Terran Civil War! (Closed, invitation only)

[Terran Hegemony]

Terran separatists have taken control of Jupiter's moons, cutting off Starfleet from its main fuel supplies!
After several failed campaigns to take more Imperial territory, the Separatists have been driven back to Europa, but the Imperial Military is being held at bay by its own orbital defense grid.
An international task force is being assembled to destroy the Separatist armies once and for all.

(My first online RP; might be a bit shoddy but bear with me. First post coming tomorrow, local time is now 1:33 at night.)

[Cruciland]

An official declaration of foreign aid...
"The Nanomechanical Empire of Cruciland has been contacted in relation to separatist movements within the Terran Hegemony, and is more than willing to help erase them from our newfound ally's turf. We will immediately prepare a method of invasion upon the separatist-controlled region of Europa. All that we ask first is the intentions of these separatists, and what their goals and plans are. Once delivered, we can adjust our plans for them accordingly." -Transmission to the Terran Hegemony.

[The Illusive Mans Cerberus]

Cerberus will send five cruisers and 400 of its finest soldiers to aid their ally

[Terran Hegemony]

Operation Aurora command center

Callisto Space Center, Jupiter system

It was busy in the war room. Dozens of Army and Starfleet officers, strategists and tacticians running to and fro, shoutin gorders and working control panels. Yet, in the center of the room, nothing was heard of the commotion.
Wrapped in a sountight bubble sat the commanding officers of Operation Aurora, one of which was the Terran Emperor, Mike Redfield, himself.
Of average height and stature, the only thing destnguishing the Emperor from the other Terrans was his pale skin, alsmot sickly compared to the Isreali-looking Imperial commanders.

"Turn it on", Redfield said. A young officer pushed some buttons, and a crude map of Europa appeared on the imaging board.
http://ussmidway1978.deviantart.com/#/d5msmxm

So, what's the situation down there? Redfield spoke, thoughtfully fubmling his dusty-looking black hair. Any idea of the Separatist strength?
Admiral Nathan Harlow now spoke: We have no clue how many they are, or what kind of weapons they've got. The entire Separatist army retreated to Europa after losing Ganymede.
"So you're basically sending my boys into the grinder?"
Field Marshal Serena Mason, commander of the ground troops, stood up, and looked at Harlow somewhat scornfully. My brother's leading our troops down there, you know.
Look, marshal, it's not like I can help it! All hovercams we sent down were destroyed! Shouted a clearly offended Harlow.
Enough already! the Emperor said. What must our friends think of High Command if you start harking like this?! I don't like it either, but it's not like we have much of a choice. If we can't reconquer Europa, we loose Jupiter. If we loose Jupiter, that means no more fuel for our starships!
Sorry, sir! said both commanders; and Serena sat back down.
Harlow turned to the Crucilandian commander and spoke up. We have a rudimentary strategy worked out, but Serena is right. This could be harder than expected. So, what kind of forces can you deploy?

[Terran Hegemony Colonies]

Separatist Headquarters

Alstedt, Europa

President Joshua Palmer was no patient man, and now, this was clearer than ever.
Why hasn't Stevens destroyed Ganymede Space Center yet?! He furiously shouted at his Minister of War, Jason Steele.

Ganymede got it's shit together much more quickly than we'd hoped. Their orbital defense grid is still down, but Imperial Starfleet is patrolling heavily. They already have reinforcements from Cerberus, and Crucilandian ships are coming in. Attacking now means suicide! Steele rebutted.

Damn it all! said Palmer. We're too disorganized to fight on multiple fronts!

We could let them come to us instead, spoke general Scott Cartwright, the Separatist ground commander, and fight a guerilla war. All we've got to do is keep them off-planet long enough for us to take Mount Henry!
Very well,... Palmer agreed, ...call Stevens. Tell him to proceed as planned.

As a comms officer ran off to make the call, the Separatist leaders turned back to drawing plans on their imaging board.

[Cruciland]

This post is heralding my first battle w/ the separatist forces. I will make sure the battle begins during my next post. Also please note that the transmission below was telegrammed to me by the Terran Hegemony, and I am responding to it accordingly.

Terran war room
Several Over-Scions and a dozen Under-Scions, the most elite commanders of MJC, began thinking of ways to infiltrate the well-fortified separatist territory inside of the Citadel's war room. Many suggested opening up wormholes and slipping past the defense grids, while others suggested simply disabling their shielding and bombing them with impunity. Still another group suggested hacking the shields and using them against the separatists. Everybody contemplated the various outcomes of each tactic, then decided on the best course of action. It was only an hour later when a broadcast was streamed in from the Terran Hegemony...

!!! EMERGENCY BROADCAST FROM EUROPA RESISTANCE !!!

