"...so we need to annex the system. That is obvious - but since we are not in a declared state of war, we would need a damned air-tight pretense."


" Easily enough done. Pirate activity has been rampant in that area, has it not?"


" Yes, but we have no indication the Coalition is behind it."


" They do not need to be. They control the system and have not performed sufficiently to provide for regional security - a security the Empire can provide. Also, they are vehemently anti-Imperial, so making the stretch that they did in some orchestrate the attacks would not be a daunting task."


" I am confused - so we say Regrad and his men have been hiring privateers and we are taking Tynna so it stops?"


" Correct."


" Excellent - I will find someone to lead our expedition. I believe Desaria is on Coruscant..."





The Imperial Fleet came out of light speed at the edge of the system. There was no subterfuge, no disguising her hyperspace reversion signatures - those hapless technicians who watched three Star Destroyers and a half-dozen heavy cruisers appear and saunter into the Tynna System could have sworn the Empire of Old had returned.


Imperial battleships were far from subtle vessels, none more so than the Astrus-class Star Destroyer that sat at the center of the formation. She boasted more mass than either Reign-class Command ship seated off her haunches and more guns than the Imperial-class ships she was slated to replace. Antennae of every sort jutted out from the superstructure; two heavy turrets sat astride the dorsal centerline composing a very ominous picture for any man at whom it was pointed.


Today, the Astrus-class Star Destroyer would receive its baptism of fire.


If, that is, Grand Admiral Desaria reminded himself, they resist.


" We are entering the system periphery, Grand Admiral. We will reach orbit of Tynna in twenty minutes."


" Very good. Open communications circuits, all channels. Transmit as follows: To the Galactic Coalition - this system is Annexed. For reasons of security, this system and all assets herein are seized by the Empire and a state of Martial Law declared until such time as a civilian authority can be constructed. All citizens are granted full citizenship rights under Imperial Law effective immediately.


" To Coalition Armed Forces - your resistance at this point would be futile. As such, his Imperial Benevolence, the Emperor, has given me leave to offer you an honourable withdrawal. All of your forces will depart immediately taking with them whatever assets are deemed neccessary by your command, including civilians and equipment. You may do this without fear of interruption or interdiction.


" Resistance to this Mandate will be met with swift and direct retribution. Coalition Commander - you are to contact my with your reply immediately. Failure to communicate in nineteen minutes will result in the conquest of this system. End Transmission."


The words were strung together and sent into the fray of subspace. Any being with a transceiver would be able to listen to the commands of the arrived Imperial Fleet and decide to die or flee. Either way, the Empire had announced its claim to Tynna and was going to make good on that claim.


One way...


or another...

Captain Ion had barely just arrived when he heard the declaration ring out on all channels. A flood of emotion ran down his spine, fear, surprise, but most of all anger. How dare they?

Aboard the Unmitigated, a Coalition Claymore Class Battlecruiser and his battlegroup's flagship, he sprinted up the last few steps to his bridge and entered the command center with a bound. Eisle, his reliable fighter captain, was already there, along with Dolora - in fact, she still bore the diplomatic garb she had donned for their trip to Tirahnn.

"What the hell is going on?" Ion spat, leaping into his command chair and settling quickly over his controls. "I want a full scan immeadietly and all forces on red-alert - all the emergency protocols go in effect immeadietly, including emergency communications, I want Command to know what the Empire is up to."

"Sir" croaked his lieutenant "It appears three Star Destroyers of a larger-then-Imperator design have appeared, alongside a half dozen heavy cruisers. They're closing fast, making no attempts at subtlety."

"Make sure we've sent everything we've got to Command." said Ion "I don't know if they've got enough sensor equipment on that thing to jam all our communications, but we'll know in a few minutes."

"What's your orders?" said Eisle, her usually light attitude replaced with a serious one.

"Our shields are still down, so launch all Kris fighters immeadietly. Once you're out, we'll raise shields and set up in a defensive perimeter between the Imperials and Tynna." For a second, Ion paused "Wait... Tynna! Isn't there anyone else in command of this defense?"

