Storyline Development - Justice to Treachery
President Heraphar had gathered his fleets, three hundred and fifty ships in total, in Oloni. With the raid the Igazradas had performed on Saopallo, the ITA had been pushed back, and they intended to once again take Saopallo, but this time not stop there. They would strike into the very heart of their Igadzra enemies, they would strike at Cerberus.
Despite being outnumbered and outmatched, the ITA still had not used all their tricks. They had many agents within not only IGNA, but within the Assembly itself. The IGNA did not know what they were in for.
The respectable ITA fleet leapt into the Saopallo system. IGNA had been expecting them, but had not had time to assemble reinforcements.
Heraphar laughed. "Their Igazradas may be good, but three Igazradas is nothing to our might. Bring us in, firing SAI barrages in unison. And make sure our new commander doesn't let us down!"
Indeed, Heraphar had on his side a rogue IGNA logistics officer, and this, more than anything, would turn the tide.
The three Igazradas quickly knew that they stood little chance. Massing into a group around the planet of Saopallo, they attempted as best they could to withstand the barrage. In seconds, the Templar had been brought down to critical shields, and only the Ethereal was in fairly good shape.
If it wasn't for the IGNA reinforcements, in the form of the fast Izars and surprisingly fast Izagas, both SilverDragon and Evaniol would have died no more than ten minutes later.
"What the heck?" Heraphar swore. "Damn, they moved ahead of the Igazras...okay, everyone, prepare for full combat."
"We still have the edge," said their rogue officer. "I'm transferring word to everyone to make a pincer, and crush them against the planet...hold on..."
- - -
350 ITA ships now came up against the IGNA light reinforcements, 450 ships strong. At the head of them was Fleet Commander Zeres, sitting aboard the Retribution , his second vessel, an Izaga.
They quickly moved in to surround the Igazradas as Heraphar's fleet stormed over them, weapon's blazing. On the first pass, both sides only took minor losses, and then the ITA fleet split into two groups, and moved round into a pincer.
Zeres, of course, had seen it all before, as he had been to exactly the same lessons. Knowing that they had to defend the planet but also knowing that they couldn't allow the ITA to pincer them, the only option was pull further out from the planet, and form a reef around it.
Doing so, it quickly became clear how important an IGNA logistics officer could be on Heraphar's side, especially such a good one. While IGNA drew away from the planet, they were unable to bombard the planet when a hail of SAI fire from hidden salvos on the planet spurted out. They were too far out to destroy the silos.
Although IGNA had re-taken Saopallo, they had not managed to retake certain command centres in jungles, and the shipyards. They had thought the docks were under control, but as a huge number of ships, mostly civilian, took off from the planet, it became clear that ITA had still held firm on much of the planet.
The civilian ships, some captained by Miranu, some by Kayan, some even by Azdgari, had all been hijacked, their independant captains slaughtered. Even while they took off, creating confusion, the Igadzra commanders - SilverDragon, Evaniol, Iosa and Zeres - all realised the effect this would have on diplomacy.
Two hundred civilian ships opened up with their pathetic firepower, and a message hail followed the hail of gunfire, from Heraphar.
"Now, now...we wouldn't kill civilians. They're all safely aboard. But if you shoot them..." Heraphar laughed. "Just try it, SilverDragon."
SilverDragon's reply came instantly. "Heraphar, I'm not falling for that one. Civilians or no, you won't catch me out."
A message from Iosa backed it up, perhaps reassuring SilverDragon. "Hehe...that's a good one. Civilians on Saopallo. Don't make me laugh, Heraphar."
In fact, there had been civilians, and as a matter of fact, they had all been slaughtered aboard the ships beforehand. Not that it mattered.
IGNA struck down the civilians, disabling all that they could, but some fire overlapped; some ships were destroyed. A rain of equipment hit the planet, causing extensive damage. But this was war. Things must be put aside.
The tactic, however, had pushed IGNA back against the planet. ITA struck feriously, weapon's firing. The three Igazradas, shields slightly recovered, took the main of the battle, eliminating large numbers of the enemy.
Still, it became clear that ITA had the edge on the battlefield. They had lost many ships, now down to only one and a half hundred vessels, but IGNA had lost many more. They had two hundred ships, easily, but they were all badly battered.
ITA ships crashed into damaged IGNA vessels, the explosions rocking the entire battlefield violently. Somehow or other, ITA had discovered that the deflector shield generators on IGNA's ships had not been properly contained. Another sign of ITA's knowledge on the field.
The IGNA ships began to fall like flies. Many were forced back to the planet, near disabled, where Kestrel and Titan's Guardsmen swarmed them. It was madness.
More and more, the IGNA relied on their Igazradas. If it wasn't for them, they would have been incinerated much earlier on. As strong as the ITA fleet was, they weren't used to fighting such powerful vessels. The Templar, Ethereal and Nightmare all seemed almost invincible to the fire from ITA Stargliders.
Still, the battle would have gone on the ITA's side had it not been for the second reinforcements from Cerberus, the Igazras, and more importantly, the Prince of Wales and the Repulse , two Federation battlecruisers.
At that point it simply ended. With new fury, IGNA struck, while the Igazras swarmed the ITA ranks. The battle had long since come down to Izar against Starglider, and the introduction of Igazras was simply overwhelming. Two Federation battlecruisers literally vaporised rank after rank of the ITA in seconds.
- - -
"It's lost...?" Heraphar muttered. "What about the next construction line?"
