Dawn

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2407.6

Zezzis system
...onboard CDS West End...

Katherine O’Rourke was happy to have the colony on Zezzis IV established. She was less happy about it being 3 sectors away from Zezzis XI, a Sergetti planet. In point of fact, Zezzis IV, and Zezzis VIII were both new colonies for the empire. The situation was tenuous. The Sergetti claimed this system as theirs, with five colonies established. The Sergetti backed up their claim with a fleet orbiting Zezzis XI. The Phong also had two colonies in the system, and there was still one Sithrak frigate in the system. The Norak frigate was either out of the system or our of sensor range.

Captain O’Rourke had requested the Artemis to support her at Zezzis IV. Captain Harrison, the overall system commander, was on Southampton guarding Zezzis V and his defense was just augmented by 48 mines delivered by Aztec. Backed up by the minefield - and Montreal still guarding the warp point, he approved and detached Artemis. O’Rourke had good reason to ask for the PDS ship. The Sergetti fleet at Zezzis XI included five frigates and a freighter. But the concern to O’Rourke was the light carrier. She had found the home base of the fleet they had seen when they first entered the system. There were also 80 fighters in orbit around the planet. She wasn’t sure how the Sergetti would respond to the new neighbors, but they had been sending messages that were less than welcoming. Zezzis VIII was also colonized, and was being guarded by Toronto. O’Rourke knew she and Artemis could survive if the Sergetti moved against the new colonies, but her job was to provide security while the colonies got established. The colonists were doing their part – the new Hercules III weapon platform was available. With two anti-proton beams on large mounts, a new short range ripper beam, also on a large mount, two flak cannons, one beam PDS cannon, and a level five shield; it would be able to give as good as it got. Two of them were scheduled to be built on each of the three colonies. Fortunately, Zezzis V had completed the supply depot, and the ships were fully restocked. The question now was would they have the time to get the job done.

Pantrissa system
...onboard CDS Beagle...

Captain Cabrerra now had the full story. He was in command of a ghost ship. The Beagle was an intelligence-gathering platform. His ability to operate in the tight quarters of asteroid fields was his prime ability for this job. With this ship, he would be navigating through a different field of asteroids – the kind that fired back.

To accomplish his mission, however, he was getting the best the scientists of the empire had to offer. The “salvage team” was a team of intelligence technicians installing the most advanced sensor arrays the empire had available. There were also a team of the agents he had been introduced to on the trip to Pantrissa. Rita Edwards, the Intelligence Director, explained to Cabrerra through her pre-recorded message that they were there to guard the sensitive equipment and protect the highly trained and intelligent men and women, like himself, she added; from falling into enemy hands should their ship be discovered and captured. Cabrerra wasn’t that naïve, and he wondered if the “highly trained and intelligent” operators on board knew what that really meant.

He also was briefed on the new cloaking technology, the long-range scanners, the jamming equipment, and the ECM capabilities. There was also a minesweeping assembly. Extra supply storage was also included. Cabrerra took note of this – someone expected them to be away from home for a long time. He wasn’t briefed on weapons, shields, or armor for a very simple reason.

There wasn’t any.

His life, and the life of the ship’s crew would depend on their ability to be as invisible as possible.

In a final irony, Cabrerra found, in his quarters, a crate marked “Commander, CDS Beagle.”

Opening the crate he found a bottle of Sithrak ale.

[i]Report to the board:

Hi everyone. Sorry for the long introduction to cloaking in the story, but it does fit in with the game. I'm losing quite a lot to enemy intelligence - just force concentration stuff and planet scans. The girl at the bar isn't Norakian, but a sympathizer. Of course, Jefferies isn't just a welder, either. I think writing the intelligence side of the game gives a few more possible storylines.

As I mentioned in the story, the Sergetti aren't amused with my intrusion into Zezzis. Neither are the Phong, but the Sergetti fleet in system can actually do something about it. We'll see how they respond.

Anyway, thanks for reading. Feel free to comment if you like, or just enjoy the story. Next chapter will be tomorrow.

