Chapter 16 - Contact, Close Aboard...
The Flytrap emerged from hyperspace, in the area of space known as Vorshans Rift, inside Kushan space. Vorshan's Rift was a gap through a giant nebula, the nebula being populated by giant ionic storms, making navigation impossible. Vorshan's Rift was the only way through this nebula, which formed the south-west "barrier" around Hiigara.
The Flytrap went to full stop, the yellow-red vessel contrasting brightly against the blueish-reddish nebula. Inside its crew patiently waited.
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Kiith Nabaal Hiigaran Border Patrol Fleet
The Kiith Nabaal fleet sputtered on, one carrier, one heavy cruiser, 5 missile destroyers, 8 destroyers, 5 ion frigates, 9 assault frigates, seven drone frigates and the rest being a giant armada of strike craft.
The Captain of the Nabaal fleet moved near the Sholai nebula, close to Hiigara.
Once before a Turanic Raider fleet had been detected, and launched a surprise attack on the Hiigaran hyper space inhibitor, allowing the Taiidan to slip in and raid Hiigara itself. It would not happen again.
Captain Hruuk Nabaal sat in the captains chair, inside the Avatar heavy cruiser, confident and secure in his own power, on screen the upper dual ion cannon turret was visible. The vessel shuddered underneath his feet, the interplay of ionic "lightning" dancing across the background of the nebula made for a interesting show, a unusual stellar phenomenon. He yawned slightly, putting on a Captains cap, the Nabaalian preferred formality to a great degree.
As the ionic storms cleared a giant vessel was visible, mother ship class, matching nothing in the Kushan databases.
"Scan for rec-codes! Check their recognition codes against the database" ordered the captain.
Taiidan Imperial recognition codes.
All systems were operational. Life signs aboard.
They hadn't been detected yet.
The captain ordered a surprise assault.
3 Taiidan probes were launched, flying towards the Imperial Carrier, each flying in at incredible speeds, and exploding all around the giant craft, followed up by a small incursion, 4 Blade Mk.6s and 2 Arrow class scouts.
Going to yellow alert the Admiral aboard the Flytrap did not notice any capital ships. The AA weapons came to life and began blasting away, yellow flashes lighting up the hull of the craft as it opened fire at its tiny attackers, the behemoth fending off the small hordes that pestered it, the enemy had launched a rather small force, nothing major.
Qu'jet sensed something was amiss, waking up in his bed after a Arrow rudely buzzed by, firing mass driver rounds which were lodged into the composite window material.
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Inside the bowels of the carrier was Fleet Intelligence, like most motherships Fleet Intelligence was a given, an included item. The mainframes were working on a Taiidani Imperial Force network transmission (TIFnet).
This included news, statistics, dispatches, and new designs for strike craft.
One such design was for the Imperiums first Missile Corvette, the adding of dual missile packs to a Heavy Corvette chassis. Intelligence also included notes about the Kushans extending their patrol nets to the Sholai nebula, and Vorshans Rift.
Perhaps now would be the time for testing of the new corvette.
As the first missile corvette rolled off the production lines the Nabaal navy struck.
All comm channels went active, the young, "arrogant" voice filling the rooms.
"This is Hruuk Nabaal of the Kushan Navy! SURRENDER IMPERIALS! OR PREPARE TO BE BOARDED! THE REST OF THE NABAAL, MANAAN, AND LIIRHRA FLEET IS EN ROUTE! YOU WILL BE DESTROYED!"
The comm went out just as the capital ships sailed into view, the Nabaal fleet opened fire, ion beams firing and hitting metal, superheating the hull and melting sections.
The Taiidan cloak generators shut down, revealing a equally dangerous armada of Skaal-Tels, Skaal-Fas, Kudaarks, Qwaar-jets, and even three Saarkin-Chos. As one the Taiidan vessels opened fire into the ranks of the Kushan vessels, a interplay of ionic lightning flickering left and right, one hit flickering across the Nabaal carrier.
Aboard the Avatar class vessel Hruuk realized he had made a serious tactical error.
The sensors do not lie! he thought...8 heavy cruisers! EIGHT! Would this be the end? I will be blown into bits, my ashes scattered into the cosmos...
Another Saarkin-Cho carrier, with yellow and brown stripes moved forward. The yellow-brown coloring designated it as a Taiidani Marine carrier.
Qu'jet ran to his Interceptor, left and right Taiidani Marines, Engineers, techs and other fighter pilots ran to their posts, the Flight bay is a humdrum of pure chaos, orders and flight patterns are barked out, last orders are yelled across the room, the powerful roar of fighter engines can be heard, on top of that the screams of the harbor masters and the bang as each craft is launched and hurtled out of the flight bay into the maelstrom, just as the mother ship begins evasive maneuvers, the decks trembling with every move, all power shunted to the engines. Qu'jet runs into his craft and runs through checkpoints, taxing to the mag-sled as the sound level becomes unbearable; and launched with the rest of the fleet. At the center of the battle lay the Flytrap, its fleet was distanced away from the Flytrap by enemy fire, the enemy was sent reeling back by the Flytraps guns.
