The Rebel Faction

Captain Ion had barely just arrived when he heard the declaration ring out on all channels. A flood of emotion ran down his spine, fear, surprise, but most of all anger. How dare they?

Aboard the Unmitigated, a Coalition Claymore Class Battlecruiser and his battlegroup's flagship, he sprinted up the last few steps to his bridge and entered the command center with a bound. Eisle, his reliable fighter captain, was already there, along with Dolora - in fact, she still bore the diplomatic garb she had donned for their trip to Tirahnn.

"What the hell is going on?" Ion spat, leaping into his command chair and settling quickly over his controls. "I want a full scan immeadietly and all forces on red-alert - all the emergency protocols go in effect immeadietly, including emergency communications, I want Command to know what the Empire is up to."

"Sir" croaked his lieutenant "It appears three Star Destroyers of a larger-then-Imperator design have appeared, alongside a half dozen heavy cruisers. They're closing fast, making no attempts at subtlety."

"Make sure we've sent everything we've got to Command." said Ion "I don't know if they've got enough sensor equipment on that thing to jam all our communications, but we'll know in a few minutes."

"What's your orders?" said Eisle, her usually light attitude replaced with a serious one.

"Our shields are still down, so launch all Kris fighters immeadietly. Once you're out, we'll raise shields and set up in a defensive perimeter between the Imperials and Tynna." For a second, Ion paused "Wait... Tynna! Isn't there anyone else in command of this defense?"

A sensor operator turned in his chair, saying "No sir, we're getting command uplinks from every Coalition ship in-system. You're in charge. We even have the president on-line now, sir he's waiting for your orders."

It finally hit Ion, a belated shock. They were under attack, and he was in charge. He would have to defend his homeworld.

"Tell him to buckle down all cities, call out the army, the militia, the police, anything he's got and have them ready to resist. Prepare for a possible orbital bombardment and landing craft - if we have any defences, it'll be time to set them up. Evacuate orbit of any and all civilian craft! Space stations are to be locked-down and abandoned! I want the skies clear except for us and them!"

It was time to calm down and take a look at what he had. Checking the readouts, it was clear both forces seemed equally matched - the Coalition had a half-dozen Claymore Battlecruisers, not to mention a dozen Longswords and many Enforcer Gunships. A veritable fleet of Kris fighters were at his command. The enemy fleet appeared to be mostly heavy ships, sporting a lot of guns, and their strategy seemed a simple one - charging.

Ion didn't hesitate, instead relying on the training and the simulations he had experienced before. Battles needed a subtle hand, a careful touch, now was not the time to let his passion take control. "Form up our forces around the Unmitigated, we'll be the central battlegroup. The battlegroup to our right will be our right wing, and the one on our left will be the left wing. They're going for a straight thrust, but they're using Star Destroyers so they're comparatively vulnerable to the rear. I, however, want to meet them head on!"

The Kris fighters had launched, forming a beautiful swarm like flights of sleek birds around each ship in the Coalition fleet. Ion considered, and said "All shields to full, arm all weapons and load the Mass Particle Projectors! Center battlegroup, advance at one-hundred percent speed and prepare for an opening salvo! Our right and left wings will keep to each side, at eighty-five percent speed, prepare to fire. All shields set to deflect the front, all fighters set to screen our approach, all forces advance!"

"Sir, they're trying to send off mission data." said the comm officer to Ion.

"We've got the entire planetary comm system at our fingertips, we're in jamming range, so jam them back! Looks like we fight in silence."

As the enemy heavy guns fired, Ion was releived to find his first strategic decision paying off. The flanking wings of the Coalition fleet suddenly increased speed by another fifteen percent to maximum speed, completely throwing off the enemy's opening volley of heavy weaponry and allowing it to pass freely behind them. The two forces finally came into full firing range, the incredibly fast Coalition fleet closing the space quicker then ever previously documented in naval combat - a tribute to their Second Wave designed engines.

Follow my lead Ion nearly whispered aload, and with that, took direct command of the close-up fleet battle. "Roll the ship! Bank our formation to pass between the Defenders and run along the enemy's Heavy Gun flagship!"

The whole thing became rhythem from then on - words were no longer suitable, everything took on the hue and texture of emotion and the raw spirit of battle. Ion was no longer an individual or a commander but a part of a whole, a living being lashing out with slender claws against a hulking beast.

In the fore were the fighters, sleek Kris profiles shimmered against the blackness of space, only to turn as one and once again be lost to the inky depths. Furious Particle Projector fire range out from their guns, peppering and perplexing enemy figher cover. With Dolora and Eisle acting as the striking tip of fierce lances, the enemy fighter screen was thrown into disarray, unused to fighting such nimble adversaries and frustrated by the protective Pulse shielding that seemed to activate at the worst moments for them.

