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Task Force Hurq Mevik attempts to halt the invasion as the Sheliak fleet enters the Zenas Expanse and begins to target Klingon holdings…
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Shift Time: Sunday, Feb 21, Alpha -1
Audience: KDF and allies
Event Type: Structured (combat RP)
Starting Point: Fleet starbase
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(Event GM: @anncarise)
B’Atar@anncarise FX | Around SB 151, Task Force vessels and allies prepare for the oncoming Sheliak attack…
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> Daramar to Red Squadron, status report.
[Team] Sadia@gulremal: yep, we are the red squadron :)
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: <C> Red Squadron, huh? Hag’lhr, ready for action.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> Kodon’s squadron reports ready. All right, time to move to the outer asteroid ring to 1st ambush site.
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: <C> On your wing.
[Local] Aestae Vali@crystyll: <C> This is Elt Aestae Vali on the Morakos. My wing is ready to follow your lead.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> We are to ascertain current composition of the Sheliak fleet. We will strike only if there’s an useful opening.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> We read you, Morakos. Welcome to task force Hurq Mevik.
B’Atar@anncarise | Daramar Comm Officer: “Captain! San’leth is reporting back in!”
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <FX> With readiness reports complete, Daramar moves to a position in an outer asteroid field, near one of the hidden sensor arrays.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> On screen.
B’Atar@anncarise appears on the viewscreen, “I’ve got news. Not sure if it’s good or bad.”
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> What’s the situation?
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: <C> The Sheliak are heading towards Mal’laan as I thought they’d try. But the fleet’s still not breaking up- the whole fleet is heading there now instead of at the starbase.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> So they are taking their time, going for one facility after the next. This means they are fully self-sufficient as I thought.
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: <C> That ain’t good. We /gotta/ split 'em up to have a chance.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> to B’atar Did you have any success in figuring out their flagship?
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: <C> One of the heavy cruisers is travelling in the centre of their formation, while the rest of them are out front. If there’s a flagship, that one has to be it.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> All right. We will move under cloak and wait in the Mal’laan asteroid field for the Sheliak to engage orbital defenses. Once they are committed, we will strike from the flank at the centre of their formation.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> Targets are their backline cruisers, flagship if we manage to break through.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> Any other ideas?
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: <C> Now’d be the time t’ try out any jamming you’ve come up with.
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: <C> Try to break up their comms when they’re strongest.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: to the comm officer Contact Mal’laan’s High Intellect and inform them to get remaining civilian to their underground mountain shelters.
[Local] Aestae Vali@crystyll: <C> We should be able to help with that jamming
B’Atar@anncarise | Comm Officer: "Aye Captain!
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> That’s good news, we’ll hit them with the jamming just as we strike from the cloak. That should cause some confusion.
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: <C> We’ll cloak and form up with you in the asteroid field.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> If the situation gets too hot, we’ll fall back to the Mal’laan asteroid field. We’ll see if the Sheliak will be giving chase, and our support squadrons from our allies will spring at them.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> Asteroid field is rich with heavy metals, so it will be easy to hide. However, expect Sheliak to be very…methodic in their destruction, so don’t hide on the same location for too long.
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: <C> Good advice. We’ll make sure to pick a new hiding spot every time.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> Let’s move out. Cloak us and plot course for the Mal’laan system. Warp as soon as we clear the field.
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: <C> Hag’lhr, acting!
[Local] Aestae Vali@crystyll: <C> Moving out.
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: <C> San’leth acting as well! We’ll see you there for the party.
B’Atar@anncarise | Some time later, the ships arrive in the Mal’laan asteroid field, and B’Atar rejoins on comms.
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: <C> Sheliak fleet is inbound. Won’t be far behind you.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> All right, everyone be ready to pounce on the Sheliak as soon as they fully engage the orbital defense turrets and platforms. We’ve upgraded these defenses heavily since the last True Way attack.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> They will keep the Sheliak occupied for a while, but they alone will not be able to repel the full fleet.
