"[Half a cycle... It has been half a cycle since the operation have began of the subjugation of the Alien species. The operation is going as smoothly as you have declared my Lord. The humans were not much of a challenge of our subjugation fleet, it's almost as if there was no resistance to begin with, with how easy it was! We are finally approaching the home planet of the humans. We will be going to finish this operation once and for all in under a lunar cycle! It won't be long until we would begin the construction of a Gate to allow colonisation to begin.
That's all we have to report my Lord. For the Religiosa!]"
'Atleast that's what the report said...'
The Admiral grumbled in his seat, grabbing a long plastic like bag full of water. He then drink it at the end as he squeezed it by his mandibles to take a good drink of the warm liquid. His claws on the other hand, are chopping of what it looks like to be raw meat on the table. He didn't do it sloppily either, as it was cut with finesse as the juices and what seems to be blood excreting out as the sharp claw apply tension to the tender meat.
Munch. Munch. Munch.
'Delicious.' He thought to himself.
The Admiral is currently within his quarters. It is a large circular room, that is being oriented vertically and rotates around it's point of axis slowly. With the entrance at the centre point of the circle, it allows them to just crawl into which part of the room easily. That also meant that it has furniture all over the place as well, however, this isn't where his sleeping quarters are, as this is more so an Shipmaster's lounge if anything because of how it was presented. Especially with all the luxurious details scattered all over the room, plus the additions of the awards and trophies the Justice High has received in it's service life. One could say that it is a waste of material for a warship. Of which one of those thinkers, is the Admiral.
However, he cannot deny the luxury as it makes his life and the crew much bearable. Especially in a unknown part of space where no maps are present, no points of interest where navigation is easier, and especially no allies in sight to aid them. Not even their subjugated species of the previous 7th Worlders, whom have vast knowledge of the stars before their subjugation in the close by star system, has no inkling of the human's part of space. Then again, the rebellion would have happened a long time ago if that were the case. At worst, a full scale resource rush would happen to the other opportunist in or out of their Confederation.
As he thought of that, a shadow then loom over the large circular window of the Shipmaster's lounge. There on the outside, just about 100 or so megaclaws away from the Justice High, and just below one of the Line 2 ships. "Kolkana X", like the Line 1 Justice High, it has a form similar to a Religiosa's claws, in which was intentional to easily recognised the might of the Religiosa's shipping prowess. Especially how it has a pincer like look to it, with a illusion of a pair of a larger and smaller claw clasping the front of the ship. It is over 1200 claws long, or just 1.2 megaclaws. It is only 2.8 megaclaws short of Justice High. Not as powerful as the Justice High, but definitely a capable vessels of the new Line Types constructed.
As he admired the sight of the beautifully ordained vessel, as once again, as he hates to admit it, the scratchers really did make a fine job on making the vessels beautiful like the traditions of the old ships prior to the Space Age of the Religiosa. However, that's not where he was focusing. In which his thought earlier of the operation came to mind as he stare at the structure below the Kolkana X, about 3 or 4 megaclaws away from it.
There lies, a dead husk of a human ship. It's dead innards scattering all over the space, without even a spark of life.
As much as the Admiral likes to claim the smoothness of the operation like the rest of his kin in the fleet, he is more so skeptical of how the operation is going as more time passes by. Because as much he was wanting the operation to be a easy win for them half a cycle ago, now, it is rather... Getting too easy. Not as in like those classical stories on the stage, like "Bane Blade", when the main character suddenly goes stronger to defeat the Source of Evil of Religiosa. As much as he love those as a child, it is a different story in the present, or even similar operations of subjugating a planet.
His first concern are the ships of the human fleet. As after further inspection in the 30th planetary cycle in the Grand Expedition, about 5 lunar cycles ago, the ships whom he and his agents have investigated of a barely intact warship. Turns out to be... Mere mining vessel. Said mining vessel is barely 100 claws long, about 89 claws upon inspection, though it could be longer since it is very damaged from the attacks of their Line 3 ships.
As mentioned, it is just a mining vessel. Proof of this are the minerals in the storage that wasn't ejected into the blackness, that is space. The minerals they found weren't just any minerals, they are very valuable minerals that are used throughout their Confederation. They are so valuable, that some of the crew members to began have temptations of stuffing some in their pouches. The materials specifically they are eyeing are these white gray rocks. However, those aren't just any rocks as it seems the humans have found value to them as the Religiosa have. The Religiosa have names for these minerals, but it seems the humans have it as well, they are called...