Phil

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2407.7

Zezzis system
...onboard CDS West End...

Still in high orbit around Zezzis IV, West End and Artemis both received a proximity alert at the same time. The Sergetti fleet had moved into the sector, and was on a direct bearing for the planet.

With the ships now in the same sector, the make-up of the Sergetti fleet could be analyzed.

“Reading seven contacts, Captain. Scans show four are equipped with multiple point defense cannons, one is a missile frigate with two missiles tubes, just like us. Contact six is a carrier, scans read 34 fighters on board. Contact seven is a freighter, but it does have a repair bay.”

The planetary governor sent a message that the weapon platform was still not available. West End and Artemis were on their own. O’Rourke did send a message to Toronto, but she would not make it to them before this battle started.

The Sergetti assumed an arrowhead formation with the one missile frigate in an echelon right position, and the carrier and freighter in an echelon left position. The four PDS frigates were in the center.

Sensors again reported.

“Captain, I believe I see an opening. If we can get in line with the missile frigate, and the enemy hold their positions, he’ll have only one PDS ship that can support him.”

He moved his cursor on the display to show where he thought the weak point was.

O’Rourke nodded. “Good call, sensors. Advise Artemis. Helm, try and loop around the back side of that missile ship, but be ready to close if they continue towards the colony.”

The plan was to stay in formation, and draw the enemy away from the unprotected colonists. Artemis, with her shields and regenerators, would stay in-between West End and the Sergetti. As a further enticement for the enemy to chase the ships, Artemis would slide into and out of the missile range of the Sergetti, counting on her own point defense to protect her.

The two forces closed, and the two Dawn ships began to try and loop behind the attackers.

Sensors provided the information for O’Rourke.

“Captain, multiple new contacts! The carrier has launched her fighters. The carrier and freighter are turning away.”

“Roger, sensors. Helm, stay on course. Let me know if they come for us or continue to the planet.”

Seventeen seconds into the engagement, O’Rourke had her answer.

“Contacts changing course, Captain. Bearing now 220, headed toward us. Targets 200 km from colony, 190 km from us.”

O’Rourke didn’t respond, but kept her eyes on the display.

“Helm, plot an intercept course with the lead frigate!”

“Recommend course 016, Captain.”

”Approved, helm. Get us in close to those ships.”

The two forces now closed on each other at a substantially faster rate.

As they closed, O’Rourke again turned from the enemy, and ran across their bow, hoping to get behind the missile frigate and attack it with as few PDS ships supporting it as possible. Artemis continued into the formation, trying to draw fire.

Twenty kilometers from the edge of the frigate’s cannon range, Artemis turned to starboard, and the two Dawn ships now split around the formation. Artemis was trying to get close to the fighters, and skimmed through the weapon arcs of the enemy. Meanwhile, West End fired her first missile volley at the lead frigate. O’Rourke gave the order to cease firing then until the missile frigate could be targeted. She wanted to see how effective the Sergetti PDS umbrella was.

As it turned out, the umbrella was quite effective. Both of her missiles were destroyed before they got within 20 km of the frigate. Meanwhile, the enemy fleet had decided she was the priority target and started to bear in her direction.

Thirty four seconds into the fight, West End was just 5 km outside the weapon range of the frigates, when she started to pull away from the enemy. O’Rourke had to keep her speed up, or else she would end up nothing more than an explosion in space. She was unable to get behind the missile frigate, so she was content to lead them away from the colony as well as Artemis.

Artemis, for her part, had gotten behind the enemy’s frigates and was bearing down on the fighters trailing the formation.

The battle now was for the two ships to stay alive long enough for Toronto to arrive…

Haphik system
...onboard CDS Aztec...

Aztec was on her way back to Zezzis. She carried 48 more mines from Haphik II. She was going to try and use these to help protect the new colonists in the Zezzis system. The crew had been receiving commsat reports of the Sergetti aggression, and tried to get every kilometer of speed out of the ship they could.

Nekkar III
Dawn headquarters...

