Ad Astra! ... an Aurora Forum Game, run by blue emu

[Lord Martin]

This is disturbing news.
I urge that we send out a ship on a close by course to see their intentions.
That could perhaps slow them down a bit if they turns hostile.

 

[blue emu]

We have no major warships in-system. The Battle Fleet arrives at the Sol => Procyon jump point in 20 hours 18 minutes. Meanwhile, they have swept in very close to Earth; almost within bombardment range... only 25.6 million miles out.

I cannot allow our Fighters to be caught on the ground. I am launching our Fighters, and firing up one of our Active Sensor arrays for battle management. All ground-based missile and anti-missile installations are loaded and ready to fire... once I paint Charlie with our Active Sensors.

 

[Lord Martin]

We have no major warships in-system. The Battle Fleet arrives at the Sol => Procyon jump point in 20 hours 18 minutes. Meanwhile, they have swept in very close to Earth; almost within bombardment range... only 25.6 million miles out.

I cannot allow out Fighters to be caught on the ground. I am launching our Fighters, and firing up one of our Active Sensor arrays for battle management. All ground-based missile and anti-missile installations are loaded and ready to fire... once I paint Charlie with our Active Sensors.

What about some minor ship, like a freighter or a survey ship? Not to try to fight them, but just to draw their attention?
Bloody Charlie...

 

[CptJoker]

[video=youtube;6v5VahaEL7s]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6v5VahaEL7s[/video]

 

[Comrade Chaos]

Here's Charlie!​

 

[Evie HJ]

MSG Tanker ESNA Chinook to Earth Command

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Standing ready for any order you deem necessary.
May Earth endure eternal!

Lt.-Com. Guillaume HJ out

MSG End XXXXX

-----------------

MSG Tanker ESNA Chinook to task force Commander Stonewall, ESNA Agora

In light of recent events, propose we abandon caution and make all haste toward destination
It is not unlikely Earth face gravest threat in history.
In event of enemy assault and victory, we must ensure humanity continues beyond system now jumpgated by Charlies.

Lt. Com. Guillaume HJ, ESNA Chinook, out

MSG End XXXXX

 

[blue emu]

I have full confidence in our missile bases, point defense bases, and Fighter squadrons to defend the Earth until the fleet arrives. In fact, if we are going to end up fighting Charlie... which is still only a possibility, not a certainty... I would much prefer to do it as close to Earth as possible, since without knowledge of his technology level, I am not certain that our Fleet can take him on but I expect to hurt him badly with our ground-based defenses, softening him up for Admiral Arjyla. By pure coincidence, this deployment may work out very well, since the Fleet will be appearing behind him, cutting off his retreat to the jump points.

All Fighters and Bases have been checked for combat load-outs and fire-control assignments. All report "Ready". Launching Fighters and powering-up the Active Targeting Sensors now... let's see what Charlie thinks of that.

 

[Lord Martin]

MSG Fleet Survey Ops to all survey vessels
Earth is under direct threat
If communication from Earth is broken you will be placed directly under Fleet Ops command
Follow the directions in order 56b and c
Good Speed
- Lord Martin @ Survey Ops out
MSG End XXXXX

 

[blue emu]

All Fighters launched successfully... fifty of them. We have a good hard lock on Charlie with our active sensors at 26.3 million km. Our PD radars won't pick up any missiles until they close to 2.2 million km from Earth. Charlie stopped dead in space as soon as we painted him. Sensors read all six vessels as between 7,550 and 7,600 tons... Destroyer sized. Two of the vessels are painting us with active sensors.

 

[sbr]

How did you launch the fighters from your fighter bases?

 

[unmerged(21821)]

For Emu and Earth! Si si vis pacem, parabellum - in the head of every goddamn invading alien!

Ps. By "coincidence" I trust you mean "strategic masterstroke"?

 

[CptJoker]

Two of the vessels are painting us with active sensors.

Out of curiosity, is it the two Tapi-class vessels?

 

[blue emu]

How did you launch the fighters from your fighter bases?

On the Fighter screen, not the Base screen. Select the Base, select the Squadron, hit "Launch".

Charlie has resumed course 131, speed 4736, range 25.5 m-km. Still headed straight for us. He is already well within range of our big ship-killing missiles in our four missile bases. The missiles on our Fighters have a range of 16 million km... he (or they) needs to get about 10 m-km closer before he is in range of our Fighters. I am still holding them back in orbit, so that they remain within the zone of our Point Defense launchers.

 

[blue emu]

Out of curiosity, is it the two Tapi-class vessels?

The Aung Zay Ya and the Conqueror.

I'll let him come in closer, rather than send the Fighters out to intercept him, beyond the range of our anti-missiles. Every minute that we delay the battle... assuming that battle is immanent... brings the Fleet one minute closer to Earth.

 

[blue emu]

Charlie still holding course and speed. Range 18.5 m-km... nearly within range of our Fighter missiles (all 150 of them). He'll be landing in about an hour, if that's what he intends.

 

[Evie HJ]

Wise decision. Though I wonder what else they could be doing. These are military-class vessels approaching us in numbers.

Is there any non-defensive personnel or ship on Earth that can yet be sent out to relative safety toward a jump point away from the Charlies?

 

[The_Shepherd]

MSG Cpt. K. Shepherdovsky to all Pilots
Terra is under threat.
Three vessels are inbound to our planet.
I trust all of you will not hesitate to do your
duty for our mother-planet
Shepherdovsky out
MSG End XXXXX

 

[Verenti]

"The Diplomatic Corp was seen as our last best hope for peace, they failed. Now mankind struggles with their nearest galactic neighbour for their very survival. It was the year the Charlies came for our home, it was the year mankind started fighting back. The year is 2028, the place Dravak XV."

 

[blue emu]

MSG Cpt. K. Shepherdovsky to all Pilots
Terra is under threat.
Three vessels are inbound to our planet.
I trust all of you will not hesitate to do your
duty for our mother-planet
Shepherdovsky out
MSG End XXXXX

Two Squadrons of three each, actually. Only the two flotilla leaders are painting us. Still holding course and speed. They are now within range of the 150 (first salvo) size-4 anti-ship missiles carried by our 50 Fighters. If they go hostile on us now, they are dead meat. They've been within range of the 24 (first salvo) size-8 ship killers from our NORAD bases for quite some time. Charlie had better behave himsself and play nice.

 

[blue emu]

"The Diplomatic Corp was seen as our last best hope for peace, they failed. Now mankind struggles with their nearest galactic neighbour for their very survival. It was the year the Charlies came for our home, it was the year mankind started fighting back. The year is 2026, the place Dravak XV."

Actually, it's 2028 and we aren't yet at war. Good prose, though. If Charlie opens fire, we'll simply vaporize him at this range... our up-front first salvo of missiles probably masses more than that squadron of Charlie ships does. I built five Air bases (six PD launchers each), three RADAR bases (fifteen PD launchers each) and four missile bases (six anti-ship and six PD launchers each). Plus our 50 Fighters, each carrying three missile launchers. That's an impressive opening salvo.