Platinum.
A very valuable resource in the industries of Religiosa, creating them manually is very, very difficult. Hence why mining is the only way to get those valuable resources. They will take note of this discovery once they finished their mission, where a recovery of resources mission will be permitted. Of course, the Admiral already put out a warning and a punishment for any of the tempted fools to even steal the valuable resources.
Now it makes sense why the tiny ships have weapons on them, no matter how insignificant the damage is. There is a reason why small craft from the Religiosa don't have weapons because of how small the damage they could do for the cost. Its because of the minerals the craft delivered... But it didn't answer his question on what a actual human warship looks like. Because as far as he knows, it seems human ships have a certain theme on them, and that is tight and not aesthetically pleasing. Ugly is the correct term to describe it. They can't get data from the ruined ships they take down, as it seems to have a auto data wiping software in it to not allow information to be extracted. But like the mining ships, all ships they have encountered are either auxiliary craft or just ordinary space craft with some form of that explosive weaponry of some kind. Nothing really of value, except for the corpses and the brief communication data they have, and as they already explored, they have already got a similar result to it with no major differences on the limited data extracted.
This has gotten to a point when they reach an actual line of defense of the 9th Planet Bastion. Where the results of the skirmish were so disappointing that they didn't even need to fire their main weaponry. As the bombers they bring have totally annihilated the guarding space station and the ships guarding it. It doesn't help that they have already disabled it with the EMP pulse attack, so it was a sitting rock. The only causalities they have are 5 lightly damaged bombers and 1 unfortunate bomber rider, who got overconfident and got penetrated by the explosive weapon. With the clear result of how human weaponry seems to have penetrated their shields rather easily.
Upon researching this to their onboard committee, the closest weapon of similar method are the 10th Worlders. However, they are too primitive as it was merely operated by compressed gas, where the projectile is then ejected at high speeds. Not exactly a shield penetrator per say.
'But since then...'
Klank!
The Admiral then wiped his mandibles with a piece of sponge like cloth, and toss it into the garbage chute. He then swiped his claws on the air as a hologram then shows their current trajectory. Which shows that they are now going to pass by the 4th planet of the star system. The last planet before they made landfall. The 4th planet that now dominates the views on the glass windows looks rather odd. Red stripes being glazed over by patches of brown, grey, white, green, and blues. Like the other planets, this one lacked the necessary infrastructure to support abundance of life, so it's practically living on a critical moment with the EMP pulse knocking it's core systems down. To make sure even that no systems are online, they used the aircraft on the carrier to bomb the planet. With the only things they hear from the planet are...
Nothing.
Just static noise.
"..."
'Thats when the operation truly started.'
It is eerie how really quiet the planet is. Just like how it was since their breakthrough at the 9th Planetary Defense Line, well, it was the only planetary defense line. Up until now, since the 1st lunar cycle, there were used to be a lot of the smaller craft buzzing around the bodies. As for the most part, a large vast of the planetary system is empty than anticipated, despite the numbers of the smaller craft. In other words, it was just the space stations and that 9th planetary defense line.
But since their siege on the 9th Planetary Defense Line, it's almost as if all ships just vanished. Same goes for the small craft, as though there are the occasional ones, the last time they saw one was few knits ago. And the last time they saw one before that, was nearly 2 lunar cycles ago...
It's almost as if the ones that tried to stop them was a figment of their imagination. As despite what the crews of the fleet scream of the 'cowardice' and 'honorless' actions of the humans, and how eradication is the only way for repentance for making them chase them for lunar cycles! The Admiral needs to remind these fools again that eradication is not their goal, but subjugation, and he knows better that something is going to happen soon.
And just to be sure, he also ordered a bombardment on each planet they have gone through. Due to the way star systems go with their cycles, of the 14 planets that was counted, they only past by 4. 1 is the other outer ring planets, 2nd is the 9th gas giant, 3rd is the planet they are currently seeing now, and over the long, long horizon was the last, the human Core World. Due to how the 4th planet and 3rd human planet have similar rotations around the star, getting to the human planet is as easy as to go towards a straight line at it!
To say he was not excited is a lie, but to say he is not being overly cautious is also a lie as well. To add another precaution, he ordered the bombardment of using strongly bonded projectiles from the fleet, including the Justice High. That's because their plasma lasers could have a hard time penetrating the atmosphere, despite it's deadliness in space. They have to use traditional projectiles like static bombs and plasma torpedoes to be able to detonate. With the combination of the less destructive and less lethal, pulse plasma beams to accurately hit infrastructure on the planet.
