Battle of Talonis Prime

### Serpent Empire

54 ships (1 carrier, 2 battleships, 3 cruisers, 7 light cruisers, 11 frigates, 19 destroyers, 11 corvettes)

## Losses and Casualties

### Mass Alliance losses

45 ships out of commission (20 lost with all hands, 9 abandoned, 5 beyond repairs, 11 crippled or out of action)

### Serpent losses

42 ships lost (38 ships destroyed, 4 scuttled)

## Overview

On the 16th of April 377 DoS 13:00 hours standard time the Serpent Empire invaded the Mass Alliance for the first time, taking the system of Talonis prime and the home world of the Talons Talonis. The battle was a swift and decisive victory for the Serpent Empire destroying the local forces garrisoned on Talonis and the nearby world of Sovric. On April 22nd 11:32 the Mass Alliance Grand Navy's combined ninth fleet under the command of Grand Admiral Mara Endula arrived to take back the system.

## Ship count

### Combine 9th fleet

* 1 Reparation class assault carrier
* 7 Everest class dreadnoughts
* 112 Valiant class cruisers (including the MAS-Pyrrha)
* 20 Cobalt class frigates

### Serpent's Fleet of Prudent Resolution

* 1 Assault carrier
* 2 Battleships
* 3 Cruisers
* 7 Light cruisers
* 11 Frigates
* 19 Destroyers
* 9 Crovettes

## Battle of Talonis prime

### Main engagement

#### Arrival

The combine 9th fleet (comprised of the ninth fleet, fifteenth fleet, sixteenth fleet, seventeenth fleet and task force 407's Pyrrha) arrived in the system to face down the Serpent fleet of Prudent Resolution. The combine 9th fleet had a near three to one advantage over the Serpent fleet but Grand Admiral Endula intended to put every advantage in her hands as she could.

#### Positioning

The combine 9th fleet broke into three groups the main fleet which took position just above the gas giant Shandorlen, the second squad who went to Talonis and got the fleet of Prudent Resolutions attention and the third squad, made up of the Pyrrha alone, got ready to attack Sovric.

#### Springing the trap

Grand Admiral Endula used the home field advantage to use several known anomalies about Shandorlen to their advantage. Putting her fleet just above a electrical storm that would cause interference well aiming at her fleet, as well as using Shandorlen's gravitational effects to curve all incoming and outgoing fire. Once the second squad got Serpents attention they fled for Shandorlen and drew Serpent into the trap. After the fleet of Prudent Resolution had began pursing second squad Endula gave the go ahead for third squad to commence their action

#### Engaging the enemy

The combined 9th fleet began there attack, using their advantages as much as possible to hit Serpent's fleet of Prudent Resolution. Despite the combine 9th's advantages Serpent managed to destroy multiple ships through blind fire. Their forces suffering heavy losses did not deter them and they attempted to press into the combine 9th's incoming fire. During this time third squad eliminated the Sovric occupation fleet and launched their forces to scout out what Serpent was doing on Sovric.

#### Failing action

As Serpent's losses began to mount they attempted to launch a detachment of 1 cruiser, 3 light cruisers, 4 frigates and 2 corvettes around Shandorlen M III to flank the combine 9th. Endula launched her own detachment of 1 dreadnought, 35 cruisers and 8 frigates to stop them from getting the drop on her forces. With superior fire power and the might of a capital ship the 9th's detachment managed to rout the Serpent forces with minimal casualties; however the MAS-Nuboric, the Everest dreadnought, took heavy damage from the cruiser. Serpent launched an additional force to try and take back Sovric. Consisting of 1 frigate and 2 corvettes against the lone Pyrrha.

#### Serpent lines break

As Serpent's attempted flanking was intercepted they were unable to make progress the main Serpent line made a final push towards the main force of the Combined 9th. This move would prove to be their undoing as their Assault Carrier shields finally broke. Saturation fire had finally managed to overwhelm her shields and Grand Admiral Endula ordered a full missile barrage on unshielded ship. The Grand Admiral ordered additional fire to completely destroy the Assault Carrier hoping that the devastation of their main ship would be enough to break Serpents moral if not completely disrupt command. However this did not disrupt command but rather their formation and with the loss of their major capital ship the Combined 9th's fire was more effective against the other Serpent ships. Serpent took an additional 10 ships as casualties directly following the loss of their Assault carrier. With this overwhelming destruction Serpent finally gave in and began to flee, serval ships were destroyed or disabled in their attempted fleeing. Serpent elected to scuttle all ships rather then let them fall into enemy hands. Grand Admiral Endula ordered not to purse to minimalize their losses.