- THEY ARE MASSACRING CIVILIANS BY THE TENS OF THOUSANDS EVERY DAY! IF THIS MESSAGE REACHES ANY ALLIED FORCES, WE NEED BACKUP AT ONCE! HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE SEPARATISTS ARE PREPARING TO LAUNCH MISSILE STOCK AT LEAGUE STATES! WE'RE TO FEW TO STOP THEM, THOUGH WE CONTROL THE LAUNCH SYSTEMS. IF THEY HACK INTO THEM HUNDREDS OF INHABITED SYSTEMS WILL BE DESTROYED! SEPARATISTS REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE; MILITARY INTERVENTION NECESSARY. -

!!! TRANSMISSION ENDS !!!

The Over-Scions and Under-Scions listened, then after the transmission called the Cyberspace Department. An Over-Scion at the war room began a conversation, ordering, "You got the transmission, yes? Excellent. We will need your help in overriding the computers on Europa. Do not allow for separatist hackers to launch any missiles." The other Over-Scion at the Cyberspace Department consented, and work began to sabotage the separatist network...

Europa, separatist-controlled region
Minutes passed since the order to intercept separatist hackers had been issued. The force-fields thrummed lively and the computers were running smoothly. The chance of a heavy blow being dealt to the Hegemony was at hand, but a far more sinister force was to be unleashed. The world seemed to freeze for a few seconds, as if the turning tables had eagerly traversed through time to meet them...

Then everything on the planet went black.

[Terran Hegemony Colonies]

CSS Scorpion, Admiral Stevens' Century class Flagship, Europa orbit

President Palmer?! Admiral Stevens here! We're reading energy fluctuations all over the planet! Defense grid is going down! Mister president?!
But no response came.

Damnit! What the hell just happened?!

No idea, Sir! All systems are down, but we're still reading lifesigns down there; everyone seems to be okay. Said a distraught operations lieutanant. Should we land and deploy our troops?

No. Prepare the fleet for battle and head for Callisto!

But sir, the President...

Isn't here! Now do as I say!

Minutes later the Separatist fleet powered up its engines, cloaked, and headed for Callisto.
The fleet reached the planet undetected, and decloaked. Becuase Callisto's defense grid had been completely annihilated in the Uprising, the planet was almost defenseless, but the Imperial patrols were still a major threat. Nevertheless, Palmer's rash action had caught them off guard.

Fire torpedos! Shouted Palmer into a fleet-wide comm system. Destroy their heavier ships!

[Terran Hegemony]

Operation Aurora Command Center

Callisto Space Center, Jupiter system

An Over-Scion at the war room began a conversation, ordering, "You got the transmission, yes? Excellent. We will need your help in overriding the computers on Europa. Do not allow for separatist hackers to launch any missiles." The other Over-Scion at the Cyberspace Department consented, and work began to sabotage the separatist network...

Ha! That'll knock them out for sure! Marshal Mason was now more upbeat than a few hours before, even confident.

Then the Emperor spoke. Our LZ will be two miles due south of Mount Henry. We have reports the Seps are launching heavy attacks on the Loyalist compound and they're about to be overrun. We'll hit the ground hard and fast, secure the area, and regroup with James.

We'll get it done, Sir. We've been training for decades; it shouldn't take long. If my dear brother doesn't screw up, as usual. Said Serena, her voice dripping with contempt.
I admit he's a jackass, but right now he's all we've got. Redfield disdainfully said. And if he does screw up, I'll let you 'handle' him.

So, 7th Fleet will bomb Narva and Frederikshald, destroy their nuclear installations and their defensive positions. Then we send the fighters to mop up their ground forces, supported by the drone fleet. Correct? Harlow stated. Their nanobots are of some concern, but a high-intensity EMP bombardment should render them useless.

The strategy meeting was suddenly interrupted by a gruffy Starfleet colonel who ran into the sound bubble, shoved admiral Harlow away from the control panel, and shouted
Show local grid, 2102-64, sector 5! Emergency clearance!

The imaging board changed its two-dimensional map of Europa to a three-dimensional view of nearly a thousand starships engaged in heavy fighting.

What in the name of... How can this be?!
Marshal Mason grabbed the image of an Imperial Excalibur which was being torn apart by torpedo strikes.

Those cowardly bastards! Harlow's face turned red with rage. Launch the task force! Destroy those traitors' ships He turned to face the Crucilandian CIC.
Seems like your strategy didn't have quite the desired effect, Scion. Move your fleet into firing range, or we won't have a taskforce left to fight with!

The Imperial commanders grabbed their guns, and ran out of the sound bubble, into a cacophony of sirens, running marines and shouting officers.

The Emperor stopped for a minute to look at a viewscreen that depicted the battle. A VI announcer was giving out battle reports through speakers in the walls, as the Escalibur from the war room exploded. ISS Ranger is down! Repeat, the Ranger is down! Enterprise and Procyon are engaging enemy Hyperion; Separatist Defiant has just exploded!

This just got a lot more complicated... Redfield said to himself, before running to catch up with his commanders.

[Cruciland]

MJC drones are equipped with extremely focused lasers and extremely compact reactor cores similar to the zero-point energy cores provided by the Terran hegemony. The power concentrated into the lasers makes the beams solid light, causing the light to shatter on impact into many smaller beams, thus maximizing damage. The scariest part? They are alarmingly cheap and expendable.