The Nabaal strike forces moved too close, and were sent back as a medley of ion beams from multiple hard points lashed out at the Nabaal vessels, followed by plasma bomb launchers and heavy-grade missiles, mass driver and plasma pulse cannon shots streak across the stellar expanses, the backdrop is the Sholai nebula.
Once before nearly 2 decades ago the forces of the Taiidani Rebels and the forces of the Emperor fought, under the lightning and sensor interference of the nebula.
All squadrons launched into the maelstrom of the nebula and the battle; Qu'jet leading squadron Manticore, a mix of veterans and newbies in many different craft, including the new Missile Corvettes.
As he moved into the lead, the Missile Destroyers moved in on their position, opening fire with a full spread, Qu'jet executing radical evasive maneuvers, Manticore following, a few of the missiles loose their targets and proximity detonate.
Manticore flew past the battle and at the capital ships, the Sajuuk class Missile Corvettes carving a swathe through the Kushans, volley after volley of missiles slaughtering the Kushan strike wings wholesale.
Suddenly out of nowhere a PPC shot impacted into a Fiirkan, the Fiirkan exploding in a tiny flash, the outline of a cloaked fighter visible.
"We need proxies! Enemy is using cloaks!"
More PPC fire. Taking his craft on evasives he waits, suddenly a proxy goes online, behind him a cloaked fighter waits, a Missile Corvette firing to silence the phantom menace.
"Thanks! I owe ya one! Manticore, form up on my beacon, we are following squadron Hammer, escorting the bombers in...lets move!"
Qu'jet flicks the autopilot button and gradually increases throttle, having strayed too far from the battle, but closing in...and closing in fast.
From here Qu'jet got a good view of the Nabaals forces, recognizing most of their vessels...locating the Puppetters.
He screamed into the comm.
"DRONES INBOUND! RUN!"
He brought his craft into a dive, just as a small swarm of drones flew past and began firing into squadron Manticore.
Evading ionic interference and the detonation of ionic gas in the nebula, along with enemy fire he realized the Bentusi were right...there had to be a way to end this. They would all die here...if not here, then elsewhere.
Bringing his craft around he rendezvous' with squadron Hammer, a missile going by the wing and exploding, momentarily sending his craft on a spiral. He soon found Squadron Hammer and moved into escort position.
"Squadron Hammer this is part of Manticore. Escortin' you inbound, enemy fire is intensifying."
A voice responds.
"That's affirm Manticore, all bombers evasive!"
A Nabaal Missile Destroyer fires, 8 missiles ripping through Hammer squadron.
"AAAGGGGGGGGH!" screams the bomber commander, and all is silent.
He watched the Taiidani Marine Carrier move into point-blank range, on the flanks of the carrier were boarding latches.
As the marine carrier closed in the latches would launch, grappling onto the carrier and enabling for transfer of troops, that is if the enemy vessel did not attempt radical evasive manuevers and break the latch. Either boarding latches, shuttles, or breach pods would be employed.
Qu'jet noted the hostile on his tail, pulling up and launching a single Skaal-Fa class missile forward, the missile flying ahead before making a tight turn and going back, ramming into the craft behind him, which promptly exploded into a brilliant ball of flame. He turned back to the Nabaal carrier, the Marine carrier launching boarding shuttles and breach pods, the breach pods latched onto the sides of the vessel and drilled, the boarding shuttles were launched from flight bay to flight bay, equipped with several plasma afterburners which would send the shuttle into a carriers flight deck at high speeds, and then offloading. The weapon had been designed for anti-carrier use.
"THIS IS MANTICORE, FLYTRAP CONTROL REQUESTING NEW ORDERS! MANTICORE ROLL CALL! WHO'S LEFT!"
The calm voice of Comm crackles to life and replies.
"6/12 Manticore lives, scattered throughout area. Missile Corvettes are highly effective. Your mission is to get that Avatar destroyed. Its making things worse. We are attempting to board the vessel. Take it out from outside, distract its guns...we're doing long range board-launchings. If you can distract it, we can move into point blank and seed the sucker. Control out."
The shuttles began launching into the Nabaal carrier, the Avatar heavy cruiser turned back and fired on the marine carrier.
The Taiidani carrier took a hit near the bridge, comm chatter indicating no vital systems damaged. Soon the Avatar began receiving Taiidani boarders for its trouble, Qu'jet turning back and locking onto a Firelance, his favorite prey.
As he moved into the armada, a Vengeance class assault frigate turned and launched a plasma bomb, which detonated several meters to starboard, throwing his craft off alignment, temporaily loosing control, gaining control to open fire on the Firelances bridge, energy plasma pulse cannons firing into the bridge, followed by another heavy missile, killing the bridge crew and temporarily disabling the craft.
The Marine carrier moved left and right, launching boarding pods at anything moving. He watched the heavy cruiser's shuttle bay open, catching an opportunity and flying in, firing light plasma bombs in first, scorching and wrecking anything inside. He eased his interceptor in just as the lights and gravity went out.