12-25-2156, 2100 hours (Alliance standard time)
SSV Hawking
Carrier
Command Deck
After informing Talal and Williams of the situation, Wang had returned to the bridge of his ship, much to the relief of his XO. It was not a moment too soon as the enemy ships were nearly within weapons range. Wang could feel the crew's anxiety, each member trying their best to fight it down only for it to show even more.
"Captain, the enemy is 90,000 kilometers and closing. Orders?" Stephen asked.
"Attempt to hail them. Perhaps we can diffuse the situation. If our hails are ignored, then prepare for war," he replied.
He watched the transmitter flash as the AI began sending hails to the enemy ships. There was no responding flicker, meaning all hails were being completely ignored. "Sir, the enemy has ignored all hails. They are now within 75,000 kilometers." The AI shifted the display to an enhanced image of the enemy fleet.
The closer images allowed Wang the opportunity to get a good look at the alien vessels. Unlike the Confederate or Alliance ships, the enemy lacked any color schemes. Their ships were eminently pragmatic with minimal paint or even numeric identification symbols, perhaps in an attempt to cut maintenance costs. Overall the ships had a blocky shape, with spikes protruding from the bow of the ships, giving them a dark and cruel look. Obviously, they were designed to carry weapons and armor, but Steven's subtle indicators didn't show much variety in the sensory department. Wang didn't want to take that assumption though, who knew what hidden talents the hostiles could possess?
Regardless, there was a job to do. He was outnumbered, outgunned, and possibly even outmatched, but Wang would make damn sure they weren't outfought. He moved to the command chair, and sat, letting the gravity of the situation pull on him. For what he knew could be the last time, he keyed the general address frequency. "All ships this is Captain Wang speaking," he began. "A large alien fleet has arrived on our doorstep. When we began this day we never dreamed of it leading us here, but the sad truth is it has. Now we find ourselves under threat from a new enemy, alongside new allies. This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can. Whatever happens today, I just want to take this time to say it has been an honor serving with each and every one of you."
The captain's words weren't met with applause or cheers, but rather with slow nods and straightened backs. Pride, in both themselves and in their task, began showing in their faces.
"Stephen, how far is the enemy fleet from the minefield?" Wang asked.
"Less than a kilometer," the AI replied. "They are 50,000 kilometers ahead of us, but the Corvettes do not have any replacements, should the enemy fleet deviate from their course. I am currently in contact with the Raloi vessels for updated data."
The captain looked at the system map, the display tracking every ship in the system via probes deployed by frigates and corvettes. The alien fleet was formidable, their vanguard consisting of light frigates and corvettes while their heavier ships were positioned in the center. Based on the enemy's formation, Wang could easily deduce the enemy was trying to enclose his fleet and then destroy it with their superior numbers. The captain shook his head. While the strategy was sound, it was also very basic. It seemed the aliens believed humanity was uneducated in the art of naval warfare. Wang would gladly prove them wrong.
"Wait until they are in the middle of the mines, and then detonate them. That'll be Hackett's signal to attack. Forward targets of opportunity to every Confederate and Alliance-"
"Sir, the enemy vanguard has just fired a salvo!" A sensor operator yelled.
"All ships, this is Captain Wang. Brace for imp-" He was cut off as the force of the enemy's initial barrage slammed into the Hawking's shields, causing the ship to shudder under the massive force. Several standing crewmembers were either thrown to the nearest wall or onto the floor. Despite being in the rear of the formation, the carrier was still hit by numerous torpedoes. Thankfully their effectiveness was drastically reduced by the carrier's active missile/torpedo signal scrambler.
"Status, report!" Wang shouted.
"Seven cruisers and nine frigates have been destroyed," Stephen answered.
"Damn, they have the range before we do," Wang cursed. "Once the enemy fires another volley, activate the carrier's ECM. The computer jammers should neglect some damage while we unleash our own."
"Affirmative captain," Steven replied. "Update on the alien fleet: Hostile corvettes and frigates are entering the minefield!"
"Spring the trap and make these fuckers regret ever coming here!" He demanded.
"Yes, sir."
HSS Superiority
Dreadnought
Command Deck
Ban watched as the mass accelerator rounds from his fleet's vanguard sailed through the gap between the two opposing formations. He didn't have to wait long for the mass accelerator slugs to reach their destination. Seven cruisers and nine frigates from the enemy fleet were destroyed in a spectacular display of tactical prowess, a typical end result of anyone opposing him.
"Ha! These primitives are hopeless. Look at how easily their ships are destroyed," Gonu exclaimed. The ship's crew erupted with cheers as the 16th fleet drew first blood.
Ban silently agreed with Gonu, minus the arrogance. Being an experienced naval commander, he knew the worst enemy any soldier could face was one's own pride. He watched as Toren's corvettes and frigates continued advancing undisturbed towards the enemy fleet. While lacking in experience or discipline, Ban was still grateful for their assistance. Their involvement in the battle meant he had to sacrifice less of his own ships.
"Gonu, have the vanguard fire another volley," Ban ordered.
"With pleasu-"
"Sir, massive energy spike on the fleet's right flank!" A sensor operator shouted, interrupting Gonu.
Before Ban could question the operator, a massive fireball engulfed the majority of Toren's ships, the explosions emitting a silent glow in the void of space. Three frigates protecting Toren's flank succumbed to the blast, but their silent shockwaves merely caused nearby ships to momentarily lose formation.
"Report!" Ban demanded.
"Nine frigates and twenty-seven corvettes have been destroyed," Me-Shume answered. "The rest of the fleet is reporting no superficial damage."
Inwardly, Ban cursed the mines. Based on the scans, the mines had been nuclear weapons, in unthinkable numbers. He didn't care to think about such a cavalier use of banned weapons, though one thing was clear: this race or races were not above breaking Council law themselves. His teeth showed themselves in a wolfish grin. 'A suitable race at last. They want to win as much as we do.'
"Admiral, the enemy fleet is retaliating. Sensors are detecting massive numbers of projectiles being fired; configuration indicates them to be drones and missiles. Numerous enemy fighter squadrons are also approaching the fleet as well," Me-Shume reported.
"Activate GARDIAN defenses and deploy our own fighters," Ban ordered.
"Affirmative."
