Life2.0 - An "Of Unity" Narrative (Completed)

[CBR JGWRR]

"Septima Arrives, Part 2"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Rivkah Of Unity​

I look at Scipio. "How do we beat that?"

He looks blankly back at me. "I don't know how... It's an old Auridan warship. One of the Fallen Empires the Prikki resorted to Attack Moons to beat."

He's interrupted. "Tactical display on main viewer, Imperatrix."

"Thank you Tarquinius." I turn to the main viewer. I like Scipio's officers. Well, they are Appia's officers really.

Tarquinius has put up Septima's Titan, and the Holocron's Titan to compare. Which has half the guns Septima's monster has... Captured singularity power core. I dial Ruki. "Hey fluff nugget, run the numbers on this thing."

Ruki downloads the data.

He gulps a few seconds later. "It is... Potent."

Appia puts us into a conference call. Me, Mum, Valerius, her, and the Holocron.

She sighs. "We have a problem."

I glance at the viewer. "A big one."

Mum frowns when she looks at the viewer. "I'm guessing that don't have the firepower to slug it out with that."

The Holocron nods. "Not unless we get the whole fleet at point blank range."

Appia shakes her head. "We'd get wiped out. She has a whole fleet there."

I look at the Holocron. "How many megaton cassabas have you got left?"

He scowls as he looks at the shield specs. "Not enough; shield regen alone is in the petajoules. I'm already swapping to the shaped charges, but each shot is best part of 40 tons, the machinery needs a few minutes to switch reloading feeds."

Dad leans over Mum. "The skulls."

Mum pauses. Then looks at Appia. "Appia, has any Olinbar ever dealt with an entity called 'The Eater Of Worlds'?"

I look at her. "You don't think..."

Mum frowns. "Monica may well have told her."

Appia looks at us. "What are you talking about?"

Mum flicks her eyes to Dad. Then Appia. "When you are desperate, you consider deals you shouldn't take... We found out about these thing called the Shroud, and the most powerful Shroud Entities. One of them called itself 'The Eater Of Worlds'. It took the form of a demon seated on a throne of skulls."

Appia processes it. "You think she's taken them up on it?"

Mum takes a moment. "I had been training Monica as a protege. She knew about them. And Septima would be in a position to find out more."

Valerius frowns. "What of the Necroid who got us into this battle?"

Mum looks at him. "We need Amothetet. Now."

We wait nervously as she is summoned. She joins our conference call, with Vorosh.

Mum replays Septima's speech. "That throne is a remake of the one sat upon by The Eater Of Worlds when he appeared as Khorne in a visitation to the Shroud we did, once."

Amothetet looks very intently at her. "You met The Eater?"

"And The End Of The Cycle."

Amothetet looks to one side, then begins an invokation. I look at Vorosh. "What's she doing?"

Vorosh looks through the portal. Then positions the view.

Amothetet is scrying the Shroud. Then Amothetet shuts the portal. She composes herself. "The Eater Of Worlds is not in the Shroud."

Mum looks at Septima. "How many Kyaese would she sacrifice?"

Dad looks at Mum. "Blood for the blood god."

Mum looks at him. "Skulls for the skull throne."

We... Well, I look at Amothetet. "You're a self-made Chosen One, right?"

She looks at me. "Do you mean, child, that you want me to challenge The Eater Of Worlds to draw it back into the Shroud?"

I stand. "Yes."

She paces. "You don't understand what you ask."

"Tell me."

She looks at me. "Such an endeavour is extremely risky. Firstly, The Eater if they are present, is because Septima has fed it to bring it here, then promised more to come. Making it return to the Shroud is possible, but you would not like the method."

"I get the point. So can you bind it or something?"

"That is the route that carries the greater risk. The Eater is only sated by the sundering of Psionic energy. Kyaese, and Olinbari for that matter, offer little Psionic energy. Your Lukhuinites offer a little more, but the gift is under-developed."

I see where she's going. "We'd need to use you as bait."

She nods. "So you can see my reluctance."

Mum looks at her. "You know what that thing will do to Brigantia if Septima goes unchecked."

