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KrankysFirebrand48
As the British fleet was preparing their next actions, the mist began spreading behind the fleet, sensors yielded no data on it, though it seemed to be interfering with them, it was likely a sort of smokescreen for the other group which had just left the rift in a distance and likely headed to engage the UEG forces judging by the roar...
If their jump was successful they would likely have some sensor interferences but that was a minor price to pay for an advantageous position to fight both the remainders of the original group and the new reinforcemenst of the Cult...
As Stantine was contemplating the next steps and keeping an eye over the situation, fire was exchanged back and forth, massive railguns shells either detonated, were deflected or tore thorns or one of the turrets off, each one hampering the offensive capabilities of the beasts considerably, staggering them with some of the heavier hits and even taking one of them down as a second railgun sheels burrowed into the open socket of one of the torn off turrets, tearing teh beast apart with the same horrifying telepathic screechingas it´s brethern...
Even though it was less effective than they would´ve wanted, with the reduced firepower, with the focus on weapons they managed to reduce that of the beasts by somewhere between 10 and 20 percent at least according to their estimates at this range, though almost immedietly the retaliation fire came, another volley of crossfired heavy shells, accompanied by heavy suppression fire by the explosive flak cannons and now also the medium sized explosive cannons, but all of it was overshadowed, by a rather simple fact:
The flare of an energy signature, coming from the massive warpriests front...
The eye was charging again.
Luckily, they had a surprise for it...

ONI
The opening volley, as expected due to the interferences of the mist, had at best mediocre effects, though it did seem to help regardless, most of the missiles were taken down and the majority of the MAC rounds missed, aside from a few lucky shots which resulted in a distant wailing, likely from smaller beasts being taken down. However, rather than spearheading them them right on, the group which emerged from teh mist instead began flanking them in a reasonable arc.
Around 80 smaller ships seemed to be in the group, around the size of those they met in their own territory but looking different, 20 more around the same size but shaped roughly like a moonsickle, another 20 with about the same shape, but the size of a frigate.
Aside from these smaller and mid sized beasts, several large beasts were in the back of the pack around the size of what normal empires would likely call a cruiser, led by a large, seemingly nightmare inducing manta-like winged beast, unlike anything they´ve ever seen...
The front of the formation was formed by the smaller arrowhead-like beasts, apparently serving as a sort of shield to those behind them, not only physically but also visually.
In the meanwhile the cloud of red mist began spreading behind the beasts and started to interfer with the communication with the British fleet, though there was no time to contemplate the cloud of mist as, as soon as the beasts left the cloud, a large volley of heavy explosive projectiles was sent the UNSC fleets way, coming from the larger beasts in the formation and it´s leader, the bulk of the volley, around 30 to 40 percent of it, was aimed in the direction of the leading ship of battlegroup Quebec, the supercarrier with the being spread out around it, aimed at space and other surrounding ships seemingly at random, the projectiles, unseen before by the UEG had quite a significant energy signature, suggesting a tremendous amount of power behind each projectile...

Drakador_Chaos The opening volley, as expected due to the interferences of the mist, had at best mediocre effects, though it did seem to help regardless, most of the missiles were taken down and the majority of the MAC rounds missed, aside from a few lucky shots which resulted in a distant wailing, likely from smaller beasts being taken down. However, rather than spearheading them right on, the group which emerged from the mist instead began flanking them in a reasonable arc.
Around 80 smaller ships seemed to be in the group, around the size of those they met in their own territory but looking different, 20 more around the same size but shaped roughly like a moon sickle, another 20 with about the same shape, but the size of a frigate.
Aside from these smaller and mid-sized beasts, several large beasts were in the back of the pack around the size of what normal empires would likely call a cruiser, led by a large, seemingly nightmare-inducing manta-like winged beast, unlike anything they´ve ever seen...
The front of the formation was formed by the smaller arrowhead-like beasts, apparently serving as a sort of shield to those behind them, not only physically but also visually.
In the meanwhile the cloud of red mist began spreading behind the beasts and started to interfere with the communication with the British fleet, though there was no time to contemplate the cloud of mist as, as soon as the beasts left the cloud, a large volley of heavy explosive projectiles was sent the UNSC fleets way, coming from the larger beasts in the formation and it´s leader, the bulk of the volley, around 30 to 40 percent of it, was aimed in the direction of the leading ship of battlegroup Quebec, the supercarrier with the being spread out around it, aimed at space and other surrounding ships seemingly at random, the projectiles, unseen before by the UEG had quite a significant energy signature, suggesting a tremendous amount of power behind each projectile...

