WoWS3 Chpt 63

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==Weapons of War Saga: The Final March- Chapter 63 - ==
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===Fleet Assignments===
Arcadia Class Cruiser/Carrier, SLS Ghoul
Bolan System, Wolf Empire
May 10th, 3145
Captain Sarah Goldsmith had been on a different career path since the War of Plunder, but when Helena called, she answered once more.
“The Isegrims are the priority targets for the cruisers. Corvettes fall in between us. If they want to make a run at the Corvettes they will have to come through our guns. Fighters scramble.” Sarah ordered.
The local Bolan forces were forming up with their Wolf protectors.
“Estimate merge in one hour.” The sensor officer chirped from his seat.
The clock ticked over as the fighters continued to spill out. The defenders were deploying their own.
Then the engines on the Isegrims Assault Dropships and ''Vengeance Class Fighter Carrier Dropships kicked up with their fighters.
“There’s a lot of them.”
“Yeah, but we got more. Prepare for a fleet turn.” Sarah watched the clock. “Thirty Starboard on my mark.”
The distance between the two forces shrank faster and faster.
“Now. Let them have it.” Sarah felt the vessel shift under the turn and the side of her command couch press into her for a few brief moments.
Even depressurized there were tell tale signs of the Naval Autocannons and Naval PPCs lashing out at the targets.
“Two Isegrims appear to be out of control. A third is pulling away.” sensor ops tech reported.
“Seven left. Keep up the fire. Red line my guns if you have to. Those Isegrims are only nasty if they get in close.” Sarah ordered.
Long range capital missile fire from the Isegrims was easily brushed aside by the massive batteries of AMS of her cruiser.
Another volley went out. With fewer targets to concentrate fire on it was more effective as four enemy vessels were now burning out of control.
“Missiles now going for Dragonsnap. We’re too far out of position to help cover.”
“We needed more formation keeping practice dang it. We’ll just have to hope the rest of the fleet can cover them.”
Pirahna sub-capital missiles potmarked the Dragonsnap, but the damage clearly could have been much worse.
As the fighters began to skirmish with one another one last combined volley from the fleet cleared the last of the Dropships. All that was left was a mass of fighters and some defense stations.
Bolan would be rolled up in a matter of hours.
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===Fleet Action at Sol===
Arcadia Class Cruiser, SLS Gremlin
Terra-Luna L1 point
24th May, 3144
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As the systems cleared and the clock adjusted for the hyperspace distortions, it was now just past midnight Unity City time as Taffy 1 Task Force coalesced into reality.
“Alaric’s Terran Task Force hasn’t budged from Terra High orbit. We’ve got about two hours then.” Amanda's Executive Officer observed.
"What do they need, a goddam invite?" Rear Admiral Amanda Roberts scowled, "We're right here, they could've hit us on emergence while sensors were still down…"
“Probably waiting for the forces from Titan.” Mike commented.
"CAG, comms, fighters out, and get the dropships arrayed in formation. All vessels to condition one. Ward's not stupid, if he's playing doggo there's a reason."
“Aye ma’am.” comms tech responded.
“There it is, enemy engines just went hot and their Luna task force just came out of the mass shadow.” Sensors reported.
There you are! "Okay, he's going to roll to close the trap on our flank." she predicted, "The formation will adjust position positive zed axis thirty six degrees , diamond formation Foster-Golf, incline fifteen degrees spinward on the solar axis, six minute burn at one gee, let them think we're positioning for an assault on the main body, and for gods sakes keep the hints we've noticed their Lunar task force to a minimum, for this to work, they have to think they're closing the jaws on a globular trap."
“Do my best, ma’am.”
"Getting a challenge from the enemy main body on directed RF, Admiral." XO reported.
"Video or audio only?"
"Video."
"Put it through."
<<”This is Star Admiral Haake Sukhanov of Clan Wolf. I am giving you this opportunity to surrender, now, before I devastate your fleet. Think of the men and women under your command.”>>
"That's really generous of them, don't you think, Mike?" Amanda asked.
