For House & Dominion: Civil War [spoiler]Quest[/spoiler]

Perhaps we could simple discourage them from approaching Rioja the Run at all. After the last ambush and the losses they suffer, they will be on their guard against that kin of ambush. We could make it appear like there is another ambush waiting for them.

I forgot what did we know about the admiral leading their fleet?

>How many ships are in the new fleet?
+10,000

2/3 of your fleet are in need of repairs, fuel and munitions. You could field 4k right now, though they'll be low on torpedoes and missiles unless you delay an hour.

>Which of the heavier assets are escorting the fortress?
1x Fortress
2x Talos H Carrier
2x Ascendency (1x mixed carrier/1x all combat)
1x Ceres/Bonrah Heavy Tug/Carrier

Many more Medium cruisers.

>I forgot what did we know about the admiral leading their fleet?
With leaders of the major enemy Houses having declared themselves Arch or Grand Dukes, the leadership of this attack force is supposed to be comprised of a triumvirate of slightly lesser nobles. They've declared themselves "The Three Dukes" and are believed to have been working together for months now to prevent inter-house rivalry from becoming an issue while their fleets are on the attack.

After the battle in the Centri Cluster the rank and file of your allied Houses started calling them the Dukes of Hazard.
Some of your pilots are already coming up with new nicknames inspired by the recent victory.

I would suggest we try to get alliance shield platforms to cover the Forbearance shipyard, and Rioja's plasma moon.

Yeah harassing/delaying action as above. We can't even remotely take them in a straight fight.

>soufflé is not a pie, captcha

>triumvirate of slightly lesser nobles.
>to prevent inter-house rivalry from becoming an issue

We could can exploit this, if it would be posible to target or exclude a single house among the ships we will be harassing. We could be piling more pressure on this triumvirate.

Harrass, delay

>unless you delay an hour
How fast is our enemy? And how much time does it take for them to cross one hexagon?

Also, sending fast ships ahead to beat them there is probably worth it for morale purposes even if they are short on torpedoes

Rolled 8 (1d10)

>How fast is our enemy? And how much time does it take for them to cross one hexagon?
On the trade lane its more a question of how fast they can realign for subsequent jumps.

Due to a break in the lane it would take them longer to reach the two bases you've constructed in the Spit, the small isolated J-D territory.

Time for the Fortress could reach the following targets
Ruling House regional capital: 15-20 min
Entrance to the Run: 20-30 min
Nearest J-D Base in the Spit: 40-50 min

Fast ships that have good nav data and navigators familiar with the region can cross roughly 1 hex every 5 minutes off the trade lanes. Most navigators cant keep up that pace for very long simply due to the number of jumps that need to be taken when going "off road."

From the bits of the last battle it seems we're not using our medium cruisers very effectively. We had part of one shaved off by a siege cannon because it was too close to forbearance, for example.

Are there any officers who have suggestions how to use them more effectively?

Fuck. Something has been bugging me all day. I just knew there was SOMETHING I had forgotten!

I suggest we shuffle what ammo and fuel we can to the good ships and return back to harassing the enemy forces while the rest recover. If they want to destroy Rioja or the RH capital in the region there isn't much we can do to stop them at this time in any case. Not until we've reformed at lest.

Is there a way to predict where the fleet will drop out of FTL to realign?

I'd guess they are most likely heading for the regional capital first and we probably can't stop them from fucking it up pretty good. We should focus on preventing them from breaking into the run for as long as possible.

>What's Tama's opinion on the effectiveness of our starfighters?
Missed this.
As he'd worried the heavy drones are vulnerable at closer ranges. Newer Nasidum built starfighters seem to have an edge in dogfighting. Their construction also seems to favour better atmospheric performance.

In several engagements the drone squadron commanders were forced to use the smaller cheaper drones to tie up enemy fighters so that the heavier ones could use their long range weapons more effectively. As a result the former Aries drones and knockoffs rebuilt with the new processors took above average losses.
Fortunately most of the Carriers remained well protected. Escort frigates were able to block nearly all of the SP weapons fired at them.