Within seconds, GARDIAN defense lasers sprang to life, ineffective in part as the enemy's retaliation was highly diverse. It was like trying to swat a swarm of flies with empty hands, the point defense lasers did little, but thin the pack as the ordnance closed in on their victims. Kinetic barriers flared and died in an instant, sending five cruisers into balls of flames. While they were a significant loss of both men and hardware, Ban hadn't really lost any tactical advantage when he had dozens more. He was more concerned with the state of his battlecruisers, which thankfully weren't too badly damaged.
"Have the vanguard prepare to fire another volley and order the frigates to lead their packs around the central point of fire. Make a hole and make it big." Ban ordered. The crew relayed his orders as the batarian fleet picked out targets.
SSV Nagasaki
Cruiser
Command Deck
As a massive naval engagement erupted between both fleets, a small taskforce hiding out in the asteroid field was lurking, waiting for the perfect time to strike. The task force had powered down all nonessential life-systems becoming mere shadows in the void, the asteroid field, stealth systems, and counter-electronic systems further disguising their heat signatures. The enemy was, by all appearances, ignorant of their ambush, believing the entirety of the defensive fleet to be positioned over the planet. The enemy was in for a rude awakening as a rising star in the Alliance navy was about to show his power.
"Wait a few more minutes," Hackett ordered. He gazed at the projection displaying the status of the battle. "Let them scatter a bit more, then we'll pounce."
"Aye, sir."
Inwardly, Hackett was sweating. Commanding twenty-four ships within an asteroid field wasn't an easy task, but it was even harder when the majority of the task force had to rely on fighters and continuous volleys from the allied fleet before even starting to move.
His screen paused, focused on the space between the two juggernauts where human fighters were engaging their enemy counterparts. The invaders were apparently unable to react effectively, making Hackett wonder about their training. The large vessel attacks were highly coordinated, fluidly pouring incredible amounts of damage around allied vessels, while the enemy fighters seemed to be mostly defensive in nature. Hackett smiled viciously. A purely defensive doctrine would call for a fighter screen to stick close to their home ships, allowing Alliance craft a much fatter target.
Like a hive of furious wasps, the human pilots smashed into their foes, obliterating most of the enemy fighter screen as they lacked both the Slamhound's armor and the Hailstorm's speed. Evidently, they were not accustomed to fighters assuming an offensive role; the aliens seemed trapped by their inability to adapt. Hackett's smile grew. At first, the alien fleet didn't realize the peril it was in, exactly how he liked them: ignorant and overconfident.
"First combined task force, this is Commander Hackett speaking; go to full power and deploy all secondary craft. Corvettes and frigates target the enemy's packs, all destroyers hit the enemy's vanguard; cruisers coordinate fire to take pressure off of the main fleet." He ordered. The hastily formed strategy Wang had created was crude to his eye, but admirable for its simplicity. Basically, Occam's razor at its finest. Mentally, he filed a reminder to review additional potential formations later when he had the chance.
With the majority of the enemy's fighter screen distracted, the first combined taskforce deployed their own wave of bombers and fighters still hiding within the asteroid field, emerging from the shrouds of darkness like a primordial beast. Likewise, the Nagasaki, alongside the other ships, began powering up, energy coursing to its formidable weaponry. Alliance and Confederate ships moved in unison, their weaponry trained upon the enemy fleet. The sight of a taskforce emerging from their right flank seemed to shock the aliens into action, several of their ships reorienting themselves to meet the new menace. Unfortunately, the invaders were unprepared for the massive beast that was unleashed. The void of space was suddenly filled with a horde of human bombers, over a thousand in number. Escorted by about one hundred and eighty Tridents and Stingers, the human bombers were confident they would reach their targets safely. In desperation, the enemy launched their own interceptors while the majority of their fighters were still contending with the Alliance's Hailstorms and Slamhounds.
Through the holo-table in his CIC, Hackett watched as his entire taskforce unleashed their full firepower upon the alien fleet. At two thousand kilometers from the nearest enemy vessel, the task force began their onslaught. Wave upon wave of Kinetic rods, Disruptor torpedoes, and Seeker rockets preceded a barrage of Mass Accelerator and Ultraviolet laser fire. With the small distance between them, the enemy's vanguard could offer no response other than to steel themselves for the impending hits. The closest enemy ships suffered the greatest damage, kinetic rods, and Disruptor torpedoes pulverizing out their barriers, hulls, and engines before being erased from the battle by mass accelerator slugs and lasers. The rain of fire was undisturbed as it continued to move on towards its next targets. One by one, the alien armada began losing ships as their signatures blinked away from the Nagasaki's sensors.
However, more and more enemy ships quickly began realigning their positions to respond to the new threat. The enemy's heavier vessels were still in worthy condition, these tended to be heavy cruisers and battlecruisers with the enemy's three dreadnoughts alongside their rear escorts. Quickly learning their lesson at a great cost, the enemy's heavy hitters closest to the task force threw all their available power into their engines. Rapidly closing the distance as fast as possible, the heavy cruisers lost some cohesion, but that didn't matter as the magnitude of their firepower compensated.
"Activate ECM jammers," Hackett ordered.
"Yes, sir," Martinez replied, keying the proper commands.
Hackett watched in silence as a sudden and large ECM screen enveloped his entire taskforce, emitting a heavy disruption field. The massive interference gave the commander's forces some limited protection as the enemy's fire was redirected away from his ships. Hackett momentarily smiled, picturing the aliens' facial expressions as they suddenly found their targeting solutions to be horribly miscalculated.
So far, the tide of the battle was in the Alliance's favor as the enemy suffered the worst damage. Gaining the advantage during the early phase of the battle, Hackett's ships were able to take on and contend with a far greater number of their enemy counterparts. However as the enemy drew nearer, the field's effectiveness dwindled while the enemy's fire became increasingly accurate. Hackett grimaced, watching the advantage switch towards the enemy's favor as they regrouped and responded with concentrated fire. The next phase of the engagement would require the full weight of his taskforce's firepower for him to triumph. Even then, large causalities were guaranteed. Fortunately, the allied fleet's ace in the hole was put into play.
As the alien fleet was solely focused on Hackett's taskforce, they had completely ignored the Alliance's fighters decimating their own, believing them a moderate threat at best. With the majority of the enemy's first wave of fighters all but neutered, Alliance bombers struck.
The Enforcer's Martels were the first to reach their targets, all ninety deploying their ordnance on the enemy corvette packs, ignoring the heavier vessels. Tens of thousands of Cadogan and Inferno missiles were launched, causing a significant illumination in the darkness of space. The scene was hectic as the vessels tried desperately to evade. The first line of the enemy's flank defense simply ceased to exist as the massive ordnance overwhelmed their defenses. A few wings of Martels were shot down by laser point defense, but the vast majority suffered no damage.