“Yeah. I kind of wonder where they learned to count.” Mike commented.
"Now, now, my daughter says they get a full, rounded education in their sibkos…Comms, switch transmit to my panel."
“At your ready, ma’am.” Comms tech reported.
"Hi Haake! Wow, you've got a lot of iron here! I knew I should've taken that second left at New Earth! I am the Great Captain…wait, that was twenty years ago…HI Haake, I'm Amanda, I'm feeling really generous today, if you heave to and stand down, I might not kill you until the morning. The Star League objects to your presence in the Sol system. I'm here to offer you the once in a lifetime chance to save your crews, and that gorgeous collection of classic ships you've got-by leaving. I'm hip to give you two hours to make your way toward the Earth-Sol L1 Liberation point before we start converting your tin cans into scrap, Whaddaya say?"
<<”I think you overestimate your position. You may have more vessels, but mine are of greater individual quality and up to the task of swatting multiple vessels at once.”>>
She listened politely, then, muted the mic on that channel, "Have our flankers start counting off range on that Lunar task force, capital missiles on passive deployment, pre-targeted."
“Yes, ma’am. And they are well out of the mass shadow now. If they don’t think we’ve spotted them they must have had extra glue rations this morning.”
She keyed her mic to the enemy commander to live, "It's not about the ships, Haake. I've taken down destroyers with a goddam Bonaventure before-that's like taking a pop gun against a Battlemech, we've got better crew than you do, and more of them. One hour, forty five minutes left, you sure you don't want me to let you go?"
<<“It will take less time than that for our forces to close in on you and catch you in a pincer.”>>
"You clearly forgot to eat your crayons this morning. Pincers work better if the other side doesn't know you're doing it, Haake. Instead, you're giving my gunnery rates the opportunity of simplicity. BAD ADMIRAL! No donut for you!!" she scolded mockingly.
Haake Sukhanov cut his transmission.
>>”Yeah he bungled this badly. Makes me wonder if Alaric was meddling.”<< Samantha Booker Roberts transmitted.
"He ****** up, doesn't mean he can't win. Sensors, estimate how many gees are his flanking units pulling on their approach?"
"Excess of two gees, ma'am, they should be in weapons range in thirty minutes." Chief Gunner reported.
Amanda leaned back and hissed a curse. "Of course. Continue bearings-only launches, with lead smallcraft ready to start locking up his ships when they hit the long range band." she shook her head bad mistake, Haake, your backup's going to arrive exhausted and fatigued.
"What're you thinking?" Mike asked.
"Well, unless the Wolf Empire's created a magical inertial dampening tech like you see in the holovids, those ships and crew are going to be arriving fatigued and with pre-existing injuries." Amanda said, "He should've kept his mouth shut about them and let them make the approach at one gee-then they'd be fresh and fit."
“Only thing that makes sense is he knows he can’t wait. He knows Labbe is at Mars. Labbe’s RotS force can have a jump to Terra-Luna L1 point ready to go and that would give us a rather decisive advantage.”
"Just as long as he's watching this hand." Amanda mused. "Estimate on Tribal's arrival at their point?"
“Getting the first emergence waves now.”
She nodded. "Good….real good."
She sent text-instructions to specific ships in her formation over encrypted tightbeam, then sat back, "Worst part of these, and remember, I almost lost it at Fallry…is that waiting for them to fix their mistakes, and hoping they don't, at least this time we're not trying it with Corvettes against capital ships."
"What do you think they're doing over there?"
"I expect Haake Sukhanov is kicking himself for being reminded of basic combat tactics one-oh-one, he's also adjusting his formation layout to one that gives multiple fires, then badgering his subordinate commanders into assuming it." Amanda speculated, looking at the display plot, "or…he's fuming because I insulted his 'honor' by pointing out his mistake. It's an even coin-toss, but we're going to assume he's smarter than he is vain."
