[FT] The Long Journey Home (AAR) Part 4/6

> CONTINUED FROM PART 3 >>>>

Marie accepted the inevitable and ordered her command ahead at half speed, she
wanted to close to her weapons range quickly, but not so fast that she didn't
have time to evaluate her opponents first. And though the respective forces
remained out of weapons range composition reports were flooding in. These were
definitely NARC vessels. The hulls were superficially NAC, but there was
evidence of extensive modifications. There were two frigates, flanked on
either side by a light cruiser, in a row behind them were an escort cruiser,
heavy cruiser and a battleship and at the rear there appeared to be some form
of light or escort carrier. Marie ordered Talleyrand to send his pentad of
fighter groups against the larger ships, she wanted the firepower that those
larger vessels probably carried reduced quickly. Marie couldn't believe her
luck, as the heavy fighters and interceptors headed out, the oppositions'
standard fighter groups broke off from screening their carrier and intercepted
the FSE groups. Coruscating lances of fire, and balls of exploding gas and
melting metal illuminated the umbral battlefield. The dogfight saw ten FSE
fighters, five heavies and five interceptors, dispatched, but it had been at
the cost of two of the three NARC fighter groups. With the fighters almost
free to move to their primary targets Marie knew she had to get to SM range
quickly to capitalise
on any opportunities for simultaneous missile-fighter strikes.
Expecting the NARC vessels to drive along their current heading, almost
perpendicular to her course, she called for full ahead and a maximum starboard
push. To her horror the NARC came straight for her and the vessels found
themselves head to head and at only 8 mu by the time the weapons were brought
to bear. In one heartbeat she saw her fighters remove the remaining NARC group
and in the next she saw the entire NARC force
concentrate its pulse-torpedo and beam fire first on the Gravina and
then the De La Vega. The Gravina managed to inflict minor damage to the
antithetic frigates before it succumbed, the force of its internal explosions
transforming it into a fiery cloud of microdebris. Marie's chest tightened and
she felt as if she stood exposed to the flailing storm of debris. Pizzaro had
been a good friend, a brave man. That was the down side to involving those she
trusted, it meant she had to watch them die. However, she knew that now was
not the time to grieve, that would come later. Now she had to resist
succumbing to the anger, using it instead to hone her responses. With her
sense heightened by Pizzarro's death, Marie watched as the De La Vega failed
to manage any effective fire and took heavy damage. In the same measured tone
that seemingly possessed her every time she came under fire, Marie asked as to
the status of her nephew's ship. "She's venting atmospheric gases and there
are heavy casualties on all the lower decks and 3 aft sections, but her
Captain is confirming that he can still participate in a coordinated SM
launch." Marie was grateful the communications officer had made a point of
saying "her Captain", thereby efficiently, but subtly, informing her that her
nephew was still alive and in command. It was courtesies such as that which
marked crews long used to each other from ones newly formed. So despite the
pounding the De La Vega's essential weapons and critical systems had survived
the initial onslaught. During all this the rest of the FSE's beam fire was
doing some damage, taking down armour here and there, but they really needed
to get those SMs launched.

> CONTINUED IN PART 5 >>>>>>>