Chairman Lomax listened to the report delivered by his research directorate. He was reluctant to approve this latest project, but the facts were overwhelming. In the battle with the Sithrak frigate in Zezzis, the entire compliment of Montreal’s boarding party had been wiped out by less than half of their number of Sithrak. They had to have an advantage to counter the physical superiority of adversaries. Biological warfare was a term used in hushed tones, and caused all sorts nightmarish scenarios to be conjured up, but there was really no choice. They had to proceed. The project was approved.

Rita Edwards then presented the responses of the Norak government to the demand to stop their spying. The reply was almost ludicrous.

“And what are you going to do about it, Chairman Lomax? Your military is a third rate power.”

Rita Edwards told the assembled heads of the corporation what they were going to do about it, and introduced them to a brand new ship, commanded by an ex-freighter captain...

Zezzis IV
...onboard CDS West End...

Captain O’Rourke was still alive. Her ship was damaged, but ship and crew was still alive. Artemis - with her shields and regenreators - took fighter hits, but was undamaged. The colonists were still alive as well, and that was the important part.

The Sergetti fleet lay burning throughout the sector. O’Rourke’s missiles had finally penetrated the PDS ships, and one was destroyed. The missile frigate, as well as the other four PDS ships was disarmed, and trying to escape the sector. Artemis’ flak cannon had taken out 23 of the 34 fighters launched against them. The carrier and repair freighter had left the sector, only to run into Toronto who was on her way to assist West End. Toronto fought through the limited fighter screen offered up by the carrier, and destroyed the freighter. The carrier escaped, and there was one more frigate that hadn’t participated in the battle still out there. Toronto let it go, returned to guarding Zezzis VIII. The colonists for all three Dawn planets reported they had completed the new Hercules IV weapons platform.

The Dawn empire had just secured a foothold in Zezzis...

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2407.8

Mentocka system...

Mentocka VIII becomes the second Dawn colony in this new system. The ruins on Mentocka VII yielded a new technology that allows a weapon to be constructed that can siphon power from one ship onto another. A Cue Cappa frigate is six sectors from Mentocka VIII and five from the warp point into Tilikanthua and Ushphada. The frigate Leeds has moved into orbit over Mentocka VIII while Northampton, the PDS destroyer Sniper and the repair ship Melbourne guard the warp point to Tilikanthua. Mentocka VII has its first Hercules V weapons platform (two anti-proton beams and two meson blasters – all on large mounts – two flak cannons, one point defense beam, a level five shield and a level two ECM) and was building a second, to be followed by a supply depot.

Haphik system
Haphik I space yard...

The latest frigate design, the England VIII, was launched this month. The first of the new line was christened CDS Thames. It features three level four capital ship missiles, and additional ordinance storage. Again, there is no armor or shields. This is a pure offensive powerhouse.

The new ship warped into the Velocitas system and was on its way to augment the defenders in Zezzis.

Pantrissa system
...onboard CDS Beagle

Captain James Cabrerra wasn’t ready for the real thing. He had been spending the past month and a half working in simulators with the new frigate. Although he had demonstrated the capability to work in close, he needed to learn to work with the new crew and his new ship. The simulations of the engines impressed him the most. Most of his career was spent on large, slow-moving behemoths. Now, he was in a smaller vessel built for stealth and speed. He thought he knew how it would be to command this racehorse of a ship. He was in for a surprise.

The technicians on the bridge were all specialists in their own areas. Normally the case for any starship, it was especially true for Beagle. These were without a doubt the elite of the empire.

Two months ago, when Cabrerra was “assigned” to the York/Beagle, the ship limped to the edge of the Pantrissa, and Dover fired a missile, engaging a self-destruct command for the missile to blow up. The timing was perfect, since just as the missile exploded 5 km away from York/Beagle, the technicians engaged the cloak system. It worked perfectly. To the rest of the empire, York had been obliterated, along with the “radioactive menace” it represented.

CDS York was officially listed as destroyed.

At the same moment, Beagle was born.

