Battle over Vergesso (NASS)

The **Battle over Vergesso** was a pivotal moment in Trident Industries' early history.

## Event

The privateer Hammy started by stealing an unfactioned and drifting *Daedalus*-class Cruiser from orbit of Vergesso, a barren planet where The Alliance and Cobolt had their bases in orbit of. Hammy proceeded to take the *Daedalus* and fire several missiles towards the Cobolt home base, prompting Jake Lancia to respond in his *Freedom*-class Frigate, AFS *Paladin*. Hammy immediately changed target and concentrated fire on the *Paladin*. Jake was unable to evade Hammy's missiles and in several seconds of bombardment, the *Paladin* was crippled beyond repair. Jake escaped the doomed ship just before it's core blew out.

Meanwhile Mr Crazy had just completed work on the prototype *Quantum*-class Frigate when Hammy decided to target the Cobolt base again. Mr Crazy quickly undocked the just-finished ship and proceeded to unleash it's heavy beam weapon on the *Daedalus*. The beams quickly tore through it's shields and melted the outer hull. Hammy put up little resistance, and barely managed to escape before the core was breached by a missile.

Several hours later, Hammy returned with a modified *Quantum*-class Frigate acquired from a rogue Cobolt member. This time however, Mr Crazy had prepared a defence force of five additional AI-piloted *Quantum*-class ships to protect the home base. Hammy immediately engaged the AI *Quantums*, outsmarting them and breaking their formation to engage them separately. Without their strength in numbers and coordination, the AI *Quantums* fell quickly with no damage inflicted to Hammy's ship. Mr Crazy, angered at the loss of his ships, sent out a distress call, and in moments a Unity Battleship arrived in the system to assist them. With Jake flying point in his newly-rebuilt AFS *Paladin II*, and Mr Crazy rejoining the battle in TRV *Quantum*, the battle seemed easily winnable. However Hammy outmanuevered the Unity Battleship, firing beams point-blank into TRV *Quantum*, damaging it's port side. Soon the Unity Battleship's swarmer missiles caught up with Hammy, and tore off the entire rear end of his ship. Undeterred, he targeted Jake and began firing, only for his ship's core to breach. Again, he managed to escape, to become a menace once more.

## Aftermath

In the days after this event, Hammy sent peace requests and eventually requests to join Cobolt. When Cobolt and The Alliance merged to become Trident Industries just mere days after the battle, Hammy was selected as one of the leading triumvirate, hence the faction's name.

## Statistics

### Vessels present

#### Combined Alliance/Cobolt Fleet

1. *Quantum*-class Frigate, TRV *Quantum*, piloted by Mr Crazy, 4k mass units. Approx. 85% SHP.
2. *Freedom*-class Frigate, AFS *Paladin*, piloted by Jake Lancia, 3.5k mass units. Destroyed.
3. *Freedom II*-class Frigate, AFS *Paladin II*, piloted by Jake Lancia, 3.8k mass units. Undamaged.
4. *Quantum*-class Frigate x5, unknown designations, piloted by AI, 4k mass units each. Destroyed.

#### Pirating Co.

1. *Daedalus*-class Cruiser, unknown designation, piloted by Hammy, 12k mass units. Destroyed.
2. *Quantum*-class Frigate, unknown designation, piloted by Hammy, 4k mass units. Destroyed.

#### Unity

1. Unknown vessel, unknown designation, piloted by unknown, 120k mass units. Undamaged.

**RESULT: Alliance/Cobolt victory.**