Remnants

<A ship was recently discovered in the Terminus system, seemingly intact, but abandoned.  A team was sent inside to investigate, and they located the ship’s bridge.  Power was restored to bridge section.  The following is a transcript of events in the ship’s log, later identified as Korigul, a Kortul Devastator class Vasari battleship> 

<Note: exploratory parties reporting hearing strange noises in walls of ship; accounted to nervousness, but now mounting sound and video recording devices on exploratory party members’ helmets>

<Log entry begun approximately 30 standard minutes prior to first contact with Aluxi dynasty ships; terminated three standard minutes following cessation of conflict> 

<Translated post recovery; note: appropriate rank equivalents utilized, known background on individuals attached in separate file>

An alien bridge is displayed on screen, a polished dark floor extending in a semi-circle and is covered by swirling symbols.  The walls are lined with monitors and consoles, the screens glowing yellow on deep purple.  In the center of the room is a dark colored chair, sitting in which is a dark skinned individual in a red uniform, covered in pins and patches.  Directly in front of him, there are no consoles, only blank bulkhead.  There is a small display on the left arm of the chair extending up at an angle for easy viewing.

“Captain Kastru, move carrier fleet into the shadow of the asteroids and launch all squadrons.” said a commanding voice.

“Affirmative,” came the reply with some comms distortion.

“Commander Ratingus, bring your Enforcer and Skirmisher detachment to bear on the native forces.  Frontal assault formation,” the commanding voice continued.

“Yes, Admiral Katrikkan,” said another voice over the comms.

“Captain Celchu, bring the Assailant group to seventy degrees off of their port bow.  Engineering, Conn.  Bring the Korigul up fifteen degrees and bring the engines to all ahead full.  Take her above the battle.” Admiral Katrikkan commanded.

“Aye, Aye sir.”

“As ordered Admiral.”

Admiral Katrikkan opened his mouth to issue another order when suddenly the ship shuddered and alarms blared.

“Damage report! What hit us?” he snapped.

“Sir, sensors reported multiple high velocity metallic slugs impacted on our shields.  Computer reports the slugs’ most likely origin from the native fleet, at the indicated ships.” The battle appeared on the bulkhead in front of Admiral Katrikkan with several capital ships outlined in bright yellow.

“Conn, Damage Control.  Shields held through the initial strike, but barely.  Another hit like that before they recharge, and we’ll likely be crippled, if not destroyed.” A series of numbers scrolled across the display on the arm of the chair.

“Weapons, Conn.  Weapons are free.  In-ship Systems, Conn.  Distribute power away from engines to weapons and shield regenerators.  Draw emergency power from anti-matter reserves.  Get those shields back up to full ASAP.” Admiral Katrikkan said with urgency.

“Designate highlighted ships as group [untranslatable][assumed letter in Vasari alphabet; designated “1”] and send data to fleet.  Targeting Control, Conn.  Focus fire and destroy targets [1].  Commander Ratingus, focus fire on targets [1].  Targeting data sent.”

“Received,” answered Ratingus.

“Sutra, divert power to phase missile launchers and reloaders and fire upon targets [1].”

“Understood,” answered the captain of the Sutra as the Vulkoras Desolator began moving into range.

      Three Kol class battleships began turning towards the command capitol ship that sat raining fire from above the fight.  A Dunov Battlecruiser opened fire upon the Desolator, but the Sutra’s shields stopped the Dunov’s rounds.  The phase missiles launched by the Sutra moved through the Aluxi ships, and impacted the shields of the battlecruiser, and explosions were seen beneath the shielding of the ship.  A large explosion filled the screen as the missiles that were bypassing the shields struck the command bridge, severing control of the ship and allowing the engines to overheat and catastrophically fail.

“Sir, sensors detect a strong magnetic field increasing in strength around the natives’ ships.  They are firing!” the sensors officer exclaimed.

Admiral Katrikkan quickly ordered, “All power to the lower and forward shields!  Do not let that volley through!”

The shields readout for the upper and rear sides of the ship reduced to zero, as the lower shields readout increased.  Then the lower shields readout dipped considerably, dropping to zero for a moment with an imperceptible pause before the ship shuddered.

“Status!”

“Three high mass slugs fired at extreme velocity.  The first two were entirely blocked by our shields, but the third was only partially blocked.  Loss of pressure in outer compartments in section [untranslatable][assumed letter/number combination designated “2”], and outer hull buckling, but that’s all,” reported an officer.

“We were lucky.  Be more vigilant.  Return power to normal distributions, and accelerate to flank speed.  Bring the bow down thirty degrees smartly.  Let’s take her to the fight,” Admiral Katrikkan said.

“Attention all ships, do not fire upon target [untranslatable][assumed letter/number; designated “3”].  I want that ship alive.  Instead focus fire upon each ship from closest to farthest relative to the Sutra’s position.  Ravustra, move to support Sutra’s flank,” he continued as the battle progressed on the bulkhead display.  The Aluxi fleet was now beginning to stumble as more of its ships were destroyed or crippled.  Only a single Kol Battleship remained unscathed, as no Vasari ships had yet fired upon it.  The Vasari were not without some casualties, as the Skirmisher detachment was now five less in number, and the Enforcer detachment was short one ship.  The Assailant group had not suffered a single casualty, and the three Vasari capital ships that were in the task force had not even lost shields yet, except for when the three Kol battleships had fired their rail guns at the Korigul.

The Aluxi ships began to retreat, making for the edge of the planet’s gravity well.  Bomber wings appeared in front of them, boxing the ships in, but they kept moving.  Fighter wings began to strafe the fleet, closely followed by the bomber wings.  Soon chaos reigned as ships began to falter and die, their inertia carrying their dead hulks forward at the same speed until either an aft explosion accelerated them into the ship ahead, or a bow explosion slowed their progress and faster ships behind the now uncontrolled husks of ships crashed into them. 

Admiral Katrikkan ordered, “Engineering, Conn.  Raise the bow thirty degrees, continue flank speed.  Subverter ships, Korigul actual.  Accelerate and disable weapons and engines of target [3].”  On screen, a group of small blips broke from the Korigul and raced ahead, halting a Kol Battleship.  The rest of the Aluxi fleet continued onward, to the edge of the gravity well, missing two Kol Battleships, four Kodiak heavy cruisers, fifteen carriers, and sixteen cobalt light frigates.  In total three fourths of the original fleet had been destroyed, crippled, or otherwise rendered useless.  Only five light frigates, one Kol battleship, one Dunov Battlecruiser, two Kodiak heavy cruisers, and one carrier survived to jump away.

Admiral Katrikkan sat back in his chair, pleased with the success of his operation, but apparently unsettled to learn that the natives were more advanced than any other race the Vasari had encountered, beside themselves.  Even though they still were millennia behind the Vasari, it was a new prospect for him to lose ships in an operation that was supposed to an easy domination of a planet.  “It appears that this race is more advanced than we thought.  They are probably multi-planet, if not multi-system.  Prepare defenses for a counter attack,” Admiral Katrikkan commanded, “set up repair platforms and phase jump inhibitors.  I want fifteen missile batteries in an overlapping pattern on this side of the planet.  They are likely to come from the same direction when they attack as when they fled.”

<Log entry terminated>

<Transmission terminated.  Will continue as each entry is fully translated>