That was two months ago. The crew was training, testing, and calibrating equipment until now. Now, Beagle was about to head into systems of other empires. She would be on her own. She had to be.

With the exception of the crew, only a handful of people even knew she existed.

“Ahead full, helm. Let’s see what we have here.”

Cabrerra’s command was instantly acknowledged. He unsuccessfully tried to keep his jaw shut while Beagle rocketed through the system on her way to Sheliak. The speed was even faster than the simulation predicted.

“Damn...” he whispered as they penetrated the Sheliak warp point. First stop, perform a scan of the Chethod ships and satellites at Sheliak III. Assuming they were successful, the next stop would be points beyond. They would try to get into Zezzis through Sheliak, but would be ready to scan and report on whatever they found.

Velocitas system
Velocitas Asteroid belt XVII...

The Harvester nudged itself into position. This time was looked forward to ever since the discovery of the “dead” system. The giant ship began its checks and engaged its robominers. Within a few days, the projections were in. This one belt was providing over 9400 radioactive resources per month.

And there were sixteen more belts to mine in this system alone...

Zezzis system...

Captain O’Rourke took West End back to Zezzis V while Captain Harrison and Southampton took her position guarding the colony on Zezzis IV. Alice Springs also headed to Zezzis V to perform repair work on O’Rourke’s frigate. Both ships also took on a full load of supplies from the planet. With 48 mines in orbit, and three planet based weapon platforms, this was about the safest place for Dawn ships in the system. O’Rourke and her crew needed the downtime. As soon as Alice Springs was alongside and repairs had begun, O’Rourke headed to her cabin. She felt like she could sleep for the entire month. She would need to.

There was another colony ship due in and she was to escort to the new colony – two sector from her battle with the Sergetti.

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2407.9

Pantrissa system...
Pantrissa V

The woman was praying again. Ed Jefferies was in the other room. He was watching a repeat of the video that ran earlier.

“...and despite the best efforts of our diplomats, the announcement was made that as of this broadcast, a state of war now exists between the Sergetti Empire and the Colonial Dawn Empire...”

Jefferies walked into the room. She was on her knees, whispering into the talisman that was glowing. She didn’t react to his entry, but kept on praying. Jefferies recognized the words, and listened to her speak of a new type of a ship, and that York hadn’t been destroyed.

Jefferies leveled the pistol at the back of her head and pulled the trigger. He then put the talisman back into his pocket and left the building. His shuttle would be leaving for Nekkar in an hour.

Nekkar III
Corporate Headquarters

Like all hostile takeovers, this one needed to be done fast. The empire was going to lose production and research capabilities, but that was balanced with the prospect of capturing intact worlds and using them for the empire’s benefit. Lomax didn’t ask for this war. He only wanted to colonize Zezzis and live peaceably with the Sergetti (didn’t he?). He had no interest in conquest (none at all...?) but he gave the go ahead to both the research and intelligence directorate to take any and all steps necessary to end this war as fast as possible.

A brand new England VII slid out of the mooring docks at Nekkar III. She was christened CDS Manchester, and began the journey to Zezzis...

Zezzis system...

With the announcement of war, the ships in Zezzis now took absolutely no chances. Toronto finished off two of the cripples from the earlier encounter with West End. A new type of satellite, the Ferret, with cloaking and long range scan capability orbited each of the three Zezzis colonies. Information started to pour in, and a plan was forming for the capture of the Zezzis system and the elimination of a Sergetti presence there.

Sheliak system
...onboard CDS Beagle...

Captain Cabrerra read the message, and announced it to the crew. The fact war had broken out had done nothing to change their mission. Beagle made for the warp point exiting Sheliak. On her way, the technicians reported on the facilities of the two planets in their path, along with the defenders and support ships in the area. The scanners were working perfectly. They were about to leave the system, when the scans detected forty ships guarding the exit point. Thirty-eight were frigates, and two were carriers. That got the attention of the Pantrissa system, since there was only one frigate and one point-defense ship now guarding the Pantrissa-Sheliak warp point. Of more immediate concern was how Cabrerra was going to navigate unseen among that many ships...