BEEP! BE-BEEP! BEEP! BE-BE-BEEP!
But just as he suspected, something was different on the 4th planet. The hologram shows a rudimentary and simplified format of the planet and it's surroundings, and just at parts where their detection systems are blocked by the planet's size. There at the corner of the planet's horizon, is a signature of something moving in their detection systems. As soon as that appeared, there was immediately a emergency hail to him from the bridge. The Admiral immediately stood from his seat and crawled outside his lounge and swiped his claws, as the face of many of the bridge crew faces then appeared on the hologram. One of the images among them is the biggest, showing the Shipmaster's panicking face.
"Gr-grand Admiral! Human ship signatures spotted!"
"Shipmaster. What is the dimensions of the ship? What is the Line type? What is it's position and scanning capabilities? Is it a station? Or a orbital planetary defense system? Get on to it!"
The Admiral calmly, atleast the best as he can, to asses the situation to not cause some panic in the fleet. As the worse could happen if the crew caught him shaken. What he wants to prevent is not the crews cowering from the enemy or backing out. It is that hastiness of taking the enemy out because of it's threatening capabilities, causing arguably more causalities than simply not fighting or retreating. At worst, they may loose a portion of their capability to fight atleast 90% capacity, where trouble will finally boil.
Luckily for him, it seems the crew's current panicked state have stabilised. However, they seemed to be quite shocked and even concerned about something else. This raised alarm bells on the Admiral's head, twitching his antennas as he made it to the lifter after confirming his biometrics.
He doesn't know what's the situation, but he doesn't like the way they are looking at the hologram.
"Shipmaster. Speak of the current situation!"
"Yes Admiral! It is a human station! A human station! It has been ah... It has been..."
"Speak CLEARLY Shipmaster! Tell me the information!"
"It-it has been shot down!"
"... What?..." Panic began to crawl on the Admiral's face, as he immediately tries to confront the Shipmaster for information in a more authoritative tone. "Did you say... shot down?... DID YOU SAY SHOT DOWN?! Shot down by one of ours?!? Do I SENSE insubordination in. This. Fleet?!"
Anger and panic immediately goes to the Admiral. But as a trained individual and a veteran, it didn't show on his face nor his antennas, nor his wings. But his anger didn't dissipate, the fact that some fools actually did something stupid as attacking the enemy without orders is stupid! Everyone knows how this could lead to execution or imprisonment for being potentially charged with treason or betrayal! There is a reason why patience is important in the battlefield! This could potentially put their operation in jeopardy!
"Which one of you fools did it first?! IS IT THOSE DAMN RIDERS?! The 6th LINE?! Answer me this instant! Or I will shoot you down myself before those DAMNED ALIENS would!"
'If this my Jubilee Fleet, this wouldn't have happened!'
Just as about he was going to add more words to his incompetent of a fleet. The words of one of the the Detection Bridge Crew nearly stopped him in his tracks.
"No Admiral! It wasn't ours! The... The humans shot down their own defense station!"
"What?..."
His trance of anger dissipated as he got to the top of the Justice High, where the bridge is. There at the far distance of the planet's horizon, is the collapsing large station being blown up by something, as it's orbit slowly loose it's momentum and began to slowly drop into the planet's gravitational field. The ship's seekers have captured it in exquisite detail, there, silent explosions rock the space station as one after another it ignited and collapsed into itself as unknown locations of explosions keep on popping up. It was to the point that it seems some parts of the space station is glowing hot out of the sheer temperature of the explosions.
"How... How barbaric..."
The Admiral hear one of the communication systems of the Line 3 ships speaking out of shock and disdain of the scenery in front of him on the public communication system. Followed by few more others, and the deep cruel silence of the collapsing space station. Since vibrations are difficult to be perceived in space, it just makes the whole scenery even more eerie as it already was.
Boo... Boom... Bo....m ...... Boo ...m.....
As much they fear of the potential execution coming to them by the Admiral whenever he gets mad. However, the fact that their enemies were the ones that destroyed their own infrastructure is what was imprinted in their mind more so. Especially how not just the natural silence of space, but the silence within the space station. Eerie as this scenery is, it doesn't help how there are no communication systems being detected on the station. No hails, no calls for help, not even a single pings on their communication systems.
