Historical description of The Dominion attack
Jan 27, 2015 15:55:40 GMT
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Post by Diamond Empire on Jan 27, 2015 15:55:40 GMT
Historical description of The Night the Black Spider Ships Came
The storm started several months before, in what seemed to be merely a trickle, with a scout ship lounging about in the Zeus system. There was some questioning of what it was doing there but there was a general (and often unspoken) acceptance that what the scout was doing was not the concern of the Diamond Empire--it was a friend.
In the Empire if one nation wished to fight another they would declare war before moving their forces. Anyone who did not tended to be attacked without restraint by all others. For hundreds of years no country could afford to fight an undeclared war just as no country could afford to kill civilians indiscriminately. The empire, though war-like, had no significant history of total war.
No one noticed when the enemy armada entered the system. It came so suddenly. On the planet of Demeter III There was little else going on besides just trying to survive--building cities. They did not notice the hoard of ships from the Dominion as they flew through the system of Demeter. Who can blame them? And if they did, what would they have said except, "here is my ally en-route through my system as I told them they were permitted to do." Had they known the treachery that was afoot they would have been shocked--as they are now that the treachery has occurred. Had they been told what was about to occur, many would not have believed it.
Yet, now believe it they must for the nation is enthralled by this terrible enemy. No one noticed the fleet—more than 90 ships—pass through the warp point—it was only two sectors distant. The home fleet, meanwhile, was away from the homeworld (Zeus I)—five sectors distant—practicing military exercises. There was an assortment of newer, but untried, ships at the homeworld but they were few and no match for the fleet that was approaching.
As stated before, the initial expectation when the fleet was noticed was that it was allies passing through. A message was sent immediately to hasten the home fleet back to the home world. However, by some pass of commands—this is still not clear—the home fleet (nineteen of the empire's best ships) did not move but remained in maneuvers.
The Dominion had, by that time, built an enormous fleet and, though many of its ships were smaller, far outnumbered its opponents. As the Dominion fleet approached the homeworld (trumpeting forth the message of arrogance and defiance even as its ships started opening fire) it was like a massive storm cloud—locusts in space—seemingly sectors deep and of unending power—and it came upon the defenders all in disarray.
Fleet ships were mingled with space yard ships and space yard bases. They scurried about, like mice surprised by a lion—flying every which way—individual ships charging in with hopes of glory in the battle, not expecting the way that this onslaught would proceed. When they expected 90 attacking ships with similar weaponry and shields and armor to their own, they encountered a hundred tiny ships being launched from the enemy vessels, each seeking—with a tiny kamikazi warhead—the decimation of its foes. The Diamond Empire had never before used a missile weapon and found the idea to be peculiar. The heritage of armed warfare had many battles with guns but none with seeking weapons.
The first volley of missiles was startling though of limited effect as the defending ships used defensive guns to destroy oncoming missiles. Some ships did succumb, however, due to their own isolation in the vicinity of the planet. The second volley of missiles was more effective and few ships outside of a primary few survived. The ships that had joined together were 14 in number after that second volley and they seemed to have destroyed much of the right flank of the attackers by the time the third volley was fired. However, it is evident from after-battle reports that the right flank was significantly weaker from the start. Many missiles fired upon the planet were also destroyed.
The 14 remaining ships charged in as a unit, much as tower shield-bearing roman defenders might have charged in upon the bow-wielding Mongul Hordes on horse—slow and on foot, feeling as though the enemies' arrows could not pierce them but finding that neither could that reach their enemies. Shots fired by those 14 ships into the enemy were, many of them, misses, and Dominion ships could move away faster than Diamond ships could approach. The fifth volley took its toll on the survivors and only 9 ships remained. The 6th volley found the defenders further fragmented. Though the defenders charged after and destroyed every straggler, they lost more ships than they could destroy. 7 ships survived the sixth volley. The seventh volley was foiled by a sudden decision by the defenders to fly the other direction to take out some individual ships that had survived on the right flank. However, the 8th volley was devastating and left only 4 defenders.
The ship named Soul II 022 was the last ship to be destroyed in this battle. This Soul III class ship was at the height of the Diamond Empire's technology and a strong demonstration of their power. Though the engines were found to be woefully underclassed, the armor was very effective and the guns on it—Laser Beam V—were the best that could be devised for laser weapons. Its shields were not nothing and its combat sensors had some limitations but it was a fine Frigate-class ship. Yet, it could not stand against the remaining ships.
