Intercept of the Astrea (Eshara vs Graal) [GRAAL]

[Theopolis]

Interception of the Astrea

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Belligerents: Graal Navy vs Esharan Merchant Fleet

Backstory: In a surprise move, the Graal Navy is ordered into the atrium of space between the Dronavi, now under the protection of the Republic of Eshara, and Esharan space. This small fleet intends to intercept any and all Esharan vessels going to and from Dronavi space, and said fleet waited for six days before a trio of Esharan vessels stumbled upon them and attempted to flee back into Dronavi space.

Points of Interest:
Pitched Battle: Right on the verge of Esharan-Dronavi Space, this battle is won or lost on total annihilation of enemy forces. No incoming reinforcements for either Empire is allotted.
MNS Astrea: This vessel is carrying 6,000,000,000 Credits (6 Credits) for yearly tribute from the Dronavi to the Esharans for the year of 3124. With the destruction of this vessel the credits are lost. With it's capture the Graal will gain them.
Last Words: Without jamming technology, the RNS Astrea signaled to Eshara that it came under attack by Graal forces, but they are at least twenty cycles out and there are little the Esharans can do except hope their brothers have luck with them.

Forces:
Graal Navy:
-- 2 Destroyers (GNS Kugg, GNS Lofurr)
-- 2 Frigates (GNS Gromm, GNS Killmaw)

Esharan Merchant Fleet:
-- 1 Cargo Freighter (MNS Astrea)
-- 2 Patrol Cutters (Light Freighters) (RNS Neptune, RNS Mare Nostrum)

Post Order:
-- Graal Hegemony
-- Republic of Eshara
-- ModMark

[Theopolis]

Dronavi-Esharan Space Lane

" Finally, inbound vessels Suda-Mognosh!. " The Sonar Officer shouted, off to one side of the GNS Gromm, the Flagship of the Graal 7th Fleet. The Suda-Mognosh approached and leaned over the officer. Three blips. Ships. Dronavi or Eshara? Who knew.

" Open a communications array. Tell them they will be boarded and searched for contraband due to increased piracy in the area. " The Suda-Mognosh growled.

Graal Frigate GNS Gromm

COM > Esharans: "Attention all vessels. This is the Graal Hegemony, you will power down your vessels and prepare to be boarded for expected contraband. Resistance will end in immediate destruction. Respond immediately." The Graal 7th Fleet were spread out wide, the Destroyers on either end. The ships were identified as Esharan design, but their cargo and even class was unknown, but they expected a fight.

[Empire of Ezria]

Tribune Sergius of the Astrea knew that he was a dead man. The reading's on the auspex screen should have been impossible. How had a Graal flotilla manage to move into place so quickly and without alerting long range sensor sweeps? How had no word reached Eshara or the Dronavi Holdworlds from merchant vessels in the area? Someone must have seen them. Denial quickly gave way to reality. All that he could do was send a message to the Republic of Eshara Navy (REN) and attempt to put as much distance between himself and Graal fleet as possible. The patrol cutters that guarded the merchant vessels were not combat ships and weren't even part of the Navy, but instead apart of the Vigile's patrol fleet. They were meant for an anti-piracy role and that was what the Esharan presence in the Dronavi Holdworld's had come down too. But he would be damned if he and his men were going to die without a fight nor were they going to be captured.

'' Sir, we have a comm's channel open from the Graal. ''

'' Open it. '' The demand's as always were belligerent.

COM > Graal. '' This is a negative. Dronavi space is under the protection of the Esharan Republic. An attack on this convoy bound for Eshara and flying the Esharan flag is an act of war. We are withdrawing now. Attempts to follow will be interpreted as hostile and you will be fired upon. '' With that the channel went dead.

'' Ready scuttling charges for the ship. Order the Neptune and Nostrum to find firing solutions on the lead Graal ship (GNS Gromm). If they attack, open fire. '' Sergius barked.

Meanwhile, the convoy had begun a steady retreat. A retreat that was futile but one they had to try anyway. The Esharan patrol cutters still had superior technology. It wasn't capable of taking down a battleship but it could still ruin the day of any Xenos who underestimated her single high velocity macro cannon. Perhaps the Graal would be dissuaded if they bit off more than they could chew? No, they were far too stubborn and stupid for that. What couldn't be allowed was the capture of the Astrea's cargo. Even if Sergius had to scuttle the ship by himself.

[Holy Malikai Empire]

Mod Mark

With the battle line drawn in the way the Graal had communicated to the Esharan merchant fleet, they didn't have many choices. In reality they had two: fight or submit. As was the way with the relationship between the two empires and the Esharans chose to fight. As the vessels reversed engines, the two heavy freighters moved in to block the path to the merchant vessel.

