October 7th 2021, Low orbit above Tegrea, Sector 0011
Dozens of Ha'taks orbited the world of one of earth's main allies, even since the siege began a good 3 months ago, the Tegreans, first inspired by the Prometheus's appearance on their world nearly 19 years ago. Ever since the signing of the alliance, the Tegreans have researched into their own starship technology, using the donated Prometheus class from the Terrans as a basis, but before they could even get their own fleet off the ground, the Goa'uld came, and they came in force.
The entire world was under siege, the forces on the planet have been battling off the invasion forces as best they can, but city after city feel, unprepared for such an assault, even their Prometheus, the Andromeda, was left grounded, unwilling to bring attention to itself for the forces in the sky to do an orbital bombardment. The constant subspace messages sent out to the Terran homeworld were mostly intercepted and blocked, the people of Tegrea were starting to lose hope, as the capital city was forced to make its final stand, little did they know, one got through, and earth was sending help.
5th world of the Tegrean System
Elements of the First fleet exited hyperspace near the gas giant, the 3 original Prometheus's, the Reliant and multiple destroyer escorts, cruised around the planet in a fast orbit, hiding behind the planets massive gravitational pull while the final elements of the liberation were put into play. Soon after, the fleet activated their hyperdrives, making the in-system jump to the 4th world, leaving the planet just as quick and subtle as they came.
Hyperspace, on route to Tegrean Orbit, ESS Reliant
"Captain we're preparing to exit hyperspace, all wings ready for launch on your order." His temporary XO and Squad leader of the 45th, Flying Tigers, Commander Enriquez reported.
"All Station report." Captain Foster ordered.
"Weapons ready."
"Engineering ready."
"Comm. Ready sir."
"Ops ready"
"Medical Ready"
"Squadrons?" The captain asked.
"45th ready to launch on your orders sir."
"Pirate leader, were ready sir."
"Vampires awaiting launch on your mark captain."
"Gamma wing sir, we're ready to engage."
The captain nodded in satisfaction, "Alright, everyone prepare to exit hyperspace, Pirates give us escort in, Tigers give gamma wing some cover on their run Vampires engage at will, take out as many gliders as possible."
"Exiting hyperspace now."
The crew watched from the numerous windows around the reliant battle carrier, no matter how many times they saw it, it was a magical sight, the spectrum of lights washing over you, while jolting you into real space, the sudden change made many crew from ships all over the GDI fleet request additional sick-bags, the janitors in particular not liking what they've dubbed the 'clean up period' right after exiting hyperspace. Still the fleet exited into real space relatively smoothly, what they were more worried about now, were the dozens of Ha'taks turning to engage them.
"All fighters, launch!" Foster ordered, as the 3 fighter wings exited the numerous bays on both broadsides, gamma wing exiting from the docking bays below.
"Move us in between the lead two Ha'taks, prepare all torpedoes!"
The battlecarrier let its engines go all out, as it pushed forward ahead of the main attack group, its fighters struggling to keep up, Iron Guard Squadron F-302's pushed the afterburners to their limits, with the Flying Tigers utilizing the prototype medium attack fighters, the Phoenix to their full capability, equipped with twin railguns, Hebridian fighter pulse cannons as well as the new fighter variant ion cannon, they were designed to be capable of slicing into a Goa'uld shield with a full blast.
"We're coming up on the Ha'tak group now." The ships Conn. Officer reported
"Weapons?" Foster asked
"Ready sir, heavy torpedoes ready to fire on your mark."
"Open fire!"
The sleek yet odd designed carrier moved in between the twin Goa'uld capital ships, as they continued to pound into its Asgard shields with volley after volley of plasma fire was bounced off by the still holding fields. Slowing down, its weapon ports opened on both starboard and port, with it dozens of torpedoes burst out, at this short range they slammed into the golden shields with huge force, breaking through them completely.
"Enemy shields down sir, our own at 43, we've got the pulse cannons ready."
"Destroy them."
The twin particle pulse cannons of the reliant swung around to aim at each ship, both turrets unleashed a trio of blue bolts at the unshielded craft, blasting into the armour, as it burned away the inner decks of the Ha'taks like fire to paper.