A sensor operator turned in his chair, saying "No sir, we're getting command uplinks from every Coalition ship in-system. You're in charge. We even have the president on-line now, sir he's waiting for your orders."

It finally hit Ion, a belated shock. They were under attack, and he was in charge. He would have to defend his homeworld.

"Tell him to buckle down all cities, call out the army, the militia, the police, anything he's got and have them ready to resist. Prepare for a possible orbital bombardment and landing craft - if we have any defences, it'll be time to set them up. Evacuate orbit of any and all civilian craft! Space stations are to be locked-down and abandoned! I want the skies clear except for us and them!"

It was time to calm down and take a look at what he had. Checking the readouts, it was clear both forces seemed equally matched - the Coalition had a half-dozen Claymore Battlecruisers, not to mention a dozen Longswords and many Enforcer Gunships. A veritable fleet of Kris fighters were at his command. The enemy fleet appeared to be mostly heavy ships, sporting a lot of guns, and their strategy seemed a simple one - charging.

Ion didn't hesitate, instead relying on the training and the simulations he had experienced before. Battles needed a subtle hand, a careful touch, now was not the time to let his passion take control. "Form up our forces around the Unmitigated, we'll be the central battlegroup. The battlegroup to our right will be our right wing, and the one on our left will be the left wing. They're going for a straight thrust, but they're using Star Destroyers so they're comparatively vulnerable to the rear. I, however, want to meet them head on!"

The Kris fighters had launched, forming a beautiful swarm like flights of sleek birds around each ship in the Coalition fleet. Ion considered, and said "All shields to full, arm all weapons and load the Mass Particle Projectors! Center battlegroup, advance at one-hundred percent speed and prepare for an opening salvo! Our right and left wings will keep to each side, at eighty-five percent speed, prepare to fire. All shields set to deflect the front, all fighters set to screen our approach, all forces advance!"

" They are readying weapons, sir."


Grand Admiral Desaria allowed himself a brief chuckle. The Coalition had chosen to do things the hard way which would result in an unofrtunately high loss of life. Though the formation he commanded was not the vaunted Guard, regular Fleet formations had proven their worth time and again - the Baron did not foresee any great difficulty in reducing Coalition resistance.


Besides, a squadron of four Destroyers remained behind in case the enemy had suprises unknown to Imperial Intelligence.


" Range to target?"


" We have reached the maximum range of the STL-4s," a ship-liaison officer replied. " But we are still five minutes beyond quad-turbolaser range and six minutes beyond standard turbolaser range."


" Very well - all ships: shields up, deploy fighters. Gunboats to form into squadrons and prepare for assault orders. Cruisers - maintain one squadron on station to defend against missiles, the other to be sent into picket positions. All Destroyers - full deployment."


" Admiral, Captain Madrin of the Termagant is requesting full-communications jam."


The Grand Admiral mulled on that, and the Captain was right. The Coalition had ruined their chance at a peaceful trasnfer of power and so forfeited their rights to unihibited communications. The Rules of War would of course apply, but blocking an enemy from receiving reinforcements was part of the great game of tactics. " Reigns may commence full-jamming. Also have them activate their immobilizer globes. Anything that tries to join our fray will do so from the edge of the system."


Desaria moved from his command chair to the plot table directly aft. There he viewed the preliminary sensor data on what the Empire faced. The planetary militia as well as deployed ground troops numbered over a million on two continents but their ability to interdict an assault was negligable - that was to say nothing of the reduced state of orbital defenses. The only true impediment was the presence of GC warships.


Warships the Empire could not identify. Oh, the small Enforcer-class Gunships were old enough to be well documented and considered standard combat craft. But the others, the six long vessels and their ten escorts had yet to be encountered.


" Lieutenant," he called the Intelligence operative attached to the bridge-staff of the Star Destroyer Relentless. " Record everything and send it via HoloNet to Command."


