Chapter Twelve
"The force No the Schwartz!"

USAF Achilles
Beta Durani Shipyards.
Five Minutes into the engagement.

The Achilles sat alone in the midst of the clustered shipyards only a few dozen kilometres from the Omega dock she had been seconded to earlier that week, her powerful communications and sensor systems speaking to the massed ships and stations of the Beta Durani system.

However she was not alone, early in the engagement five of the thirty-six ships of the Minbari force had split from the main fleet and headed towards the small ship. If it was true that the Minbari ships had been killed by this new warship then it would be destroyed and it's hulk dragged back as a trophy for the warriors of the Minbari. Five ships against a crippled ship even with its advanced shielding and sensors would be enough. Nothing the human ship could do would be of consequence to the Warrior Caste's finest ships.

Unbeknownst to the Minbari the uppermost dock of the Omega complex had the most up to date warship of human construction available, while much of the ship was little more than a skeleton with thrusters and the head of a Nova class warship culminating in four of the newest acquisitions of the Alliance.

The docks main doors had opened up allowing the partially finished 'destroyer' to move out into the stars. The ship was massive almost as long and as broad as the Minbari Sharlins but not nearly as tall. The ship's main habitable areas- the rotating personnel section was not yet attached and as such the skeleton like structure and it's energy conduits were exposed to the outside.

Pushing it's way slowly out on its station keeping thrusters the Nova-X class dreadnaught broke free and into the vacuum of space. All along the ship the few installed weapons systems and defences were activated allowing the ship to see the full spectrum of action. The Minbari ships were increasing speed and were getting much closer to the small Achilles, the Prometheus class ship backing away while trying to keep the targeting information transmitting.

EA Nova-X
En route to the Achilles

"Systems check."

"Generators at maximum power, sensor systems tied into the communications system and confirmed Minbari ships lock."

"Six months and we can finally see the bastards."

"Yes, Sir."

"Weapons systems?"

"Interceptors are active and main forward weapons ready, without the rest of the ships system installed we should be able to keep up continuous fire from both weapons systems."

"You sure this is going to work?"

"Nope, but its better than nothing."

"The Narns had better be right about these things."

"Yes, Sir."

A third crewmember spoke up, "Sir, approaching the Achilles. They're pulling back away from the Minbari."

"Get them on the comm."

"Aye, Sir."

"Achilles this is Nova X. Are you alright?"

"This is Achilles, we're intact but we've few weapons available. I hope you've got something on that thing to help."

"You give us the targets we'll give you the cover."

"Sounds good Nova X, transmitting data now."

The data from the Achilles scrolled along the monitors of the Nova's bridge, unlike the longer range data that the fleet were receiving the short range information allowed the Nova to see precisely what they needed to hit the Sharlins with pinpoint attacks. The scans were not perfect and some of the Minbari ships were still cloaked in the Jammer fields but enough was available for kill shots.

"Ready HLCs for continuous fire, HPCs to intercept and saturation attacks."

"Weapon systems online. Heavy laser cannons are on hot standby. Heavy pulse cannons are charging. We're ready as we'll ever be."

"Sir, the other yards are sending a mix match of fighters from the construction lines. We've got about thirty fighters coming in."

"Let's hope it's enough."

"Aye, Sir."

The multimillion-ton warship pulled up close to the Achilles' position, it's main weapons systems active and ready. Already the massive battle between the ships of the defence force and the Minbari attack group had begun. The scanner systems of both ships were picking up the immense conflagration of plasma fire from the Earth ships. The shock for the Nova X ship was the fact that several Minbari heavy ships just ceased to exist as accurate fire stripped armour and bit deep into the Sharlin's hull.

"Did I just see that right?"

"Uhh, what did you see, Sir?"

"I just saw our ships wipe out half a dozen bonehead ships in seconds."

"Then you saw right Sir. Minabri ships are being targeted by every ship in the system."

"What are the incoming ships doing?"

"They are slowing, Sir. Seems that they don't know what's going on either."

"Time to firing range?"

"At their current speed, three minutes."

"Ready shooting solutions, I want those things taken out FAST."

"Aye, Sir."

The two groups of ships steadily moved away from the main fight, the unshielded and undergunned Achilles and the unfinished Nova retreating from the five incoming Minbari warships while the slowing Minbari ships still came closer.

USAF Achilles.

"You better have good news for me, Chief."

