<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote>
Quote:<hr> <!--EZCODE BOLD START-->
Surely, the Hyperdrive was out...<!--EZCODE BOLD END--><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END-->
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> ...of position to be effectively activated.<!--EZCODE BOLD END--><!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
Maintaining the 90° Angle on the Republican Fleet not only gave Sentinel's 2nd Division superior positioning but also gave them a good vantage point to monitor the separate battles raging all around on multiple fronts.
The Imperial Star Destroyers added their fire to that of the Victory's against the enemy's ISD's, VSD's and Vlyx's (their "triangle" of ships that formed lines around the Jenova) and the damage was starting to take it's toll on the enemy fleet.
Most of it due to the fact that Sentinel's 2nd Division was either not noticed or simply ignored in favor of the seemingly more immediate threat of the Sith ISD's. In any event, Kaine's force remained largely unmolested, pouring continuous fire at the top surface of enemy ships that their bows were pointed at.
For most of the bombardment, the triangle remained as constant as it could amid Sith vessels and mass fighters (from both foe and friend alike) and Simon could not fault the Jenova's Commander in trying to secure a downward escape vector, using the front formation of the triangle as cover.
Even the Victory's volleys, when added to that of the Galactus, were not enough to prevent the mighty ship from slipping "under" it's own formation.
Several TIE Devil squadrons, in Trinity formation, were drawing away to avoid being trapped without support in the mass of New Republic ships.
The actual structure of the ESD still remained (for the most part) rather sound, the damage Kaine inflicted seeming merely cosmetic...
Seemingly cosmetic.. <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Yet highly effective..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
Throughout the beginning, The Galactus' (along with other's) actions had been designed for one goal.. one purpose..
The Shadow Cannon had obliterated the forward shields of the ESD, the edges of the shield ruptures widened as the RSD and ISD's poured fire into it, targeting the active gun placements (ion, turbolasers) reducing them to mere slag. The discharge of the superweapon's energy through the top surface guns also had aided Simon's purpose for not only were some placements rendered useless due to blown circuits/systems, and not only were other placements identified, but the massive energy discharge had also overloaded the ESD's missle launchers..(the line of explosions seen earlier on the ESD's hull)
Fighters, using their superior mobility, closely followed the well placed blasts of the TNO capital ships as they slipped through the massive gaps in the shields and bleeding energy, flying down the ESD's superstructure targeting the gun positions that were protected from the heavier shots of the Imperial capital ships by the active shield overhead.
It was ironic to find that a few meters above a TIE's position (along the superstructure of the Jenova) the ESD's shields were flaring against shots from their own division.
but the Republic Fleet was moving... forward, albeit slowly due to the Sith, with the Jenova slipping under..
Simon was about to order the Galactus (really the entire fleet) spun on it's axis to get a better angle at the retreating Jenova and passing fleet (moving forward) when the Commander of the New Republic forces did an astonishing move...
..for it was <!--EZCODE BOLD START-->
Now<!--EZCODE BOLD END--> that the Republican forces took note of Sentinel's 2nd Division...
...but their move??
<!--EZCODE HTML START--> <font color="red"><!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
<!--EZCODE BOLD START--> "Engage aft thrusters to backward pattern ‘A’, giving us time to reform. Realign sup-space level to 1 kilometer above all known adversary formations. Clean up that wedge distribution: every 2000+ will be directed to the spearhead edging downwards. All others will be proportionately divvied to the wings. Set the Jenova in the nexus, and retain."<!--EZCODE BOLD END-->
Gradually, the deformed front eased from the line of combat and to a clear pocket behindhand. Light blue thrusters activating and deactivating in short bursts of adjustment, the simple "but effective" pattern was formulated to an impressive resonance. The "Jenova" was centered directly to the middle edge with reinforcement ‘wings’ spreading to its sides from a common ‘spearhead’ nose. The elevation advantage also sided with them, but with appropriate downwards cover.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></font><!--EZCODE HTML END-->
The Jenova, hell, the entire fleet, had reversed it's course. On the one hand, the move was understandable since the NR forces found itself a mass jumble of ships intermixed with the Sith forces. Rogue Squadron's projectile releases hit their own capital ships as much as the enemies in such close proximity.
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Projectiles are bloody bad ideas in close quarter combat...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
However understandable the move may have been, though, their attempt to untangle themselves by moving backwards at a slightly upward angle only brought the ships back under Kaine's Fleet's guns.
"They must enjoy being targets." a gunner muttered and the volleys rained down on the Republic's attempt to gain elevation.
"Extend Starburst" Kaine ordered and the cruisers joined in the firing spectacle.
Suddenly, the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Anima<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Hera<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Sunrider<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Eye of Re<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Hades<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Katana<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Odin<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, and <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Athena's<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> position began to suffer due to the damage.
