Story: The Battle over Kisth

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A story detailing the conflict between the Kerarans and the Tarsk, written collabaratively by User:Pinguinus and User:Holbenilord.

Prologue

Boros guided his ship into orbit around Kisth, one of the Tarsk empire's most recent acquisitions. Of course, there was nothing there right now, but that would change soon.

Behind the Flaming Lance, many other Tarsk ships appeared- hundreds. These were military on the whole, scouring the system for threats.

Tarsk merchant and colonist ships were no pushovers, but these could have just that little bit more weaponry.

"Boros, here's something you have to see."

Boros turned and looked at his fellow captain, Krottle.

"What is it now?"

Reluctantly, he got up and followed Krottle into the captain's office.

As soon as he stepped in, a laser dot appeared on his chest.

Krottle laughed. "Don't move." He was holding a sniper pistol, and holding a knife in the other hand.

With a growl, Boros leapt at his new foe. The pistol went off into the air, and Boros had Krottle in his pectoral claws, squeezing tight.

"I never wanted this! I was set up!"

"Of course." With a sweep of his claws, Krottle's head was smashed sideways. Red blood began to trickle from his toothed mouth. Boros punched him again, and Krottle slid down onto the ground. There was a thud and Krottle's neck was snapped.

Boros re-entered the bridge. It was a common enough occurence, and there wasn't even a second glance from the other officers.

"Alright, keep us steady. I have a good feeling about today."


Emperor Lakosius V walked up the steps of the Tower of War. He reached the top, and began preparing a speech for the multitudes below.

"My People," he began, "First of all, I wish to congratulate Commander Draak on his recent subjugation of the Pokoju Race. Never again shall their tributes come late."

The People began to cheer.

"Next, I will be answering some questions related to my rule."

A large, muscular Keraran stepped onto the Questioner's Pedestal. "I have some questions for you!" he declared. "Your entire rule has been filled with lies and deceit!"

"True, but hardly a question," said Lakosius.

"Then here's a question. Why have we not yet subdued the Aians, despite the fact that you promised that we'd have a military fortress on Aian Prime by now?"

"Temporary complications have arisen. However, I assure you that you will have Aian slaves giving you a sponge bath by next year."

This statement caused quite a bit of murmuring amongst the crowd.

"Also," said the questioner, "You have also said that you would subdue the satellite galaxy of Rubanon by now. Why has this not been done yet?"

"It is funny you should ask," said Lakosius, with a demonic glint in his eye, "and the truth is, I shall be personally commanding the Imperial Fleet to perform this action this very evening."

A gasp rose from the assembled crowd; normally, such attacks were planned for months, in some cases years in advance.

"Yes, you heard me right. By tomorrow, Rubanon will be ours. Now, you who has asked these questions... you must know the law... have I answered your questions satisfactorally?"

The Keraran swallowed hard. "Well, I wasn't completely satisfied with your response regarding the Aians..."

A loud uproar of boos and angry shouts rose from the crowd.

"You know the law," said Lakosius with a pleased croon. "Guards, enact My Personal Vengeance upon this individual."

The Imperial Guards rose their forceguns towards the questioner. He tried to run away, to avoid his fate. But he was too slow. Half a hundred bullets passed through his body, and he fell to the ground, dead.

Lakosius purred in contentment, and then walked away to supervise the preparation of his ships.

Chapter 1

"Split up into flotillas of ten. Head out-system." The commander had changed since they last communicated- a female had taken his place. Such was the way of things.

The Flaming Lance jumped and dropped out again, followed shortly after by its companion ships. "Form up for active scanning."

The ships began to work as one, mapping the black stars, searching for movement or brightness amidst the darkness.

"Objects! Occluding the star at 204.453.455!"

All telescopes turned, and sure enough a diffuse cloud was observable.

"Send drones. See what they're emitting."

The FTL drones emerged in front of the Keraran battlefleet, and were immediately reduced to debris.

"Aha! Kerarans! Tell the fleets!"

FTL buoys started up, and soon the Tarsk of a dozen worlds were heading for Kisth. Heading for a war.


The Keraran battlefleet steamed onwards, forming a V-formation pointed menacingly at the little planet ahead. The fleet was formed from their battlecruisers, cannons ready and bombs loaded, each full of Keraran soldiers all too ready to kill and enslave.

