Where we Left Off [RP TITAN]

[Archduke Daynel, PhD]

-- ZBC News --
The Deep 9 Hotel & Casino Resort, a hotel and casino deep space station, opened today. Expectations for the resort have been high ever since it was announced a year ago. It has been advertised to feature "only the best, highest quality, and most modern comfort and technological solutions". The hotel has been fully booked for the next three months.

The MMO space battle simulator "Galactic Warfare II: Stellar Flight", which was released earlier this year, has been revealed to be a massive governmental-funded project, aiming to study player strategies as an attempt to reveal weaknesses and strengths of the ships and fleets of different factions, including Zuguthian ones. Groups of protesters have gathered in the capital and outside headquarters of the game's producers all around the planet.

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Wargame tactics:

Lighter ships will attack enemy ships in swarms, attempting to disable shields both with conventional attacks and using EMPs. The carriers, cruisers and the dreadnought will keep some distance and use long-distance weapons like railguns and shield-penetrating EMP missile volleys.
The larger ships will also attempt electronic warfare to disable shields and other systems. Smaller ships like fighters will be used to extend the range and strength of the signals.

[Ivan2006]

OOC: one quick note towards EMP and psionic warfare, since Dayn mentioned that: the ships of the 3rd Fleet are immune against those, as they operate entirely on psionics. The ships of the 1st fleet however are quite vulnerable, as while they have psionics, they don't run on them primarily.

[Error]

OOC: Dayn, any self-respecting military hardens their equipment against EMP. Meaning all you'll damage is - maybe - communications. EMPs are actually fairly easy to shield against.

[Professor Fenway]

The three combined fleets approached a common point in space, each charging weapons, each with victory in mind.

Within the NeoRoman fleet were several ships that didn't show up on the First, Second, or Third Battle Fleet's ship roster. Indeed, if anyone looked them up at all these specific ships were destroyed. But in the heat of the battle, combined with the confusion of NeoRome's defensive screen, nobody noticed.

These ships moved to the front of the NeoRoman line and charged their standard loadouts; Fusion Coil Splicers. Particle Beam Lasers. Plasma Cannons. After a few seconds they began to fire.

-Aboard NeoRoman Flagship Destitution, First Battle Fleet-

Admiral Ackbar Bariel watched from the bridge at the firefight unveiling below. It was a sight to see; beams, lasers, missiles, shells, everything flying in every direction. We watched the Strigiforme shield flicker on and off several times before turning to the MQR fleet.

Just as one of their ships exploded. The bridge was bathed in a yellow-red light.

Bariel instantly became worried and jumped down from the bridge. "What the hell?" he asked the sensor operator.

"One of the MQR's ships just exploded!"

"Weapons fire?"

"I can't say for sure-" He stopped as the bridge was again bathed in a yellow-red light. "Zuguthian fleet this time, battlecruiser detonated. It has to be weapon's fire."

"Order all the ships to cease fire immediately!" he roared at the communications officer. A pause.

"I can't," the officer said.

"WHAT?"

"Communications are down due to EMP interference. I can't get a hold of everyone." Another explosion, and this time the hull shook.

"That was a NeoRoman ship," the sensor operator said.

[Error]

"Admiral, one of the MQR ships just broke apart."

"What? All ships, cease fire."

"Comms are scrambled to all hell, sir. EMP."

Meinholl cursed, with feeling. "Go to masers." he ordered. The comms officer nodded, flipping switches.

"Admiral, all ships have ceased fire... but a Zuguthian vessel just went up. Third contact... NeoRoman."

Meinholl glared at the DRADIS displays. "Scan for survivors, recall fighters. Have all ships run ECCM and computer checks. Reactors and fuel systems, specifically." he barked.

- - -
The Commonwealth fleets halted, running their ECCM to full power and cutting cleanly past the interference. Transmitting a simple message, they dispersed, onboard A.I.s checking onboard systems and scanning local space.

<ALL VESSELS CEASE FIRE ALL VESSELS CEASE FIRE>

OOC: There is a Valkyrie-X present, and it has emitter arrays powerful enough to kill any (unprotected) living being within several klicks. So I figure EM isn't _that_ much of an issue.

[Professor Fenway]

The NeoRoman fleet broke the EMP interference just after the Commonwealth broadcast their message, but not fast enough to stop one final volley. The Ghost ships shot at three separate ships; Commonwealth, Strigiforme, Darkstar. The commonwealth ship was struck by an explosion but stayed intact; the Darkstar ship the same. The Strigiforme one was crippled and began drifting, fires sprouting in it's hull.

The fleet collectively stopped firing, and the ghost ships, their mission complete, retreated to the back of the NeoRoman defense line and activated cloaking mechanisms before stealing away. No NeoRoman ship ever detected or saw them.

