(06-26-2008, 06:04 AM)mwerte Wrote: From: Admiralty Review Board
To: Admiralty Members, BAF Command
CC: Vice Admiral Edmund Howe
Subject: Brief of Bretonian Rapid Response Force Prime
The Bretonian Rapid Response Force Prime is an experimental usage of the new "Leeds" class gunboat vessels. These new ships are faster and quicker then the standard gunboat class vessel, and should be able to respond to more threats.
BRRF-Prime is stationed at Southhampton Shipyard in New London. This location was selected for 3 reasons.
BRRF-Prime will, by default, protect the valuable shipyard at Southhampton.
Southhampton is 1 trade lane away from New London, 2 from Dublin, 2 from Cambridge, and 1 from Leeds. In short, it is a central location from which to base.
These gunboats are expected to be in heavy combat on a regular basis. Being stationed at Southhampton will allow them to undergo repairs on an as needed basis, not when they can be shuttled to the shipyard.
BRRF-Prime's commander is Vice Admiral Edmund Howe who proposed the idea of a rapid response force.
The HMS Nestor is captained by Commander Isacc Bringham.
The HMS Valiant is captained by Commander Carl Martin.
The HMS Rapid is captained by Commander Leslie Stymann.
Also assigned to the BRRF-Prime is 12 Templar VHFs and 12 Challenger bombers. The flotilla can be dispatched in part or in whole by Vice Admiral Howe.
All in all, the BRRF-Prime will respond to any incursions into Bretonia, and can even be deployed in counter-offensive measures against Gallia. The goal of this force is to reduce the amount of stress placed on local garrisons who are forced to respond to any multitude of threats. By transferring low and medium class incidents to the BRRF, our garrisons and fleets will be able to concentrate on responding appropriately to any Gallic force.
This is still an experimental group and plan, and as such it is being carefully monitored by the Admiralty.
For two weeks now a Corsair taskforce had preyed on shipping vessels heading out of New London into Cambridge or Manchester. So the BAF set up a series of traps using trade vessels with military grade armor and shields to draw out the Corsairs. Then the BAF would pounce.
Unfortunately the Corsairs somehow knew of the trap and instead of bringing a few fighters or bombers they brought in three gunboats, a cruiser, and a wing of fighters just to crush the BAF trap. On the tradelane between Kensington Shipping Platform and the Manchester JumpGate the Corsairs sprung their trap.
The two bait trains were pulled out of the trade lane as expected and an automated signal was sent to the BAF attack force. The two squadrons of Templars and two gunboats set off to rescue the beleaguered trains, leaving a squad of Challengers behind as a reserve.
With the Praefect's immense firepower the Corsairs crushed even the military grade shields. The trains were destroyed so quickly they never had a chance to warn the Armed Forces of the trap. The two gunboats rushed right into the waiting guns of the Praefect and the three Corsair gunboats.
"We need help!" Shouted the commander of the Reliable. "Call in all available ships. Now!"
"This is Strike Force NL Delta-1, the HMS Reliable, calling all available BAF vessels to sector B7. There is a Corsair fleet engaging us!"
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Lt. James Nicco of the Bretonian Rapid Response Force Prime Command Center processed the message and datastream that accompanied it.
"Sir! You need to see this" he shouted as he called over Vice Admiral Edmund Howe.
"My god man! Send out all ships, Code alert: Orange."
Commander Isacc Bringham rushed onto the bridge and almost collided with his first mate; Sarah Byfield.
"Gosh Sarah, I'm so sorry."
"It's alright Commander, and we are ready to launch."
"Ok, take us out, engage cruise engines and get us to the last reported position of Strike Force NL Delta-1."
"Sir yes sir!"
Isacc sat back in his chair and waited. Backed by 3 years of experience as a first mate and 8 months commanding the Nestor he was quite calm, even when going into near-impossible situations like this one. Strike Force NL Delta had managed to relay information on the Corsair's fleet to BAF Command, who routed it to Vice Admiral Edmund Howe, who distributed it to his units.
"Sarah, what fighters do we have with us?"
"We were each assigned one squad of fighters and one squad of bombers sir!"
"Very well, and what is the status of the Rapid and the Valiant?"
"Valiant is right off our starboard flank but Rapid is having a slight problem with her engines and is slowing down. She's sending her squadrons on ahead with us though."
"Well that's not good...." Going into battle against a superior force was bad enough, but when your force was at 2/3 strength...
