteous Fist, directing fire at the upermost of the Imperial ships.

"Captain Yates arrived successfully?" Essian asked, observing the battle.

"Aye, Captain. The Narasil has raised gravity wells, shields, and is firing."


RSD Osciliath

"Captain Davin Essian of the Command Destroyer Righteous Fist, at your service. Do you have any orders for me?"

Bhindi stopped for a moment and just sat there. These ships - for there was another, the Reign Class Star Destroyer Narasil, had been waiting, obviously, to jump in to her aide. The smaller vessel had arrived at the rear of the enemy formation, its frontal shields at full power, and was now pouring fire into the rears of the enemy craft.

It was both demeaning and flattering at once, but she had no time to dwell on that. The new resources needed to be put to use.

"You can reinforce your topside and lateral shields, Captain. The Tholatins fighters have been eliminated. We've got space superiority, obviously."

"We'll reenter the battle above your starboard plane, be expecting us. Ensure your missile tubes are armed and ready, and target the enemy Star Cruisers. I'll concentrate my fire on their support craft."

She smiled thinly.





Summary

The VCD entered the conflict between the two fleets, providing a fire break for Bhindi's ships (i.e, you can't hit them from your current position) and began to fire. The RSD entered behind your fleet, raising shields and gravity wells.

The Executioner Cruisers suffered (roughly) 35% shield loss from the assaults of the Imperial fleet and the arrival of the Righteous Fist. Other Tholatin ships suffer light - moderate damage from engagements with support line.

"Keep that reverse thrust going! All guns continue to fire but bring all the fire on that Venerator! Laser cannons keep firing on those fighters!"

The ships kept up their reverse thrust as every weapon on the ship, other than the laser cannons, fired on the enemy command ship as they pulled away. Although not as effecve as directly combating,the weapons still did some damage to the shields. Kamon silently cursed himsef for not planning to take on a large ship.

"Hyperspace Reversion! Calculated!"

Kamon looked up to the viewport as two ships came out of hyperspace. Kamon recognized them immediatly as TTR ships. The MC90a and ISDII moved forward out of hyperspace towards the enemy Venerator.The'd come out almost on top of the battle and well ahead of the ORS SSD. Their guns comng to bear on the enemy ship as they formed u with the rest of the fleet.

"Keep firing! This isn't over yet!"

The ISD kept her fighters inside her hangar bay so as not to dump them into the swarm of enemy fighters that were still fighting. Although they were losing numbers quite rapidy there were still a lot of them left. The laser cannons on every ship fired on the enemy fighters, blasting a lot of themto pieces. Kamon smiled.

Losses
TNO
Venerator at 90% shields
287 fighters destroyed

TTR
Minor shield damage to main fleet
MC90a and ISII arrive

(OOC: Kamon, I've taken to ignoring your damage tally, as they have consistantly been utter and complete crap.)

The arrival of the Righteous Fist had spelled a certain doom for the Tholatin warfleet that had thrown themselves against the Carida system.

With their main capital ships gone and few remaining vessels suffering greatly from the combined assaults of the Empire's defending fleet, they stood little hope of surviving the battle.

The massive Command Destroyer continued to direct her fire against the opposing Star Cruisers, which now showed hardly half their original shield strength.

And the remaining enemy craft were all but destroyed. Presently, one of Corellian Corvettes exploded, struck blindside by a salvo from the Righteous Fist's weapons clusters.

The arrival of the Reign Class Star Destroyer behind the opposing forces, too, was proving to be disastrous. The Narasil was now moving at an even speed to the enemy vessels, and its gravity well generators were doing an able job of keeping the main enemy vessels in the system.

It just came down to time, now. The time it took the Empire to destroy the Tholatin fleet. It would not be long.

Bhindi watched as the Osciliath and her support vessels increased thrust and tore after the enemy fleet, weapons still firing. The larger shape of the Command Destroyer was turning, to, but its missile weapons were still in range.

Even as the Admiral watched, wahreads began to lance out from the ship and erupt against the Tholatin fleet. Captain Essian did not target the enemy's commanding ships, as those were now near to death anyway. Instead, the three largest vessels they had left recieved the full brunt of the missile attack.

Three six hundred meter craft were left burning as the Imperial fleet pressed home their victory.

<font size=1>Damages

TNO:
95% Shields on VCD
80% Shields on ISDs
90% Shields on RSD

TTR:
10% Shields on ESCs
40% Shields on Dreadnaught, Interdictors
2 Cotvettes Destroyed

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