Shadow Zone (Endless Space, Closed, FT)

[Durmatagno]

Cartographer Team B5
Unknown Space, Milky Way
UTSD Galactic Year 4225

Thirteen sleek black hulls slowed to sub-light speeds as they entered their destination, the first system from a region of unexplored and uncharted space in The Milky Way. Unknown to this scouting ship, a fourteenth ship slipped into the system, smaller than the smallest frigate in the escort, a stealth frigate, come to watch the team in the field for a field effectiveness report. The smallest of the thirteen moved forward faster than the rest, eager to start mapping this first system, the other ships falling into formation around it as quickly as they can. After a few moments, the lead ship grinds to a dead halt, its captain clutching his seat as the first general scans of the system came to his attention.

"This is a broadcast to all ships in Team B5, shields up and weapons active. It........"

Nico pauses to take a deep breath and calm himself.

"It appears that we have stumbled into a ship graveyard, while no specific known models have turned up, some of these ships still have barely functioning systems. For all we know, there's a pirate base here, but, we have our orders. Stay in tight formation, and watch your backs. Protocol A-21 is now enacted, the Cartographer must make it out of here if were attacked, they'll have the most data on what happened here, keep it protected at all costs."

Nico rubs his temples as his battleships shields flared to life, the group moving to the nearest planet and begin scans. The stealth frigate hovered not far off, no weapons or shields online, all power possible pumped into its stealth systems. The group made lazy, wide orbits around the planet, scanning every inch they could.

After relaxing from his Shiva pipe, Nico stood up and stretched, and walked around the bridge, double checking the stations, and the crew manning them, as a way to soak up the extra energy coursing through his bodies since the dead ships had been sighted. After a pass around the bridge, he sat back down and began fiddling around with FTL calculations, once more just occupying his time.

The radius is at the widest portion of the ships, they have varying tapers on either end, but all are smooth and round.
Cartographer: One plasma cannon primaries, 25 TINE mines. 150 meters long, 25 meter radius
x6 W-9 Frigates: One Railgun primary, Two Xaser (phased array) secondary, 60 fission warheads (4 megatons) 250 meters long, 45 meter radius.
x5 AN-4 Frigates: One plasma cannon primary, Two railgun secondary weapons, 100 fission warheads (five megatons). 315 meters long, 50 meter radius.
x1 AMX-26 Battleship: Two Railgun primaries, three plasma cannon secondaries, three phased array xaser teritary. 60 fusion warheads (seven megatons) 1.5 kilometers long, 315 meter radius.

x1 BSM-1 Stealth Frigate: Two plasma cannon secondaries, 60 plasma missiles (two megatons) 125 meters long, 15 meter radius.

[Toishima]

Just outside Imperial Space
Outer Perimeter
Debris Field OI-342
Monogatari
Kabekage-Class Stealth Patrol Cruiser

Powered down and hidden within the debris field, the three Kabekage-Class Stealth Cruisers seemingly avoided the enemy's detection. This was the Imperial Navy's secret; Kabekage Patrols all over the outer perimeter of Imperial Space, ready to shred enemy ships with their whopping eight heavy laser lances. They also served as early warning sentries for the rest of the Imperial Navy. Quite a soldie system, in fact.

The Monogatari was the lead ship of this patrol, and as the new enemies appeared so soon after the others had been dealt with- they were in fact hiding amongst the very debris provided by those aliens- she began transmitting her signals to the Imperial Navy Defense Force so close by, fresh after the recent kill.

All three ships remained powered down and watched the enemy fleet, and would only reveal themselves after the rest of te fleet arrived and engaged them. Justice would be served.

Imperial Space
Near the Outer Perimeter
Shokaku
Akagi-Class Super-Heavy Carrier

"Kabekage Patrol KM-33 reports more unknown contacts have materialised just inside Imperial Mandate Territory, Admiral," Captain Okida reported, clutching the printout in his gnarled hand. He was far from a young man, and had thus risen through the ranks to finally command such a majestic ship as the Shokaku. Such a beautiful sight, the elongated, angular hull was not only heavily armed but also carried around 400 smaller ships. Two flight decks were located on the top side and the bottom side, though these served no purpose and were purely aesthetic in nature.

"So soon after we eradicated the last few pests? Have KM-33 remain on station. Move our fleet back to full defensive posture. I want the Niigata ready to provide long range fire. This battlegroup has seen no defeat and shall see none this day," Admiral Morita, a large yet older man with greying hair, ordered. Okida saluted and left the room. So... These pests attempt to invade our sacred space. They shall receive the traditional Imperial welcome to such sub-creatures.

In the cold darkness of space, the massive 2-kilometer-long Shokaku began turning away from the system, followed by the other fifteen ships in her fleet. Two Senryaku-Class Battleships with their hideous shark-like visages and dozens of guns flanked the much larger Shokaku, while a screen of three Niigata-Class Heavy Cruisers and three Fubuki-Class Heavy Cruisers formed a wide screen. This was further covered by an even wider screen of seven Arashi-Nii Class Destroyers, their nuclear torpedoes definitely armed and ready to wipe out more alien scum. Hagetaka and Tengu fighters darted between the ships, the hotshot pilots showing off their skills even as they watched for enemy fighters.

Weapons were loaded and armed all throughout the fleet even as it moved slowly towards the outer perimeter. Railgun cannons were loaded with heavy 520mm nuclear warheads, while most missile systems were armed and locked into firing positions. With the Toishiman fixation with nuclear weaponry, it was no surprise that over 90% of these were nuclear in nature. The rest were largely EMP weapons. Laser systems- Light 22mms for anti-fighter duty and heavy 15m-wide long-range laser lances, were plugged back into the nuclear reactors that powered each ship to begin charging for the battle ahead.

But what if the unknowns were friendly? This was utter rubbish. Toishima had no friends. At least, none that were non-human.

[Durmatagno]

The Cartographer ship signaled that it was done with the basic mapping of the planet. Its engines flared and it turned to move further in system, and escaped the orbit of the planet, then stopped, and held still as it waited for the rest of the group to catch up. Its shields flared slightly as some debris hit its shields, its railgun shot what amounted to a armor piercing slug, and blew apart a larger chunk drifting close.

"Tell Command to send us some transports with sensor sweepers on board, we're to big to search through all that wreckage."

A simple, unencrypted, unprotected transmission in galactic basic pinged out over several channels, showing the rather bored looking commander of the small ship sitting in her chair, fiddling with her console, her eyes a dark blue, and her skin much paler than most, she looked almost human, she had even caught on with the latest fad and flattened her teeth.

The battleship bundled her transmission together with its own info on the system so far, a hidden request for a few more frigates or another battleship or two to back them up.

Nico continued to fiddle around with the FTL calculations, the weapons officer using the ships secondary plasma cannons to clear a path for the bigger ship as it fell behind the test of the fleet, which was carefully picking its way to the next planet. The frigates scanning the dead ships around them, getting barely anything from the amount of objects flooding their sensors.