### Battle of Sovric

The Serpent detachment arrived at Sovric the frigate and a corvette moved to attack the Pyrrha. The Pyrrha, realizing its chances at victory were slim, attempted a bold maneuver by turning away from the approaching ships and launching multiple missiles towards the incoming Serpent forces. As they got closer the Pyrrha fired her thrusters at maximum power and her missiles, creating a large heat signature that hid the incoming missiles. The unaware Serpent ships had assumed the Pyrrha was fleeing and didn't take aggressive pursing action or raise shields. The Pyrrha was able to damage the frigate and corvette, finishing off the corvette with a coil gun round that caused core detonation. However the frigate managed to shake off the brunt of the attack and fired three torpedoes at the Pyrrha. The Pyrrha fired one of her four Javelin tactical nukes to intercept them, in the flash the frigate lost track the Pyrrha and it was able to use its now much tighter orbit to slip past the Serpent forces. During their decent towards Sovric task force 407 asked for orbital support, to which the Pyrrha complied. Giving away her position. The frigate was doing emergency repairs on the damage she received prior and dispatched the remaining corvette to intercept. The Pyrrha knowing she wasn't in a position to deal with the incoming corvette elected to use the returning shuttle as bait, using heat lamp fuel that was used to de-ice the ships wings they were able to create a large enough heat source with the shuttle to device the corvette which shot the shuttle and then disengaged. Following their break from being hunted the Pyrrha deployed another Javelin ahead of her. When she returned to detection range of the frigate it immediately went back on the offensive and distracted the frigate from the Javelin floating past it. Firing its coil gun and last two Javelin's as well as any remaining missiles they could muster at the frigate. This forced the frigate to put its power into its forward shields to defend from this onslaught. The Pyrrha drifted close enough that the Frigate was able to fire her plasma weapons at her, the Pyrrha was narrowly able to dodge with evasive maneuvers before firing the Javelin that had floated past the frigate into the her stern, completely destroying it. The last remaining corvette fled the field. Leaving the Pyrrha victorious with only one empty shuttle as a casualty.

## Results

### Mass Alliance losses

#### 20 ships lost with all hands

* MAS-Pulivan Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Alice Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Roma'vam Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Frail Will Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Tebin Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Kibesh Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Franklin Moros Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Savir Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Palavanta Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Once a dream Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Vail of Winter Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Iowmee Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-High Wind Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Tangerine Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Wishful Thinking Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Winged Valor Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Solemn Eagle Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Dan All'adan Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Lost My Left Shoe Cobalt class frigate
* MAS-While You Wait Cobalt class frigate

#### 9 abandoned

* MAS-Tomorrows A New Day Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Arthur Saljia Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Ace Mark Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Quinn Alock Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Kodialine Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Shimera Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Falker Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Winnipeg Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-One Less Sleep Cobalt class frigate

#### 5 deemed beyond repair

* MAS-Balushua Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Dora Meora Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Carol Vimia Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Kayle Dorgon Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Vishy Fora Valiant class cruiser

#### 11 in serious condition (1 month minimum of for repairs)

* MAS-Nuboric Everest class dreadnought
* MAS-Mora Ela Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Permanent Victor Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Rural Vicar Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Link to Heaven Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Jasper Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Akilia Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Neeko Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Jakama Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Jara Dolos Valiant class cruiser
* MAS-Westward Wind Valiant class cruiser

### Serpent losses

38 ships destroyed including their Assault Carrier

12 ships escaped

4 scuttled

### Impact

The Mass Alliance had sent a tenth of their total navy to fight Serpent for a total shock and awe battle, out numbering Serpent by nearly 3 to 1 but instead of the overwhelming victory they wanted to show the public that they could defend their territory without question they instead scrapped out a victory taking over a third of their own forces as casualties. This battle would instead give the brass cold feet on the next Serpent attack, instead of doing a direct attack they'd attempt to do none direct engagements in order to weaken Serpent fleets. Talonis Prime would be remembered as the overeager navy getting a rather bloody nose that made them re-consider facing Serpent directly afterward.