A/N: Considering my account name is Chimeraguard, it is only appropriate that I make a fic of the universe that inspired me to make that name. I know I'm probably overextending myself but ideas for this fic popped into my head during English class and I had to try. This is a crossover between the Resistance series and Strike Witches, with the Resistance universe having a slight AU. Now, instead of 90% of humanity being wiped out, it was only about 75%.

See? Improvement! Enjoy!


Chapter One: At War Again


1992, 32 years after the end of the Chimeran War

United Earth Defense Ship Charlie Tent

Earth Space

Crewman James Larin smiled as the Charlie Tent pulled away from Earth. The Charlie Tent was one of the many new Nathan Hale-class Shockships, meant to ensure that humanity was never threatened again. Though twenty two years had passed since the Carpeting of Russia, no one had forgotten the devastation that had been reaped on Earth. The six kilometer long ship was armed to the teeth with nearly every weapon known to man and heavy armored to boot.

"Hey, Larin." Larin turned and saw Ian pointing at a nearby view screen, which showed a pair of Orbital Satellites turn their lasers on Earth and fire. "Looks like their hitting the Wastelands again." Ian said, staring as the massive beams struck their targets. Larin nodded. "Must have found another Military Remnant." He muttered. Then he went back to work, it wasn't like orbital strikes were that uncommon.

Meanwhile the Charlie Tent continued on course to meet up with the Third Fleet


Several hours later

Space between Earth and Mars

Third Fleet, Command Carrier Vengeance of Japan

"Sir!" Fleet Commander Holtz Jorges turned to Officer Elena Willson. "We've got multiple Von Neumann signatures incoming on a straight course to Earth. three Mushrooms, ten Cylinders, and several hundred Mantas."

Holtz nodded, his face calm. "Sound General Quarters, Charlie Tent and Stephen Cartwright take front. Liberty Squadron provides fire to pierce armor, remaining ships form reserve. Launch Armored Skirmishers and engage ECM."

The Bridge Crew quickly rushed to their positions as the alarm sounded.

"General Quarters! General Quarters! All hands to Battle stations!"

The Third Fleet consisted of the Command Carrier Vengeance of Japan, three Nathan Hale Shockships: The Stephen Cartwright, the Charlie Tent, and the James Grayson, ten Blazer escort ships divided into Liberty and Unity Squadrons, and a few hundred Armored Skirmisher automated Mechas.

Armored Skirmishers launched forward in a screen as Liberty Squadron readied cannons and homing lasers, thousands upon thousands of weapon ports opened. Two minutes later the distance had closed between the two fleets.

"In firing range!"

"Engage!"

Suddenly the surface of each ship in the fleet erupted into a mess a weapons fire. Blazers fired hundreds of shells loaded with dispenser rounds. As the rounds sailed into range, they burst open, sending tiny micro-missiles into the Von Neumanns, shredding away armor. Even as the living ships attempted to regenerate, volleys of massive Radiation Sabots tore into the damaged craft, dozens of Mantas disintegrated as lucky shots ripped through their cores.

The return volley was just as impressive. Tens of thousands of energy beams shot out from hulls and raced toward the Third Fleet. Electronic Countermeasures sent half of course, which identical beams shot out from the Fleet and intercepted 2/3s of the remainder.

Which still left thousands to impact on the powerful shields of the Fleet.

"Liberty Squadron's taken a pounding! Liberty 4 is at 43% shield strength!" Liberty Squadron's Commander reported.

"Liberty Squadron, pull back to regenerate. Unity Squadron take their place!" Holtz roared. "Cartwright, Tent, fire all guns, focus on the Cylinders. The Japan will scan and locate cores."

As ships changed places the massive shockships sent barrages of laser, plasma, ion, missile, projectile, energy pulse, and Radiation fire toward the enemy. The Vengeance of Japan sent out probing scans at the Neumanns, locating cores and coordinating fire across the battle-space. Four Cylinders went down, their armor unable to protect their cores from the Radiation Sabots, while even more lighter Mantas were destroyed by concentrated fire by the Blazers. Flashes of light heralded the explosions of Nuclear missiles, which tore through the armor of an unlucky Mushroom, destroying it utterly. Meanwhile return fire continued to be deflected by active and passive defenses and impact on the shields and in some cases armor. For now, they were holding.

The remaining creatures had come close enough to attack with the Skirmishers, which quickly went to work. Accelerating towards the attackers and disregarding the loss of several of their number to defense fire, they split up, with some engaging in close range with the Mantas, where the electronic warfare of both parties had made long range fighting pointless, while the rest veered to attack the three remaining Mushrooms from their sides, where their massive frontal armor did them no good.

"James Grayson, concentrate fire on Mushroom 3. Liberty Squadron support Armored Skirmishers engaging the Mantas. Everyone else, concentrate on those cylinders." Holtz ordered calmly as Unitys 2 and 4 went up in massive fireballs, their defenses having been finally overwhelmed by fire.

It was swiftly avenged as a volley of Ion beams ripped through the offending Mushroom, weakening it enough for the following salvo of nukes to finish it off.

Meanwhile the Skirmishers finished off a third Mushroom, despite losing dozens in the fight. Fresh drones poured out of the Carrier, constructed by the ship's onboard factories, while the ship itself coordinated fire from Shockships, Blazers, and Skirmishers alike, pinpointing cores and ensuring minimal friendly fire.

Finally the Mantas had been scrapped, the Cylinders annihilated, and the last Mushroom had been torn apart by concentrated fire.