>We had part of one shaved off by a siege cannon because it was too close to forbearance, for example.
They were dedicated escort ships helping to soak off damage that might have otherwise overwhelmed Forbearance's shields. You have the industrial capacity to build replacement mediums. The same can't be said for your Supers.

Yes. There are known realignment points where it is necessary to revert, though there is some margin for error.

Ammo will be transferred.

>return back to harassing the enemy forces while the rest recover. If they want to destroy Rioja or the RH capital in the region there isn't much we can do to stop them at this time in any case. Not until we've reformed at lest.

[ ] Focus good forces on harassing Fortress fleet
[ ] Focus on harassing enemy skirmishing units & Bastion
[ ] Split forces between both

>[ ] Focus on harassing enemy skirmishing units & Bastion

Although we should probably consult the other commanders about this.

>[ ] Focus good forces on harassing Fortress fleet

[X] Focus on harassing enemy skirmishing units & Bastion

[ ] Focus on harassing enemy skirmishing units & Bastion
We can't stand up to that fortress but we can make life hard for their only logistics base.

>Although we should probably consult the other commanders about this.

Earl Tarse-enic of Ber'helum is of the opinion that efforts should be focused on harassing the enemy beachhead and wiping out their skirmishing forces.
"With their skirmishing forces taken care of we'll be able to conduct hit and fade with less fear of their elite units."

Count Nirium along with Baron Kelly believe that it is essential to delay enemy attacks on major infrastructure, or at least buy time to prevent their capture.
"Harassing the Fortress fleet would be essential in buying us time."

Barons Usela and Darrow want to force the enemy to stage invasions of planets to slow down their advance.
"Evacuate any remaining industry to the planets surface if they're under threat. Or pull them back to more remote locations and place decoys. We have some holographics. Once they're stuck defending planets hostile to them our mobile forces will have more freedom of movement."

>Barons Usela and Darrow want to force the enemy to stage invasions of planets to slow down their advance.

That's a pretty good idea, and it wouldn't prevent us from carrying out either of the plans.

I think a combination of 1 and three will work best for now. Limit enemy damage to infrastructure, spread them out, then pounce.

Wipe out their skirmishers and force them to invade planets. They have a limited amount of soldiers where as we can recruit more and bring in PDF soldiers should we need to from a good many words.

You set your forces to focus on harassing enemy skirmishing units & their Bastion.

It doesn't take long for scouts to report back that the Fortress fleet is headed for Rioja and the Run. Teams are trying to get as much equipment to the surface of the planet as possible.

Rioja is set up to defend against a siege but aside from the capital the major cities are not heavily fortified against ground assault. Mons Abyla base should be able to repel nearly any assaults provided they don't perform a sustained surface bombardment. Fortunately the planets atmosphere is now just habitable enough to be clearly within the bounds of the Factions treaty.

Maybourne informs you there's a high priority message for you from Rioja. It's the officer in charge of the nanite quarantine and research zone.

"What is it Colonel?"

"Sir, the Alliance is stealing all of our quarantined Nanite tech! Most of it has already been jumped out of the system.

[ ] Let them
[ ] Stop them
[ ] Deal with it as you see fit
[ ] Other

Let loose the Lawyers of War. Then Settle for a large shipment of SP torpedoes from the nearby base that we will use to blow up the enemy.

Contact the alliance. Are we 100% sure these guys are FA?

Okay, remain calm. Way I see it is this. The Alliances sees that Rioja is about to become a warzone and the risk of the Nanites ending up in the wrong hands is fairly large then. We don't want Nasidum or Bonrah gaining a hold of it.

Still we can still play our cards right. They are going to give every scrap of that back, with compensation on top of that for unlawfully seizing our property or they will regret it. However that can wait until the Relay is more secure.

This. Get an explanation for why they are stealing our stuff.

They better be intending to give it back or they can permanently kiss any support from us bye bye.

>[ ] Let them

But only if we can get someone we trust in Alliance brass to confirm that this is a legit Alliance action.

>[x] Stop them

You contact the Alliance and make some indirect threats that they'd better have someone tell you what's going on right away. Or else.