Terran war room
"James Manson," reported the Over-Scion spearheading the Cyberspace Department's efforts as he spoke with the Over-Scion that had contacted him in the war room. "All grids are down. The entire planet has gone black. Even better yet, their paranoid forces are out besieging Callisto, leaving their capital powerless and defenseless. However, there is a problem. The hegemony cannot maintain its task force against the separatists and needs our help." James Manson nodded, chuckling profusely at the opportunity. "Abandoning their capital was a very grave mistake. Let us turn their attention elsewhere to, say, THEIR CAPITAL! Begin the attack at once! The eastern hemisphere of Europa shall burn on this day!"

Europa, separatist-controlled region
The surface of Europa was black, save for where the loyalists occupied. The ominous red glow of Jupiter and the bright yellow glare of the sun were the only lights now, but even they were doomed to be snuffed out. A wormhole opened, spilling out of it an enormous cloud of MJC drones. The drones swept over the eastern hemisphere, closing in on Alstedt, the separatist capital. The hordes of drones were like massive storm clouds, blotting out the sun. However, the sheer volume of drones was more than just an intimidation tactic. As they begun to cover the outskirts of the capital in darkness, a million points of light exploded from the cloud. They begun to incinerate the ground below, giving birth to a new terrible light; the orange light of burning buildings...

...Cruciland's pragmatic incursion on Europa had begun.

[The Illusive Mans Cerberus]

the Cerberus cruisers indomitable, wrath of Cerberus. justice, praetorian and the balance of power exited from faster then light travel the captain of the indomitable said com the Cruciland forces Cerberus forces en route eta four solar hours

[Terran Hegemony]

ISS Redemption, Terran taskforce command ship

High Europa orbit

Admiral Harlow's fleet had joined the battle with the Separatist Navy. Emperor Redfield and amdiral Harlwo stood in Redemption's CIC, giving orders to the fleet fighting around them, and directing Jmaes Mason's army on the ground.

Second squadron, Third squadron, move to the right of the enemy fleet at even level, pincer move! Fourth squadron, launch attack fron above and below! Fisrt and fifth squadrons on me! We're going in! Harlow shouted into his comm link. As the fleet moved into position, a message was coming in from Europa's surface.

My lord, Cruciland has destroyed Alstedt's defenses and I'm moving my army into Poltava. I'm sending my air units to bomb their defenses on the Peter the Great Mountains, after that we'll march on Alstedt and destroy the Sep government. This will be much easier than I thought! Spoke an excited marshal Mason.

No thanks to yourself, dear brother. Said Serena, condescending her vrother once again.

And just what the hell are you doing here?! Mason screamed into his comm link.

Shut up, both of you! An annoyed Redfield perched his eye into the viewscreen. James, I need you to take control of their nuclear stockpiles as soon as you can! I don't want them detonation the damn things!

Solid copy. Will attack at once! Mason out.

By now, the Terran fleet was pushing the Separatist Navy back. Torpedos and light bolts were flying left and right, and admiral Harlow's swift response proved too much for Stevens; his fleet buckling under the Imperials' sheer weight.

Sir, we just lost an Armageddon, and the carrier Norway has taken severe damage. Enemy fleet has lost 3 Galaxies, one Dauntless is down and another one disabled, and we've destroyed six Intrepids. Their attack is starting to fall apart! Reported Redemption's captain to the admiral.

Tell the fleet to surround them, and begin torpedo volleys at minimal range. Let's finish this!

After Harlow finished talking, the Redemption started shaking violently, and sparks were flying about the bridge.

Enemy fighters! All weapon power to the AFDS, and break formation! Head for the enemy flagship! Harlow ordered.

As the Redemption jumped forward into the Separatist fleet, an Excalibur was closing in behind them.

Redemption's tactical officer opened a comm channel: Excalibur class vessel, we need you to suppres heavy targets so we can...

That was when the first torpedos hit Redemption's stern.

[The Illusive Mans Cerberus]

comms to terran imperial fleet from Cerberus general oleg zucovsky cerberus force inbound we will bring the dreadnought wars benediction with us

[Terran Hegemony Colonies]

Separatish Headquarters

Alstedt, Europa

The glow of burning buildings was the only source of light in the Headquarters' War Room.

Where did all those drones come from?! The Empire must've sent a wuarter of its drone fleet here! President Palmer was close to panicking, and was histerically screaming in minister Steele's face.

Those aren't Terran drones, mister President! They're alien! Said Steele, his voice stoic, but sweat clearly dripping from his face.

Does this mean another invasion? General Cartwright nervously asked.

We'll never know without the data feeds, Answered Steele, But our own drones are engaging them. Look!

Cartwright pointed out the window, where thousands of drones were closing in around the attacking swarm. Seconds later, over a hundred thousand antimatter missile slammed into the Crucilandian drones.

Are the nanobots still repairing the damage! Palmer demanded to no one in particular.

An older colonel said They're dousing the fires and repairing the damage. Our soldiers are being revived, but at least 300.000 are gone for good.

