The Intergalactic War, Revised
A.N: Alright, I finally gathered enough inspiration to begin a rewrite of 'The Intergalactic War'. Why a rewrite? Looking back and reading though the original, I cringed when I saw appallingly bad writing on my behalf. So I've decided to ditch that one, and start anew. So much for my goal of completing the other one, eh? Well, I'll do my utter best to write much, much better than the other one, and to complete this one.
One word of warning: this may seem like a near pointless space battle, but this is the first time in a long time that I've written Star Wars. I have taken into account the advice that all the reviewers of the first Intergalactic War have given, and it hopefully will play into my writing later on. But not right now.
To get everything over and done with now, I have no idea where in the Star Wars timeline this story takes place. I am not an avid Star Wars fan, and have since dropped out of touch with what's going on. So please don't ask me when this takes place. I have no friggin clue and this goes against being a good writer, but I honestly don't really care. Another thing that urgently needs to be addressed is this. I'll put it in capitals so you won't miss it: THIS IGNORES THE HALO 3 STORYLINE.
I've gotten who-knows-how-many reviews that tell me something has happened in Halo 3 which I have not put into my story. It becomes VERY annoying when I've already said that I'm ignoring the Halo 3 storyline, yet people keep telling me things about Halo 3 which I already know. I've never liked the Halo 3 storyline in the first place in any case. This takes the same basic idea of original Intergalactic War, but I've thrown in a few modifications of the story. I hope you'll find it surprising. The interesting stuff happens next chapter xD. So review peoples, and I'll see ya next time.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Both of them.
Chapter 1: The Fall of Kamino
The stars over the watery world of Kamino were usually bright, a glimmer of light over the desolate, stormy world. This time, they were blocked out, as new stars took their place in the heavens: the exploding reactors of multiple warships.
One such ship, an aging, but still nonetheless formidable Imperial II-class Star Destroyer the Revelation, bore the signs of the turbulent battle over the planet. The shield generators were destroyed, and various marks scored its surface from turbolaser strikes, proton torpedos to proton bombs detonating and even suicidal Vulture droids colliding with it. Its turbolaser batteries continued to operate however, spitting green beams of death at whatever it could target. Given the sea of skeletal, sinister CIS frigates and destroyers around, outnumbering the Alliance vessels almost three to one, targets were not a problem.
Lasers struck out and pounded against the shields of a Recusant, gaining its attention. The smaller light destroyer turned slowly as the turbolasers continued to batter at its shields. They gave way before the might of the Star Destroyer, and several bolts struck the hole. Explosions bloomed from the craters carved into the ship. Wounded, the Recusant was suddenly enveloped in fire as a pair of bombers strafed it, dropping a wide variety of munitions across its battered hull.
Parts shattered off and flew into space, as the Recusant's reactor went critical. Explosions went off one after another as the fires chained their way into the ship's reactor. A final explosion ripped the ship into two, flinging the pieces into the far corners of space, which were now completely filled with ship after ship slugging it out.
Bolts of deadly colour filled the emptiness of space as the Alliance ships desperately tried to hold the line against an endless tidal wave of expendable CIS warships. At the rear of the Alliance formation, a pair of Viscount-class Star Defenders remained as heavy weapons platforms, their numerous batteries lighting up with bright discharges of turbolasers. Frigates scuttled around the battlefront, lending their firepower when needed and plugging holes in the steadily weakening Alliance lines. Fighters screamed through space, chasing CIS bombers which had slipped past to wreak havoc and destruction as the battlecruisers formed the main frontline.
Ahead of them lay the greatest mass of vessels they had ever seen. Nearly two hundred CIS warships, all of varying sizes, firepower and class, gathered in space launching probing attacks to light skirmishes against the Alliance line, with several large assaults. Never since the infamous Clone Wars had this many CIS vessels resurfaced, each representing the Confederacy's idea: cheap, inexpensive, expendable. Operating in packs, none of them operated alone: always a pack.