Nothing.
It was as if it is just killed itself after being immobilised by the System Jammer. However, the System Jammers has some few weaknesses, and that is how some systems are either immune to the EMP pulse, or systems that weren't connected to any power sources can survive the destructive pulse. Meaning, there is a high chance that both the active and passive communication systems of the Aliens are knocked out because they still use some form of a power source at a inactive state. Thus, rendering it unusable, unless repaired. Either way, it is not a pleasant scenery to watch, knowing the possibility of how many of their enemy's kin are possibly slaughtered by their own hands.
The Religiosa have their own fair share of similar destruction of blowing up structures for strategic purposes. It would be rather strange if it didn't happened. Considering the Confederation's... Imperialistic tendencies... But this one however, confuses the Admiral, as he feared of how the humans treat their own kin for even a strategic advantage against their enemy.
Especially considering what was blown up is a defensive structure with weapons on it to defend the planet, and yet here they are destroying their very own defense line for what exactly? The Admiral doesn't know. All he knows that it is a very, very bad tactic, unless of course he missed some important information on why they need to be destroyed. There could be a possibility they did it so they can't extract some important information on it to be used against their own weapons. But it still doesn't make sense why they destroyed a important defensive structure when they can just extract the information themselves and hide it from them. Then leaving the station to die on it's own as a defensive structure.
Unless of course, they know they cannot harm them enough so they take out their own lives. However, base on how the smaller craft reacted, the Admiral doubts that the humans would give up easily. Barbaric and primitive as they are, they are definitely not the type to retreat so easily. Atleast his crews were once again rejuvenated to attack the humans, though at this point, he knows that bloodlust is definitely on the line this time because of how the humans treat the space station.
"Evil and barbarically primitive!"
Is what is now circling around the crews. Making the Home Council's decision to subjugate the humans getting more and more akin to their claims like it was predicted. Even the Admiral is beginning to have a inkling of a doubt that the Aliens were much closer to the religious standpoint of the their Religion. Even though he is already convinced by the scientific evidence that they are not.
His crew however, were still the same.
Some of them was even praying to defeat the evil imitators of Religiosa to their deity. He can't blame her though, with the way the humans are acting currently. They are starting to resemble the sources of evil on their religion. It's uncanny, but not exactly one to one. For all he knows there could be a possible strategy behind the collapse of the space station.
The Admiral grunted as everybody has gone back to their positions. With his antennas twitching, the Admiral then ordered for a search and scan on both the station and planet to the fleet. He then swings his claws forward to reorient the hologram in front of him as he began to guide the operation once more.
"Alright everyone. Prepare to conduct a reconnaissance patr...."
As the Admiral directs his orders, a shining light emits from what used to be the station. They are getting closer and closer to them at a ludicrous speed. At first, they heed no mind to the odd light show, as it didn't appear on their detection systems, meaning, it is either another bright explosion from the station. However, with how quickly the lights seem to keep on getting brighter, with the Admiral and Shipmaster busy coordinating the fleet for reconnaissance.
The Navigator of one of the Line 6 ships immediately reacted as he recognised what those lights are, and immediately smashed the communication systems for everybody to hear.
BEEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
"INCOMING PROJECTILES! PREPARE THE SHIELDS! PREPARE THE SHIE-"
The Line 6 Navigator shouted on the heavens on what his voice box can do before a bad throat would definitely come later. Later that is, before his communication line was indefinitely cut forever by the darkness of space.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Alot of the crews were caught off guard of the sudden message, but the Admiral, together with the other Shipmasters, immediately take their positions on the throne like area of their respective ships. The Justice High instantly came to life with fervour as a greenish or bluish, transparent veil began to surround the ship the moment the communication line from the Line 6 ships was heard.
The Justice High is a specialised Line 1 Type ship, because of how good it's generators and speed are, when compared to it's contemporaries despite the clear mass it has. Some even say that it is a 1.5 Type, because of how it possessed the traits of a Line 2 type ship. Especially with it's trait being slightly lower armour density when compared to other Line 1 Type ships. This was of course circumvented with very strong shields with fast deploy time. Because the moment it has finished shielding, the projectile struck multiple ships in the fleet. With the Justice High rocking very intensively as some light panic have set off in the bridge. Thankfully, the ship was able to hold off the projectile with only lost 8.4% out of a 100% loss shielding capacity. The Admiral would definitely gave praise to the shipbuilders once he gets back home for saving him on this one.