“Worse yet. Look how the forces are split. If we angle for the Lunar forces, engage them first we should be able to roll them up before the Terra Task Force is even in weapons range.”
"Oh good, you saw it too." Amanda smirked. "Tricky part, is to time it in a way he's committed on both fronts once the rest of the operation is really going…and give them enough time to get good and fatigued on the Luna front. I want those enemy troops running so much hero juice they're hearing god."
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Contact report. RAF Reserve Fleet has engaged Wolf Titan Task Force. It came radio so contact report is a bit old.”
Amanda pumped her fist. "GOOD on them!!...not great for us, but good. Adjust to Plan Charlie all task forces."
“Updates sent fleet wide. Labbe is asking for clarification on what you want his forces to do.” Comms Tech reported.
Amanda used a couple of keyboard shortcuts, then made three adjustments based on reported position, before hitting 'send'. "That, he should do that."
“Orders acknowledged.” Comm tech reported.
"You didn't think the RAF Naval units would move this fast, did you?" Mike asked.
"They're damaged and tired, I didn't make the assumption they'd be fit to move at all." Amanda confessed, "Plans A and B assumed very little to no Republic Naval units fit to fight, hence, we're on C and just opened contingency four."
“Well, fortunately Labbe seems to know his stuff. Looks like he didn’t even try a stand up conventional fight with those Battlewagons. He’s got too many tin cans left.” Mike comments
"Never underestimate the tin cans, Mike." Amanda confided, "that's how they kill you…oh my…oh…dear god how did they win this the first time?" On the tac plot, some of the Luna task force were accelerating ahead of their fellows. "Contingency five." she said, "Variation O."
“Sending.” 
”Enemy leading edges entering Extreme Range.” Sensors reported.
"It's going to be a blender…stick to variation O. Mike, give me a countdown." Amanda ordered.
“Twenty, nineteen, eighteen, seventeen, sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Enemy now at Long Capital Range.”
Silver light bloomed in the darkness of space, as the bearings-only launched missiles lit engines, and struck.
“Recommend we perform a fleet turn to evade potential NAC fire.”
"Fleet turn to port seven zero degrees, overlapping configuration three, execute." Amanda ordered.
“Should we let them have the NPPCs yet?” Mike asked.
"No.” Amanda ruled, "We're the pin, the job is to pin them here so the other task groups can finish defeating their reserve before coming in on their asses."
“Ma’am, all known enemy combat vessels are accounted for. They’re all here or at Titan. Everything else is a troopship.”
"Yup. Gunners to initiate long range pattern bombardment on the enemy in…" she checked the plot, "Seventy one seconds from my mark…" the clock ticked down…"Mark."
“Aye, ma’am.” Mike acknowledged. 
Everything in space is about velocity, acceleration, vector and time. You can navigate a solar system with a can of spray paint, a stopwatch, and good charts, if you know the timing, your vector, and your velocity.
The countdown hit zero, and the task force's ships opened up with their direct-fire weapons just as the enemy's NL-45s found themselves engaged by fighter formations, while their CAP was suddenly engaged by surface-launched fighters from RAF's defense command.
Wolf’s Luna Force clearly knew a mistake had been made and were not attempting to slow to brawl with Taffy 1, instead they were trying to push past to join up with the Terra Force.
"They should've tried to break off…" Amanda muttered.
The proof was coming up on the Wolf Clan's Terra Task Force's flank and rear.
"They really should've…"
“Ma’am… Should we try and disable the McKenna’s Pride?” Mike asked
Amanda sighed. "Helena would probably appreciate getting that one back...." she agreed, "...but it's a battleship. We can't risk losing here, or letting it remain a point for a fleet in being. Pin it down and launch boarding craft, it breaks with commonsense, and I hate the risk, but…" she sighed, "...but."
“Understood, ma’am.”