A human Commander by the name of Leiter is the one to respond. His Alliance uniform has the markings for special operations.
"We're evacuating potentially dangerous assets out of what is about to become an extremely hazardous area. I'm sorry that there wasn't time to confer with you, it would have taken too long to get permission and cut through the red tape.
All materials will be evacuated to our nearby base where we're enacting an exclusion zone. It is essential that they not fall into the hands of House Nasidum or their allies. Whatever can't be evacuated is being destroyed with antimatter charges."

"WHAT? Isn't that a little extreme?"

"Your communications protocols are not secure enough to tell you any more than that. I'm sorry Viscount. Do not attempt to retake the materials from our station while the exclusion zone is in place. We have been authorized to use deadly force.
You'll be sent confirmation of the validity of my teams orders from the Alliance Admiralty within the hour."

[ ] I expect compensation
[ ] I expect compensation (SP Torpedoes)
[ ] I expect that technology back
[ ] Other

>[x] Other

Call him several unkind names and hang up, then call back and say that we expect compensation.

>It is essential that they not fall into the hands of House Nasidum or their allies
So they're either breaking the FA treaty that demands they only act against external threats, or they know Nasidum and their allies are collaborating with the Neeran.

>[ ] Other
0. Help them evacuate the material to their base.
1. We get the technology back once the civil war is over.
2. This is going to cost them. A lot.
3. Since they've already abandoned any pretense of neutrality, when can we expect totally not FA forces to arrive and help us throw the invaders out of our relay.
4. We get to punch this guy in the face once the fighting in DRH 1 is over. And everybody else involved in the decision.

>I'm sorry that there wasn't time to confer with you, it would have taken too long to get permission and cut through the red tape.
U fukin wat m8?

>Whatever can't be evacuated is being destroyed with antimatter charges."
U FUKIN wat m8?

> Do not attempt to retake the materials from our station while the exclusion zone is in place. We have been authorized to use deadly force.
U FUKIN WAT M8!?

First the steal our stuff because calling us is such a huge bother for them. Then they destroy what they can't take without telling us and possibly risking the lives of our people. THEN they have the audacity, the god damned audacity to threaten us if we try to take it back.

People are going to bloody hang for this. I'll see this branch of the Alliance burned and purged from Dominion space.

Assuming they can't give us all the things.

[X] Hang up on this cunt after we growl at them. Then send a list of demands.
We want SP torpedoes.
A nice technology pack.
ALL the things they STOLE from us without expection.
Cash repayment for lost research time and destroyed goods belonging to us.

If this is not meet we will assume the Alliance has completely and entirely abandoned it's so called neutrality and treat this as if it was the actions of a hostile faction.

>People are going to bloody hang for this. I'll see this branch of the Alliance burned and purged from Dominion space.
There's no need to be this upset...

>[X] Hang up on this cunt after we growl at them
Well, unless you want to make Sonia look like a complete moron, of course.

>1. We get the technology back once the civil war is over.
We get it back once Nasidum and Bonrah has been eliminated from the Relay

I would just like to add to these that we should also demand that any data on the nanites that they have gained thanks to us or the things the stole from us be shared. Both now and in the future.

>] I expect compensatio

[x] "At least you didn't get the really dangerous items."

Just to mess with him.

what_could_possibly_go_wrong.gif

>[ ] Other
>Your communications protocols are not secure enough to tell you any more than that

Have him meet us in person in that case.

>compensation.
>0. Help them evacuate the material to their base.
>1. We get the technology back once the civil war is over.
>2. This is going to cost them. A lot.
>3. Since they've already abandoned any pretense of neutrality, when can we expect totally not FA forces to arrive and help us throw the invaders out of our relay.
>4. We get to punch this guy in the face once the fighting in DRH 1 is over. And everybody else involved in the decision.
>We want SP torpedoes.
>A nice technology pack.
>ALL the things they STOLE from us without expection.
>Cash repayment for lost research time and destroyed goods belonging to us.

>we should also demand that any data on the nanites that they have gained thanks to us or the things the stole from us be shared. Both now and in the future.
>compensation

Compensation including technology and money first and foremost. Possibly SP Torpedoes, and other concessions if at all possible.