The Grand Admiral returned to his seat of command knowing the Empire was ready -his ships were arrayed in a broad delta-formation with the Astrus at its center and a Reign-class Star Destroyer off either aft-flank. " Send forward three squadrons of Defenders, draw off some of their escorts. In the mean-time - target their left-most heavy cruiser with turret Alpha and fire. Turret Bravo - target the right-most heavy cruiser."


Never before fired in combat, the Super-turbolasers hummed inside their heavily armored mounts on the centerline. The entire ship rocked as energy was condensed in their breeches and loosed with a terrible ferocity. From stem to stern, every man felt the whoosh of the guns. And so battle was joined. The Coalition would be unable to reply as yet, but the time of peace between volleys was rapidly dwindling.

"Sir, they're trying to send off mission data." said the comm officer to Ion.

"We've got the entire planetary comm system at our fingertips, we're in jamming range, so jam them back! Looks like we fight in silence."

As the enemy heavy guns fired, Ion was releived to find his first strategic decision paying off. The flanking wings of the Coalition fleet suddenly increased speed by another fifteen percent to maximum speed, completely throwing off the enemy's opening volley of heavy weaponry and allowing it to pass freely behind them. The two forces finally came into full firing range, the incredibly fast Coalition fleet closing the space quicker then ever previously documented in naval combat - a tribute to their Second Wave designed engines.

Follow my lead Ion nearly whispered aload, and with that, took direct command of the close-up fleet battle. "Roll the ship! Bank our formation to pass between the Defenders and run along the enemy's Heavy Gun flagship!"

The whole thing became rhythem from then on - words were no longer suitable, everything took on the hue and texture of emotion and the raw spirit of battle. Ion was no longer an individual or a commander but a part of a whole, a living being lashing out with slender claws against a hulking beast.

In the fore were the fighters, sleek Kris profiles shimmered against the blackness of space, only to turn as one and once again be lost to the inky depths. Furious Particle Projector fire range out from their guns, peppering and perplexing enemy figher cover. With Dolora and Eisle acting as the striking tip of fierce lances, the enemy fighter screen was thrown into disarray, unused to fighting such nimble adversaries and frustrated by the protective Pulse shielding that seemed to activate at the worst moments for them.

Passing through that battleground, the central Coalition battlegroup, following the Unmitigated, ploughed through the defenders by firing off half of their Particle Projector cannons - the shots scattered enemy formations, least the balls of mass crush and flatten entire decks, as one shot did to an overly zealous Defender that refused to maneauver out of the way. The shot crashed through the shields with an effect that looked like glass shattering, and embedded itself in the center of the enemy ship before tearing itself apart in a ball of shrapnel.

The other half had a different target. The six ships of the central battlegroup - two Claymores and four Longswords bore down on the decks of guns commanded by the terrifying Astrus, which stood against them, unmoving by comparison, a wall of iron surmounted by cannons of steel. The second volley of Coalition Projector cannons went off, one or two crashing and disappating into shields, the other shots ringing and exploding into shards on the armor, leaving dents and slash marks all along where they struck. Hardly the crippling barrage he'd hoped for, but the effect was still impressive.

Then, for a split second, there was a calm - almost unnoticeable, and instantly swept away, but it was there. Before it could last, however, the warships immeadietly began bombarding each other with hails of turbolaser fire, decks of guns filling space with lights and turning the space between the Astrus and Center Battlegroup into a lethal shooting gallery. Though the enemy had grim resolve and mighty stacks of guns, they were still outnumbered by Coalition guns and confounded by their speed and maneauverability - not that the Coalition guns could do much more then scratch the thick armored carpace of the new Star Destroyer.

All around, on the left and right flanks of the battle, things progressed similarily. The two wings of the battlegroup, picking up speed, tore through the enemy screens which simply lacked the stopping power to discourage their foes. This first charge would be their best chance, their most even strike, while their enemy was still unused to their new foes, to spread confusion and take control of the battle. Each wing cut 'off' the Reign star destroyer flanking each side of the Empire's overly broad formation by passing between it and the rest of the formation, leaving it isolated and easily surrounded. The enemy formation found it difficult to turn to face this new enemy, hampered by isolation and a lack of communications.

