COMM ID:Ensign Tanathyn, Alexander TARGET ID:Liberty Navy Command SUBJECT:Unioner Blockade of Bering Jump-Gate ENCRYPTION:HIGH PRIORITY:HIGH
This is Ensign Tanathyn, reporting in from Planet Houston's local navy base.
I'm sweaty, I'm tired, and the stitches on my head are throbbing. Initially I was slated for a standard four-point sector patrol around Planet Manhatten, keeping smugglers away a day at a time, but a priority call for support came over the neural-net about something going on in the Bering system; Unioners or some such making trouble. Got into contact with some fellow First Fleet folk and, strangely enough, some Forlorn mercs that seemed keen on assisting. Suffice to say, I wish they could have warned me that the bastards were literally sitting right outside the jump-gate, just waiting for hapless naval reinforcements to come in and get slaughtered. A little bit of fancy flying and some calculated hits later, I check my instruments to register three to four Union contacts on my scope. Two Rheinland Bismarck-class battleships, two Arbeiter-class Heavy Fighters, and a Hel-class Cruiser.
It took ten minutes of chaotic chatter and organization before the Forlorn mercs decided to surprise everyone in the field with a NEMP. It wiped out the fighters but .. apparently their aim was either off or that was just a faulty weapon of mass-destruction because the capital ships were still live and kicking. Though it did the job of forcing them away from the gate, allowing reinforcements to freely jump in without hassle. We proceeded to chase and chip away at the 'Westfalen' and 'Germania', the two remaining battleships - PAUSE
Oh, I forgot to mention that they had cloaking drives. So it's no surprise to me they got so close without being detected for so long, if it weren't for their haphazard decision to shoot at a passing by First Fleet, I don't think we would have gotten the call at all.
RESUME
We chased the battleships through the trade lane leading towards Freeport 2, which for some strange reason they were trying to dock and interface with. It didn't matter though, the shockwaves from our Nova torpedoes were enough to jostle and disrupt the lanes, preventing them from being used effectively. It was touch and go, the longest ten minutes of my life, as all I could see was the fire and smoke coming from the Upholder's wings and ailerons. My new gunner proved adept at maintaining fire suppression, Ensign Athams, so all I had to do was maneuver, evade, and pray a lucky barrage didn't come tearing into my cockpit.
Eventually they made it to Freeport 2 and my god, the amount of fire flying everywhere reminded me of the Battle of Leeds all over again, just chaos everywhere. Forlorn were screaming in our ears whilst the rest of us were just trying to stay alive and do our jobs, there was even a SWAT fighter on station; whatever hole they crawled out of I wasn't about to complain. It was just back and forth, back and forth, weaving in and out through asteroids to avoid potentially fatal barrages and just the click-click of Athams releasing torpedo after torpedo after torpedo. More came out of the wood work but I couldn't pay attention to them all.
We won though, forcing those bastards back into their hiding hole. I think we lost a cruiser and a First Fleet fighter but I can't really recall anymore. I'm tired and just exhausted. I'm honestly surprised I made it through that. My hands are slick with ash and disintegrated metal fragments. My Upholder's going to be out of action for a while. Avenger's still active so I can at least still maintain my daily patrols.
That's it Command.
Signing off,
Ensign Tanathyn
Liberty Navy, First Fleet
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