Holtz rubbed his forehead. "Deploy SAR, and inform Command about this. Get science ships in here to look at what's left of the wreckage."


Codex

Von Neumanns: Very little is known about the Von Neumanns, other than the fact that they are a race of sentient machines first appeared three years ago, and began attacking human ships with no pattern. They display a frightening regeneration ability, capable of repairing crippling damage to their structures. However, every Neumann has a core, which, if destroyed, will destroy its user. Their primary, and only known weaponry are massive amounts of energy beams, which have the power to lock onto their targets. Similar to a Bullseye or Reaper weapon. They are capable of subverting any technology they come across, even their Cores can possess and control technology. Because of this. SRPA has forbidden the use of actual Neumann technology in research. However, the principles on which their weapons and regeneration are based on have allowed SRPA to create new weapons and armor for United Earth Defense forces, including homing lasers, regenerating armor, and the famous Armored Skirmishers. Their name comes from their tendency to absorb and break down solid matter they come across, then using it both to power themselves and to create more of their kind. They seem to favor using large, brute force attacks, relying on their regeneration to see them through.

Types of Von Neumanns

Mantas: A corvette vessel, the Manta is largely used in massive waves, hurling clusters of lasers and drawing fire away from other, larger types. In large numbers, they can overwhelm even the mightiest spaceship. Exact size varies.

Cylinder: A cruiser analogue, they are the striking force, and the poor bloody infantry of the Neumanns' space fleet, they are often seen holding defensive positions near Motherships, or guarding more dedicated types as they go along their duties, as well as spearheading assaults, they will interpose themselves between the enemy and their charges.

Mushroom: Owing their name to the shape, a Mushroom has a massive semi-circle of mass composed of nothing but armor in front of them, the rest of the body is a "stalk", which houses the core and their many weapons. Used primarily on the offensive, absorbing fire directed at them from the front with impunity. Engage from the side. Usually around 10-12 Kilometers long.

Mothership: Massive constructs. Largest Neumanns to date, the biggest ones can be several times the size of a Chimeran Battleship. They serve as hubs for Numann space fleets, manufacturing everything needed for the war.


United Earth Defense ships: The UED controls the space from the inner planets to the asteroid belts, to protect mining ships and colonies, as well as the Homeworld, the UED has commissioned several new classes of spaceships, most being constructed at repurposed Chimeran Towers. All UED ships are atmosphere capable. UED ship doctrine focuses on massive amounts of armor. Von Neumann forces need concentrated, sustained fire from several larger ships to have a chance of breaching UED hulls.

Blazer class Escort: Two kilometers long, Blazers are armed with projectile cannons, Big Bull Point defense, and Homing beams. They are designed to lay down a massive field of fire, ripping apart armor with a variety of ammunition types from their cannons. They are grouped into squadrons of five.

Armament: 50 64 inch Projectile cannons, 300 5 inch projectile cannons, 20 missile tubes, 200 Radiation Sabot guns, 1000 Bulletstorm rail guns, 20 ion beam cannons, 50 homing laser clusters, 500 Big Bulls.

Nathan Hale class Shockship: The workhorse of the new fleet, and six kilometers long, the Shockship is designed to house nearly every weapon known to man, from Radiation Sabot turrets to ion cannons to nuclear missiles. They are armored to the point of absurdity, and are designed to absorb fire for less well armored ships and take down their opponents in massive slugfests and brawls. They are also tasked with deploying rapid response teams of Armored Skirmishers and Powered Armored infantry to hot spots on Earth. Named after heroes of the Chimera War.

Armament: 80 64 inch Projectile cannons, 300 missile tubes, 800 Radiation Sabot guns, 500 5 inch projectile cannons, 900 Big Bulls, 80 ion beam cannons, 2000 Bulletstorm rail guns, 200 homing laser clusters, 150 Armored Skirmishers, 4 [REDACTED BY ORDER OF SRPA].

Vengeance-class Command Carrier: Nerve centers for the fleet, these carriers are eight kilometers long, and capable of manufacturing Skirmishers, ammunition, fighters, tanks, etc. anything that the fleet might need for ground or space warfare. In combat, they deploy electronic support, coordinating fire and sabotaging hostile systems. They are named after countries destroyed during the Chimeran War. Needless to say, there is no risk in running out of names.

Armament: several electronic warfare and support systems, 2000 Armored Skirmishers and/or aircraft, 100 homing laser clusters, 50 ion beam cannons, 50 missile tubes, 500 Bulletstorm rail guns, 100 Radiation Sabot guns, large scale construction facilities.

Armored Skirmisher: SRPA is fully aware of the dangers Neumann cores possess, and instead studies Von Neumanns remains, what few there are, to see how their technology works, and how humans might utilize the same principles without danger. Therefore, the Armored Skirmisher was made 100% out of human parts, while wielding a Big Bull weapon in its right "arm", and in its left using an ion beam cannon. It uses Von Neumann-based gravity manipulators, allowing it maneuverability on space, land, sea, or air. While less armored and armed than UED tanks, the Skirmisher fulfills the role of a hit and run attacker well in the military. Controlled by primitive AI.

Big Bull: Imagine a Bullseye, now imagine a Bullseye scaled up as a small point defense gun. That's a Big Bull.


A/N: To no-one's surprise I'm, sure, the Von Neumanns are the Neuroi. Why these massive ships weren't used against the Strike Witches will be explained later. And eventually, the Third Fleet will meet the Witches.

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