[b][h1]Beginning of the Seige of New Columbia[/h1][/b] [b]A collab between Lauder and Sigma[/b] ------------- [b][u] Paradiso System Deep Space [/u][/b] A pair of Cyclops Frigates were on their usually patrol, so far nothing out of the ordinary had occurred, a rather common phrase to be said in such a system, with the exception of the occasional pirate incursion, the Paradiso System hadn't faced much threats since the end of the Xim War, it was both a blessing and a curse for so many in the Paradiso SDF. However, that unfortunately will change very soon. In the CIC aboard one of the patrolling frigates, the captain, a brown-furred Dathu sat calmly, or rather, was half-asleep, system wide patrols tend to last quite a while, long enough for one to get some sleep if needed, nothing happens anyway, at least until now. "Captain." the shipboard AI spoke up, the captain snapping back up to attention. "Several dozen warp signatures have been detected entering the system." "Well...that's quite a few." He replied in a robotic voice, thanks to the translator device around his neck. "Can they be identified?" "Negative, sir." the AI replied. "I've also attempted to open channels with them, but they refuse to respond." "That's not good..." the captain said. "Move on a intercept course. Alert the other ship." "Yes, sir." With that, both frigates broke off their path and moved to a possible location of the unknown fleet, visual contact was required to ascertain what they were dealing with. A short while later, the pair arrived, much to the horror of the crews on board. "Oh Shu'yih..." the captain muttered as a holographic model of the fleet materialized right before upon the table at the center of the room. "The X'Cor.." so many questions circulated in thier collective minds, "why" are they here?" "Why attack now?" But it matters not, they're here now and the forces left to defend this system would be put to the test, within mere moments, the two ships were under heavy barrage from the X'Cor fleet. "Warn New Columbia!" The captain ordered the AI. "We're under attack! The X'Cor are here!" The entirety of the X'Cor war fleet had come, sixty-six ships in total in order to raid this planet that was owned by the Federation. The two ships alone would not last long against the combined barrage of the fleet. It was an easy start to the campaign, hopefully they still retained the advantage of surprise. With so little point-defense weapons in place, the frigates would not hold against the tide of EMP missiles of the X'Cor. The ships did not even bother stopping for the frigates either. Instead, they continued to keep engines powered while the proceeded to begin tearing the two ships apart. The X'Cor were headed straight for New Colombia, the capital ships preparing their main cannons in case they would need to be used. "This fight... It will be one the Federation will suffer from," the Fleet Admiral Ver S'sho, chuckled as the ships continued on. [b][u] New Columbia [/u][/b] Jackson Monroe, a name well known among the Officers of the Navy, as being the Youngest Officer to be made Admiral at he age of thirty. However, he has earned such a title for good reason. In the final years of the Xim War, the formerly Captain Monroe had proved to be a brilliant strategist and tactician, responsible for the major push into the Occupied Territories. For decades the war was a constant back and forth between the Sol Federation and the Xim Initiative, often with little gains and losses, entrenching themselves. Thanks in part to Monroe's tactics, the Federation had pushed into the occupied systems, and although they had not fully liberated them, the navy had managed to maintain a light presence, keeping the Xim fleets preoccupied and less pressure spent on the ground troops. By the war's end, Jackson had became a War Hero. A few months later, the Captain was caught off guard with his promotion to Admiral. It was certainly quite an honor, never in the Federation's long history has there been an Admiral at such an age. Ten years after, Admiral Monroe has now been tasked with defending the Frontier, to observe the Xim and all who pose a threat. ---------------------------------- [i]Aboard USS Vanguard, CIC[/i] Admiral Monroe sat in the dead center of the CIC Room, bored out of his mind, laying his head over his hand as he observed his crew going about daily business as usual, overhearing conversations when possible to pass the time. "Alright, here's a real shitty one." The Comms officer said. "Two Mabronnans are out