"Kilrathi vessels, this is the EAS Gemini. Surrender your ships and
prepare to be boarded or be destroyed. You have one minute to comply."
*************************************************************
Cortax was in a most dire situation. In front of him his entire fighter group was surrounded by Earth Heavy Cruisers and Corvettes, ready to pump missiles into the packed formation. Behind him, two more Cruisers and a much larger vessel, a Nova Dreadnaught, was bearing down on his capital ships. The Dreadnaught, the EAS Gemini, was a full kilometer and a half long, and absolutely dwarfed his Snakier. The twenty-two Twin Plasma Cannons were very visible, and for once he was intimidated.
"Ralath, order the fighters to spread and engage the Earth ships, the Bavork and Asraki will assist. The rest of the fleet will come about and engage the rear targets."
The capital ships made a slow turn to face the fleet behind them, the destroyers and cruiser positioned to protect the Snakeir. The twin Hyperions formed up on either side of the dreadnaught and began to close the distance between the two armadas.
"Sir, we have a positive weapons lock," cried Ralath.
"All ships, open fire!"
The half-dozen Kilrathi ships opened up a barrage of intense laser fire on the dreadnaught. Interceptor fire prevented many bolts from connecting, and those that did impacted against the heavy armor of the Nova. The Gemini responded with her forward guns and aimed for the nearest ships, the Ralari Be'lox; her front shields took a brutal beating, and the last two shots penetrated and connected with her hull.
"The Be'lox reports her forward guns are knocked out and multiple breeches across her hull. Waiting orders, sir."
*************************************************************
The rest of the Kilrathi fleet was in an equal predicament. The fighters, supported by the Bavork and Asraki, were engaged the half-dozen Hyperions and Olympus ships that had jumped in around their position. Missile swarms from the Humans had evened the odds, as did the several Starfury squadrons that jumped with them, but both sides were still locked in a life and death struggle.
Captain Tuvork of the Asraki was on the edge of his captain's chair as the destroyer closed the distance between it and a Hyperion. The forward shields were down, multiple systems around the ship were failing, and all but one of his forward guns was damaged. The Hyperion was equally damaged, but her pulse guns were still putting the hurt on the Ralari.
"Captain, your orders?" cried out his first officer, as sparks danced across in the background. Tuvork sat there, his eyes wide with passion as they stared at the view screen of the Hyperion. He recalled all those times he had been passed by for promotion, stuck as commander of the Asraki for ten years while he could do nothing but built up its crew into the finest warriors in the whole navy. To see his life's work end in such as dishonorable way was too much for him. "Captain?!"
"Give me ramming speed," he said with a snarl, as the surviving bridge crew looked up at him with surprise and determination. The call went out across the ship, every member staying at his station while the engine room went into overtime. The great engines fired up fiercely, and the Asraki aimed its damaged bow for the Hyperion.
The Human captain was slow to realize what the injured cat was doing, and it was too late when he gave the order to dodge the Ralari. No amount of return fire from the Hyperion could prevent the Asraki from slamming into the midsection of the ship, the ships tearing each other apart as the destroyer became stuck halfway in the Human ship. That was when the reactor aboard the Asraki went critical, and the resulting blast turned both ships into so many small, floating parts of scrap.
*************************************************************
Reports of the Asraki's destruction were but background noise to Cortax at this point. Though one of the Hyperions had been damaged and forced to withdraw, he lost Be'lox and the destroyer Kavark was heavily damaged, her engines blasted and weapons disabled. The guns of the Ras'Tak were running hot as the Gemini charged straight for the Fralthi Druvakh.
"Sir, they're going to broadside her!" The Gemini and the second Hyperion were on either side of the Druvakh as the cruiser tried helplessly to get out from between them. The Dreadnaught's devastating volley combined with the Hyperion's was too much, and the Fralthi was nearly destroyed. She was covered with multiple gashes in the hull when she came out of the Human sandwich, and no response could be raised from her over the comm link.
However the Humans had not come out unscratched either; a missile fired from the Druvakh penetrated the armor of the Gemini along her starboard and damaging several guns and the destroyer Kt'lan had concentrated all its fire on the Hyperion. The Human's guns were preoccupied with the Druvakh and could not intercept the destroyer's shots; her armor was pierced along her hull and she lost her exposed bridge section.
"Target the cruiser, Ralath." The Ras'Tak fired off her twin IR missiles, striking the Hyperion before her disorganized guns could shot them down. They punched right through her fore armor and exploded inside the ship, sending chunks of hull shooting out in all directions.