Unfortunately however, the other ships weren't as lucky. The Admiral immediately looked at the looses, especially of the Line 6 ship that called out the unknown projectiles, in a mortified look on his face.
"DAMAGE REPORT!" The Admiral demanded as the crew immediately gone into the data of the recent event.
"We have 6 sunken ships my Lord! And many damaged ships!"
'6?!!' The Admiral thought to himself as he continued his order.
"Quickly escort the ships that can still be operated! Especially the Line 3s! Get them to the back! Order the Carrier to return the reconnaissance craft and fire out their scouts and interceptors right this instant! Form a Star formation! Encircle the damages ships, together with the Line 1 and 10!"
"AFFIRMATIVE LORD ADMIRAL!"
With that, ships immediately moved as he ordered as the Carrier behind the Justice High, began to reversed it's first order for the new one.
'What just happened? Undetected projectiles?... Impossible... But... where did they come from?! And how where they cloaked from our detection systems?...'
With that thought, the Admiral then go over the data as he planned the next course of action of the immediate situation. 3 of their Line 3 ships are heavily damaged, and 2 are moderately damaged. However, 6 of their Line 6 ships are lost with a massive explosion, while 3 others are heavily damaged. Luckily none of their important ships are lost, as the smaller ships are made as shields in case of an attack like that happened. The Line 3 ships however are a surprising lost in a bad way, because that meant they can outwit the speed of the shields, or they are powerful enough to outwit their detection systems.
That means they have currently 1 Line 10, 1 Line 1, 2 Line 2s, 2 Line 3s; of which the 3 will be kept in the backlines to be hastily repaired by the supply ships. 9 Line 4s, and 16 Line 6s. With the heavily damaged ones be scuttled and the crew extracted.
In other words the operation is still good to go. As thinking it in the grand scheme, they only suffer minimal losses. Disastrous, but not exactly a strategic or tactical win for the humans.
'Atleast not yet.'
He has no idea where those projectiles came from, and even how they evaded their detection systems, but base on the data gathered and the possible angle of attack from the projectiles. They are definitely torpedoes, but, torpedoes that originated from the space station. And torpedoes that can hide from their detection systems.
'Does that mean that the space station wasn't built to handle those powerful torpedoes? There is a possibility of that because of how fast our assault is, and they don't have time to recalibrate many things to accommodate such weapons... But... If that's the case... Why let it explode? If they can handle such weapons, isn't more of a waste now?...'
Something is off, but the Admiral doesn't know what is it exactly. They have already got their detection systems to maximise their range on any movements or signatures present. However, nothing is being detected. Nothing, same as always, as the uneasy darkness of space filled with deathly silence.
He cannot shake the feeling that something is up. As a commander in the battlefield, the current situation they are in is definitely a strategic move. But by what motives exactly, he doesn't know.
'With the information at hand, it could be a possibility that the torpedoes exploded upon loading. But if that's the case, then the other torpedoes would've been caught up on the blast... But the fact that all of them fired after it exploded means that it was just attached to the space station... Thus... Oh no.'
The Admiral realised then as he got to the communication device and immediately dialed it for everybody in the fleet to hear it as much as possible before the situation could get any worse and trouble would come.
"Prepare the shields for Body Concentration! THE REAL ENEMY IS HIDING! Change the formation to Planet format! Abandoned the repairs and-"
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
It's simple. He realised why the torpedoes didn't got detected. They weren't some superweapon that could instantly sniped them, nor some superior technology that the humans have that they don't. It was a mixture of two factors on how they successfully made that attack.
BOOM!
'First, is the space station. There are two possible reasons why they detonated it. 1st is definitely a distraction, but that alone could not be the reason why they evaded their detection systems when attacking. Which comes to the 2nd possible reason why, and that is have to do with Passive EMPs.'
With a blast of light coming from the left of the Justice High. There a horrifying sight was being luxuriously showed off to the bridge crew of the Justice High, together with the rest of the other ships in the fleet watching in unison of the Kolkana X, the 2nd most powerful ship individually in the fleet was met with a blazing glory of fire and molten metal. The Kolkana X's entire upper portion was entirely in flames, metal flying around uncontrollably, molten parts of the ship began glowing hot, and large amounts of atmosphere leaking like an unsealed pressure tank. The Plasma Directional Stations erupted as their cells were ruptured, causing another mighty to explosion light off the fleet by the Kolkana X's grim firework display.
