Nadir Jump point of Prospector's Paradise
Bridge of the SLS Basel
"We've lost the Dixie"
Commodore Striker heard the hollow words, and his heart sank, he knew that there would be loses, but so soon and for a pointless operation. He glared at the Admiral with a certain bit of hate. (This is why you use a pirate point you fool!) He tried in vain the calm his mind as the ships continued to close. "Alex, Tell the Royals to form up to our aft, they'll never make it to them in time." With a heavy heart and guilty conscious he turned to the displays again, the time to contact would be about 8 hours. (Damnit I swear this will end, if I have to slam this fraker into the Tauran Capital myself. This Will End..) "Major Ayers you have the bridge. Alex tell Colonel De and Major Nakashima to meet me in the ready room in twenty. Oh and get Master Sergeants Yamamoto and Bolden there as well, would you dear?" He looked one more out the window at the stars keeping pace, then turned and exited to the hallways and began a solemn march to the ready room.
March 22th 2581 0700 hrs
Flight Ops Ready Room aboard the SLS Basel
Some twenty minutes later inside the flight ops ready room Commodore Wolfe Striker stood before a long table as the four other gentlemen gathered round staring at the illuminated holo screen that marked the various ships pathways. One ship in particular was highlighted now that the engine class signatures were in. “Gentlemen, I have no great love for this War or this coming battle. We have already lost too many when the Dixie went down earlier and I want us to loose no more. This is an unrealistic dream I know. It is therefore that I bequest of you all to do what you can to minimize looses and recover our fleets strengths. Yamamoto your Royals are hereby charged with the protection and safety of this ships interior don't let me down.” He touched the highlighted enemy vessel and it expanded to a full schismatic, from the Star League archives, after another two pushes. “Now then Bolden, take your marines and get me that Aegis. Once she's secure we'll send in the crew and get her back into the fight on our terms.” Striker knew the Aegis class well as it was one of the primary designs they used to use to train second year cadets back at the Academy and his first assignment inside the Davion Exploratory Forces. “The limited crew quarters and space should serve your troops well as it's mostly close quarters and no room for any marines without severely compromising crew capacity and performance. Should be a little under two hundred to your hundred fifty. I think you handle it.” He looked at Bolden's vibroblade and couldn't help but feel for the crew, “Try to take as many as you can once they surrender. You'll lock em here in the mess hall understood? It's centralized but also also only has the two doors in this corridor for an in or out.” Striker pointed at the schematic. “Communications and Bridge are your first priority, then Engineering. Hopefully once the Bridge falls they'll all surrender. If not, make examples of random ranks. That'll show you mean business and don't care who falls that trys to stop you. Your ships will dock here and here.” He pointed the extender again. “This corridor leads straight to the Bridge once you pass this corner near the communications relay computers and decoders. The other is a bit more tricky as you'll be cutting and dropping through where they run the fiber optics and coolant tubes for maintenance. You'll have to either cut of blow your way through but you'll be right over the Bridge. Tell your boys to be careful though as that coolant could be dangerous under pressure if burst. I'd suggest your best blades and zero guys for it. If done right and with a bit of luck they'll never know what hit them til its too late.” He turned to Colonel De. “Peyton get those Viper boyz of yours tight, your providing escort and attack. I want all the comm towers down and communication offline. You got me? Try not to scratch her up too bad, just make sure all comm forms are out.” That left the small five foot nothing Major Nakashima with which to speak. Striker turned and motioned the man to his side. “The rest of you gentlemen are dismissed. I have something special to discuss with the Major here. Happy hunting and get me my prize.” He smiled wickedly as if a demon had possessed him grinning from ear to ear before a blank stare reappeared on his face and he turned back to Nakashima. “Now let us discuss those Stukas of yours.”
