Original A/N:

"A/N: Yamato Special Ability, +10 to initiative? Oh and, parenthesis are just notes. Extra exposition."

Planet Willis, Alliance occupied space
Liverpool Station -Forward Alliance Supply Station-

Things were quiet and peaceful. The commander on the station went by the name of Baton Jones. He was a hardworking man who worked diligently to keep track of the amount of supplies in the warehouses. Ammunition rounds, food, water, oxygen, fuel… If any fell below a certain point, he would send in a request for new supplies. Speaking of which, the current fleet of eight cruisers resupplying was probably going to use up most of his stores on hand. He should probably put in a request soon…

However any notion of sending in a request went out the window when every alarm in the station started blaring. However the most confusing alarm of all was the one for gravitational wave, usually originating from the collision of objects of massive stellar mass. Did a start go supernova somewhere and the gravitational waves were reaching them just now? If so, it would be an extraordinary rare event that could win him several prizes in the scienti-

Jones' assumptions were shattered when the source of the waves themselves hit. The entire station groaned as the very fabric of space and time oscillated. Jones suddenly found himself massively disoriented and even nauseous when his body was suddenly stretched and squished by a few millimeters. For a brief moment, his knees went weak and he collapsed onto the ground.

However military training and discipline kicked in soon after. As soon as the gravitational waves passed, he ran straight for the command room. The doors slid open just as he arrived only to almost have himself knocked off his feet by a sudden tremor throughout the station. The lieutenant, a Mr. Turner who was on watch, clambered to his feet.

Jones: "Status report!"

Turner grasped onto the control panel, his fingers raced across the holographic keyboard in front of him. An diagram of the station appeared with multiple sections flashing red.

Turner: "We have multiple breaches across… All the decks! They're, they're boarding us sir!"

Jones: "What?! Who?!"

Turner: "Them!"

Turner could only point at the window showing the outside. Jones had not paid much attention to it at first, but at the back of his mind he was wondering why the outside was unusually dark. It also solved the mystery of where that gravitational wave had come from earlier. A massive ship almost two kilometers long had warped right outside the station and was barely a few hundred meters away from crashing into the station itself. Jones watched helplessly as hundreds of pods were shot out of the countless cannons onboard the ship and towards them and the docked cruisers.

Turner: "Incoming! Brace for impa-"

A pod had flew straight into the command room, shattering the armored viewport and crashing into the command room itself. Quick reflexes was all that saved them from being sucked out into space by decompression. The room soon stabilized as metal shutters bridged the gaping hole. Jones coughed and drew in a breath of sweet air before calling out.

Jones: "T-turner! Are you alright?"

Turner: "Yes! Sir!"

The two disoriented men dragged themselves onto their feet. A sudden unfamiliar hiss and the sound of rapid footsteps piqued Jones to look up at what had crashed into the command room. The last thing he saw was the barrel of a C-28 Impaler gauss rifle in the hands of a 7 foot tall machine monstrosity, the IMC Powered Combat Suit.

Yamato, First Bridge

Hongxi stood on the bridge of the Yamato, watching the scene unfold before him. One by one, his squad leaders radioed in reporting they had secured a ship until finally he heard the one he was waiting for.

Saito: "This is Sergeant Saito, we have secured the control room. Shutting down lockdown of the station, my men are securing the routes to the storage room now."

Hongxi: "Good work. As soon as it's secured, our cargo shuttles will begin transfer of any salvageable supplies. Plant charges, be ready to blow the station when we're done."

Saito: "Yes sir!"

Communications ended, however the excitement was not over yet. There was a small rumble through the ship as one of the cruisers had lit up her laser cannons. Upon impact, the beams etched themselves into the hull of the Yamato. However the material was simply too thick and too resistant and the shots too sparse that the metal cooled and solidified as soon as the beams ended.

Arching an eyebrow, Hongxi looked at the screen and opened communications with the squad leader responsible for securing the Alliance Cruiser Dauntless.

Yazhu: "Sir?!"

Hongxi: "What is the matter."