You may or may not have your intelligence network find out where this officer is stationed in the future and punch him. A lot.

Anyone else for this?

>Anyone else for this?
Anyone that helps us fuck with this guy.
Also we need to send Alliance high command something along the lines of -50 Relation with Houser JD or some sort.

>Anyone else for this?
No, not particularly. Although it's probably time for another Sonia is temporarily retarded episode.

I definitely want the technology back when the Relay is secured, along with ALL alliance discoveries from what we provided.

I think yelling at them is not going to help at all, and we've got more important things to do at the moment.

>Do not attempt to retake the materials from our station while the exclusion zone is in place. We have been authorized to use deadly force.
Hmmm, that worked so incredibly well the last time some ragtag force decided to steal their SP torps.

>"Sir, the Alliance is stealing all of our quarantined Nanite tech! Most of it has already been jumped out of the system.
How exactly did that happen?

No, just he polite, get as much as we can out of the negotiatiojs

>I'll see this branch of the Alliance burned and purged from Dominion space.
That's probably doable if you can win control of the Relay. Really they'd just be asked by the Major Houses to pack up and leave the region.

After closing out communication with the Alliance you switch back to the Colonel who confirms House J-D, Ber'helum and Alliance personnel have all been evacuated from the quarantine facility. The remaining equipment is destroyed by self destruct mechanisms designed to prevent quarantine from being broken if there was an escape.

"Was there anything else?" you ask, wanting to be sure this is finished with for now.

"I've been talking with some of our scientists. Before we lost control of our own systems one of our people overheard an Alliance officer say that something wasn't Faction or Neeran tech. It may have been related to the AI interface. We're not absolutely certain."

You start to lose the connection from coms interference.

"The enemy fleet has arrived. We're evacuating the science team to location codename iceberg."

Iceberg should be a hidden underwater base on the night side of Merah colony. It should be quiet enough to escape detection.

youtube.com/watch?v=IVZxwW-U-zc

Despite the jamming some data is able to get through. Corvettes are already engaging the outer defenses when the main fleet jumps in at the entrance to the Run.

The defense platforms were designed to hold off attacks by medium cruisers, not siege weapon fire. It also isn't helped by the enemy having many more mediums than there are platforms. Plasma weapon fire from the gun platforms is heavy enough that the skirmishing forces are pull back to let the heavier ships move up and deal with them.

It seems the engineers have been busy, having fit one of the platforms with a triple barrel cannon prototype similar to the pair on the Sam Bellamy. Even with the range boosting it lacks the effective range to cause serious damage to the fortress. It's more than suited to scattering battlecruiser units though.

Siege weapon fire from the fortress seems to be spread out, hitting all of the platforms instead of simply focusing them down one at a time.
Heavy phase cannon fire from the larger ships eventually clear out many of the LD plasma weapons allowing some of the fleet to move in closer.

Two each of the new model Shukhant move in towards your Medium platforms, barely weathering the incoming fire. Drawing close enough you're concerned they'll ram, the Crescent class ships change course at the last moment, clearing the way for boarding craft that had been following in their wake.

New model Razors outfitted for boarding assaults rapidly decelerate and ram the platforms. One still strikes the shields hard enough that it simply explodes. Others impact at more safe velocities and attempt to match shields. A second ship is destroyed by station guns before it can get through. The remainder manage to penetrate the shields and latch onto the hulls of the platforms. Detaching LST's move to board the inner sections while the Battlecruisers use their own boarding tubes to melt through the hull and put teams aboard.

[ ] Send the order to self destruct the stations.
[ ] We'll just have to retake them later.

Can we destroy the weapons and shield generators on the stations?

>[ ] Send the order to self destruct the stations.
Deny the enemy all assets that we can. We can rebuild them at a later date.

Also why the hell would they target Rioja? It's like the least interesting or valuable planet in the entire Relay. There are at lest a dozen colonies between it and the captured RH colony. I just don't get it.

Yes, that's an option.

>Also why the hell would they target Rioja?
They aren't, I think.

Let's do that.

