Commodore Welth watched the fighter's progress on his screen.

"All ahead 50%. Order the Gunships to stay with us. Even out the shields."

"Sir should I order weapons to prepare to fire?"

The inquiry came from his Executive Officer Commander Bjo.

Welth shook his head.

"No. Let them make the first move."

“They don’t seem to be responding,” Kilken commented.

Malkar Carriel only shrugged.

Kilken immediately became more curious, as the two flights of starfighters continued to move forward, out of range of the Sovereignty vessels, progressing around them. As the trajectory plotted on the holomap indicated, they would soon rejoin into one group behind the enemy forces, still out of range. “Isn’t this move intended to evoke a response?”

“It doesn’t really matter,” Carriel replied. “Always anticipate all eventualities, I say, and Governor Gevel seems to agree.”

Kilken grunted skeptically. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“I bet you will.”

"Sir it appears that they're waiting for us to make the first move." Said the Sensor Officer.

"And why do you think they're doing that Lieutenant?" Asked Commodore Welth.

"They're preparing a trap."

"Exactly. One of the first things they teach you in the command academy is to beware of your first move. It may be your last. Time untill we're in range with the Imperial capital vessels?"

"4 minutes sir."

"Good. Helm, maintain speed and heading."

“Seems like the longest staring contest in history,” Lieutenant Dorian Fijil commented, as the Outer-Rim Sovereignty fleet slowly passed he and his flight of fighters by. They sat only a short distance out of range, moving gracefully towards the Imperial fleet, but seemed dangerous and on-edge, as if they were about to explode into action without a moment’s notice.

Of course, it was possible that they were, and the starfighter pilot was prepared for this eventuality. “Maybe they think the Empire will get scared and run,” guessed his executive officer. A few of the other men chuckled, and made cracks of their own.

“Cut the chatter,” Dorian ordered.

On the tactical display of his TIE Defender, targeting data began to pour in from the ORS fleet. “All fighters, forward data to the fleet,” Fijil ordered into his helmet, his own voice filling his ears unnaturally. “Anything you can get. Full co-ordinates and tactical information.

“And alter trajectory… prepare to form up with the other flight. No one strays into range – if the enemy doesn’t kill you, I will.”



Malkar Carriel nodded as the data began to scroll past on the relay from the fleet. “Looks like Fijil is doing his job,” he said.

“I just hope Gevel has done his,” Kilken muttered under his breath. Carriel silenced him with a scathing look, and turned back to the tactical display.

“Order the Victory Star Destroyers to load missiles,” he said.

Commodore Welth stared at the mighty Reign Star Destroyer as if by staring at his flagship he could read the enemy commander's mind.

"Time to range?"

"50 seconds."

"Keep shields even. Weapons send out ranging lasers on that Reign. Order the weapons on all ships to begin to track it."

"Yes sir."

"30 seconds."

"Order the fleet to tighten it's formation. One Imperator is to take the lead, we'll be second then the other Imperator should follow us. Tell the Gunships to keep their formation. Don't open fire untill I order."

While the effect was certainly more impressive from space, the sudden mass of circular projectiles elicited from the front lines of the Imperial vessels on Captain Carriel’s tactical display got the point across quite effectively enough. They streaked towards the approaching vessels before they could even acquire sufficient target locks to begin firing, homing in on their targets like a swarm of hornets.

Carriel himself could only marvel at the brilliant results of the execution of Theren Gevel’s plan. The enemy vessels had lined themselves up, apparently, and had only made things worse for themselves. The missiles, only able to target one of the vessels, struck home on the lead Star Destroyer.

One of the minute holograms – representative of that same Imperator – flickered and began to slow, as the first of the missiles hit home. “Frontal shields on the lead vessel down,” an officer reported, a second later.

“Missiles have scored a hit on the solar ionization reactor!” The same officer exclaimed a moment later. “Severe damage, sir. The vessel is crippled – the damage has caused engine and power loss.”

Order the fleet to tighten it's formation. One Imperator is to take the lead, we'll be second then the other Imperator should follow us.

Carriel nodded. On the tactical display, the Imperial Star Destroyer, propulsion lost and inertia reversed by the impacts of the powerful warheads, ground to a near-halt, crawling along at a pace that may as well have been a dead stop, in juxtaposition to the speeds of space combat.

But behind the Star Destroyer, the other craft were also forced to come to a quick stop, formation and strategy now broken as they were forced to suddenly adjust their plans.

“Move into range and open fire. Destroy any weapons emplacements not disabled by the power outage on the Imperator, but be prepared to engage the gunships if and when they come into range. Order the fighters to accelerate and acquire targets, and prepare to move into range and engage.”

OOC:

Damages:
Lead Imperial Star Destroyer (1) Damaged and Disabled By Missile Volley
(Loaded and fired as per rules)

"Sir, the Imperial Capital ships are moving in to engage."

"Order the Gunships to begin a flanking maneouver on the Imperial Fleet. They are to proceed past the Imperial Fleet then continue on towards the shipyards. Order the damaged Imperial Star Destroyer to attempt to re-establish shields. Order the remaining Star Destroyers to retreat."

"Yes sir."

"Sir, we have a message from Captain Lethuian onboard the Vice."

"Put it up on my screen."

A picture of the Commanding Officer of the disabeled Imperial Star Destroyer Vice appeared on Commodore Welth's private screen. Smoke swirled around the Captain and in the background damage alarms were heard.