As the projectiles flew at the fleet, the large mobile refit station positioned itself in front of the fleet. The thunderous blood cult shells hit and vaporized it. No escape pods were launched. The station sacrificed itself so the fleet could survive. Following a salute of MAC fire was launched. Maybe as a way to honor the lives that were just sacrificed. The smaller ships in the fleet broke off, attempting to pick off their own individual targets while the supercarrier launched its fighters.

The destroyer Tighten Up headed straight for the enemy lines.**

The fighters zipped and dipped around the battlefield. Weaving around missile explosions. The fighters would all be controlled by AI to decrease the chance of the crew being harmed by the roar of the beasts. The frigates and destroyers that had broken off focused on the smaller cult ships. Launching high-speed fusion rockets at their targets. These rockets had been severely updated because of the past interactions from the cult.

The fleet monitored the large energy signature, cautious of what it could be about.

(Sorry for the late reply.)

KrankysFirebrand48
As soon as the jump finished Stantine came to the conclusion that adjusting the course had been a wise decision, alarms rang and control lights blinked, as the path which they would´ve jumped originally was cut off by the red mist, consequently also shutting off all communication with the UEG fleet and blocking sight and readings on the Cultbeasts...
It seems they had gained some time, though whether that was minutes or mere seconds was a question none of them could answer, additionally whilst they didn´t know what had happened after they jumped, there was no terrifying screeching this time, which lead to the conclusion that the Warpriest must be still alive, whether it still had it´s eye or not...

In the meanwhile, unbeknownst to the GBE the torpedos rushed across space whilst the beasts took a sharp turn, to follow the disappeared fleet, in response, rather than hitting the eye or the jaws, the torpedos hit more like a broadside, explosions raged tearing a large chunk out of the right side of the remaining warpriest, impairing it considerably as parts of its body were missing but leaving it and it´s eye alive...
The beasts began heading towards the mist which had been expanding since the UEG entered the fray, with the Warpriest slightly trailing behind, hidden by the wall of mist from senors and sight, headed to their prey...

ONI
The projectiles ripped up the station as if it was made of paper, penetrating armour and erupting into explosions that suggested an anti-matter-like substance being involved, though as detrimental as the quick loss of the station was, there was little time to grief, as the beasts were advancing.
The fighter which tried to pick of targets seemed to have considerably issues outmanouvering or even keeping up with the smaller beasts and in consequence getting closer to the larger ones due to the interruptions, whilst the fighters were undoubtedly top of the line technology for the UEG, the beasts had been born into space and lived there ever since, giving them a natural advantage in terms of movement...
Lasers and plasmabolts flashed up, using their lower range weaponry and point defense to assault any smaller spacecraft that came near...
The fusion rockets on the othe rhand seemed to be considerably more effective than the other weaponry they fielded, frequntly ripping holes into beasts and taking down a good dozen of the smallers ones and damaging some of th emid sized ones, additionally spreading out the formation seemed to have been a good idea, as, whilst that lessened their defense overall, now each ship had to picked off individually, although how much the damage they had dealt to the beasts was worth was an inconclusive matter.
The beasts in turn roared in fury, the horde split into two about equal sized groups one heading to each side of the UEG fleet, although visual confirmation was hard due to the other beasts around it, the energy signatures indicated the Largest of the beasts was with the group which was partly moving in teh shadow of the destroyed station, both a blessing and a curse, whilst they couldn´t fire at the supporting fleet, solely focusing on point defense, the fleet couldn´t fire at them either and there was a quite considerable energy spike building up in the largest of the beasts...
In the meanwhile the other group retaliated with another volley from their main weapons, more of the high energy projectiles crossed space towards the UEG coming from the mid sized beasts, whilst the smaller ones were focusing on the defense of the group, apparently even taking hits for the larger beasts without hesitation if necessary...
...and then another issue popped up, sensors indicated a short range ftl jump, which had been, judging by the position, the GBE fleet as moments later confirmed by sensors and visuals, they did get out of the firing range of their own assailants but likewise were they cut off from the UEG fleet by the ever expanding cloud of red mist, now concealing both the GBE fleet and the other group of beasts, they would have to fend for themselves until the UEG fleet had confirmation on what was going on the other side of the mist, though they certainly didn´t lack problems on their own side as the beasts were fast approaching...

