Patton's Adventures
Assault on Altair - Part Two
Never before had we been so humiliated. Never
before had we lost. Never again would we make the same mistake.
The effects on the military hierarchy over the lost of our
expeditionary force were both immediate and severe. The Emperor
demanded that those responsible for this debacle were held
accountable for their actions. Their inactions. Many more
would die before the dust settled.
Immediately, we set upon the horrible task of war. New ships
were constructed, new crews trained to replace those lost.
A full 30 cycles were spend preparing for our second assault.
New and more efficient engines were designed for the task.
New and more durable ships designed. The first of our first
long range "Warlock" Class Battle Cruisers were
assembled. Armed with the very latest in weaponry, the new
plasma cannon, these ships packed greater offensive fire power
than one of our old missile cruisers, with unlimited ammunition.
We were not content with this however, as our scientists decided
that bigger ships were needed. Our first "Thor"
Class LR Battleships were rolling of the assembly lines as
well. We assembled the largest armada in living history. 3
IF task forces of the venerable "Man-o-War" class
missile cruisers, 2 Carrier groups including our newest "Apollo"
Class Battle Cruiser Fleet Carriers and finally the mighty
7th Assault Armada. It consisted of 2 "Thor" class
BB's and 4 "Warlock" class BC's and 5 "StarKnight"
Class cruisers. All our new LR warships were equipped with
spinal mounted plasma cannons. All the Task Forces were escorted
by no less than 4 of our "Phalanx" class PD Destroyers
and 2 AWAC's Corvettes. Additionally 2 Recon TF's accompanied
the vast fleet, over 120 ships total to the target.
Our revenge would be swift and terrible.
We arrived in Altair and immediately began searching for
our prey. Eager to exact revenge for our fallen, our commanders
mixed a health dose of caution, not wanting to repeat the
mistakes made by their fallen comrades. Fighters launched
to scout ahead and the recon TF's surged ahead of the fleet.
We began searching with our latest detection software. Our
Mark III ECM units engaged automatically along with our new
Mk. III ECCM software. The guardian would fall. We would end
it, here.
Soon, we detected the hated enemy, out of firing range for
both of us. A massive salvo of missiles were launched as our
fighters swooped down upon the mechanical monster. The mighty
7th set an intercept course and lumbered ahead. The missiles
detonated with the brilliance of ten thousand suns against
the Guardian's shields, blotting out the entire system on
our ship's sensors, overloading them with the massive burst
of radiation. Time dragged into what felt like an eternity
as missile after missile found its target unleashed its fury
on the target. When the holocaust subsided, sensor techs eagerly
peered at their screen, searching for any sign of the intruder.
A near palpable wave of fear and near panic washed over every
ship when the guardian emerged, seemingly unscathed. Some
of our more inexperienced captains wanted to turn and run
right there. To their credit, they did not. Instead they resigned
themselves to their fate and did their duty. Our fighters
broke through the PD screen and began their own assault, convinced
their efforts were naught but a suicide mission. Remembering
the last assault, none expected to survive. This time, however,
things were different. The Guardian unleashed its own interceptors
and fighters, but they were quickly overcome by our superior
numbers. The pilots began to believe that they might just
survive and redoubled their efforts against the Guardian's
shields, visibly weakening them. A cheer went up throughout
the fleet when the shields collapsed.
The guardian was far from dead, though. And its own fire
exploded across space. Several Man-o-War cruisers went down
in service to the Imperium. A second volley of missiles was
ready just as the 7th came into firing range. Plasma rained
down upon that which had dared to deny us. Explosions rocked
the mighty warship, and armor was vaporized. Into this inferno
the second volley surged, the damage was astronomical. With
only minimal shields left the guardian shook under the terrible
assault.
By now it had closed to point blank range, and our own PD
turrets added their fury to the storm. Beams lanced out and
hit the Guardian which began to buckle under the assault.
It vainly tried to escape, but caught between the 7th which
was almost in range again after swinging around from its initial
assault, and the PD of the fleet, its fate was sealed.
All of our rage and indignation at the previous defeat was
poured into our offensive fire. It was as beautiful as it
was terrifying.
The once mighty guardian of Altair was little more than a
battered hulk. Still, our lust for blood was not sated, a
3rd volley of missiles was fired at the now helpless creature
before us, and it exploded in a ball of expanding gas and
a shower of buckled armor and hull plating. We had won.
We had reclaimed our rightful place among the stars, surely
even the gods themselves would now recognize our greatness,
our destiny.
We would not be denied.
We could not be stopped,
for we, were the Evon.
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