Amothetet looks at her. "Yes. I do. Better than any of you. It's why we are still having this conversation, instead of washing my hands of the matter."

Mum smiles. "So..."

Appia coughs. "I would be most appreciative of you stopping that thing."

Amothetet looks at us all. "I can make no promises. I will gather my assistants, and put the trap in place." She turns to Vorosh. "You will assist."

Vorosh looks at me. "We'll do our best."

I look at her. "What are you going to do?"

Dad interrupts. "Fireball."

 

[Mithrill]

Dad leans over Mum. "The skulls."

Mum pauses. Then looks at Appia. "Appia, has any Olinbar ever dealt with an entity called 'The Eater Of Worlds'?"

Well, that complicates stuff...

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Careful there, girl. Enraged enemy makes mistakes, true, but overdo it and you'll end up facing what Master Pratchett lovingly described as "calm lagoon of rage where the voice is steady, the manner is measured and polite, and only a faint trace of spittle at the corner of the mouth betrsyes the inner inferno".

It's worse than what you are thinking. Much worse.

Life2.0 has met The Eater Of Worlds before.

But, it has got a little...

Hungry.

On one hand, oh frick. On the other, big ship + asteroid artillery = ???

The artillery aren't working the way you expect. Honestly, think sniper machine-gun.

There are several aspects to consider to this topic. Firstly, Stellaris mods - Asteroid Artillery come from Gigastructural Engineering & More, while the Fallen Empire Titan is a fully restored Fallen Empire Titan from Zenith Of The Fallen Empires 4.0.

Secondly, the hard sci-fi aspect; I'm endeavouring to keep plausibility.

A bullet, in the absence of forces acting on it, continues to travel at the speed it left the muzzle at. On Earth though, we are used to it dropping due to gravity, and slowing due to atmospheric resistance. Space has different constraints, and ones that are computationally heavy, but solvable.

Consider a 1kg bullet travelling at 1% of c - it travels 300 km per second, and carries 4.5x10^13J of kinetic energy. Based on the conversions worked out previously for Stellaris ship/weapon power, this reasonably representative of the highest velocity a XL mounted kinetic weapon could do.

A star system is measured in hundreds of millions of kilometres - Mercury to Mars - billions of kilometres - Jupiter to Neptune - and out to the trillions of kilometres - the Oort Cloud.

A Gateway inevitably has to be somewhere in the latter, as documented in Stellaris gameplay. But obviously, as close as possible. You divide ten billion kilometres by 300 kilometres, and that tells you how long it takes for your bullet to arrive. Now factor in how much an incoming ship can travel in that time, and consider how many bullets you'd need to saturate an area to intercept.

These considerations rule out directed energy weapons incidentally; the diffraction over such vast distances means what you get - at best - is making it easy to see your asteroid platform unless you are using such staggeringly vast amounts of power to make the miniscule fraction of energy that hits the target damage-dealing. A bullet by contrast has actually gotten faster as its been subject to the gravity of the host star, and therefore more dangerous.

The faster your bullets, the smaller the area you have to saturate.

So, the ideal case platforms are relying on small bullets that are travelling at relativistic velocities in immense swarms knowing a percentage of a percentage of a percentage are actually going to hit. There are issues however, and practicalities dictate that the barrel ends up being a hundred kilometres long - the forces involved can easily melt, vaporise or shatter a projectile, and the immense speeds mean they get across that length very quickly anyway, which constraints us to sub-relativistic velocities, and means we just use bigger bullets rather than sand. To get to the most extreme velocities would need circular acceleration tracks with radii in the thousands of km, which becomes a massive engineering challenge. (hint; Attack Moon kinetic weaponry)

This dictates some of the constraints that have been discussed, most notably the turn rate.

These weapons are optimised on the assumption of days to weeks to orient to the target's projected location, and fill that bit of space with bullets.

They are not really of use when the enemy comes through a portal and skips all that distance that gives the weapon the hours it needs to re-orientate.