[Error]

"Admiral, all ships have ceased fire. Odin is hit, but not too bad."

Meinholl released a string of expletives. The tactical officer looked up sharply.

"Sir, unknown contact... gone now. We got a flash from weapons fire... behind the NeoRomans. Lotta interference out there."

- - -
Valereia shifted towards the NeoRoman fleet, sweeping the area with high-intensity DRADIS pulses. There was little chance of detecting anything now; but no harm in trying.

[Professor Fenway]

The Orion flagship completed a quick survey scan on the damaged ships and broadcast a message.

"Admiral Barial," it said in an accusatory tone. "Those are NeoRoman weapon signatures on the destroyed ships. Please explain."

[ACH0225]

"Commander! We have live weapons signatures!"

"Contact all ships! Cease fire and have the Shield Ships raise a barrier!"

"Sir, the EMP distortion is preventing comms!"

"Send a fighter to every ship with the message, top speed! The Shield should protect us from the EMPs. In the meantime, I want a hard comms line run to any ships in range."

"Aye, Commander!"


Just to note, a hard comms line is a line of very fine and strong cable run between ships to have communications.

[Error]

"Commander, message from the Confederation group to the Dominons. Putting it on..."

"Admiral Barial. Those are NeoRoman weapons signatures on the destroyed ships. Please expalain."

May looked over at tactical. "Charge the Phoenix cannon and get a passive - passive! - lock on the Dominion flagship."

"Should I open comms to Berial?" asked comms.

"Yes. Admiral Barial, this is a worrying development; why would NeoRoman ships be firing on us, or who would have access to those weapons?"
- - -
The light battlecarrier continued her DRADIS sweeps, acquiring a passive weapons lock on Barial's ship and relaying to the Star Guards (via MASER) to bring shields up to full, but disarm weapons.

[Professor Fenway]

Barial looked at the message in confusion and shook his head. He activated the channel. "No ship under my command was using weapons outside of training mode."

"I don't know Barial," responded the Orion fleet. "But only you and Hexalan have weapons matching those signatures." Barial didn't reply immediately. After a second, he received a message from the Aurora.

"This is Admiral Barial," he said.

"Admiral Barial," replied the channel. It was Jahgrin. "You are ordered to report to the Tribunal immediately. You are being stripped of your rank and citizenship until your innocence is otherwise proven." The channel shut off. The officers behind him stared at him. He sighed and turned around. "Order the fleet to jump back to NeoRome."

As the ships began turning around, Jahgrin opened up a broadcast to the fleets at the wargames. "This is L. Jahgrin, head of security. Admiral Barial will be investigated for treason regarding this matter."

[Error]

May sighed; half relief, half frustration.

"Commander. The admiral is signalling for all Commonwealth ships to jump home."

"Comply. And release locks. Transmit sensor logs to Prometheus."

[Ivan2006]

After the fighting had stopped, Great Grandmaster Willson, the commanding officer of the MQR fleet, ordered a psionic sweep of the entire area. All evidence relevant to this incident had to be collected, and the MQR was the only one capable of effectively delivering psionic data.
They found the cloaked ships, but as they wanted to open a secure transmition, the NeoRoman fleet began turning around.
Not having the time to establish a secure connection, he just sent an unencrypted short-range transmition to the NeoRoman fleet:
"We have fount the attackers, they have cloaked and are hiding inside your fleet! Do not jump or they will get away!"
He then ordered to monitor all subspace activity and had the Typhoons pre-charge their FTL. He was not planning on letting them get away.

[Shadowcatbot]

The small Tajerian fleet sitting back had been watching and recording the battle attentively, gathering important tactical information about the possible competitor empires. Fleetmaster Yechov sitting aboard the small carrier Blue Flare was alarmed by the sudden turn of events and exploding ships he quickly ordered to the tactical station "Trace those live shots now!" within a minute five points showed up on his HUD "The ships were last spotted here sir before disappearing!" just then as Neorome announced it's leaving the MQR sent outs it's hasty blanket signal warning of the enemy ships inside their formation. Seeing this as a possible chance to increase foreign relations and possibly a promotion he sent out orders to the nearest advanced scout ships Ogalio and Warspite "Rush these coordinates now, sensors on max fire off clouds of plasma gas to disrupt cloaks, move now!" The two ships shoot off at full speed into the Neorome fleet, weaving between ships with little puffs of blue gas bursting from the sides dissipating into space as Yechov watched tenantly hoping they would spot the targets before they escaped.

[Chairman_Tiel]

They found the cloaked ships, but as they wanted to open a secure transmition, the NeoRoman fleet began turning around.
Not having the time to establish a secure connection, he just sent an unencrypted short-range transmition to the NeoRoman fleet:
"We have fount the attackers, they have cloaked and are hiding inside your fleet! Do not jump or they will get away!"