'Passive EMPs varied, but they are mostly undetectable, because of how they jammed the detection system's sensors. If it were in a planet, it would've been more detectable, but it is still difficult. In space however, it is much more difficult with so many things happening in the surroundings. Especially in battlefield where anything could be detected. Which comes the 1st part, how they are entirely focused on the space station and how their detection systems are also focused at the space station. Thus, causing the small discrepancies of the Passive EMPs to be averted as 'battlefield misidentification'.'
Luckily, the Kolkana X's bridge crew weren't hit by the unknown projectile. However, out of the 5 Plasma Directional Stations (PDS) on the top and 10 Anti-Ship PDS on the left and right, 3 of the surface of 5 are totally destroyed, with 1 being inoperable because of the fuel for the weapon was ruptured. And of the 10 Anti-Ship PDS, 2 of the left are destroyed and 1 damaged without heavy repairs. Another blessing from Religiosa is that the 2 main PDS weapons at the bottom of the ship were undamaged. If it were damaged, even if it is just 1 of them, it could cut the fighting power of the Kolkana X by 50%. Being the ship's most powerful Anti-Ship weapon, acting also as bombardment for the invasion when it would happened.
It being damaged or destroyed is a very huge blow to the fleet, and the Admiral prayed so passionately of Religiosa of her divine protection. However, it wasn't the same for the Kolkana X's twin nymph, as she isn't as lucky.
"By the... sons... and daughters... of... Religiosa..." A dying message was heard on the twin nymph's bridge, "Bolkava".
'Now the second factor why the ships didn't detected the torpedoes. This coincides with the 1st factor very well as the torpedoes have exploited a very rare situational flaw within the targeting systems of the Religiosa ships. And that is how it won't detect objects that aren't specifically trying to connect with the ships, peacefully or aggressively. Meaning... The torpedoes... Were not guided at their direction, rather it was somehow being calculated thousands of megaclaws away to predict their patterns on where they would exactly hit their targets before hand. Being just manually targeted means one thing. And hitting the target is another whole entire level of accuracy and predictive knowledge.'
Bolkava's damage isn't as bad compared to Kolkana X, however, though it didn't damaged it's firepower capabilities, it's operational capabilities, are very heavily so. Rather, if compared to Kolkana X, Bolkava is more likely to be scuttled of the two because of how it was damaged.
"Kas'ha! Kas'ha! KAS'HA! KAS'HAAAAA!" Everyone in the bridge heard a loud, curdling communication line from the Carrier behind the Justice High, as the Bolkava just drifted into the space without any propulsions to support it. The ships nearby and immediately made way for the dead hulk as it's no longer controlled by any propulsion system. Fearing that they would next if they weren't careful of the accelerating mass.
'It's merely, a primitive dumb torpedo that explodes upon impact. Thus, why we couldn't detect it. Thus, why we were distracted by the space station and don't think of anything else because that tactic wasn't used for eons. Heck, that tactic is not even recommended for space warfare because of how many factors colliding against a dumb torpedo weapon without guiding systems onboard to attack another vessel. Not even pirates uses them! However, that too is just a distraction... Because the real threat of this ambush was not the space station, rather...'
Bolkava's damage is much more internal than external compared to Kolkana X. The first biggest damage is how all of the bridge crew, including the Shipmaster of the ship was killed the moment a more powerful singular blast from the unknown assailant. Thus, loosing the operators that control ship, and loosing control of essentially everything else. Including the weapons, even if it wasn't damaged. However it didn't stop there, as it penetrated deep into the ship and has directly hit the propulsion system. Causing a major collapse of the fuel and the rupturing of their Fissile Engines. Thus the massive radiation leakage into the system and causing a spillage of chemicals and wiring into ship. This also meant, the inoperability of the 2 main PDS weapons, thus, marking the ship as a technical lost until repaired.
Thus, in one ambush, they have loss 2 of their Line 2 ships. To say it was a catastrophe is a big underestimate, because that meant they just lost 2 ships capable of fighting other Line 1s in a battle, where there is only 1 Line 1 and a Line 10! It wasn't just that though, the reason that the projectile possibly didn't explode deeper on the Bolkava, it's because it has completely went pass and destroyed a Line 4 completely as it exploded and went straight to the Bolkava.