B’Atar@anncarise FX | The sensors flare up with the arrival of the Sheliak fleet. They proceed slowly towards the planet, formed up with the heavy cruisers in the front, the frigates in the centre and most of the light cruisers in the rear or side.
B’Atar@anncarise FX | As B’Atar reported, there is indeed one heavy cruiser sitting at the centre of the formation between all the frigates.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> leans forward in her chair Look at that. Why are they shielding the frigates? They are the usual front-liners.
[Local] Aestae Vali@crystyll: <C> Must be important to their larger plan. Specially outfitted perhaps?
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> strokes her chin Or are they expecting us to strike at their flagship, and are keeping fast attackers at hand?
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: <C> Frigates’re shieldin’ the flag. Might get sent forward with the cruisers when they can spare… let’s see how that formation changes when they engage.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> Very well, but be ready to jump in at the moment’s notice.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <FX> Daramar moves slowly under cloak through the asteroid field towards the optimal ambush location…
B’Atar@anncarise | Before long, the Sheliak fleet enters the range of the orbital defenses. The heavy cruisers begin firing back immediately. As the heavy ships start a slugging match with the turrets, several -
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: - frigates come out from behind them, focusing on specific turrets and seeking to take them down while the cruisers have their attention.
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: <C> See? That’s how they’re doin’ it - cruisers pin, draw fire, and then the frigates move in t’ slash.
B’Atar@anncarise | A few light cruisers to the side join in, but the ones in the rear of the formation remain unengaged.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> They are deploying the frigates as strikers, eh? Very well, time to move in. Our targets - back line. Hit them hard and fast. After initial attack, raiders will intercept enemy frigates while Daramar deals with their cruisers.
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: <C> Got it.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> Let’s go! For the Empire!
Egzo@HF_Mudd mutters, “yeah, empire” as he gives the order to his helmcat.
B’Atar@anncarise - ROUND ONE -
B’Atar@anncarise - EGZO’ TURN -
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <FX> Daramar speeds out of the asteroid field, closing in towards the Sheliak fleet’s aft cruiser line.
B’Atar@anncarise | San’leth follows Daramar out, still cloaked before engaging the enemy.
Egzo@HF_Mudd | Hag’lhr is first to strike, rippling into visibility and volleying disruptor fire from its wingtips to savage one of the back-line cruisers.
[Emotes]Egzo@HF_Mudd: rolls 15 (1-100)
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: (bah, reroll)
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Oh no
[Emotes]Egzo@HF_Mudd: rolls 39 (1-100)
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: (not fantastic, but better. not embarrassing.)
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Yeah!
B’Atar@anncarise | Hag’lhr’s volley impacts the light cruiser in the rear, which although not engaged has its shields up and weapons ready. The shields take damage but is still some ways from going down and the -
B’Atar@anncarise - cruiser returns fire, mostly trying to force Hag’lhr to break off rather than trying to shoot it down, and the immediate return fire doesn’t land any hits.
B’Atar@anncarise - SADIA’S TURN -
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <FX> Just as Hag’lhr swerves around for another attack run, Daramar uncloaks right behind, it’s main autocannon firing a long burst, followed by other forward heavy cannons and torpedo tubes.
[Emotes]Sadia@gulremal: rolls 75 (1-100)
[Team] Sadia@gulremal: “What do you mean ‘fire everything’?” “EVERYTHING!”
B’Atar@anncarise | Daramar’s attack, however, /does/ manage to take down the cruiser’s shields and more as the huge ship’s cannons wreak havoc across the smaller light cruiser, taking down weapons systems across the board.
B’Atar@anncarise | Though not disabled, it’s severely damaged and practically out of the fight now.
B’Atar@anncarise - AESTAE VALI’S TURN -
Aestae Vali@crystyll | The Morakos begins comm and sensor jamming before it too decloaks and joins the attack.
