Mechis III -- Now

"Ten second to reversion, Admiral." The young ensign's voice rang up from the crew pit.

Bhindi Drayson rose from the command chair and watched as the massive shape of the Nirvana, visible out the forward viewports, slowed.

The ensign counted down the last second, and the planet became instantly visible, a green and blue orb in the distance.

"Shields reading 100% on all ships, Admiral!" One of the sensor operators called out.

"Weapons online! All heavy emplacements recieving charge."

"All enemy communications being jammed, Admiral!"

Bhindi nodded, settling herself into her seat and bringing her tactical display around.

The fleet had emerged a small distance from Mechis III, only a few degrees shy of a true course with the production orbit.

"I'm reading several ships, Admiral. One Venerator Class Command Destroyer... identified: it's the Barbossa II. Four Imperator Class vessels, New Order tags. Four Victory Class, also Imperial... two Allegiance and a good number of smaller ships, all registered to the Outer Rim group."

The Admiral nodded. It was of little surprise that the ORS would be the ones to attempt the destruction of the Empire. President Griff was an avid supporter of the Coalition, but more than that he was a jealous and pitiful man who wanted his own piece of the pie.

Were the ORS to become the most prominent faction in the galaxy, there would be utter chaos unleashed.

The fleet was moving forward, having formed up quickly already. They were just under the plane of the Venerator, and closing fast with the swarming enemy vessels.

"Range?" Bhindi asked, keeping an eye on the enemy vessels.

"Six kilometres." The answer came back.

"Right. All guns, open fire."

"Their main ship is damaged. We are reading the beginings of a chain reaction. It is becoming unstable." One of the ensigns at the sensor station spoke up. Admiral Drox nodded, focusing carefully on the battle. The appearance of the new Imperial force was not surprising. As a matter of fact, Drox had been told that they were likely to be there, at the perfect time. It really didn't matter though, the Imperial command ship was doomed. And there was nothing the Imperial commanders could do about it.

He smiled at that though. "Yes. Your evil ways and your superweapons cannot save you." He said into the air, wishing the commander could hear him.

"They cannot save you..."

The Birds of Prey were relentless. Missiles, turbolasers and all of their hundreds of weapons focused on the Venerator, and already fire was licking out of it's sides from multiple hull breaches. Drox knew that the Imperials would try to repair the breaches, but there were far too many.

"Status of the shipyards?" He asked.

"All ships report heavy damage to the yards." Drox's subordinate said.

"Good. Continue and keep me posted." Drox said, "And order the Birds of Prey to keep watch of that other Imperial fleet. I want them to keep the Venerator between them and the enemy fleet."

"Yes sir."

"Helm, all ahead full. Get out of the range of the enemy weapons. Get the shipyard between us and them. Order all guns to continue their fire on the shipyard."

As he spoke, a bright flash lit up the skies over Mechis III. Drox could not turn his eyes to what had exploded, but he had a pretty good idea.

"What the hell!?" He heard someone shout.

"Report!" Someone else said.

"The enemy command ship has suffered extreme damage. Their main power grid has been wiped out, and their bridge facility has been destroyed. Most of it's weapons have also been destroyed, but they are still firing."

"Order the Birds to put some distance between them and the Venerator but I still want all of their fire directed on it."

"Understood."

Damages -

All Imperial shipyards at 75% hull integrity.
Venerator - Heavily damaged - 28% Hull Integrity (Bridge has been destroyed. Engines and hyperdrive have been destroyed.)

Captain Warth stood quietly on the secondary bridge of the massive command destroyer as he watched the enemy Bird of Preys begin to put distance between themsevles and the Barbarossa II.

"Idiots," he said very cruely as he watched them fly away. They were simply presenthing themselves to the many remaining weapon arrays on the ship.

"Order our support ships to keep up the attack on those ships, they foolishly continue to focus their pathetic weapons on us. All weapons continue firing and get target locks," Warth said coldly as he watched the enemy continuing to fire on the vessel that severly outclassed them in size and firepower even in its crippled state.

The Venerator, along with its two ISDs and 12 Shrouds, continued to lay into the Birds of Prey, smashing their shields and hulls mercilessly. Some detonated under the severe fire from the remaining weaponry while others lost their shields to the punishment only to recieve a new nasty surprise.