The logistics officer shook his head. "We're out, Heraphar."
He shook his head. "There still must be something else we can do!"
The officer stood up. "I don't give in until the last moment, Heraphar. But this is the last moment..." he said, sighing. "Unless..." His eyes sparked.
"What is it?" Heraphar asked curiously.
"Up to a little last stand?" the officer asked, grinning.
- - -
The battle was over. IGNA won with 150 ships remaining, hundreds more lost in battle. The ITA had been crushed.
Or so it seemed.
An escape pod drifted down to Saopallo, with Heraphar and the officer, named Darre, along with a few troops, in.
Touching down, they met up with the Titan's Guardsmen quickly.
"Hey, who would this be?" one Zidagar guardsmen said as four men stumbled into range of the ITA barracks.
"Probably some mercenary rabble," another guardsmen muttered. "Don't shout, or they'll cut our pay."
"You!" Heraphar shouted as he approached, pointing. "I am President Heraphar!"
The guardsmen looked bleak. "Erm...err...sorry sir. How can I help you?"
Heraphar smiled, as the four of them stepped up onto the main platform. "Dying would be good," he muttered as he pulled out a turbophase pistol and shot the man in the head. Meanwhile, Darre pulled out a phased grenade, throwing it at the main doors. The blast vaporised more guards while Darre leapt over one boundary wall, kicked a guardsmen in the stomach, then took control of a gun turret.
Meanwhile, the other two followers pulled out turbophase rifles and began firing wildly. One took a blast in the chest, and fell down.
However, Heraphar's small force took out the entire dozen guardsmen. They then stormed the compound, using Heraphar's access codes.
Darre grinned as they reached the command centre, after another firefight. "This is it," he said, not looking back. He walked up to the main console, and pressed a number of keys. A laser scanned his eyes, as he put in two seperate access chips.
He turned back. "This place is about to go sky high."
They made their way out quickly, and they were hardly twenty metres out when the entire compound exploded. Heraphar turned to Darre. "Not half bad."
"We're not done yet. That was probably the last resistance on the planet, though. Time to meet the King," Darre smiled. Heraphar frowned deeply.
- - -
"Sir!" Evaniol said, stepping onto the Templar.
SilverDragon turned round, his face tired. "Evaniol...at ease."
"We have some news. One of our ground admirals just finished the ITA barracks. Stunning work. I think he deserves a thank-you, don't you?"
SilverDragon managed a faint smile, but his face was still drawn. "Admit him."
Within a minute, two men were admitted into the room. One was dressed as an admiral, the other as a guard. No-one knew the "guard" was Heraphar, or that the "admiral" was actually Darre.
"Nice work, may I say," SilverDragon stated, taking a step forward and offering his hand to the admiral.
"Wasn't it?" Darre answered modestly."
"I think I may put you in for a higher rank...how do you feel about becoming a Fleet Commander, Admiral..."
"Darre," he replied.
Evaniol paled. "But you're..."
Heraphar brought a turbophase pistol into his hand, and pointed it at Evaniol. "And guess who I am."
Two lower officers on the bridge leapt out, armed, unusually. The ITA rogues pointed their guns at the other two officers, IGNA loyal, while Darre slowly, calmly, pointed his pistol at SilverDragon's head.
"Well well," Heraphar said, his face shining. "Finally I get to show you what comes when you leave me behind after a mission..."
SilverDragon shrugged. "I have no regrets, Heraphar. There was no way we could have recovered you, and you know it. The Ediens would have been on us had we waited about thirty seconds...is this what this is all about?"
Heraphar spat. "You left me to fend off a dozen Edien Interceptors! I thought Final Destiny never left a live Igadzra."
"Heraphar, I think just from what you're doing, you don't count as an Igadzra," SilverDragon retorted. "Tal nar szhedar."
Heraphar seemed shocked, as he should be - "you are Strandless". For a long while, he didn't say anything, and then he pointed his gun right at SilverDragon's temple. "Die, Igadzra!"
If only Heraphar had had the brains to realise that with his gun on SilverDragon, and Darre's gun on SilverDragon, Evaniol was open to shoot, the situation would probably have been quite different.
Darre was fast, but not as fast as Evaniol. The rogue officer took a blast in the stomach, and another in the head, before he could bring his pistol to aim at Evaniol. Falling, unable to speak any last words, Darre was out.
Another IGNA loyal officer took the opportunity to leap forward, grabbing the rifle held by one of the traitors, and turn to fire at Heraphar. He missed, as Heraphar dived down. The traitor wrestled the rifle back off the officer, and discharged it right into the back of his neck.
SilverDragon was silent, almost unmoving.
"It's helpless, Heraphar. Igg has never, and will never, be with you," he said, pulling out his turbophase pistol. A backhand unaimed shot hit one of the traitors, while Evaniol twisted and shot down the other. Heraphar came to his feet, and picked up the rifle dropped by the traitor SilverDragon had shot, and...
"Hold it there," came a voice as the bridge door opened. It was Iosa, fleet commander of IGNA. In his hands was a horrifically large and powerful hand, held with strain - a neutron blast launcher.
Heraphar stared out, and swore, as a blast exploded his entire body, and half the bridge.
Iosa dropped the weapon, and stumbled forward to SilverDragon, still standing in exactly the same position, and Evaniol, bent down under a chair. "Hey guys. Did I miss anything important?"
------------------
Word.
(This message has been edited by SilverDragon (edited 11-25-2001).)