"If we can't get marines on that ship, it doesn't leave the Sol system, understood? If we can't board and storm, I want it turned into razorblades." she made a fist.
“Aye, ma’am.”
The Wolf Congress and Lola III from the Lunar force were already combat ineffective as the fire from Taffy 1 tore into them with a vengeance.
Amanda saw the damage readouts due to the return fire from them and the Liberator impact her ship.
As the range drew closer the cycle indicators for the weapons slowly clicked over to ‘ready’.
“Let ‘em have it!” Amanda barked
The ATACs linked fire of the formation did not leave much left of the Liberator.
“Now for those Battle Wagons.” Amanda knew the hard part was just starting.
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===Terran Ground forces roll out.===
Wisna, Poland - Europe
Terra, Sol Star System
For weeks, the skies over Terra had been a light show with fallout, the Republic's forces launching sorties to disrupt and drive off landing attempts, or react to them. Sometimes they had succeeded, and often, they had failed, for a time, until reaction forces under air-cover had the chance to hit the enemy in their landing zones.
Tonight, the sky was a virtual light show, as the massive fleet engagement roared in the silence between Terra and Luna.
Anders Wojtyla was a son of Wisna, a Pole and proud of being a Pole. The Wolves landed a force outside his home city, and he'd rallied with every man in his reserve unit to fight them off.
Tonight, the invaders were pulling back, their dropships were lifting. The stubborn defenders of Wisna were a tenth of what they'd been five days ago when the Wolf Clan landed, but they were still here, and the enemy was suddenly a lot more interested in what was coming for them.
Anders knocked on the turret of his tank, "Let's show them why they need forty to one!!"
From airbases near Geneva and in western Prussia, aerospace fighters were already engaging the Wolf forces.
The enemy was crippled, their support was in danger, it was time to attack!
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Queensland, Australia
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Sarah McCallan stepped around the corner of a street in her ruined city. The Wolf invaders had managed a beach-head here in Australia, and had been systematically dismantling Militia and Regulars for months. But the word was out, the Wolf Fleet, whose fighter-bombers and dropships had savaged their way to land here, was in enough trouble that the Clanner air-cover was currently trying to spar with Aeropsace units out of Chile and Argentina, and of course, the RAF's last major dropship wing out of South New Zealand.
"C'mon lads…let's show them the spirit of the ANZACs isn't dead!!" she shouted
Before the invaders hit Terra, she'd been a Junior Cadet on leave, waiting for the chance to drive a 'mech, today, she is piloting a Mackie from the Museum, at the head of a column of converted Industrialmechs, survivors from the Militia, and a mishmash of RAF regulars, and somehow, she was in command of men with decades of experience over her.
Today, she is intent to teach these invaders just how bad a choice they made, taking a piece of Australia…
Or die trying, anyway.
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Castle Brian - Takayama,
Takayama, Japan
Tsubasa Hiro marked the enemy's landing grounds with a targeting laser or TAG unit, and the Brian Fort's guns did the rest.
It had become mechanical at this point, the Wolves would get past the Air-cover, land, and the artillery units in the mountains would finish the job.
Anything that survived, would then meet the JSDF Militia regiments. The holy land of the rising sun would not suffer another occupation.
Not again, never again.
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Bremerton, North America…
"Hurry up, hurry up!!!" Legate Saul Hernandez paced the deck of The City of Mariapole, a Great Wyrm class anti-shipping missile submarine. He was pacing, because while the submarine pens of Bremerton were fortified like a Brian Fortress and had stopped three landings in the Puget Sound, his sub was being re-loaded with Peacemaker Anti-Dropship missiles, and every second was ticking away-the invading Clanners had to know that the submarines docked here, and that here was where they kept the reloads.
Sooner or later they'd get something through or get impatient enough to orbitally bombard. That could maybe fail to pierce the base, but it would certainly jam the doors shut.
"Last rack, sir!!" crewman yelled
"Secure, everyone secure! We're going out!!"
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