"Sir, we have target locks. Your orders?"

"Fire," Warth said watched with a vindictive glint in his eye as the Venerator released a massive volley of proton torpedoes. The blue warheads soared forward into the Bird of Preys and within moments there were mutliple flashes as the warheads impacted and the ORS warhships embraced oblivion. As the glare from the explosions cleared, Warth smiled wickedly. There were barely any of the annoying little vessels left after that onslaught and thus there weren't enough to even have a chance of damaging the Venerator anymore.

Captain Vassili stood on the bridge of the ISD Infamy as his vessel along with its two VSDs continued to fire on the ASD as it singlemindedly fired on the shipyards.

"To think their sacrifice will be for nothing," Vassili said coldly as his command ship and the two VSDs pummeled the ASD with all their weaponry as it just kept on firing, trying to ruin the Mechis Cluster's manufacturing capabilities. Vassili also watched the tactical displays at the Katana and its two VSDs pummeled two of the Bakuras firing on one of the other shipyards.

Damages:
19 BoPs destroyed from bombardment and torpedo hits.
ASD Shields at 0%, Hull at 70% and dropping
2 Bakuras Shields at 0% and 80% hull.

The Second Imperial Battle line came into range at the same moment the Sovereign's sensor operator reported the beginnings of a chain reaction.

The enemy Birds of Prey were certainly aware of the incoming force, but they did little to avoid it. They were sitting targets for the five Star Destroyers, and Bhindi Drayson's task force took instant advantadge of that.

Their first shots of the day struck the enemy Birds blindside, and (combined with the firepower of the already-present Imperial fleet) saw several enemy Birds crippled or destroyed in the first minutes of combat.

There was a pause in which the gunners checked their sensor screens and targetted the remaining enemy vessels, and then the entire fleet was firing again.

Or, nearly the entire fleet.

"Status of Captain Zeffer's group?" She asked, watching another of the enemy vessels explode.

The Battle Dragons, the smaller and faster elements of the fleet, had bypassed the battle surrounding the Barbossa entirely, and were now making a dash for the shipyards.

"On target, Admiral. Sensors report severe damage to the Sovereignity command vessel, and two of her support craft. The Dragons are closing on the remaining enemy vessels."

Bhindi nodded. Everything was going well -- or, as well as could be expected in a battle such as this.

"What about those Birds? Are we clear?" There was a nod from the sensor console.

"Aye, Admiral. All enemy ships in our vicinity are reading neutralized."

She smiled thinly, checking her own display to confirm the report. Indeed, all of the enemy ships had disappeared, some of them blinking white for "crippled", others simply not present on the display.

"Get me a link with the Commodore's flagship." Even as she said it, it occured to her that Tractha had been assigned to the Corellian system. No matter.

There was a momentary pause, and a link was established.

"Admiral Drayson," a voice said, "thank you for your assistance. The enemy caught us off guard, I'm afraid."

Bhindi turned to the communications officer, who nodded and fiddled with a few knobs until a true hologram appeared.

"My pleasure, Captain." She said evenly. "We're moving to engage the enemy at your shipyards. Is the Barbossa fit to travel?"

There was a pause, and the Captain's voice came back shaky.

"I'm afraid not, Admiral. We've lost most of our main propulsion, and hyperdrives. We're sitting ducks out here."

"Right. I assume you have a Shroud group out here (the fire coming from them had given away their presence, but not neccessarily their location)."

"Yes."

"Very well. Have them mantain a defensive grid, and try to establish what repairs you can. Your Star Destroyers will accompany my group to destroy the enemy at the shipyards."

"As you order, Admiral." Warth said. "And again, my thanks.

Warth out."

The hologram vanished.

"Helm, get us under way. Lower aft shields and launch fighters on all Star Destroyers."

She hardly needed to say it. Captain Joda, the commander of the Nirvana, knew well enough what to do.

"Done, Admiral." The fighters would take a few minutes to launch... but it would take that long to reach the battle scene, anyway.

"Load all missile tubes." She paused, "Charge on our heavy emplacements?"

"Heavy weapons reading at 100%, Admiral. We're ready."

The fleet was moving, too. The massive Star Destroyer wedge, reinforced by the presence of those that had helped to defend the Venerator, was drawing closer to the ORS forces attacking the shipyards.

