Paladin frowned.
"Damage taken?" he asked the officer, Admiral Leios, who had brought him the report.
"Considerable. 50 Dragons, and...." Leios began, but Paladin stopped him.
"Yes, I heard," Paladin replied. "The main energy coil for the Garland was fried, and we can't replace it. Well, how is she?"
Leios sighed. "Weapons are not operational, including our best weapon, the Amrageddon Beamer. We can't replace those in this galaxy at all. Getting the Garland mobile might be possible, but for now it's trapped on F-25. We've started to set up our military defences, and the Zidagar are defending. We've maintained radio silence for now, as you know, and are watching."
"The blockade?" Paladin asked.
"Considerably large - larger than expected. 400 Galactica frigates per entry way, and seveal much larger ships. We're guessing three dozen of those dreadnought ships, too, which is disturbing..." Leios replied.
"Pity the Garland is down - it could take an entire entry way on it's own, 400 frigates or not. Okay, I've been recording all news we've heard, and this GNN is extremely interesting. It doesn't seem possible to leave the blockade right now, or come into contact with the GNN, Azdgari or the Mercenary Alliance that were mentioned in the smaller minor parts of the GNN news."
"However, we will not sit here and watch. I want fifty Dragons, which I will lead personally with my dragon, the Renzokuken, to prepare for a raid on Hrekka, where Galactica has assembled forces. Only those fifty Dragons, no support ships other than their three Wyvern fighters," Paladin explained.
"When we enter the system, I intend to launch every Starlance we have at them, and then see what we can do. This will not be a major attack, just a testing of their strength. We cannot afford to waste too many starlances, either, all things considering. If worst comes to worst we'll lose maybe ten Dragons, but I doubt it. We'll probably each lose a ship or two, nothing more."
"On another note....."
A siren started bleeping loudly. A message from the the receiver on one wall of the meeting room Paladin stood in: "we have received a report - we are under attack by a lone Zacha Arada, apparently with cloaking capabilities, combat rating estimated at surpassed Ultimate. Unit is attempting to place us under arrest."
Paladin could but laugh. "The fool. Have a group of twenty Dragons move around him this instant, and disable his ship. We'll talk to him, soon enough."
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A score of Dragons - all the Dragons in that system, in fact, due to the lack of ships available to the UE - moveda around the unnamed Zacha Arada. The Zacha Arada stood passive for the moment, but it was otherwise that the incredible pilot of it was weighing up the situation.
The Dragons moved quicker than the Arada expected, quickly moving in around the Arada completely, surrounding it. Wyverns moved behind, weapons charged.
The lead Dragon sent out a message:
"Zacha pilot, the UE will not accept. We will not surrender, nor will we leave this galaxy. We are here simply to take back our own land, not on a reign of conquest. My you know that our ships can incinerate your vessel in less than a second, and that the artifical gravity created by our vessels around you is too strong for you to escape our bind. You are trapped. Surrender to us, or die."
Meanwhile, the Renzokuken, a heavily upgraded Dragon - modified from being the leader's ship of an alien race called the Moazshaka - flew quickly into the system where the Zachit Arada rested, intent only on finding out whatever was necessary, including information on the sensor cloak.
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At around this time, UE perimeter networks were set up in F-25, but few scouts were sent out. The UE would wait, for now, to see if Galactica attacked. And if they did, Galactica would feel the might of the UE - and they would fear the Dragon, the prime ship of the United Earth Federation, a ship capable of near matching a Galactica Dreadnought on it's own.
The time would come - eventually - where war would rage, but for now, all was silent on the Garland, which currently remained on F-25, and the UE efficiently began to set up all their necessary defences, such as silos, shields, and so forth.
Galactica both underestimated them, and misunderstood them. All Paladin, now in his early sixties, wanted was to take back his old homeworld, and use a device they had found far away known as the Genesis Device to bring Earth back to life. That was all he, and his followers, wanted. Galactic conquest was not among his list...
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MOD: No moderation whatsoever - I'm impressed.
OOC: Technology times are really just estimates. You may do it how you like, although the current easiest is posts by you , not by everybody. Please stick to this, RMA. Also, Battledoctor, your technology research might be going a little hastily - I'll tell you if you need to slow it, but for now it's fine.
Also, the various trinkets mentioned, such as the Genesis Device and Armageddon Beamer, will likely never be used. The Genesis Device, perhaps, but the various deadly weapons on the Garland are simply stolen technologies, and are all broken down. All the UE really have is the proton cannon and turret, the seeker missile, and the Starlances. I've been quite easily on everybody here, giving the UE no special technologies.
On another note, nice work to everybody! Would Galactica please remember the Mercenary Alliance - they need to allocate ships to that front. If you send all your ships to the Azdgari or blockade, I won't moderate if Carnotaur attacks Voinia and wins, so be careful there.
SilverDragon
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That's all very nice, but where are the guns?
- SilverDragon