The Journal of Admiral Malexa Malte

[Malexa]

[color=#00FF00]07-23-817-New Berlin System.
Battleship Ravensburg. Bridge.

[font=Century Gothic]14 days.
That was the last time I wrote something on this paper. I was sitting in my warm and quiet office.
What 14 days can change.
I am writing these lines between dust, cables throwing out sparks and blood. Soldiers are running around headless, not knowing what to do next.
At least that is the impression I have. If you study them, you see coordination between all this.
Carrying out the wounded, engineers beginning repairs and here and then the firefighter teams extinguish some cable fires lighting up again.

There it is again. The vast grimace of war, laughing and mocking right into my face.
Fire is still melting Rheinland steel, some of the lower decks are even gone.
Looking out of the window reminds me of my childhood. I loved to watch when they build Rheinland ships.
Working drones, small ships and repair vessels floating around a big colossus, trying to manage to solve a huge puzzle.
10 days. That is how long it will take until our proud flagship can forget her wounds.

At this point I have to add that all the losses, the bloodshed and the melted Rheinland steel was not for nothing though.
Quite the contrary happened. A victory we could not achieve for so long.
The Liberty carrier Aurora was sighted and attacked countless times, but we never managed to get rid of her.
Today that changed. The Carrier LNS Aurora was dispatched for a direct attack at the Battleship Westphalia in Bremen and was currently next to the jumphole when one of our scouts spotted her.
She was not alone in there, the Battleship Concord flanked her position.
A Carrier and a Battleship. Several fighter squadrons have been onboard. A strinke was the only tactical move I could have made.
Otherwise the Westphalia would be a big cold grave by now.

After dispatching two bomber wings, each consisting of two vessels, I ordered the Ravensburg to prepare for close contact.
The bomber wings had a simple mission. Get in, switch the carriers lights off and get out.
Battleship Concord was the keyhole to this mission.
Our mission. Keeping the Coronado busy until the bombers can take out the Carrier.

I cant remember if I shouted the order or was calm like playing a home match.
The Ravensburg jumped endless seconds until the radar showed the two contacts 2 klicks starboard.
Our first barrage hit the Concord out of surprise. They managed to carry the situation fast and countered our heavy barrage.
I had to order total supressive fire uppon the Battleship, or else our bombers would not have lasted long.
Remembering the minute when the first shells hit the Ravensburg is quite hard.
Beeing trained and drilled for this kind of duty gets you focused on your mission only.
My Major shouted the incoming damage reports and was not able to call them all out.
But there was one moment I can remember quite clearly.

The moment when we lost the abaft decks 14 and 15. So bloody close to our reactors.
I was counting the seconds until the bombers finaly succeeded.
Seeing this huge libertonian fireball made everyone cheer on the bridge, but not for long.
The Concord was still holding and even turning the tide.
My order to sacrifice another deck to cover the bombers retreat, was worth the pain.
All squads managed to report home without any losses.
The libertonian fighter wings got caught in the supressive fire during our first attempt to cover the bombers.

I can still hear them. All the voices of our fallen soldiers.
The fight is over and the sound of cheering falls silent.
What stays is the bitter taste of war.

Battlefields always tend to fall into a deep silence afterwards. This is the deads turn to speak.
Intimidating me, haunting me, taking my sleep.

This is my burden,
to carry for Rheinland.

I am sorry my brave soldiers.

[color=#00FF00]End of Journal entry

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[<span style="color:#FFCC00">The Mandalore's Office</span>]