DARKSTAR CAMPAIGN UPDATE: DUCHESS ANNABEL’S WAR IS OVER

MISSION: INTERDICT ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS TO THREATENED STAR SYSTEM

Nazarovo Gas Giant // Heilong-Novopromorskiy

(Xi Scorpio A/B Binary Star System) // 02 April, 2518

Even two weeks after their devastating defeat in the gigantic Battle of Tamakura, the Khitan-Tunguska Free State is still dragging its feet regarding the initiation of peace talks with the Japanese-American “Pacific Alliance” in Xi Scorpio.  Clearly their intention is to forestall further Pacific Alliance advances into Heilong-Novopromorskiy binary star system (Xi Scorpio A/B, their last holdings in Xi Scorpio), while scrambling to repair ships crippled at the Battle of Tamakura or even bring in additional warships from other fronts.

The newly-reinstated Japanese colonial administration of Hokkaido’s Flower (finally back on its feet) is not having it.  Captains Ozawa and Chealtham are ordered to exert additional pressure in “Hei-Novo” star system (Xi Scorpio A/B) to bring the Black Dragons to the negotiating table. With destroyers like the USS Princeton, Valley Forge, the light carrier Tarawa, and light fleet carrier Nagashima now repaired and moving back into the nearby Jade Dawn star system (Xi Scorpio C), Japanese and American naval commanders feel more confident to get aggressive in Hei-Novo.

Yet just at this moment, USS Oriskany is the only warship the Pacific Alliance has in Hei Novo, and even she has just been delicately repaired her bruising punching match with the Zhui Kang Station. The Japanese destroyer IJN Kikasa (damaged much worse in this late engagement) is being escorted back for repairs by the frigates John Young and Ronald Evans, and the rest of the aforementioned Pacific Alliance ships are still being brought up to Jade Dawn after repairs at Hokkaido’s Flower.

Nevertheless, Captain Matthew Spencer of the Oriskany soon has a target in his sights. The massive 168,000-ton Slava class heavy cruiser Koloslavo, hulking veteran of battles like Shomiyama and Tamakura, has been detected in the eclipse shadow of the Nazarovo gas giant.  Clearly the Black Dragons are desperate, Koloslavo has been brought back “into service” without an escort, or even fully repaired.

On the other hand, attacking a heavy cruiser with only a destroyer is borderline madness. But this is the USS Oriskany, probably the most decorated, upgraded, experienced, and famous destroyer in the United States Navy.

The Koloslavo spots the Oriskany vectoring toward her, and dips down into the turbulent, lightning-shredded clouds of the Nazarovo gas giant. Their hope is that the lighting and clouds will blur out Oriskany’s clear edge in electronics, leaving the battle as a simple slugging match of gunnery which the Koloslavo will win every time. If nothing else, the lightning will damage a smaller ship like Oriskany much more than the massive Koloslavo.

Spencer puts his ship at general quarters and orders all ahead flank, aiming her prow straight down into the Nazarovo storm clouds.  Can the Oriskany take down this damaged giant in an epic “David & Goliath” showdown?

As the USS Oriskany approaches the Nazarovo gas giant, her sensors detect (as expected) the massive heavy cruiser KTS Koloslavo lurking in the storm-shredded, lightning-scorched atmosphere.  The cruiser is vectored with her prow upward, engines down into the gas giant’s denser cloud layers.  Clearly her captain hopes to protect some of her damaged shields (starboard bow, port quarter, stern) and discourage the Oriskany from cutting across her stern, or at least forcing her deep into the dangerous Nazarovo atmosphere to do so.  Also, the huge cruiser can withstand the planet’s lightning much better than the smaller Oriskany, so the Koloslavo is content to force Spencer to take Oriskany “down into the soup” to engage.

Spencer has no problem with the idea.  Screaming down at near-suicidal 60 kilometers per second, Oriskany streaks toward Nazarovo in a powered dive.  Initially positioned to greet the Oriskany with a long range broadside, already Koloslavo’s aft-mounted guns, plasma projectors, and torpedo tubes are no longer able to come to bear.  But she has plenty of forward guns, blasting up out of the Nazarovo atmosphere at 4,000 kilometers.  One 10gw rail gun bolt not only hits the Oriskany at this incredible speed and distance, but also right on the armor protecting her bridge.  Clearly the Koloslavo’s gunners have had their coffee this morning.

With all engines now full-astern in a maximum deceleration curve, Oriskany rolls over to port and dive-bombs straight down into the Nazarovo atmosphere.  A second salvo from Koloslavo’s forward guns miss, as does a ripple-chain of incredibly powerful lightning.  Oriskany slings out a full spread of Mk 48 gravitic torpedoes while her forward guns ping away at Koloslavo’s thickly-armored port bow.

Spencer knows he is playing a very dangerous game.  If damage from Koloslavo’s withering batteries shut down Oriskany’s power, there is no chance to save the ship.  Screaming at nearly 30 kps straight down into the gravity well of a gas giant, the 48,000 ton destroyer will be crushed like an egg shell in a matter of minutes in the titanic heat, pressure, and winds of Nazarovo’s lower atmospheric layers.  Already Oriskany’s leading edges are glowing a dull red, the ship’s velocity just short of actually burning off layers of the ship’s hull.

Oriskany is heading straight for the Koloslavo.  At the last moment, she makes a port turn, the planet’s gravity still pulling her straight down.  Thus, the Oriskany is actually flying partly sideways as she screams past the Koloslavo, giving her a split-second opportunity to put a broadside straight into the massive cruiser’s stern.

Oriskany’s torpedoes hit first.  Only one is shot down by the Koloslavo’s mass drivers, her point-defense system apparently nowhere near as proficient as her main turret gunners.  Meanwhile, twelve P-500 warheads of the Koloslavo are headed for Oriskany.  Seven are shot down, and the remaining five are turned aside by the “Lady O’s” upgraded ECM suite.

Only two of Oriskany’s torpedoes actually hit the Koloslavo, however, badly damaging the armor but not getting to any of her reactors or engines.  The guns do better, tearing through the weakened armor into the massive cruiser’s vitals and knocking down her aft shields.  But legendary as she may be, Oriskany is only a destroyer with 5gw rail guns and 6mk lasers.  Without landing a solid spread of torpedoes, she just doesn’t have the “punch weight” to take down a heavy cruiser in one salvo.

The Koloslavo, on the other hand, even with only her aft gun mounts, positively maul the Oriskany.  Within ten fiery seconds her forward shields are down, her port-side torpedo bays are hit, she loses mass drivers, maneuvering thrusters … internal explosions almost reach the forward magazines.  At less than 100km, a salvo of 10gw rail guns simply does terrible damage and again, the Koloslavo’s gunners are excellent.