"Sorry Colonel, the shields are still dead and the hyperdrive is still offline. The weapons systems well you already know about."

"What About the S.O.D?"

"She's ready to go but the sensors aren't sensitive enough to get a good lock onto the Minbari, we'll hit them but it'll be hit and miss whether we'll do enough damage."

"Get it ready anyway, we may have to use it. The sensors will be enough- if we have to we'll use the fighters to triangulate."

"Aye."

"Helm, keep us away from the Sharlins at any cost. Comms, keep the data stream going."

"Aye, Sir."

"Aye, Sir."

"Major Launch the remaining fighters."

"Aye."

The hanger doors of the Prometheus class vessel pulled open allowing the Six remaining F-302 class fighters to egress from the ship's interior, unlike before however these fighters were armed with a single Anti ship Naquadah enhanced anti-ship weapon and four enhanced Sidewinder Air to Air Missiles.

It was unlikely that these few fighters could do anything serious to the Minbari force baring down on them but it may make the other ship pause for a few minutes, giving the Allied ships time to regroup and assist the two vessels.

"Alpha One to all units, we go in full speed and hit any fighters in the way, you get a shot at one of the momma's, take it down."

The five remaining fighters of the battlecruiser's reduced squadron responded in the affirmative and engaged their main drives heading towards the enemy fighter squadrons. The six large fighters were joined by the incoming Starfuries squadrons reinforcing their flank and surrounding them on all sides.

"Omega Leader to Alpha Leader, we've got your flanks."

"Alpha Leader to Omega Leader, good to see you. Take the Nials we've got the big bastards."

"Roger that Alpha Leader. Good hunting."

The incoming fighters watched as the five huge warships destroyed the fixed defences of the shipyards, the pulse cannons and Interceptors in this area were much less than around the Durani station as the shipyards were seen as expendable in the case of attack by the Minbari.

The few positions available fired on and hit the Minbari vessels but those few hits did little to hold the five ships back before they were destroyed by the fire of the Sharlin cruisers,. The interceptors were more successful and took out a few fighters but not enough as the agile craft destroyed the turrets.

The way was now open for the Minbari ships to attack and destroy the shipyards and most importantly in their eyes the small warship responsible for the demise of over a dozen of their ships. Fighters pulled up into their squadrons while the warships stood ready to take down the two earth ships ahead of them.

Alpha Leader
Aurora Class Starfury.

"All units go to missiles."

While the actual sensors of the Starfuries could not see the incoming Minbari fighters the sensors of the Achilles could and this allowed the earth fighters to 'see what they were aiming at. The Minbari fighters were much faster and powerful than the earth built craft but the tables we almost equal now, the computers aboard the Starfuries could extrapolate a targeting solution on the Nials and allow their pilots to hit their enemies.

"Alpha One, Fox two."

"Gamma Ten, Fox two"

From thirty fighters anti fighter missiles jumped from their hardpoints and accelerated towards the Minbari fighters, however the Minbari having seen the immense casualties their brethren in the main force had taken broke from their assault on the main force.

The missiles however followed the crazily jinking fighters most impacting with their targets, while others their locks broken immediately found the nearest targets and followed it instead. These missiles were followed up by dual missile attacks from the six F302s each modified sidewinder finding their locks and immolating the Nials, forty fighters had been destroyed within minutes allowing the faster SGC vessels to target the large Tinashi frigates.

"Achilles this is Alpha One, all fighters are engaging enemy targets."

"Alpha one, we have you on sensors you are authorised to release."

"Alpha One to Achilles, roger that, Fox Three,"

Six Naquada enhanced tactical nuclear missiles sped away from the undercarriages of the F-302s, counter fire erupted from the trio of frigates targeting the incoming ordinance. Multiple salvos of missiles from the Starfuries came in with the Nukes giving the Minbari more targets than they could manage.

The missiles did their job as four of the six Nuclear missiles impacted against the skins of the three warships, two of the frigates exploded as the reactors were exposed and went critical, the third frigate took the explosive warhead on the very front of the hull exploding on contact.

The thick crystalline armour, one of the greatest and most advanced of Minbari construction vapourised under the multiple hundred megatons of explosive force, the explosion ripped into the hull down close to three hundred metres annihilating everything in its way. The ships twisted in place as the explosive force died away leaving the vessel with barely two thirds of its length remaining.

The remaining squadrons of fighters angered at the loss of so many warriors responded with their own fusion cannon fire towards the Earthforce spacecraft, most fighters managed to jink away from the incoming fire their superior agility coming into play for the first time in any real engagement.