Lakosius V sat in his personal chamber at the fleet's head, his ship distinguished by ornate decoration in gold and bone. Looking through the diamond panorama window, he sat back and purred. Dreadguards stood motionless behind him, forceguns at the ready, wearing their black, insectoid armour with proud contemptuousness.

The Tarsk ships lay directly ahead. They were already exchanging fire, but at these ranges, a hit was a rarity.

The vessels of the Tarsk were slightly smaller, and fewer in number. This was a sizeable proportion of their fleet, and a major Keraran victory here could weaken the Tarsk enough that their empire would collapse.

The Keraran emperor knew this, and on the Throne of Battle he began to consider the methods he would use to destroy the remaining Tarsk worlds. Using nuclear weapons to destroy one half of the planet and watching as the fallout was spread across it, killing the survivors wherever it touched? There probably wouldn't be many survivors that way, he mused.

Precision destruction of all buildings followed by fighter sweeps was a classic method, and he decided it would be best. He also felt that there would be enough survivors that way to have some fun in the Hall of Pain on Kerar. That was something he hadn't done in a while...

So many possibilities! But first, these little ships would have to go.

Chapter 2

As the two fleets entered laser range, battle proper was joined. Proton-Beams lashed at the Tarsk ships, and nuclear mines were fired out to form a field of extreme danger in front of the Kerarans.

It wasn't the first time Lakosius had wondered why their lasers were called Proton-Beams. Maybe it had something to do with the power source, but he wasn't a scientist and remembered that he didn't really care as long as they won.

Boros felt his ship shake a little as a laser achieved a glancing hit on its side. Nothing damaged but the paint job, though that laser was probably locked on now.

"Evasive manoeuvres! Deploy mirror modules!"

A number of mirrored sails emerged from the Tarsk ship's hull, scattering its light signature. Little thrusters activated along their edges, disturbing the heat trace.

"It won't last long, but perhaps long enough to get into nuking range."

Might Launchers added their firepower to the mix now, blasting holes in the Tarsk ships and sending them spinning off. The Flaming Lance remained barely damaged, but it was almost alone in this regard.

The Keraran ships now entered the mine field, and there were blazes of light as they set off the proximity traps. The Keraran shields were strong enough to resist much of the damage, letting only the outer hull be ripped open and melted, but could not stop the onslaught of radiation that killed every living thing on board.

Lakosius was no longer purring. He had lost vessels. "Make them pay for their stupidity! They shall be forced to build ten ships for every one they scratch!"

Half of the Keraran fleet broke off to evade the minefield and head straight for Kisth. The Tarsk city below was a bright light on the planet's night side, but then- the light was gone. An enforced blackout.

No matter, their infrared and radio emissions would make them visible enough. Keraran ships rolled out their orbital weapons, loading shells and bombs.

From the surface came a number of short flashes, and then railgun shells crashed into the Kerarans from below. The planetary defense guns were online and firing.

Two battlecruisers were torn in half, and the debris began to fall slowly downwards, meeting the atmosphere and becoming sheathed in flame from re-entry. Other fragments hit their companion vessels, in some places breaching the repulsors and wrecking a portion of the hull.

But the Kerarans had had enough. Three Paramount Bombs were dropped, and then the remaining battlecruisers accelerated off, their job done. Their bright blue exhaust trails lit up the sky below with a fantastic aurora.

Each bomb hit the city, and each bomb detonated. White-hot metal was blasted out in a sphere from each device, shredding and melting the buildings, the streets, and the defenses. Where people had stood, there was now only vapour in the wind.

Boros sighed, far above, and continued on his course. More and more Keraran ships were focussing their fire on the Flaming Lance, now that it was one of only three remaining, and he wasn't sure they could evade every shot. A laser scored a long line of black across the hull.

"Looks like it'll be a suicide run. Let's take out their commander."

The Tarsk ship accelerated enormously, and every weapon within its hold was primed. Seconds from impact, the captain smiled, and opened the comms.

"You're mortal."

Upon collision, everything exploded into white light. A thousand nukes added their elemental fury to the impact explosion, creating a blast large enough that a dozen other ships were consumed within it. Lakosius' last thoughts must have been ones of sheer and barely contained terror.

See Also