Passing through that battleground, the central Coalition battlegroup, following the Unmitigated, ploughed through the defenders by firing off half of their Particle Projector cannons - the shots scattered enemy formations, least the balls of mass crush and flatten entire decks, as one shot did to an overly zealous Defender that refused to maneauver out of the way. The shot crashed through the shields with an effect that looked like glass shattering, and embedded itself in the center of the enemy ship before tearing itself apart in a ball of shrapnel.

The other half had a different target. The six ships of the central battlegroup - two Claymores and four Longswords bore down on the decks of guns commanded by the terrifying Astrus, which stood against them, unmoving by comparison, a wall of iron surmounted by cannons of steel. The second volley of Coalition Projector cannons went off, one or two crashing and disappating into shields, the other shots ringing and exploding into shards on the armor, leaving dents and slash marks all along where they struck. Hardly the crippling barrage he'd hoped for, but the effect was still impressive.

Then, for a split second, there was a calm - almost unnoticeable, and instantly swept away, but it was there. Before it could last, however, the warships immeadietly began bombarding each other with hails of turbolaser fire, decks of guns filling space with lights and turning the space between the Astrus and Center Battlegroup into a lethal shooting gallery. Though the enemy had grim resolve and mighty stacks of guns, they were still outnumbered by Coalition guns and confounded by their speed and maneauverability - not that the Coalition guns could do much more then scratch the thick armored carpace of the new Star Destroyer.

All around, on the left and right flanks of the battle, things progressed similarily. The two wings of the battlegroup, picking up speed, tore through the enemy screens which simply lacked the stopping power to discourage their foes. This first charge would be their best chance, their most even strike, while their enemy was still unused to their new foes, to spread confusion and take control of the battle. Each wing cut 'off' the Reign star destroyer flanking each side of the Empire's overly broad formation by passing between it and the rest of the formation, leaving it isolated and easily surrounded. The enemy formation found it difficult to turn to face this new enemy, hampered by isolation and a lack of communications.

A fierce charge, all told, as the Coalition battlegroups and their fighter escorts turned sharply around and down, maneauvering below the enemy formation to regroup and force the enemy to either forfeit the might of their upper guns or once again weaken the integrity of their formation by changing directions without communications. It had been fueled by the subtle hiding of their full speed potential, by the enemy's lack of familiarity with new Coalition designs, and the neverending argument between the immovable object versus the unstoppable force. Neither side was badly wounded, except perhaps for Imperial pride forced to admit the enemy was faster on the uptake then expected, although Ion doubted they would admit that aloud. He would need a new trick up his sleeve, however, if he wanted to win the next charge.

"Prepare the boarding torpedoes..."

"Sir, the enemy ships have turned to face us..."

Those words were the only ones Ion heard in the conventional sense, before plunging back into the heart of his command, shouting half an order and relying on his crew to keep on track while he directed something else. It had worked, however. The Imperial formation hadn't realized it, but they had shifted poorly.

The V-formation's key advantage is as an intergrated formation, one which shunts enemy forces along it and off to the side, allowing the whole formation to cut through enemy lines. The enemy had indeed rolled themselves over, to face the enemy below, but in doing so they now presented themselves at an odd angle, running perpindicular to the enemy and allowing the Coalition forces to do what ammounted to charging headfirst into the heart, not the front, of each target cruiser.

It was obvious, however, that this was a place for the heaviest of ships, not Longsword or enforcers. As those peeled off in battlegroup formations of four to harrass and chase enemy cruisers, the Claymores dived towards enemy Star Destroyers.

Ion was crushing the rail-bar under his fist, and shouted "Fire at will, fire everything we've got, then for god's sake, fire the boarding torpedoes!"

It was perhaps their best chance - dive-bombing right into the heart of the Star Destroyers, too close for enemy guns to react in time, the angle too far up for the enemy to reach anyways. The front of every Claymore each began spitting the metal slugs, which propelled themselves fast and hard into the enemy armour - past shield ruptured by Particle Projector shots, armour weakened by Particle Projector rebounds, and enemy guns unprepared to shoot down such strange and unfamiliar enemy weapons.

Ion was sweating bullets, so much it soaked through his uniform. "Pull up, damn it! Engage the Pulse shielding for it's maximum battery life and pull up!"

It had been quite a gamble, but following their leader's example, the Claymores scattered, pulling up and away from collisions with Star Destroyers and engaging their limited but protective pulse shielding to make good their escape. Their formation was broken, and would have to regroup, but the damage was done - and it would be worth it.

In space, other battles still raged. Enemy assault shuttles, gunboats, and more clashed with Enforcers. Fighters duelled Kris squadrons. Longsword battlegroups fought in quick, spitting contests with Defenders. These battles lacked coordination, battle-lines, group tactics, or anything exhibited in the titanic clash of the capitol vessels, it was just dirty, close quarters fighting.

