Vaseli watched on as the heavy turbolaser batteries that dotted the starboard side of his magnificent vessel slowly rotated into position. Within seconds of comming to a rest, these same emplacements let loose a barrage of heavy fire towards an enemy still unseen visually. Other batteries of the same caliber responded in the same matter from other ships in formation, lancing out at targets they were never built to fight again.
While these weapons were never used against fighters and bombers up close, Vaseli saw no reason why they couldn't be employed at fighters still far away. The weapons fire would distract and unnerve the pilots of those fighters, making them constantly wiery of incoming death.
The heavy turbolaser fire did not do much damage, destroying only a few fighter craft, they had the intended effect. As Line Captain Zokolev turned towards his holo display he was pleased to note that the once spread out formation of fighters and bombers and quickly becoming tighter and tighter. The heavy turbolaser fire had been targeted at the edges of the formation and in attempt to avoid this the enemy group had slowly drifted closer and closer together, creating a tight pack.
So it happened, that when the fighters and bombers reached the Imperial formations turbolaser and ion cannon ranges, they were too tightly together for many evasive maneuvers. As the hundreds of turbolaser and ion cannons let loose, they targeted all along the very center of this formation. Not all hit their marks, of course, but there were so many craft in such a small space that inevitably some did parish. Others were hit with ion cannon bolts and stopped in their tracks, floating in this direction or that.
They had kept on coming, however, and Vaseli had to give them credit for that. No sooner had they passed through this hail of fire, though, they were greeted with exploding warheads that had been launched. This spread of heavy ordinance had been triggered by command and detonated as the fighters and bomber passed through them. Large holes opened up in the Krantian formation and to escape the slaughter the pilots spread out further and further, in turn making coordinated attacks almost impossible.
As they closed into attack range, what remained for the fighters and bombers, were meet by heavy laser fire from the gunships and frigates stationed throughout Vaseli's formation. One after the other the enemy craft vanished from the sensor screens. Most ships simply targeted this vessel or that and launched their ordinance, there was no cohesion and these attacks were fruitness. The incoming missiles and torpedoes were either destroyed with anti missile batteries, or impacted shields which were at full strength.
Only group out of the whole formation had held fast even after loosing over one third of this strength. This group of fighers and b-wing bombers attacked a Druid Class frigate on the starboard edge of the Imperial formation. Vaseli watched at the Krantian ships merged with the Druid Class in long seconds, before finally coming out the other side.
"Sir! The Gallant is reporting starboard shield failure and some hull damage from the attack. They are sealing off damaged areas as we speak."
Vaseli nodded, he knew his crews were well trained. When he accessed the sensor data, he found a whole different story, however. The Gallant had in fact taken more damage than its captain wanted to admit. Data showed a large portion of the starboard bow missing completely. That attacking craft had gotten lucky and some of their ordinance had detonated one of the starboard warhead storage areas, causing a massive explosion. It was only by the hand of luck that the resulting blast did not set off the other nearby storage sites.
As he once again focused on the battle, he could see his orders were getting carried out. Once the fighters and bombers had emerged from the starboard side they were hammered with laser fire from the ships on the port. With their backs to the Imperial formation, many pilots died without even seeing their attacker.
"Launch the fighters." Vaseli order softly and calmly as he looked out from the viewport.
TIE fighters from all ships dropped from their racks and took off into the fight. They now had easy targets and greatly out numbered the enemy. It would be a massacre for the Krant defense forces.
He had no time to think about these things, however, time was coming once again to impliment his plan and ordered his vessels to once again increase speed. They would go head long into the Krant defense formation.
What seemed like hours was actually minutes, as the too fleets closed on one another. The Glory's shields shimmer as heavy turbolasers from the Republic Star Destroyer found their mark. They were threatening, but there were too few of them to pierce the heavy shielding of the Astrus Class. These forward shields had been reinforced and would hold out for now.
As the two fleet closed, Vaseli wondered about the other command officer. Who he was. What he was thinking at the moment. Could he possible hope to win? Vaseli did not want to needlessly end the lives of these people. He understood inside that they were fighting for their homes and their planet. He respected them and hoped that after his plan was over they could stand down adn save themselves.