Yazhu: "The ship's crew reacted faster than expected, they've currently barricaded themselves in the bridge."

Hongxi: "I give you permission to use explosive charges, take care not to cause too much damage. We want these ships as whole as possible."

Yazhu: "Yes sir!"

Hongxi ended communications and glanced over at the 8th ship docked with the station. There was a flash from the Dauntless' forward guns as a kinetic round struck the slanted hull. The round slid off the extremely low profile of the Yamato, ricocheted against a turret, and went hurling into the planet below. The cruiser would futilely let off a few more streams of laser and flak in anger before finally going quiet. A few seconds later, Yazhu radioed in saying the bridge was secure.
Hongxi then returned his attention to the station in front. Every now and then, the enemy would manage to activate one of the station's guns and open fire. However those were either quickly subdued by his marines, or by one of the Yamato's numerous guns.

Hongxi: "Yayoi. Send a message to the planet below. That we are not conquerors, nor are we liberators. We are but the servants of the Celestial Empire and that we recognize their sovereignty and right to rule on this planet. And should they wish to benefit from our protection and wealth…. Send the ceremonial details of becoming a tributary state. One year from now, we will return with a fleet far mightier than what we have here today and that is when we will receive their answer."

Yayoi: "Sir! Compiling message now."

Sun-Sin: "Sir, all squads reporting in. Station is secure, transports ships are now moving in. Ryders report no anomalies. Estimated time of arrival for emergency relief fleet… T minus 10 minutes!"

Hongxi: "Activate the station's defenses, fire smoke and launch beacons and warp jammers. Activate on my mark. Rapid deploy CWE (Capture With Escort) group onto station's surface, hide this ship in the station's shadow. Have this ship and all Ryders switch over to Silent mode."

Yayoi: "Understood, Gunnery? This is the bridge, fire thick smoke. Range, 75 kilometers, spherical.
Southern Hanger? Bridge speaking, launch three CC-P (Cruiser PACT) beacons. Random dispersion, 50 kilometers.
Northern Hanger? Bridge, deploy two squads of SA Lau Hu Heavy Tanks, 3 squads of SA Akizuki DP Tanks, and 2 squads of SA Cheonja Heavy Ion Artillery onto Liverpool Station's surface. Have the RBCs (Rapid Boarding Craft) standby, extra caution to the marines. The enemy is on alert."

The ship's engines and thrusters roared to life as the ship slowly repositioned itself behind the station. The massive main guns elevated themselves into firing position and fired, sending a deep reverberating shockwave throughout the ship. Dozens of canisters of ultra-compressed gaseous substances shot into space at near reentry speeds, exploding into a massive thick cloud that effectively blocked all visuals of the station and its immediate surrounding. Three beacon drones sped out of the Southern Hanger Bay, flying off into the midst of the cloud.

The Northern Hanger Bay doors opened and out shot a few dozen vehicles, flying into space for a few meters before the electromagnetic tracks kicked in and latched them back onto the hull of the ship. They drove at top speeds before disengaging and free drifting off the ship and towards the station. When the station drew near, the tracks were reengaged and the vehicles slammed onto the station's surface with loud thuds that could be heard by the station's inhabitants. After covering a good distance, the vehicles stopped and deployed grapplers that punctured into the hull of the station and anchored themselves in.

Alliance Rapid-Response Fleet
Complement: 1 battleship and 4 cruisers

Commodore Boisson was incredulous. Moments ago, a supply station in the neighboring system had sent out an incoherent emergency signal on all channels before being jammed. All subsequent attempts at reaching the station ended in failure. PACT? Out here? This wasn't that far from the front, but it would be suicidal for PACT to deploy this far in. What were they intending? The truth would reveal itself in a few moments as the fleet came out of warp. The Lafayette was a fine battleship and his fleet should be adequate enough for relieving the stationed fleet there.

Boisson: "Hail the sta- what is that?"

The people on the bridge could scarcely believe their eyes. The entire station was gone, covered in some kind of thick white cloud. The flash of kinetic guns and the occasional stream of lasers could be seen within the cloud.