The enemy fleet very quickly repositioned itself to attack the planet, immediately opening fire upon it with missiles to overwhelm its defenses. Due to the disarray of the attacking fleet there were no discernible volleys of missiles at first, each ship firing as its weapons came to bear. However, that quickly changed. Though weapons platforms on the planets' surface were many—19—they could not stop every missile of the enemies. They were well defended platforms, bearing shields, armor, Laser Beams, and point defense guns but many of them were several years old and they were not prepared for such a large onslaught. The laser Beams, even when they were the best of their kind, could not reach many of the attackers' ships. This portion of the battle, however, lasted several days and for some time it seemed as though the attackers would run out of ships before the defending platforms were all destroyed. But this was not so. Following the destruction of the last weapons platform, the troop ships started to swoop in and disgorge their fighters upon the planet's surface.
285 soldiers on the surface of the planet were insufficient to repel the attackers who seemed to increase and renew the battle throughout that month. By the end of the month the attackers were victorious, however.
Of the ___ ships that attacked that day, 79 survived in one state of damage or another.
Of the Delayed Home Fleet:
One month after that initial devastation to the homeworld, the home fleet sought out the enemy. Slow in moving it charged in after it was too late. There is no telling why they were delayed for so many days from the time that the enemy attacked till they finally disengaged from their military maneuvers. Nor is it clear what they hoped to accomplish, fighting piecemeal against such an enemy. However, upon the enemy they charged. They came in good order, initially, in phalanx positioning—good for managing a battlefield on land, perhaps, but not very effective in space. Though their orders were to break formation and engage the enemy they maintained formation as they attacked, making many ships be isolated, unwieldy, and vulnerable. When they flagship was destroyed they adjusted their positioning more upon their individual needs rather than the fleets needs but, by then the damage was already done. Missiles came upon them from many quarters and they were not amassed-enough to destroy them. The enemy ships fired and left, using their greater mobility to allow them easy escape. Whatever magic allowed them to amass themselves into a single unit in defense of the homeworld did not seem to apply in this battle and many ships were quickly overcome. The enemy fleet, however, quickly devolved into two flanks and the flank the Diamond fleet attacked was chased to the edge of the sector and into the vicinity of many support ships—troop ships and supply ships. In their dissarray, 19 ships quickly became 8 with a couple of damaged stragglers. Several ships on the left flank were destroyed. However, there were soon only 4 ships remaining and, though they showed greater cohesion, they were no match for the numbers against them. One ship of the 4 broke through the right flank as it compressed upon them but it was destroyed soon afterward. Those stragglers who were damaged beyond repair were then hunted and mercilessly destroyed. In all, in the debacle of this second battle, 6 Dominion ships were casualties and 19 Diamond ships were casualties.
The storm started several months before, in what seemed to be merely a trickle, with a scout ship lounging about in the Zeus system. There was some questioning of what it was doing there but there was a general (and often unspoken) acceptance that what the scout was doing was not the concern of the Diamond Empire--it was a friend.
In the Empire if one nation wished to fight another they would declare war before moving their forces. Anyone who did not tended to be attacked without restraint by all others. For hundreds of years no country could afford to fight an undeclared war just as no country could afford to kill civilians indiscriminately. The empire, though war-like, had no significant history of total war.
No one noticed when the enemy armada entered the system. It came so suddenly. On the planet of Demeter III There was little else going on besides just trying to survive--building cities. They did not notice the hoard of ships from the Dominion as they flew through the system of Demeter. Who can blame them? And if they did, what would they have said except, "here is my ally en-route through my system as I told them they were permitted to do." Had they known the treachery that was afoot they would have been shocked--as they are now that the treachery has occurred. Had they been told what was about to occur, many would not have believed it.
Yet, now believe it they must for the nation is enthralled by this terrible enemy. No one noticed the fleet—more than 90 ships—pass through the warp point—it was only two sectors distant. The home fleet, meanwhile, was away from the homeworld (Zeus I)—five sectors distant—practicing military exercises. There was an assortment of newer, but untried, ships at the homeworld but they were few and no match for the fleet that was approaching.
As stated before, the initial expectation when the fleet was noticed was that it was allies passing through. A message was sent immediately to hasten the home fleet back to the home world. However, by some pass of commands—this is still not clear—the home fleet (nineteen of the empire's best ships) did not move but remained in maneuvers.
The Dominion had, by that time, built an enormous fleet and, though many of its ships were smaller, far outnumbered its opponents. As the Dominion fleet approached the homeworld (trumpeting forth the message of arrogance and defiance even as its ships started opening fire) it was like a massive storm cloud—locusts in space—seemingly sectors deep and of unending power—and it came upon the defenders all in disarray.