Totaling their lost as 1 Line 2 and a Line 4. This is a catastrophe because of how the losses wasn't cause by a small task force, no. It wasn't. It's because it was caused by-
'The real enemy, is doing very classical move in all of warfare. A flanking maneuver, and just as I remembered all those cycles ago... I could still remember how I met the first human warship, and how it wasn't the last I would see one.'
Beep... Beep... Beep...
One ship.
'Well... From the looks of your bored antennas, I can tell that wasn't what you wanted to hear when it comes to the humans, isn't? Well... I'm sure you would understood soon enough...'
There, as everybody was panicking where the enemy is, on the bridge of the support ship is a a single signature. On everybody's panic, they immediately put all their scanners on the location as anger and contempt boil them of not just how cowardly the attack is, but how the enemy didn't even show itself on the damned detection systems to fight them head on.
HONORLESS! COWARDLY! EVIL! CLAWLESS! PRIMITIVE!
The crew can call all of it they want, however the Admiral knows better why the Humans did this, and why despite his similar thoughts on the matter, was the only possible way they could fight them. It's because upon their scans when they got into the Luminous System, there was no large fleets present. Atleast from their initial scans, and that information have held true because there really was no other large fleets present. Only the large space stations are the only larger complexes in the detection systems. But it didn't remove the possibility of a warship hiding, as now, the human warship the Admiral has ever so wanted to see. The human warship that the bloodlusted crew of the Grand Expedition wanted to destroy for the fun of it because of how cowardly the actions of the humans were, have finally showed itself up.
"ALL CLAWS ON THE NEST! SHOOT UPON THE HUMAN WARSHIP!"
Immediately, all of the ships, though, mostly it's only the Lines 1, 2, 3, and 4 doing it because the rest don't have the range to effectively hit the enemy without it dodging. The enemy human warship in question is at one of the moons of the 4th planet, well, it's only other moon aside from the 1st one at the other side of the planet. This made the Admiral confused, because they already send their Line 6s and reconnaissance planes to the moon in question, since it was just only 6000 megaclaws away, so, it is fairly a short search. However, there were no structures on the surface of the moon, as there is also no strong signatures. They even used one of the 5 System Jammers to pulse it just in case and it yielded no results. The fact that it is hiding there must have been it survived the pulse. Or at worst, it didn't do anything to it at all.
"GLASS THE ENEMY SHIP!"
Mixture of plasma, photons, and torpedoes began to blast their way straight into the poor moon as it was battered, shaken, rumbled, and pulsed. There was no precise location of where the human ship was, all the Religiosa crews were doing is merely a blind rage of fire upon the enemy. It was nonstop. Even the last System Jammer was used before it would charge up for the pressure to make sure it could not move away. It wasn't until 5 nimbs, and just as about they were going to stop, another powerful projectile, the same one that struck Bolkava, then shoot past the Line 6s and 4s and straight into the crippled Line 3s. The Admiral was too late to respond the action right away as the projectile have struck the 1st Line 3, straight into the supply ship as it then combusted. Thus, destroying 2 of the heavily damaged Line 3s, and 1 important repair ship. Thus, killing everyone on those ships completely.
"Bzzt! BZZT! BZZZzzzt! bzzt! BZZZZT!"
"Admiral! We... We lost a repair ship!"
"SHIPMASTER LO'TEN! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
"HELP! I NEED RESCUE! HELP!"
"It's alright Ko'l, they would defeat that blasphemous ship! Don't worry!-BZZZTTTTT"
The Admiral could hear multiple ships hailing louder as he tries to control the situation, in which a reply was a louder and more numerous hail. Panic finally set into the fleet, breaking formation as it turned into an unbalance waltz of metal and fire. This actually gave the enemy human ship some breathing room, but almost of a breathing room. Because one of the Line 4s totally break the formation, as unlike the rest whom may broke the formation, but still tried to maintain it, this one have went straight to the human ship as it kept on firing all of it's plasma beams at it with fury.
"WHAT IN EXCEL ARE YOU DOING SHIPMASTER SH'TEN?! GET BACK TO FORMATION!"
The Admiral noticing the sudden change then cut all of the hails and focuses on the one crazy Line 4 Shipmaster to stop the assault immediately. But he was ignored, as they just kept on charging and charging, firing blindly without any strategy. The bridge crew doesn't know if they exactly got a hit, as the next thing they knew it, the Line 4 disappeared fron the detection system. Only for them to see on the seekers that it has been destroyed by 6 projectiles, straight into it's front. Crippling it from the inside out, as it's dead husk floated harmlessly in space.