"Alpha One to all fighters pull back to the Achilles. Omega One thanks for your help."

"Omega one acknowledges. You guys get back we'll keep the Nials off you."

The six F302 fighters peeled away from the incoming Minbari fighters and turned tail accelerating back towards their carrier ship. A quick refuel and resupply and they would be out again to combat the overwhelming numbers of fighters coming in.

Meanwhile the Starfuries had pulled into wing pairs and started their own version of 'Hunt the Wabbit', the superior agility of the 'Fury and firepower of two fighters would make short work of the larger fighters now that they could accurately hit the Minbari even through their 'Jammers'.

"All units, stay out of their front arcs, hit when you can then bug out, no heroics out here, I for one want to survive this."

"Gamma three to Omega one, Sir, some of us have missiles remaining do we use them now or wait for Alpha squadron to return?"

"Gamma Three use what you got when you can. All units with missiles do the same, these bastards are going down HARD."

Cheers and war cries sounded across the comm channels. Omega One didn't have the heart to chastise his wing about the breach of radio protocol. The deaths of hundreds of pilots would be avenged this day and he for one was determined to take at least one of the boneheaded freaks down even if he had to ram the bastard. With his own cry echoing in his ears he and his wingman shot forward into the melee that was the Minbari/Earthforce battle, the first battle amongst equals in this war.

EA Nova X.
Advanced Destroyer

"Sir, the Starfuries are taking a toll on the enemy fighters."

"The Cap ships?"

"The third frigate and both cruisers are operational and are approaching optimum firing range."

"The range of the heavy laser cannon is the same correct?"

"Aye, Sir."

"We may only get the once chance at this, recheck the systems and ready to fire on target Master One."

"Aye, Sir."

The two turreted heavy laser cannons powered up, their armoured casings glowing slightly as the energy from the ship's immense fusion reactors was fed into preferred chambers, the secondary pulse cannons were already locked onto the other ships however it's shorter range would not come into effect quite yet.

"Achilles, this is Nova X, we have target positive on the closest Sharlin, be ready to move quickly if you have to get out of the area."

"Nova this is Achilles we confirm that, we've got the other two."

"Achilles, Nova what do you mean you have the others?"

"Nova, Achilles. Watch and learn my friend."

The Battle for Durani station was only minutes old but already both sides had taken casualties. The thirty-six warships of the Minbari, thinking they were immune to the technology of the Earth Alliance had gone in without a care believing their thick armour and ECM technology would stop any lucky hits the Earthers got. They had had a rude awakening. After the first volley had impacted, the Minbari had attacked with characteristic ferocity and had quickly sliced into the fixed emplacements and the larger warships. The nova class ships were the only vessels in the assembled Earth Alliance fleet that could take more than a single hit from a fusion cannon and while a half dozen corvettes and cruisers had exploded or been sent spinning off the Dreadnaughts had continued firing. Their fire had been backed up by the OSATs and defence platform seeded along the defence perimeter and more Minbari ships had died to the overwhelming amount of incoming fire. To the shock of every Minbari in the fleet the Earthers had been able to hit them and with their superior numbers devastate the fleet.

Fusion cannons mixed with neutron cannon fire raking the Earth lines. Fighters from both sides spun in and out of firing arcs of the larger ships that were trying to destroy the other. The massive number of Starfuries wiped out the last few Nials still in the area.

EA Nimitz
Nova Class Dreadnaught
EA Flagship

"Fleet Status."

"Starfury Squadrons still at ninety percent, the Minbari fighters are down to about a squadron's worth and dropping, we've lost twelve ships mostly smaller units to the Minbari's nineteen, we got the drop on them, Sir."

"Excellent, open hailing frequencies, demand the Minbari Surrender."

"Sir?"

"The Minbari are beaten and they know it, maybe we can 'persuade' them to stand down, it's that or be destroyed."

"Aye, Sir."

The response from the warships was evident as the Drala Fi and its surviving consorts concentrated fire on the closest of the Earth Dreadnaughts turning three into fiery hulks within a few seconds, the earth ships responded once more with a barrage of every weapon at their disposal, however the range had reduced to such that the Hyperions and Olympus class ships were able to open up with their shorter ranged weaponry. The fire slacked off from the Minbari as more ships were crippled by the Earth vessels.