[attack_condor]

2408.0

Sheliak system
...onboard CDS Beagle...

Captain Cabrerra didn’t like what he was hearing. No matter what he tried, he would not be able to get into the warp point undetected by the Chethrod blockade of over forty ships. He had no choice but to turn back to Pantrissa and try to get into the other systems through the Zezzis battleground.

Not the best option for someone who survives by being unseen, but there just wasn’t any other way...

Zezzis system...

Zezzis XI was the homeworld of the Sergetti. Toronto and Artemis had just decimated the fighter protection for the planet, and the carrier that was being repaired was also destroyed. In order to establish the blockade on the system, the fleet had left the colonies to defend themselves, which they were now capable to do. The plan was to blockade Zezzis XI, and close the system to outside interference. Toronto and Artemis had established the blockade of the Sergetti homeworld, while Southampton and West End took up positions guarding the two warp points out of Zezzis. Montreal still held the warp point back to Velocitas, and the first of the new class of frigates, Manchester, was due to arrive in Zezzis next month. Each of the three colonies in Zezzis began to build the newly designed Eagle fighter, both for their own defense, as well as to augment the impending invasion of the Sergetti worlds...

Haphik system
Haphik I space yard...

The ship was even bigger than the Harvester class of remote mining ships. Christened Freightliner, it was still two months away from completion, but it was able to carry supplies, ordinance, and just about anything else a system might need.

Including troops that were being trained on Haphik II...

Pantrissa system
Pantrissa V space yard...

The second minelayer of the empire was under construction. Based on the report from Beagle, the decision was made that the Pantrissa-Sheliak warp point was considerably under-defended. There would be no way to get enough ships in time to counter the Chethrod force, but a minefield would certainly help, especially since Beagle had not detected a minesweeper. There was a treaty between the Chethrod and Dawn, but treaties were no guarantee of another’s actions. Pantrissa III and Pantrissa VII were in-between the space yard and the warp point, so they began to build mines.

A lot of mines...

[attack_condor]

Hello Everyone

I'm still here, and will have another post up probably tomorrow. There is a lot going on in the empire, and it's taking a bit of time to get the narration to mesh with the gameplay, along with the more mundane aspects like real life, etc.

Thanks to all whove been following the Dawn - more is on the way!

Phil

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2408.1

Nekkar III
Corporate Headquarters...

The research of the empire was running at full capacity. Next month the empire would be able to colonize ice planets, making any known planet type available for acquisition. The scientists were also close to unlocking the “power leech” that was discovered in Mentocka. While not sure of how it could be applied, the potential was interesting.

Of less “interest” and more immediacy was the war with the Sergetti. The interior department announced that mineral stocks were below fifty percent, and current operational usage would deplete them in three months.

The defense department made its recommendation.

“Ladies and gentlemen, given this information, we recommend that our forces in the front line systems change over to a defensive posture. Upon consultation with my staff and the interior department, we propose the following: First, that the systems of Pantrissa, Mentocka, and Zezzis are designated as 'front-line' systems. Priority will be given to, as I said, defensive operations. Planets in those systems should concentrate on building weapon platforms and develop as the situation allows. Second, the remaining systems in the empire should be directed to improve resource gathering and infrastructure improvements. Third, we continue to deploy our latest unit type, the Eagle. If you will direct your attention to the monitors…”

The video began to play showing the first generation of fighter for the Empire (the video made it a point that the earlier development of the "Spider" fighter program was an illegal operation that was contrary to corporate goals at that time). The Eagle has an anti-proton beam, a combat sensor package, ECM and a smaller version of a level 5 shield. Their simulation trials showed a combat speed of an astonishing 22km/sec and that, the narrator explained, was enough to run down any target they chose. While individually not very powerful, their strength would come from massed attacks where their speed, ECM and shields should guarantee a better than average survival percentage for the individual pilot. The narrator then thanked the viewer for their attention.