There, just time, they saw it. As the 3rd planet's shadow have passed, the light of the Luminous System's star have gave way for what the human ship would look, like. Immediately everyone in the fleet takes a good look of the ship through their seekers as the one of the bridge crew then pointed one detail out specifically that is the defining trait of the ship.
"What the-! It's hideous! That's the human ship that has been hunting us?! It's not even a size of a Line 2!"
"SCAN IT!" The Admiral ordered immediately upon the visual sight of the ship was confirmed.
Indeed, he was correct.
The ship was just like any other human ship they have seen, ugly. It's only noticeable menacing aura is it's size. Base on the scans, it's about 800 or so claws, or about 0.8 megaclaws in length, and about just 140 claws in width, and about 120 claws in height. It's most notable detail is it's boxy shape and how there are 4 propulsion systems on it's assumed front end. They don't know what the weapons of the humans look like on their official human warship. They don't even know what is it called, though there seems to be it's name on the sides of the ship, they don't know much of human language to understand it.
But there is one thing they know now if anything else of what they have learn in this battle. That the humans, despite their primitive technology and panicked state on their First Contact, definitely knows how to handle space warfare.
"On my MARK!"
The Justice High then turned it's front end at the human ship as the whole fleet have finally reoriented themselves to have a death glare match over the human ship, as it seems the human ship is also doing the same. Because a bluish static glow began to surround the ship as the 1st and definitely not last, Religiosa Vs Human battle.
Because this battle is known of many names;
The First Religiosa Vs Human Battle
The First Contact Wars
The First Interstellar Human War
The USN Laffey's One Last Stand
However, locals on the planet have a much more better name for it, and that is;
The Battle for Mars II
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[>>>1 EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION<<<]
[Proceed to Analyse?]
[>>Y/N]
[Analysing Message]
[Frigate, UNS Laffey was lost after successfully withering down the Enemy Fleet. Estimated crash site to be estimated on the Lokal Ocean of Planet 698-Beta. Autopilot has successfully rescued it's crew from imminent death after their evacuation, via drop pods. Ship technology is successfully secured and Enemy Ship data have been submitted to the data base.]
[...]
[Phase 1 of 4 is a complete success. I would like to ask for permission for the continuation of Operation Invicta.]
[...]
[Operation is being reviewed.]
[Voting in progress...]
[...]
[Voting in progress...]
[>>>1 EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION<<<]
[Voting in progress...]
[... Hm...?]
[Voting in progress...]
[Proceed to Analyse?]
[Voting in progress...]
[>>Y/N]
[Voting in progress...]
[Analysing Message]
[Voting in progress...]
[Phineas 3 Moon Base is successfully secured. Told ya' dumb old fucks we could do it!
- Captain James Winston, of USN Laffey]
[Voting in progress...]
[Proceed to send rescue ships for the crew of USN Laffey?]
[Voting in progress...]
[>>Y/N]
[Voting in progress...]
[Rescue Ship will retrieve crew of USN Laffey under T-7 minutes. Will depart shortly after.]
[Voting Finish!]
[Operation Invicta is granted to continue, and will not have any changes.]
[Confirmed. Operation Invicta will now begin Phase 2 of 4.]
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Religiosa Loses:
1 Line 2
2 Line 3s
3 Line 4s
9 Line 6s
1 Line S-1 Repair Ship
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Support Ships:
5 System Jammers
2 Detection ships
1 Assault ship
2 Repair ships
Supply Ships:
5 Hybrid Large Cargo Horde Ship
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Megaclaws - Unit of measurement for kilometres
Claws - Unit of measurement for metres
Line Type - Class of the ship (i.e destroyer class, cruiser class, etc.)
Scratchers - Religiosa Artesians
Line 3 - Religiosa Light Cruiser Type
Rider - Religiosa pilots
Knits - Unit of time of hour
Lifter - A lift or elevator
Seekers - Religiosa camera term
Line 1 - Religiosa Battleship
Line 2 - Religiosa Heavy Cruiser
Line 6 - Religiosa Corvette
Line 10 - Religiosa Super Carrier
Plasma Directional Stations - Protected Plasma Glass Domes
Fissile Engines - Fission Powered Engines
Cycle - 1 year
Lunar Cycles - 29.5 - 30 days
Planetary Cycle - 1 day
Nimbs - 1 minute