OOC The idea of this thread is that after many years of Isolation the Nine Star Coalition, the descendants of the old Tannelornian federation, feel ready to reclaim some of their old holdings. To do this, first we must clear many of the pirates that infest the Gamma quadrant. In doing so we will likely encounter some of the other nations in gamma who may, or may not appreciate us crashing their territory to kill pirates. If you wish to join in, there's plenty of ways you can, from having a flotilla, or group of pirates enter your territory mobilising your forces, to simply noticing what happened at Senedven and coming to investigate, really anything you can think of.
Vigilance sound, Sector head quarters for the Nine Star Coalition Home Guard Spacy
Admiral Iskandor Singh marched briskly down the hallways of Endurance, the largest battlestation in the system. He was not a particularly tall man, with slightly dark skin, black hair and unremarkable features. If not for his pressed white dress uniform, Tunic inlaid with silver filigree and buttons, one might think him a simple rating going about his business. What he lacked in charisma however, he more then made up for in his superhuman administrative abilities. As he prepared to enter the communication chamber, he adjusted his high red collar and took a deep breath.
As the door opened he released it. There in the middle of the room was a larger then life holographic representation of Star Marshall Dylan Abbarakh. His far too young features curled in to a sneer of barely concealed contempt at admiral Singh. He wore the same uniform as Admiral Singh, which accented his long red curls framing his high cheekbones, and his usual boyish features were masked by anger, giving him a predatory Mien.
"You are late, Admiral. I did not spend the last sixteen hours deliberating with the idiots on the council to have to waste precious minutes waiting. I trust you recieved and read the report in the time it took for you to arrive to this meeting." Star Marshall Abbarakh
said condescendingly. Admiral Singhs eyes narrowed angrily at the comment, but he knew better then to react to the Star marshall, supreme commander of the Nine Stars Coalition military forces. The last time he had done that he had been reassigned from the bridge of the Claiom Solais, one of the nine star coalitions twelve Dreadnoughts, and the pride of the Prefecture regions armada, to oversseing the vigilance sound drydocks.
"How may I serve the Coalition, Star Marshall." he responded to the Star Marshall with a warm smile. "The reserves are to be called up, you shall get to work converting the oldest heavy frigate hulls to carriers, older hulls are to be made useful in whatever way you are able to. Nothing shall be wasted." The Sky Marshall's tone was far less agitated now. "Am I to take it these..ludicrous reports are true, Sky Marshall, and not the fabrication of an intelligence agency desperately searching for relevance?" Abbarakh chuckled softly in response to Admiral Singh's question. "Yes, and more. We drastically underestimated the galactic strategic situation we were stepping in to. Operations Halcyon and Renewal are to be launched immediately. our survival may depend upon it." Admiral Singh tried to mask his chortle with a cough. "Dylan, they are too far away to be our concern, are they not? regardless of these other...worrying numbers, are we to attempt to carry out two dangerous and possibly provocative actions while attempting a military build up. It does not make any sense." The Admiral was dangerous close to laughter at the situation.
The holographic projection of Sky Marshall Abbarakh folded its arms across its chest and narrowed its eyes at the Admiral. "The mass train is failing, Admiral. It will not be able to continue to adapt. The designs produced by it are centuries old and without the original schematics and control systems, the Directorate will not make any attempts to alter it. They fear a self replicating nightmare leading to extinction of all life in this galaxy. So it is now up to us to find another way to use what remains to us, to either master the technology or to find another way. You recieved have your orders manifest, get to work." The holographic display suddenly winked out of existence.
"Fucking cunt." Admiral Singh hissed as the communique ended. His orders were clear, he was going to have to activate the fleet as well as notify the nearly a hundred thousand...trained...Heavy HMAF crews under his jurisdiction in the Prefecture military Region, that they are to report to training immediately. That was the least of his problems, his greatest problem was going to be telling Lord Explorator Lewynna Nenethi, that she was going to be accompanied back to the Sol system with a large military contingent..and that returning to the southern graveyard on mars was going to be a part of the mission...