The Graal could see that the Esharans weren't complying with their orders. Not only were they trying to escape, but warning klaxons started sounding on the GNS Gromm as the two heavy freighters took a firing solution on her. It was an insult to say the lease. Though the Graal had the numerical advantage and experience in war, the Esharans were going to call their bluff at the end of their mac cannons and hope for the best.

The Graal vessels targeted each ship, one frigate and one destroyer for each of the heavy freighters and opened up with their torpedoes. The two Esharan heavy freighters had time enough to launch their own volley of high velocity mac rounds at the GNS Gromm. The sheer amount of firepower focused on the two smaller massed Esharan ships was to much to handle as both lit up the dark void of space in brilliant colors. The Graal frigate though didn't have much in the way of protection against the Esharan's weapon technology as the mac rounds ripped through her hull, causing the vessel to list badly.

Meanwhile on the Esharan merchant vessel, the crew was busying themselves in an attempt to scuttle their vessel in a last ditch effort to prevent the Graal from any spoils of this confrontation. Charges were being placed around the ship while the reactor was being overloaded for detonation. The Esharans were even smashing the controls to the reactor to prevent the overload from being shutdown. There was no doubt in her captain's mind that the Graal would attempt to seize her, but he was banking on the chance that them seeing the heat bloom from her reactor would scare them off. All crew that weren't needed for this particular order headed for the emergency shuttles so they could evacuated the ship.

End Turn 1

Skirmish Assessment

* Esharan heavy freighters are both KIA.
*Esharan merchant vessel beginning preparations to scuttle.
* Graal GNS Groom at 25% effectiveness which will require 3 Turns to repair.

[Theopolis]

Dronavi-Esharan Space Lane

The Graal Fleet continued forward, an angry beehive and heavy Gruulsteel hulls and firing, although antiquated weapons that shone a brazen green. The GNS Gromm fluttered, it's Mil-Mognosh was visibly furious but it was accepted that the vessel was out of the fight since she started to list as her port side stabilizers malfunctioned and seized up. The remaining vessels, particularly the GNS Killmaw continued in heavy pursuit, leaving the two patrol cutters for dead and focusing their fire on the merchant vessel. The Graal assumed it carried valuable items. Those items had to be destroyed.

Zigg 7.77GK* Laser Cannons opened fire, a resounding PWUMMM as they were loosed. Inside those shielded bays, huge Xenophite shells were ejected, smoking and empty, and gunnery officers replaced them with all due haste to ensure a constant rate of the fire on the enemy ship.

* Zigg 7.77GK: The standard Graal Navy cannon for Frigates and Destroyers. Displaces a single high powered laser round approximately twelve feet long and six inches wide that travels at 3,500 GPH. Approximate temperature is 65,000 degrees.

[Empire of Ezria]

The ship was dying. All non essential crew members had long since ejected in the escape pods while the Tribune and two other crewmen who had volunteered behind manned the bridge. The Astrea continued to shake and rumble as she pressed on. Already the bridge sensors were beginning her death song.

'' Get as much speed as you can out of her. '' He voxed down to the lone engineer who was struggling to work more power from the fusion core which was already rapidly overloading. If the Graal didn't kill them first, then the engine core would ensure that the Astrea was blown to space dust very soon. The Tribune didn't want that to happen without trying to damage or kill as many Graal as he could and with that suicidal thought in mind, Sergius had set a course for the wounded Graal frigate. He was determined to ram her, or failing that get close enough that the ensuing blast of the fusion reactor and the scuttling charges was enough to finish off the Graal ship.

[Holy Malikai Empire]

Mod Mark

The Graal had decided that if they were not going to be allowed to take the MNS Astrea then the Esharans weren't going to either. With a frigate and two destroyers coming after her, filling the intervening space with weapons fire, the Tribune tried one last ditch effort in a suicide run. Instead of turning and putting distance between the Graal, the Tribune had the engines reverse coarse forward to head straight into the maw.

"Change direction, ramming speed if you please."

The increase to the engines though was to much for the overloading reactor to handle, not to mention the constant damage being done to the hull from the Graal warships. Klaxons blared loudly in the Astrea. Then a shudder ran down the length of the ship that definitely came from internally and not one of the weapons from the Graal ships. Death came in an instant to those remaining aboard the merchant vessel. To the Graal, the Astrea seemed to bulge outward before everything was lost in a blinding white light as the fusion reactor blew. All traces left of the the MNS Astrea were the melted remnants of metal that had survived the blast.

End of Skirmish

Skirmish Assessment

-- Both Esharan heavy freighters KIA.
-- The Esharan MNS Astrea KIA from self-detonation.
-- The Graal frigate GNS Gromm heavily damaged (35% effectiveness).