Another assault: several Providence-class carriers/destroyers, their surfaces rippling as Vulture droids scrabbled around on its hull, breaking away and heading off, followed by a swarm of Recusants and Munificents. Lasers flew to intercept their path as the CIS line surged forward again, intent on breaking the Alliance line, ship by ship. The heavy turbolaser cannons of the frontline opened up in their opening salvo as they advanced, swarms of Vulture droids and Tri-fighters buzzing around, in numbers so huge that they appeared as a mist over the CIS ships.
Their salvo was met in turn by the might of the Alliance warships. Turbolasers fired, meeting red bolts for green, as proton torpedos lanced out of their tubes, stabbing into the CIS lines as their salvo reached them. Instantaneously, ships on both sides of the conflict exploded as the shields were overwhelmed by the barrage, and hulls torn apart from multiple strikes. More hulks joined the ever-increasing amount littering space, as the Alliance lurched forward, the speedier frigates moving ahead past the destroyers and battlecruisers. The pair of Viscounts brought up the rear as they sluggishly joined their brothers-in-arms in their fight for survival, hope and victory.
Space was once again clogged up with the metallic hulks of warships, the bright flashes of turbolasers and the explosions as ships were destroyed. One of the Viscounts turned its innumerable guns against a trio of Recusants harassing the flanks of the Alliance navy, preying on smaller ships. Metal buckled under the assault, as one of the ships burst into flames and exploded soon after being blasted. The other two disengaged, and flew straight at the Viscounts, barging past other Alliance vessels who were engaged at point-blank range. Turbolasers ripped into their frontal shields, the sheer force and number of turbolasers stopping one dead in its tracks, while the other was shredded by the other Viscount. Twin explosions dotted space, overshadowed by others. Once destroyed and little more than space junk, no more attention was paid to them. There were more vessels to destroy, and time was running out.
One of the MC80 Star Cruisers exploded from combined might of five Recusants, the overwhelming firepower too much for it to bear, as the pack continued its hunt. One fell to the guns of a Star Destroyer as they set their sights on avenging their fallen comrade. A wing of fighters left the Star Destroyer's launch bays, whirling around in a twist of death as they engaged the Vulture and Tri-fighter complement escorting the Recusant pack. TIE fighters and Interceptors duelled their mechanised, automated counterparts as a contingent of TIE bombers left the Star Destroyer's bays, carrying enough explosive warheads to crack through the shields...or to crack and wipe out huge portions of the hull.
The TIE Fighters and Interceptors managed to destroy three Vulture droids before one of their number fell: a TIE Interceptor spiralling out of control, a Tri-fighter pursuing it, sending red bolts racing after it. More individual dogfights occurred around the fighters, as the bombers roared over the top to deliver their deadly cargo.
The only transmission from the bombers signalled the inevitable destruction: "Bombs away."
The TIE Bombers unloaded their proton bombs, flashes of blue warheads dropping out of their racks and falling towards the Recusant below, which was trading fire between it and the Star Destroyer. The shields failed...just as the first bombs hit. Explosions ripped apart the hull of the Recusant, blowing pieces of armour and the hull off. Internal components, power lines and conduits were severed as the bombs tore apart the ship. A pair of bombers went after the engine nacelles: proton bombs, glowing blue and white, ripped two of the nacelles to shreds, and cutting power to the only nacelle left. Explosions rang up the chain that led to the main reactor, which began going critical from the massive energy build-up even as the Star Destroyer continued to hammer away.
It exploded into a fireball, sending small parts of space metal into nearby ships and shields as the bombers returned to their home bays. Warning sirens sounded throughout the Star Destroyer, as the Recusant, ablaze with all the fire it was taking from the other ships, plunged towards the Star Destroyer, its intent obvious. It crushed starfighters against its hull as it pressed onwards. Un-phased by the sheer amount of turbolasers striking it, the Recusant fired all of its forward weapons at full power.
Enormous bolts of ion cannon power and lasers struck the failing shields of the Star Destroyer. The shields flickered, glowed and then died, as the final protective barrier phased out. With nothing stopping it, the Recusant slammed into the larger ship: crunching itself into the hull, through hallways and decks and breaking every protective seal that would have stopped it. An explosion consumed both warships as the Recusant's reactor went critical, sparking a chain reaction which ignited the Star Destroyer's reactor.