"This might get ugly... Commander Byfield! What is the status of Strike Force NL Delta?"
"Unknown sir, at last transmission the second gunboat had been knocked out and the Challenger and Templar squadrons were disorganized. The lead gunboat, the Reliable, has evaded total destruction but is badly hurt."
"I want communication with those fighter pilots as soon as we can, we're going to need them and we're going to need them organized."
"As soon as we can sir."
As Nestor and Valiant came across the initial point of contact they saw before them 2 shattered and burnt trains, and the fragments of a gunboat. Templar and Titan pieces floated everywhere.
"Ok...Commander Byfield, tell Rapid that she is to come here and retrieve all the escape pods that she can, then she's going to follow us. Second, see if you can track any engine signals from the Corsairs or Strike Force NL Delta. Then send a squad of Templars ahead as fast as they can to try and make contact. Finally, tell BAF Command that we're going to need a heavy ship, the sooner the better. MOVE Commander!"
As Sarah scrambled off to do her duties Isacc looked out the bridge viewports at the massive lost of life that had occurred no more then 30 minutes ago. For what? Why does man fight? I don't want to do this, they invaded my home, my nation, and now I am going to send good men and women to their deaths...I hate this.
"Sir we have picked up an engine trail. We are moving to follow it. The Templars have been dispatched. Also, a Commander Lorian claims to be the leader of the scattered fighters as contact with Reliable has been lost."
After 15 more minutes in cruise the Nestor and Valiant had sighted the Praefect. The Reliable was nowhere to be seen.
"The Challengers will concentrate on the Corsair gunboat designated Omega 1. After that one is destroyed they will help us destroy the Praefect. The Templars are to screen the Challengers. Any Praetorians that are spotted become priority targets. Nestor and Valiant will perform hit-and-fades on the Prefect to keep it battered until the heavy gets here. Everybody got that? Good. Let's MOVE!"
The Corsairs spotted the two Bretonian gunboats and eagerly anticipated two more easy kills.
"Bloody hell" muttered Isacc as another blast rocked the ship. "Comon baby, hold together."
"Lieutenant Marksfield, bring us about, heading 118.23"
"But sir! that takes us right toward the cruiser!"
"Yes, and duck just beneath it. Let's hope that her gunners arent as agile as we are. Guns as we pass underneath it open up into her underbelly."
"Aye sir!"
"Order Valiant to go up relatively and hammer at the cruiser's top shields. Maybe we can overwhelm them. And where in god's name is Rapid?!?"
crashBOOM....FWOOSH
Another blast from the cruiser punctured the shields and vaporized some armor.
"Power conduit relay 5-11 is down, rerouting power now."
Isacc looked up from the tactical screen. "Lieutenant Marksfield, while the shields recharge go to full evasive maneuvers. Guns fire when you can but conserve your shots. Sensors find me weak spots in their shields and feed that information to tactical."
The battle had gone about as expected, with the Challengers making passes on the unlucky Corsair gunboat, and the cruiser chewing up the two BAF gunboats. Fortunately very few enemy bombers were around, and the Templars had made short work of any that dared attack the Challengers. Nestor and Valiant unfortunately crumbling before the remaining Corsair gunboat and the cruiser.
As Lieutenant Marksfield executed evasive maneuvers the cruiser's guns came to bear. Nestor ducked out of the way just in time, only to come face to face with another salvo. This time Marksfield wasn't fast enough and several shots slammed into the beleaguered gunboat, overloading shield relay stations and surge suppressors. With her shields gone, Nestor was an open target. The cruiser fired again and hit one of Nestor's engines, vaporizing it instantly. Isacc braced for the finishing shot.
Unnoticed Valiant fired again and again, finally breaking through the cruisers shields. She started pummeling the black surface of the cruiser, lashing out with terajoules of energy that boiled away armor plating and bulkheads. With faces twisted in horror Corsair crewmen floated away from the ship and into deep space.
Intent on revenge the cruiser pivoted around and unleashed hell on the Valiant. She bravely withstood the attack and reciprocated in kind, this time striking a turret and vaporizing it before her shields collapsed and the cruiser's guns played havoc with her hull.
Isacc shook his head in disbelief. Four gunboats destroyed in less then four hours, a black day for the BAF.
The cruisers guns warmed up again and targeted the stricken gunboats.