A fierce charge, all told, as the Coalition battlegroups and their fighter escorts turned sharply around and down, maneauvering below the enemy formation to regroup and force the enemy to either forfeit the might of their upper guns or once again weaken the integrity of their formation by changing directions without communications. It had been fueled by the subtle hiding of their full speed potential, by the enemy's lack of familiarity with new Coalition designs, and the neverending argument between the immovable object versus the unstoppable force. Neither side was badly wounded, except perhaps for Imperial pride forced to admit the enemy was faster on the uptake then expected, although Ion doubted they would admit that aloud. He would need a new trick up his sleeve, however, if he wanted to win the next charge.

"Prepare the boarding torpedoes..."

The Coalition fell on the Imperial formation with speed and fury, allowing the range counters to spin down faster than they ever had before. The struck out at terrifying speed but such a speed had its price: the shots that were fired either went wide of glanced off sloped armor and shields. To be sure almost four squadrons of Defenders found themselves wiped from the order of battle, the Empire now had the enemy where they wanted to be...


...and just where the Empire wanted them.


Imperial warships were made with a direct assault in mind and they were not the fastest clippers to ever sail among the stars - but they were among the heaviest. Without pause the Cuirassier-class Heavy Cruisers volleyed at the enemy ships and while most went wide themselves, enough hit to justify the massive number of mounted pieces. Passing between the cylindrical cruisers en route to the battleships themselves, the Coalition ships opened themselves to fire from both flanks - fire that scored more hits than would have liked.


Moving swiftly, the larger Coalition ships moved to confront the largest combatants of the day and were trounced as they tried. On each flank of the largest vessel there were some twenty heavy turbolaser turrets supported by quad-mounts that fired with a hellish alacrity. Flying so close ensured a flurry of hits and the Coalition ships, fast and thin-skinned, paid the price.


Deployed close to their carriers, the Defenders themselves refused to be left from the action. They formed into flights of four as per protocol and fired off their own missiles into the rapid attackers. The number of enemy gunships shrank as quickly as munitions were charged off. Close promiximity meant far too many defensive-banks registered TIEs as targets but there was no time to mourn - for every Defender that fell a GC fighter was drug into Purgatory by its side.


Not all went as well as the Grand Admiral had planned, however. One of the cruisers, Acheron was set upon by two of the larger attackers and pulverized by their particle cannon. Decks were smashed and the shields collapsed - she was heavily damaged but not out for the count. She would sit immobile and fire what weapons she could until the enemy turned on the now-weakest vessel and laid her low.


" They cannot jam the HoloNet, Admiral - but they are trying. We have gotten off a good deal of data, but we have to mdoulate the frequencies too much to send all of it."


" Keep trying. Flight Ops - send in the assault shuttles."

"Sir, the enemy ships have turned to face us..."

Those words were the only ones Ion heard in the conventional sense, before plunging back into the heart of his command, shouting half an order and relying on his crew to keep on track while he directed something else. It had worked, however. The Imperial formation hadn't realized it, but they had shifted poorly.

The V-formation's key advantage is as an intergrated formation, one which shunts enemy forces along it and off to the side, allowing the whole formation to cut through enemy lines. The enemy had indeed rolled themselves over, to face the enemy below, but in doing so they now presented themselves at an odd angle, running perpindicular to the enemy and allowing the Coalition forces to do what ammounted to charging headfirst into the heart, not the front, of each target cruiser.

It was obvious, however, that this was a place for the heaviest of ships, not Longsword or enforcers. As those peeled off in battlegroup formations of four to harrass and chase enemy cruisers, the Claymores dived towards enemy Star Destroyers.

Ion was crushing the rail-bar under his fist, and shouted "Fire at will, fire everything we've got, then for god's sake, fire the boarding torpedoes!"