[Emotes]Aestae Vali@crystyll: rolls 39 (1-100)
B’Atar@anncarise | The Morakos manages to jam the comms for the moment, but the Sheliak begin to work on countermeasures, and may be able to restore comms before the battle is over…
B’Atar@anncarise - B’ATAR’S TURN -
B’Atar@anncarise | San’leth and accompanying squadron decloak as they pick a different light cruiser to target.
[Emotes]B’Atar@anncarise: rolls 38 (1-100)
B’Atar@anncarise | Their attack run goes about as well as Hag’Ihr’s, damaging the cruiser’s shields before being forced to break off by the return fire.
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Do you want to roll for the other NPC ships Sadia or should I?
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: (Friendly NPC that is)
[Team] Sadia@gulremal: I’ll let you do it, unless someone else wants the honors.
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: I can do it then.
[Emotes]B’Atar@anncarise: rolls 12 (1-100)
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: …
B’Atar@anncarise | The rest of the Task Force ships engage as well, but Hag’lhr and Daramar’s success seems to be an outlier. The Sheliak cruisers in the rear appear to be ready and expecting an attack and -
B’Atar@anncarise - counter with a firing pattern that seems to be specially tuned against the KDF’s favoured smaller raiding ships, the spray of bolts and beams making it difficult to conduct attack runs without taking major risks.
[Emotes]B’Atar@anncarise: rolls 38 (1-100)
B’Atar@anncarise | The Sheliak frigates near the rear of the formation join in on the fight, but fortunately the smaller and far more nimble Klingon ships still hold an advantage and are able to evade the -
B’Atar@anncarise - Sheliak’s counterattack and avoid serious damage for now.
B’Atar@anncarise - ROUND TWO -
B’Atar@anncarise - EGZO’S TURN -
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> notices the Sheliak firing patterns All raiders, try to draw enemy frigates away from cruisers and focus on them. Use Daramar as cover if needed.
Egzo@HF_Mudd | Hag’lhr leaves his first target for someone else, maybe one of Daramar’s gunners, to finish off; he’s engaged now with one (or two) of the frigates in a weaving, twisting dogfight.
[Emotes]Egzo@HF_Mudd: rolls 60 (1-100)
B’Atar@anncarise | Hag’lhr performs much better against the Sheliak frigates. The faster and more maneuverable Hag’lhr manages to get the attention of two frigates, drawing them away from the cruisers and making -
B’Atar@anncarise - a good dent in their shields, only getting the odd glancing hit in return.
B’Atar@anncarise - SADIA’S TURN -
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: “Engineering, I want all spare power shunted to shields. Primary weapon gunners, target next cruiser. Secondary weapon gunners, finish off the damaged cruiser, and provide PD support for our raiders.”
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <FX> Daramar “slides” using its momentum along the enemy back line. Its heavy weapons start barraging next cruisers, while turrets pepper the damaged cruiser until it’s fully disabled and then turn to provide PD fire against frigates.
[Emotes]Sadia@gulremal: rolls 41 (1-100)
[Team] Sadia@gulremal: i’m staying with the roll. not great, not terrible
[Team] Egzo@HF_Mudd: Getting a lot of rolls in that 35-40 range today
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Hehe yeah!
B’Atar@anncarise | Daramar manages to finish off the damaged cruiser with ease and begins on the next one, though that one doesn’t crumple as quickly. The PD fire wards the frigates off, but another cruiser -
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: - decides to engage Daramar instead, trying to work together to take on the large Klingon ship.
B’Atar@anncarise - AESTAE VALI’S TURN -
Aestae Vali@crystyll | Morakos focuses it’s attention on the cruiser turning towards Daramar. Greeting it with a volley of torpedoes through repeated beam fire
[Emotes]Aestae Vali@crystyll: rolls 14 (1-100)
[Team] Aestae Vali@crystyll: my turn to reroll…
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Aww.
