Post by Ravager Zero on Oct 14, 2007 4:34:09 GMT
The Zealous and Vicious Reprisal hung in deep space, well past the edge of the system. They were holding station just above Griven, a rouge planet wandering through the system. Warp rifts surrounded the area, making navigation along all but a few proscribed routes almost impossible. It was due to this that Fleet Commander Gideon Arkas knew that the Eldar were coming.
In addition, due to the sensors mounted on the prow of his retro-fitted flagship, the Vicious Reprisal, an Oberon class Battleship, he also knew that force comprised of one cruiser and three heavy escorts, most likely a Shadow and Hellebores. He did not know, however, the arrival time of the ships, or if they were even at full strength.
Zealous found out to her detriment that all the Eldar ships were indeed at full strength, the Hellebores carving through her reinforced hull with no less than 4 pulsar hits. Torpedoes swarmed from the Eldar vessels, small white plumes of thrust amid the jet black of deep space. The turrets of the Zealous tried to target the phantom-like torpedoes, to no avail. Hit after hit pocked the great ship's hull, shaped plasma warheads making a mockery of the heavy plating.
Torpedoes continued to impact, even after the ship was dead, the hulk drifting in to the remains of the salvo that had crippled it. The torpedo spirit-hosts, being somewhat simple, regarded the hulk as a valid target, and engaged it once again.
The explosion was visible from the bridge of the Vicious Reprisal, some three hundred thousand kilometres away. His face becoming a mask of anger, Arkas ordered high captain Marshall to reveal her ship.
Squadrons of Starhawk bombers screamed from the launch bays of the massive Dictator class cruiser. Torpedoes were aimed at the nearby Shadow class cruiser, in the hope they might inflict some damage against the capricious Eldar.
The bombers twisted and turned, making runs against what appeared to be the Hellebore escorts, but proved to be nothing more than shadows and sensor ghosts. The Starhawk pilots couldn't even locate the Shadow class cruiser, which had been identified as the Lann'burath by that point in the battle. The torpedo salvo had some success, a huge plasma warhead explosion sending wraithbone splinters sailing through the void.
High Captain Hera Marshall cringed as she saw the Hellebores power up their pulsar lances for a run against her ship. She made a snap decision, knowing that failure could well cost her the Blade of Justice. Every crewman onboard found something to hold on to as engineers closed bulkheads and heavy equipment was anchored to the deck.
Despite taking a savage pounding from shooting, the bracing prevented any internal damage, leaving the only indicator that the ship had been hit as scorch marks along the hull.
"Holy throne," swore a green sensor officer.
"What?" demanded Marshall.
"Those escorts, they just launched all their ordnance against us."
Despite the fact they already were, Hera Marshall felt the need to call out the age old saying: "Incoming; Brace for Impact!"
It came down to the turret crews, each in charge of a point defense weapon, to lessen the impact of the torpedoes. From the start, something seemed wrong about the torpedoes, they seemed to flicker on and off sensors, and they came from three roughly divergent directions.
A storm of fire turned the permanent night of deep space temporarily to day as the turrets on the Blade of Justice opened fire. With extreme skill, and not a little luck, all but one of the Eldar torpedoes was gunned down. The massive projectile glanced off the hull with a metallic clang that reverberated throughout the ship, then sailed off in to deep space.
The fight was now between the two lead ships in the system, the Lann'burath; a graceful Eldar cruiser, and the Vicious Reprisal; an Imperial battleship with horrendously powerful weapons.
As the Lann'burath bore down on his vessel, Arkas shouted for them to burn retros. The bridge crew, in a state of disarray from the surprise attack, the loss of the Zealous and the general chaos of battle, did not respond as they should have. Arkas drew his auto-pistol, chambered an empty round, and fired.
The entire bridge crew stopped what they were doing and looked up at Arkas.
"I said," he growled savagely. "To burn retros. Now ignite them before comissar Gervai here decides you aren't giving your all."
The Oberon class ship slowed, moving at a comparative snails' pace to the rapidly closing Lann'burath. Arkas left the correct distrubution of firepower up to his gun crews, knowing they would do well with Gervai watching over them.
They excelled, one crew managing to land a massive plasma shell practically inside the Eldar cruiser's support decks. The resultant explosion sent several chunks of wraithbone and many hundreds of eldar sailing in to the blackness.
Not to be outdone, the crew of a massive imperial railgun put a round through the ship. Completely through it, ripping it apart from stem to stern. All that remained of the once graceful ship was a rapidly expanding cloud of wraithbone splinters and vented atmosphere.
"Get me a communications link to the Blade of Justice," commanded Arkas. A link was established with a relay satellite from the nearby planet.
"This is high captain Marshall," came the call from the Blade of Justice. "They gave us everything they had, and fled while we braced against the worst of it."
"Too bad," replied Arkas. "At least we still hold the system."
"Aye, commander, we do. But these Eldar, they get more belligerent with every raid."