Eisle hauled hard on the stick to bring the Kris fighter into a ninety degree turn, pelting down on an assault shuttle from above. A steady spray of Projector fire tore a hole through it's aft, and she pulled up as smoking debris blasted out in it's wake.

"Alpha squadron, Beta squadron, regroup around me, we're going to drive back the enemy gunships and give our own Enforcers a clear path to those damn Star Destroyers - we need to knock out some guns." At least short-beam communications still worked.

Dolora pulled up next to her. "Eisle, give me Beta squadron, we'll go a different way."

"Take them." she said, focussing on avoiding an enemy Tie offensive. "Okay then, Alpha squadron, with me! Let's win this thing!"

Out of the chaotic mess that was the space battle playing out around the destroyers and battlecruisers, the coalition forces rallied somewhat. Enforcers and Kris began a cutting maneauver, making their way out of it all under the stellar flying of the Knight and Captain. Center Battlegroup, which was busy trading shots with a squadron of enemy Defenders, marked the edge of the 'big fight', and passing under their guarded eyes, the ragtag group of Coalition fighters and escorts moved out.

As the battle with the cruisers progressed, odd things began happening across the hulls of the two Reigns as well as the Astrus, those ships dive-bombed in daring Coalition attack-runs. The Star Destroyers, preoccupied in trying to find a concentration of Coalition battlecruisers to hunt, suddenly found a whole new problem brewing from within.

A boarding torpedo is a large, armored tube bearing it's own shields, thrusters, and special drilling mechanism. It's practically a vessel in it's own right. As they bore through the armor, they did not explode, or anything of that nature, they opened up.

Imperial crewmen on the Astrus scattered as a metal drillbit punctured the walls. What was worse was when it opened up, revealing vac-suited shock troopers in full space gear, brandishing rifles and melee weapons like some sort of pirate raiding party.

Leaping aboard, Major Maxly of Azguard roared in the fury of his native tongue, and lead the first of several squads of twenty men in a brutal pursuit of Imperial crew.

Meeting of the Imperial General Staff - Coruscant


" We received word of the assault's commencement thirty minutes ago. Since then we have monitored continual alerts throughout the Coalition. Tynna's transmissions have since been jammed and since they do not have HoloNet capabilities, we need not worry about direct reinforcements being called in."


Another Staff officer stood, and added his own snibbet from a larger report. " The Grand Admiral has four Mark IV Destroyers in reserve, they have none. Right now, they are using some rather speedy ships so it is up in the air right now. The Imperial Fleet is on alert and all planetary defense forces are now running with shields up and weapons-hot. The simple fact of tha matter - any world near Coalition military elements can trounce them easily. We have enough un-attached forces to counter attack and decimate their defenses. We have made no attempt at masking fleet movements and so President Regard knows exactly what we can do. No matter what he can throw at us we can return five times over."


The Chief of the General Staff, thin and gaunt, looked over several files arrayed before him. " Grand Admiral Desaria is a member of the Twelve - he will eradicate the enemy at Tynna. He is not above withdrawal, and he knows that is not defeat. If the Coalition has new ships, then we will send respond accordingly. We have what in the area?"


" The Twentieth Fleet responsible for guarding the Corelllian Run. Mostly frigates and cruisers, very few battleships. Four squadrons of the line are based at Gyndine, giving them considerable hitting power if neccessary."


Field Marshal Aeris nodded. " Excellent. So we wait and see just how foolish the Coalition is. Today they can lose one world or have an entire sector lain waste to."


* * *


Boarding torpedoes registered hits on all Imperial battleships. The cruisers were spared as they were not targetted. The assault notwithstanding, the ships continued to fight the enemy as they had before. The boarding parties were quickly contained by the Imperial Naval Anti-Intrusion System present on all warships regardless of class and type. Compliments of troops numbering in the hundreds responded to each breech and engaged ina vicious battle with their invaders. Fleet Assault Corps troops bore the brunt of the fighting as they were the most common aboard ships of the line - and were specially trained in how to repel boarders.


Some guns were lost on the port side of each vessel, abandoned as their crews sought shelter, each one deciding that discretion was the better part of valor. For the most part unarmed, they retired with considerable haste and let their infantry comrades enjoy.


Where possible, breeches in the hull were effected by throw satchel charges that reduced oxygen and began to slowly suck all that was not bolted down out of very small holes. Some Imperials fell prey to this but such was the cost of battle.


* * *


Bridge, ArSD Relentless


Our tactics are not working. We are thinning out their ranks but not enough. The reports of a boarding party spread alarm through the ship but that alarm was quashed by a firm command on the flag-bridge. Captain Canaris, able master of the vessel, would deal with the problem - Desaria had to orchestrate victory of the entire fleet and such actions were below his worth at the moment.