It was perhaps their best chance - dive-bombing right into the heart of the Star Destroyers, too close for enemy guns to react in time, the angle too far up for the enemy to reach anyways. The front of every Claymore each began spitting the metal slugs, which propelled themselves fast and hard into the enemy armour - past shield ruptured by Particle Projector shots, armour weakened by Particle Projector rebounds, and enemy guns unprepared to shoot down such strange and unfamiliar enemy weapons.

Ion was sweating bullets, so much it soaked through his uniform. "Pull up, damn it! Engage the Pulse shielding for it's maximum battery life and pull up!"

It had been quite a gamble, but following their leader's example, the Claymores scattered, pulling up and away from collisions with Star Destroyers and engaging their limited but protective pulse shielding to make good their escape. Their formation was broken, and would have to regroup, but the damage was done - and it would be worth it.

In space, other battles still raged. Enemy assault shuttles, gunboats, and more clashed with Enforcers. Fighters duelled Kris squadrons. Longsword battlegroups fought in quick, spitting contests with Defenders. These battles lacked coordination, battle-lines, group tactics, or anything exhibited in the titanic clash of the capitol vessels, it was just dirty, close quarters fighting.

Eisle hauled hard on the stick to bring the Kris fighter into a ninety degree turn, pelting down on an assault shuttle from above. A steady spray of Projector fire tore a hole through it's aft, and she pulled up as smoking debris blasted out in it's wake.

"Alpha squadron, Beta squadron, regroup around me, we're going to drive back the enemy gunships and give our own Enforcers a clear path to those damn Star Destroyers - we need to knock out some guns." At least short-beam communications still worked.

Dolora pulled up next to her. "Eisle, give me Beta squadron, we'll go a different way."

"Take them." she said, focussing on avoiding an enemy Tie offensive. "Okay then, Alpha squadron, with me! Let's win this thing!"

Out of the chaotic mess that was the space battle playing out around the destroyers and battlecruisers, the coalition forces rallied somewhat. Enforcers and Kris began a cutting maneauver, making their way out of it all under the stellar flying of the Knight and Captain. Center Battlegroup, which was busy trading shots with a squadron of enemy Defenders, marked the edge of the 'big fight', and passing under their guarded eyes, the ragtag group of Coalition fighters and escorts moved out.

As the battle with the cruisers progressed, odd things began happening across the hulls of the two Reigns as well as the Astrus, those ships dive-bombed in daring Coalition attack-runs. The Star Destroyers, preoccupied in trying to find a concentration of Coalition battlecruisers to hunt, suddenly found a whole new problem brewing from within.

A boarding torpedo is a large, armored tube bearing it's own shields, thrusters, and special drilling mechanism. It's practically a vessel in it's own right. As they bore through the armor, they did not explode, or anything of that nature, they opened up.

Imperial crewmen on the Astrus scattered as a metal drillbit punctured the walls. What was worse was when it opened up, revealing vac-suited shock troopers in full space gear, brandishing rifles and melee weapons like some sort of pirate raiding party.

Leaping aboard, Major Maxly of Azguard roared in the fury of his native tongue, and lead the first of several squads of twenty men in a brutal pursuit of Imperial crew.

"Increadible!" Joren Logan shouted as he slammed his fist down as hard as he could on his desk, "They think they can just walk in to the system and "annex" Tynna?"

Tru-D, his personal secretary droid had just handed him a datapad containing urgent data. The Empire had just attacked Tynna, and the Coailtion was apparently defending in an active conflict.

A beeping noise alerted him to a call coming in over the HoloNet from in from Leritor.

He pressed a button, and Marth Meer, a high ranking member of the CIB, appeared, "You heard?"

"Yes. How long ago was the attack?" Logan asked.

"We aren't sure. Information is spotty, but we received the transmission about half an hour ago. As per standard policy, it was instantly relayed via HoloNet to all Coalition bases and worlds." Meer said, with his typical stoic attitude.

"What has Command said?" Logan asked.

"Your orders have not been officially formulated yet." Meer said flatly.

