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...enter the deamon's embrace...
"Status?" The single word uttered by Hiram Drayson broke the silence that had settled over
Sentinel's bridge. Aside from the distant thunder of turbolaser fire and impacts, not a sound could be heard as the crew looked out over the battle erupting in front of their eyes.
"Minimal shield loss, no sign of enemy starfighter activity. All ships reporting condition green." One of the ensigns spoke up from the crew pit, going through a list of ships and their status in the fleet. "The Tholatin fleet is holding its own, and making their way to our position." Drayson nodded, imprssed with the ensign's cool nerve in a situation like this. It was probably, he thought, the man's first real battle. And what a battle it was!
"Estimations on the enemy?"
"They're rough, sir. Our initial attack did severe damage to their flanking warships and caught them off guard enough that we were able to inflict a lot of damage without taking much ourselves. And that last EMPRESS blast hit their Zeus ships dead on. Both are hurting pretty badly, they don't look like they'll put up much of a fight anymore." Drayson smiled grimly and nodded, cold determination filling his eyes.
"Right then, let's see if we can't scare these guys away for good. The Basilisks will fall back and enforce the Aegis Cruisers in their assault against the enemy Star Destroyers. The flagship and her escorts will move to engage the enemy leaders. If they're willing, the Tholatin forces should break off two or their Imperators and two or their Corellia Vlyx Battlecruisers to aide the flagship. Four of our Liberators to assault the enemy Abolisher. Others to remain in defensive flanking positions."
The orders were carried out with more efincieny than usual, and the ships moved into their positions, firing all the while. A Corellian Corvette took a broadside from the
Sentinel as the massive flagship passed and exploded, ripped in half by the mighty powers of the Super Star Destroyer.
"Captain, order all ships to open fire." Almost as one, the entire fleet began to fire each of their weapons. The furious laserfire made seeing from one end of the battlefield to the other all but impossible. Starfighters, Republic craft, for the GDI ships were in their hangers still, dodged blasts only to stray into the path of another, as often as not one fired by their own ships. It was a living hell, and in this hell the GDI ships were overlords.
"We have contact," The sensorman reported. How he could read anything amidst the flurry of laserfire was beyond anyone, but the massive forms of two
Zeus-class Vylx Battlecruisers were soon to be seen in front of the flagship. At just over five kilometres, they were deadly killing machines. But little match for the flagship and her escorts.
The
Sentinel's weapons ripped into the leftmost enemy warship, dubbed the
Vpiasi, shattering shields and hull plating like egg shells. The smaller escorts added to this their own weapons, and the mamoth enemy vessel began to burn in a dozen spaces as she tried vainly to return fire against her agressors.
It was a living hell. And this was only the beginning. A thousand kilometres distant, the EMPRESS system let loose with another blast...
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TNR Losses
<li> 1 Corellian Corvette Destroyed
<li> 1
Zeus-class Vylx Battlecruiser damaged
<li> 4
Imperator-class Star Destroyers - Moderate to heavy shield losses
<li> 4 Corellia-class - Moderate to heavy shield losses
<li> Remaining ships - slight shield loss and hull damage
GDI Losses
<li> Slight shield and hull damage to all ships
TTR Losses
<li> None