Fleet ships were mingled with space yard ships and space yard bases. They scurried about, like mice surprised by a lion—flying every which way—individual ships charging in with hopes of glory in the battle, not expecting the way that this onslaught would proceed. When they expected 90 attacking ships with similar weaponry and shields and armor to their own, they encountered a hundred tiny ships being launched from the enemy vessels, each seeking—with a tiny kamikazi warhead—the decimation of its foes. The Diamond Empire had never before used a missile weapon and found the idea to be peculiar. The heritage of armed warfare had many battles with guns but none with seeking weapons.
The first volley of missiles was startling though of limited effect as the defending ships used defensive guns to destroy oncoming missiles. Some ships did succumb, however, due to their own isolation in the vicinity of the planet. The second volley of missiles was more effective and few ships outside of a primary few survived. The ships that had joined together were 14 in number after that second volley and they seemed to have destroyed much of the right flank of the attackers by the time the third volley was fired. However, it is evident from after-battle reports that the right flank was significantly weaker from the start. Many missiles fired upon the planet were also destroyed.
The 14 remaining ships charged in as a unit, much as tower shield-bearing roman defenders might have charged in upon the bow-wielding Mongul Hordes on horse—slow and on foot, feeling as though the enemies' arrows could not pierce them but finding that neither could that reach their enemies. Shots fired by those 14 ships into the enemy were, many of them, misses, and Dominion ships could move away faster than Diamond ships could approach. The fifth volley took its toll on the survivors and only 9 ships remained. The 6th volley found the defenders further fragmented. Though the defenders charged after and destroyed every straggler, they lost more ships than they could destroy. 7 ships survived the sixth volley. The seventh volley was foiled by a sudden decision by the defenders to fly the other direction to take out some individual ships that had survived on the right flank. However, the 8th volley was devastating and left only 4 defenders.
The ship named Soul II 022 was the last ship to be destroyed in this battle. This Soul III class ship was at the height of the Diamond Empire's technology and a strong demonstration of their power. Though the engines were found to be woefully underclassed, the armor was very effective and the guns on it—Laser Beam V—were the best that could be devised for laser weapons. Its shields were not nothing and its combat sensors had some limitations but it was a fine Frigate-class ship. Yet, it could not stand against the remaining ships.
The enemy fleet very quickly repositioned itself to attack the planet, immediately opening fire upon it with missiles to overwhelm its defenses. Due to the disarray of the attacking fleet there were no discernible volleys of missiles at first, each ship firing as its weapons came to bear. However, that quickly changed. Though weapons platforms on the planets' surface were many—19—they could not stop every missile of the enemies. They were well defended platforms, bearing shields, armor, Laser Beams, and point defense guns but many of them were several years old and they were not prepared for such a large onslaught. The laser Beams, even when they were the best of their kind, could not reach many of the attackers' ships. This portion of the battle, however, lasted several days and for some time it seemed as though the attackers would run out of ships before the defending platforms were all destroyed. But this was not so. Following the destruction of the last weapons platform, the troop ships started to swoop in and disgorge their fighters upon the planet's surface.
285 soldiers on the surface of the planet were insufficient to repel the attackers who seemed to increase and renew the battle throughout that month. By the end of the month the attackers were victorious, however.
Of the ___ ships that attacked that day, 79 survived in one state of damage or another.
Of the Delayed Home Fleet:
One month after that initial devastation to the homeworld, the home fleet sought out the enemy. Slow in moving it charged in after it was too late. There is no telling why they were delayed for so many days from the time that the enemy attacked till they finally disengaged from their military maneuvers. Nor is it clear what they hoped to accomplish, fighting piecemeal against such an enemy. However, upon the enemy they charged. They came in good order, initially, in phalanx positioning—good for managing a battlefield on land, perhaps, but not very effective in space. Though their orders were to break formation and engage the enemy they maintained formation as they attacked, making many ships be isolated, unwieldy, and vulnerable. When they flagship was destroyed they adjusted their positioning more upon their individual needs rather than the fleets needs but, by then the damage was already done. Missiles came upon them from many quarters and they were not amassed-enough to destroy them. The enemy ships fired and left, using their greater mobility to allow them easy escape. Whatever magic allowed them to amass themselves into a single unit in defense of the homeworld did not seem to apply in this battle and many ships were quickly overcome. The enemy fleet, however, quickly devolved into two flanks and the flank the Diamond fleet attacked was chased to the edge of the sector and into the vicinity of many support ships—troop ships and supply ships. In their dissarray, 19 ships quickly became 8 with a couple of damaged stragglers. Several ships on the left flank were destroyed. However, there were soon only 4 ships remaining and, though they showed greater cohesion, they were no match for the numbers against them. One ship of the 4 broke through the right flank as it compressed upon them but it was destroyed soon afterward. Those stragglers who were damaged beyond repair were then hunted and mercilessly destroyed. In all, in the debacle of this second battle, 6 Dominion ships were casualties and 19 Diamond ships were casualties.