After the explosion had faded, nothing more remained of the two ships other than a few bits and pieces of scrap metal.
Strewn in the graveyard of dead and dying ships, the battle continued to rage. A pair of Providence-class carrier/destroyers ganged up on an MC80, tearing into with turbolasers and ion cannons. Entire sections of the ship went dark without power as the ion cannons sucked the power out of the ship like a leech. The MC80 was then consumed by a wing of bombers, explosions dotting all along its hull, sparking a final explosion that ended its operational life.
Similarly, a group of Recusants were destroyed by multiple bombing runs made by a wing of K-Wing assault starfighters. An Imperial Star Destroyer remained as a firebase, hiding its age under its sheer firepower that destroyed a pair of Recusants, and mortally wounding a Munificent-class frigate.
Torpedos, turbolasers and bombs were exchanged between both sides, as dropships loaded with Marines did their best to navigate through the field of debris and into the landing hangars of the enemy ships to begin firefights anew, this time inside the ships. Several ships lost power to the Marines, droid or otherwise, as the boarders then did their best to secure a new LZ to bring in a steadier rate of reinforcements and from there on, into the bridge.
Three Alliance warships, a MC80B Star Cruiser, a Nebulon-B frigate and a Star Destroyer, fell to the droid forces that simply swarmed over the defenders, overwhelming them in a wave of unfeeling metal and blasters. Two of the of ships managed to self-destruct before the droids got a hold of the ship, but the other, the Star Destroyer, fell under CIS control. Within minutes, a droid flight crew had been flown in and had taken over the ship. Nearby Alliance vessels were caught off-guard when the Star Destroyer turned its guns on them, knocking out shields and biting into the hull.
The distraction cost the Alliance dearly, as a battle group of Providences, followed by a large number of supporting destroyers and frigates charged straight into the lines, ploughing through the frontline of destroyers and battlecruisers. They brushed aside all forms of resistance as they began wreaking havoc within the Alliance lines, shielded from the wrath of the Viscounts by the other Alliance vessels. Vessel after vessel exploded as the Providences, modified with extra proton torpedo tubes, unleashed barrage after barrage of glowing proton torpedos, devastating the lighter vessels and heavily damaging the heavier warships.
The numerous Recusants and Munificents served as sacrificial shields for the Providences, taking the blows on their shields and hulls if necessary, adding their more diminutive (compared to the Providences) firepower to the already destructive force that the Providences were projecting. Point defence lasers on the Confederate ships sprayed laser bolts across space, trying to hit the Alliance fighters buzzing around. Several went up in flames, their shields overloaded and lasers ripping into their frames. Similar lasers from the Alliance lines struck the innumerable amount of droid fighters buzzing around, vaporising them in just a few hits.
With a hole in their lines, the rest of the Confederate navy slipped within the lines, tearing apart the Alliance from within. The sheer amount of firepower being sent back and forth caused explosions to dot space, lighting up the darkness for all on the planet below to see. The Providences provided the heavy hitting that the Confederate fleet needed to crack the heavier shielding and hulls of the larger Alliance vessels. Two Providences exploded when the Viscounts again proved their worth in gold, continually battering away at the Confederate ships that swarmed all over the battlefield. The effort ultimately proved to be futile, as no matter how many ships they or the others destroyed, more simply swarmed to take their place in the ever-growing sea of CIS ships.
Turbolasers from all sides tore into ships, sending more into the expanding graveyard as the brave pilots of the fighters and the bombers of the Alliance did their best to drive away the droid bombers and ward off fighters. Simply spraying laser fire into the masses of droids gave the Alliance pilots a kill ratio of nearly three droid ships to every pilot. Despite this, there were nearly ten droid fighters and bombers for every Alliance pilot. Interceptors and A-Wings flew circles around, dogfighting with their counterparts, the agile and deadly Droid Tri-fighter. The other larger fighters and bombers struck out against Confederate vessels that approached the small battle group that was left of the Alliance fleet.
Sustaining enough losses, the Confederates backed off their fleet momentarily, giving the battered and virtually defeated Alliance fleet-turned-battle group a brief moment of reprieve to rest and cool the guns...and to send out the signal that Kamino was all but lost.