Second aspect; it's a Fallen Empire Titan. Based on the numbers in the MSI test game and the knowledge that the Titan can re-orientate much more quickly and transferring that to our context where the Titan has appeared at point blank range, the Titan will defeat the artillery. And it's not a close defeat.

Well, that complicates stuff...

Quite.

 

[HistoryDude]

I like Elizabeth and Appia's continuing friendship. I did laugh at, "she didn't say I couldn't", though.

Septima is so ridiculously overkill. It seems like she's trying way too hard for intimidation. Seriously, a throne of Kyaese skulls? That strikes me as something that will increase the resolve of her foes.

How did Septima get a Fallen Empire Titan? Heck, what Fallen Empires exist in this universe?

Septima made a covenant with the Eater of Worlds. That is not good. That's not good at all. How many of her supporters know about this covenant? Also, if Monica told Septima, how does she justify the sacrifices made to keep it... satiated?

 

[CBR JGWRR]

I like Elizabeth and Appia's continuing friendship. I did laugh at, "she didn't say I couldn't", though.

Septima is so ridiculously overkill. It seems like she's trying way too hard for intimidation. Seriously, a throne of Kyaese skulls? That strikes me as something that will increase the resolve of her foes.

You're presupposing she considers the Kyaese as anything more than a resource to be exploited. She isn't concerned about intimidating them, but intimidating Naomi.

How did Septima get a Fallen Empire Titan? Heck, what Fallen Empires exist in this universe?

The Kyaese live on what once was Cybrex Beta. There's relics from the past around there.

But also, being swept aside by newly arisen Ascended Empires doesn't mean that they are gone completely.

Septima made a covenant with the Eater of Worlds. That is not good. That's not good at all. How many of her supporters know about this covenant? Also, if Monica told Septima, how does she justify the sacrifices made to keep it... satiated?

We'll get to Monica's perspective soon.

 

[Macavity116]

"She has a Fallen Empire Titan."

And the penny drops. This is going to be a fun space battle to read.

Time to find out if Life 2.0 has their own incarnations Poe Dameron and Wedge Antilles.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

And the penny drops. This is going to be a fun space battle to read.

Time to find out if Life 2.0 has their own incarnations Poe Dameron and Wedge Antilles.

Well... Life2.0's operational doctrines for strikecraft use unmanned drones instead. So, unless you want to read the Holocron's people piloting drones remotely, it won't go that route.

But, they do have their own Rogue One.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Septima Arrives, Part 3"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Rivkah Of Unity​

"Our problem remains that Titan." I look at Appia. "I don't suppose you have a plan for taking down a Titan?"

Appia sighs. "Skrand was it." She looks at Septima's fleet of strikecraft that undocked. "Looks like she prepared for him..."

I think. "Septima isn't going to come out to us, is she?"

Appia's admirals shake their heads. "Why would she? She still has three asteroid artillery platforms, and in a few hours once they finish turning, they'll be able to attack from any range we can get to."

I look at Amothetet. "Could you open another portal?"

She stares back. "Lure The Eater. Open a portal for a fleet. Pick one, because even I get tired, and I need to be at my peak to handle The Eater."

I look at Mum. Hmm. "What about a portal for one man?"

Mum looks at me. "Thando."

I nod. "Our best assassin."

Amothetet looks at Septima's Titan. "I can get him in. But he'll have to find his own way out."

I look at Mum again. "Can he do it?"

Mum adds my uncle to the chat. And Alexandra with him. "Thando... Fancy one more assassination?"

He smiles. "Septima."

"Naturally."

"There's just one problem."

I stare at him. "What?"

He points at his viewscreen. "The Kyaese have broken formation."

Oh... Nuts. "Tryykad!"

Mum gets him on the line.

What follows is a torrent of abuse directed at Septima from every Kyaese.

Eventually Tryykad gets them to be quiet.

He looks at Mum. "Naomi, thank you for getting us this far. But if that abomination thinks she can slaughter and descrate hundreds of Kyaese to make her throne... I am going to peck her heart out."

Cries of 'if she has one!' fill the air around him.

They really are furious.

I take a deep breath. "Tryykad, have you considered that she wants to provoke you?" I don't think I should bring up The Eater Of Worlds yet.