Drakador_Chaos As soon as the jump finished Stantine came to the conclusion that adjusting the course had been a wise decision, alarms rang and control lights blinked, as the path which they would´ve jumped originally was cut off by the red mist, consequently also shutting off all communication with the UEG fleet and blocking sight and readings on the Cultbeasts...
It seems they had gained some time, though whether that was minutes or mere seconds was a question none of them could answer, additionally whilst they didn´t know what had happened after they jumped, there was no terrifying screeching this time, which lead to the conclusion that the Warpriest must be still alive, whether it still had it´s eye or not...

In the meanwhile, unbeknownst to the GBE the torpedos rushed across space whilst the beasts took a sharp turn, to follow the disappeared fleet, in response, rather than hitting the eye or the jaws, the torpedos hit more like a broadside, explosions raged tearing a large chunk out of the right side of the remaining warpriest, impairing it considerably as parts of its body were missing but leaving it and it´s eye alive...
The beasts began heading towards the mist which had been expanding since the UEG entered the fray, with the Warpriest slightly trailing behind, hidden by the wall of mist from senors and sight, headed to their prey...

Flubbery
The projectiles ripped up the station as if it was made of paper, penetrating armour and erupting into explosions that suggested an anti-matter-like substance being involved, though as detrimental as the quick loss of the station was, there was little time to grief, as the beasts were advancing.
The fighter which tried to pick of targets seemed to have considerably issues outmanouvering or even keeping up with the smaller beasts and in consequence getting closer to the larger ones due to the interruptions, whilst the fighters were undoubtedly top of the line technology for the UEG, the beasts had been born into space and lived there ever since, giving them a natural advantage in terms of movement...
Lasers and plasmabolts flashed up, using their lower range weaponry and point defense to assault any smaller spacecraft that came near...
The fusion rockets on the othe rhand seemed to be considerably more effective than the other weaponry they fielded, frequntly ripping holes into beasts and taking down a good dozen of the smallers ones and damaging some of th emid sized ones, additionally spreading out the formation seemed to have been a good idea, as, whilst that lessened their defense overall, now each ship had to picked off individually, although how much the damage they had dealt to the beasts was worth was an inconclusive matter.
The beasts in turn roared in fury, the horde split into two about equal sized groups one heading to each side of the UEG fleet, although visual confirmation was hard due to the other beasts around it, the energy signatures indicated the Largest of the beasts was with the group which was partly moving in teh shadow of the destroyed station, both a blessing and a curse, whilst they couldn´t fire at the supporting fleet, solely focusing on point defense, the fleet couldn´t fire at them either and there was a quite considerable energy spike building up in the largest of the beasts...
In the meanwhile the other group retaliated with another volley from their main weapons, more of the high energy projectiles crossed space towards the UEG coming from the mid sized beasts, whilst the smaller ones were focusing on the defense of the group, apparently even taking hits for the larger beasts without hesitation if necessary...
...and then another issue popped up, sensors indicated a short range ftl jump, which had been, judging by the position, the GBE fleet as moments later confirmed by sensors and visuals, they did get out of the firing range of their own assailants but likewise were they cut off from the UEG fleet by the ever expanding cloud of red mist, now concealing both the GBE fleet and the other group of beasts, they would have to fend for themselves until the UEG fleet had confirmation on what was going on the other side of the mist, though they certainly didn´t lack problems on their own side as the beasts were fast approaching...

The fleet fires off barrage and barrage of fusion rockets. The supply each ship had was double than normal for this fight as they had came prepared. The remaining fighters returned to the carrier. On the main viewscreen of the supercarrier, individual statuses on the fighters appeared. The ones that were destroyed showed their last positions. As the beasts shots got in close point defences activated. Sending thousands of shots into the rounds at high speeds no chemical weapon could reproduce.

While the AIs took control of the point defences on their ships they also continued harrasing the beasts as they fired.

A couple of frigates detonated as they were unable to fend off the attacks. Their fusion reactors ignited and the crews of them got off on escape pods. Hopefully these would be small targets that would go unoticed.