Logan sniffed, "Like hell. I can have a division set course for Tynna within fifteen minutes."

"You have a division nearby?" Meer asked, looking to something off camera - probably fleet movements, Logan knew.

"As you know, my forces are responsible for the patrol routes guarding our section of the Corellian Run. There is a small force on manuvers nearby..."

Meer seemed to be satisifed with that, "I suggest you put your forces on alert. News of the attack on Tynna is spreading across the Coalition like a wildfire. Regrad is probably in an uproar right about now."


Although Logan outranked Marth Meer by a high count, they were still close friends and often relayed important information back and forth. Meer was Logan's unofficial contact within the CIB, and Logan kept Meer informed about the various doings of the Onyxian Commonwealth and the more mysterious Praetorian Guard.

"I bet he's angry." Logan remarked, his own frustration threatening to take control.

"Furious." Meer remarked dryly.




*


Praetorian Guard Taskforce 311, consisting of several of the new and untested Longsword frigates, Claymore battleships, along with two Stryker-class carriers and their full complement of E-78 Swarm Fighters, received a distant transmission from Onyx.

The Onyxian Commonwealth's military had just been put on Secondary Alert, one step down from a full wartime mobilization. The attack on Tynna was sufficient grounds for the Coalition to declare war on the Empire.

It would be a public relations nightmare for the Empire. Annexing independant worlds was one thing, but the Empire couldn't cover up an open attack on a Coalition-allied world.

So Logan had put the military forces under him on Secondary Alert - ready to attack the closest Imperial worlds at a second's notice. Across the Commonwealth (and the entire Coalition) suddenly became more alert, ready for any sort of follow up attack.

And Praetorian Guard Taskforce 311 readied their engines and weapons, awaiting for the order to support the defenders at Tynna.


"Awaiting order to jump..."


OOC: There are no ships in hyperspace en route to Tynna.

Meeting of the Imperial General Staff - Coruscant


" We received word of the assault's commencement thirty minutes ago. Since then we have monitored continual alerts throughout the Coalition. Tynna's transmissions have since been jammed and since they do not have HoloNet capabilities, we need not worry about direct reinforcements being called in."


Another Staff officer stood, and added his own snibbet from a larger report. " The Grand Admiral has four Mark IV Destroyers in reserve, they have none. Right now, they are using some rather speedy ships so it is up in the air right now. The Imperial Fleet is on alert and all planetary defense forces are now running with shields up and weapons-hot. The simple fact of tha matter - any world near Coalition military elements can trounce them easily. We have enough un-attached forces to counter attack and decimate their defenses. We have made no attempt at masking fleet movements and so President Regard knows exactly what we can do. No matter what he can throw at us we can return five times over."


The Chief of the General Staff, thin and gaunt, looked over several files arrayed before him. " Grand Admiral Desaria is a member of the Twelve - he will eradicate the enemy at Tynna. He is not above withdrawal, and he knows that is not defeat. If the Coalition has new ships, then we will send respond accordingly. We have what in the area?"


" The Twentieth Fleet responsible for guarding the Corelllian Run. Mostly frigates and cruisers, very few battleships. Four squadrons of the line are based at Gyndine, giving them considerable hitting power if neccessary."


Field Marshal Aeris nodded. " Excellent. So we wait and see just how foolish the Coalition is. Today they can lose one world or have an entire sector lain waste to."


* * *


Boarding torpedoes registered hits on all Imperial battleships. The cruisers were spared as they were not targetted. The assault notwithstanding, the ships continued to fight the enemy as they had before. The boarding parties were quickly contained by the Imperial Naval Anti-Intrusion System present on all warships regardless of class and type. Compliments of troops numbering in the hundreds responded to each breech and engaged ina vicious battle with their invaders. Fleet Assault Corps troops bore the brunt of the fighting as they were the most common aboard ships of the line - and were specially trained in how to repel boarders.