"Sir, they've hit our reactor. I'll be able to give some power to fore shields but not alot. I've ordered the evacuation of the ship."

"You've done your duty Captain. Get out of there!"

"Respectfully sir, no I haven't. I am the Captain of this ship. My duty is not done yet."

"For the people?"

"For the people! It's been an honour serving with you sir, I'll wait untill you're clear."

Welth nodded.

"I understand. Your sacrifice will be remembered."

The screen flicked off just as escape pods began to erupt from the Vice

"Withdraw at full speed! When the Imperial fleet get's in range open fire!"

"Yes sir."

The escorting gunships of the Sovereignty Fleet began to accelerate to full speed. Each gunship went through one of the wholes in the Imperial formation that wasn't adjacent to the Reign Star Destroyer. Both fleets exchanged broadsides but no real damage was done.

As the Imperial fleet moved up on the crippled Star Destroyer Vice shot after shot reigned down on it's nearly non-existant shields. They fell within seconds and shots began to strike the hull of the mighty Star Destroyer destroying what few guns were still capable of operating. Then the Star Destroyer was surrounded on all sides by Imperial Ships with the Reign to it's starboard and a Victory Star Destroyer to it's port.

The Vice exploded spectacularly filling space with debris and energy that impacted on the shields of the surrounding ships.

OOC:

Damages:

Gunships:
Negligible shield damage.
Maybe 5-10% damage each. Similar damage to Corona Star Frigates.

Reign:Shields at 60%.

Vics:
1 Shields at 20%
Rest at 95%

Shipyards:No damage so far.

Editing in ezcodes.

The Imperial Star Destroyer winked out of existence, replaced by an explosion graphic that signified a self-destruction tactic. Carriel only nodded; he’d seen the same before. “Strange,” he muttered. “He seems almost suicidal, doesn’t he?”

Fash Kilken shrugged.

“Order the Corona Frigates to continue engaging the gunships. Keep up the fire, and don't lose them. Make sure they use their maneuverability, and keep on the offensive.”

The Vice exploded spectacularly filling space with debris and energy that impacted on the shields of the surrounding ships.

Yet, it seemed true. Onscreen, as the Ranger Gunships shot through the Imperial line and averted damage, their Bakura Star Destroyer, which had been even closer to the Imperator than Malkar’s vessels, found itself unable to flee the vicinity of the explosion quickly enough, being a capital ship.

It, too, began to blink.

“Bakura Star Destroyer’s shields down to fifteen percent, sir!” An officer reported, and Carriel shot a glance at the skeptical Kilken.

“Press forward and concentrate fire on that Bakura,” Carriel ordered, and on the tactical display, his vessels did the very same, raining fire down upon the already-damaged vessel. “Order the fighters to enter the Sovereignty line, and attack the Bakura Star Destroyer from behind… concentrate on avoiding fire. Use missiles to penetrate the shields.”

The fighters, granted impunity to attack by the enemy vessels, which were ill-equipped to deal with starfighter assault, dodged and weaved their way through slow and clumsy turbolaser fire, striking the BSD’s shields again and again.

“Shields down on the Bakura, sir.”

“Continue firing.”

OOC:

Bakura Star Destroyer (1) Shields Down to 15%
(Due to Self-Destruction of ISD)

Bakura Star Destroyer (1) Shields Down
(Due to Enemy Fire)

Gunships (9) Shields Down to 65%
(Due to Corona Fire)

Gash I didn't get to this in time sorry. I will have a post up tomorrow night. Once again sorry.

OOC: Oh, I'm sorry. Would that be like how you didn't give me any breaks earlier in this RP, and how Griff hasn't been giving me breaks at Bespin and Taloraan? Sorry. In this game, you are treated by others precisely how you treat them.



Malkar Carriel could only marvel at the effectiveness of Gevel’s cunning. Even as he commanded a battle of his own, he checked in holographically on the progress of the battle at Dantooine. “Yes, sir,” Carriel said. “We’ve broken the Sovereignty line.”

The governor nodded. “Make sure the Corona Frigates continue firing on their gunships. The fighters are tearing apart that fucking Bakura-Class?”

Carriel nodded. “As we speak.”

“Once it goes up in flames, have them continue through and help the Corona Frigates bring down the gunships. Is that all?”

“Yes, sir. And good luck, with Corellia.”

“I don’t need it,” Gevel commented, and Carriel cut the transmission. No, he certainly didn’t.

On the tactical display, the Imperial capital vessels continued to level a massive amount of fire against the burning wreck of the Bakura Star Destroyer. The TIE Defenders tore apart its aft section, ion leaking from its crippled engines, as the frontal sections were battered mercilessly by turbolaser fire.

“Order the fighters to accelerate forward,” Carriel said. “Towards us. Move out of the blast radius, and continue through our line towards the gunships.”

Finally, as the fighters fled, the Star Destroyer combusted in a massive explosion – shortly before a few escape pods were released – and what little remained, the barest outlines of a hulk, drifted away from the battle.

“All capital vessels, engage the last Imperial Star Destroyer.”

The tactical display showed one of the Ranger Gunships floating listlessly, crippled by a lucky torpedo blast from one of the TIEs. “Make sure the Coronas keep on top of those gunships.”

OOC:
Damages:

Bakura Star Destroyer (1) Destroyed
(Due to Fighter/ISD/VSD Fire)

Gunships (8) Shields Down to 35%
(Due to Corona Fire)

Ranger Gunship (1) Crippled
(Due to Corona Fire/Fighter Torpedo)