The Administrator

[Sir Chaos]

That looks like a decent plan.  :thumbsup:

And I don't think anyone thinks of 80+ ships as a "small" fleet!  ^-^

Aleksandr Kerensky probably did.

[worktroll]

Remind me - in this chapter of the multiNgoverse, who is Tharkad fighting?

[Cannonshop]

Remind me - in this chapter of the multiNgoverse, who is Tharkad fighting?

Per Sarna, Clan Wolf and elements of jade falcon.  This is the year/month when Melissa Steiner is assassinated by Wolf Clan Elementals and Trillian becomes the archon.

[Daryk]

Or not, since Sharon is riding to the rescue...  ^-^

[worktroll]

Thankee kindly! Who else is old enough to remember dance cards ...

[Daryk]

Never used one, but understood the reference...  8)

[Cannonshop]

Or not, since Sharon is riding to the rescue...  ^-^

It is doubtful she will arrive in time.  I need to dig up more information, as I was studiously AVOIDING Dark Age material after having paid for a copy of Ruins of a Book (I want the week I spent reading that thing back), and I'm largely not as current as I should be to be doing any material in this timeframe.  as such, I'm leaning heavily on Sarna.net entries to stage things, which is part of what is taking so long.  (Notably, the Falcons may have a slight advantage over their Wolf colleagues in that they've at least fought other warships in the last fifty years once in a while, and therefore may actually possess a warship doctrine better than "Drive me closer so I can hit them with my SWORD!!!"  also known as using billions of Kerenskies of warship as an improvised battering ram, aka Federated Suns Naval Doctrine, aka nearly everyone else's...)

[Cannonshop]

KCGS Ia Drang, Landmark class Destroyer, one jump from Tharkad in an uninhabitable system...

Sharon studied the imagery from the recon missions carefully.  "Make sure all our second and third phase commanders get this." she said quietly after study.

"It doesn't change the objective, does it?"

she shook her head.  "no, it doesn't.  Commodore Falcone, are the modifications to the Ia Drang complete?"

"Yes ma'am.  I'm not sure they're a good idea-it might not even work, and I know it won't work for long."

"it doesn't have to work for long." Sharon paused, "It only has to work for long enough."

"Hell of a way to test a new system." her Flag Captain said.

"Yeah. it is." Sharon shrugged, "Better to find out early than to invest heavily and find out too late.  We'll be heading up the main assault in phase three, up against CWS Jerome Winson, at the Zenith point."

"A battlecruiser."

Sharon shrugged, "Biggest player they brought, those Naval PPC's are going to be more trouble than the Naval Gauss rifles or the lasers.  We've got hull and armor, and if it works, a dirty trick they don't have...and if it doesn't, well, Patrick isn't the worst choice for Duke."

a set of status  lights on the Stratcom panel lit.  "Phase two is in position."  Sharon said, "I believe we have a war to fight."

"Aye Mum."  Emily said, and closed her faceplate, setting her suit mic to 'all' channel.  "Now hear this, now hear this, seal for combat operations, initiate pre-deployment depressurization.  All hands to action stations, DC personnel report to bunkers, and strap down for jump on my order!"

Sharon closed her faceplate, leaned back in her accel couch, and let the webbing strap her in.  the cool current of air, redirected from the vents to support hoses, pressurized her suit as the external readout showed atmospheric drop in the CIC.

This was procedure.  Not for the Old Star League, nor the Rim Worlds Republic, it wasn't even accepted practice in the LCN.  Statistically, depressurizing a hull meant little according to the same concurrent naval doctrine  that insisted that ramming was a good and effective use of a warship.  During the Blake War, Kowloonese spacers gained the understanding that fires didn't spread without oxygen to feed them, and neither did shockwaves propogate. a properly de-pressurized hull could sustain combat 30% longer against superior foes, and took less in terms of resources to repair afterward from comparable hits.

at a price in mild discomfort as the usual 'shirt sleeves' environment was not present nor possible.

The interior lighting shifted to a red-spectrum state, indicating the hull was depressurized, and her own senses were confined to the sound of voices over the Oh-one-cee, idle chatter replaced by clipped voices speaking only relevant information.

"Fleet Status." she muttered, and a series of displays appeared on her faceplate.

"All vessels report condition Red, ready for jump, Admiral."

"So jump." Sharon said, tonguing a switch in her helmet, the small suction vac deploying in front of her mouth for the inevitable result of any KF jump, at least, for a Ngo of Elizabeth's bloodline, the TDS, hallucinations, and vomiting.  a price she'd paid almost weekly just getting here.

Discontinuity

[Cannonshop]

CWS Jerome Winson, zenith point, Tharkad system...

Star Commodore Sietha Carns felt a mix of impotent boredom and mild rage.  Since defeating the remnants of the Lyran navy here, she had been forced to endure shepherding duty over the transport jumpships of the clusters come to punish the Lyrans for their betrayal.

Stuck.  Here, with no worthy enemies.

waiting.