>Send the order to self destruct the stations.

>destroy the weapons and shield generators on the stations

Do this. I mean we are taking about full on stations here.

I wouldn't mind destroying the weapons and shields on the station as suggested

Looks like the crews are being ordered to destroy vital systems.

Roll 5d100 to see how quick they're able to act vs the boarding teams.

Rolled 26 (1d100)

>Roll 5d100
1

Rolled 89 (1d100)

2

Rolled 94 (1d100)

3

Rolled 53, 57, 59, 94, 60 = 323 (5d100)

Rolled 80 (1d100)

4

Rolled 55, 46, 1, 49, 24 = 175 (5d100)

go go legendary JD boarding squads

Rolled 37 (1d100)

5

>Unrelated suggestion
Have people considered using modified power cell armor for rescue services? Firefighters could find armor resistant to high temperatures and able to remove debris easily useful.

Some governments use light powered exoskeletons for emergency services work. It's rare to see military grade ones used in that role but not impossible.

55, 89, 94, 94, 60.

Not to bad

Long range sensors show heat spikes from the plasma weapons mounted on the stations followed by the launch of escape pods. Explosions follow a few seconds later when the weapon fuel cells meltdown.

Secondary explosions on all but one of the platforms eventually follow and their shields fail. Those on the final platform are lowered minutes later when Frigates are brought in to land additional troops.

A force of eight medium cruisers escorting a Talos class and their Ascendancy Heavy break off from the rest of the fleet after they've secured the entrance to the Run. Several wings of attack cruisers and other ships accompany them, some jumping farther along the Run's main route in advance of them.

The Fortress and the bulk of their main fleet jumps in system and launches an attack on Rioja's moon. A few blockade runners carrying fuel cells make a last minute escape before attack squadrons can cut them off.

Sitting outside the range of the moons main weapons the fortress gunnery crews don't go easy this time, hammering the shields as quickly as possible. Under such heavy fire even the moon base defenses can't hold up for long. Both sides continue to fire until long after siege weapon shots have started to get through the shields, slagging most of the emplacements on the North Pole.

A trio of Eminence class ships micro jump in from above the North Pole and close with the surface as quickly as possible. One still takes hull damage from the remaining Medium plasma cannons on the surface before they've reached the blind spot and deploy troop shuttles.

You now have a difficult decision to make. The plasma weapon and fuel cell manufacturing is incredibly valuable and will not be easy for anyone to quickly rebuild if destroyed.

[ ] Destroy Lunar defenses
[ ] Destroy manufacturing
[ ] Destroy manufacturing & Defenses
[ ] Surrender it
[ ] Surrender it (sabotage equipment to allow later recapture)

>[ ] Destroy manufacturing & Defenses
We can rebuild. Deny the enemy assets.

Could we blow the shaft so they have to take forever to excavate it?

What are our starfighters doing? Because those Mediums seem awfully exposed to a fighter run

The south Station also looks intact. They should be able to lob Torpedoes at the eminences in an orbital pattern. Combine that with a fighter strike and we should be able to take out the three mediums.

>What are our starfighters doing?
The Governor had any based on the moon pulled back towards the planet during the barrage due to its intensity. Those based in orbit have been launching torpedoes at the main enemy fleet.
>Because those Mediums seem awfully exposed to a fighter run
The base commander has something special in mind for them.

>Could we blow the shaft so they have to take forever to excavate it?
Possible. There is a danger that the resulting explosions could damage the industrial and habitat blocks.
The moon also isn't that big. It could probably be cleared inside of a week, though that wouldn't fix all of the damage.
Blow the connecting shaft?

>[ ] Destroy manufacturing & Defenses
Level the whole moon if we have too ~!

>Blow the connecting shaft?
Yes. Blow + sabotage. If they still have a solid hold of Rioja in a few Weeks I'lll be surprised.

>The base commander has something special in mind for them.
Well, as long as its suitably Nasty.
Blow + sabatoge.

Oh, I recall that there was a nebula just past Rioja where we had set up a few hidden bases for raiding units. Have we activated those?

>House and Dominion: The only place on Veeky Forums where "blowing the shaft" involves explosives, not dicks.

