Kadeshi Void by InocPrime

Published on Kiith Iopia on the 18 July 2003

Fleet Admiral Elson of the Taiidani Republican Fleet gazed through the enormous view port of his flagship the Skaal-Fa class destroyer, Kapella. Though huge Qwaar-Jet class heavy cruisers escorted him and patrolled within his fleet, Elson had elected to continue commanding the Kapella as his flagship.

"Admiral, scanners have reached the nebula. Our survey will take under fifteen minutes. The data we can gain from this scan will advance everything we know about the Kadeshi. Though the Kushan destroyed them, we can still learn about their technology."

"Yes, yes, I know why we're here. I'd rather have delegated this to someone else though. I suppose I gave up that right when I turned down the Consulship. You'd think they'd be grateful enough to atleast let me fight the raiders and Imperialists. But apparently a simple science mission requires my personal attention."

Elson smirked. Though his protest was partially sincere, he didn't really mind the dull duty. During the Elite Guard rebellion he had fought for several months, mostly successfully, and there was a part of him that enjoyed.

"Admiral?"

Elson turned his gaze from the expansive nebula to the junior officer who had spoken to him.

"Yes? Done already I hope?"

"No sir, the scanners are still working, but they picked up a ship near us while scanning the sector of the nebula closest to us. It's not a configuration I recognize."

"Focus the scanners on it, get us a better look at it."

"Complying sir." The officer manipulated the few controls at his disposal and the image of the vessel resolved itself on a small view panel to the side of the officer.

"What is it?"

"Admiral, it does look similar to the Kadeshi's Frigate design. It's bigger though. Those attachments on it's sides, those weren't on the ships we studied before the mission."

Elson studied the ship. It essentially appeared to be a heavily modified version of the Kadeshi's Multibeam Frigate.

"That's the Kadeshi. Have they detected us?"

"I don't think so admiral, but I could be wrong. It hasn't changed course yet."

"Good. Put the fleet on alert though, and have all fighter squadrons go to standby. I don't want to get caught off guard."

"Complying sir."

Elson returned to the view port and searched the nebula, as if he might glimpse the phantom frigate.

***

"Admiral, the vessel is changing course. It's moving towards us."

Elson reclined in his command module.

"Open communication frequencies and prepare all stations for combat."

"Complying admiral."

"Admiral. " Another junior officer requested Elson's attention. "We're receiving a transmission from the Kadeshi."

"Patch it through to the bridge intercom."

The officer punched in the necessary commands without acknowledging the order, and the voice of a Kadeshi captain soon came over the intercom.

"Unclean vessels... disengage your weapns... join us... in the Garden..." "Get me a reply transmission."

"Ready Admiral." The officer had already prepared the necessary channels.

"Kadeshi vessels, we cannot join you, but we mean you no harm. We are on a simple survey mission."

"Those... who will not join us... die..."

"We cannot join you Kadeshi captain, we..."

"Then you will die."

"Admiral, the Kadeshi have severed contact."

Elson contemplated the situation for a few moments and spoke.

"They can't hold any serious hopes of defeating us with just a single ship, no matter how sophisticated their weaponry. We can easily..."

"Sir, new ships coming in through hyperspace. Unknown numbers and many unknown configurations.'

"Bring up an image of them."

A moment after making the order, a holographic projection manifested itself before him. The image displayed a vast fleet, just emerging from hyperspace. dozens of new configuration ships, each one distinctly Kadeshi.

"Scan the fleet. I want a count."

"Scanning sir... first return indicates a dozen or so frigates and... capital ships with more then a hundred escorting fighters and assorted strike craft. The first engagements with the Kadeshi showed only five varieties of ships... how can there be so many? The Kushan destroyed them all..."

"There's no time to try and figure out how this happened. Ready all ships and fighters. We can't run."

"Complying sir. Carrier Furi and Krex launching fighters. Destroyers, frigates, and cruisers taking up defensive positions. All ships report ready sir."

"Deploy all interceptor squadrons into attack positions and all defenders into a sphere formation around us."

"All fighters complying sir."

"Move all frigates into position behind the interceptors. Order them to attack immediately after the Kadeshi first engage the interceptors. Move the rear quarter of defenders into a forward wall position in front of the sphere. Carriers to the port and starboard sides of the fleet. They'll fire their point defense guns into any fighters formations that get to us."

The communications officer relayed Elson's orders to the rest of the fleet.

"All ships entering formation admiral."

"Good... move defense plates into position over all windows. I don't want a breach in the thick of this. And prep all escape pods for launch. Just in case."

"All plates in position sir. Escape pod launch systems preped."

"Sir, the Kadeshi fleet is nearing position."

"Tell the interceptors to attack and the frigates to get ready. As the frigates engage them we'll approach."

The bridge officers relayed orders, engaged combat protocols, and fighters few to their deaths.

"Admiral, the interceptors have engaged the Kadeshi advance fighter groups.

Outside the Kapella, one hundred Taiidanni interceptors crashed into an even larger fleet of tiny Kadeshi swarmers and advanced swarmers, along with a triad of new heavy fighters. Behind the devastating fighter engagement more then a dozen Taiidanni assault frigates and ion cannon frigates advanced on the Kadeshi fleet. As it approached, it was quickly cut down by a huge array of ion cannon fire, loosed from the miniaturized Kadeshi cannons.

"Damn it, get the fighters back to bay. We don't have a chance against that. We're going to have to run and hope we'll be able to fend against them as..."

"Sir, three Kadeshi destroyers and what appears to be a heavy cruiser are approaching us."

"Move the carriers behind us. How long until they get into firing range?"

"I can't say sir. I'm not familiar with their..."

While the sensor officer spoke, a single beam of tightly packed energy emerged from the Kadeshi heavy cruiser, striking into the destroyer next to the Kapella, destroying it and passing through it to strike a single defender behind it.

"What the hell was that?" Elson shouted at his sensor officer.

"The Kadeshi fired a high power beam at the destroyer Al-Atron. It was destroyed."

"In one shot?"

"Yes sir. It also endured long enough to punch through the destroyer debris and pop one of our defenders."

"Move in towards that ship. We have to destroy it."

"Complying sir. All defenders engaging."

The huge rings of defenders launched out of their sphere formation and began aggresive engagement tactics, pummeling the unusual vessel with hundreds of rounds, while the cruisers and destroyers behind began firing heavy weapons at the three destroyers. It took more then two minutes but the heavy cruiser was destroyed, along with it's escorts, but not before a Qwaar-Jet class heavy cruiser and two Skaal-Fa class destroyers were destroyed by the detached fleet. Elson was left to a single heavy cruiser, another destroyer, and his own ship. The carriers had already begun running from the system, the fighters withh them.

"How many ships do they have left?"

Elson looked tired even though only minutes had passed since his previous vibrant command.

"Several dozen frigates, another triad of destroyers, and an unknown amount of gihters remaining after our interceptors engaged them."

Elson saw the futility of continuing the fight. The only alternative open presented itself to him.

"Transmit recordings of the engagements to Taiidan. Prepare the escape pods. We'll go full burn to get ahead of the carriers. They'll pick us up."

"But sir..."

"Just do it." Elson said these words tiredly with only annoyance at the officer's protest.

"Yes admiral."

In the ensuing 17 minutes, every ship in Fleet Admiral Elson's fleet was systematically abondoned. Each ship's escape pods escaped and were successfully recovered by the fleet's pair of carriers. The survivors managed to escape and warn the Taiidani Senate and the Hiigaran Diaimad. The Kadeshi had survived.