Son of a... Palmer started. Any word on Stevens' fleet?

Nothing yet, Sir. Said the colonel.

Then all is lost... Palmer said grimly. As his commanders stood quietly, taking in this rapid turn of the tide, Palmer's muscles tensed, his looks hardened and he grabbed hold of Cartwright.
If we go down, we're taking them with us. Go to Narva, and self-destruct the nukes. Palmer spoke without emotion.

But sir, the all we did was in vain! If we fail now Humanity is doomed! stuttered a mortified Cartwright.

Do as I say. Steele, you go to Frederikshald and do the same.

Cartwright and Steele resigned themselves, and slowly headed for the garage.

Not a minute after they had left, the first volley struck Headquarters.


CSS Scorpion, Europa orbit.

Sir, the Terran fleet is holding us back, but we're holding out. reported Scorpion's tactical officer.

Order all ships to break formation and engage the Terrans separately. Admiral Stevens commanded.

Thirty minutes later..

Status report! yelled Stevens to the tactical officer.

It's no good, sir! We've been completely surrounded! Most ships are cut off from each otehr and we're taking heavy losses! The majority of our fighters are gone, and we're taking serious damage. We'll have to break out and regroup if we want to survive this!

Let's take a look... Oh! Their flagship is headed right for us! Stevens smirked. How cute! Tell the Cornwall to destroy it, then pull all forces back to Alstedt.

Got it! the officer said, followed by a firghtfulo squeal. They just took out our last Akira! Fighters have no place to land!

Then use them to cover our retreat. This battle is lost...

But sir, sacrificing all our pilots?...

It's either them or all of us! All ships, retreat!

[Terran Hegemony]

Callisto Space Center

20 minutes after the battle

Even though the Redemption suffered heavy damage, they managed to destroy their attacker, the dreadnought CSS Cornwall; but weren't able to continue their attack on the Scorpion.. After some skirmishing with the retreating Separatist fleet, the Imperial 7th Fleet returned to Callisto Space Center for repairs and fresh crew members.

In the main city, the ground forces were parading towards the Center to embark, the Milittary Anthem blasting through speakers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omm3QPMqyjc&feature=related

We've compiled a damage report, Sir. A thrity-some but gritty looking analyst told the Emperor. Casualties are lighter than we expected.

lay it on me. Said emperor Redfield, still tired from the hectic battle.

On our side, two Akiras were damaged; 3 Armageddons were destroyes, one damaged; Redemption is the only damaged Century; we lost two dauntless classes; one Defiant was damaged; one Excalibur destroyed and one damaged; 4 Intrepids destroyed, two Novas seriously damaged and one Prometheus destroyed. All in all, about 4000 dead.

Better than I hoped, but still too many. Redfield said. How many Separatists were taken out?

In the battle, 8 Akiras and all their fighters, 12 Armageddons, 3 Centuries, 5 Dauntlesses, 4 Defiants, 3 Excaliburs and about a hundred smaller ships; losses are estimated at fifteen thousand men.

Excellent! Harlow exclaimed, They won't recover from that anytime soon!

What's the situation on the ground? Serena asked.

Alstedt is burning, hundreds of thousands are likely dead, though the Sep drones have decimated the Crucilandian swarm. Mount Henry is still under heavy attack, but marshal Mason is holding out; he'll be able to strike Narva and Frederikshald within hours. Still, without that EMP bombardment, the nanobits will repair all stryuctural damage, In fact, they're restoring Alstedt as we speak. But their headquarters has been completely destroyed and the Sep leadership is likely dead.

Prefect! Then all we have to do is mop 'em up, they'll be disorganized withoutn their leaders. Serena was getting escited at the thought of outscoring her brother James. We'll have them on the ropes in no time!

Then, let us depart for Europa at once! Make the call. Redfield said to Harlow.

Will do, Sir.
And with that, Harlow ran off to assemble his fleet.

[Cruciland]

Do not forget that we are the reigning champions of nanotechnology. Watch this...

Alstedt
The MJC drones were hit hard by the antimatter strike, and turned their attention to obliterating the intercepting drones. Shouldn't the Cyberspace Department already disabled ALL of the electronics? The sudden interception was indeed infuriating, but it would not matter; the MJC drones descended upon the burning capital, smashing through buildings and leaving nanomechanical residue behind. The Crucilandian nanobots were arguably the most powerful form of phlebotinum known, and their dispersal resulted in the separatist nanomachines being devoured. Instead of repairing, the new nanomachines dissolved the buildings to form new drones to replace those destroyed by the missiles. The enormous cloud of drones now began to flank the separatist drones, engulfing them in a torrent of hard light, until the cloud had formed a complete shell around them...

...like a dragon swallowing a knight.

Terran war room
"Master Manson," reported a MJC Under-Scion to the Over-Scion in the flagship's war room. "Alstedt is in ruins. The only thing stopping us from wiping it completely off the planet is the nanomachines." The Over-Scion calmly replied, "Yet, our drones are more than capable of defecting them to us, are they not?" "Of course," grinned the Under-Scion. "Also, it is reported that the separatist fleets are in retreat." The Over-Scion grew suspicious. "Where to?"

