A/N: Reply to review

mastermind: It is humans with Chimeran tech v.s. Neuroi. Most of the ships are using what are essentially very big Augers and Bullseyes. Also, the energy shields were reversed engineered from Chimeran tech. Not to mention there are Stalkers being used as combat drones. When infantry combat comes up more, there'll be a lot more Chimeran tech used.

I have edited the previous chapters, UED ships now have descriptions of the armaments.

Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Screaming in Space

Orbit above Earth

Vengeance of Russia

Space above Earth was a mess of lights and fire as human and Neumann fleets tore into each other with a vengeance. On Earth itself, arsenal ships and land based silos loosed thousands of missiles at their opponents in space. Laser and rail gun satellites unleashed hell on the approaching ships. Blazers, Shock ships, and a couple hundred less advanced warships opened fire as well. Mushrooms, cylinders, Mantas, Stingrays, even a Mega was annihilated by a murderous hail of projectile, plasma and missile fire. Radiation Sabots tore into cores, sneering at their targets' armor's attempts to stop them. Return fire annihilated a dozen ships, tearing through their shielding. Other ships held on, their shields depleted, their armor continuing to stubbornly resist laser fire. Admiral Darrel winced as the badly damaged David Winters charged forward, its crippled frame absorbing thousands more shots as it rammed into a Mega, destroying both ships in a massive nuclear fireball.

The battle had started when the biggest fleet Darrel had ever seen hurled themselves into the attack. Tens of thousands of Mantas, Hundreds of Cylinders, over two hundred Mushrooms, and a few dozen Megas, all escorting six Mother ships, which deployed almost a million drones.

No matter, the massive cannons of the Blazers had fired flak rounds, demolishing drones and Mantas like they were mere flies. Shock ships unleashed hell with arsenals of weaponry, Vengeance Carriers launched massive squadrons of Armored Skirmishers into the battle, and the Prometheus Weapon obliterated an entire section of the invading fleet. The opening fire from the Neumanns had been shrugged off with ease, only now, deep into the battle, was the insanely tough armor being breached. Three Mother ships had already been destroyed, and now Darrel got to have the pleasure of seeing a fourth disintegrate, along with all the Neumanns under its control.

The ship shook as another volley bounced off its tough armor "Battle report!" The admiral shouted to his second in command, Leon. "Sir, the Sixth Fleet's taken 70% casualties. We've got about sixty ships and 70% of the Orbital Defense Grid lost. Hostiles are down to a dozen Mushrooms, fifty Cylinders, a couple thousand drones, Mantas, and Stingrays and six Megas. Most of the things that made it to the ground were wiped out."

"Good. We just finish off these assholes and we're done." He raised his voice. "Fourth Fleet takes Sixth Fleet's position. Skirmishers take out the remaining Cylinders. Blazers will destroy the remaining drones, Mantas and Stingrays. Anti orbital guns will take out the Mushrooms. All other ships, concentrate on Mega 3 and Mega 5, bring them down."

The fleet went to their duties with gusto. Hundreds of 64 inch guns on the Blazers fire shells that sped towards their targets. Many of the shells split open to reveal swarms of micro-missiles that wiped out half of the surviving drones and Mantas. Tens of thousands of smaller rounds spewed out from the rail guns of the two kilometer ships to rip apart survivors, filling space with a veritable wall of fire. Powerful Rad-Sabot rounds pierced through armor and tore into the cores of the larger Stingrays. Nuclear fire engulfed seven Mushrooms, leaving the five survivors badly damaged. Skirmishers fell in the hundreds to bring down two dozen Cylinders. The two unfortunate Megas were targeted by practically everything else in the fleet. Plasma fire melted off armor, leaving the way open for shells, lasers, Big Bulls, and Radiation Sabots to tear into their interiors. All the while homing lasers from both sides impacted and deflected each other. Return fire wrecked Hellions 2 and 4, as shuttles and escape pods evacuated the crew of the doomed ships.

Meanwhile, the remaining Neumanns had deployed in front of the two surviving Mother ships, trying to protect them from enemy fire. The Mother ships constantly hurled out new ships, Cylinders, Mantas, Stingrays, thousands of drones, even a new Mega joined the fight. Another dozen satellites went down to this new hail of fire, as the Neumanns moved side by side, forming a nearly impervious barricade between them and the Mother ships.

Luckily, the UED didn't have to attack it head on. Darrel looked at Leon. "Call in the Prometheus, I want that fleet wiped out now." Leon gave a savage grin. "Yes sir!" He began communicating with the officers in command of the massive cannon. "This is Vengeance of Russia, requesting Prometheus strike on Neumann fleet. Target: Hostile Mother ship. Location: Grid 3. Targeting dada sent, fire for effect."