Some guns were lost on the port side of each vessel, abandoned as their crews sought shelter, each one deciding that discretion was the better part of valor. For the most part unarmed, they retired with considerable haste and let their infantry comrades enjoy.


Where possible, breeches in the hull were effected by throw satchel charges that reduced oxygen and began to slowly suck all that was not bolted down out of very small holes. Some Imperials fell prey to this but such was the cost of battle.


* * *


Bridge, ArSD Relentless


Our tactics are not working. We are thinning out their ranks but not enough. The reports of a boarding party spread alarm through the ship but that alarm was quashed by a firm command on the flag-bridge. Captain Canaris, able master of the vessel, would deal with the problem - Desaria had to orchestrate victory of the entire fleet and such actions were below his worth at the moment.


" Re-orient the fleet forty-five degree to starboard and bring the cruisers in tight to us. Redeploy in line-ahead."


" As ordered, Grand Admiral."


Maneuvering in combat was difficult enough but to change the complete deployment of a task force was oft unheard of. Grand Admirals had a nasty habit of commanding hitherto unpractised orders regardless of whether or not recipients of said orders could effectively comply. So it was with the task force at Tynna. One cruiser could not maneuver effectively enough and collided with a larger Coalition cruiser, bringing their numbers to four and their smaller ships to eight. So far, the Empire had seen two of its cruisers lain low and was intent on keeping that number stable.


The Relentless moved to the van of the formation, all the while firing with every weapon at any enemy ship brazen enough to close with it. A heavy cruiser followed, then a Reign, another cruiser, the boarded Reign Perseus, then the remaining two cruisers. Though the ships fell in with the same axis of advance, their orientations were far from uniform giving the enemy no clean path of attack from the broadside weapons that had made the Empire so effective. TIEs swarmed around joined by the assault craft returning order to the Imperial defense. Stricken, the first-disabled Cuirassier-class Heavy Cruiser was alone, a sad fate but an unavoidable one.


" Command Ops - when that ship makes its run, give them a shot with Alpha turret. Find me another turret for Bravo and fire at will, but stagger Bravo's shots. Do NOT concentrate them - fire with gaps to allow for recharge time."


Desaria orders were law and quickly carried out. A large enemy ship of Destroyer-size moved in close to strafe supported by several escorts and was set upon by three STL-4 shots. One collapsed the shielding amidship, the remaining two peeling off armor plating and bringing fire and death into the bowels of the vessel. Plasma conduits overloaded and power relays were severed. A third Coalition battleship was disabled.


" Combine the Relentless' fighter wing with Perseus. Commence Marg Sabl. Let us erect out net. And Communications - call in the reserve/ Have them move at flank speed and fire as soon as they are within range."


The Grand Admiral paused for a moment, and had a most devious stroke of genius. " All ships - increase to flank. Bring us within range of that world. We will begin slagging every city and development until they withdraw."


- - -

Four Imperial IV-class Star Destroyers arrayed beyond the jumpoint engaged their subligth engines, hyperdrives precluded due the mass of worlds in the system and the active status of both RSDs' Immobilizer gones. The scales of the battle would be soon be tipped in the Emperor's favor.

"Imperials" spat captain Vasuvius of the Reborn "They're always so damn arrogant - so sure of themselves they don't even make sure they've done a proper job!"

To the untrained - or overconfident eye - half the Coalition fleet was disabled, to the loss of two Imperial Cruisers. That left the Empire with three oversized destroyers and four cruisers, whilst the Coalition had barely enough to keep fighting. It could only be a worst-case for the Coalition, some sort of insane tactical blunder that had resulted in them losing half their forces so quickly despite their enemies yet bringing out any semblence of supreme strategy. This was not the case.

It was not perhaps too strange to believe the enemy defeated, for the Imperials had never fought Pulse shielding before. What should have been lethal blows could be deflected by brief but nigh-invulnerable bursts of Pulse shielding, which had a very limited battery life but if used sparingly could preserve a ship against any damage.