[Emotes]Aestae Vali@crystyll: rolls 33 (1-100)
[Team] Sadia@gulremal: also, great name for the character! : )
[Team] Aestae Vali@crystyll: xD
B’Atar@anncarise | The cruiser evades or picks off most of the torpedoes with its point defense, but one still lands along with the beam fire, doing damage to its shields and also seizing its attention, causing it to focus on Morakos instead of Daramar.
B’Atar@anncarise - B’ATAR’S TURN -
[Team] Sadia@gulremal: Star Trek The Motion Picture Klingon Battle - YouTube
B’Atar@anncarise | San’leth and squadron begin engaging and trying to lure out frigates as well.
[Emotes]B’Atar@anncarise: rolls 8 (1-100)
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: aaand now my turn to reroll!
[Emotes]B’Atar@anncarise: rolls 74 (1-100)
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Aha!
[Team] Sadia@gulremal: remember you have 2 perma rerolls per event due to all those AARs you wrote in the past
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Yeah!
B’Atar@anncarise | San’leth and co. manage to draw out several frigates, the squadron working well together as they dodge and weave around the frigates, each taking turns to hit the multiple frigates they have -
B’Atar@anncarise - engaged. One of the frigates is quickly disabled in the crossfire
[Emotes]B’Atar@anncarise: rolls 19 (1-100
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Wow the NPCs are not doing well
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: though this works in favour for what I want to do next…
B’Atar@anncarise | The rest of the task force ships have less luck in drawing out and damaging frigates…
[Emotes]B’Atar@anncarise: rolls 60 (1-100)
B’Atar@anncarise | In the midst of the fighting, the three Sheliak escorts that were not finished off previously show up. One charges in to aid the two frigates Hag’lhr is dancing with, its speed and -
B’Atar@anncarise - mobility a far better match for the bird of prey as it lands more hits, bringing Hag’Ihr’s shields down to 70%. The two others move for San’leth’s squadron, scoring a few hits as well and disrupting their coordination.
B’Atar@anncarise - ROUND THREE -
B’Atar@anncarise - EGZO’S TURN -
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: <C> Whoa! Where’d THEY come from?
[Team] Sadia@gulremal: Sadia: moves her little finger to her lips This was my plan all along! We drew out the last of the real danger to our raiders, now we’ll finish them off mwahahaha!!
Egzo@HF_Mudd gets a better look at the pursuing escort, including its fresh scars. “Oh, it’s you. Back for another go, huh? Fine.” He points at the screen: “Take 'em!”
[Local] Egzo@HF_Mudd: | Hag’lhr turns to face the escort as the greater threat, taking deflection shots of opportunity at the frigates as they flicker through his sights.
[Emotes]Egzo@HF_Mudd: rolls 96 (1-100)
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> I wondered when these bastards were going to show up!
[Team] Sadia@gulremal: We were saving up our good rolls just for this.
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Yay!
[Team] Egzo@HF_Mudd: This is what Egzo('s crew) getting serious looks like.
B’Atar@anncarise | Though the escort is a /better/ match, it’s still no contest when Hag’lhr focuses on it. Combined with the wear and tear from the previous fight, Hag’lhr quickly takes down the escort and -
B’Atar@anncarise - deals some good damage on the frigates as well, with one of them losing shields.
B’Atar@anncarise - SADIA’S TURN -
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> Tactical, tractor beams on the two remaining escorts! Secondary gunners, focus fire on escorts! Primary gunners, keep firing on the cruiser!
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <FX> Daramar keeps position, main weapons focused on the cruiser, while PD and tractor beams try to get a bead on the sheliak escorts.
[Emotes]Sadia@gulremal: rolls 65 (1-100)
B’Atar@anncarise | With the second cruiser having engaged the Morakos, the single light cruiser is inevitably crippled by Daramar’s heavier weapons.