Drox sighed as he watched the massive numbers of Birds of Prey be destroyed, putting a major dent in their plan.

"Sir..." One of his officers was about to report the damages, but Drox held up a hand, "It is plainly obvious. Order the survivors to destroy the Venerator."

The officer nodded, and went back to his console.

"Sir, the shipyards are beginning to destabilize." The same officer said, turning back, "We are reading heavy damage, it shouldn't be too long now."

"Alright. All weapons, continue fire on the shipyards, concentrate on key structural points." Drox ordered.

"All hands-" He said, untill a great flash of light interuppted him. He had to shield his eyes from the bright lights as another portion of the Venerator was disintegrated in a minor explosion.

Drox nodded in satisfaction, "Calm down, all ships other than the Birds are to continue their fire on the shipyards." He said.

"Shipyards at seventy-two percent hull integrity....seventy..." Drox watched as the tactical report ticked down. All of the shipyards were suffering increasingly heavy damage.

"...sixty-seven... "

"All ships prepare to retreat!" Drox shouted over the din as the counter continued to tick down.

"...sixty-five...."

Drox watched as the besieged Birds of Prey continued their suicidal attack. It was pointless to continue the attack on the enemy command ship. The Birds of Prey were becoming far to few, as death overtook them all. He recalled a memory, set just a few days ago…



“You all go into battle! You all go into war!”

Admiral Drox looked up at Captain Richards of the Bakura-Class Destroyer Scorpion and his comrade, Captain Morrison of the Ecliptic. They both stood on a raised platform, in front of hundreds of men and women. All present to hear Richards speak were all officers within the Sovereignty navy and all of them were stationed on board the ships that were to take part in the imminent battle. They had been gathered together to hear the two officers speak.

Richards continued,

“We have been called up, to go into battle…

Against an enemy that would see us bowing our heads to them! An enemy protected by their Death Stars, their propaganda! Their arrogant, overpaid, underworked leaders! They believe that they are protected by their machines of war! Machines that do more harm to innocents than to their enemies.

They believe that they are protected by their mighty Regent! And his legions of dark forces!”

Drox watched with intense curiosity as Richards spoke to his men.

“Well I am here to tell you that the only thing that protects them is the wind that lies between them!

And us!”

A slow smile spread across Drox’s face.

“Let us show them that their time has come. The time that they face their greatest adversary!

Live by honor! Die by honor!”



A small bead of sweat formed at Drox’s brow as he remembered the words of the captain who had commanded one of the destroyed ships. At the time, he did not know what those words meant, but now he understood.

“The Birds of Prey are to come to our aid. All ships concentrate all fire on the shipyards, including the Birds of Prey. We will destroy them, or go down trying.

Live by honor, die by honor.”



Damages -

Venerator - Class Cruiser - Barbarossa II – 10 % Hull Integrity

Shipyards MC1-4 – 45% Strength and rapidly falling.

VCD Barbarossa II

Captain Warth watched suddenly as the Birds of Prey began pulling around and angling towards the shipyards. Their engines then flared and they began moving.

"Goddamnit!" Warth screamed flinging the datapad he had just been handed across the command station where it smashed against the wall. He then fell to his knees and looked at the floor wondering that if he survived this if Commodore Trachta would promote him or kill him.

"Sir, emergency repair crews on working on bring the shields generators back up and we have sealed all breaches."

Captain Warth looked up and then slowly stood up as he watched the BoPs fly out of the Barbarossa II's firing range. There were still a few in it though.

"All remaining guns, focus fire on the last few enemy vessesl. All support ships are to give chance immediately," Warth said as he looked down at the blaster holstered at his side. It looked so inviting when compared to what Commodore Trachta might do to him for all the damage he allowed to happen to the capital of the Mechis Cluster.

Warth then watched as a single BoP ignited as it was struct by the remain weapon arrays aimed towards it. He smiled knowing that he had killed a lot of the enemy today, though he wasn't sure what that might earn him in the eyes of the ISB Commodore.

ISD Infamy

Captain Vassili watched as his ships as well as the six Battle Dragons continued to open up on the ASD as it continued to ignore them as it pummeled the shipyards along with the Bakuras. He simply looked at it and laughed as portions of it were raked by turbolaser fire and instead of a glowing shield stopping the blast, whole portions of the hull ripped open spewing men and equipment out into the depths of space.