Radarman: "Sir, we're picking up three PACT cruiser signatures from inside the cloud. I'm detecting weapon fire from the station, they seem to be engaging the PACT forces. We're not detecting any live signatures of the cruisers that's supposed to be stationed here."

Boisson: "Blast, have they already wiped the fleet? What sort of new weapon is this… All ships, full speed ahead! We must not let the station fall!"

Navigation: "Aye sir, full speed ahead!"

Boisson: "Ready weapons, lock onto the signals. Prepare to fire when in range!"

Gunner: "Aye sir!"

The Alliance relief fleet rapidly closed in on the station. As soon as they were within range, they let loose a stream of shells and lasers into the cloud. This message was received clearly, as the relief fleet was responded in kind with kinetics.

First Officer: "Sir, the shots have gone wild!"

Navigation: "Sir, do we enter the cloud?!"

Boisson: "Grr… We're still too far away for our kinetics. They only have 3 cruisers left, into the cloud! But go with caution, continue firing!"

Navigation: "Aye sir, heading into the cloud!"

The Machiavelli-class Battleship and her escort slowly descended into the thick cloud while keeping up a sustained barrage of shells. In one of their volleys, a stream of lasers actually managed to hit the beacon itself. Now with a gaping hole in it, the drifting beacon sparked a few times before going offline. Onboard the Lafayette, a red blip on the radar extinguished.

Radarman: "Sir! Enemy cruiser destroyed!"

Boisson: "Good! Don't let up! Head toward the station, our priority is to safeguard the station. But fear not, we will destroy these reds. We will not let the 12th fleet death be in vain!"

Crew in Unison: "YES SIR!"

The flotilla of cruisers and their battleship flagship drew near the station while keeping up their relentless assault in the direction of the beacons. It was then when a ball of ultra-polarized ion energy slammed into the underside of the ship, knocking out all power in the local area including the engines.

First Officer: "Sir! We just lost all contact with engineering! Our engines are gone sir!"

Navigation: "Sir, something is jamming our fleet's ability to warp!"

Radarman: "Sir! The Jean Bart, Rapiere, and Sabre are down! The Pegase is operating with only 10% of her systems sir!"

Alarms rang and blood drained from Boisson's face. The same thing that was happening to his ship were happening to the others as well. His only saving grace was being a battleship, size was to their advantage but even that would not hold out for long.

Boisson: "Where?! Where are they coming from?!"

Radarman: "The-"

The radarman took a step back as the bridge suddenly lost all power, plunging them into darkness. A few seconds later, auxiliaries kicked in and lit the room up in a dim red.

Radarman: "The… Station."

Boisson shushed him when they heard a long bang on the hull. The faint sound of decompression and the whir as the ship sealed itself off. Heavy footsteps, the sound of gunfire, and screams rang down the hall. Boisson motioned to the others and they nodded, rushing to the bridge's storage of emergency weapons cache. It was all training Boisson never thought he would have to use, breaking the safety glass and jamming the key into the lock to open the safe. Boisson passed the anti-personnel rifles out to each of the bridge crew who took up positions behind whatever cover they could find. Boisson himself shoved a thermal detonator into his front pocket before taking up position behind the control panel.

The heavy footsteps, footsteps too heavy for any man, drew nearer and nearer to the bridge until. They stopped. Time seemed to stand still as each and every one of the bridge crew stared at the dim red door, sweaty palms gripping the rifles that they have only ever fired once before during training. Boisson's own hands were shaking nervously, something he hoped his crew couldn't see in the dim light. Suddenly there came a loud bang and a large fist size dent appeared on the door. Boisson immediately whispered to the others.

Boisson: "Activate personal shields. Hold your fire until my mark!"

His crew nodded and activated their personal shields. There was another loud bang and an even bigger dent. Two, three more bangs and a small hole appeared in the middle of the door. Eight fat, mechanical fingers reached into and pried the door apart ever so slightly. However before Boisson could give the order, something flew into the room and exploded with a blinding flash and deafening explosion.

