The Rebel Faction

The commander of the Nebulon B that had just been hit looked out the viewport. He couldn't see any ships, But he knew they were there.

The Nebulon continued heading away from the planet as its anti-starfighter lasers attacked the enemy fighters htting some of them. The anti-ca[ital ship gund fired in the direction the missiles had come from.

The other Nebulon B was also heading away from the planet. It had not been fired upon. It was cruising for deep space.

(OOC: Posting as Dakkon, so i'm lazy.)

Commenor Space, scene of the Tholatin Blockade of LFX Industrial.

As the LFX Stealth craft began flanking the Tholatin blockading force, engineers aboard each Tholatin Interdictor ran to their machines as their crafts gravity wells strained slightly at the effort of hauling something out of Hyperspace. The Engineers worked quickly, modifying their pull to power ratios to assist in ripping the craft out and within moments were successful.

Bridge of the Song of War.

"Forced reversion in 3...

2...

1...

Mark."

The ships head engineer spoke simply, knowing full well that no damage would occur to this ships engine couplings. The white wall of light slowly reverted to starstreaks before the craft fully reverted. Spacial compensators immediately kicked in, preventing the crew suffering a major jolt from such a rude stop.

The engineer nodded towards the command chair, where one of Hapes most experianced commanders sat. Captain Astarta sat quietly in the large chair, her mood pensive. She had been involved in hundreds of similar blockades and situations, sometimes hostile and sometimes not, but none had been conducted in such a hap hazard manner.

The captain had served in almost all capacities there was on offer in the Hapes Navy, including being bodyguard to the Chume'da Isolder. Despite her age, she remained a woman of rare beauty, with long, dark red hair and eyes as blue as the skies of her home planet Terephon. She rose from the chair, her movements fluid and catlike, and approached the small durasteel podium from which she could conduct all manner of combat. The holographic display revealed the planet itself and two TTR floatillas. They were of little consequince militarily and Astarta doubted that LFX would have had any trouble in destroying them if they came to that conclusion.

The fact that they had withheld and peacefully negotiated was a credit to the LFX leadership. And yet their appeared no combat craft of LFX origins within Commenors orbit.

Strange...

Shrugging mentally, Astarta pressed a red button on the podium. Instantly red covered the corridors of the battleship as the ship was sent into combat mode. Sirens sounded, sending their men and women to battlestations, pilots scrambling to reach their fighters. Pressing another button, the captain activated her shipwide intercom.

"Crew, we are here on a mission of peace. Do not fire unless fired upon, but in that event each wing commander has the authorisation to launch a full strike in retaliation."

Astarta had not been given authorisation by the Chume'da for such an action, but the fact that the ship alone could destroy every ship in the sector should have discouraged any effort by either party to strike.

Deactivating the intercom she turned towards her hangar techs who were eagerly reporting the launch of all fighters.

"Ready our reserve squadrons for launch, and order a simple 5 kilometre CAP around the ship. No ship is to stray from those directives unless engaged. Raise sheilds."

Receiving acknowledgements from the women, Astarta turned her attention to the bridges comm suite.

"Lieutenant, Open a channel to both parties. This is being settled now. The Royal Hapes trading consortium has lost too much revenue from this attack, and we must protect our trade routes."

She needed not to have added her personal anguish to the issue, but Astarta was an old woman now, and her prejudices could not be avoided. As she awaited confirmation from her commtechs, she casually plucked a fruit from a bowl that was held by a servant, the fruits original a tree of Knowledge from Selab. She quickly finished as she received comfirmation that she was now broadcasting on every frequincy in the sector.

"Members of the Tholatin Blockading Floatilla, LFX Industrial Personel and civillians. The manner in which this blockade has been conducted, and the reasons behind that action appear dark and malevolent, but our close contact with Tholatin over the years forces us to disbeleive the speculation that has been generated by this event.

The Hapes Consortium is hereby breaking this blockade. Enough blood has been shed in this endeavour, and only more can come from it. Gunboat diplomacy in this day and age is a deplorable and barbaric practice. Realising that neither power will back down of its own volition, Hapes and IDTech are coming together to end this threat to life and galactic commerce. This coalition is formed from two enemies, Hapes and IDTech have been in a state of war before, so perhaps that alone can appeal to both parties.

We call for Tholatin to withdraw from sovreign LFX Industrial space. You leave with no loss of honour, but instead with the friendship of the Hapan people. I implore you to leave now, and prevent further bloodshed."

(OOC: Fleet Manifest

Matriarch Class Battlecruiser- Song of War
8 Squadrons of Storm Fighters
2 Squadrons of Modified Miy'Til Fighter Bombers
5 Squadrons of Standard Miy'Til Fighters
12 Hetrinar Fighter Bombers

Kamon, i also need to speak to you on AIM, so try and catch me.)

OOC:I'll be on tonight about seven.

General Skai saw the Hapan and IDTech ships revert. He heard Astarta speak. He also heard the IDTech person speak. Skai sent a reply.

"This is General Skai of the Tholatin Republic. First off I should say hello Astarta. I believe we have met before. The only ships in LFX space are the fighters and my two Nebulon's which are retrieving those fighters. We never came here to engage in warfare with LFX. My fighters only went in for a scan. Note that my ships were attacked without provoking an assault.

"We will withdraw once someone trust worthy confirms to us that no terrorist attacks will originate from here. If you could confirm that for us by not having LFX tell you it would be appreciated.

"To whoever was stupid enough to speak for IDTech I say this. We will not pay for your ships or the loss of those lives. It may have been partially our fault, but it also your fault for not detecting the problems with the craft. Besides, TTR will not pay anything for a group that was pirated from TTR."


Meanwhile, the Nebulons had stopped firing and were retreating beyond the ship that had just jumped in. Once they were far enough away from it, they made the jump to hyperspace. They were ordered to head back to Tholatin as TTR would be withdrawing from the area.

The Nebulon's had already left, and the Interdictors had shut down their gravoty wells. That meant the ships in the area were free to leave.

Without a word, the Tholatin ships turned away from Commenor and jumped to hyperspace. Not being in combat with any vessels meaning they didn't have to run first. They just turned and jumped. All of them. Nothing was left behind.