The disarray in the alien fleet allowed Hackett's taskforce to nearly overwhelm the opposition, easily crippling and destroying a good number of cruisers. Alliance corvettes closed their distance with the alien vessels, firing their Ultraviolet cannons to greater effect, outright destroying enemy corvettes and even larger frigates. Their IES, Internal Emission Sinks, allowing the corvettes to remain invisible to enemy sensors. It was one advantage Alliance corvettes used to their fullest, dancing around enemy electronic systems. Four Confederate frigates supplemented the corvettes with their superior shielding, providing them with much-needed protection.
In response the alien armada began shifting additional fire upon Hackett's taskforce, realigning two dozen cruisers from its screen to flank the more dangerous threat. A deep frown caressed his face, his mind racing for any counters. As more and more of the enemy's right flank become preoccupied with him, Wang's fleet began firing everything it had, attempting to offer a much-needed distraction. Mass Accelerator slugs soared across the void like wildfire as both sides traded fire.
'God bless them, but I don't think it will be enough.' Hackett avoided saying his personal thoughts aloud. Now was certainly not the time for doubt.
"Commander, two heavy cruisers nearly within weapons range!" Martinez exclaimed.
"Fire the main cannon!" Hackett shouted, devoid of any fear, lost in the beautiful chaos that seemed to engulf the entire system.
"Main gun firing!" Echoed Lieutenant Rossi. The console blinked, coordinating for the imminent recoil.
The vessel shook for a moment, but only as a light vibration underfoot. Even in the soundless vacuums of space, the human eye had to admire the magnificent chaos ensuing everywhere. The commander had seen the action performed so many times in exercises that he found himself imagining perfectly the blue blaze of the projectile, traveling from his ship towards the enemy. It was pure devastation, sent across vast distances in the blink of the eye.
An instant after firing the main cannon, a series of small suns lit the monitors; the explosions were bright enough to be seen with the naked eye from Shanxi's night-side surface. The taskforce's destroyers had fired their high-yield oxygen-encased, armor penetrating thermobaric missiles, sending them in an equidistant series to detonate in the center of the enemy's right flank. The result wreaked havoc within the enemy fleet, destroying several ships and causing more to be incapacitated. Unfortunately, the enemy's version of the GARDIAN laser system had prematurely detonated several, reducing the potential damage. However, Hackett knew the destroyers still had two warheads left, with their nuclear missiles yet to be fired. The Confederate frigates hadn't fired the sole nuclear missile each carried, Hackett having ordered them to save them for a tactical retreat, if necessary. Unlike Alliance frigates, the Confederate counterparts' single nuclear missile was both slower and less powerful than the Alliance's version.
The taskforce's frigates had fallen back to take defensive positions around the Alliance corvettes, which were now taking much heavier fire. Hackett cringed. He'd ordered his destroyers to fire their thermobaric missiles in order to intimidate the aliens, wanting them to hesitate closing the range further. The invaders seemed undeterred from the deployment of such weapons, firing off their own ordnance in response. However, there was a silver lining; the Confederate frigates were intercepting the majority of the enemy's torpedoes quite handily and were also serving as a good line of fire for the taskforce's cruisers.
"SSV Nagasaki, RCS Essential here, we're taking heavy damage! Amber Dawn and Spirit of Fortune have been destroyed!" The sound of Raloi speech echoed through the comm channels. Thanks to Williams' and Wang's request for translation links, Alliance and Confederate ships were each able to communicate with each other much more fluently.
"Copy Essential. Pull back with the corvettes and regroup with the main fleet," Hackett ordered. "The rest of us will cover your retreat."
"Roger, Nagasaki frigates and corvettes falling back!"
The ship suddenly lurched to its side as it barely dodged a mass accelerator slug on its right hull, Hackett stumbling to maintain his balance.
"Sorry Rossi, you'll have to wait on your shot." The helmsman threw an apology to the weapons board, which were obviously very anxious to unload another volley on the invaders. Gently feathering the throttle to all the crew a smoother acceleration, the pilot shifted towards the center of the U-shaped formation, with the asteroids offering viable cover.
"Roger that. You set up the alignment, I'll take care of the rest." The lieutenant answered saucily.
Hackett turned to Martinez, in his usual position near the galactic map. "General report!" He ordered.
"The reactors are holding, no energy spike. Kinetic barriers are currently at sixty percent. I really hope those asteroids intercept some rounds," Martinez said wishfully. He'd been observing the fleet overview, gauging the tide of the battle. Allied ships had yet to suffer serious damage; the majority of the losses being limited to fighters, a few squadrons of bombers, multiple frigates, and a few cruisers. Perhaps the distance was a factor, Alliance ships seemed to have better long-range firepower compared to their opponents.
'Thank God we're fighting against inept enemies,' Hackett thought, taking his position on the galactic map. After Rostov's maneuvers, the ship seemed to have stabilized, with the bow facing a concentration of frigates and cruisers. The enemy's right flank had all but been annihilated, forcing them to rearrange their ships. Their corvettes and frigates on the left flank, however, had managed to circle around and were now engaging Alliance and Confederate frigates.
"Target in sight. Fire when ready!" Rostov exclaimed.
"You guys heard? It's time to improve our battle record!" Rossi shouted, full of enthusiasm.
"Roger that, lieutenant," Hackett responded, sharing the same level of enthusiasm. He noticed his crew had gone back to tinkering with holographic panels more quickly than before. "Rossi, give me an ID on the targets." The commander ordered.
"Target acquired at sixty-three kilometers ahead, sir. It appears to be a heavy cruiser, still turned on its port side, undamaged. A perfect prey!"
"Excellent." Hackett squinted at the unsuspecting heavy cruiser; it was ordinarily out of his own ship's weight class, but leaving itself open like a fool was in charge. "Target their weapons and engines first. Launch a combined volley of kinetic rods and seeker rockets to overwhelm their defenses. Then fire a barrage of harpoon missiles, followed by the main cannon to finish the job."
"Yes, sir."
