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Chapter 4
Time: Time: CY 9816 AugustLocation :Lundmark slippoint
The slippoint portal opened and the K-MAC ships began to enter Lundmark space. First came the major combatants two Consuming Fury class destroyers and a Righteous Fist of Heaven class High Guard deep stand off attack ship accompanied by their escorts, two Unflinching Protector class frigates. They were followed followed by the Flame, three Four Freedoms freighters and another two frigates. Bringing up the rear was another destroyer. The ships began to move purposely towards Lundmark moving at the best speed of the slower freighters. They needed to hurry, very shortly the inhabitants of Lundmark would detect the slippoint event and would start preparing for the assault. There was a nervous tension aboard the attacking ships. Would the inhabitants of Lundmark follow the rules of warfare that had been developed under the time of the Vedran Empire or would this be a fight to the knife?
A few hours later the K-MAC forces had their answer. A defending space force had two choices when defending a planet or drift. They could remain close to the target they were defending to take advantage of the support the planet's weaponry could give them but accept the fact that missiles that missed their target would likely home in on the planet or forgo the support given by the planet and sortie out to met the invader. The defender's ready flotilla had sortied out to meet them.
The defenders had analyzed the engine signatures and radar transmissions of the K-MAC fleet and had decided to meet the enemy away from the planet. The two fleets were more or less equal in tonnage but several of the K-MAC ships were freighters while another one was a troop transport ship while all the Lundmark ships were combatant vessels. The High Guard DSA could prove troublesome but the destroyers and the frigates were Home Guard units no better than the ones possessed by the defenders. The drop ship carrier was High Guard but its offensive capabilities were minimal while the three Four Freedoms freighters were inconsequential even if they had been upgraded to auxiliary cruisers. The defenders estimated that they had a 3 to 2 advantage in missile tubes.
At approximately two light minutes distance the attackers began to launch combat drones. This was to be expected, the defenders had already launched theirs. The battle would first be joined by combat drones supported by extended range missile fire from their mother ships. The main line ships would close after the drones had done their work. Accompanying the drones were a handful of small two and three man craft, drone controllers. The small vessels were ignored by the larger vessels and the drones. While they were used to provide guidance to the semi intelligent drones they also served a more important function. A severely damaged ship couldn't surrender to a drone but it could surrender to a manned vessel. The defenders were aware of the drone carrying capacities of the attackers. They had a 6 to 5 advantage over the intruders. The battle might be difficult but the odds were clearly in their favor.
The defenders confidence was misplaced. Consuming Fury and Righteous Fist classes were designed with space for ten combat drones, however each of the attacking destroyers had launched 15 apiece while the Four Freedoms had launched twenty drones apiece. Instead of a slight numerical advantage in combat drones the defenders were at a substantial numerical disadvantage. The situation rapidly worsened for the defenders of the planet when not only the DSA but the destroyers as well began to launch Oracle drones accompanied by packs of PM-6L 'smart' missiles. The top of the line High Guard weaponry was superior to the defenders in both range and speed. The Oracles led their missiles like a alpha wolves leading their packs, coordinating their attacks not only with their own missiles but with the other Oracles and the combat drones as well. The defenders combat drones were rapidly shredded and the attacker's drones turned their attention towards the defenders. The K-MAC destroyers, frigates and DSA followed close behind launching their missiles in support of the drones..
The defense began to crumble as the attackers concentrated their fire on the four Consuming Furies that were the backbone of the defense. The destroyers' PDLs and AP cannon did their best to protect the ships from the missiles that were getting past their and their escorts' defensive missiles but it wasn't sufficient Within minutes the destroyers were reeling from multiple missile strikes. Damage control teams went from attempting to save their ships to attempting to save their own lives. First one than a second ejected its anti-matter containment units, signifying that they were striking their colors. With the ejection of the anti matter units combat drones were directed to attach themselves to the crippled vessels. Should the vessels attempt to use their emergency power to either flee or fight the drones would self destruct, taking the enemy vessels with them. Later the ships would be boarded by prize crews and and the original crew would be allowed to abandon the vessel. Seeing the battle was lost the other ships, all damaged to a greater or lesser extent, broke off the engagement and began to flee. A portion of the combat drones were sent to harry the retreat but their was no other pursuit, the attackers had other objectives in mind.
As the flotilla approached the planet they were engaged by a scattering of defense satellites and planet-to -space missile batteries. The satellites and the missile batteries that were situated away from heavily populated areas were quickly destroyed. The few missile batteries that were too near populated areas were left alone. There was no need to create mass casualties among the civilian population of the planet and the batteries were no more than a minor nuisance given the overwhelming fire superiority the attackers had. Aboard the Flame the drop ships readied for launch. The next phase of the raid was about to begin.
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