"Alstedt, Master Manson. Just as planned."

[Terran Hegemony Colonies]

Command Bunker, Alstedt Ruins

Inside a secret bunker, half a mile underneath the pile of dust that was once the Separatist Headquarters, a now completely delirious president Palmer was screaming orders to nonexistent generals, telling obliterated divisions to protect destroyed locations. The handful of rebel officers that has survived the attack on Alstedt had already given up hope, and were prepping to launch an escape shuttle to travel to Callisto and surrender.

General Harris, take your tanks and reclaim the souther quarter! Shouted palmer.
Harris had been killed in the bombardment.
McMullen get to Frederikshald and see why the nukes havent been detonated, immediately!!

General McMullen quietly walked up to Palmer, drew his pistol, and pressed it against the insane President's head. McMullen looke at general Aleksandr Walczak for approval; Walczak nodded.
McMullen pulled the trigger, turning Palemr's face into a million bits of blood and gore.

Any objections? McMullen said to the survivors. He was met only with silence.

Then let's get the hell out of here! Walczak ordered.

Quietly, their eyes cast down in defeat, the Separatist leaders boarded their shuttle and took off, hoping the Emperor wouldn't have them executed. Upon exiting the bunker's launch tube, only fire, ashes and rubble indicated that there was a city here not an hour ago. While the last drones were shot to bits in a hail of fire, the shuttle went to relativistic speed and set course for Callisto Space Center.

Low Europa orbit, near Alstedt

Admiral! Look! The city!

Good grief, there's nothing left of it!
Admiral Stevens now understood their cause was truly lost, but refused to go down without a fight.
Stevens to all ships! We will move into firing range and destroy the Crucilandian drones! Then we'll begin bombarding Mount Henry, before launching an all-out assault... on Earth.

It was at this moment that nearly 300 Crucilandian battleships came out of a wormhole very close to the Separatist fleet. 27 of Stevens' ships exploded before they could respond.

My God! There's no stopping them! A terrified officer exclaimed.

In that case: all ships, RAMMING SPEED!

And then the remnants of the Defense Grid reactivated. 10 ion cannons directed their deadly power at the Crucilandian fleet...

Frederikshald

Minister Steele entered the nuclear bunker, wasting no time at ordering the personnel to begin overriding the missiles' safeguards. Although self-destructing a single missile would take 16 hours of preparation, there was no way marshal Mason would reach the city in time. Steele sighed deeply, and went into Launch Control to help the engineers.

In the missile base at Narva, no such preparations were being made. General Cartwright had been killed by a drone attack launched from Mount Henry halfway there.

Mount Henry
Plane after plane was shot down by Mount Henry's SAM sites, and the Separatist tanks were blowing up by the hundreds. Their artillery couldn't breach the mountain's ablative armor, although the shields were down. Sep infantry forces were wiped out brigades at a time. James Mason was a fool, but unfortunately for the Separatists, certainly not stupid.

A miracle was needed to turn the tide for the Separatist army besieging Mount Henry, and fast!
That miracle came.

In the Bohemian Ocean, a Revenge class nuclear missile cruiser launched 6 units at Mount Henry. The missiles had reached Mach 8 when the mountain came into view; too fast for its SAM sited to track.
The first missile destroyed part of the armor. The second blew out the side of the mountain. The following four ripped even more parts into pieces. The seventh struck the mountain core, making it crack and split, sending the entire western part sliding down. The final missile slammed into the top, breaking the last coherence and making Mount Henry collapse, crushing most of the facilities within.

[Cruciland]

Command Bunker, Alstedt Ruins

Inside a secret bunker, half a mile underneath the pile of dust that was once the Separatist Headquarters, a now completely delirious president Palmer was screaming orders to nonexistent generals, telling obliterated divisions to protect destroyed locations. The handful of rebel officers that has survived the attack on Alstedt had already given up hope, and were prepping to launch an escape shuttle to travel to Callisto and surrender.

General Harris, take your tanks and reclaim the souther quarter! Shouted palmer.
Harris had been killed in the bombardment.
McMullen get to Frederikshald and see why the nukes havent been detonated, immediately!!

General McMullen quietly walked up to Palmer, drew his pistol, and pressed it against the insane President's head. McMullen looke at general Aleksandr Walczak for approval; Walczak nodded.
McMullen pulled the trigger, turning Palemr's face into a million bits of blood and gore.

Any objections? McMullen said to the survivors. He was met only with silence.

Then let's get the hell out of here! Walczak ordered.

Quietly, their eyes cast down in defeat, the Separatist leaders boarded their shuttle and took off, hoping the Emperor wouldn't have them executed. Upon exiting the bunker's launch tube, only fire, ashes and rubble indicated that there was a city here not an hour ago. While the last drones were shot to bits in a hail of fire, the shuttle went to relativistic speed and set course for Callisto Space Center.

Low Europa orbit, near Alstedt

Admiral! Look! The city!