The Prometheus Weapon was the most powerful weapon in human history. Powered by a hundred pieces of Gray Tech, the weapon was sealed in a reconverted Chimeran Tower that was even more fortified than the rest of the planet. The weapon itself if guarded twenty four seven by a small army. There are three such weapons on Earth, positioned so that everything in orbit can be easily targeted by at least one of the weapons. This particular Prometheus Weapon was in Antarctica, buried underneath several Kilometers of ice, only emerging when incredible amounts of firepower were needed.

Like right now.

The small, cube-like fragments that powered the cannon circled around each other in patterns, rapidly building up energy, before a massive pulse shot out into space zoomed toward its target and impacted on a Mega.

A massive flare of blinding light engulfed the area as 23 TETRATONS of TNT's worth of energy was unleashed. The Neumanns didn't explode, buckle, break open. They just... vanished, every last one of them, Motherships, Megas, Mushrooms, Cylinders, it made no difference. Just like that, the battle was over, and the powerful cannon submerged back under the ice to recharge.

March 29, morning

Orbit above Earth, Fleet Command Station

Every Fleet Commander and most of the Captains in the UED had been called in to this briefing. General Kerrel addressed the group. "After the attack yesterday, the remaining Neumann Motherships in the Solar System have emerged near Jupiter and are trying to rebuild their forces quickly to attack again. We are not going to give them that chance. Orders are for entire fleet to launch a full scale attack on the surviving Neumanns to destroy their Motherships."

There was dead silence in the room. "The ENTIRE fleet sir?" The commander of 6th Fleet asked, stunned. Kerrel nodded. "That's correct, with the rest of the Neumanns revealed, we have a chance to drive them out of the Solar System. Those Mother ships are the only thing these aliens care about losing. They can replace anything else, but if they lose those last four Mother ships, we win." He sighed. "I know your forces are all understrength, but we cannot let this opportunity go to waste. If we do, they'll attack again, and with most of the Defense Grid gone, many more people will die. All of our ships can regenerate, so you should be at a reasonable level of combat effectiveness when you get to Jupiter. Dismissed, and Godspeed."

April 3rd

Near Ganymede, moon of Jupiter

Vengeance of Japan

Fleet Commander Jorgen looked calmly at the ships of the Third and Fourth fleets. Twenty six ships in all. 2 Vengeance class: The Japan and Germany, eight Shock ships, and sixteen Blazers. The war had taken its toll on everyone. At the beginning of it, Third fleet had boasted over thirty ships, just part of an armada of 250. Now UED had only 108 warships left, and Third Fleet was left with only 11 ships.

But it all ended today. It they won here the war was over. Earth would have endured another alien invasion and remained triumphant. It was with that in mind that he sent a broadcast to every ship in the two fleets.

"This is Commander Holtz Jorgen two the men and women of the Third and Forth Fleets. For three years the Neumann hordes have invaded our space, our territory. For three years we have held them back, for our home, our family, and friends, and for Earth."

Across the two fleets crewmen stopped their duties and listened. Howin Yeager and his squadron stopped debating over kills and stood up straight. Quartermaster Martin Galm put an Auger FS down and smiled as he heard the Commander speak. Repair crews working on repairing damaged bulkheads ceased working for the moment.

"We have lost many in this war. Pilots, crewmen, captains, leaders, soldiers, and heroes. But we are still here, to carry out their will. The will to ensure that their sacrifice was not in vain! To ensure that they died for a free and living mankind! The Neumanns know we're coming, and they think they can deal with us. I think otherwise, and when we ram our gun barrels down their throats they will know fear. They will know that we still remember those who fell, and have come to call for blood."

"So fight, fight soldiers of Earth! Fight for your friends! For your families! For the living! For the fallen! For Earth!"

A resounding cheer rang out from every corridor of every ship. They had fought alongside their Commander for three years, and led by him they would drive out the Neumanns from Sol.

For Earth.

A few hours later

Ganymede

Everyone stared at the Mother ship draining Ganymede for resources. It had already built up a small fleet of five Mushrooms, sixty Cylinders, a thousand or so Mantas, and numberless drones. A half-completed Mega was being constructed nearby.

"Orders, sir?" One of the Bridge Bunnies asked.

Jorges smiled. "Open with a missile saturation on the Cylinders. Blazers bombard the Mantas and drones. Skirmishers launch and hit the Mushrooms. Prep all laser clusters for point defense. Begin Electron Warfare, jam their targeting."

Large EW suites on the two carriers activated, and Neumann systems were flooded by jamming, decoys, and false commands. At the same time over a thousand missiles spat out from the fleet and sped towards the Neumanns. A couple hundred detonated hundreds of kilometers from their targets, releasing messes of lasers that tore through the armor and cores of several Cylinders. Meanwhile 64 inch guns boomed and unleashed their payloads on the unfortunate Mantas and drones. In response, the Neumanns sent out volleys of lasers towards the human ships, but identical shots spewed out from clusters on each warship, impacting and neutralizing their counterparts. Even more lasers went flying off into empty space, or in one hilarious moment, another Neumann, as a beam from a Cyinder cleaved a Manta in half. The Manta's two comrades systems were likewise confused, and promptly returned fire.