>[x] Surrender it (sabotage equipment to allow later recapture)

What happened to the 'build a massive plasma weapon inside the moon as a last resort'?

If this is the result of some kind of penalty we get because the Houses in the relay have a completely incompetent officer corps I'm not really sure what to do.

Nobody in the house has noticed that static targets are going to be in a shitty situation if a fleet with a mobile fortress and siege cannons comes rolling in. Or at least nobody has said anything. Daska spent an entire deployment trying to capture transports with these guns and then nobody got the idea to consistently protect important ships and installations with shield platforms until some user mentioned it a few posts before the first big battle.

Ideally, you have mobile units reinforce the defenses. They hit Rioja because in 48 hours, they could bring everything they have left to the party and they wouldn't be able to take it.

You hadn't. You guys instead set up a base for the Knights Errant over in the former Bonrah territories. It'll take time to reactivate the old PMC base there but could act as a good fallback point for damaged ships.

I did offer you guys more options for shield platforms for defense of major station platforms and people seemed very opposed to it. The modified platforms for Magdalena were only barely approved, and even then only because they were outside of the Run's defenses.

The thinking and pre-planning seemed to be to prepare more for a mobile engagement of the enemy fleet to trap them or kite them.

[2] Destroy manufacturing & Defenses
[1] Surrender it (sabotage equipment to allow later recapture)
[2] Blow + sabatoge.
Anyone else?

I understand the whole situation is supposed to be challenging but right now everybody on our side just looks incompetent.

>[2] Blow + sabatoge.

It just feels like nobody on Sonia's side put any effort into this.

>actually letting them get the plasma moon

what the fucking fuck

we built this thing SUPER fucking deep to withstand sieges and standoffs

this was literally mentioned when we were planning rioja.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It could have held off 2 of those EX Megas with minimal difficulty.

The southern moon base continues to pose a hazard to any enemies within range. Missile and torpedo batteries meanwhile keep hitting the trio of Medium cruisers on the north pole. As enemy troops manage to open the main cargo doors the station crews wait until one of the enemy ships have moved into position above it then open the inner doors.

Nine medium plasma cannons parked in the cargo shaft fire up through the open doors and hit the less heavily shielded aft of one cruiser. The shields barely flicker before failing and the combined shot nearly cores through the ship.

A fireball engulfs the north pole of the moon from the Medium exploding.

"We've lost communications with Rioja's moon base. There was enough time that your last orders should have made it through."

"What about the rest of the Run?"

"We're beginning to lose communications. I think they may have ships trying to disrupt the major com relays outside of the Run."

Every available ship in your fleet is now working to beat back the enemy skirmishing forces, driving them back towards their bastion. They could use some more help.

Do you want to use your command squad to assist, or pull back to a position closer to the Run where you can access its com relay more effectively? Yes you can just get reports relayed by other ships it will just take longer.

[ ] Help with the skirmishing units & Bastion
[ ] Pull back to coms range
[ ] Relay coms with damaged ships, stay near the salvage site

See you in the morning!

Can we move Forebearance Station. I'm not worried about them sieging Rioja. After war reparations are a thing. And if we lose the war, reparations are the least of our concerns.

Assist the forces hitting the bastion. Hell bring the array. I want to demolish the fleet there so we only have to deal with the Avalanche later and not fight a two front campaign (lol how in the fuck did that happen) in the short term, before they open a third front in the long run with the force circling arpund., and a possible 4th front from DRH2.

Add to that, Sonia should delegate more to subordinates who are experienced in defending. We've never had to conduct an operation around defending fixed positions and have always been more reliant on mobile tactics.

If it won't cause to much chaos, canwe quickly restructure our command chain and have Sonia go back to her roots and conduct hit and runs, running battles and wide flanking maneuvers.

This entire campaign is a mess IMO from a command stand point since we put a person renowned for mobile warfare with no experience in entrenched campaigns in overall command of defending several vital fixed installations.

After this whole thing, I want to pour a fortune on officer schooling based on merit and not bloodlines. That way we candraw from a larger talent pool to cover more bases