The vessel trembled for a moment under the force of the ejecting weaponry, the faster 'dumb' rockets rapidly heading towards the hapless enemy cruiser first. The rods and rockets slammed against the ship's port side, making its kinetic barriers flash before disappearing. A second later three explosions swept the side, followed shortly by two shots from the Nagasaki's mass accelerator. Despite the overwhelming number of blows, the enemy ship was not going to give in easily. With the hull deprived of vital armor and the starboard side completely torn apart, the ship began reorienting itself with its main cannon facing the Nagasaki bow-first. A yellow discharge appeared from the enemy ship, a round exiting its main cannon.
"Brace yourselves!" Hackett shouted.
The bridge began to tremble more strongly than when they opened fire. Some panels sparked, but others suffered no serious damage, at least on the bridge.
"Damage report," He churched, facing Martinez
"Barriers at thirty-three percent, but are re-energizing. Power is being diverted for faster recharge. We're experiencing a small amount of capacitor overheating, but nothing major. Hull damage is minimal."
Hackett made a nod to the officer. "Good. Rossi, another volley. Rostov, begin evasive maneuvers as soon as we take out that ship."
"Aye," Both officers answered in unison, wasting no time. The cruiser's onslaught became even more violent under their enthusiasm, increasing the number of rounds punching into the alien vessel's side. Before the enemy ship could fire in response, a Confederate cruiser fired its own cannon, blasting a hole through the enemy ship from one side to the other. A gaping chasm was left on the heavy cruiser's hull, leaving a brief blaze before being extinguished by the absence of oxygen. The enemy vessel shuddered before a bright blue flash immolated what was left, breaking it in two and leaving a drifting husk.
The Nagasaki's bridge crew exploded in cheers, while the helmsman took evasive maneuvers, avoiding a return volley while angling towards a new target. Through the external cameras, Hackett could see that the small team of ships had dispersed, but were held at a safe distance from the enemy formation. The cruiser's close-quarters advantage would not be of much use since the enemy had yet to break formation to try to get closer. Their commander had to be either very stupid or very clever: stupid for trying to hit something from such a distance or clever because ships in formation could also easily concentrate their firepower.
The Nagasaki's crew's spirit was crushed when a friendly ship on their port bow was suddenly engulfed in flames. The ship shook as the explosion sent shock-waves rippling in every direction.
"Commander, one of ours has been hit!" Martinez reported. "The Invincible just exploded!"
"Damn! We haven't even dropped a quarter of the enemy ships and we already suffering losses!" Rostov complained.
"Sit-rep!" Hackett demanded.
"We took down some of theirs, but we're taking too much fire, they're changing focus to us," Martinez explained. "Wait a moment ... sir an incoming message from the SSV Hawking!"
"Let's hear it."
"All ships, this is Captain Wang. We are starting to suffer major losses. Our ships are badly damaged, running out of ordnance, and a good number of our vessels are running hot. I know this goes against everything you men believe in, however, we simply cannot hold off the enemy fleet for much longer. All ships concentrate fire for another two minutes on vectors two-seven-three and five-oh-one and then fall back. FTL to the following coordinates once you're cleared. See you at the rally point. Wang, out."
"What the fu-" Martinez couldn't finish, interrupted as the bridge was rocked by an explosion so strong Hackett had to drop to his knees in order to keep his balance.
"What was that!?" Hackett shouted.
"Taking heavy damage!" The navigator cried. "Serious hull damage, kinetic barriers are completely down!" the bridge shuddered again, not from a shot but from explosions within the ship. "Minor detonations detected in decks seven and eight; we still have seventy percent of the outer hull left."
"Rostov! Get us out of here!" Hackett ordered though it sounded more of a shout.
"Yes, sir!" The ship started to turn, pouring on more and more power to get away from the chaos.
"This is Commander Hackett; all ships in the immediate vicinity are ordered to scatter and fall back! Cruisers and destroyers, target the nearest enemy with nukes and missiles. Frigates, repeat the same order, but deploy ECM jammers and decoy probes." He staggered to one side after a secondary explosion rumbled under his feet.
'What the hell just fired? Nothing can drop a cruiser's barriers in one shot. Dreadnought? Can't be. If it were, the ship would have been destroyed and how could it get a clear shot this far?'Hackett thought. He forced himself to slow down, probabilities running through his mind.
"Who or what the hell just fired on us?" Martinez asked.
"Unknown, but ballistics are saying the shot came from inside the enemy formation, not by its flanks. Must be a heavy ship." Rostov explained.
"It's a battlecruiser! Shit its aiming straight at us!" Rossi shouted.
"Where is it?" Hackett cursed, this could be a big problem.
"It's leading a formation on our port bow. Damn its firing again, taking evasive maneuvers!" The helmsmen shouted. His hands moved with frantic speed, coaxing another maneuver to once again save the ship from destruction.
A huge vessel, designed much like an enemy cruiser, at least a kilometer long emerged between the steaming carcasses of three enemy ships and opened fire with its heavy guns. The Nagasaki suffered no damage as a result of the helmsman's maneuvering and the local asteroids providing cover. If the shot had landed, no one would have been alive to notice. Yellow contrails traveled to the center of the task force, crashing into a destroyer a few thousand kilometers from the cruiser, destroying it completely. All nonessential power was directed to the Nagasaki's barriers as it readied itself for round two. With a clear shot, the cruiser responded with a salvo directed towards the battlecruiser, which was already being hit by another Alliance ship.
Suddenly, from the center of the enemy formation emerged several ships much larger than usual, facing the bulk of the task force. Hackett was unaware of the current condition of the main fleet; however, he had little time to worry about them. The huge ships opened fire, damaging or destroying several retreating vessels in one barrage, both human and raloi. The Nagasaki seemed to have lady luck on her side, surviving and evading numerous shots.
"All ships, withdraw immediately! We can't compete with those heavy ships! The orbital satellites will cover our retreat! If any ship has any nukes or missiles left, now will be a good time to use them!" Captain Wang cried from the speakers.
"This is Captain Markby of the SSV Bristol. All remaining cruisers and destroyers mount a small rearguard and pull back to the Relay ASAP! All remaining frigates: protect the carrier and battle cruisers at all costs!"
"You hear that Rostov? Relay, top speed!" Hackett ordered; glad to get out of this hell.
"Unable sir! The last shot must have damaged the core or the controls!" The helmsman responded worry etched in his face.
The commander's face turned completely white. "What do you mean? Are you saying we can't jump?"
"FTL is out, but …" Martinez tried to continue, only to be cut by the commander.
"SSV Bristol, this is the Nagasaki, we can't FLT jump! We have suffered damage to the core!"