on patrol, one of them walks into a wall and collapses, he doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other Mabronnan takes out his communicator and contacts his commander. He gasps: “My partner has collapsed! I don’t know what to do! After a moment, the commander responds: “Calm down, I can help.” “First, let’s make sure your partner is dead.” There is a silence, then a shot is heard. Back on the communicator, the Mabronnan says: “Okay, now what?" That got a few snickers out of the Admiral and others. "Yeah, that joke was shit." He says jokingly. "You got one, sir?" "I'm not much a jester myself." Monroe replied. "Carry on, I need to kill this boredom!" "Aye aye, Admiral." one of the officers replied as they proceeded with their chitchat as the minutes went by, traffic out there was more busy today, of course with the Commonwealth coming along to sign some treaty, you'd bet it would be busy. "Jasie." He called out to the ship's AI. "Give me a situation report. Anything new updates on comms?" "Searching...." the AI replied, searching through the tactical net, and kept searching until a "bing" sound rang throughout the room. "Confirmed...I have received some..troubling updates." Monroe slowly sat upward on his seat, his ear perking up. "Go on.." "We seem have have lost a patrol group...their shipboard AI did not leave much behind in it's message." "Well? What is it?" "The message was..."Enemy Attack." "What?!" The Admiral stood up in surprise, spooking all the staff, sending them into a panic. "Oh god!" "Is it the Xim!?" "Not again.." "Everyone calm down!" Monroe ordered. "Whoever it is...we're ready. This is like back in the War, we stand and fight, we won't run, not this time." His rather short speech has calmed the CIC staff down, and even inspired them. "Battle stations." The X'Cor fleet continued to move at full speed towards the planet, until they began to near the planet. They began to slow and the six Capital-classes came to a hault, causing the other sixty cruisers to as well. "Sir, what target should we prioritize?," a Communications officer aboard the X'Cor ship asked, turning to face the Fleet Admiral. Ver S'sho thought for a few moments before ordering, "Set the War fleet to prioritize and ships in orbit around the planet. Once those have been destryed, we can take up a defensive formation. For now, have the Cruisers form a wall in front of the command ship. Make sure that they space out a bit so we can have a line to fire." The Communications officer nodded and relayed the information to the rest of the fleet. So the X'Cor forces formed a wall in front of the Command ships. Immediately the ships began to close on the largest cluster of enemy vessels they could find. Admiral Monroes's fleet took a more chaotic formation, there was little time for a proper defense, what ships were within vicinity of the USS [i]Vanguard[/i] formed up into several scattered groups. The [i]Vanguard[/i] took center stage as it advanced with an escort of two cruisers. Two other groups consisted of a dozen warships, of which were a mix of destroyers, frigates and corvettes. The scattered fleet soon fell under fire from the wall of X'Cor cruisers, a group of light warships wiped out from the barrage. Monroe's carrier, although taking a beat, stood strong in the face of adversity. Deep in the carrier, in the CIC room, every shot and collision caused a fierce tremors that echoed throughout the ship, the crew felling it. Admiral Monroe remained glued to his chair as the CIC staff were in a panic, monitoring the ship's status and the status of the outside. "We got fires on decks 3 and 8!" shouted one officer. "Shields are at fifty percent!" another riced out. "We lost fleet group one!" "Admiral, we got a swarm of small craft emerging from the enemy fleet!" The Admiral rose up, as adrenaline was coursing through his veins, he never felt this alive and afraid since the war. "Launch all fighters!" He snappily ordered. "And when the hell will those reinforcements arrive?!" "We still got twenty minutes till the rest of the fleet arrives, sir." the Coordinator replied. "Damn it!" he shouted. "We'll have to hold til then.." "Sir! The Commonwealth Cruiser is moving towards out position!" "Are they mad?! the Ambassadors are on boa-" Monroe was interrupted as the ship shook violently once more, forcing him on his knees. Alarms ringing throughout the ship. "Oh god! We're been boarded! Multiple decks report hostile troops storming in!." "...Nevermind, we need all the help we can get..."