B’Atar@anncarise | The tractor beams meanwhile hold the escorts in place…for a brief time before they start polarizing their hulls and trying to slip free.
B’Atar@anncarise - AESTAE VALI’S TURN -
Aestae Vali@crystyll | Morakos’ crew attempts to hack the cruiser’s systems, to disrupt their shields and weapons and finish them off.
[Emotes]Aestae Vali@crystyll: rolls 85 (1-100)
B’Atar@anncarise | Morakos manages to gain access to their systems for long enough, allowing a few well-placed shots to take out the cruiser they are engaged with.
B’Atar@anncarise - B’ATAR’S TURN -
B’Atar@anncarise | San’leth and co. attempt to take out the two remaining escorts…
[Emotes]B’Atar@anncarise: rolls 30 (1-100)
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Hm…probably not worth risking a reroll…heh
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: We’ll see how NPCs do.
B’Atar@anncarise | The squadron manages to finish one escort while it’s held by the tractor beam, but the other slips free before it can be dealt with. Seeing its friends down, it tries to retreat back into the Sheliak formation.
[Emotes]B’Atar@anncarise: rolls 100 (1-100)
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Woah!
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: Okay!
[Team] B’Atar@anncarise: I guess the NPCs have stopped messing around too.
B’Atar@anncarise | The escort’s retreat is cut short as a second squadron swoops in and opens fire, taking it down!
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: <C> Hey, that was ours!
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: <C - NPC Klingon> Well don’t let it slip away from you next time!
B’Atar@anncarise | The other ships press forward, with the frigates stubbornly falling back, the heavier raptors and cruisers decide to go right for the light cruisers. The Sheliak try to focus on
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: - the incoming ships instead of warding off smaller raiders, but two more of them go down before they have a chance to retarget, providing a large enough opening into the center of the formation.
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise | The frigates scatter, with the exception of six guarding the presumed flagship in the centre, but what seems to be a straight shot at the flagship is quickly evident to Sadia as a trap, -
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: - with several heavy cruisers from the front and a few light ones from the side having turned around by now, ready to pounce inwards and quickly crush anyone foolish enough to charge the flagship.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> observes the battlefield situation on a side holoprojector, her fist balling for a second before relaxing All ships, fall back! We’ll provide covering fire.
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: <C> Aye Captain!
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: "All gunners, switch to covering fire. Helm, turn us around and follow the rest of the ships.
Egzo@HF_Mudd grumbles, but he can read a tactical display - and spot an obvious trap - as well as Sadia. He gives the order, and Hag’lhr sweeps around to join the others.
B’Atar@anncarise | The Sheliak ships return with covering fire as well, but don’t immediately give chase. However, their formation visibly shifts as the heavy cruisers disengage from the defense turrets and -
B’Atar@anncarise - begin to move towards what was the rear of the formation.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: “Tactical, use tractor beams while still in range to disrupt enemy targeting.”
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> All ships, prepare to lay mines once you enter the asteroid field if enemy is pursuing.
B’Atar@anncarise | The disruption ensures the Sheliak don’t land hits, but they seem more interested in reforming anyways. The task force is able to fall back safely, but the Sheliak begin to move after them, closing up their formation as they do.
B’Atar@anncarise | The task force manages to enter the asteroid field without taking any damage, but the Sheliak ships advance menacingly towards the field.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: <C> Okay, they are following. Drop the mines, split up and regroup at position Gamma.
[Local] Sadia@gulremal: “Ops, contact the allied forces and inform them to expect enemy forces soon.”
B’Atar@anncarise | The mines are dropped and the heavy cruisers now at the new front of the formation come to a stop as a few of them hit mines. The entire Sheliak formation stops behind them, just on the edge -
[Local] B’Atar@anncarise: - of the asteroid field. There is a temporary lull in the battle as the still-sizable fleet looms outside the field…
B’Atar@anncarise - TO BE CONTINUED -