These thoughts came to an end as the ships came into turbolaser range. The whole ship vibrated both from incoming and outgoing fire. Heavy weapons pulsed and shot bolts of death into the distance. The enemy was not going to give up and Vaseli knew what he had to do.
"STLs target that Republic class. I want fire concentracted on the foward shield projectors." Vaseli ordered.
He also made the weapon's officer coordinate with the 2 Eternal Class Star Destroyers at his disposible. This would be the first time in this battle that the STLs would be used and they had to count. Vaseli looked up and could see the large Krant Star Destroyer as it hung in space, in the middle of the enemy formation. It was their flagship, their sign of power, and their hope. With it gone, perhaps they would loose the will the carry on the fight.
When the order to fire was given, Vaseli could almost reach out and touch the other ship, they were so close. The massive STL batteries fired, one barrel at the time into the Republic Class. It took two of their massive bolts to buckle and weaken the forward shields. The third pierced through this protective layer and impacted the hull near the area of one of the foward shield projectors.
Being an older vessel, the Imperial Navy had encountered the Republic class ships in battle and had much technical knowledge of them. Technical knowledge that allowed them to know exactly were shield projectors were located. Without these projectors a ship could not establish a defense shield and would be easy prey.
This all happened as the STL blasts impacted around the foward areas of the Republic. They burned through the heavy armor and destroyed everythign in their path, most importantly the shield projectors. With them missing the whole sections of the forward shield collapsed.
Within seconds of this accomplishment over two hundred warheads fired from the Eternal class destroyers. These weapons quickly closed the short distance and slammed into the Republic class ship. Some never made it through, but most did and the whole foward area of the Destroyer errupted into flames. When the fire cleared Vaseli could see that the whole forward sections of the massive ship was missing. It was replaced by raw, blackened and melted superstructure.
With its foward shields completely taken away, the ship was an easy target. It detonated from the inside out under the combined punishment of the Imperial fleet. What had been a great ship was now five large chucks of durasteel floating through space. As some fires still raged in these sections, Vaseli's formation picked up speed and pushed its way through the surprised Krant defense force.
They had almost emerge out of the other side when an explosion bloomed out on the starboard side. The same Druid Class Vessel that had taken hits early had been attacked from one of the Bothan Assault Cruisers. It had been broken in half when its shields failed under heavy bombardment. The Gallant was the first Imperial ship to be destoryed in this conflict and Vaseli deeply hoped it would be the last.
It was another few long moments before the whole fleet had broken through the Krant Defense Line and came out the other side.
"Excecute Phase Three." Vaseli order immediately and watched the displays before him as the whole formation slowly turned back towards the enemy.
As the two formation came around to face each other once again, only from opposite positions, it quickly became appearent that the Imperial formation had thinned out. Nine ships had infact detached and were racing towards the orbiting asteroid of Hanoon.
These ships, lead by two Curiassier class Cruisers closed on the rotating terraformed asteroid. It was the whole forcus of this plan. Hanoon had been terriformed many years ago and was now rich with live, being home to thousands of people.
While these ships started to take up positions over the two largest cities, the remaining ships of Vaseli's fleet held their stations and would try to hold the Krant ships off. Once in position the Curiassiers started to target whatever military installations existed on the asteroid. Only smaller emplacements such as laser cannons and turbolasers (not planetary turbolasers) presented themselves and were quickly bombered from space as a show of force.
Krant was not a rich planet, meaning that it could not spend lots of money shielding and defending a place like Hanoon. Without shields or heavy weapons it was defenseless against a large attack force. All this made it was a very attractive target, one that could be used as a bargining chip.
While both sides continued to exchange fire, Vaseli lifted up his comlink and spoke into it.
"This is Line Captain Vaseli Zokolev of The New Order Navy. I have vessels over the two largests cities on Hanoon, ready to fire on my command. I am sure that you have no wish to see thousands of your people die needlessly. To the leadership of Krant, order your forces to stand down and accept the rule of The New Order. You have no hope of defeating us in battle and you have already lost your command officer. I do not wish for more to die needless, but do not force my hand. You have ten minutes to respond before I give the order to ellimate your cities one by one." Vaseli set the commlink back down and truely hopping the leadership would see his way clearly.
