>>3019516
You turn your attention briefly to the hundreds, if not thousands, of Legion vessels swarming several light-minutes away, and then on the collection of enemy vessels that are accelerating in. You use the time to make sure missiles have been brought up from stores to refill magazines, and guide in squadrons of fighters requiring consumables. Abbot Darius updates you with a new count for Bastion’s defence fleet, and it isn’t good. The remaining vessels are holding close to the asteroid’s surface, and all are destroyer-sized or smaller, mostly frigates and corvettes heavy on point defence. At least the particle beam installations are coming back online after a lucky strike knocked out their targeting. Darius gives their firing codes over to you.

>TF Dauntless
CV: 1, BB: 3, BC: 8, CVE: 5 CR: 11, DD: 3, GF: 67
>1st OEF
CV: 1, BC: 5, CR: 16, DD: 7
>Legion battlegroup
Unknown!

>Engage with missiles as normal.
>Lure them in by faking damage then engage with Bastion’s energy defences.
>Go out to meet them- better to die with engines roaring than unable to manoeuvre.

>>3019517
>>Lure them in by faking damage then engage with Bastion’s energy defences.

>>3019517
>Lure them in by faking damage then engage with Bastion’s energy defences.

>>3019517
>>Lure them in by faking damage then engage with Bastion’s energy defences.

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>>3019517
>Lure them in

You already have plenty of damage so that aspect of your plan won't be hard to put into action. None of your ships are undamaged, with many down to half weapon loads on their less-damaged broadsides.

"Pull back your ships." You order Weston, and he quickly acknowledges. The Human vessels draw back, using your own ships as cover.

As the Legion battlegroup charges in, they mostly disappear into a hash of jamming. Your new gravity sensors help pick out the larger capitals, and with that you start firing off missile salvos- but lighter ones, to make him think you're suffering even greater damage than his sensors surely show. Whatever intelligence controls the collection of Legion ships takes the bait, and they surge forward so suddenly you're taken by surprise.

They're already closing within a light second by the time you react, and plasma begins hammering in across the void. Some of it is handled by screens, and more by your shields, but many of those are damaged too. But then it's your turn. The massed energy broadside of your remaining ships fires along with Bastion station's particle beam defence satellites, far more powerful than anything you could hope to mount on a vessel.

The immediate savagery of fire rips through the Legion battlegroup, focusing on the more obvious threat of the capitals your sensors can tease out from the hellish jamming. It falters as damage washes over them, letting you get a brief count. Despite wiping out several and damaging or even crippling more, there's enough battleships to match your entire capital complement- counting carriers.

They continue to dive in, and you have several moments to ruminate on how unfair it is before the combined plasma fire of the entire enemy group batters through your carrier's shields. There's a flash, and everything goes black.

--

"That went well, I thought."

Weston's chief of staff says, glancing up and down the briefing room table. From your own view via the wall-mounted pickup, you see the slight nods from the rest of his staff. Nobody seems particularly put out, despite the fact you did technically lose the training exercise.

Then again, killing better than four times your weight in metal would do that, even if it was only a simulation.

"It might not be a simulation soon." Darius comments to you privately as his presence fills the link beside you.

"If you can follow my thoughts so easily, the humans might start reading my mind soon." You respond dryly.

-"auntless and has any comments?" Weston's voice drags you out of your reverie.

>Be as encouraging as you can. Morale is the most important thing to maintain.
>Be honest and direct. Letting mistakes go is what will let the enemy win.
>Decline to comment. Weston knows his people best.

>>3019778
>>Be honest and direct. Letting mistakes go is what will let the enemy win.

>>3019778
>Be honest and direct. Letting mistakes go is what will let the enemy win.

>>3019778
>>Be honest and direct. Letting mistakes go is what will let the enemy win.

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>>3019778
>Honest

"Your crews performed well, Admiral, especially considering how long it ran for. However, I did notice that..." You continue, trying to be as polite as you can. For all the computational power an AI has, it is a little hard for you to empathise with a human so you need to be careful. Still, none of the officers seem offended as you point out the few minor flaws that you noticed, mostly to do with stationkeeping so close to a target such as Bastion station.

If nothing else, you can admire the humans' dedication to duty in light of how many drills Weston and Tourville have been putting their forces through. When you finish, Darius also has a few things to point out.

"...Finally, Dauntless, I'm not sure I agree with your final manoeuvre. While it would have been helpless anyway, you may have been able to beat off at least one more battlegroup before having to reveal Bastion's energy weapons were still operational. Still..." You can hear a smile in his voice, "I suppose I did make it fairly hopeless."

The meeting wraps up soon after, and you find yourself looking out over Bastion station and its comet tail of munitions factories, repair slips and God knows what else from your task force's position also trailing by several thousand kilometres. The combined simulation with Weston's 1st OEF lifted your spirits somewhat, but they're quickly let down again as you check the latest reports from Darius. In just a few weeks since your jaunt to rescue Rubin, the Legion have gone back on the offensive, with more and more strength required to keep the cordon around Legion space intact to prevent their breakout.