He pauses. Considers. Then vents his frustration. And sighs. "Point taken, it worked." He turns. "All stop."

The Kyaese helmsman eventually complies.

Tryykad looks around the room. Settles on Mum. "Naomi... What's our plan?"

Mum smiles. "Well, for a start, I'm not deciding it. Septima has followed Monica's advice, and so she believes she is facing me. We can exploit that."

Tryykad frowns. "Ok. What is your suggestion?"

"There's a complication. We think those Kyaese were actually sacrificed to The Eater Of Worlds."

Another raging storm of unrepeatable expletives follows.

I follow up when they stop to breathe. "And that means we have to face the possibility that Septima's forces are being boosted."

Tryykad eventually settles the other Kyaese. "Do we have any good news?"

I smile. "Amothetet is working on a ritual that will bind The Eater back to the Shroud."

He looks at his viewscreen. "But in the here and now? We have to attack. We can't wait."

Thando nods. "Those platforms may only do a fraction of a degree a minute, but they are still coming."

Mum looks at the Holocron. "We can't slug it out. But we could send in the razors." She looks at Appia. "That Titan... It has no flak?"

She smiles. "No, it doesn't. No weapon smaller than a Medium-sized turret in fact. What are you thinking?"

Mum smiles. "Our Vanguard corvettes have six thousand miniturised nuclear casaba howlitzers. Each. And we packed all of them onto The Holocron's carriers."

Thando smiles. "They could shred those strikecraft."

Daas nods. "We developed them to counter Skrand after all. And frankly, bodged limpet-craft are nothing on those Skaravid strikecraft."

Mum shakes her head. "No, we can use our ruby-holmium UV lasers for sweeping those strikecraft. We use the Holocron's Titan as a bulk shield, and bring the Vanguards in behind it. We nuke the Titan."

Appia's eyes go wide. "But... That's the Holocron's command centre you are discussing... A few blasts from her Titan will destroy his Titan, it can obliterate smaller ships in one hit. You'd lose the Neumanns for fighting the Praetorians on Gateway control."

The Holocron thinks it over. "If we don't take that Titan down, then Gateway control is irrelevant. Give me a few minutes to evacuate my people." He looks at Appia. "What would you suggest?"

She looks at her admirals. "We can send in our corvettes too, she'll assume ours are the real threat. I don't want to send in bigger ships; that Fallen Empire Titan carries a lot of Large and Medium turrets that can hit Destroyers and up fairly easily."

I look at her. "Appia... Now isn't the time to be cautious. We should use them as bait, make Septima have to choose attack groups to respond to."

Appia frowns. "If it goes wrong, we'll have no reserve."

Mum smiles. "A reserve is held for the moment of decision. That Titan is our moment of decision."

Tryykad frowns. "There's just one issue. Well, two. "First, there's no guarantees that we'll kill Septima when we take down that Titan. And Two, we Kyaese want her alive for her justice."

Appia looks at Mum. "Is their plan still to make her watch what her people did to the Kyaese still?"

Mum flicks her eyes at Tryykad. He nods. "Yes."

Appia looks at Thando. "Well, we happen to know a guy who has done this before."

Thando smiles.

Alexandra places his hand on her stomach. "Thando... Please stay with me."

Thando looks at her.

Then Mum.

Then Alexandra.

Then Mum.

Then Alexandra.

Then Mum. "Sorry Sis. Wife's orders."

HK-47b rests a rusty claw on Thando's shoulder. "Statement: Never send a meatbag to do a droid's job."

 

[Mithrill]

HK-47b rests a rusty claw on Thando's shoulder. "Statement: Never send a meatbag to do a droid's job."

Hey, where has HE been this whole time?

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Hey, where has HE been this whole time?

Would you really want to know if you did though?

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Flight Of The Vanguards, Part 1"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Thando HaMaadimi​

"Switchblade One to fleet. In front of us is Septima Severus. And her ship is so big we can't possibly miss." Scattered nervous laughs. "The good news is we've got a lot to hit her with, and after the stunt with that throne, there's an awful lot of hitting we want to do. Let's get started."