Good grief, there's nothing left of it!
Admiral Stevens now understood their cause was truly lost, but refused to go down without a fight.
Stevens to all ships! We will move into firing range and destroy the Crucilandian drones! Then we'll begin bombarding Mount Henry, before launching an all-out assault... on Earth.

It was at this moment that nearly 300 Crucilandian battleships came out of a wormhole very close to the Separatist fleet. 27 of Stevens' ships exploded before they could respond.

My God! There's no stopping them! A terrified officer exclaimed.

In that case: all ships, RAMMING SPEED!

And then the remnants of the Defense Grid reactivated. 10 ion cannons directed their deadly power at the Crucilandian fleet...

Frederikshald

Minister Steele entered the nuclear bunker, wasting no time at ordering the personnel to begin overriding the missiles' safeguards. Although self-destructing a single missile would take 16 hours of preparation, there was no way marshal Mason would reach the city in time. Steele sighed deeply, and went into Launch Control to help the engineers.

In the missile base at Narva, no such preparations were being made. General Cartwright had been killed by a drone attack launched from Mount Henry halfway there.

Mount Henry
Plane after plane was shot down by Mount Henry's SAM sites, and the Separatist tanks were blowing up by the hundreds. Their artillery couldn't breach the mountain's ablative armor, although the shields were down. Sep infantry forces were wiped out brigades at a time. James Mason was a fool, but unfortunately for the Separatists, certainly not stupid.

A miracle was needed to turn the tide for the Separatist army besieging Mount Henry, and fast!
That miracle came.

In the Bohemian Ocean, a Revenge class nuclear missile cruiser launched 6 units at Mount Henry. The missiles had reached Mach 8 when the mountain came into view; too fast for its SAM sited to track.
The first missile destroyed part of the armor. The second blew out the side of the mountain. The following four ripped even more parts into pieces. The seventh struck the mountain core, making it crack and split, sending the entire western part sliding down. The final missile slammed into the top, breaking the last coherence and making Mount Henry collapse, crushing most of the facilities within.

Um, that was not our fleet that came out. That was Mans Cerberus'.

Above Alstedt
The MJC drones ceased fire after leaving nothing but fire and smoke where Alstedt had stood, the cloud regenerated from scattering grey goo to replace lost drones. They precariously turned to face the separatist fleet, and an almost intangible sadism could be felt as the massive cloud advanced towards the fleet, firing off millions of high-powered lasers. Combined with Mans Cerberus' fleet, there would hopefully be nothing left for the separatists. This hope was being made ever more certain as the innumerable points of light overloaded shields, shredded through armor, and overwhelmed vessels.

[Terran Hegemony]

Mount Henry

Europa

Marshal Mason pulled himself out from under the pile of ceiling struts and pieces of wall that had buried most of the Command Center. He was only lightly injured, and the nanobots were busy repairing his skin and reforming his blood. Many others weren't as lucky. The floor was littered with blood; in fact, blood was still seeping from the bodies of the dead and dying. Muffled screams and moans, combined with the crisping of many electrical fires made the Command Center into a morgue.
A loud shout of pain came from the corner, and two hands flung away a piece of debris, revealing his second-in-command, major-general Carl Magnus.

Carl! You okay?

Guess so... urgh... Can't say that 'bout most of the others. We'd better check for survivors.

A grimy lieutenant stubled into the reamins of the Command Center.
Marshal, we've been overrun! Enemy troops are inside the complex; we won't hold them back for long!

Is the comms system still working? Mason asked.

Parts of it, mainly in the lower regions. Said the lieutenant.

Right. You get on it and tell everyone to retreat to the underground parts of the base and seal it off when you must!

Yes, Sir! Said the lieutenant. He walked over to the PA announcer's chair, pushed the body off' it, and began the broadcast.

What about the others, James?!

There's nothing we can do for them anymore! Those who aren't dead will soon be, whether we get them into the tunnels or not! Said marshal Mason, his once powerful voice turned sad. We've got to get down to the tunnels before they lock the place down! We've got to reorganize if any of us are to make it out alive.

Mason and Magnus picked up their rifles, and walked out of the command center. The moans of the dying were already growing fainter, and now Carl knew that James was right. They could've done nothing.


Europa orbit

The Imperial fleet had joined the Crucilandian drone swarm in the annihilation of the Separatist navy. The Cerberus reinforcements were taking on the dreadnoughts and battleships, while the Terrans focused fire on their lighter ships.

Despite losing hundreds of ships in a mere two minutes, the Separatists kept firing everything they had, focusing everything on the Crucilandian drone swarm.
The Crucilandiann main fleet, caught off guard by the reactivated ion cannons, had moved out of range and was now overseeing the final destruction of the Separatist Navy.
In the middle of all this, the ion cannons kept firing, indifferently blasting through allied ships to hit the drones.

ISS Redemption

Emperor Redfield was speaking to the Scions commanding the attack on Europa at Starboro Citadel.