"These aren't just raids, I know they're planning something big."
"But what, what could be so important in the Carelia sector?"
"Emperor only knows, but I intend to find out. Commander Arkas, out."
In addition, due to the sensors mounted on the prow of his retro-fitted flagship, the Vicious Reprisal, an Oberon class Battleship, he also knew that force comprised of one cruiser and three heavy escorts, most likely a Shadow and Hellebores. He did not know, however, the arrival time of the ships, or if they were even at full strength.
Zealous found out to her detriment that all the Eldar ships were indeed at full strength, the Hellebores carving through her reinforced hull with no less than 4 pulsar hits. Torpedoes swarmed from the Eldar vessels, small white plumes of thrust amid the jet black of deep space. The turrets of the Zealous tried to target the phantom-like torpedoes, to no avail. Hit after hit pocked the great ship's hull, shaped plasma warheads making a mockery of the heavy plating.
Torpedoes continued to impact, even after the ship was dead, the hulk drifting in to the remains of the salvo that had crippled it. The torpedo spirit-hosts, being somewhat simple, regarded the hulk as a valid target, and engaged it once again.
The explosion was visible from the bridge of the Vicious Reprisal, some three hundred thousand kilometres away. His face becoming a mask of anger, Arkas ordered high captain Marshall to reveal her ship.
Squadrons of Starhawk bombers screamed from the launch bays of the massive Dictator class cruiser. Torpedoes were aimed at the nearby Shadow class cruiser, in the hope they might inflict some damage against the capricious Eldar.
The bombers twisted and turned, making runs against what appeared to be the Hellebore escorts, but proved to be nothing more than shadows and sensor ghosts. The Starhawk pilots couldn't even locate the Shadow class cruiser, which had been identified as the Lann'burath by that point in the battle. The torpedo salvo had some success, a huge plasma warhead explosion sending wraithbone splinters sailing through the void.
High Captain Hera Marshall cringed as she saw the Hellebores power up their pulsar lances for a run against her ship. She made a snap decision, knowing that failure could well cost her the Blade of Justice. Every crewman onboard found something to hold on to as engineers closed bulkheads and heavy equipment was anchored to the deck.
Despite taking a savage pounding from shooting, the bracing prevented any internal damage, leaving the only indicator that the ship had been hit as scorch marks along the hull.
"Holy throne," swore a green sensor officer.
"What?" demanded Marshall.
"Those escorts, they just launched all their ordnance against us."
Despite the fact they already were, Hera Marshall felt the need to call out the age old saying: "Incoming; Brace for Impact!"
It came down to the turret crews, each in charge of a point defense weapon, to lessen the impact of the torpedoes. From the start, something seemed wrong about the torpedoes, they seemed to flicker on and off sensors, and they came from three roughly divergent directions.
A storm of fire turned the permanent night of deep space temporarily to day as the turrets on the Blade of Justice opened fire. With extreme skill, and not a little luck, all but one of the Eldar torpedoes was gunned down. The massive projectile glanced off the hull with a metallic clang that reverberated throughout the ship, then sailed off in to deep space.
The fight was now between the two lead ships in the system, the Lann'burath; a graceful Eldar cruiser, and the Vicious Reprisal; an Imperial battleship with horrendously powerful weapons.
As the Lann'burath bore down on his vessel, Arkas shouted for them to burn retros. The bridge crew, in a state of disarray from the surprise attack, the loss of the Zealous and the general chaos of battle, did not respond as they should have. Arkas drew his auto-pistol, chambered an empty round, and fired.
The entire bridge crew stopped what they were doing and looked up at Arkas.
"I said," he growled savagely. "To burn retros. Now ignite them before comissar Gervai here decides you aren't giving your all."
The Oberon class ship slowed, moving at a comparative snails' pace to the rapidly closing Lann'burath. Arkas left the correct distrubution of firepower up to his gun crews, knowing they would do well with Gervai watching over them.
They excelled, one crew managing to land a massive plasma shell practically inside the Eldar cruiser's support decks. The resultant explosion sent several chunks of wraithbone and many hundreds of eldar sailing in to the blackness.
Not to be outdone, the crew of a massive imperial railgun put a round through the ship. Completely through it, ripping it apart from stem to stern. All that remained of the once graceful ship was a rapidly expanding cloud of wraithbone splinters and vented atmosphere.
"Get me a communications link to the Blade of Justice," commanded Arkas. A link was established with a relay satellite from the nearby planet.
"This is high captain Marshall," came the call from the Blade of Justice. "They gave us everything they had, and fled while we braced against the worst of it."
"Too bad," replied Arkas. "At least we still hold the system."
"Aye, commander, we do. But these Eldar, they get more belligerent with every raid."
"These aren't just raids, I know they're planning something big."
"But what, what could be so important in the Carelia sector?"
"Emperor only knows, but I intend to find out. Commander Arkas, out."
) system names should not be stated in our fluff.