Chaos reigned on the bridge of the R.N.S. Enterprise as news from the battle of Yemuro came in over the subspace radio. Marshal Ipvicus looked on in horror as he read the news of the destruction of the R.N.S Yorktown and Rodger Young.
With a look of grim determination he ordered Battle Groups One to form up and prepare for battle. Before the fleet entered hyperspace however he was hailed by a group of fighters that were screaming up from behind the planet below them.
"This is Colonel Gilead Fel of the 181st Republican Fighter Group hailing the R.N.S. Enterprise , you wouldn't be planning on jumping into that bloodbath without us?"
Ipvicus recognized the name, as well as the unit, immediately... the 181st was the most decorated and elite fighter wing in the Confederate Navy. Since the beginning of the Rebellion they had become famous for their daring attacks on Rebel smugglers, and near impossible raids on Rebel military bases.
"181st this is Marshal Ipvicus, I would be happy to have you along, lets go kill some Rebel scum."
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As Battle Group One came out of hyperspace in the Yemuro system Ipvicus scanned the sensor readings that were flashing across the terminal on his command chair. The battle was not going well for the Confederation. Rebel Cruisers and a host of smaller ships had almost surrounded R.N.S. Defiant and the few support ships still with the Fleet, including a small force from Levo that was valiantly protecting the remaining Republican ships.
The newly arriving Republican fleet smashed into the Rebel's flank with a vengeance. Guided ordnance smashed into the Rebel formations sending Destroyers and Warbirds up in flames, entire squadrons of Mantas were destroyed by missile fire from the massed Frigates and Gunboats. As the Enterprise slid into range of a Rebel Cruiser it cut loose with a devastating combination of Particle Beam and Neutron Cannon fire, actually cutting the powerful rebel ship in half. His Frigate's concentrated torpedo fire on another Rebel Cruiser, and as its shields collapsed two Prowlers swept in and finished it off with space bombs.
The Rebel fleet, despite its losses, was not defeated yet. Regrouping from the surprise of Battle Group One's flanking maneuver, the Rebels launched a large contingent of Mantas in an attempt to break the vastly outnumbered Confederate fighter force. Numbers alone, however were not going to defeat the 181st. Backed up by Ipvicus' own three squads of fighters the 181st were the Angel's of Death incarnate. Flying with skill and coordination never seen in a fighter unit, the 181st made mincemeat of the attacking Mantas, while only incurring minimal losses.
Running low on ammo and unable to withstand the steady advance of the Confederate Fleets and Independent fleets, the Rebels quickly disengaged and retreated to the orbit of Yemuro. Still outnumbered Ipvicus kept his ships from pursuing and only offered a few parting shots after the retreating Rebels, then proceeded to set his fleets in defensive formations.
Seeing the need for further reenforcements Marshal Ipvicus sent an encrypted message to Battle Group Three ordering them to back up him position as soon as possible.
Battle Group One/ Remaining Allied Ships
2 Confederate Cruisers Mk. II (1 Heavily Damaged, R.N.S. Defiant )
3 Confederate Frigates (1 Destroyed)
8 Prowlers (2 Destroyed 3 Moderately damaged)
40 Gunboats (11 Destroyed)
103 Patrol Ships (23 Destroyed)
29 Corvettes (8 Destroyed)
15 Argosies (6 Destroyed)
39 Rapiers (9 Destroyed)
Rebel Palshife Fleet
5 Rebel Cruisers (2 Destroyed)
7 Rebel Warbirds (4 Destroyed)
18 Rebel Destroyers (2 Destroyed)
202 Mantas (48 Destroyed
Rebel 42nd Fleet
2 Rebel Cruisers (1 Destroyed 1 Heavily damaged)
7 Rebel Destroyers (3 Destroyed 4 Damaged)
(1 Rebel Warbird Destroyed)
236 (64 Destroyed)
Battle Group Three
en route
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Out ride the sons of Terra,
Far dirves the thundering jet,
Up leaps the race of Earthmen,
Out, far, and onward yet - Robert A. Heinlein, The Green Hills of Earth
(This message has been edited by Vice Admiral Ipvicus (edited 04-28-2002).)
