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Battle for the 13th Sector, Battle for the Woosung System (Part One)
Posted By: Fleet Admiral<fleetadmiral4@yahoo.com>
Date: 29 November 2004, 3:21 AM
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1100 Hours July, 4 2529 (Military Calendar) /
Reside System, Planet Soochow, HQ for 13th Sector/
UNSC Yamato- class Cruiser Tyrant, Flagship of Vice Admiral Kennedy's Fleet
The cruiser Tyrant orbited the planet Soochow in the Reside System, the HQ for his sector.
The 13th Sector had been invaded a year ago and was doing decently in the battle against the Covenant until the sector commander made a stupid decision that cost his three fourths of his fleet.
Kennedy and the 20 ships under his command were sent to see if the tide for the system could be turned. In all, Kennedy had a fleet of three dozen ships. Kennedy did not think that a victory in this sector could be achieved however, but he would try his best. They just couldn't hand it over to the Covenant without a fight.
The Covenant already controlled over half the sector and had a battle fleet that greatly out numbered his.
Kennedy was no noob however. He was a seasoned veteran from the four year long campaign in the Harvest System. He had actually been second in command of Admiral Cole's fleet in Harvest.
Many of his bridge crew served with him in the Harvest Campaign as well.
Captain Keith Lauber, the captain of Kennedy's flagship, Tyrant, for example. He was a good officer, and commanded the flagship well. After Harvest he was offered a flag position of the rank of Commodore, or a one star admiral, but he turned it down in order to be in command of the Tyrant.
Commander Jim Mayfield, the executive officer of the Tyrant. He went in to Harvest a Lt. Commander and the weapons officer of the Tyrant, and came out the XO. The original XO, Commander Larson, was killed in the Lambda System action during the Harvest Campaign.
Lt. Commander Hugo, the Ops. Officer, was promoted to Lt. Commander from Lt. just a week before they left Reach. He was now the second officer of the Tyrant.
Liz, of course. Liz is the ships AI. She and Kennedy first met when he was a Lt. on the destroyer Warrior. After that assignment Kennedy didn't see her for many years until he received the Tyrant.
Captain Sean Prendergast was not present, but he was the fleet fighter squadron's commander. He was given his current position and rank after Captain Michel Gearhart, his predecessor, was killed in the last battle in the Harvest Campaign.
Prendergast was the executive commander of fighter squadron's, so he was given the job.
The only person in the command staff, besides the original 13th Sector units, that Kennedy knew was Commodore Justin Goodman. He was the executive officer of the fleet, and he had known him since high school.
Then, of course, there was Major General Kevan Young, commander of the Marines in the fleet. And Colonel Brandon Lewis, commander of the ODST's in the fleet.
Kennedy rose from his chair behind the oak wood desk he had in his ready room.
After looking at the tactical maps of the sector, he had decided that the first system he would take back was the Woosung System. It was a strategic system and would be vital when supply convoys started up again to re-supply the UNSC forces in the system.
Plus, the planet hadn't been glassed yet, so they would be able to take the planet back from the Covenant.
Kennedy paced around the room a little. Then he turned and walked out of his ready room and onto the bridge of his flagship.
"Admiral on the bridge," said one of the crewmembers. The crew went to attention, and then went back to their tasks.
"Captain Lauber, would you join me in my ready room," Kennedy said.
The captain turned around in the command chair and said, "Yes sir." He then turned to Commander Mayfield and said, "You have to conn."
Lauber rose from the command chair and walked toward the ready room.
When Lauber entered the office, Kennedy was sitting down at his desk.
"Captain," Kennedy began. "I need a battle group of ships ready to leave with us in two hours. Once you have picked to ships I want the captains of those ships in my conference room. I would like Colonel Lewis to attend with General Young in the meeting."
"Yes sir," Lauber said with a serious voice.
"The first part of our offensive is about to begin," Kennedy said with a small smile, that quickly went away. "Carry on."
"Yes sir," Lauber replied with a salute.
Kennedy saluted him back and Lauber walked out of the ready room.
Kennedy keyed his intercom, "Captain Prendergast?"
"Yes," Prendergast answered back.
"There will be a meeting in an hour," Kennedy told him. "I want you there."
"Yes sir," Prendergast replied. "I'll be there sir."
