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  • Edited

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.)

Yall really did him dirty damn

    10 days later

    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...

    7 days later

    ONI Drakador_Chaos
    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.

    • Edited

    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.

    4 days later

    KrankysFirebrand48
    For the time being, nothing happened, or at the last nothing they could observe, the mist twirled in front of them, still expanding, although it had slowed down its pace at this point, the tension rose through teh roof with every moment of waiting, yet, the re-engagement would take a while, given how much way they had made during their jump.


    In the meanwhile, unbeknownst to the GBE the beasts continued moving towards them and once more, something was off... something seemed to be moving which shouldn´t.
    If one would be closer they could see tiny scale-looking beasts, detaching from the shell of the larger ones and crawling acros their body, moving towards open wounds and settling beack down, sealing them in the progress. Almost like repair drones...
    Then, the group dove into the mist, completely disappearing from sensors and sight alike from eitehr side. The ominous energy signature of the eye charging once more, although this time, the GBE couldn´t detect it, due to the mist between them...


    As the beasts moved so had the group of fighters which moved to the UEG forces, soon they came into sight... but so did the other group of the Cultbeasts they had formerly only catched a glance of.
    Judging by the Scans this group was just as large as one of the intital two groups they had engaged themselves, they seemed to have split. One group was engaging the UEG forces directly, firing volleys of the high energy explosive shells as the smallers beasts protected them and the defenders in turn seemed to fire fusion missiles at them, though in a broad spread rather than focues salvos, making their otherwise effective weaponry mediocre in it´s effectivity at best...
    Although that in of itself was apparently already quite a struggle for their allies, the GBE soon spotted the actual threat, the second half of the split group was moving in the shadow of the refitting station which the UEG had brought and apparently had already been destroyed, the debris seemed to block an engagement from the UEG´s side also including teh beasts itself, however, more notably, there was quite a significant energy signature with the group, an energy signature... all too familiar.
    Whilst they realised, even at their max speed they could not even make an attempt to intercept the group, let alone deal significant damage to it, they would likely reach the point at which the signal would be clear enough to contact their allied group directly any moment.


    ONI
    As the UEG fired away, missiles propelled themselves through the void, exploding into fulminant boiling orbs of plasma when they hit their marks or were shot down by the beasts point defense...
    Unfortunately for the UEG, due to the spread out fire and the smaller beasts focus on defense the latter seemed to be more common than the former, the spread out fire combined with the smaller beasts taking most of the hits for the larger beasts led to rather mediocre results in their attacks effictivity, although their weaponry itself was without fault.
    As the explosions roared several more small beasts died in the flames with distant screeching, likewise, the Cultbeasts fired back another volley of heavy shells which seemed to spread rather broadly, but more importantly... they drew closer.
    At the current speed the group they were currently engaging would soon reach medium range, which, judging by the results of the last battle, would be more detrimental to the UEG than the beasts, with almost elegant movements they weaved through space, as streaks of light from the smaller ships took down missiles...
    However, that was not their only problem.
    As they engaged the first group, the other which had been out of their firing arcs due to the debris of the station, moved out of it´s shadow on the other hand, anotehr volley of explosive energy shells was fired by them as soon as they came into sight, broadly spread like the other one, however taking the UEG group into crossfire, combined with the broad spread they purpose of the volleys became clear, the firing patterns seemed to be made to restrict the movement of the defenders...
    Terrifyingly, along with the second group, the leading beast reappeared on the sensors as well, although they had no visuals due to the other beasts around it, the energy signature which had risen and was rising still, stood out on the sensors like a flare...
    Far behind the second group of cultbeasts and as of yet unknown the UEG, a group of GBE fighters were approaching them, soon within range of communications...

    Drakador_Chaos (ONI)
    As the last man was carried out of the now unusually empty bridge, Stantine wiped of the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. The fleet was now moving considerably faster away from the mist than previously, now that they had their main engines pointed backwards. Repairs continued. Right in front Stantine a cloud of nanobots repaired some secondary railguns that cast shadows over the hull. The docked ships split of from their supply ships and lined up in formation with the rest of the ships of the battlegroup.

    The desperate information transfer had gone entirely smoothly. The fighters pulled around the mist. Sitting in their softly lit cockpits, they could see the mist pulling away. Soon their allies would emerge from behind it.

      23 days later

      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...