Operation Renewal
The Alomeathi "Imperium" cruiser Acquisitor was accelerating at full burn, evading madly to escape the hell storm they had found themselves in. The Flotilla from the Alomeathi Imperium had stumbled upon what they thought was easy prey. A convoy of merchant ships attempting to evade the Emperor Tervid Alomeath's taxes. Of course the Emperor was little more then a pirate who used weapons given to him to protect his people, themselves refugees, to take over a small, peaceful planet and despoil it. Within a few years his "empire" controlled six star systems and a fleet of hundreds of warships. Most of the captains and crews were loyal to the plunder and freedom to ac as they please, then to the Alomeathi imperium itself.
When the convoy ran, they chased it deep in to the debris belt circling an unnamed, greenish brown Gas giant, the remnants of many of its moons, which smashed themselves to pieces upon each other early in the systems history. The pirates fanned out, trying to find the ships once more. When they did it had been too late. From all directions they suddenly found themselves assailed by Xaser and Graser blasts from unknown sources. They had been so intent on their prey that they had completely failed to see the weapon systems hidden amongst the many drifting rocks and planetoid's. Had they noticed, it would have made little difference. The moment they commited to their attack on the "cornered" merchant vessels they were doomed.
As the flotilla descended upon the merchants from all directions like a pack of wolves, they found their targets disappearing, replaced by a few siphonophore chain-drones...and death. The Acquisitor made their escape as soon as they realised the peril they faced, abandoning their fellows. After nearly a minute they slowed their maneuvering, certain they had escaped they deadly cross fire..until a blinding flash burnt out their rear sensors and the entire ship shuddered before losing main power. Minutes passed before loud knocking could be heard outside of their hulls. The pirates inside didn't even bother to put up a fight, surrendering to the first Wardens to enter the ship, without a fight.
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A dagger shaped shaped snub fighter maneuvered desperately past the burning, tumbling wrecks of a pair of armed freighters, which had attempted to stand against the vast fleet that had suddenly descended upon the crown world of Alomeath. It desperately tossed itself around, trying to escape the massive Solar Ray light HMAF's pursuing it. It didnt make it far, it was overtaken and overpowered, within seconds the pirate fighter was an imploding wreck.
Thousands of nine star coalition war ships had attacked their fleets as they loitered in the system, or at least it appeared that way. Marshall Gerhard Schmidt had decided to not only crush these pirate scum, but to send a message to the rest of the quadrant. The Nine Star Coalition was here, and it would not back down from any adversary, nor would they allow suffering injustice to continue to be the currency of gamma, and they would punish those that profit from it.
He had less then a hundred vessels for the attack, but siphonophore drone-chains were in large supply. He had sent thousands of the chains ahead of the ships, letting them mimic the mass and image of typical Nine stars heavy frigates. The appearance of so many vessels at once tested the mettle of the pirate kings forces, and they were found wanting. Several large groups managed to flee the system before the noose was set around them. The following battle was short and bloody. The sheer firepower arrayed against the pirate fleet, as well as their ramshackle nature and lack of discipline decided the issue before any real battle could be fought.
With Alomeath space cleared they began to land on the planet, catching many of the pirate forces as they attempted to flee. The emperor himself was lynched by the people he had oppressed, by the time the Coalition forces had reached him, it was too late. He was found in seventeen pieces around his palace. Allegedly a lucky number to the native Sened.
The attack had broken the back of the Alomeathi pirate empire in northern Gamma, and was set to liberate the worlds they seized within days. Still Marshall Schmidt was not happy. nearly a third of the pirate forces escaped, and there were many potential worlds that might be in their path. If left alone they would simply set up shop somewhere else, to inflict their misery upon others. The only way to stop this threat permanently was to find and persecute those that support or profit from piracy and slavery in any form, and ensure that their actions no longer pay.