***
Admiral Kennedy walked into the conference room on his flagship. All the officers in the room stood at attention when he entered.
"Seats," Kennedy said as he walked up onto the small podium. He remembered when Admiral Cole called meeting like this during the campaign in Harvest. He was standing where Kennedy was now, just on the Zeus and not the Tyrant.
"Everyone," Kennedy began. "I give you our first objective, the Woosung System."
The tactical screen behind Kennedy came on with a layout of the system in question.
"As you can see," Kennedy said. "The only planet left in the system to support life is Lowsow. That is our first objective. It is believed that the planet is the forward command center for the Covenant forces in the sector, and we want it back. So, here is our plan of action.
"The carrier Ranger will make a tight orbit of the planet and drop a company of ODST's here," Kennedy pointed to a valley on the northern hemisphere of the planet. "Once they have secured that position two companies of regular marines will come down along with Marine Engineers and set up Alpha Base.
"While that is being done the Ranger will make surface scans to determine the location of the Covenant base. When it is found Colonel Lewis' ODST's will be recovered for another drop, a mile or so away from the Covenant base. Pelicans will take Marine Regulars to another point a mile away from the base again.
"The Covenant will most likely engage both groups. While that is being done several assault Pelicans will move in on the base and drop payloads on it and drop assault marines in to clean up the base."
Kennedy paused and then looked back at the staff.
"While that is going on the fleet will be taking out the Covenant fleet near the planet and then push in to the other side of the system, taking out any Covenant bastards that get in our way. The Ranger will stay in orbit with an escort of two destroyers and two frigates.
"If we pull this off we will secure supply lines for us to make our offensive, plus eliminate the most inboard system the Covenant posses. Let's kick some ass. Dismissed."
With that the staff stood up and left the conference room to go back to their ships.
1305 Hours July, 4 2529 (Military Calendar) /
Reside System, Edge of Reside System/
UNSC Yamato- class Cruiser Tyrant, Flagship of Vice Admiral Kennedy's Fleet
"Sir," Lauber said as he came up to Kennedy. "The fleet is in position on the edge of the system with us and is ready to jump."
"Very well," Kennedy replied as he turned and faced Lauber. "Lock in the destination to the nav computer Liz and make the jump."
The woman AI came up from holotank two and said, "I have the destination locked in and the fleet has it as well. We're ready to make the jump."
The UNSC fleet jumped out of the system into the hot zone ahead.
1000 Hours July, 28 2529 (Military Calendar) /
Woosung System, Edge of Woosung System/
UNSC Yamato- class Cruiser Tyrant, Flagship of Vice Admiral Kennedy's Fleet
Green distortions appeared in the blackness of space and two dozen UNSC warships entered normal space.
Admiral Kennedy watched the view screen as his flagship entered normal space.
"Report," Kennedy asked when the ship was fully in normal space and the green distortions disappeared.
"Reactor is good," Hugo reported. "I'm showing green across the boards."
"All systems check out in the green," Lauber reported.
"And the fleet," Kennedy asked.
"All ships accounted for," Liz reported.
"But we're scattered all over this part of the system," Lauber commented.
"Tell the fleet to come into formation," Kennedy ordered. "Let's get this operation under way."
***
It took an hour for the fleet to get back into formation.
'Damn,' Kennedy thought. 'I wish we could navigate slipstream like the Covenant. It would make attacks so much easier.'
The fleet was now moving in at attack speed towards Lowsow. Kennedy could see the Covenant battle group near the planet.
"Protect the Ranger," Kennedy ordered. "Liz, how long until we're in firing range of the Covenant fleet?"
"Estimated twelve minute's sir," Liz reported.
"Very well," Kennedy replied. "Have the fleet charge its MAC guns and be prepared to receive targeting data."
"Yes sir," Lauber replied with eagerness in his voice. Lauber always longed for a fight, and he was about to get his wish.
The UNSC fleet moved in slower so the MAC guns could charge faster. The Covenant fleet however was moving at top speed to meet them.
The Covenant's fleet numbered a dozen ships. While the UNSC fleet numbered two dozen. It was decent odds for the first part of the battle for the system.
"We'll be in range in one minute admiral," Liz reported.
"Liz, set targets and patch them through to the rest of the fleet," Kennedy ordered.
"Yes sir," Liz replied.