"Captain we've hit one of the Ha'taks hyperdrives, it's about to go critical." The ops officer reported
"Get us out of hear, cruise engines."
"Aye sir" came the reply from the Conn.
The remains of the two Goa'uld ships were now left behind, with the human ship putting its engines to full, as it cruised out at all possible speeds, watching as one of the Ha'tak explodes almost instantly, taking its sister with it, as the explosion engulfed everything in a 20 kilometre radius.
"Sir this is Iron Guard Squadron, we're detecting incoming gliders, taking them out." The Dutch voice of Beta leader reported.
"Understood Beta One, we'll give you as much cover as possible, Foster out."
ESS Daedalus
"Bring us in, full power to forward shields!" Captain Harper yelled over the constant sparking of consoles, as his ship was rocked by enemy fire over and over again.
"More Al'kesh moving in sir, 9 o'clock!"
"Switch port CWIS network to computer control, have all missiles bays prepare to fire on the lead Ha'tak!"
"The Avenger is inbound, telling us to hold for a few more seconds."
"Then lets buy some time, break off attack and spread power to the shields evenly, put as much power into pulse cannon one as possible, see if we can get at least another shot out of it."
"Aye sir cannon charging."
ESS Avenger
"Daedalus's shields are about to fail sir, its getting swamped."
"Prepare the ion cannon, pulse cannons and torpedoes on standby." Captain Marwick ordered.
"Aye sir, moving into ion attack position." As the Conn officer lead the Battlecruiser into position for the ion cannon, turning on its axis in a broadside, facing the legions of enemies that were devastating its sister ship.
"Cannon ready sir."
"Open fire, nearest ships to the Daedalus."
The beam struck out like many times before, the brilliant blue light illuminating the darkness of space more then the explosions of ships and fighters ever could, it quickly cut through the lead Ha'tak like it was nothing, forcing the other Goa'uld forces to notice this new threat.
"That got their attention, let's draw it further, fire everything we've got." The captain ordered calmly, as he watched the numerous pulse blasts and torpedoes fly towards the approaching force from the bridges main window. Numerous explosions were seen in the onslaught, some out right destruction, but they still came. "Turn us about, tactical retreat to the reliant and its escorts, request support from gamma wing."
"Aye sir, cruise engines activating."
The Prometheus class immediately fired one last barrage of torpedoes, before turning about and forcing max power to the engines, turning around and pushing it towards the main fleet, daring the Goa'uld to follow.
ESS Daedalus
The ship was a mess, shields completely failed and armour cut into in several sections, it was amazing that the ship survived at all, on the bridge, the layers of smoke was slowly clearing thanks to the life support systems, soon many of the crew returned to their stations, ignoring their wounds, and worries for the time being, "Captain their breaking off, shall we pursue?" His XO asked
"Negative, our way is clear, get us over the Tegrean Capital City, we've got some reinforcements to deliver."
"Aye sir, we're moving in now."
ESS Reliant
"The Avengers requesting support sir, Destroyers and gamma wing moving in."
Foster nodded "Move us in, 51st you are free to engage, destroy as many gliders as possible before meeting up with the Vampires."
"Aye sir, were moving in."
"Okay people, get ready because we now are going to face the greatest battle that anyone on this bridge has ever faced." He frowned slightly at the thought, even at his age of 53, service in the Royal Navy, the Royal Space Navy, and now the United Earth Navy of GDI, he had yet to face a force this large, one more important, and one more desperate. "Prepare all weapons, point defence stations to computer control, reload all torpedoes with naqaudah enhanced, full power to the pulse cannons."
ESS Prometheus
Admiral Pendergast watched as the Goa'uld ships came into weapons range, their own plasma cannons opening fire in a weakly formed long range attack, he smirked "Open fire!"
The Prometheus let loose with its torpedoes, the 4 torpedo bombers of gamma wing not having the range, continued their escort, the 45th Flying Tigers on head of the small battle fleet thanks to their new fighter class ion engines, singling out a Ha'tak they opened fire with their ion cannons, breeching holes all over its shields before letting loose on the numerous gun emplacements and secondary targets that littered the ships hull, leaving it completely disabled.