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The bridge of the Divine Salient of Light was awash with a hundred lights as hololithic displays filled the space in front of each command station. The Panoramic displays showed the scene of utter devastation encircling the tiny world of Senedven, which, which hung silently beneath them. All around them were burning vessels, or fragments of them. Many of the vessels were sliced in half by massive graser's, or hammered in to twisted wrecks by Xaser and Particle beam fire. Pieces of fighters and worst of all..the dead surrounded them, locked in a decaying orbit with the world they chose to steal for themselves, above the people they murdered and violated with wanton abandon. Every now and then a corpse passed close enough to see, a morbid reminder of the fate that awaited an unwary spacer at the hands of an enemy.
"Open communications with Captains Toruk, Vargas, Silvan and Zinmaer." The Marshall knew that if these pirates managed to escape in to the territory of another sovereign power, it could cause..headaches..if the pursuit is not undertaken with tact. The Marshall appeared middle aged, with a close cropped horse shoe and was in full heavy warden, barring the helmet now that battle had ended and the atmosphere had been restored to the vessel.
"Affirmative Marshall, they are recieving our comms. You may speak when ready." a sweet, sing songy female voice replied. He nodded to ensign Yagog, a slight Zhuk girl freshly out of training. The Marshall nodded his thanks and spoke softly. "Have your flotilla's maintained contact with the enemy forces?" Marshall Schmidt waited for their responses. Captain Toruk was the first to respond, still wearing his full battle armour. We are in full pursuit of Brigands, they are escaping rimward towards the galactic northwest." Zinmaer was next, she had removed her helm, exposing her sultry, feline features, blonde bowl cut and Seuldarin Ears, which ended in fine points. "We have placed a trace upon the enemy, we shall wait for them to reach their stronghold, then destroy them in their lair and hopefully gain intelligence on those who have been purchasing slaves from these scum." she sneered the words, her contempt clear in her tone.
"Vargas here. In pursuit" a hololithic representation of an octonoid in heavy battle armour appeared before the Marshall. Vargas was a rare case, an Octonoid captain of a heavy destroyer was almost unheard of, he was one of two Octonoid captains of a capital ship in the entire Coalition Warden Spacy including the Homeguard. It was not a matter of a racial prejudice so much as racial specialties and comfort. Octonoids preferred ships suited for octonoids, and few served amongst the Coalition Wardens forces. Vargas was a particularly efficient and cool headed commander, which meant he could be trusted to carry out the most sensitive of missions.
"Pursuing enemy fleet in to uncharted territory." Captain Zinmaers reply came purely over radio, indicating they were still under battle protocols. Marshall Schmidt was pleased, he put his elbow on his arm rest and rested his chin in his hand. "Continue pursuit and complete your mission if able to, if you encounter the forces of legitimate polities and institutions. make all effort to make peaceful contact and even work together to eliminate the remnants of the Alomeathi empire. If they prove hostile, or attempt to protect the Alomeathi, extricate yourself from the engagement and report back to command. You have full authority to persecute your missions any way you see fit. Make us proud." The Marshall ended communications and went back to reading the after actions reports.
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Each flotilla was less then a dozen warships and the foes they chased were far more numerous then they were. The Nine Star's coalition had inherited the ship building skill of the Tannelornian Federation from whom they descended, and none aboard the Warden crewed vessels doubted anything less then total victory with minimal casualties would be the outcome. At least as far as the pirates were concerned. This was the first time a Coalition ship had left their core territories in over eighty years and all aboard the ships were nervous as to what may happen next.
As the pirates split their forces, the Coalition Wardens followed. They were getting further and further apart from each other by the second and by the end of the first hour of the pursuit they knew thew would be alone. They only hoped that if they did stumble in to unknown Alien powers, that they are able to communicate their intent before any unfortunate accidents might occur..