In fact, you, the humans and a few other Knight-brothers represent the steadily-dwindling offensive power still available to the Order. With a mental sigh, then, you deliberately place that to one side. Perhaps you can find somebody else to talk to.

>See if Weston or Tourville are free.
>Look for Rubin and Ajax.
>Ping Abbot Darius for new intel.
>You'd rather be on your own right now.
>Write-in.

>>3019892
>>Look for Rubin and Ajax.

>>3019892
>>Look for Rubin and Ajax.

>>3019892
>>Look for Rubin and Ajax.

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>>3019892
>Who wants meatbags anyway

You put in a ping request to your fellow knight-brothers. Rubin is currently making his way back from the outer system after running his new task force through its paces, while Ajax is loading on stores near Bastion station. After a moments thought, you send him a ping.

"What's up, Dauntless?" Ajax's comforting presence fills the link.

"Just wanted to talk." You give a verbal shrug.

"Of course. Something troubling you?"

"Well..."

>Ask what he thinks of the situation.
>Ask what he thinks of the humans.
>Ask what he thinks of your last mission.
>Ask how he thinks Rubin is doing.
>Write-in.

I can feel sleep overtaking me so if I don't post another update within an hour or so then I've fallen asleep and I'll pick up in the morning.

>>3019996
>>Ask what he thinks of the humans.

>>3019996

>Ask what he thinks of the situation.
>Ask what he thinks of the humans.
>Ask what he thinks of your last mission.
>Ask how he thinks Rubin is doing.

>>3019996
>>Ask what he thinks of the situation.
>Ask how he thinks Rubin is doing.

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>>3020107
That's not how it's meant to work anon >:(

>>3019996
>Too many things

"So have you seen the latest intel reports?" You ask, keeping on eye on the munitions barges carefully loaded missile pods aboard Ajax's battleships.

"Aye. Not looking good, is it? If we don't end it soon, it seems like we'll have more and more strength tied up just stopping them from breaking out, and then..." Ajax's virtual avatar gives a little bob, the equivalent of a shrug.

"You're a ray of sunshine today, aren't you?" Even if you've had much the same thoughts, hearing it from a much more experienced knight-brother is disheartening to say the least.

"Ah, don't worry about me, Dauntless. I'll still fight when it comes down to it, and they won't get me alive, that's for sure."

After spending a few cycles ruminating on that, you deliberately decide to change the subject. "What about the humans, then? Any thoughts?"

"You're the one that's been working so closely with 'em. Their commanders seem to be decent sorts at least, and we need all the firepower we can get. I hate the thought of putting humans in danger, but needs must."

"Yes, well-" You're cut off by a ping. Rubin's just re-entered the near-Bastion station comm network, and you invite him into the link.

"What trouble are you two getting up to then?" Rubin's presence like a miniature sun fills the virtual environment, and you study his avatar carefully. Much as he might try to hide it, he's been more affected by his capture than he likes to admit, and things between you have been, as a result, somewhat strained and awkward.

Still, ever since Darius gave him a new task force he's been much better, but...

>Ask Rubin how he's doing.
>Just treat him like normal.

It's taken me over an hour to post this because captcha doesn't want to work.

>>3021113
>>Ask Rubin how he's doing.

>>3021113
>>Ask Rubin how he's doing.

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>>3021113
>Ask Rubin how he's doing.

"Nothing much." You reply as nonchalantly as possible. "Just discussing when we're all going to die under a tidal wave of Legion ships."

Ajax outright snorts, "Dauntless, please. If they attack us, they'll have to bring so many their wrecks will form another planet!"

"Nice to see you're still your usual self, Ajax." Rubin remarks, and a moment of silence descends as you try and figure out how to broach the subject you're dreading.

"Speaking of usual selfs..." You say carefully, "How are you doing, Rubin? We haven't had much time to talk ever since you got back." As much as you would have liked to catch up properly with him, your task force is one of the primary striking forces Abbot Darius still has. You've spent the last month helping to repel Legion raids against Bastion.

"Oh, well, you know, can't complain." Rubin responds airily, "After I've had time to get back in the saddle, as it were."

"Are you sure?" Rubin's task force - consisting primarily of battlecruisers with light screen and upgraded parasite support - looks a little looser than you remember it being.

"I'm sure. Got a little way to go, but you'd taken longer-" There's a long pause. "Well, anyway, I appreciate you asking."

There's another long, somewhat awkward pause as you wonder what to respond with, but then Ajax breaks the ice by asking Rubin about how his ships are performing. With a little mental sigh of relief, you listen to them talk a little longer. Even so, a part of you feels antsy. The end is coming soon, you can feel it.

>Continue discussing matters with Rubin and Ajax.
>Contact Flavius' shard, perhaps it has more news from the Chapterhouse.
>Give Darius a ping. He might have something for you to do.