"Confirmed kill, sir," replied Ralath, a wide grin forming in his mouth. It was a shame Cortax could not share in his delight as the sensors officer reported "Sir, the Gemini his heading right for the Kt'lan-She's cutting her to pieces!"
The Kt'lan was just no match for the angry dreadnaught bearing right at her, and even has her front shields collapsed and her bow was broken, the Gemini continued to fire as it passed over her, raking her topside with pulse fire. She was a fiery wreck when the shadow of the Gemini finally passed over her, secondary explosions ripping across her hull.
"She's coming around for a pass at us.sir, the Bavork reports the Human ships are retreating, but she is disabled and many of our fighters are lost-"
"Recall what fighters you can, Ralath, and direct them at the dreadnaught; pump as much power into the guns as you can and commence firing." Cortax knew all was lost; the Humans had wanted this, to separated his capital ships from the fighters and pick them off easily, and by the time the fighters he had left had reached the Res'Tak the Gemini would be all over him.
The Snakeir's guns raged with fury as the Gemini closed the distance, shooting down many of the shots and soaking up the rest as its front facing took a beating. She had closed the distance quickly before she answered with her heavy guns, seemingly cutting power to the engines in order to maintain the massive rate of fire. The forward shields were failing as the Gemini slowly passed to port, opening up with a tremendous broadside the punctured the shields and slammed against the armor.
Cortax slowly placed his paw on Ralath's shoulder, the loyal first officer turning to look him in the eyes; for the first time Cortax could recall he saw a tear in his eye. "It was an honor to serve and die with you."
"You too, sir," replied Ralath, just as the bridge of the Ras'Tak blew up around them and consumed them in fire. The Gemini made a show of pounding the Snakeir into a floating pile of scrap as the incoming Kilrathi pilots screamed with rage and fired on the dreadnaught. Quickly opening a jump point and killing a few more Kilrathi pilots, the Gemini disappeared along with the rest of the Human fleet. With the Bavork succumbing to her injuries and exploded from the critical reactor, the surviving fighter pilots of the Kilrathi Defense Fleet were left to commit suicide rather then starve to death in their cockpits as peace settled in the "quiet" system of Sum'Tlor.
*************************************************************
Cortax was in a most dire situation. In front of him his entire fighter group was surrounded by Earth Heavy Cruisers and Corvettes, ready to pump missiles into the packed formation. Behind him, two more Cruisers and a much larger vessel, a Nova Dreadnaught, was bearing down on his capital ships. The Dreadnaught, the EAS Gemini, was a full kilometer and a half long, and absolutely dwarfed his Snakier. The twenty-two Twin Plasma Cannons were very visible, and for once he was intimidated.
"Ralath, order the fighters to spread and engage the Earth ships, the Bavork and Asraki will assist. The rest of the fleet will come about and engage the rear targets."
The capital ships made a slow turn to face the fleet behind them, the destroyers and cruiser positioned to protect the Snakeir. The twin Hyperions formed up on either side of the dreadnaught and began to close the distance between the two armadas.
"Sir, we have a positive weapons lock," cried Ralath.
"All ships, open fire!"
The half-dozen Kilrathi ships opened up a barrage of intense laser fire on the dreadnaught. Interceptor fire prevented many bolts from connecting, and those that did impacted against the heavy armor of the Nova. The Gemini responded with her forward guns and aimed for the nearest ships, the Ralari Be'lox; her front shields took a brutal beating, and the last two shots penetrated and connected with her hull.
"The Be'lox reports her forward guns are knocked out and multiple breeches across her hull. Waiting orders, sir."
*************************************************************
The rest of the Kilrathi fleet was in an equal predicament. The fighters, supported by the Bavork and Asraki, were engaged the half-dozen Hyperions and Olympus ships that had jumped in around their position. Missile swarms from the Humans had evened the odds, as did the several Starfury squadrons that jumped with them, but both sides were still locked in a life and death struggle.
Captain Tuvork of the Asraki was on the edge of his captain's chair as the destroyer closed the distance between it and a Hyperion. The forward shields were down, multiple systems around the ship were failing, and all but one of his forward guns was damaged. The Hyperion was equally damaged, but her pulse guns were still putting the hurt on the Ralari.