KrankysFirebrand48 Nurses in white uniforms where running around the bridge carrying bodies or moving seemingly insane bridge crew out of the bridge.
The navigator quickly made a new course for the fleet with his hands in a holographic replica of the battle, as some half damaged, torn up and burned main thrusters swung the ships around and fled at high burn away from the spreading mist.
The battle was not yet over, Stantine knew it. But his ships would deliver the final blow soon enough. But first, he had to warn the UEG.
”Comms operator,” he said, ”tell them what we learned about their weaponry.”
The Comms operator flicked a few switches and pressed a button on his holoscreen.
”This is the HMS Fortune to battle group Quebec, the largest beast is identified as a warpriest, you must keep di— Battle group Quebec do you read me? Do you read me?”
The transmission tried to reach the UEG fleet but to no avail.
”It appears as the mist is interfering with our communications.” said the Comms operator.
”Improvise then.” said Stantine.
”Uh I got it. Computer write it all down and upload the data to a C-5 and fly it over to the UEG fleet.”
done
transferring data

As the message was being prepared the GBE fleet took the opportunity to resupply and repair as they were heading away from the mist. Drone traffic looked like a morning on Anrillia as they transported ammo and missiles. Nanobots and repair drones were replacing parts of large railgun batteries and turrets. Ships were docking with each other sending over railgun shells. Drones slid nuclear missiles into their launchers slots. Larger repair ships injected some sort of liquid which immediately solidified into holes in the armour. Others had spare plates of ceramics, metal foam, metal nanocomposites and other pieces of armour which were applied. Barrels where replaced and new ones where connected to the turrets. The fleet also took its time to recharge shields and spinal lance weapons. Even though the fleet was battered and damaged, it was now ready for round 2.

In the hangar white lights illuminated the large space and high ceiling. A thin cloud smoke slithered across the floor. Fuel hoses were disconnected from the three C-5g emperor fighters that sat on their landing gear all next to each other. Missiles where lifted up my mechanical arms onto their hardpoints. The pilots, after taking their drugs, walked up the ladder that reached up to the cockpit. They jumped into their seats as a ground crew attached the nervous chord into their neck slot. As their minds merged with the ships AI their brain was overwhelmed by sensor data and information. The spotlights turned on, so did the cockpit displays. Green indicators and information displays appeared on screens, as holograms and as just projected straight into their “vision” through the AI.
/Comms
”Gatherer 3 all systems green.”
”Gatherer 1 all green.”
”Gatherer 7 all systems green.”
The pilots could hear the scrambled voice of fighter coordination that said,
”Gatherer 3, 1 and 7, you are all cleared for launch.”
The fighters glided forward smoothly and their landing gear clicked into the electromagnetic catapult. They got the signal to launch and they pushed the throttle. Their ships were thrown out of the hangar like toys. The thrusters smoothly focusing blue plasma to accelerate the group of fighters.
”Gatherer Squadron heading north-north-east, engagement speed.”
The group of fighters now banked about 200 degrees to the right. They where going to fly around the mist, behind and around the rift (not between the rift and the BC groups engaging the GBE.

KrankysFirebrand48
A tense silence reigned on the GBE´s side of the battlefield, ships lying in wait at the longest effective distance, doing makeshift repairs and preparing for the re emergence of their enemies...
Then , waiting and repairs were cut short, with trails of red mist the beasts emerged from the red cloud, opening artillery fire immedietly, the heavy shells fire patterns forming a ring around the gbe fleet, as the remaining smaller and medium beasts raced towards them in a slight curve, slithering and weaving to make target acquisition all the more difficult, considering some of the still trailed the red mist behind them, corrupting the sensor feed...
Something... something seemed to be missing though.
Then, a larger cloud burst out of the wall of mist, with a flash of red light the mutilated Warpriest emerged from the red mist, firing it´s apparently still intact eye in the center of the ring the heavy shells were forming, once more, directly at the center of the GBE fleet...
The massive beast although damaged, continued to move though towards the opposite side of the fleet the other beasts were heading to...

ONI As the cult forces close in on the UEG ships they begin to backup to try and put enough distance from them. They continue to launch Archer and Fusion missiles. The MAC guns of of the cruisers and carrier whose tungsten rounds have enough power to vaporize other capital ships try and target the largest of the beasts. The carriers ai prematurely Firestone dual Mac gun under its to more accurately hit the bigger beasts.

UNSC Corbulo FFG-472 Strident-Class Heavy Frigate.

With the ships bridge crew limp in their chairs the ships AI “Clancy” who’s avatar was a green diamond or rift of light used the ships main smaller coilgun batteries at the small cult beats as they swarm around. She removed the safety’s off of one of the ships nuclear missiles. Bringing its targeting lasers online and setting an encrypted countdown sequence she launches it out of the tube as it flys and waits in the projected path of the next time the cult beasts come around. She coordinates this with the main carriers AI letting them know of what she is doing and insists the other frigates in the group do the same.