The battle group consisted of the two Viscounts which were responsible for the destruction of multiple Confederate ships, a trio of MC80B Star Cruisers, one of which was badly damaged, a pair of Imperial II-class Star Destroyers still in a good condition and a variety of other frigates and smaller ships. Fighters, all refuelled and rearmed for their last stand, assumed escorting positions over the capital ships that they had to defend. The turbolaser batteries were warmed up once more, this time with their capacitors overcharged: it was normally a hazard, with the risk of the capacitor overloading and exploding, but all circumstances considered, the Alliance battle group was as good as dead in any case.
Having drawn back long enough to reinforce their fleet once again, the Confederate fleet surged forward as one again. This time, they were met with a barrage of proton torpedos fired from the Alliance battle group. Glowing blue torpedos struck the forward line of Recusants, acting as a shield to soak up damage for the heavier and harder to replace ships at the rear. Explosions dotted the shields, some of which failed after repeated torpedo strikes.
Continuing forward, ignorant of the damage they had taken (though some of the vessels slipped away for the ones behind with shields to take their place), they struck a minefield lain by the Alliance. Explosions dotted space as the mines, upon contact, exploded. Ripping through weakened shields, the explosions tore gaping holes in the unshielded vessels, opening their vulnerable atmosphere within to the cold depths of space. Explosion after explosion occurred as the Confederate navy pushed onwards, steadily clearing a path through the field, paying with every metre gained.
Reaching the firing range of the Alliance battle group, the Confederate fleet immediately fired. A hellish salvo of turbolasers and proton torpedos lashed out at the Alliance battle group, turning space from black to a glowing angry red. The Alliance ships returned the favour, firing their own far smaller barrage of supercharged turbolasers and proton torpedos. Explosions ran rampant as ship after ship went down, their shields pierced by turbolasers or cracked from proton torpedo hits.
Given the sheer number of vessels being thrown at them, the Alliance ships went down one by one, blown apart by being targeted by multiple batteries and proton torpedos. After what seemed an eternity of fiery explosions and glowing turbolaser battery barrels, only the two Viscount Star Defenders stood.
The Confederate ships, surrounding the doomed vessels on all sides, stopped firing. A single transmission was given to the two Viscounts from the lead Confederate vessel.
The Admiral onboard the less damaged of the two Viscounts gave the offer a disdainful snort.
"Get me a line to their leader," he barked.
The men and women under his command rushed about, tapping keys to get a link to the Confederate flagship. Seconds later, a screen popped up, and showed a Neimoidian, their leader.
"Well captain, do we have your surrender?"
"I'm not a captain. It's Admiral, and let me tell you one thing: we're the Alliance Navy; we don't surrender to the likes of you! You can take your surrender, and shove it up your spiny ass!"
With that final declaration that sealed their fate, the connection was cut, and the screen faded to black.
"Tell all gunners that they have weapons free. Take down as many of them tinnies as they can!" ordered the Admiral.
Supercharged turbolasers struck out against the Confederate vessels as they surged forwards, intent on snuffing out the last of the Alliance battle group that had held out against them. Punching through the shields of the nearest CIS vessels, the supercharged lasers blasted holes into the hulls and armour plating as the last few remaining fighters and bombers dove amongst the wreckage. Proton torpedos wrecked as many ships as the lasers, as the Confederates threw every ship that they had at the two massive Viscounts.
The Viscounts were massive ships wielding enough firepower to make any battle fleet think twice about attacking it. Complemented by wings of starfighters and armour plating as well as heavy shielding, they were the epitome of the perfect warship.
But not even the sheer amount of firepower or size was enough to get the Confederate fleet to back down. Ship after ship engaged the two, throwing massive barrages of lasers and torpedos at the Viscounts. The initial wave of Recusants was brushed aside, swatted out of space by turbolasers. The next wave comprised of heavier ships, but all the same, they fell to the combined might of the Viscounts.
