Battle of G-759

Imperial Stealth Fighters overfly an Imperial Outpost on the surface of G-759

The Battle of G-759 is the first battle fought by the Imperial Draconian Military of the Draconian Empire in the Liskus Galaxy. The battle is of significant importance as it is currently the only known large scale demonstration of the Imperial Naval capability at a tactical level, and it shows how the Imperial Navy operates, how it organizes its formations, and its technological strength. There is also a significant military presence planet-side, and this force has also demonstrated exceptional military capabilities.

## Background

G-759 is a UC controlled planet. The Planet came under attack from a Gossip fleet which quickly overwhelmed the few UC space forces available. At this moment in time, the UC has been exhausted by defending itself from the Gossip in what has largely been a losing battle. Most remaining UC military assets were recalled to key worlds and colonies were left to fend for themselves. When the Gossip arrived, there was very little resistance that could be offered. While the UC are capable of space travel at faster-than-light speeds, their technology is far behind the Gossip, and so are their production capabilities. The largest known Gossip ships measure up to 15 kilometers, and the UC have no real adequate response to this firepower.

The Gossip Invasion force was consistent of a fleet of seven warships, including four destroyers, two cruisers, and a planetary assault carrier. These ships measured at .8 kilometers, 1.2 kilometers, and two kilometers respectfully. These ships are able to bomb the planetary surface from high orbit, outside the range of surface based missile defenses, leaving the surface forces no options to counter attack.

## Arrival of the ISS Seaspray

The first Draconian Warship to arrive was the Navitian cruiser, ISS Seaspray. The Seaspray, despite being a cruiser, was over 4 kilometers long, easily dwarfing all of the ships in the Gossip fleet. The Captain of the Seaspray, Captain Romulus Augustus ordered the Seaspray into system while on patrol outside the galaxy after ship-board sensors detected high energy pulses emitting from the system that were not normally associated with normal background radiation. These pulses were likely emitted from the Gossip weapons bombarding the planetary surface.

The Seaspray pulled into an orbit behind the moon of G-759-III out of sensor range from Gossip ships, making a precision jump that was hidden entirely. The Gossip were unaware that the ship entered into system and that they were now being monitored. The Seaspray quickly launched stealth satellites that began to record UC and Gossip communications, both on encrypted, and unencrypted frequencies. After the CIC of the Seaspray came to the conclusion that the Gossip were intent on exterminating all life on the planetary surface, Captain Augustus put in an request for emergency reinforcement from the nearest Imperial ships, the ISS Mediator, and her escort, the ISS Standard Deviation.

## Arrival of the ISS Mediator and ISS Standard Deviation

Within fifteen minutes, the ISS Mediator and ISS Standard Deviation arrived in system, also using the planet's moon to obscure their presence. Rear Admiral Hanzo Itami, the commanding officer of the ISS Mediator assumed command of the Draconian forces in system. He and the other two captains of the fleet, including Captain Augustus of the Seaspray, and Captain Hu of the Standard Deviation agreed that the situation warranted the use of Emergency Military Force Deployment as per Draconian Law. Aboard the ISS Standard Deviation was Ronin Team Blue, attached to the Third Fleet to which all three ships belonged, who was immediately put on ready-alert. The team leader, Oda Nobunaga, was already equipped as he was participating in a training simulation aboard the Standard Deviation's holo-deck with Imperial Marines. The ISS Mediator and ISS Standard Deviation were 5 kilometers long, and three kilometers long respectfully, and the ISS Mediator was a veteran cruiser with extensive ship-to-ship combat experience. Rear Admiral Hanzo Itami made no delay, and ordered that both Standard Deviation and Mediator arm their magnetic accelerator cannons, while the Seaspray remain at distance to engage with her long range maser arrays.

## The Battle in Orbit

The Seaspray began under Admiral Itami's orders to transmit to the UC announcing the arrival of the Imperial Navy, and to warn the Gossip to surrender immediately. Secretly, the marines aboard the Standard Deviation were put on to alert to prepare for borders, as Seaspray had noted that the Gossip made a habit of boarding ships to steal their technology. Admiral Itami decided to launch an attack that would bait the Gossip into boarding the Standard Deviation, which Captain Hu volunteered to offer. It was agreed that the Standard Deviation would be the best option for its floorplan which was easier to lockdown, and also because of the fact that it had an active Ronin Team aboard.

