Voices of the Victorious, Voices of the Vanquished
We're picking up something sir.
What is it?
Signal here, signal here... pattern... Sir, Vakkra incursion!
Vakkra incursion! All heads to battle stations!
Should we contact the rest of the fleet?
Yes.
Admiral Terenas tapped his commlink.
Attention Gold, Bronze, Silver Fleets and Swarm Force. Vakkra Incursion! Full combat readiness.
All over the space around Byblos, weapons started glowing red. Thrusters glowed. Fighters and Stardancers whizzed out of the carriers of Swarm Force. Terenas' flagship, the Lyam (after a famous early Havenite) assumed a central position.
Admiral Terenas looked at the system scan again. Nothing from the jumpgate...
3 more dots materialized, away from the jumpgate. Terenas grabbed the commlink.
Attention all ships, the Vakkra are not, repeat NOT using the jumpgates. Prepare for combat.
The Vakkra carriers in the distance began to glow. Hundreds of little dots poured out.
Enemy fighters off!
The Vakkra destroyer fired an opening salvo. The cruisers dodged out of the way.
Send it right back at 'em! Engage experiment Beta!
Several carriers fired translucent silvery blobs at the Vakkra fleet. The blobs disintegrated on contact.
Result negative sir. No apparent effect.
Damn. Engage in combat, standard procedures.
Yes sir.
Terenas gazed out as hundreds of Havenite fighters whizzed out towards the Vakkra fleet. The carriers assumed their shifting, difficult to hit stance and began firing at the Vakkra...
*****
Toja spun her fighter, dodging a deadly round of Vakkra fire. The fighter spun a 180, and fired backwards at the Vakkra fighter, it took a glancing hit, then spun out of sight behind one of the Vakkra cruisers. She spun the ship back forwards, and dodged beneath a Vakkra destroyer, strafing its botton end. Turrets on the massive ship targeted and fired, but Toja managed to dodge.
Rising up around the back end of the ship, she surveyed the battle. The Vakkra had not lost one of their majour ships, but the molten remains of several Havenite cruisers were visible.
Toja maximized her ships speed and spun back towards the battle. A swarm of Vakkra fighters changed their course, heading straight for her. But a seperate wing of Havenite fighters caught them from the side. Several exploded, and they changed course. Toja opened fire on one, and it disintegrated, its remains crashing into another ship.
She then looked at the Havenite carriers. They were firing another one of their experiments. She dodged clear of one passing shot, then spun around and followed in their direction. One hit a Vakkra cruiser, and was absorbed. Toja blasted beneath it, and strafed the ships side. A turret focused on her, and something fired. Something identical to what it had just absorbed.
Her eyes widened-
*****
Sir, experiment alpha results negative as well. The Vakkra can recycle the scourge, and have already infected several ships.
Scuttle them! We cannot afford an outbreak.
2 Havenite cruisers with telltale Scourge scarring detonated.
Sir! Reinforcements! The new fleets from Haven are here!
Excellent. Order them to engage the Vakkra at once.
The Lyam dodged a poorly fired Vakkra shot. Terenas looked up to the viewscreen to see one of the Vakkra destroyers start to break up. A cheer came from the crew.
SIR! EVASIVE-
A massive shock rocked the ship. Damage alarms screeched.
All crew to the escape pods!
Terenas watched his crew get into some. Satisfied that everyone was evacuated, he leapt into one and launched.
The extreme g-forces quickly subsided, and Terenas looked down to see his flagship, spewing white hot gases, explode.
*****
This is Admiral Mannara! I've got reinforcements, and am taking over for Terenas!
Hive Force, Copper Mercury and Titanium fleets opened fire on the Vakkra.
Fire Experiment Alpha!
*****
Terenas listened to the soundlink with horror, and cursing, searched desperately for some way to contact Mannara.
*****
Sir, the scourge has been absorbed.
Damn. Wait, what are they doing.
Oh crap.
*****
Several Havenite cruisers were infected instantly, many more exploded.
A voice came over the intercom.
Reinforcement fleets, DO NOT fire the Scourge at the Vakkra!
Thanks for the advice! I was about to fire at them again!
Don't use sarcasm with me!
The link disconnected.
Admiral Mannara, the Vakkra fighters are taking heavy losses now.
Finish them. Focus all fire on the remaining Vakkra capital ships.
Yes sir.
The Havenite fleet advanced, firing deadly barrages down at the Vakkra ships. Both Vakkra cruisers were hit by so many bolts simultaneously that their explosions were impossible to see.
Focus all fire on the listing destroyer!
One of the Vakkra destroyers had begun to lean down towards Byblos. White vapours spouted from it in several places. As the firepower of the entire Havenite fleet fell upon it, the destroyer attempted to shimmer out. But it wasn't fast enough. In a blast of white light, it broke, both halves exploding in quick succession.
Sir, Vakkra fading out... they're gone.
A long silence followed. Then, all over the Havenite ships, cheering and celebration broke out.
Mannara Grinned.
All groups, tally losses and commence escape pod pick up.
that was mean andis 
really mean!
i win 
