The attack had the desired affect. The Renegades were totally taken by surprise. The Gunships performed fully up to expectation. With the the CW's as the backbone, Zacha Crusader and Thunder leading the charge, and massive waves of SAD Modules smashing into Renegade forces, the enemy was taken down in no time.
"All targets neutralized. Ok, lets--"
"Zacha Crusader, we're picking up a new fleet entering the system!"
"What?" Impossible. Our diversion worked too well, how could there be more Renegades--
Then he saw it. The very thing he had left behind so long ago. His face became ashen white. He was without words to say for a moment, for he beheld the very thing he thought he would never see again.
"Voinian warships. My God...." he barely whispered to himself.
The rest of the fleet was dumbfounded.
"What kind of ships are THOSE"
"What the bloody hell?"
"They're enormous!"
"These aren't Renegades!"
The formally confident Zacha lines were in a state of confusion, discussing who these new arrivals were. Friend? Foe? What? Only the most vetern and battle-hardend of the Zacha had the discipline to not lose their focus.
Crusader finally came out of shock. To his despair he saw 3 of the Zacha CW's approaching, trying to communicate. "We are the Zacha. We greet you in peace, and--"
Crusader's screaming voice came over the intercom. "GET AWAY! THEY CAN'T BE REASONED WITH!"
As if on cue, the Voinian capital ships opened a rocket volley upon the warships. "What! Look at how slow their projectiles mo---AUGH!" The lead warship, unprepared, was knocked backward by the impact of the heavy rocket upon its light Crescent hull. "Hostile! We got enemy bogies here!"
Crusader's battle sense was fully kicked in now. His shock was over; his only thoughts had to do with totally destroying these bastards who were in his way.
"Zacha Fleet assume Delta formation and blitz, NOW!"
The Gunships did just that, splitting up into 3 groups. 1, lead by crusader, attacked head on. A round of SAD's were let loose, most of which met their targets. Soon close enough for close-range combat, they let loose with their phase turrets. It was just what Crusader feared.
Heavily armored hulls....energy weapons only do limited damage, as I thought.
"Group 1, fall back!"
This was done, as groups 2 and 3 took their roles, flanking the enemy fleet from either side. Crusader took the quick break in action to break down the fleet in action.
The majority of the fleet were capital ships. 40 Frigates, a half dozen Cruisers, and a small escort of heavy fighters. Although the Zacha clearly had the numerical advantage, Crusader could tell that they were having problems. They were unfamiliar with these types of ships, and were soon taken aback by the extent to which the enemy's primary fire was lowering their shielding. Their heavy rockets, though not doing overwhealming damage to their shielding, was throwing them off balance due to the large impact.
As much as he hated to remember, there was no choice. The Zacha were his family now, and without his experience, he knew many lives would be lost unneccessarily--perhaps lives of those he had come to know throughout all these years, since....then.
No. It couldn't happen again.
"All units, assume formation around my position. I know how these guys fight, just follow my lead."
Although some wondered how Crusader could possibly say he knew how to handle these guys so calmly when he had seen for himself what they could do just as they had. But being the seasoned fighters that they were, they knew that the head of battle wasn't the time for asking questions.
thanks to their superior speed, the Zacha fleet got clear of the Voinians and gathered around Crusader as commanded. some were destroyed and many were damaged, but most of the fleet was still intact, it appeared.
"Listen to me. Your turrets should have just a slightly longer range than theirs do. Approach cauticously, and fire from a distance. Use your speed to keep away, let them try to attack with their rockets and use the asteroid fields as your shields. Its just like how we used to take down those big CW's near New Mira, remember? As you do, let loose your modules like there's no tomorrow! LETS GO!"
Crusader actived his afterburner and led the charge. "COME ON, THE COMMANDER NEEDS US!" someone cried, and everyone followed with cheers. They had a plan now, a source of reason in this insane turn of events that none of them quite understood. The Zacha were pumped now, ready to take it to their enemy and exact some serious payback.
The Zacha once again used their speed to come about and did as Crusader said, attacking from all 4 sides--front, back, and either side. As they moved in everyone unleashed SAD's and pursuit missiles, bashing into their hulls. Crusader noted that pursuit missiles seemed to dent the Voinian armor more than the SAD's, a point he noted.
The Voinains fought back with ferocity. Although most were able to avoid the neutron fire, the rockets were another issue. Not necessarily because of the damage they delt, but because the result of the impact sent the light-weight Zacha ships out of control, often causing them to crash into other asteroids--or worse, each other.
The battle went on for what seemed like hours....but soon, it was over. Crusader checked the time, to find that what seemed like a half-day's worth of effort had taken only a half hour. The Voinain ships were finally burned wrecks. The Zacha fleet, though battered, had emerged victorious.
LATER........
After the vicious battle in space, the capture of the North Tip Station was simple by comparison. However, Crusader knew this wasn't a time to celebrate victory. If the Voinians had come up here, then surely they would be elsewhere.....
He decided to return to Outpost Zachit with the bulk of the fleet, and leave Thunder in charge of the force at North Tip Station. "And once I'm gone, send out a transmission to all zacha in the North Tip and tell them to meet with me at Outpost Zachit. I've got a bad feeling about this." Thunder promised to do so, and swore he would keep NT Station under Zacha occupation.
The news of a new hostile force in Miranu/Zachit space sent shockwaves throughout Zacha forces everywhere. All roaming pilots left their posts to meet with Crusader, knowing it was of vital importance for him to bring all avaiable Zachit into ONE place, something which hadn't happened in a generation, if that. Many patrol fleets were sent up or remained under orders however, to ensure the North Tip would not remain undefended.
As Zacha fighers and Aradas came from all over and yet another new fleet was being massed at Outpost Zacha, Crusader was busy going over the reports of what had happened. The Voinians had already taken 3 systems, and were raiding the inner Miranu worlds to their terror. The meager Crescent Fighter patrols there were wiped out in no time. Frantic pleas for help had come from all over, asking for salvation from the Zachit.
And here he was, Zacha Crusader, their leader.
That meant fate of the Miranu people literally rested in his hands. He could not afford to fail. If he did.....
But no, he couldn't consider that possibility, could he?
With that thought, he completed the final draft of his briefing, where he would outline what scouting had told him and what their plan would be.
The Zacha produce 148 Gunships at Outpost Zachit. This will leave 5 CW's and 250 Gunships there once the rest of the fleet returns. 50 Gunships remain behind to act as North Tip Station's occupation force. Further, thanks to the orders commanding the presence of most of the Zacha at Outpost Zachit, it is estimated that as many as 200-300 Zacha Aradas and Fighters will be arriving. ETA: 1 post.
Zacha funds: 23.5 mil
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