Kennedy's tactical board showed a web of trajectories come up. Red lines connected UNSC ships to incoming Covenant ships.
"We're now in range to fire," Liz reported.
"Get the fleet into position to fire our guns," Kennedy ordered. "And put us on the timers."
The UNSC fleet held its position while the Covenant fleet sped towards them. Red balls of fire started to collect on their lateral lines.
Kennedy's eyes went from the Covenant fleet to the timer, which read ten seconds.
...3...2...1. The UNSC fleets MAC guns opened fire.
Four thumps resonated from the Tyrant's hull as the huge red bolts flew out of the cruiser and towards the Covenant fleet.
"Get our guns charged as fast as we can," Kennedy ordered. "Still have the engines on stand by incase we don't make it."
The timer had split the MAC rounds into two volleys. Hopefully the first one would nock out the shields and the last one would take them down.
The MAC rounds blew into the Covenant fleet. The rounds bounced off the energy shields. Several ships were hammered so hard though that their shields went white hot, popped, and went out.
Then the other volley hit.
The unshielded ships were holed through by the huge MAC rounds.
The lead destroyer took one strait through the nose and it exited the middle of the ship. Her engines flared to get the ship back into formation. The hull stress became too great though, and she blew into a ball of fire.
Another one, the lead cruiser, took another round from the Tyrant's MAC gun. Her shield popped and went out and the momentum from the round transferred onto the hull. The ship shrugged off the damage and kept on when the last round from the Tyrant blew into the already weakened hull. The ship disintegrated from the hull stress.
Kennedy's screen showed only six enemy ships left, mostly frigates; but there were still two destroyers and the carrier.
The plasma torpedoes were scarlet red now and ready to fire.
"All ships break and attack," Kennedy ordered.
The UNSC fleet broke formation and branched out to avoid the plasma torpedoes.
The Covenant fired the deadly balls of plasma.
For two frigates it was too late. The balls of fire made contact and burned through the ships like they were tissue paper.
The Covenant fleet though sped right to the position Kennedy's ships once were.
"Get me fleet wide," Kennedy ordered.
"One sir," reported the comm officer.
"Box them in and close in on them," Kennedy ordered. "Lauber, get us into position to take down that carrier. MAC gun status?"
"One hundred percent charge," Lt. Poag, the weapons officer reported.
The cruiser came about and faced the three bubbled Covenant carrier.
"We're in position now," Liz reported.
"Fire," Kennedy ordered.
The Tyrant fired. The huge red projectiles flew towards the enemy carrier.
They flew true. The first two hit the carrier. Her shields flickered, but held. Then came the next one. This time the shield turned white hot, overloaded, flickered, and went out all together. The last round blew into the center bubble of the unprotected carrier and burst through the bottom.
"Archer missiles pods A through E," Lauber ordered.
"Ready sir," Poag reported.
"Fire," Kennedy and Lauber said at the same time.
The pods opened and the missiles flew out towards the target.
The carrier was in disarray, she didn't even know the missiles were coming until they hit her.
Bubbly explosions appeared all over the hull. Fires burst out of the hull and atmosphere vented out.
Finally the hull stress became too great for the carrier to handle. The ship exploded into a ball of fire and the fragments flew all over.
Kennedy looked to see all his ships fire into the small area that housed the rest of the Covenant fleet. After multiple hits the other ships exploded also.
"Sir," Lauber said. "Inbound Covenant warships coming in from the rest of the system. ETA one hour."
"Good," Kennedy said with vigor. It was good for moral. "Let them bring it on."
"Sir," Mayfield said. "I have the Ranger for you. Audio only"
The intercom speakers came on, "Admiral, ODST's have been deployed."
"Very well," Kennedy said. "Prepare for a counter attack. Call in for the rest of the attack fleet. Have them hold up here and defend the planet. We'll head further into the system."
"Yes sir," Lauber replied with spirit.
Kennedy knew he was living this.
"Prepare a fighter umbrella," Kennedy ordered. "Send out the scouts, I want to know what we're dealing with. Put the rest of the fighters on standby with Captain Prendergast. Have them ready to launch at a moments notice."
"Yes sir," Mayfield replied.
"We'll start moving in system when the reinforcements show up," Kennedy said.
The battle for this system will be continued!
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