      6 days later

      Drakador_Chaos @ONI
      Stantine felt confident as the smaller beasts finally emerged but to his horror the massive shape of the warpriest flew out of the mist.
      ”Computer, how did this happen?” he said horrified.
      There are multiple possibilities. The enemy may have altered the course of the missiles, intercepted them, used countermeasures or evaded. Warpriests jaw shows signs of torpedo impact indicating it was hit.
      The ring of fire with the eye in the center was most alarming though. Assuming it was to stop the fleet from escaping the eye he quickly ordered the AI to order the fleet to maneuver outside the ring while doing as little damage towards the fleets ability to fight. Power was immediately shifted away from the guns into the engines and shields. The more agile ships would turn in various directions and try to fly outside the ring of fire before it reached them, such as the Coventry destroyers, frigates and corvettes. Valuable but tanky ships such as the Sunrise’s would attempt to escape the ring by themselves while taking a few shots on the way. Shield heavy ships such as the Colony-class destroyers would fly in front of slow ships shielding it from enemy fire. Lastly the battlecruiser HMS Fortune would have three Colony destroyers shield half of it’s profile while its own, now recharged, shield took the other half of its fire. Instead of flying in separate directions, the ships split into two directions to account for the two seperate directions the bloodcult were coming from, one to the left and one to the right. The HMS Fortune was in the group closer to the smaller beasts. This time the fleet were using their main engines to escape and loosened their formation a little extra.


      The UEG fleet came out from behind the mist. The lead fighter transmitted the information.
      /Message
      ”The mist is blocking our communications. This message will transfer all the data from this encounter. Noteworthy information: fight at long range, the largest beast has a central weapon which you must evade at all costs.”

      files on bloodcult weaponry
      files on bloodcult defensive capabilities
      files on bloodcult tactics

      The files explain how the eye of doom weapon will suck in and destroy all ships close to it, how the optimal tactic is to flee from the beasts backwards while firing, how the beasts will try to flank you, adapt to new tactics and more. The GBE details how the noticed smaller weapons will not penetrate their armour, how even the large beasts can evade tracking fire and to prioritize evading the projectiles from the larger turrets.
      The fighters stay to wait if the UEG has any information they’d like to share.

      21 days later

      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?

      Drakador_Chaos
      As the feared eye of doom detonated you could see the strain that was put on the royal navy ships as their engines all went into emergency burn. Thruster nozzles expanded and plasma rushed out in long streaks as they pushed against the strong pull. A few remaining Moonlight cruisers, some close destroyers and one damaged Sunrise cruiser, that had taken a hit to its engine started falling backward. The bow started tilting upwards. The entire ship rotating up and not being able to resist anymore, falling into the explosion, dwarfing the debris and unlucky frigates also doomed by the blast, and being annihilated. The ring had done significant damage to the shielding of the vessels, especially the battlecruiser HMS Fortune. At the sight of the bloodcult turning around Stantine could suspect nothing but a trick, but he would not let the warpriest get away.
      "Turn the fleet around and pursue them."
      Stantine looked at the fleet display as even more warships, and even supply ships were destroyed.
      "Prepare firing sequence for particle lance's at the warpriests propulsion. Power to weapons and engines, I want all available batteries to destroy the warpriests propulsion systems."
      The shattered fleet redirected their bow towards the fleeing bloodcult ships with their turrets always turned in the direction of the enemy. The gates and the nose of the ships with spinal weapons opened and the lance's point started heating up. The ships did not hesitate to focus fire into the back of the warpriest with nuclear railgun shells. The HMS Fortune did however not prepare to fire its spinal weapon as it had not finished charging.
      "How long will this take?"
      Gates opened. Preparing firing sequence. Protocols active. Targeting warpriest propulsion. Volley ready in 7 minutes.

      10 days later

      Drakador_Chaos The fleet tries to take out the large orb while the smaller ships manoeuvre out of its way as it bears down on them. The larger cruisers and carriers begin to move as well. They concentrate their main coilgun batteries at the orb.

      However, it was too late. A handful of the frigates and other smaller craft as well as a cruiser get pulled into the orbs. The ships detonate seconds after as the orb draws them in. The light from the blast causes those ships who managed to escape, their standard polarization for the bridge viewports to dampen instantaneously.

      On the main carrier fleet status readouts begin appearing. More than half of the fleet's smaller craft are gone and the heavy cruiser Hollis was vaporized. No escape pod launches were detected.