With no response from the Gossip, the three ships moved into position. Seaspray fired her maneuvering thrusters for a whole minute, effectively reversing her orbit counter-clockwise in the opposite direction, timed so that all three ships would come into position against the Gossip from different sides, at the same time. The order to do so was given by Itami who was effectively performing a pincer maneuver

Although the Gossip quickly realized what was happening (Seaspray was still secretly tapped into their communications) no order was given to respond. From what little was able to be ascertained from ONI aboard the Seaspray, it was assumed that the Gossip believed that dividing their fleet to respond to either force would be counter-productive, as the Gossip assumed that all three ships would need to close in range to where the massed firepower of all seven ships would be more valuable.

This however was not the case. As the energy from directed energy weapons dissipated over a given distance through radiation, the kinetic energy from magnetic weapons, did not. Since the primary armaments of the Standard Deviation and Mediator both were magnetic accelerator cannons, they stayed at range, and fired six shots total in very rapid succession. The Seaspray's primary armament, meanwhile was an extremely focused maser array, being one of the few directed energy weapons to remain coherent over immense distances, that is extremely efficient at destroying target critical systems.

The Standard Deviation and Mediator had scrambled fighters by this point to intercept enemy attack craft, and their initial volley destroyed three of the four destroyers, and critical damaged the two cruisers. The Seaspray focused all of her efforts on destroying the carrier's engines, rendering her adrift, then collapsed her hanger bays, preventing her from scrambling her own fighters. As per the plan, the Standard Deviation accelerated ahead of the Mediator, and deliberately into the path of hostile boarding craft. Despite the immense destruction already witnessed, the Gossip fell for the bait, and boarded. On board, Ronin Team Blue was fully prepared to secure the ship, and capture Gossip forces for questioning. Within thirty minutes, the Gossip boarding parties were pacified. The Standard Deviation then rammed into the last remaining Gossip Destroyer, ramming straight through it, destroying the vessel, her shields protecting her from the incredible collision and leaving her unharmed. As she passed through the debris, she fired all of her Solaris torpedoes from her topside deck, damaging the cruisers and the carrier beyond repair. With the span of forty minutes, the entire Gossip fleet was rendered incapable of battle.

### Response from Remaining Gossip Forces

As soon as the last of the Gossip Fleet was rendered ineffectual, the Seaspray transmitted an ultimatum to all remaining Gossip forces, for the second time. The exact transmission from Admiral Itami reads as follows: "My name is Rear Admiral Hanzo Itami, Draconian Imperial Navy. You have committed high crimes against Imperial Law regarding the Articles of War. Your commanding officers have ordered you to murder countless innocent civilians, and there shall be no mercy for those who willingly carry those orders out. This is a line in the sand. Anyone who dares cross it, and continues to fight will be at war with the Imperial Military, and I believe that this demonstration was adequate in showing just how bad an idea that would be. We are a peaceful people, but we will not stand for the atrocities that have been committed here today. Lay down your weapons and surrender yourselves immediately, or face the Emperor's Sword. You have one hour to do so. This is your first, and last warning. Itami, out."

Shortly after this began, the ONI personnel aboard the Standard Deviation began to process the prisoners captured by the Marines in the trap. However, before they could be even arranged for quarters to be created, many of them began dying unexpectedly and for no reason. The chief ONI officer aboard the ship, Tenzin, Michizane speculated that it was possible that they may had been executed for failing to capture the ship. Michizane had experience in previous deployments of similar suicide collars when facing similar war-like empires, and told his crew to calm themselves, and that it was not the Empire's fault for their deaths. Michizane left to the medical bay with the corpsmen who responded, reportedly furious.

Soon after, the remaining Gossip ships, damaged, but not destroyed, overloaded their reactors, and triggered a self-destruct unexpectedly. Mediator and Seaspray were out of range of the blast, but Standard Deviation was hit, however her shields prevented any damage, but did leave some of her sensors offline for a brief time. The Empire was preparing to launch Archangel and Angel dropships at this time to rescue survivors from the wrecks.

#### Autopsy of Gossip Troops

The Chief Medical Examiner aboard the ISS Mediator, who personally oversaw the autopsy of the Gossip forces consulted with civilian engineers and xenobiologists from aboard the Mediator about the cause of death of the Gossip troops. Their conclusion was the same as the assumption that Commander Michizane had come to. They had found devices imbedded in the armor of the Gossip troops that was deliberately engineered to induce cardiac arrest by use of an electric shock. The troops were murdered by their own chain of command. The report was quickly forwarded to the Imperial Ministry of Justice, through Admiral Itami after it was compiled.