"Thats it, keep raking'em boys! Let' em suck vacuum!" Vassili said cruely as one of the VSDs pummeling the ASD fractured the ASD's hull and penetrated its main reactor causing the large warship to have multiple detonations occur all over its hull as its systems overloaded. Within moments it was nothing but a hulk falling apart, most bits falling into Mechis III's atmosphere where they would be vaporized by rentry due to the fact that none of them were protected by shields.

"Sir, reports from Barbarossa II indicates incoming Birds of Prey. They seem to have broken off from their attack on it and are closing with us and the yards. Ships from the Barbarossa II are giving chase."

"Very well, order all ships to load warheads and charge up tractor beams. Lets see how they ORS types like Imperial tactics," Vassili said with a bit of a grin as he moved to his tactical display to issue some special orders.

Damages -

1 Bird of Prey - destroyed
ASD - Destroyed

Battle Dragon Eternal

Captain Zeffer rested comfortably in the command chair of the Battle Dragon. A Hapan design, the ship was designed for use against enemy capital ships - groups of them blasting away at enemy vessels.

Which was exactly what Captain Zeffer was doing. The six small ships, joined by the larger forces of the Mechis Cluster Fleet, were pounding steadily away at the rear of the enemy Star Destroyer Praetor.

The ship's shields had already failed, and turbolaser fire was now being directed straight into its hull. The Mechis ships were raking fire across its flanks - the Battle Dragons, sitting off the vessel's rear, were concentrating on the vessel's weak points.

"Sir, we have confirmed targetting locks." An officer said from his station, glancing up. "Firing sequence is locked in."

The turbolasers had not ceased their thunder... but perhaps it was time the other guns joined in.

"Fire at will, Commander." He said, smiling thinly and knowing the order would be the same on all six ships. There was a pause, then the first missiles streaked out from the Eternal. Others followed, forming a staggered launch that struck hard into the damaged engines of the enemy vessel.

The explosion was blinding, even with the viewports tinted to near-blackness.

"Main reactor critical!" One of the officers called. "The ship-"

In that instant, the Praetor blew apart, fragments of the ship being deflected harmlessly off the shields of the gathered Imperial force.

"Bring us about!" Zeffer ordered instantly. "Full acceleration, move towards the next enemy target."

Above, the Mechis Star Destroyers were moving, too. The battle had turned, indeed.



The Nirvana

"Enemy forces are in range, Admiral." The report came from the sensor station. Bhindi Drayson nodded, looking out the viewports at the battle in front of her.

Six of the Mechis Fleet ships had targetted half their number of enemy, and presently were laying waste to the opposing formations.

"Put us here," she said to the helmsman, pointing out the locations for her fleet to place itself. "and prepare full tractor beams."

The Nirvana, larger than even the biggest of the ORS craft, moved into range of the two damaged enemy Destroyers and opened fire. The ship's turbolasers tore into the hulls of those ships, ripping them open with abandon even as the heavier guns - continious beam weapons - began their own show.

The hulls of the two enemy cruiser buckled, and as the Nirvana inserted itself between their fire and the shipyard, her tractor beams reached out and locked the enemy ships there.

The guns continued to fire, and with each volley the enemy ship went darker.

"Targeting locks?" Bhindi asked, checking her sensor console. The rest of the fleet was in position, now.

"Confirmed. Firing." The report came back.

From four different sources came four different bursts of missile fire, each aimed at a different ship. More than four hundred fighter craft - more than eight hundred missiles in all. Directed between the four small vessels, the effects were disastrous.

Warheads exploded across the flanks of the four undamaged Bakura Class Destroyers even as the rest of Bhindi's fleet positioned themselves and opened up with their own turbolasers and ion cannons.

The first wave of missiles brought down shields, and turbolaser bolts began to slice into durasteel hulls. Tractor beams again reached out, cutting off the enemy's ability to fire on the shipyards, and heavy weapons began to splash across their remaining shields and hulls.

Outside Bhindi's viewports, one of the Destroyers her group was facing went entirely dark. The other was trailing flames and drifting slowly on its axis, unable to move for the force of the tractor beams holding her.