      KrankysFirebrand48 The UEG fleet came out from behind the mist. The lead fighter transmitted the information.
      /Message
      ”The mist is blocking our communications. This message will transfer all the data from this encounter. Noteworthy information: fight at long range, the largest beast has a central weapon which you must evade at all costs.”
      files on bloodcult weaponry
      files on bloodcult defensive capabilities
      files on bloodcult tactics

      The files explain how the eye of doom weapon will suck in and destroy all ships close to it, how the optimal tactic is to flee from the beasts backwards while firing, how the beasts will try to flank you, adapt to new tactics and more. The GBE details how the noticed smaller weapons will not penetrate their armour, how even the large beasts can evade tracking fire and to prioritize evading the projectiles from the larger turrets.
      The fighters stay to wait if the UEG has any information they’d like to share.

      The information package had come a second too late as the large orb fired from the blood cult attack hit the UEG fleet. After a minute or two of disarray, the remaining ships continue to get back while the remaining smaller ships act as defence ships to watch for flanking,

      As the cult ships begin to retreat, the UEG fleet continues to put distance between them and the cult. Back on the main carrier, the request for more reinforcements is sent out but it will take days to arrive. Days they do not have.

        KrankysFirebrand48
        ONI
        Shells rained down on the back of the massive beast, although it was still heavily armored the focused fire of the fleet began tearing chunks of it's flesh out and more importantly some of it's engines, the beast in turn did not even seem to react, while they stoppped it from accellerating further it hadn't slowed down either, only a number of hidden manouvering thrusters still keeping it on course.
        Notably even the smaller beasts seemed to disregard the fire on the Warpriest heading directly back to the portal, as if their reatreating order, or whatever it may have been that roared through the tear, was paramount to their objective.
        The other notable things was the now even the mist seemed to be slowly retreating, being pulled back into the rift...

        Drakador_Chaos The fire continues as the beasts retreat. The UEG reports to GBE command that the mist is being pulled back into the rift and the first wave is finished.

        Since the battlefield is now clear, dropships begin ferrying wounded crew and other crew members between ships to bring them back to battle readiness. Damage assessment is made again and the ships that have the most damage are given time for what repairs that can be made to be made via their small repair drones.

        The prowlers that were a part of the group begin to be used. They lay their hornet nuclear mines around the entrance of the rift at random vectors. The mines are cooled to absolute zero so thermal detections cannot be used. Once they finish laying the minefield they move back into positions to watch and record the battlefield.

        Drakador_Chaos
        Since the beast was not maneuvering it would make the move that Stantine was planning more viable. He ordered the AI to synchronize all the spinal lances and railguns to fire at a single point in the beast to penetrate deeply through the entire thing and lastly hitting the eye of doom in the front. The AI positioned the ships to allow it. The bow gates opened up. The lances fired one after another into the exact spot as armour penetrating shells rained into the same spot. As the lances had fired he ordered the fleet to reverse the thrust and slow down.

        KrankysFirebrand48
        After a short break regarding the signal, the screen comes back to life.
        //Transmission: GSR Code//
        "It obviously is not. Ve have returned and are growing stronger in numbers zhan ever before. Over zhe last year ve have built up both in economy as well as military. Now zhe question remains to be asked: Vhat side are you on, and is zhere any interest in renewing old bonds?"
        //Transmission End, awaiting answer//

          boombox
          The minister of foreign relations spoke, "If we are to re-establish our bonds we must make an official government investigation of your nation. You must understand that there are many conditions, some of which may have changed, to being a military partner to our nation. Certain grudges must also not be held. I believe our positions have been switched from the last time we initiated our alliance, for now we are the ones who do not want to be dragged into your wars, considering the GSR was wall know for its militaristic nature and bonds we have with some former nations that contributed against us in the war of the third coalition."

            KrankysFirebrand48
            There was no response for a while, then a short transmission arrived back:
            //Transmission: GSR Code//
            "Ve vill under no circumstance allow your nation to "investigate" us, vhatever zhis may entail. Ve are who ve are and you know exactly who ve are. A peace offer is a peace offer, and you refused it."
            //Transmission End//
            With this the German ships swiftly turned and FTL'd out of sector, maybe never to be seen again..

            @KrankysFirebrand48
            A shuttle devoid of any markings appears near GBE space, it repeatedly attempt to hail the nearest station, while also maintaining some distance from the figurative border.

            • ONI likes this.

            boombox
            The minister of foreign relations looked at the others in the room. "how undiplomatic." he uttered, "Are you certain these were members of the actual German Space Regime? I refuse to believes these were nothing but trolls to waste our time. They didn't even try to negotiate!"
            One of the men started sweating.
            "Sir, all identifications showed that it was them."
            "Well, did you get a gene confirmation? I thought not! Everyone in this room is dismissed."
            .


            .
            Dumb
            They get contact with one of the communications station around the defensive fleet centered around the cruiser HMS Lancaster.