I look at my bridge crew. "Propulsion team, as soon as we are clear, I want those racks of pulse units blasted ASAP. Primary railgun team, target enemy corvettes. We have a million pellets in the armoury, so don't spare the trigger. Laser teams, focus on their strikecraft. Casaba drone pilots, we have six thousand kilotons of nukes aboard." I point at the Titan. "Lay waste to that thing."

My Kyaese set to work.

For now, we wait for the Holocron to get us close before ejecting.

I watch the displays as our groups advance.

Think about the headache Septima's staff must be having.

The Holocron's Titan has a huge advantage over Septima's - his "main gun" launches self-orientating casabas and shaped nuclear charges, depending on whether he wants a stream of searing plasma or multiple ton shells.

Hers doesn't. She's only got a fixed mount directed energy weapon, and has to position her whole ship to use it.

Solution?

Advance with everyone a few degrees apart to neutralise how quickly she can hit us.

Then she has the "which target" issue.

Does she hit Appia's battleships, with their XL weapons and strikecraft?

Does she hit us, who are advancing straight forward because we've got the lowest delta-v?

Does she hit Appia's corvettes that are going to flank around and disable the freighters?

So many choices.

She chooses to hit the Holocron.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Clash Of The Titans, Part 1"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Rivkah Of Unity​

Titans.

Mum discussed how they made these monstrously massive ships a long time ago. Each one is so big and has so much logistical management that MSI station an Admiral in command... Normal sized ships are built inside a Starbase. Integrated drydocks within the structure allow them to be built without requiring the use of spacesuits, which makes manufacturing and maintenance easier.

But Titans are so big that the facilities to build them are built onto the Starbase hull.

Scipio takes my hand as we watch Septima's Titan on screen and sensors. I'm told that the Auridan grew their ships from crystals of neutronium fibres, but this ship has had to be rebuilt with MSI's technology.

It's shockingly agile. Warps local space around it to change direction and move. I suppose it must be easier than using a conventional engine.

But it means she's already in position, and she's hammering the Holocron. Every blast from her spinal gun lights up space and sends hundreds, if not thousands, of tonnes of molten armour and hull into the void.

But, the Holocron fights back; his shaped charges tear through her shields with negligible deflection, although her armour can take the hits. For now - he fires every few seconds, whereas Septima's spinal gun takes minutes to recharge. And the Holocron's Titan doesn't have to choose between repositioning and firing, but Septima does - we find out when she realises that her shields are taking a pounding she begins trying to evade. She stops, and the two Titans resume slugging it out.

All our fleets are racing into the engagement. Our corvettes are going to attempt to disable the freighters and their strikecraft, while our bigger ships are feigning advances on the Titan that will swing into targetting the weapons of the asteroid artillery; we were hoping to capture them, but we need to disable them now.

Our problem is that Septima's fleet is... Big. And concentrated at the opening of the Gateway. And quite flexible in equipment apart from a deficiency in battleships. We are outnumbered, and until that Fallen Empire Titan goes down, outgunned.

We look back at the Holocron's Titan.

Not good.

It's split into three chunks. Two of them are what was the magnetic accelerator for the casabas.

It is only a matter of time now, as Septima continues - we've gotten close enough that the engagement is moving into the XL batteries too, and Septima's Titan is sending several streams of plasma scorching in.

Scipio nudges me. "He's taken a lot of damage."

I shrug. "It's the Holocron."

His brows furrow. "His ship is falling apart."

I put my arm around him. "The Holocron has a very different perspective on losses than we do. That ship would be pouring out people if it was manned by a crew. But it isn't, just him now. The way he sees it, every moment Septima is hitting him, she isn't hitting anyone who can die." I smile. "Besides, he has a lot of computing going on. He'll already be working out new options."

Sure enough, he's already taking advantage of that she's just knocked a few billion tonnes off his ship. What remains is now accelerating at a missile-like pace as the Holocron goes for ramming, and Thando's Vanguard corvettes on board are launched.