"Captain, your orders?" cried out his first officer, as sparks danced across in the background. Tuvork sat there, his eyes wide with passion as they stared at the view screen of the Hyperion. He recalled all those times he had been passed by for promotion, stuck as commander of the Asraki for ten years while he could do nothing but built up its crew into the finest warriors in the whole navy. To see his life's work end in such as dishonorable way was too much for him. "Captain?!"
"Give me ramming speed," he said with a snarl, as the surviving bridge crew looked up at him with surprise and determination. The call went out across the ship, every member staying at his station while the engine room went into overtime. The great engines fired up fiercely, and the Asraki aimed its damaged bow for the Hyperion.
The Human captain was slow to realize what the injured cat was doing, and it was too late when he gave the order to dodge the Ralari. No amount of return fire from the Hyperion could prevent the Asraki from slamming into the midsection of the ship, the ships tearing each other apart as the destroyer became stuck halfway in the Human ship. That was when the reactor aboard the Asraki went critical, and the resulting blast turned both ships into so many small, floating parts of scrap.
*************************************************************
Reports of the Asraki's destruction were but background noise to Cortax at this point. Though one of the Hyperions had been damaged and forced to withdraw, he lost Be'lox and the destroyer Kavark was heavily damaged, her engines blasted and weapons disabled. The guns of the Ras'Tak were running hot as the Gemini charged straight for the Fralthi Druvakh.
"Sir, they're going to broadside her!" The Gemini and the second Hyperion were on either side of the Druvakh as the cruiser tried helplessly to get out from between them. The Dreadnaught's devastating volley combined with the Hyperion's was too much, and the Fralthi was nearly destroyed. She was covered with multiple gashes in the hull when she came out of the Human sandwich, and no response could be raised from her over the comm link.
However the Humans had not come out unscratched either; a missile fired from the Druvakh penetrated the armor of the Gemini along her starboard and damaging several guns and the destroyer Kt'lan had concentrated all its fire on the Hyperion. The Human's guns were preoccupied with the Druvakh and could not intercept the destroyer's shots; her armor was pierced along her hull and she lost her exposed bridge section.
"Target the cruiser, Ralath." The Ras'Tak fired off her twin IR missiles, striking the Hyperion before her disorganized guns could shot them down. They punched right through her fore armor and exploded inside the ship, sending chunks of hull shooting out in all directions.
"Confirmed kill, sir," replied Ralath, a wide grin forming in his mouth. It was a shame Cortax could not share in his delight as the sensors officer reported "Sir, the Gemini his heading right for the Kt'lan-She's cutting her to pieces!"
The Kt'lan was just no match for the angry dreadnaught bearing right at her, and even has her front shields collapsed and her bow was broken, the Gemini continued to fire as it passed over her, raking her topside with pulse fire. She was a fiery wreck when the shadow of the Gemini finally passed over her, secondary explosions ripping across her hull.
"She's coming around for a pass at us.sir, the Bavork reports the Human ships are retreating, but she is disabled and many of our fighters are lost-"
"Recall what fighters you can, Ralath, and direct them at the dreadnaught; pump as much power into the guns as you can and commence firing." Cortax knew all was lost; the Humans had wanted this, to separated his capital ships from the fighters and pick them off easily, and by the time the fighters he had left had reached the Res'Tak the Gemini would be all over him.
The Snakeir's guns raged with fury as the Gemini closed the distance, shooting down many of the shots and soaking up the rest as its front facing took a beating. She had closed the distance quickly before she answered with her heavy guns, seemingly cutting power to the engines in order to maintain the massive rate of fire. The forward shields were failing as the Gemini slowly passed to port, opening up with a tremendous broadside the punctured the shields and slammed against the armor.
Cortax slowly placed his paw on Ralath's shoulder, the loyal first officer turning to look him in the eyes; for the first time Cortax could recall he saw a tear in his eye. "It was an honor to serve and die with you."
"You too, sir," replied Ralath, just as the bridge of the Ras'Tak blew up around them and consumed them in fire. The Gemini made a show of pounding the Snakeir into a floating pile of scrap as the incoming Kilrathi pilots screamed with rage and fired on the dreadnaught. Quickly opening a jump point and killing a few more Kilrathi pilots, the Gemini disappeared along with the rest of the Human fleet. With the Bavork succumbing to her injuries and exploded from the critical reactor, the surviving fighter pilots of the Kilrathi Defense Fleet were left to commit suicide rather then starve to death in their cockpits as peace settled in the "quiet" system of Sum'Tlor.