At this moment, the 'remaining' Coalition battleships had broken off their attacks to regroup - an easier feat, as the enemy seemed content to change their formation as well, allowing them easy opportunity to reform ranks. Ion ignored what the battle looked like to his eyes, and instead planned his battle strategy from the signals he was getting from his ships.

"If they want to line up for us, they're welcome to!" he spat through the haze of battle "We're faster then them, plain as day, head for their rearguard! We'll keep on their back, the other enemy cruisers and destroyers will either have to break formation to get at us or be unable to face us directly. Line formation? Seriously? We've got the advantage of maneauverability, that means they can't afford to show us any flanks let alone their rear."

With that, the Coalition Claymores and Longswords - along with their fighters and Enforcers to escort them - flew to the rear of the Imperial line to harry it with fire. Imperial fighters and defenders seemed keen to stop them, but the enemy had suffered additional losses when they broke from dogfighting with Coalition fighters earlier, and under the leadership of a Knight and the emboldened captain Eisle the Coalition Kris formations fought with renewed vigor.

The Imperial forces would have to react fast, but before they could implement their plans, dismissed Coalition warships came back online to engage the enemy. Two Longswords and two Claymores, who had been forgotten by the enemy guns, turned and fell upon the rear two cruisers, catching them by surprise and cutting between them neatly to rejoin the formation.

The Empire wasn't taking the Coalition seriously - a dangerous mistake. It had trained it's men, motivated it's officers, and given them something to fight for. It had furnished them with new weapons, and taught them in their use. All that remained was to test them in the crucible of war, as they were being tested right now. If the Empire wanted to smash through the Coalition defenders, they were welcome to. It would be lethal for them, but it was their decision to make.

Flag Bridge - Relentless


They have erred - and now we shall exploit their arrogance. Speed can be as much a detriment as asset. So many dead TIE pilots can so attest.


The Coalition formed a jumbled mass of ships, an array that would in no Navy be called a formation. With the speeds they were attempting any semblence of order was impossible. However, where they failed to acheive any sort of order they did grant a welcome target to Imperial battery commanders who silently cheered their tight concentration. With a spring in their steps, teams of crewmen served their guns. Destroyers and Heavy Cruisers volleyed and thundered into the nose of the advancing Coalition ships. It was withering enfilade - they were facing the most fiersome position of the Empire's ships of the line. It was then that their designs proved any worth as battery after battery contributed its share to a wave of energy that literally pulsed forth from the Imperial line.


Along either flank of the Coalition advance, they absorbed yet more fire from Defenders arrayed in a text-book Marg Sabl, each fighter firing as the enemy sped by. Their fire was not meant to deafen or damage, but to harass and weaken. Concussion missiles and sprays of laser fire drenched the attacking vessels, washing shrinking shield spheres in brilliance born of carnage.


The Coalition vessels fell upon the two end cruisers with a great vigor any Admiral could appreciate but in one charge they had taken a sustained cannonade that could be nothing but telling on their numbers.


" Time until my Destroyers arrive?"


" Three minutes, Admiral."


Grand Admiral Desaria grumbled something and turned aft to the fluid holographic display above the directly-aft plot table. His reserves were coming in at their top speed but the time they were taking was a result of his own orders - both Reigns had running Immobilizer globes that prevented either of the approaching Imperial III-class Destroyers from making the short hyperspace jounrey that would end the action decisively.


" Admiral," called the navigation officer. " We are within maximum effective range of Tynna."


" Excellent. Broadcast the following message to the enemy ships. 'You will withdraw immediately or my bombardment will intensify.'" Desaria stood and walked aft a few paces. " All bow weapons: cease fire. Target the largest city on the main continent and commence firing."


The Imperial task force continued to pursue its active destruction of the Coalition fleet. However, it was having a marked effect of those sent to eradicate it. As such, the Grand Admiral turned to the age old tactic of holding a hostage. When he closed his eyes, a rather brutal stream of turbolaser energy pulsed down into a nest of dwellings on the planet below.


Victims of the Coalition. The Ministry of Propoganda will have a field day!