Septima redirects everything at the hulk of the Titan, but every blast just makes his mission more easy; she can't hit the propulsion section.

The Holocron just guides the wreckage home towards her.

Scipio's tactical officer interrupts us. "Imperatrix, Imperator, please take your seats. We are engaging."

Back in our secured seats, our own battle begins, as our corvette group intercepts the freighters. I speak. "Flak turrets on intercepting strikecraft, primary turrets on disabling these freighters."

Scipio squeezes my hand as our fight begins.

 

[HistoryDude]

Thus does the last battle of this war begin...

I can understand why the Kyaese are pissed. It's nice to know that they weren't angered into launching reckless strikes that didn't work.

Amothetet is still the plan for dealing with the Eater, right? Thando apparently isn't any part of it anymore since the Kyaese want Septima alive.

 

[Macavity116]

Oh, the timing is perfect! The final battle kicks off just as I arrived back home.

Scipio nudges me. "He's taken a lot of damage."

I shrug. "It's the Holocron."

His brows furrow. "His ship is falling apart."

I put my arm around him. "The Holocron has a very different perspective on losses than we do. That ship would be pouring out people if it was manned by a crew. But it isn't, just him now. The way he sees it, every moment Septima is hitting him, she isn't hitting anyone who can die." I smile. "Besides, he has a lot of computing going on. He'll already be working out new options."

Sure enough, he's already taking advantage of that she's just knocked a few billion tonnes off his ship. What remains is now accelerating at a missile-like pace as the Holocron goes for ramming, and Thando's Vanguard corvettes on board are launched.

Septima redirects everything at the hulk of the Titan, but every blast just makes his mission more easy; she can't hit the propulsion section.

The Holocron just guides the wreckage home towards her.

Scipio's tactical officer interrupts us. "Imperatrix, Imperator, please take your seats. We are engaging."

Beautiful. My compliments to the chef!

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Thus does the last battle of this war begin...

TThere's a while to wait for that; we have skirmishes on the other side of the Gateway pursuing retreating ships from Septima's forces, then a last ditch stand at the Starbase on the other side, then finally invading The Infinite Wheel to liberate the Kyaese.

I can understand why the Kyaese are pissed. It's nice to know that they weren't angered into launching reckless strikes that didn't work.

Oh they are definitely justified; we'll see that even more so soon.

Amothetet is still the plan for dealing with the Eater, right? Thando apparently isn't any part of it anymore since the Kyaese want Septima alive.

Yes, she is.

Thando is leading Kyaese crews aboard the Vanguard corvettes (note that the lasers used in the narrative now carry a lot more poke than they did when the post was written, as the Community Material Pack allows for much better lasers) into battle.

They've still got to get Septima first though.

Oh, the timing is perfect! The final battle kicks off just as I arrived back home.

As said; this isn't the final battle.

Beautiful. My compliments to the chef!

Thank you.

---

As to the Olinbariad and Mandate Of Heaven:

I have decided that Mandate Of Heaven will be written first. As I hope has managed to come across, there's plenty of similarities between MSI and Life2.0, and there will be even more between the Olinbari's struggle for liberty. Which means that I want a space between the Olinbariad and Life2.0 so they feel like they echo each other.

I'm debating when to start Mandate Of Heaven's thread; there is a lot more documentation going on this time around, as our characters now have access to much more information about the world around them. But, coming up with ideas is easy; writing time is the constraint.

Now started here.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Clash Of The Titans, Part 2"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
The Holocron​

The Ukuthula dies around me.

Casaba howlitzer is obliterated.

Hull buckling.

Everyone else is off the ship.

Feeling my way through the internal sensors is like feeling half a body.

Still, 'tis but a scratch.

I push the engines to maximum.

Her Titan is strongher than mine, but I have a crucial advantage; I can afford to spend mine.

And spend it, I do.

Her fleet focuses their fire on me. Her smaller ships slip knives in, her Titan rips chunks off...

Systems are failing.

An internal explosion obliterates the RCS propellant.

Propulsion reactors are down.

I am adrift, travelling fast enough that I'll reach the next system in fifty years if I remain.

