OCV Naunet Log Entry - the Endless Flood

[ErynSandriski]

Captain's Log 57-428

Captain Eryn Sandriski, OCV Naunet

Captain's log, the OCV Naunet and its crew arrived at Cairo station around an hour before official full evacuation went into effect. Long range sensors picked up the presence of Unknown and Nomad vessels at around fifteen minutes prior to the beginning of the evacuation. The crew was... shaken by the early presence of the aliens, and numerous crew members expressed their concerns about he overwhelming numbers. Full Order fleet support arrived roughly ten minutes before the beginning of the battle, and with the OCV Anhur, Osiris and Deceres in position, we ordered all guns to open fire, supporting our Fighter craft as the first waves of alien fighters came into range.

The alien numbers were vast and overwhelming... firing solutions were nearly unnecessary as any direction gunnery crews fired in would yield targets hit. Despite the overwhelming numbers, we managed to sustain the defense of the transports, and keep the enemy craft off of the transport craft engaged in evacuation for nearly a full half hour before we began to sustain losses. Under the shear weight of the alien tide, however, our fighter support began to get picked off... which is when the alien Capital ships arrived.

I ordered the Naunet out of position to engage with the alien Capital ships, and with all gunnery crews firing, and the support of the Anhur and Osiris, one of the alien Battlecruisers was destroyed, scattering its alien biomass across the asteroid field. However, the Naunet suffered extensive damage in the process, forcing us to retreat through the Omicron Mu Jumphole. Sanctuary did not await us on the other side, however, as we emerged from the Jumphole directly into battle with an alien battleship. The Nomads had out maneuvered us and set up a trap at the far side of the Jumphole in Omicron Mu.

We engaged the Battleship with all weapons, however, we were heavily outgunned and forced to retreat. Numerous casualties were sustained across all decks, along with dozens of hull breaches... I admit to my shock that the Naunet had any habitable compartments by the time we arrived back at the Carthage shipyards. For the remainder of the first day of the evacuation, we were forced into the shipyard for emergency repairs to bring our ship back up to combat readiness.

I commend the work of our fine engineers at the Carthage Shipyard. By the time the second day of the evacuation arrived, they had managed to patch up enough of the holes in our hull to at least bring us back into space worthiness. The crew were grim faced as we set forth for the jumphole back to Omicron Zeta once more, knowing that we would face a challenging battle once more. I don't know what hand of God sent us a miracle, however, but when we arrived in Zeta, countless Order Reinforcements had arrived.

Reinvigorated by the arrival of the OCV Montana, we set forth to drive the Nomad forces from the space around Cairo. To our shock, most of the Nomad vessels had left their positions around the Cairo and moved to confront the Core at Capetown, leaving us to establish a new defensive perimeter. With a Battleship and Battlecruiser picket line, we were able to hold back the Nomad forces for a full hour until the last of the evacuation transports had gotten the civilians out of Cairo Station. This wasn't to last, however, as we continued to try to hold the line while data was removed from the station.

Four enemy Battleships appeared out of the nebula and drove us back. We were forced back to the jumphole, as the enemy blockaded the Cairo. In a final desperate push, the Naunet, Osiris and Montana pushed into the asteroid field surrounding Cairo, and engaged the enemy battleships to draw their fire while the last of our transports moved in to emergency dock with the station. I ordered the Naunet into the fore to absorb the worst of the fire so that the Osiris and Montana could utilize their firepower to cripple the enemy battleships.

I do not regret this order, as we all knew what we signed up for, but... I am still writing letters to the families of the dead crew who were either vaporized by Nomad weapons, or sucked into space through gaps in our hull. We were crippled in the final push, and I was forced to order a rapid retreat back to Cairo for repairs. We managed to limp our way back to Mu space, and were taken out of the action for the remainder of the battle. I will forever be haunted by the names I saw on the casualty reports... the men and women of the Order did their duty, and they did it well.

As grim as the demise of the Cairo is, the only salve for my wounded soul is the knowledge that we were able to evacuate the station in its entirety. With the Nomads holding complete control over Omicron Zeta, I dread where they might strike next. The Naunet will need extensive repairs, refits and training of new crew before we will be ready to face the aliens again. But by the stars, face them we must, for if the Order does not stop the Nomads no one else will - until that day, may God have mercy on us all.

For Humanity, for the Order,
Captain Eryn Sandriski