" Re-orient the fleet forty-five degree to starboard and bring the cruisers in tight to us. Redeploy in line-ahead."


" As ordered, Grand Admiral."


Maneuvering in combat was difficult enough but to change the complete deployment of a task force was oft unheard of. Grand Admirals had a nasty habit of commanding hitherto unpractised orders regardless of whether or not recipients of said orders could effectively comply. So it was with the task force at Tynna. One cruiser could not maneuver effectively enough and collided with a larger Coalition cruiser, bringing their numbers to four and their smaller ships to eight. So far, the Empire had seen two of its cruisers lain low and was intent on keeping that number stable.


The Relentless moved to the van of the formation, all the while firing with every weapon at any enemy ship brazen enough to close with it. A heavy cruiser followed, then a Reign, another cruiser, the boarded Reign Perseus, then the remaining two cruisers. Though the ships fell in with the same axis of advance, their orientations were far from uniform giving the enemy no clean path of attack from the broadside weapons that had made the Empire so effective. TIEs swarmed around joined by the assault craft returning order to the Imperial defense. Stricken, the first-disabled Cuirassier-class Heavy Cruiser was alone, a sad fate but an unavoidable one.


" Command Ops - when that ship makes its run, give them a shot with Alpha turret. Find me another turret for Bravo and fire at will, but stagger Bravo's shots. Do NOT concentrate them - fire with gaps to allow for recharge time."


Desaria orders were law and quickly carried out. A large enemy ship of Destroyer-size moved in close to strafe supported by several escorts and was set upon by three STL-4 shots. One collapsed the shielding amidship, the remaining two peeling off armor plating and bringing fire and death into the bowels of the vessel. Plasma conduits overloaded and power relays were severed. A third Coalition battleship was disabled.


" Combine the Relentless' fighter wing with Perseus. Commence Marg Sabl. Let us erect out net. And Communications - call in the reserve/ Have them move at flank speed and fire as soon as they are within range."


The Grand Admiral paused for a moment, and had a most devious stroke of genius. " All ships - increase to flank. Bring us within range of that world. We will begin slagging every city and development until they withdraw."


- - -

Four Imperial IV-class Star Destroyers arrayed beyond the jumpoint engaged their subligth engines, hyperdrives precluded due the mass of worlds in the system and the active status of both RSDs' Immobilizer gones. The scales of the battle would be soon be tipped in the Emperor's favor.

Flag Bridge - Relentless


They have erred - and now we shall exploit their arrogance. Speed can be as much a detriment as asset. So many dead TIE pilots can so attest.


The Coalition formed a jumbled mass of ships, an array that would in no Navy be called a formation. With the speeds they were attempting any semblence of order was impossible. However, where they failed to acheive any sort of order they did grant a welcome target to Imperial battery commanders who silently cheered their tight concentration. With a spring in their steps, teams of crewmen served their guns. Destroyers and Heavy Cruisers volleyed and thundered into the nose of the advancing Coalition ships. It was withering enfilade - they were facing the most fiersome position of the Empire's ships of the line. It was then that their designs proved any worth as battery after battery contributed its share to a wave of energy that literally pulsed forth from the Imperial line.


Along either flank of the Coalition advance, they absorbed yet more fire from Defenders arrayed in a text-book Marg Sabl, each fighter firing as the enemy sped by. Their fire was not meant to deafen or damage, but to harass and weaken. Concussion missiles and sprays of laser fire drenched the attacking vessels, washing shrinking shield spheres in brilliance born of carnage.


The Coalition vessels fell upon the two end cruisers with a great vigor any Admiral could appreciate but in one charge they had taken a sustained cannonade that could be nothing but telling on their numbers.


" Time until my Destroyers arrive?"


" Three minutes, Admiral."


Grand Admiral Desaria grumbled something and turned aft to the fluid holographic display above the directly-aft plot table. His reserves were coming in at their top speed but the time they were taking was a result of his own orders - both Reigns had running Immobilizer globes that prevented either of the approaching Imperial III-class Destroyers from making the short hyperspace jounrey that would end the action decisively.


" Admiral," called the navigation officer. " We are within maximum effective range of Tynna."


" Excellent. Broadcast the following message to the enemy ships. 'You will withdraw immediately or my bombardment will intensify.'" Desaria stood and walked aft a few paces. " All bow weapons: cease fire. Target the largest city on the main continent and commence firing."


The Imperial task force continued to pursue its active destruction of the Coalition fleet. However, it was having a marked effect of those sent to eradicate it. As such, the Grand Admiral turned to the age old tactic of holding a hostage. When he closed his eyes, a rather brutal stream of turbolaser energy pulsed down into a nest of dwellings on the planet below.


Victims of the Coalition. The Ministry of Propoganda will have a field day!