The Quiriant
The first blasts of canister shot ripped into the incoming SCADs, shredding hundreds of SCADs as the metal pellets reached their targets and leaving small floating pieces of metal debris as the SCAD’s only remnants. Still for every SCAD torn apart from the canister shot hellfire, another SCAD filled its place as the drones began their attempt to encircle their targets from every angle until there would be SCADs 360 degrees around the vessels. The SCADs continued to fire their bursts of lasers while the the occasional DISCAD made a streaking plunge towards their target, detonating themselves against the vessel’s hull.
Captain Retting scanned the reports being relayed back to the WRS Breakwater from the SCADs already engaged, as well as from the preliminary reports from the vanguard Zarithian cruisers that had just joined the fray. Laid out before him was the holographic Battle and Reconnaissance System, or the BAR as those in the command room called it, giving real time analysis of the battle that had started. Of particular concern was the currently unidentified object that has appeared alongside the Taledonian crafts.
A woman’s voice sounded from inside the BAR, “Captain, the former U.O. has been confirmed as a space combat vessel, origin unknown. Further reports indicate that it is assisting the Taledonians and is currently firing upon our cruisers with energy based weapons. One cruiser indicates that is has taken light damage and a casualty after the energy weapon caused its shields to malfunction. The cruiser is still combat capable, sir.”
Retting allowed a slight frown to momentarily cover his face. The appearance of this foreign craft, along with their siding with the Taledonians was unfortunate as it further limited the Zarithian chances to quickly defeat the Royal Navy here and break free of the blockade.
The woman’s voice again emitted from the BAR, “Captain, the stranded alien vessel that we gave aid to is en route to join our attack and engage the enemy.”
This information replaced Retting’s frown with the smile. He knew very little about the strange creatures that they had given aid to, but their capabilities were already proven in their effective disabling of the Taledonian Hera, and he was eager to see these aliens in action.
Once more the woman’s voice came through the BAR, “Captain, entering combat range in t-minus three hundred seconds, awaiting orders, sir.”
Retting lightly spoke back to a speaker on the BAR, “Initiate engagement protocol, all hands to combat stations.” The woman relayed the order over the Breakwater’s intercom system as men and women moved about to their stations. Retting himself moved to the command deck and strapped himself into the captain’s chair. Retting activated the communications link between himself and the other Zarithian vessels, “Frigate, carriers, and cruisers maintain harassment operations, all vessels amplify shields to full power. Ships-of-the-line move into vertical line abreast formation, first-rate Breakwater will be at the center, descending rates moving aloft and underneath. Ensure that the formation maintains appropriate spacing to avoid overlapping incoming fire. Begin formation turn towards starboard side and bring about our broadsides, once in range, open fire on my command. Also, take care to avoid striking the Hera, our new friends still have one of their own aboard, and she'd make a lovely prize if we are able to capture her.”
The Zarithian ships began their advance, their hulking ships-of-the-line prototypes assuming their vertical line formation with the first-rate WRS Breakwater at the center, above it a third-rate, then a fourth-rate, and then a fifth-rate vessel with that pattern mirrored below. The Zarithians came about their broadsides at the same moment they entered firing range, and as one they released their deadly kinetic drivers upon the Taledonians and the foreign vessel. Their thunderous roar deadened only by the silence of space.