"Acknowledged Nagasaki, try to get out of there with conventional engines. Dain, you and your group cover Hackett's taskforce!"
"Affirmative sir, just be aware orbital satellites are about to fire so watch your lane! Our main cannon is fried so we won't be able to cover you for long."
"Acknowledged, Tampa. Nagasaki you heard the commander, I suggest you move it!" Markby shouted.
"Agreed," Hackett responded.
The remnants of Hackett's task force began to pick up speed, while nearby raloi ships accelerated so quickly that they appeared to vanish into thin air. The human ships not connected to the task force simply blurred slightly, vanishing in a streak of light. They had to have been making an in-system jump.
The destroyers that were left to cover the Nagasaki didn't last long as they were destroyed by heavy fire, leaving the Nagasaki to content for itself. After firing several shots, the cruiser was hit by the enemy ships and suffered severe damage. Hits continued to further punished the cruiser. Just before as it appeared the Nagasaki was about to bite the dust, hundreds of rockets and rods bombarded its assailants, sending a particle wave powerful enough to shake the Nagasaki.
"Holy shit! Did you see that? Where did that come from?" Rossi asked.
"Doesn't matter. Right now we need to get the hell out of here. Directing ship to the nearest possible cover," Rostov replied.
"Are we being chased?" Hackett asked moments later. The few seconds of disruption allowed the Nagasaki a decent lead, despite its damages.
"Checking ... affirmative. Two frigates, making a hard burn." Martinez reported.
"We can't fight them in this battered state, but maybe we can hide," Hackett grunted.
"Sir?" navigator questioned, incredulous to what the commander was suggesting.
"You heard me, Rostov. Take us in deeper into the asteroid field."
SSV Tampa
Cruiser
Command Deck
When the battle had begun, the Alliance and Confederate fleet numbered at just below a hundred, now it hovered around the low forties. Mass accelerator fire soared in both directions, slamming into vessels and rendering many into space-born coffins. However, the damage was not all one-sided. Dozens upon dozens of the smaller enemy ships were severely damaged, some outright destroyed by the combined allied firepower. Impressive though it was, firepower alone was simply not enough to win the day. Outnumbered 4 to 1, the allied fleet had little chance of winning. The best outcome they could hope for was to delay and cost as much damage to the enemy fleet as possible.
After the fighting had stretched on for a good half an hour, Dain could see the cracks starting to form in the allied fleet. Preliminary reports had shown that the Alliance's ships were extremely efficient at killing the enemy ships, but their numbers seemed to be infinite. After Hackett's trap had been sprung, the enemy fleet had become momentarily incapacitated, giving the allied fleet an opportunity to gut the enemy's numbers. Alliance bombers alone managed to down over seven corvettes, thirteen frigates, four cruisers, and even a battlecruiser. With the bombers heavily engaged, the human pilots tasked with protecting them had destroyed over five times their number in enemy fighters. Thankfully, raloi pilots had taken the bulk of the fighter defense, granting their human counterparts the time to deal a savage blow. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before the enemy had begun to regroup, their frigates and corvettes on their left flank using their superior numbers to surround the allied fleet, limiting their movement. The exposure to enemy heavy and battlecruisers was devastating to the allies.
So it was to no surprise to Dain when Captain Wang ordered the fleet to begin making preparations to retreat. As the SSV Tampa continued to fight against hopeless odds, the guardians around it began to join their dead kindred. The Tampa shuddered from both firing and taking volleys as the enemy fleet pressed their advantage, advancing further towards the colony.
"Commander! Kinetic barriers are at seventy-two percent! Mass accelerator and kinetic pods are reloading!" Lindholm exclaimed. Being a senior chief petty officer meant she had to keep her subordinates calm while at the same time reporting critical information to the commanding officer. All in all, it wasn't an easy job.
As an enemy battle cruiser continued to lead a pack of cruisers straight towards them, the crew could only hope that a miracle would happen. Although armed with a plethora variety of missiles and rockets, the cruiser didn't possess any true weapon dedicated to taking out similar-sized enemies in clusters. The Tampa lacked the nuclear payload of a destroyer and the improved armor of a battlecruiser, which meant taking on multiple targets alone was suicide at best. Already the cruiser had deployed the majority of its ordnance, leaving it practically defenseless.
Commander Dain closed his eyes tight, trying to come up with a solution to the problem at hand. 'Flee? The enemy will just shoot us in the back. Ram into them? We'd be destroyed before we could even get close. Only one choice.' Unfortunately, the only choice left was as dangerous as it was stupid.
"Selene, divert all power from communications, engines, navigation, and ventilation to the mass accelerator. Do not fire immediately, but let the cannon overcharge. Give me a targeting solution on that battlecruiser. Lindholm, once Selene gives you the data, fire as many rounds as you possibly can. Singh, the moment the main cannon fires, deploy half of our remaining seeker rockets, followed by three pods of kinetic rods. I want all our broadside guns and defense turrets to open fire upon the closest vessels." Even as Dain issued the orders, he could see the crew hesitating, possibly thinking he had completely gone mad. Diverting non-critical systems to weapons was all too common in war, but communications and ventilation as well? Not to mention the risk of the main canon overheating or the entire ship overloading from managing that many weapon systems at the same time.
"Sir, are you sure-"
"If we continue to do the same thing we've been doing, we're all going to die. The enemy isn't expecting us to do something this crazy and if we go out, I'd prefer it'd be with a bang," Dain said, answering the unfinished question.
His words were enough to get the crew moving. The entire bridge became a hornets' nest of activity as reports and warnings began to be continuously called out. As the Tampa prepared for the suicidal attack, the enemy flotilla began readying its weapons.
"Sir! The enemy is moving to surround us!" Lindholm informed the commander. "Two cruisers are maneuvering on either side and the battlecruiser appears to be coming straight at us!"
"Report on the cannon!?" Dain called out.
"It's at … MY GOD! Cannon is approaching nearly two hundred percent, core is approaching critical levels!" Lindholm answered, hoping the commander knew what he was doing.
"Selene, what's the range of the enemy battlecruiser?"
"It's just within weapons range, sir. Probability of a direct hit is thirty-four percent."
At that moment, Dain noticed the sensors, showing the enemy battlecruiser, as well as its escorts, charging weapons. In a moment, clarity showed itself. If the battlecruiser's massive gun didn't finish the Tampa off in one shot, then the four cruisers would. With no time to move in the debris field and with all other ships heavily engaged, he took the gamble.