Turbolasers shattered ships were they moved, and proton torpedos detonated on hulls as the Viscounts fired everything within their mighty arsenal at the endless waves of Confederate ships. One ship after another exploded, their shattered and ruined hulls joining the expanding graveyard even as their fellows rose to take their place. Swarming in front of, around and below the Viscounts, the shields of the mighty warships were slowly but surely battered down in a constant hail of lasers and torpedos. Return fire smashed another pack of Confederate warships, reducing their superstructure to something akin to cheese, with craters blasted into every imaginable part of the ships...or outright vaporising them.
The death and destruction of their fellows only seemed to inspire the Confederate ships to attack with even greater ferocity. They continued a non-stop bombardment of the two Viscounts, heedless of their losses. Under the sheer force of the fusillade, the shields of one of the Viscounts, the Glory, cracked apart. Instantly, armour plating boiled and was vaporised as the sheer number of laser bolts slamming into it wrecked it apart. The ship started to list as more and more holes were punched through the ship as the Confederates swarmed the dying vessel. The Viscount's sister ship Mercy tried to fight its way to the virtually destroyed ship, lasers and proton torpedos lashing out at anything daring enough to get close.
But it was a doomed venture.
With agonising slowness, a Providence-class carrier/destroyer with flames crackling throughout its superstructure, rammed the unshielded Glory. Explosions, eerily silent in the vacuum of space, blossomed in deadly sprays of red and orange. The force of the Providence ramming the Glory had resulted in the virtual merging of the two superstructures, as the Providence became embedded into the Glory. The Providence, being the less structurally sound of the two warships, exploded as its reactor was breached and overloaded.
Fire ripped through the interior of the Glory, consuming oxygen, metal, ammunition, fuel and people indiscriminately. Explosions chained up along inside the ship as bulkheads slammed down to contain the raging infernos as automated suppression systems went to work. Suppressants sprayed the afflicted areas, dousing the flames as several breaches in the hull were created from the fires exploding outwards.
Heavily damaged, unshielded and now virtually unarmoured, the Confederate forces continued to pound the Glory as others closed in on the Mercy. With a final shuddering groan, the Glory succumbed to her fate as yet another near unrecognisable hulk. Several ships continued to pound the floating, disabled and destroyed Glory as if to celebrate their victory over the titan.
Their victory was cut short however, when the Mercy fired a devastating salvo from a portion of its guns, aiming at the offending Confederate ships. Three Recusants were figuratively blown out of the water, their burning wrecks careening uncontrollably into nearby ships to wreak even more chaos.
It only served to bring the full attention of the fleet to the last surviving Alliance ship, as the Mercy stubbornly held off its innumerable attackers. One ship fell, followed by another, and another, all victims of the massive guns of the Mercy. But even giants, with enough firepower, will and numbers could be defeated.
Confederate ships swarmed the Mercy, appearing like a swarm of flies over dead carrion. They were persistent, battering away at shields from range, trying their best of avoid return fire, or flying as close to the behemoth as they dared and unleashing massive broadsides point blank into the Mercy.
But as wounded as it was, the Mercy was not going down without a fight. Lasers and proton torpedos left even more Confederate ships floating lifelessly, as ion cannons carefully picked out and disabled ships with high-powered blasts of ions that rendered them helpless. Such ships were ripe targets for the turbolaser gunners, and they fired on the disabled ships with impunity. But as many as there were disabled, even more were still active and pummelling the Mercy mercilessly.
Gaping holes appeared in the mighty warship's frame, widened even further from additional impacts which tore the ship apart. On the bridge, the Admiral viewed the lost battle with saddened eyes. Multiple reports started to stream in regarding the reactor, which was on the verge of exploding. Before the officer could say anything to the Admiral, a loud rumbling was felt through the deck. The Admiral took one last look at the battle in space outside, and then took one long last look at the bridge and the crew, all of whom were looking at him, waiting for orders.
He opened his mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out.
He had failed.
With a final groan, the Mercy exploded. Fragments of the once-mighty ship showered the entire battlefield, white-hot fragments bouncing off shields or streaking into unshielded hulls like miniature meteorites. Completely victorious, the uncontested, if severely depleted, Confederate fleet moved in on the planet like a shark circling its prey.
Kamino was theirs for the taking.