In the Forlon system (long)...

[Dan]

The quiet space around the Forlon warp-point, space that hadn't been disturbed for many long years, was suddenly jolted from its prolongued peace as a N'Klah minesweeper emerged from places unseen. The vessel was followed by several more of its kind. They were not alone in the void of space and a hidden Krill minefield, deadly little devices that sat quietly with long cyber-patience, compared the new arrivals with those approved to pass. No match was found and the minefield instantly sprang to life, assaulting the intruders with cold efficiency. The sweepers were ready for the onslaught and wide-arc beams reduced the threat to nothing in seconds. When the Last explosive flare died away and quiet reigned again, a small communications probe detached from the lead ship and re-entered the warp point. Minutes later a N'Klah attack fleet emerged from the point, took up a formation, and made its way into the system toward a large blue orb that held 340 million Krill.

Pride-Leader T'vak sat patiently in the cockpit of his lethal Jagged Fang fighter awaiting the launch order. His carrier, ThunderBringer, had seen much action as the Empire expanded but none of the foes were worthy. T'vak and his pilots yearned for a true hunt that would bring honor to them as well as to the Empire. They needed to hunt and kill worthy prey. The order came and ThunderBringer spat 60 Jagged Fangs into space; T'vak's pride of ten and five others like it. The nimble craft responded effortlessly as they shook out into attack formation and headed toward the target. Their orders were simple: kill all resistance and see the assault transport, Screaming Leap, and her escorts safely to the planet.

Scanner data began to flow from the fleet to the fighters and T'vak looked at his screen with eager interest as the target's secrets were revealed; numerous weapons platforms with massive depleted uranium cannons and capitol missile launchers, a sizeable ground combat force which should please the hunters preparing inside the Screaming Leap, and.....T'vak's face made an involuntary bared-fang smile as he saw the 168 enemy fighters launching from the planet. There would be enough prey for every N'Klah fighter to have plenty of kills. The enemy craft were slower than the Jagged Fang but carried close range anti-ship missiles in addition to their lighter armament. This was a real threat to the attack force and clipped snarls and growls that passed for N'Klah battle commands filtered through the fleet; the Jagged Fangs, to their unconcealed delight, must first deal with the Krill fighter force while the fleet arrayed for optimal point defense and continued on course.

T'vak used the few available minutes to study his prey with a natural hunter's intense attention. Their ragged formations betrayed a lack of training and discipline but a steady course showed no shortage of determination. The distance closed quickly and the two fighter forces tore into each other. The first split seconds revealed the N'Klah as clearly superior and their Fangs struck deep, the com channel filled with battle chatter as tight formations dissolved in the chaos of a swirling dogfight. T'vak watched a Jagged Fang sweep behind two Krill, killing the trailer. The hunter flattened his attack run a little too long to get a shot at the leader (a beginner's mistake, T'vak thought bitterly), and the hunter became the prey when another Krill came to the rescue and easily destroyed him. T'vak twisted his fighter around and exacted swift revenge. While the N'Klah fighters were clearly getting the better of the duel, two factors worked against them: numbers and time. There were simply too many Krill fighters and the rolling fight moved inexorably closer to the fleet. Even while exacting a heavy toll on the Krill, N'Klah were dying in growing numbers. Some fell covering a damaged hunter while others were simply hemmed in, by a combination of impatience and urgency to defend the ever closer fleet, and killed.

T'vak was in his glory - a dream come true. The ultimate predator, his crazily twisting fighter delivered death to an enemy every few seconds while proving impossible to strike in return. He made his eighth kill when he noticed a clump of 28 Krill fighters break free of the melee and head toward the fleet. T'vak set an intercept course and tore into them from behind. Their target forgotten, the surviving Krill turned on their tormentor. A short time later a stream of small depleted uranium shells hammered through T'vak's Jagged Fang. It tumbled wildly out of control, slamming him against the side of his seat as the G-force compensator (among many other systems) failed. He could smell something burning and his warning board told him something he needed no instruments to know; his beloved fighter, and it's pilot, had only seconds to live. Fighting the G's, T'vak wrestled the controls and managed to adjust course barely enough to line up on an evading Krill. Even in death he would have one final kill and his tumbling fighter sliced through his Last prey.

The Krill regrouped and resumed course for the fleet, an ever growing number of their fellows breaking away from the dying dogfight to follow. Two N'Klah point defense destroyers, Punji Pit and DeadFall, edged out at the attackers, their numerous batteries firing rapidly and effectively. Many more Krill died but some of the survivors pressed close to the PD-DD's and fired their missiles. Deadfall ceased to exist immediately and Punji Pit fell away, gutted and streaming, until she was finished off. This left a large hole in the N'Klah PD envelope and the Krill swarmed into it, the cruiser Fist and Claws their first target. She managed to kill a few Krill before she was destroyed outright by those terrible missiles. The carrier ThunderBringer was next in line, her empty bays savaged and burning. The battlecruiser Predator's Pride moved closer and saved her, knocking down every fighter in range. The BC Challenger's Stare did the same for Screaming Leap although she was never seriously threatened. The Krill continued pressing scattered attacks but their effectiveness fell off considerably. Too many Krill died to the Jagged Fangs and the remainder lacked coordination. After that first attack, N'Klah PD fire was sufficient to finish off the rest without loss. Then it was over.

Predator's Pride and Challenger's Stare took station ahead of Screaming Leap and maintained course for the target, the cruisers Deadly Apparition and Natural Enemy and destroyers Death's Claws and Worthy Challenge in company. The moment they were within range the planet's cannon opened fire, hurling massive DU sabots and CM salvos. Deaths Claws was the first hit, falling out of position with heavy damage. N'Klah return fire was accurate but inadequate and Natural Enemy was next to get pounded, also pulling away with heavy damage. Again and again the heavy cannons spoke and each time they did more N'Klah died and another ship suffered brutal damage. Fortunately, as the range closed return fire from the fleet became more effective and some of the platforms fell silent. Also, each minute that passed brought the Screaming Leap, and her cargo of loaded assault craft, closer to the goal and the moment finally came when they were in reach. Huge bay doors opened and the N'Klah assault troops stormed into hell. The fighting was ferocious and went on for a long time, the issue very much in doubt. Both sides sold themselves dearly. Counterattack followed attack which was followed by more death and destruction. In the end there weren't enough N'Klah to achieve victory, although they fought to the Last hunter and reduced the defenders to a mere handful.

When it became clear that every hunter on the planet was dead the ships finished off the Last platforms and burned the planet from orbit. The many fallen deserved a fitting funeral and burning the planet as their pyre was the only appropriate thing to do. When the ships finally left, quiet once again reigned in the now dead system.