The ORS force was nearly dealt with, now. Only a few more moments...

"Reload missile tubes. Recharge our heavy guns." Bhindi ordered swiftly. "We're nearly home."


<font size=1>OOC : Damages
ASD Praetor Destroyed
2 Bakura Destroyers Rendered Inoperable
4 Bakura Destroyers Damaged

OOC : Notations

<li> All ORS forces are now caught in tractor beams and unable to do anything but spin on their axis. Shields are down due to the size of the missile volley directed at each.

"The Praetor! It's gone!"

Drox stared over the expanse of space at the mighty ship. Escape pods were jettisoned, he himself in one of them. Thousands of pods floated across the expanse, underneath the yards and toward the other ORS ships that awaited.

Looking at his ship, Drox set his jaw, determined to hurt the Empire today.

"Order Pods..." He glanced at a datapad, with all the pod listings on there, "Three-eighty two through four ninety. Contact them and tell them I have a plan..."


Minutes later, one-hundred eight escape pods, floating just underneath the unshielded yards, moved upwards with their thrusters. The thirty-eight pods he had chosen were part of the troop complement of the Praetor and they carred spacesuits. All of them had explosives with them as well, in case they were captured... and... well... so the enemy would not take them alive.

All the pods headed toward two of the yards.

"ORS forces, this is Admiral Drox, cease fire on quadrants four-through eight and concentrate fire on yards three and four." He ordered through the comlink. All of the remaining Sovereignty ships turned and retreated further back, requireing the Imperial forces to follow to heep up their attacks. The Birds of Prey, along with the Bakura class destroyers moved forward just as the Imperial tractor beams attempted to capture the ships. Unfortunately, their were far too few tractor beams to actually hold the ORS ships back as each turned their engine power to max capacity.

As the rest of the ORS ships descended upon the last two yards (MC3-MC4), the pods reached the other two yards (MC1-MC2). Out of each pod came two spacesuit troopers, both carrying heavy explosives. All the troopers spread out and infiltrated the yards at damage points caused by ORS fire and went deep into each yard.

Each of them set an explosive deep into the yard and then made their way out. Drox watched anxiously as they did so, and two of his own personal guard (whom he had ordered out to assist) made their way back to the pod.

"This is Captain Idan for Admiral Drox, we are suffereing heavy casualties. We must retreat!" A voice came through the scratchy audio pickup.

"Captain Idan, this is Drox, just give us a few more minutes."

The two hundred sixteen troopers were still setting the explosives, although some of the more nimble were making their way back already. Both yards were now heavily laden with explosives, explosives on timers.

As one of the troopers made it back to a pod a few dozen meters away from Drox, the Admiral contacted him, "What is the time on your detonators?" He asked.

"One minute thirty seconds. We need to get the hell out of here." The pod responded.

Drox glanced back to the yard, where one of his personal guards had finished and was making his way back to the pod. Drox's hands clenched the steering stick of the pod, ready to pull away.


Suddenly, a new voice came through the audio pickup, "Sovereignty forces. This is the Allegiance-class Star Destroyer Timeless. We are here to assist."

"This is Captain Idan of the Bakura-class Destroyer Sovereign Solace. We welcome you."


Allegiance-class Star Destroyer Timeless...


Captain Olus peered intently at the battle readout and sensor scan. One Venerator heavily damaged... shipyards heavily damaged...

Where is the Praetor? He thought. The ASD was supposed to be here, leading the attack...

"Sir, I am picking up a debris field, it is the Praetor, sir." His second in command, Commander Marks said.

"Order Slicer Wing to go ahead and destroy the Venerator. Load missile tubes and head for the Venerator as well." Olus said.

"Shields up and lets go. Load all missile tubes."


*


"Slicer Wing, form up with your respective sqaudrons. Raise shields and load missile tubes. All squadrons descend upon Target designated Red."

Wing Commander Colonel Artus of Slicer Wing looked to the left and right of his X-Wing canopy. All two hundred and eighty-eighty fighters formed up in twenty-four sqaudrons. In one massive arrowhead formation they gunned their engines and easily passed the distance and came within missile range of the stricken Venerator, but they went no further than missile range. They were still well out of turbolaser range, and if any missiles were to come there way they would be effortlessly destroyed.