Pendergast grinned 'I'm sure the Free Jaffa will like it.' "Prepare second salvo, fire pulse cannons."
"Pulse cannons at 50 sir, we'll only get two shots from each." The weapons officer reported cautiously.
"Noted, fire anyway, inform the Tigers that gamma wing will be making its run."
ESS Avenger
The Battlecruiser was taking a pounding, after forcing the Goa'uld off the Daedalus, Warwicks own ship was forced into the same fate, in high orbit above the planet, shields gone, and all but the torpedo tubes gone, it was coming to an end. He was at least going to give the people on that planet what he was sent to deliver.
"IMPACTS we'll set you up for the drop but its going to be close." He ordered through the Avengers inter-ship comm. System. "All hands prepare to evacuate the Avenger, we'll do as much damage as possible to buy some time but hurry!" he turned to the bridge crew, they all knew that even if they wanted to escape, there was no time, with the Avenger now holding orbit above Tegrea, and the Ha'taks constantly pounding into the trinium armour, it would be seconds now.
"This is IMPACT Squadron, we're dropping now, god speed Avenger."
ESS Reliant
The crew watched in the distance as the Avenger exploded, the force engulfing the attacking ships also, wiping their shields out, and leaving a charred corpse in the aftermath, despite the situation, Foster smiled a little, as he saw 4 small fireballs in the atmosphere, the Titans had survived.
Gamma Wing
Flight Lieutenant Taylor sweated as a plasma burst missed his Maverick Torpedo Bomber by mere centimetres, code named Hades, the GDI anti-cap ship bomber was designed to fire heavy torpedoes on a fighter sized platform, the craft looked swamped by the armament it carried, but proved to be quite successful in all trials. While not utilizing the new shields due to its size restraints, the bomber has quite high level armour, as well as surprising manoeuvrability, him and his wing seemingly glided through space towards their target, a Ha'tak too occupied with the Prometheus to notice, or even care about 4 fighter sized targets heading its way, Taylor grinned, he was about to put that thought to rest.
"Let'em loose boys, right into the shields!" he ordered, as 16 torpedoes, 4 from each bomber were unleashed one by one, into the unsuspecting ship, as they slammed into the weakened shield with so much force that it barely held against 4 of the torps, let alone the other 12 that passed through unopposed to the ships hull. The weapons grade naqaudah enhanced the explosive reaction washed against the ship, engulfing and blasting into it, letting the explosion complete take gamma wings view, when it died down, nothing larger then a car was left of the ship.
"Yeah! Chalk one up for the g-man!" one of the pilots yelled out in victory, Taylor grinned as well.
"Okay gamma, back to the reliant, we've done our part."
ESS Prometheus
"Fire the ion cannon!"
"Moving into position sir." Conn acknowledged.
The Battlecruiser turned to face the last remaining space forces of Baal in the system, 4 Ha'taks that fired desperately despite the vain struggle that it would do, the Prometheus ion cannon charged and ready, fired at the weakest ship, without shields it completely blew apart in the attack, the full force of the beam striking and not yielding to any shield or armour. The Jaffa in those ships had, had enough, after seeing the lead ship fall, a hyperspace window was opened, and all remaining ships rushed into it, never looking back.
Pendergast smiled tiredly "It's over."
4 Hours Later, Low Orbit over Tegrea
The system was a buzz with GDI ships flying in and out from earth, warships holding orbit, transports dropping forces too the ground to control the surface. A new hyperspace window opened, a now commonly used Super-Freighter, usually holding massive amounts of trade goods, supplies for the colonies, or even refit to send colonist to the growing worlds in the Sirius sector. However this one was special, having the markings the Global Defence Initiative, Firestorm Taskforce, it was special, because even the taskforces own IMPACTS were sent in the naval ships, and standard dropships, but as in this ship, the commander of its cargos own words, the rebirth of the mammoth was a reality.