A fiery explosion illuminated the ships and overpowered the stars, when it subsided a Corsair gunboat was gone and the Challengers were lining up for an attack run on the cruiser. Their heavy guns fired and ignited the cruiser's shields. They heroically made a stand against the cruiser, but its return fire was too great and 4 out of the 10 Challengers were vaporized before they knew what hit them. But Nestor and Valiant somehow managed to get minimal power back and were limping away under cover from the Challengers and Templars.
Missiles from the remaining Corsair ships rocketed out and struck the running gunboats, shutting down their cruise engines. The cruiser lumbered up, ignoring the Challengers and opened fire on the gunboats. Every which way they dodged the shots hit them and shields hissed. They wouldn't last much longer.
Commander Lorian gritted his teeth as he lead a group of three Challengers on an attack run toward the cruiser, trying to distract it. Their Supernova canons glowed as they charged up their destructive power. Commander Lorian FIRED and the other two bombers followed suit as they pulled up and away from the cruiser's surface.
The balls of destructive energy brushed through the shields as if they weren't even there and slammed into the hull, opening up massive black holes in the hull. Artificial atmosphere rushed out of the hole, carrying crewmen and equipment with it. Fires quickly sprung up and then went out as the oxygen was depleted. The cruiser's response was swift and terrible as its cannons thundered a response. The Challenger to Commander Lorian's port was hit head-on and flared out of existence. Mathieus...no... Lorian thought. Enough of this! That cruiser is going down now! Lorain dived back toward the cruiser and right into a heavy laser shot.
He was gone in an instant.
Isacc looked out the viewport at the rapidly disintegrating task force and at the massive loss of life that had already been dished out and shook his head thinking that there was only more of the same to come.
As the cruiser opened up with everything she had on the fighter vessels the remaining two gunboats attacked the Nestor and Valiant.
"Have Valiant swing around to 121.01 and flank the portside gunboat, we will drive up the middle and distract them. Valiant should be able to pound the porside one then."
"Sir yes sir" the voices of the bridge replied in dismay. They knew that Commander Bringham was sacrificing the Nestor and putting the Valiant on a course heading away from the battle so that some part of the BAF force would survive. With the Nestor drawing all the fire the fighters, bombers, and Valiant would make their escape. "And ready the escape pods." muttered Isacc.
As Nestor maneuvered between the gunboats and Valiant slipped around the outside the Corsairs opened fire, pummeling the BAF gunboat's shields and hull. Valiant and Nestor responded in kind, with shots leaping from their guns and electrifying the unlucky gunboat they had chosen as their target. It's hull began to buckle and it peeled away from it's harassers and made for open space. Valiant was not about to let it go and pushed her engines to full in pursuit. Nestor began having spasms as her hull integrity broke down under the mounting fire. Then the remaining gunboat stopped firing. Isacc looked at it in puzzlement, until he saw the cruiser moving to fire. Well, we pissed em off something good, they want the kill. "Order the bombers and fighters out of here, there is nothing more they can do."
As the cruiser lumberes into range Isacc thought about his life, and about his wife Staci and their two children, a daughter and a son. He wishes them well. "To the escape pods, Lieutenant Marksfield set a course straight toward that cruiser and shift the helm over to my station. Get out of here son."
"Sir done sir, but....you aren't going too...ram her are you?"
"No ol' chap," he lied "just going to give her something to think about. Now get to your pod."
"Goodbye Commander Bringham, it was an honor serving with you."
"Thank you."
Alone on the bridge now Isacc set his teeth and stared down the cruiser, wondering what the Corsair captain was thinking.
"This is HMS Repulse calling the HMS Nestor, come in Nestor."
The Repulse? That's a destroyer stationed in Cambridge... What is she doing here? Isacc wondered.
"This is HMS Nestor hailing HMS Repulse, where the blazes are you?"
"Right behind ya" Laserfire poured from above and behind the Nestor and through the cruisers shields, immolating gun turrets and shattering her hull. As the cruiser broke apart the remaining Corsair forces turned to flee but Rapid was in their way, vaporizing fighters and blocking the gunboat's escape vector. Another salvo from Repulse turned that gunboat into slag as escape pods shot off in all directions.
"Repulse thank you for the assist. Some of those escape pods are my crew, be gentle. Also, be advised, we still have not made contact with the Reliable"
"Understood Nestor."
"Nestor this is Commander Leslie Stymann of the Rapid, sorry about the delay. Reliable managed to limp back to Kingston, the crew is being shipped to New London for medical treatment."
"Alright Nestor will you consent to letting us tow you back to Southampton?"