"FIRE EVERYTHING!" He ordered. All around him the ship shuddered and shook violently, almost to the point that Dain believed it might split in half as its weapons fired in every direction.
The ship recoiled like a wild animal, the super-charged round screaming out of its barrel. The blast was unlike anything the enemy ship could have seen, reducing its time to evade to bare seconds. The time given was not enough for the battlecruiser, the round tearing through the ship's bow, completely ignoring its kinetic barriers. Surprisingly, the battlecruiser did not explode but became unresponsive as layers of armor were destroyed.
The pack of cruisers surrounding the Tampa fared much worse. Once the Tampa had fired the super-charged round, its secondary weapons came online. Its broadside, point defense turrets, rods, missiles, rockets, and even GARDIAN laser system discharged at every available target. The broadside guns and point defense turrets, firing in unison, were able to punch a big enough hole in a cruiser's kinetic barrier on its starboard side big enough for a large volley of kinetic rods and seeker rockets to pass through and detonate, reducing the ship to a blazing wreckage.
The remaining rods slammed into the other cruiser, this time arrowing into the main cannon, outright damaging it by causing a minor dent. Lacking armor on its main gun found commonly on Alliance ships, the enemy vessel underwent self-destruction as it fired its main cannon. The round, not finding a straight barrel to exit from, blocked up the entire passageway like a dam, causing the blocked energy to destroy the cruiser from the inside, irony at its finest. The two remaining cruisers, apparently shocked by what they have seen, began to retreat. The Tampa's GARDIAN system, firing in one high-powered concentrated beam, managed to score a critical hit along the hull of one. Twenty VI guided harpoon missiles from the Tampa easily gutted the ship. The last cruiser was able to move out of weapons range, for which Dain was relieved. The impressive barrage had caused the ship to nearly overload, meaning the Tampa had gotten lucky, very lucky.
"Selene, report," Dain said, sighing in relief.
"Majority of the ship has suffered extensive damages. The main cannon's armor, as well as the barrel, have experienced partial-meltdown from that last shot. Cores are dropping from critical levels and GARDIAN lasers are returning to normal levels. Overall condition of the ship is yellow, with minor to severe damages."
Dain could hardly believe his luck. Sadly, it was short-lived.
"Sir, enemy battlecruiser is coming back online!" Lindholm shouted, nearly demoralizing the entire crew.
"What!?"
"Senior Petty Officer Lindholm is correct, sir. Enemy ship is becoming responsive once again, however, it appears that we caused it significant damage. Kinetic barriers are at above maximum strength and the ship's engines are starting to come online."
"Meaning?"
"That the enemy ship's weapons are either knocked off online or have suffered extensive damages much like our own. I would suggest finishing it off," Selene suggested, sounding unusually vicious for a synthetic life form.
Dain agreed with his AI. "You heard the lady, time to add another kill. Fire a salvo of seeker rockets followed by another kinetic pod."
The ship, barely having reached manageable heat levels, began to red-line once more by firing another combined volley of missiles and rockets. The combination proved deadly as the rockets hampered on the battle cruiser's kinetic barriers, momentarily dropping them. The kinetic rods sailed through the opening, tearing through the ships armor and finishing it off.
"HELL YEA!" an ensign shouted, the bridge more relieved than cheerful. However, not all the ships were experiencing the same good fortune.
"All ships, withdraw immediately! We can't compete with those heavy ships! The orbital satellites will cover our retreat! If any ship has any nukes or missiles left, now will be a good time to use them!" Captain Wang cried from the speakers.
A second voice boomed through the comm system, older sounding but no less commanding. "This is Captain Markby of the SSV Bristol. All remaining cruisers and destroyers mount a small rearguard and pull back to the relay ASAP! All remaining frigates: protect the carrier and battle cruisers at all costs!"
"What!? We just kicked their asses!" Singh complained.
"We don't have a choice ensign, we have our orders. Helmsman, take us to the rest of the fleet. Selene, divert all power from the main gun to barriers and engines." Dain ordered.
The Tampa soon began moving, emerging out of the floating graveyard surrounding it. The ship's engines flared as it tried to regroup with the rest of the fleet. Rounds and ordnance continued to detonate in space as the allied fleet began to retreat. A few Raloi frigates, seeing Dain's ship vulnerability, moved into position to cover its retreat.
"Shit, shit this is bad!" Singh complained. "Kinetic barriers are barely holding!" Just as he finished, the ship shook once again as a round from a Corvette slammed against its hull. Said corvette wisely retreated after seeing the raloi frigates nearing weapons range.
"Commander, incoming transmission." The AI said.
"Patch it through!"
"SSV Bristol, this is the Nagasaki, we can't FLT jump! We have suffered damage to the core!"
"That's Commander Hackett's ship!" Singh exclaimed.
Dain remained impassive, mentally cursing the situation. The situation had just gone FUBAR. The allied fleet was retreating; the Tampa's main cannon had suffered significant damages, and the enemy fleet was continuing to mercilessly obliterate allied ships.
Another transmission from Captain Markby came through the ship's speakers. "Acknowledged Nagasaki, try to get out of there with conventional engines. Dain, you and your group cover Hackett's taskforce!"
Immediately, all blood drained from Dain's face. In their current condition, they were in no position to cover themselves, let alone anyone else. He looked at his crew's faces, all of them showing fear. He could understand their feelings, but at the same time, they had a job to do.
"Okay people, we're extremely vulnerable, but the fleet still needs our help. If any of you wish to fall back, feel free to take an escape pod. I will not hold it against you for all of you have served valiantly and honorably today," He said, letting his crew who had put themselves on the line continuously today decide what course of action to take.
When no one stood and spoke up, Dain allowed a smirk to appear on his face. "Commanding this cruiser is the best thing that ever happened to me. That being said we're heading into a hot zone. I want everyone sharp and ready for anything. Bastards have wiped out the majority of our ships, so let's return the favor."
Before anything could be done, Dain got on the ship's comm. set. "Affirmative sir, just be aware orbital satellites are about be fired so watch your lane! Our main cannon is fried so we won't be able to cover your retreat for long."
"Acknowledged, Tampa. Nagasaki, you heard the commander, I suggest you move it!"
"Agreed."
"Now let's get to work people. Selene, I want targeting solutions on anything that moves near us. Lindholm, without the cannon you'll have to make do with rockets and kinetic rods. Singh, take over whatever remaining bombers we have left. Make sure they return to the ship as soon as they deploy their payload! We don't exactly have time on our side." Dain issued orders, prepping his crew for another fearsome battle. "Selene, what is the status on Hackett's ship?"