Whilst the missiles still seemed to deal mediocre damage due to how spread out they were, they seemed to be at the very least effective at controlling the crowd of beasts, keeping them at a certain distance as they tried keep off the missiles with their point defense, some of them still getting through, taking down some of the smaller beasts and damaging one of the midsized ones, loosing a shard of it´s armor and one of it´s turrets...
The real threat however, would be revealed only seconds later, with a flash of red light, the massive beast in the other formation released an ominous red orb, heading towards the center of the UEG fleet, as the mid sized beasts fired another volley of heavy shells to restrict the UEG´s movements, the counterfire however was soon to become an issue, at this distance, although some of the larger shots were hard to aim properly at the fast moving beasts, those who were aimed properly were considerably harder to avoid, despite the agility of the beasts, mac rounds hailed into the fleet, as one punched into the turret of one of the medium beasts and then buried itself in the intestines, apparently crippling it considerably as it fell back, another couple hit the right wing of the largest beasts, tearing out one of the heavy turrets , some even punching through some of the thinner spots of the wing itself, although terrifyingly there were also those that plinked off the armor like small arms fire, displaying just how durable the beasts actually were...
The beast on the oteh rhand however roared in defiance, like a scream on a distant mountaintop, slowly coming closer. The beasts of the group with the leading ship drew closer, they could hold both groups at distance forever...
A new set set of weaponry came into action as the groups reached medium range, smaller version of the triple barreled artillery weapons as well as medium sized smaller cannons began firing away at the UEG fleet from both directions, adding to the hail of projectiles which was already surrounding them...

KrankysFirebrand48
@ONI

The GBE fleet was in understandable disarray, trying to get out of the ring of fire with the eye in their metaphorical neck.
As the larger ships were still shielding the smaller ones, there was a sudden flash of light amidst the ring...
An eerie, harrowing silence ensued, as the flash of light grew brighter, debris, wreckage and any ship unfortunate enough to be too close, were being pulled back.
The light grew brighter, until even the light from the explosion itself was drawn back into the well...
Luckily for them, they had at least known what to do, even though the sudden reappearance of the mutilated warbeast out of the mist had been a terrifying view, apparently catching the fleet off guard, redirecting the power to evasive and defensive measures seemed to have been the right call...
The well broke, debris, light and wreckage, converted into raw energy, rushing outwards after having been compressed, erupting into the surroundings in a both awe and terror inspiring epxlosion, waves of destructive light extending beyond the ring of fire, although, not by far...
The eye had taken its grim toll once more.

However, the GBE fleet was not the only one that was struggling, whilst the starfighters sent to deliver the information were already heading back, what they saw in their backs made their hearts sink.
A horrifyingly familiar flash of red light, a moment of silence, stretching to eternity...
It seemed, for whatever reason, the supporting fleet of the UEG had not made it completely out of the target area in time,
The eye detonated infront of the fleet, it's gravitational pull like a greedy maw, dragging in everything in the vicinity, not differentiating between debris, wreckage or ships...
A second flash of light, a second moment of terror, a wave of destruction, this one, considerably Stronger than on the GBE side due to how much matter it had devoured within it's short lifespan, wreaking incomaparable destruction amidst the fleet, vaporising anything it's immediate vicinity which it hadn't devoured already...
The fleet, was...
The eye had torn a large hole into the formation although due to all that was going on, the fighters couldn't determine how much damage had been dealt exactly, the sheer scale of it made clear they likely would not recover from this hit, not here and not today...

Then... as each of the fleets was trying to reaarrange or still trying to get out of the firing line, some more some less successful...
There was an odd sensation.
Then, another roar rolled over the battlefield, reaching every last ship and crewmember in the surroundings, hitting them like a wave...
...but oddly enough, without causing them any excessive harm.
Suddenly, the beasts... shuddered, they stopped firing and simply...
Veered back in direction of the mist and tear?
Each one of them in unison, beast by beast, without any apparent reason or tactic behind it, as if they were just... leaving?
As if some overarching dominant will, called them back, as if they were done here, as if all this had just been... a horrifying display of their power, an example to be made for the sake of it?
The beasts went into full burn without any regards to returning fire or firing themselves, heading in an elegant curve back to rift...
It would take them a bit to head back given the distance they had made...
...but were they actually just leaving?