"Ready....prepare to fire!" He shouted.

They had one target: Barbarossa II


Damages -

Remaining Two Shipyards - 12% Hull Integrity (Due to all ORS forces concentrating on it now)

"Ready....prepare to fire!" Colonel Artus voice came through the audio pickup as the two-hundred plus X-Wings roared forward ahead of the Blight.

Captain Olus leaned forward and continued to stare intently at the battle analysis screen as it continualy adjusted to compensate for the many vessels moving. He turned to his XO, Commander Theadan.

"Commander, status of our weapons?" He asked.

"All primed and ready." Was Theadan's reply.

"Change course, twenty degrees." He ordered the helmsmen. Their new course would take them opposite the sides of the shipyards, placing the yards between the Imperial forces and the ASD Blight.

"Aye sir." Came the response.

"Slicer Wing is in range." Theadan called out.


*


Colonel Artus glaced down at the range numbers as they ticked down. They were almost ready for optimal range, even though they were already passed the extreme range and could sitll hit the Venerator from afar, Artus wanted an up-close shot.

"Steady, Slicer wing. Blade, four, adjust yourself." He said as the range continued it's downward tick. The fighter to his left immidiately adjusted itself to fit more snugly in the formation.

"Squadron commanders, issue final orders. You have your targets, may the Force be with you." He said, as the range finally came to optimal distance.

"Slicer Wing, "Fire!" He shouted.


*


Captain Olus watched as hundreds of proton torpedo's streaked away from the hundreds of X-Wings. They were cloe to the Venerator, and none of them missed. A few were picked off from the giant ship's now-few weapons, but there were to many - 576 in all.

All of the ones still live struck the Barbarossa II. The power of the torpedoes instantly shattered the fragile ship, blowing it into many peices.

"Slicer Wing, fall back, you know your tasks." Olus said into the comm. The X-Wings instantly reduced their speed and headed to protect the Blight as it came closer to the dying shipyards.


*


"This is Seven. Explosive placed. Making my way back."

"This is twenty... explosive..."

Comm calls of the various raiders trickled in to Drox's pod as it hovered near the large crater that had been blown into the yards by the Sovereignty forces. Different pods were at different damage points along the large hull of the shipyards.

He looked back as the compressed outer hatch of the pod opened and one of Drox's personal guards entered the tiny chamber. He shut the outer hatch and opened the inner one, joining the Admiral after taking his life-support suit off.

"Mission accomplished." The guard, Spaan, said.

"Where is Naden?" Drox asked, referring to the other gaurd.

"On his way back. He is deeper in." Spaan said.

"There." Drox said, pointing out the tiny viewport at a large man in a lifesupport suit stumbling along the damaged gridwork.

Already dozens of pods were launching away from the yarda and heading for the new arrival, Blight for rescue. Drox was anxious to get away and be on a new command ship so he could get his forces out of there, but Naden, the other guard was still trying to get back.

Naden looked up, his words coming through the aduio pickup, "This is Naden. Explosives are timed. Admiral, get out of here. Leave me."

"Damnit Naden, get your ass in this pod." Drox shouted angrily, not about to let someone die for him.

"Negative. No time. Get out of here." Naden said, stopping his forward motion and backing away.

Drox growled, but seeing he had no choice, he yanked back on the yokes of the pod and pulled the tiny ship away.


*


"Captain Idan. Raiders are successful and are pulling back. We must do the same."

Captain Idan manuvered his way through wreckage, pilled onthe bridge of the Bakura Destroyer Sovereign Solace. He nodded to his XO, "As soon as our objective is achieved, we will do so." He said.

"The yards are crumbling!" Someone shouted. Idan looked to his BAC and smiled as the green dots that were the shipyards turned red. The raiders were successful, their explosives went off, deep inside the yards, destroying the yards, sending pieces everywhere.

The yards the ORS ships were firing on also began to crumble, ripped to peices as explosions dotted the hull of both yards.

One final explosion did it, eliminating Imperial production over Mechis III.

"Come about, all fire to be directed on Battle Dragons. All ships, fire!" Idan ordered.

Every ORS ship turned on their attackers.

"Draw all power from nonessential systems. Get the shields back up! Allships." Idan continued.


Damages

All SY - Destroyed.
Venerator - Destroyed.