“To continue, we have deployed a few of these fighters in Zezzis, and are developing them in Ushphada as a stopgap against any incursion from the Mentocka system.

We also completed the deployment of the first cloaked satellites, with the ability to scan ships and planets up to five sectors away. We plan to also deploy these to allow the monitoring of ship traffic around the warp points of the front line systems.

Finally, we will augment the defense of the front line warp points with minefields. The minelayer Aztec has already laid a minefield at the Zezzis-Velocitas warp point, and the new frigate Manchester will arrive to relieve Montreal from guarding the warp point. Montreal will then proceed to the far side of the Zezzis star to assist in defending the colonies close to the Sergetti homeworld.”

Defense concluded with a screen showing new dispositions in Zezzis. West End and Southampton pulled back from the two unknown warp points and defended established colonies in the system. Toronto and Artemis left the Sergetti homeworld and returned to guarding Dawn colonies as well. It was hoped this show of benevolence would help push the Sergetti to the negotiation table. Also in the system was the new frigate Thames.

The meeting was about to be adjourned when an announcement was delivered to the heads of the corporation. A message from the Phong was received. They had sympathized with the Sergetti and had joined the war against Dawn. The Abbidon had also sent a message demanding Dawn to leave the Mentocka system.

Dawn was about to realize the bad side to being king of the hill.

Zezzis V
...onboard CDS West End...

Captain O’Rourke was becoming a legend. Word of her defense at Zezzis IV against a Sergetti carrier and five frigates had reached the colonies, and their congratulations and well-wishes were starting to filter back to her at the front. She had even received messages from classes of school children throughout the empire. To be fair, the entire fleet was receiving such messages, but a genuine fair-haired heroine was too good of an opportunity for the advertising department to pass up. Her parents, still alive, were interviewed and treated like royalty. Relatives of colonists on Zezzis IV were thankful to the point of embarrassment for the safe defense of their own loved ones.

Neither was Artemis left out on the accolades. But while the military analysts made the point that Artemis was the shield that allowed West End to attack and cripple the Sergetti, the public couldn’t get enough of O’Rourke. Her picture was now the standard showing the right with which the Dawn empire proceeded into Zezzis. Spirits were high, and even more so now that more and better empire ships were now in the front lines.

O’Rourke was a bit surprised at the attention, and wasn’t sure if the attention brought to her family was a bit much. She was grateful that the military was intercepting most of the greetings and ridiculous offers of marriage, endorsements, and other communications from reaching the ship. The well-wishes were deemed to be morale boosters, and they, especially from the children - were sent to the ship.

She was also worried now that the Phong were in the war. There was a Phong planet within two sectors of Zezzis V, and that would surely be attacked. More life forms would die.

She thought back to the day in Ushphada when she was the operations officer on Southampton, and Captain Harrison destroyed that first Cue Cappa ship. About how she yearned for the chance to “prove herself” in combat.

About how naïve she was.

She didn’t regret, but she did wish she could have found another way to learn that in combat, nobody really wins. You simply survive. And the more you survive, the more you become a hero to those who have no idea of what combat is really like.

You also become a target...

...onboard CDS Aztec

The mines were loaded, and the ship left Zezzis V for the Lezzari warp point. Scouted by West End, there were Phong colonies there. The warp point was exactly seven sectors away – and Aztec could make the entire round trip in one month. When they reached the warp point, Aztec was wary, but managed to deploy 23 mines at the point. Next month, is all went according to plan, she’d deploy 23 more.

Ushphada system

The discovery of the Cue Cappa frigate in Ushphada raised the alarm. Fighters had been sent to intercept the ship.

“Eagle lead to all Eagles – there it is. 195,000km from the border. Looks like its turning back toward us…”

So began the first official interception of a Cue Cappa frigate by Dawn fighters. Three of the Eagles were severely damaged, but the frigate was a lifeless hulk. It’s destruction was averted when the fighter control from Ushphada I called the fighters back for repair. Despite the protests of the eager pilots, Dawn had plans for the Cue Cappa ship...