Everything you've done so far is most impressive, a slightly envious Emperor said, but from now on, no more annihilating cities. Alstedt was the enemy hub, but there's a lot of friendly civilians down there we need to rescue. His tone got more demanding. So only fire on military targets!

[Terran Hegemony Colonies]

Many things happened in a short timespan.

CSS Scorpion

Admiral Stevens was numbed and badly wounded by the explosions all over the wrangled piece of titanium that used to be the Scorpion.
The attacking drones had turned his ship into a site of carnage; all his ships were gone and he could feel the life draining out of his body.
But still he wasn't giving up.

Damn... It wasn't supposed to end like this... but I guess... I'll go out with a bang, no? Stevens chuckled, heard only by the ghosts of his dead bridge crew.

He walked over to the Ship Master Control panel and stroked some keys, only to find that the panle wasn't working.

No, shit! Stevens yelled, before being caught in another blast.

As he lay dying, he directed his last brainwaves into a series of commands for the central computer.

Two seconds later, the warp core detonated, caising a tremendous explosion that enveloped the drones around the remains of the Separatist fleet, and rapidly expanded. As most of the Terran and Cerberus ships quickly went to FTL, a few were still caught in the explosion and torn to shreds.

Meanwhile, at the remains of Mount Henry, the Loyalist paremeter had finally been overrun, and soldiers were pouring in by the thiusands. Still, heavy fighting remained, and most of the survivors had retreated underground into a tunnel system the attacking forces hadn't the heavy weapons to crack open.

Although Alstedt was gone, the war was far from over.

To add insult to injury, the Apocalypse Grid reactivated. Above Alstedt, the Crucilandians found out the meaning of the proverb 'Terrans never miss' the hard way.



In Frederikshald, 15 hours were left before missiles would be self-destructed.

[The Illusive Mans Cerberus]

a cerberus task force dropped out of f.t.l the task force was composed of
10 redeemer class frigates
5 more cruisers
and one dreadnought wars benediction

coms to imperial terran forces cerberus general oleg zuckovisky here where are our forces needed

general snapped a sesanor operator the cruiser wrath of cerberus is heavily dammaged

[Terran Hegemony]

ISS Redemption

My lord! Cerberus squadron is here to assist! Incoming message, sir.

Ah, excellent! Admiral Harlow thought. Put them on.

Comms to Imperial Terran forces; Cerberus general Oleg Zuckovisky here. Where are our forces needed?

General Zuckovsky, we have reason to believe the enemy is going to self-destruct the nuclear missile stock at Frederikshald. We may only have a few hours before they override the failsafes, you've got to get your men into that bunker and kill the operators! Be wanred, their anti-air defenses are back online but only weakly. Bombing by frigates should suffice to destroy their FLAK. Expect heavy resistance on the ground so keep your cruisers firing once you clear their defenses. We'll begin EMP bombardment as soon as the ion cannons hare hacked again. Good luck! Harlow out.

Redemption conference room

Emperor Redfield and marshal Mason sat at one side of the main table; on the other end: generals McMullen and Walczak.
Two guards stood outside guarding the entrance, and two more were inside, as well as four lower Separatist officers, who appeared completely oblivious to everything around them.

So, give me one good reason not to summarily execute you. Redfield said to McMullen in a deadpan voice.

We only followed Palmer because we thought he'd protect us from the aliens! In 2177 Imperial Command failed to respond to the Assembly's invasion, and look what happened to Earth! McMullen spouted.

You forgot to mention we burned their capital, scorched their industrial centers, and sparked a civil war that ended in the Assembly's downfall? Mason asked McMullen.

This is true, but the price we paid was too high. And we had to ally with other species, like those Crucilandian... things! Replied McMullen.

That doesn't justify you trying to nuke our allies, or completely destroying the Jupiter system! Serena furiously yelled.

True, but it was clear the Empire wasn't going to claim its rightful place, as leaders of this galaxy! Said an offended McMullen.

Spoken like a true Terran, Redfield said, but we can't survive on our own. We need allies, and I sure as hell won't let anyone dominate humanity! But still, you are traitors, and you knew the price of treason when you started your rebellion.

Let's just shoot them now! Serena whsipered into Mike's ear.

Not yet, I need to know about palmer's plans. he whispered back.

I heard that. Said Walczak, silent until now. And I can tell you Palmer is dead. McMullen here shot him in the head. But there's still a lot of resistance. Many hidden bunkers, trenches and minefields you know nothing about! If you let us live we'll tell you everything we know. Besides, have any of us ever failed you until the rebellion?

You're right about that. Very well, you keep your word, and I'll reinstate you into the Army.
Redfield sent some brainwaves into the ship's computer, giving Walczak and McMullen tactical clearance.
Dismissed.


I don't like this. They're up to something. Serena said.

Don't worry, said Mike, putting his arm around her. I can smell treason a mile away, and this ship is shorter.

Alright then. I'll give them one chance. But if they give me any reason to distrust them, I'll kill them myself!

That's a deal! Now, we better start our landings. Let's go.


