Flag Officer Anna Kwiatkowska - HMS Minotaur/HMS Tiger

[Erremnart]

| Ship Log #7 - 01/05/828 |

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Sender ID: Flag Officer Anna Kwiatkowska
Recipient ID: HMS Minotaur
Subject: Ship Log #7 - 'Busy Day'
Location: HMS Minotaur
Priority: Low

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Ship log, entry #7:

02/05/828, Waterloo Station - HMS Minotaur is moored at Waterloo Station and undergoing repairs. As I'm sitting at the station's café and enjoying regular, non-rationed breakfast, I'm finishing this report on my tablet.

01/05/828, started slowly for us. We have been sent to the Leeds System again and we have been patrolling along the tradelanes and paid two visits to the Halifax Freeport in there. Aside from few traders - nothing else to report.

At 1500, we have been scrambled to the Omega 49 System by admiral Oliver Myles from HMS Majestic. When we arrived at the scene, HMS Fascinating joined us as well. The source of distress were two corsair capital ships - CNS Orunmila and massive CNS Kolkan. Strangely, scans of their ships revealed nomad remains. HMS Minotaur and HMS Majestic were ordered to intercept while HMS Fascinating suspected more Corsair raiders and was guarding our flanks. Our combined firepower forced CNS Orunmila to withdraw, while HMS Minotaur was distracting and harassing CNS Kolkan. However, our luck run out when Kolkan's gunners finally found their mark and crippled our main battery. 3 crewmen died and 12 wounded. We have been ordered to withdraw for repairs at 1520.

While the rest of our ships were covering our withdraw, we moored at Portsmouth Shipyard for emergency repairs. While our main battery was made operational again, one of our 'cerberuses' was severely damaged and needed complete replacement. As our presence was required later that day in Taus, we have been given one of those TL-12 Cryogenic Antimatter Projectors, nicknamed as 'Mortars'. The issue was, that there was no time to properly reconnect the weapons with the rest of the ship. As such, this weapon is running on its local fire control only and its ammunition is in limited quantity - without proper support equipment installed, we are using 'antimatter cartridges', slowing our rate of fire considerably.
It was decided, that our marine marksman Ernest Wellington will be in charge of this weapon, before HMS Minotaur can get its proper refit.

At 1800, we have been expected at Leeds' orbit to join taskforce under the command of HMS Venerable. While the rest of the taskforce was assembling, CNS Triunfante appeared from the smog cloud and we have been sent to intercept it. In a brief exchange of fire, we have been able to damage it severely, but we lost our main power temporarily and had to be towed back to the taskforce. While it looked that we might have to leave for repairs, combined effort and expertise managed to re-engage our drives. With few extra teams of engineers onboard, we remained with assembled fleet of our carriers and one battleship.
We have been tasked with screening duties along with lighter vessels, while our mighty heavy bretonian carries did their job of providing heavy firepower and taking hits. Once all ships were ready, HMS Venerable activated its tactical jump drive and jumped our fleet within target system, where supposed royalist station is. Once in there, we have been met with maquis cruiser VG Flamberge with its escort and even Gaian snubfighter Grian, which was assisting us with scouting.
Our fleet landed several 'mortar' hits on the royalist installation before defenders begin to assemble. Several gallic battleships responded to our skirmish. Their fleet of roughly equal size in the number of battleships, slowly approached us. Our commander gave order to charge the defenders before they can outmaneuver us. We were at the front of our formation to draw fire away from our heavier capital ships and to outflank their capital vessels. With excellent leadership and cooperation, we have been able to outmaneuver them and break their formation. Their vessels were force to withdraw or were disabled.
As our vessel suffered some damage as well, our fleet left the combat area while HMS Minotaur, HMS Avalon, HMS Venus and VG Flamberge remained to cover our main forces withdrawal, before we left as well.

At 2100, while we were repairing our vessel at Waterloo Station, we have received order to scramble from high command, as Corsair raiding party entered Bretonian space. I've sounded red alert and ordered all crew to the battlestations. We've met HMS Fascinating at New London's orbit and awaited HMS Defiance.
These reports proved to true, as our long-range scanners revealed several Corsair snubfighters circling around New London's defense grid. Our forces launched their own fighters in response and we managed the locate bulk of their raiding party above Cornwall Asteroid Field. There was battleship CNS Naxos and smaller capital vessels CNS Triunfante and CNS Orunmila.
After issuing an order to leave Bretonian space, which they refused, we moved to intercept them. HMS Defiance was serving as the main body of our formations, while HMS Minotaur and HMS Fascinating were covering its flanks. The skirmish was basically decided, when CNS Naxos over extended its position from its supporting vessels and was exposed to our combined firepower. One by one, we focused on one Corsair vessel at the time - we scored critical hits on them and forced them to retreat, while our snubfighters were fighting for space superiority. Nevertheless, HMS Minotaur lost its fire control and main battery power to Triunfante's barrages, and was ordered to withdraw to the New London's orbit for repairs.

Battle was won and Corsair raiders retreated back into their Omegas. As would my old instructor from Royal Academy said - "Now, there is time for tea and medals.". This was a difficult day for me and my crew, and especially for my vessel, and now we will spend quite a lot of time to re-do all those hasty repairs properly.
There is nothing to be done for our 'Mortar' battery at the moment, as that would require proper dry-docking at shipyard for barbette replacement.

Anna Kwiatkowska,
CO of the HMS Minotaur,
Signing off.

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| END |

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Captain Virginia Belle
Task Force Phoenix
Battlecruiser Roanoke
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