It wouldn't last though, Jorges thought. Eventually the distance would close, and the Neumanns, with their far more numerous lasers, would burn through the jamming, and fire enough shots to get through the active defenses. And worse, he had to get close if he wanted to stop that Mother ship . He especially didn't want to fight a Mega at long range.

So the two fleets continued to pound each other into oblivion, half an hour passed, and as the distance closed the Neumann fire began impacting on the shields, even later, the shields failed and shots began pounding on the armor of some ships. Finally, 80 minutes into the battle, a lucky shot tore through a crippled section of Liberty 4's hull, impacting on the fusion reactor. Containments failed and the ship went up in a nuclear fireball.

Half the Neumann fleet had been wiped out by then. However, the Mother ship had created a few hundred more Mantas and two Cylinders during the battle which covered the hive. Still the battle was going relatively well.

Then Murphy decided he had been too nice to the UED as of late.

"Sir! The Mega's main gun is charging, it's about to fire!" Jorges eyes bulged in horror. "All ships evasive maneuvers now!"

Megas come in many different forms, but there is usually one thing common about them all. They can combine their energy and that of nearby Neumanns into one massive beam. The Mega was incomplete, so the weapon was not as powerful as it could have been. However, with the recently produced Neumanns adding their power to the blast, it was still devastating. The Stephen Cartwright's armor held up for a few seconds before evaporating before the massive beam, and a Blazer and several Skirmishers who were to close were likewise lost.

"Armored Skirmishers!" Jorges shouted. "Take out that Mega, I don't care what else goes down, I want that gun offline!"

The entire fleet's contingent of Skirmishers, several hundred strong even after their combat losses, charged towards their new target. Even as they advanced, the battle continued to rage on. 64 inch cannons ripped apart entire sections of their targets, homing lasers continued to mix and mingle and plasma fire melted off Neumann armor. The Neumanns now resorted to desperate tactics, their ships ramming into their foes with no concern for their own loses. Dozens were sacrificed to destroy one human ship. Massed point defense fire massacred their foes, but the last surviving Mushroom slammed into one of Fourth Fleet's Shock ships, the Erwin Rommel, destroying both. Several more ships went down to kamikaze strikes. The Vengeance of Germany took severe damaged, but stubbornly refused to die. Nearly every ship was scarred by these attacks, but the Neumann fleet had been annihilated, and the UED advanced on the Mother ship.

The Mega fired again, aiming at the Vengeance of Japan. The James Grayson moved in front of the carrier, taking the shot for it. While it was not tough enough to completely neutralize the beam, it was weakened from the Shock ship's sacrifice, and the carrier, while its hull groaned and explosions erupted throughout the ship, survived.

Jorges picked himself off the deck and got the pleasure of seeing the Skirmishers send lines of fire across the Mega, forcing it to defend itself rather than fire its main gun. Even better, the main fleet had reached firing range, and the fourteen surviving ships tore into the Mother ship's escort and the Mega with a vengeance. Mantas and drones were annihilated nearly instantly by fire. The few Cylinders that had been made lasted only a few seconds longer. The Mega, though it had destroyed the majority of the drones, was severely damaged.

"Fourth fleet, break off and destroy that Mega. Third fleet, we're ending that damn Mother ship right here and now."

As the two fleets separated, the remnants of Third fleet's Skirmishers joined them. Fire tore into the massive Neumann, as it seemed to howl in agony from the punishment it was being subjugated to.

"Sir, we've got some weird signals coming from the Mother ship. I've never seen anything like it!" One of the officers shouted, alarmed at this new development.

Jorges snarled. "We're not letting this thing get away now, get in close and finish it off!" He shouted, as nearby the Mega went up like a fireworks show and came apart.

Even as Third fleet moved to a mere dozen kilometers from the Mother ship, it continued to build up energy. Finally, just as it was about to activate whatever it was trying to, a lucky hit smashed into the core.

The Neumann screamed as space and time around it distorted, then it, and all of the Third Fleet, vanished.

Megas: The largest dedicated combat Neumanns seen. Unlike others, these ships are armed with a massive cannon that can take out any ship in the fleet with a single shot. Fortunately they take a long time to charge, and cannot use it while under fire. Get in close to these foes.

Radiation Sabot: The most useful weapon in the was with the Neumanns, the Radiation Sabot is based off of Chimeran Augers, and can not just ignore, but grow stronger by passing through solid objects, making them the perfect weapons to use against the Neumanns. Considering how effective they are, some people hypothesize that the original Auger may have been made for the purpose of dealing with Neumanns, despite there being no evidence in the, admittingly sparse, captured Chimeran logs and databanks.

Bulletstorm Rail gun: A projectile weapon that fires bolts at a rate of 75 rounds per second. An excellent point defense gun.

A/N: Alternate Universe adventure it a go!

Please review, constructive criticism is always appreciated, as are comments on what you like most.