March 22th 2581 1300 hrs
Small Craft Hanger 2 aboard the SLS Basel
Master Seargent Bolden appeared before the gathered 13th Royal Marine Guards of the SLS Basel. He was a tall well distinguished man with a small scar just below his chin and slightly off to one side of his neck. “Change of plans you Dawgs. The Commodore wants a prize! Suit up and be prepared for zero-G boarding. Heaven help those Tauran bastords why?” The gathered men yelled out in chorus “Because it's their unlucky day Sergeant!” Bolden smiled. “and why is that?” “Cause the 13th is paying them a visit! Seargent!” “ D*mn Straight and what does that mean?!” The men began laughing and yelling in a fever like some defensive linemen ready to destroy all “Their luck just ran OUT..” With that the men broke and prepared for the assembly and redistribution amongst the robust battle taxis that would carry them to their respective targets. Bolden signaled over to Sergeant Christensen commander of 3rd platoon. “John your boyz up for a special assignment? The Commodore said to grab the best blades and G-men I could find. So you're it, hope you're ready.” He then proceeded to go over the Bridge breaching plan for the maintenance shaft and assigned the team four det-cord lengths, one for each squad once they were in. the lengths being just long enough to open a entry hole for one man to jump down through or fire from.
March 22th 2581 1350 hrs
Battle Taxi #3
Launch Tube; Small craft Hanger 2 aboard the SLS Basel
The men and women of 3rd Platoon were packed and secured inside their restraints, many of them had been on operations before, but few had traveled like this. The Battle Taxis had each been cradled and loaded into a separate tube just slightly larger then the craft itself, turned onto ti's side with the now zero-G hanger and chambered like a bullet, as the tube closed with a "Teehisss". The entire craft was currently being held in place by some form of high magnetic energy. John knew this for a fact as his squad's only female trooper Maria Isles kept taking her helmet off and running her fingers through he hair to shock her fellow squad mates for the past twenty minutes. It did seem to help relieve the tension and anxiety as they waited and John couldn't tell which was more nerve wrecking her joking, the static electricity coursing around him or the fact that shuttle was also filled with fifty crewman that looked and smelt like they had each personally pissed or crapped themselves just for being here.
March 22th 2581 1400 hrs
Bridge SLS Basel
Six more meetings and countless hours had passed. Commodore Wolfe Striker had gone over the plans, re-ordered and re-organised again and again. He consulted his advisors Colonel Peyton De [Aerospace], Major James Ayers [Logistics], Major Parvin Montano [Command & Ship Tactics], and Captain Malika Adamu [Gunnery Crews Head] and went over the possible scenarios and tactics and now it all boiled down to this. He knew deep down though that it'd work. (After all it has to)
March 22th 2581 1410 hrs
Deep Space of Prospector's Paradise
As the fleets closed he gave the order and the two carriers slowed and banked hard falling back behind The Quixotes which where forming the center of the fleet. The Vigilants and Vincents forming up into an eight pointed star pattern around the Congress at it's center and letting loose their missile spread. The Bonaventures gathered around the Riga in their own four pointed star were ordered to hold their and concentrate on intercept fire to knock out any incoming missiles or small craft [Destroyers and Lower]
The Quixotes and Basel adding in a second missile spread of their own following quickly after the first.
[Note: All missiles spreads are aimed at the Concordts, the vile new ship pride symbol of the Taurans]
[each wave's 1st spread consists of 1 Killer Whale, 14 White Sharks, and 8 Barracudas]
[each wave's 2nd spread consists of 36 Killer Whales, 48 White Sharks, and 56 Barracudas]
March 22th 2581 1415-1420 hrs
Battle of Prospector's Paradise
As the fleets closed to within long range the fleet let out it's second wave of missiles and quickly tried to close into medium range for a third wave burst. However, this time as the streaks and plums burned across space they were joined and intertwined with four wings of fighters. The Basel dove sharply and to the left, as the missiles launched, bringing her aft into line between the Aegis and Winchester, then fired it's six specially equipped rail assisted launchers that ran along it's back like a spine extending into the second and third cargo hangers. The magnets picking up and carrying the small egg shells perfectly at an accelerated speed til they were thrown clear by the compressed air burst behind them, bellowing out into the void of space.
As the missiles and fighters streaked on, six ball like shells kicked in their thrusters and joined the volley and took up position with among their escort wings, only splintering off at the last few seconds as they closed in on their prospective targets. Four approaching the Aegis and the other two headed for the Winchester.
Edited by Oni Storm, 27 September 2012 - 01:50 PM.