Boisson: "AAAGGHH, FIRE! FIRE!"

He did not know, could not tell if his crew had heard his order. His eyes were squeezed shut and his hands over his ears. Disorientated, he fell to the ground and rolled. Through brief glimpses, he could see flashes of light. Large 7… 8 feet tall men in some kind of mechanical suit charging into the room wielding guns the size of his young daughter. His own crew cut down by the spray of bullets. He could not hear their screams, their pain, and agony for his ears were still ringing. He could vaguely feel himself being lifted off the ground, and in his spinning head he could see the yellow faceplate of the monstrosity before him.

Boisson: "FA… *cough* FACK YOU!"

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the thermal detonator. He pressed the trigger and quickly let go. Boisson closed his eyes and let his arms go limp. Seconds seemed to tick on into infinity until from the ground, a fiery explosion engulfed the bridge…

Taejong, the squad leader, instinctively ducked into cover when he saw the captain's hand pull out a thermal detonator. A fiery explosion rocked the bridge as the captain's last act of defiance. When the flames had cleared and the smoke settled, Taejong came out of cover.

Taejong: "Kim!"

Taejong yelled into his com and stepped toward where the captain used to be. Kim was the one who had picked up the fallen captain and snarkily reported, "Hey, think I'll get promoted if I bring in his head?"
Kim was now on the floor, dazed. His face plate had not crack, but the grenade had blown off both his legs. Already the suit's self-preservation systems were cauterizing his stumps. From brief bursts of com, Taejong could hear Kim's screams.

Kim: "AAAHHHHH- MY LEE-"

Taejong motioned to the others and they quickly came over, shouldering their gun and lending an arm to pick up their wounded brother. They dragged him to the wall and leaned him against it, the narcotics already kicking in and putting Kim to sleep. Taejong looked over the bridge once more, his scanner showing no signs of life. Letting out a sigh, he broke radio silence and reported in.

Taejong: "This is Taejong, we have secured the bridge of the Lafayette. No casualties, one wounded and requesting immediate treatment. Son of a bitch had a Deadman's grip on a thermal, took out both legs of one of my men and probably fried all the controls too. The bridge doesn't look pretty, so give the repair crew a good one for tonight's dinner."

Yayoi: "This is bridge, your comments are noted. Dispatching medical shuttle and repair teams now, please guide them when they near the Lafayette. Oh, and good work."

Taejong: "Thanks."

Taejong stood there, unmoving and enjoying the faint memory. The commander's sweet voice ringing in his ear. One of his marines, Okazaki, came over and punched him on the back, his laughter coming over through the comm.

Okazaki: "What's the matter captain? Love shocked just by hearing the commander's voice?"

Taejong stumbled forward and turned around before shoving Okazaki back. The man stumbled backwards a couple times before he came crashing backwards onto the floor, the weight of his suit denting the metal grating below him.

Taejong: "I don't want to hear it. I'll have you scrubbing the dorms when we get back."

Warned Taejong as he walked past the fallen marine. All he got in response was the marine's cackle.

Taejong: "Alright men, we got one wounded with medics and repair crew coming in hot! So we better make our beds and give them a warm welcome!"

Marines-in-unison: "Sir yes sir!"

After leaving behind a scanner next to Kim, Taejong lead his men down the hall in a search and destroy mission to clear a path to the hanger. This event would see the loss of twelve cruisers and a battleship to the Alliance. The numbers themselves were insignificant when compared to the entire Alliance fleet, but when observed in retrospect. It meant the enemy was now thirteen ships stronger.

This would become known as the Raid of Planet Willis. Liverpool station was completely destroyed, blown up into several pieces and sent hurling into the planet below to be burned up in the atmosphere. Alliance quickly reasserted their occupation of the area and had begun construction of a larger space station under the watchful eye of a much bigger fleet. Details from the battle were unknown save for the transmissions of the Lafayette. Blame was automatically placed on PACT, but there was no move by the enemy to claim the victory as theirs. First an outlying system ceded, and now this. It was as if it were a sign marking the beginning of hard times to come.