The Triangular formation was beginning to fail as the Galactus' scanners picked up the ESD's struggle to maintain position, not so much do to the damage done to it's engines, but because of irregular forces being applied to it's inertia in direct conflict with it's maneuvering thrusters.
Massive amounts of oxygen leaks that pushed/pulled the ESD in a direction contrary to it's intended formation.
So massive that Simon thought of the leaks as..
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Copious<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
"Engines full thrust!" he ordered, for even as the Republic formation was failing, the Commander still held true to his intent..and Kaine had to smile.
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
He wants the "high" ground,<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> He thought, as the elevation was becoming more pronounced.
But Kaine held the ground now and as long as he had it, he would use it to his full advantage.... and an opportunity was coming up.
He signaled the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Victory<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> and Captain Chandler appeared on the screen.
"Did you see it, Captain?" he asked before Chandler could get a word of greeting out.
"The ESD's shields?" Chandler asked. "The aft is still protected.."
"Which makes it's shields area specific."
Simon grinned and Chandler had to laugh. "It's Sotel all over again.."
"Follow my lead, Captain."
"Will do, <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Victory<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> out."
The Sentinel Fleet's 2nd Division was on the move, keeping a slightly superior angle, though closing the distance measurably.
With the NR ships moving backwards at a slightly elevated position, and the Sentinel Fleet moving forward at a slightly descending angle, Galactus and Sentinel Fleet were positioned to level out on the same horizontal plane (no matter how angled) as the ESD, effectively placing it directly behind the 2,000 meter+ ships holding the forward vanguard position in the NR formation.
100 squadrons of TIE Devils, holding to a Trinity formation, evenly spaced, struck at the A-wings from above..
"Sir! Secondary Republic Division swinging around!!"
<!--EZCODE HTML START--> <font color="lightblue"><!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
A mixture of flamingly hot energy lances burst out of the New Republic ships as they came into the range of the TNO vessels. Volleys of fire drummed against the pale, translucent blue energy shields, the tightly packed encasings of ionized atoms instantly losing stability and releasing the electrical power inside of them in the form of heat and light. The eight ships, all larger and more heavily armed than the Reign, used the surperior firing arc yielded by their triangular shape to engage almost all of the batteries in the assault on the two enemy ships. Their energy shields shrank slowly, nearing and passing the halfway point... they hit twenty five percent, and the attack of eight two-thousand-meter-plus ships still did not relent.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--></font><!--EZCODE HTML END-->
The Galactus' shields flared against the barrage and alarms sounded throughout the ship as it shuddered with each strike.
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
50%...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
"Keep our formation.."
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
How badly do they want us?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
And the ships under Gash's command continued to fire with Sentinel beginning to merge with the NR fleet...
The Cruisers and the Victory Star Destroyers began firing at the aft engines of the ships heading toward them (on a backwards vector). The ISD's (with the exception of <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Victory<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> began to strike at the side "lines" of the failing NR formation to finish the ships off..
The Attack Spheres maintained their elevated positions, matching the elevation angle of the enemy fleet.
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Area Specific Shields...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
And the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Galactus<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> and <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Victory<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> continued their firing (even as Gash's shots rang true) at one specific location of the ESD's shields...
..and after taking the recent physical strain from the Sith ships, just before the start of the Jenova's maneuver, the energy covering the area that the Galactus was firing at gave way allowing the Reign Class and the Imperial Star Destroyer to move inside the shield envelope.
But not before Gash got off another barrage of weapons fire... of which a few shots struck the shields of the ESD.
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
How badly do they want us?<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
25%...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->
So intent on the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Galactus<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> they were, that when they fired again, the shots struck the shields of the NR vessels now blocking line of sight access to Sentinel Division.
With most of the topside gun ports damaged, there was no incoming fire from the ESD (especially at that firing arc) that could touch the two ships.
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Sometimes having the largest ship is a liability..<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->, Kaine thought as the <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Victory<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> and <!--EZCODE ITALIC START-->
Galactus<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> faced down the ESD's bridge module.
"I want this position maintained at all times.. keep our shields raised... and activate the gravity well generators." Kaine turned to another officer, "Release assault shuttles and have damage control attend to their areas."
The two vessels began to strike out at the shields protecting the bridge module's base (several decks down from the bridge) and the connecting superstructure.
****
"Sir! The enemy is persisting in attempting to go for our shipyard..."
"All ships keep firing!" Vice Admiral Vorsche snapped.
The enemy ships decided to take the brunt of TNO's firing and soon an explosion was seen coming from the yard's direction.
Almost immediately, TIE Devils swarmed around the Penetrator fighters than had neglected to recloak and began firing.
The Republican vessels had sacrificed for their attempt as the two ISD's and Corellian Vlyxes suddenly spun out of control, the full brunt of the division bearing down on them for the loss of life.
"Sir, they still have life signs?"
"Leave them! Once this area is secure, we move to an opposite flanking position to aid Captain Tulok."
EDIT: Spelling, and eliminated Chau Ming..added Tulok.