"It appears, the SSV Nagasaki is thirty kilometers ahead of our position, near the asteroid field. Several ships nearby are beginning to make in-system jumps a-"
"Sir, the Nagasaki is getting hit hard by enemy frigates! It won't last another shot!" Lindholm shouted.
"FIRE ALL ROCKETS!" Dain shouted. An instant later the ship's signature seemed to double as it fired its last volley of seeker rockets in a spectacular display of defiance. The barrage soared across the void undetected, slamming into the unaware frigates. The area became engulfed in a bright light as a massive explosion enveloped the enemy ships.
"Status?" Dain was hoping he hadn't just destroyed Hackett's ship.
"The Nagasaki is stable but has suffered severe damages. It appears to be heading deeper into the asteroid field, but it is being chased by two remaining frigates." Selene reported.
"Sir, bombers are nearly ready for deployment," Singh said, reminding Dain of his earlier orders.
"Belay last order. Selene, have the raloi frigates and the ship perform an in-system jump, but set them on the starboard side of the enemy ships."
"As you wish."
"WHAT!? SIR, HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!" Singh shouted, sub-consciously offending the commander in the process.
"No ensign," Dain glared at his subordinate. "At this very moment Commander Hackett needs our help and we will provide it." He made no objection concerning his subordinate's outburst. Inwardly, Dain was wondering the same thing. After everything they've survived, he was pressing his luck.
"Sir, ship is ready for in-system jump. Be aware I've notified three remaining corvettes of our situation." Selene said, stressing the last word.
"Do it!"
Within the blink of an eye, the ship was accelerated to FTL. In less than a second, the ship appeared on the starboard side of the enemy frigates pursing the limping Nagasaki. Dain wasn't exactly sure who was more surprised, the enemy or Commander Hackett. Nevertheless, Dain wasted no time.
"Deploy all bombers! Selene, order the raloi frigates to fire!"
Before the enemy frigates could react, four raloi frigates fired their mass accelerators. Two rounds slammed into each frigate, the firepower draining their kinetic barriers. The Alliance bombers commenced their run, pouring explosives over the enemy vessels before quickly returning to the Tampa. To add to the damage, the raloi ships fired over a dozen disruptor torpedoes. It was plain overkill as the enemy vessels crumbled under the attack. Dain breathed an inward sigh of relief, weak in the knees at another successful gamble.
"Selene, any more ships approaching the field?" The commander was hopeful the AI would deliver a positive report.
"Negative, sir. Allied corvettes were jamming all communication transmissions within the area. The enemy believes us to be dead," The AI reported. Soon three Alliance corvettes appeared on the other side of the Nagasaki, ever vigilant for enemy ships.
Before Dain could say anything, Singh asked a very good question. "Sir, how did our corvettes jam the enemy ships' communications?"
"Good question, ensign. Selene?"
"Before the naval engagement, Stephen began coordinating the rest of the Alliance's AIs to hack the enemy ships. To avoid detection, we masked our movements through their systems, slowing our efforts. It wasn't until just a few minutes ago that we were able to hack into their systems. While largely diverse, the enemy seemed to possess rather strong cyber warfare suits. Before I continue, I believe you should take a look at this," The AI declared, having a rather large packet file appear on Dain's Omni-tool. "While in their systems, I was able to pull this chunk of data from their archives. Unfortunately, with our communication systems badly damaged I was, and still am, unable to send the data to anyone else."
Before he could take a look at the data, Dain asked another question. "What is the status on the fleet?"
"Gone. Captain Wang managed to escape, along with twenty-one ships. The planetary defense has already begun firing on the enemy fleet. We have lost this battle."
Dain reclined in his chair, both from grief and relief. Having survived another miraculous engagement, he couldn't believe that merely thirty-one ships out of ninety-four managed to survive. Countless had died, yet he and his crew had survived. Admittedly, they weren't in the best of conditions, but it was certainly better than death.
Sighing, Dain issued his final orders. "Comms., order all ships to power down non-essential systems and open a line to Commander Hackett."
"Commander, I've been trying to do that, however, it appears the Nagasaki's communication system is offline," Lindholm reported.
"Oh, that's just perfect," Singh complained.
"This just keeps getting better," Dain sarcastically said. "Selene, have any ideas?"
The AI brought up a diagram of a nearby derelict vessel. "Sir, with the enemy ships destroyed it is possible that we can repair both the Nagasaki and the Tampa while investigating the inhabitants."
"Do it," Dain said, clearly tiring of the situation. "Begin docking procedures with the Nagasaki." With nothing else to be done, he exited the bridge, deciding whatever information Selene had sent to him had to be worthwhile at the very least. But, considering the day's events, he figured he had earned a brief rest.
HSS Superiority
Dreadnought
Command Deck
"HAHA, look at them squirm!" Gonu shouted, cheerful over the batarian fleet's success. As the enemy fleet retreated, their batarian counterpart advanced upon the colony.
The remaining three hundred and seventeen batarian ships were soon left unopposed in the system. Admiral Ban stared at the list of casualties he had suffered, eighty-five ships to the enemy's sixty-three. Their foe had proven to hold a deep comprehension of naval warfare and displayed military intelligence on-par with the turians. That was disturbing, especially when one considered the disproportionate loss of heavy frigates to the seemingly advanced corvettes. Ban growled mentally, he had underestimated his foe and had suffered for it. He'd acted on Toren's information, expecting an enemy battle-group, not a fleet nearly twice the size. The admiral silently clenched a fist, wishing he could strangle the incompetent buffoon. He took small comfort in knowing the idiot deservingly lost two-thirds of his slaver fleet.
"Admiral, what are those things?" Lieutenant Ib-ba asked. He seemed enamored by the screen, just above his comfortable control chair, watching the holo-screen before his eyes.
The lieutenant's voice brought the admiral out of his thoughts. "They look like communications satellites," Ban said, quickly evaluating and discarding the many satellites in orbit around the planet. Those were the last things that interested him, although the lack of shipyards was beginning to trouble him. His real targets were the millions of slaves whom he would capture on that planet; as well as the pacification of the entire race. With their prowess under the control of the Hegemony, the ingenious race could possibly assist in bringing the Volus Protectorate and Hanar Primacy to their knees. After those two fell, the Hegemony would have production capabilities in excess of the turians and salarians combined, and the asari would never think of threatening sanctions against such a mighty power.