My Titan sails past Septima's Titan.

But, as I review what remains of external sensors, and see the fleets converge, I know the mission was a success. It was never about me destroying Septima's Titan; the rest of the fleet will bring her down. I just had to get them past her spinal lance that only my Titan could withstand.

The ship shuts down. All that remains is my uplink back to Unity, and my corporeal combat hull I have been managing the ship through. I leave it behind, the captain going down with his ship, and return to Unity.

The greatest warrior does not dwell on victories or defeats, but ponders the next battle. And I have a Ringworld to liberate.

 

[Macavity116]

It was never about me destroying Septima's Titan; the rest of the fleet will bring her down. I just had to get them past her spinal lance that only my Titan could withstand.

Allowing the fleet to slip past the spinal lance and engage at close range? My inner XCOM commander is satisfied.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

Allowing the fleet to slip past the spinal lance and engage at close range? My inner XCOM commander is satisfied.

Yeah, but don't forget; it is a restored Fallen Empire Titan. It's got a full Artillery Battleship's worth of large slots, a full Carrier Battleship's worth of Hangar slots, and a full Broadside Cruiser's wroth of Mediums. Plenty of guns left.

 

[CBR JGWRR]

"Flight Of The Vanguards, Part 2"
28th Daas, 10 (2189)
Thando HaMaadimi​

While Septima's fleet pummelled the Holocron, we were busy launching our casabas. I hit the group-wide comm channel. "Light them up boys!"

My group consists of 14 Vanguard corvettes.

Each one carries three sets of 20 x 100 Harrier missiles repackaged into mini-casabas.

I told my Kyaese to launch all of them.

In a conventional nuclear missile attack in space, you are using the flash of the detonation to scorch the hull and disable subsystems. Inevitably, that means pretty much all of the blast gets wasted - the incredible amount of energy released is what makes them work.

These casabas are smaller, but they focus the blast into an X-ray absorbant, then use the heat to turn a sheet of plastic into plasma that hurtles extremely fast at the enemy. Ones with explosively formed projectiles on top are a little slower, but they tear through shields. They might only be very small nukes, and not very efficient, but they are still way more energy on target.

I look at the viewscreen, at Septima's fleet. "Down sensors. Fire."

The systems down most of our systems to prevent interference. My Kyaese stand as we wait for the viewscreen to return.

Has it worked?

I mean...

Your mind goes crazy in those few moments. On paper, we've hit them hard. But paper can be unreliable.

The viewscreen returns.

Strikecraft are wiped out in a single hit.

Ships get holes punched through, a few as deep as several decks. Hull-mounted systems get destroyed.

Several are adrift.

Bodies float in open space.

Some ships are on fire briefly as oxygen tanks and pipes burn.

But ships are made to take a pounding. Airlocks cycle, engineers go to damage control, bulkheads seal, systems are checked.

They start returning fire.

I look at my Kyaese. "Redirect power to deflector screens. Helm, get us out of here."

We all float briefly. My fleet reorinentates, and we present our tungsten pusher-plates to the enemy, and reverse course. Then slam into the deck as we get out of dodge at 2g.

I look at the viewscreen. Septima's fleet pursues us, then turns to face the two MSI fleets.

I relax. "Well done guys, mission accomplished. Appia's forces take it from here." Some of my Kyaese look a little glum, so I gather them. "Look." I tap a wall. "We have a few milimetres of aluminium as a wall. Beyond that, a few milimetres of carbon composite. Beyond that, several feet of carbon aerogel. Beyond that, navigational deflectors. Appia's fleet have got neutronium, battle shields, regenerative hulls... They can do the slugging it out." I smile. "We're not battleships. We're submarines. We appeared from nowhere, whacked the enemy, made him think 'what the actual fuck was that?' and now we get out before he lashes out." I go back to my chair. Hit the button marked with the skull and crossbones. I smile. "Switchblade One to group; fly the Jolly Rogers."

 

[HistoryDude]

Sometimes, sacrifices must be made. Losing the Holocron's Titan will be worth it if Septima falls.

I'll go check out Mandate of Heaven soon.