On the other side of the equation more and more of the smaller human units were going down under intensely accurate fire from the Minbari ships. The Novas and Osats were also taking losses but for every Dreadnaught destroyed at least one Minbari ship was destroyed.

The Minbari could not keep up the Loss/Loss ratio the two sides had running, the Earth ships were just too numerous and their fixed defences were too powerful especially now that the humans had managed to pierce the Minbari jamming systems. Now for the first time in almost one thousand years the Minbari Warrior caste were forced to call a retreat to all their remaining ships.

EA Nova X
Same time.

"Enemy ships coming in, range in twelve seconds."

"Ready heavy cannons, interceptor grid to anti-weapons suppression."

"All systems ready, Sir.

"Range in three… two… one…"

The Minbari Sharlin class vessels entered their optimum engagement range against the human built ships, their fusion cannons ready to fight. The two ships were practically unarmed and this battle would be short and the blood of the many spilt by the Achilles would be avenged.

Twin beams pulsed out from the cannons of both ships attempting to hit the Achilles. The faster and much more agile Prometheus class moved away from the two warcruisers with only a slight glancing hit damaging the rear of the starship. With the Achilles out of the way the two heavy laser cannons, prototype weapons bought from the Narn and engineered by the Humans opened up on the forward Sharlin.

The powerful energy beams bit deep into the hull of the Minbari ship destroying the weapons ports along an entire flank of the Sharlin, the second blast penetrated even deeper and explosively decompressed the vessel's hanger bay. The Minbari ship banked away from the Nova attempting to get a clear shot on the prototype ship, a single Neutron cannon was unmasked and fired on the Nova.

The heavy armour of the Nova X was thicker and stronger than even that of the original novas had been. Te head and weapons were fully covered by this armour and so all but shrugged off the raking beam. The heavy cannons of the Nova opened up time and again all the while taking more damage from the Minbari ship, something had to give and in the end even with its upgraded armour and powerful weapons. The Nova X was just not ready for combat.

The fire from the fusion and neutron cannons had battered the thick and durable construction of the front end of the Nova X to the point that entire chunks were being blown off, the laser cannons were all but annihilated as the neutron fire found its mark and blew it apart.

The Last hurrah from the Nova came from the less powerful pulse cannons the last dregs of its power cells threw a barrage of pulses at the incoming warships causing more and more damage to the already crippled starboard side, the pulses drove deep into the damaged portions of the ship destroying delicate components and crewmen alike.

The Nova's systems finally failed as the ship power system shut down, the massive modified dreadnaught started to list its powerless state a prime target for the Sharlin. The Minbari ship closed for the Coup De Grace against it's opponent it's crew grudgingly admitting that this ship had given them a good fight.

The Minbari ship fired.

At the same time as its flank was hit by multiple strikes from Railguns and pulse cannons.

The Sharlin as jolted out of position causing it's fire to go wild and strike the crippled Tinashi frigate, from behind the massive dockyard structure a pair of Olympus corvettes continued to fire as they bounced the much larger ship, the projectiles and plasma fire pitted the armour and dove further into the cracks caused by the Nova's weapons.

The barrage was successful and the singularity that powered the Minbari cruiser was forced to shutdown leaving the damaged vessel powerless and drifting, its weapons dying and systems shutting down. The manically manoeuvring USAF ship slowed and righted itself well out of range of the Minbari's weapons systems.

"Achilles to Nova X, come in." Comms tried "No response."

"Anything at all?" Taylor asked.

"No emanations from their systems, power's offline. Sir, their fusion reactors were all that were powering them, without them they have no life support."

"Sir the Olympus ships are coming in they're taking up escort positions with us, they say they're ready to assist."

"Negative tell them to get the crew out of the Nova and fast." Colonel Taylor ordered.

"Also contact the Omega yards tell them the Nova's crew needs immediate medical evac from the area." Davis told the comms officer

"They've got maybe twenty minutes of air but the heating will go out the window, damned quick," the sensor officer informed them

"Tell them to hurry." Taylor replied.

"Sir, the Minbari ships are pulling back. It looks like the flagship has ordered a retreat."

"Not this time, increase speed. Get us in range."

"Aye."

"Weapons?"

"Aye Sir, the main guns are ready."

"Target the operational Sharlin first the other two aren't going anywhere."

"Positive lock Sir," said the sensor officer.

"We're in range."

"Weapon Charge at one hundred percent."

"Fire."

To be continued.