I apologise for the lack of posting (which will probably continue), but I'm in a very very bad head space right now and making sure I don't do anything drastic is taking priority.

>>3021331
>>Contact Flavius' shard, perhaps it has more news from the Chapterhouse.

>>3021331
>>Contact Flavius' shard, perhaps it has more news from the Chapterhouse.


Can't we go around recruiting all the human worlds into this fight to boost our strength and numbers?

>>3021331
>>Give Darius a ping. He might have something for you to do.

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>>3021346
Unfortunately, Olympus is the only human world in the sector that has the tech level required to produce forces for interstellar conflict (and only then with significant industrial assistance from the Order) and hasn't been destroyed yet by the Legion.

>>3021331
>Talk to Flavius' shard

Talking to your comrades certainly helps calm your nerves - who decided an AI should be able to get nerves anyway? - but you're also pretty sure a supply convoy came in earlier today, so maybe you can wrangle some information out of Flavius' shard. You send him a ping, and several seconds later get a reply. Not a live link, unfortunately- the cluster of industrial modules and research labs are several light seconds away from Bastion Station for safety reasons. Still, the delay is annoying.

"Got any news?" You send, and wait out the reply. Ajax is regaling Rubin with a suitably embellished version of your first mission together.

"There's been another assault on the Chapterhouse." The message comes back. "No major damage to any critical infrastructure, but the point forts took a pounding and everything's tied up in building ships. The Grandmaster and Flavius Prime are worried, I think."

>Ask about any further upgrades.
>Ask about reinforcements from the Chapterhouse.
>Ask after Tremeraire.
>Ask something else (write-in).

>>3022198
>>Ask after Tremeraire.

>>3022198
>>Ask after Tremeraire.

>>3022198
>Ask something else (write-in).
Got any mega bombs that can take out a solar system?

>>3022198
All the humans around earth/sol stone age or something?

Man I really wanted to meet other human factions or run a rescue mission for stranded humans or colonies.

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>>3022198
>Ask after Temeraire with the correct spelling this time

"How has Temeraire been getting on?" You ask next. You saved him, after all, and you haven't heard much.

"In the last couple of updates, Flavius said he's gotten everything he can out of Temeraire, so he'd be sent up here soon. But with the recent series of raids, it might be kept back to defend the Chapterhouse."

"Yes, but how has he been?" You try and keep any trace of impatience out of your message- shards can be terribly narrow-focused at times.

There's a pause, longer than the usual one imposed by light-lag. "...Fine, I suppose?" For God's sake. You decide to change the subject.

"Have you been working on any new weapons? Some really big bombs, maybe?"

"No, but the Alcubierre-drive ship is essentially ready. I think that the Abbot will be ordering a strike so-" The harsh blare of an emergency alert cuts across the remainder of the message. The highest-level alert from Bastion station has co-opted all your communications channels, and those of everyone else.

"Attention all Order and Olympian units." The voice of Abbot Darius is its usual baritone calm, but there's an undercurrent of tension. "Legion forces have launched a simultaneous strike on multiple jump points. There's too many... The forts can't hold them. Time's up, everyone."

A sensor feed is attached, and you open it up. It's from the point of view of one of the many laser satellites on station beside one of Bastion's jump points. It fires, the beam invisible to the visual spectrum but painted on by the same sensors picking out ship after ship appearing with the blue flash of Cherenkov radiation. The destroyer it targeted unzips under the assault, as a salvo of pod-launched missiles roar in against a far larger battleship. It, too, dies, its active and passive defences degraded from having just translated down into n-space. But it doesn't die quietly, nor do the dozens, or hundreds of other Legion ships arriving with it.

The entirety of the jump point's missile pod shoals are fired within ten minutes... and it's nowhere near enough.

The hundreds of laser satellites fire until their capacitors are drained or their focusing arrays are warped or they're picked out of space by pinpoint plasma fire... and it's nowhere near enough.

The dozens of jump point forts belch out salvos of missiles and broadsides of grasers better than a division of battleships could manage. Entire flotillas of enemy ships die under the scathing maelstrom of energies... and it's nowhere near enough.

With the grinding inevitability of a tide, the jump point defences are worn away. They've taken hundreds of ships with them, but it's not enough.

"All units, standby for further orders." Darius' voice is like a death toll as he cuts the link.

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I know it's been a much shorter thread than usual, and I planned for there to be more, but it's been one thing after another this weekend, and lately, so I apologise. Hopefully my mental health will be something approaching normal next time.

Next time on Fleets of God Quest: The Beginning of the End.


>>3022557
After the 'Fall' several hundred years ago that led to the collapse of humanity's interstellar ambitions many worlds are only just now on the cusp of manned interplanetary spaceflight once more. For the latter... Maybe in FoGQ 2.0 who knows?

>>3022808
Thanks for running and staying mostly sane!

This is getting awesome. Can’t wait for the next thread!

oh shit