Ban opened a channel through his Omni-tool with Colonel Garak, chief of the shock troops in the Suppression Fleet. The colonel appeared in all his glory if someone could call it that. The man was a legend of the frequent mercenary conflicts in the Terminus Systems, and well known for his suppression of slave revolts. He was among the best officers in the Hegemony forces. While he did not share the ruthless methods of the caste currently in command, he was good enough that his actions and his loyalty to the government spoke for themselves.
"Admiral. To what do I owe this call?"
"Colonel. We are in sight of the planet. Are your men ready?"
"We were ready before we left," The soldier replied dryly. Ban understood that the officer didn't like him, but like any soldier, the colonel was accustomed to serving under commanders who did share his same ideals.
"Good. Remember not to kill civilians. We need them, anything else on the planet is expendable." The admiral added, a stern expression on his face.
"Yes, sir."
Ban close the channel and rose from his chair, deciding to monitor the actions of his men. They had to be at their peak performance levels and leave the system in less than a week. Any more time than that and their absence would be noticed for sure. A stray thought came to Ban. He grimaced, hoping they would be gone before the Shadow Broker decided the fleet's absence was information worth selling. They had to be quick and deadly, just like General Karan three hundred years ago during the War of Spring. Ban walked over to navigation and began to observe the panels behind the helmsman.
"ETA on the planet?" He asked imperatively.
"About five minutes sir ... look, screen five shows some strange readings."
Ban strolled to a better vantage point, noting that the monitor in question was focused on a satellite. Upon closer scrutiny, he saw that it had it had the shape of a closed Citadel, but with a hole where the wards were to join and a yellow star on the side. It had two arrays on either side, with twelve needle-like projectiles lined around the hole. He saw another, much similar to the first, but instead of needles, it had a large blue optic in the center. Finally, there was an umbrella-shaped satellite with dozens of large tubes around it. What was disconcerting was how the rest of the varied satellites were beginning to turn, continuously rotating as they began facing his fleet.
'What's going on?' The admiral thought.
Suddenly, all twelve needles left the satellite on screen directed towards a frigate that had been closing in to conduct a more accurate scan. The ship was perforated completely, the needles ignoring both barriers and the vessel's armor as if it were nothing. A horror realization stitched itself on Ban's face; those needles were the same type of missiles the enemy fleet had used against him, which meant that the rest of the satellites were …
Immediately, the rest of the orbital weapons opened fire, deploying varied ordinance with inhuman precision. Soon strange warheads carrying nuclear payloads, lasers, and missiles were firing on the approaching batarian fleet. Hundreds of missiles slammed into a pack of battlecruisers, crippling them heavily. Their accompanying cruisers were obliterated by a blue ray; the barriers doing nothing to stop the beam. The bulkiest systems deployed their weaponry, each dispersing six warheads. To Ban's unspoken horror, any ships nearby were soon disintegrated as the warheads exploded. The nuclear fire was well in excess of Council restrictions.
"Ambush!" Someone shouted on the channels.
Ban winced. He'd been outmaneuvered again. Then, it came to him: there were no construction facilities in orbit. Nothing that could build the ships he'd just defeated. That meant, this was not the species' homeworld, but merely a colony … and if the fleet he'd just beaten was not the home defense fleet then… Toren would die an excruciating death if he had anything to say about it!
Ib-ba began to press buttons on the console, nodding, while Ban allowed himself a moment to observe the last act of resistance from a civilization doomed to serve the Hegemony. A smile came to his face if the space battle had indicated anything, it was that the ground would be equally difficult … of which Lieutenant Toren was in charge.
"Fire," Ban ordered.
The batarian fleet responded with an impressive display of fire. Their mass accelerators easily tore through the satellites, their firepower dropping exponentially after the batarian ships destroyed each of them. A good number of their ordnance managed to miss their targets, heading for the planet below. Bane didn't care as he had more important things to take care of.
"Report!" Bane shouted.
"Fleet has suffered some damages," Ib-ba reported. "Six frigates destroyed and another three damaged. Four Corvettes have suffered equipment failure, but nothing serious. The most damage to the fleet is that a battlecruiser has been severely damaged while its cruiser pack has been obliterated."
Bane closed his fists, nearly ripping the armrests on his chair. "What is the fleet's combat effectiveness?"
"Three hundred and six ships are combat ready, seven if we can fix the hull damages done to the HSS Terror."
"Instruct Lieutenant Commander Toren to begin deploying the first wave of ground troops. Have whatever remains of his forces serve as forward reconnaissance for the main ground army. Any remote settlements are to be obliterated; only major cities and heavily populated areas are to be isolated and targeted. Deploy probes down to the planet, I want any planetary cannons captured or destroyed before we begin sending any ships ground side."
"Aye, sir."
Ban settled back in his chair. 'No, I don't think I will warn the good Lieutenant Commander of what I've learned.' He looked at the list of missing vessels. 'He has cost me nearly twenty-five percent of my fleet. Let's see how well his leadership proceeds.'
Trivia:
1. The naval battle, or rather the strategies used, was partly inspired by the naval battles Midway and Leyte Gulf of WW2
2. Captain's Wang declaration of the odds preventing any thought of survival was a quote inspired by the book 'Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers.'
3. Here we get to see the differences in Dain and Hackett as well as their strategies. Dain creates a new solution if the ones given to him aren't satisfactory and will do anything to get his crew out of there alive. Hackett is more cautious, evaluating the scenario carefully before committing to an action while being cool under pressure. Together these two sailors make a lethal combination.
4. A similar relationship is seen in Ban and Toren, opposite sides of the same coin. Even though both started pretty much the same, you can see how their personalities have led them down different paths. Ban is analytical, a brilliant tactician, and inspires loyalty through merit. On the other hand, Toren is reckless, overlooks facts that have huge implications, and rules over his men with fear. Also yeah, Ban is no idiot. He easily realizes Shanxi is just a colony.
5. I tend to take crabby, unhelpful reviewers, or more accurately flamers who fail to provide any useful feedback and are vague in their complaints, and people I encounter in life, and integrate them as servants of my protagonist's foes. Keep in mind, all writers in this collaboration are open to all forms feedback and criticism regarding plot holes, canon contradictions, and issues in the story. Thankfully no reviewer has fallen into this category and we thank you for all your loyal support.
6. Title easily explains the chapter.