Mount Henry

James Mason and Carl Magnus, commanders of a demolished mountain and a decimated army, were still putting up a stiff fight.
Somewhere in the tunnel complex, a secondary command center was housed from where they directed air strikes against the Apocalypse Grid and the cities' defenses. Airborne troops had managed to secur Narva despite heavy losses, but a counterattack was already underway. Also, there was the problem of the Separatist navy in the Bohemian Sea, and the Loyalist troops still fighting at the ruins of the mountain above.

On the main imaging board they could see the Separatist army gaining ground, and Mount Henry's defenders being pushed back ever further to the summit.
Well, guess this'll be a fight to the last man. Mason said to Magnus.

It'll take them time to breach the tunnels, we'll get our defenses in order before that. Besides, they'll lose their advantage once underground.

Still seems like a hopeless battle to me.

Maybe not! Look over there!

At the top of the board's depicted area, ten thousand Imperial drones were sweeping in; cannons blazing, repping apart Sep aircraft and tearing through their ground forces. Within seconds, the tide had turned.
Then they accelerated to top speed and headed east.

Follow those drones! Mason ordered.

The apocalypse Grid couldn't keep up with the 22.000 MPH drones, and soon enough the Separatist fleet was no more than a field of debris, floating down to the bottom of the Bohemian Sea.

[Cruciland]

Europa orbit
While the separatist fleet was in ruins, the ion cannons were not. The drone cloud was beginning to thin from the countless successful impacts, despite the drones' best efforts to stay out of the lasers' paths. The MJC Over-Scion glanced over to Frederikshald, and the drones instinctively knew what to do. "15 minutes," the Over-Scion sighed. "15 minutes before Europa gets cracked wide open. The nuclear stockpile is counting down to detonation; I am evacuating the MJC drone cloud over there, creating new drones along the way. They are small and versatile enough to enter the building and disarm them. I presume the skirmish over Alstedt is already won." The Over-Scion watched the drones warp to Frederikshald, and then cast his attention to the burning separatist fleet.

Frederikshald
The small cloud of drones that had left had taken resources from the countryside, scooping them off the ground and turning them into more drones. It enlargened, reaching 80% of its original size when it reached Frederikshald. The drones scanned for defenses and flew low over the surface, trying to avoid any AA fire. Then they glided over to where the nuclear stockpile was kept. Only 10-12 minutes were left...

[The Illusive Mans Cerberus]

General Zuckovsky, snarled to his x.o get all captains of our task force on the q.e.c now
yes sir said major Kai leng

frigates i want heavy bombardment on their anti air defenses cruiser get in position for heavy orbital bombardment on all hostile forces in range i want a landing zone cleared for the 101st light assault regiment
also some one aid the wrath of Cerberus
yes sir snapped the captains

[Terran Hegemony Colonies]

4 Hours ago

A flight of Cerberus warships had succesfully destroyed the Apocalypse Grid around Narva, and two companies of elite troops were dropped in. Fighting their way into the nuclear command bunker, Cerberus forces secured the launch controls in less than half an hour, effectively halving the Separatist nuclear threat. Although the Army was now assaulting Cerberus positions, Loyalist civilians had begun to take their cities back.


3 Hours ago

The Imperial ground troops had landed outside Poltava, after launching EMP bombs across the entire planet wiping out most of the nanobots and frying the remains of the Apocalypse Grid, but sparing the Crucilandian JMC drones. Resistance in Poltava was heavy, but due to the nanobots being nonfunctional, and outnumbered ten to one by angry civilians, most of Poltava was secured in less than two hours.


Present time

In the Frederikshald nuclear command bunker, all power went out.

No! Not again! Not this close to detonation!
Minister Steele lost his grip, and tumbled down the catwalk he was standing on, falling into the pitch-black launch tube.
Ow! Damnit! Steele reached for his flashlight and pushed it on. Nothing happened.

Can someone get a flashlight down here?!

Mine isn't wirking, minister! Said one voice.

Mine is neither! Said a surprised other.

Well, the grid went down once already today; it'll get back up soon enough. Steele said, trying to get back up. Argh! My damn leg's broken!

Sorry sir, there's now way we can get down to you!

Alright then, go look for candles. But be very careful!

Will do, sir!

Damn it!!! Steele pounded his fists on the floor, sending a pang of pain through his arms. Right... it's titanium... Stupid man, Jason!

[The Illusive Mans Cerberus]

major kai leng swore fuck we are getting hit hard by the separatists where the fuck is our atlas division he snarled captain sterling get me god damn coms with the general as of five minutes ago yes sir said the young captain

general the 101st cant hold we need atlas support or hammerheads the enemy is counter attacking quicker then anticipated the general said we have no hammerhead tanks or atlases in system i will contact the terren empire to see if they can reenforce your positions

coms to terren empire from Cerberus general oleg Zuckovisky

Cerberus ground forces are in need of immediate armored support we rushed here with out bringing an Atlas wing or an hammerhead regiment end coms
tactical the general snapped our allies want Breitenfeld reduced to dust i want the benediction to bombard that seperatist postion until they beg for mercy

yes sir said the tactical officer