"Incoming jump contact, off-axis fifteen million kilometers, emergence wave suggests a major vessel, ovkhan!"

Well, maybe they had some fight left in them after all-the Arc Royal had been conspicuously absent, as had the two fox class corvettes they knew about...

"Visual range?" she asked.

"Bringing up telescope data now!"

the ship...no, ships coming through the point.  "Ryan ice-cartel techniques.  fascinating." she muttered, "Action stations."

"Who are they?" one of the bridge officers, a freebirth she barely acknowledged, asked.

"Those are Kowloonese made Sampan class cutters...and I have no idea what that ship in the center of their formation is."  she turned to her crew, "But they are coming to challenge us."

on screen, the larger ship's manuever engines lit, revealing more of the shape.  an irregular octagonal prism planform with echelon rings around the center, blunt ended and under thrust, jumpsail reefed away for combat action.

"That is no cutter, and I find no reference to that particular hull planform in our databases!"

"of course not.  that is a treaty violation." she smiled,  as the resolution on the telescopic image improved.  "Coast Guard...oh my, have they been busy in the quarantine zone? aff, I think they have."

"...four grav decks?"

"Those, are not gravity decks."  she asserted.  "Those are weapons mounts."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Why would Belters use gravity decks, point commander?" she asked rhetorically, "there are no windows, but those 'gravity decks' are not rotating, and they are contiguous to the hull. since there is no reason to have swellings that regular along the length of a warship, they must be weapons mounts.  Estimate their thrust."

"Two gravities."

two gravities fits the size of the engine nacelles...  "Estimate time to weapons range?"

"Thirty one minutes at two gees...their emission is relatively quiet, Ovkhan...perhaps that ship is less dense than it appears."

"or, they are not in overthrust." she snapped back.  "Two gravities is within the upper end of the tactical thrust for those cutters, but look at the planform! that ship has engines significantly larger than is necessary to move a mass of that apparent size at that speed!  what is the neutrino count showing?"

her sensors officer studied the returns.  "this can not be correct..."

"it can, if that ship is as fast as I think it is." she said, "Launch all fighters in the flotilla, combat dropships prepare for fleet engagement, and nonessential personnel are to report to radiation-shielded bunkers aboard!"

"Radiation?"

"They are Kowloonese.  Kowloonese use nuclear weapons the way the rest of us use standard munitions." she snapped, "they will attempt to use thermonuclear antishipping weapons on us!"

"The Lyrans would never allow-"

"Coast guard." she snapped, "if the Lyrans convinced the Ngo to come, the Ngo will bring the Ngukes! I want all point defenses at full ready!!"

"She's launching fighter-scale masses, Ovkhan!"

"Thirty minutes...what is our plan for after this, Star Commodore?"

"Lodge a firm complaint and remind the plagueies that they need to stay inside their quarantine." she said grimly, then turned to her XO, "That assumes we come out of this alive, Quiaff?"

"Aff..."

"then see to your duty that we do come out of this alive.  I will not see our ship destroyed or taken by a jumped up border police."

[Cannonshop]

KCGS Ia Drang...

on Sharon's HUD, a blinking light appeared, showing a hailing in progress from the Clan formation that was shaking itself out in slow-time (seconds of light delay).

she activated it with a glance.

a Woman in Clan Wolf uniform appeared in front of her eyes.  "Hello."  Sharon said.

"This is Star Commodore Sietha Carns to oncoming Coast Guard vessels!"

"Hi, Sietha, I'm Sharon Ngo, Rear Admiral, Kowloon Coast Guard Marines, have you called to tell me you're leaving?"

"Sharon Ngo...the Duchess of Kowloon, come to challenge our right to be here? Lovely. In twenty minutes your tin-cans will be in range of our weapons, I am offering you the unique opportunity to heave to and surrender...why am I only seeing your eyes?"

"Suit cameras." Sharon said, "Personally, I would suggest you get something better than cheap coveralls if you're going to fight us.  Decompression is a bitch for skin tone, Star Commodore Carns.  Maybe you should consider..ya know, heaving to yourself, we've got lots more experience with these kinds of dances than your lot, and I'm fair sure we've got you out-gunned."

"your ship is tiny, mine is large."

"It's not the size of the dog in the fight, Star Commodore.  Funniest thing, before you guys decided to attack us, the last word was you were allies.  What the ****** happened? eighteen minutes."

"The last we were told, nobody was building new warships in the Lyran Commonwealth, yet here you are, in a...prototype?"

"First production model.  did you guys send that stealth ship that blew up the Pol Nguyen station, along with a rockjack prospector, two cutters and tried to attack a major water processor in the Winter system? because it was all Clan Tech and a bitch to kill."

"Um, no."

"Well, I don't want to take your word for it, I guess I'll have to ask the Falcons, Seventeen minutes."

"you accept my assertion, quineg?"

"Aff, I accept Clan Wolf didn't sent the mystery ship." Sharon said, "You Clanners are not very good at lying and you answered a direct question with a firm answer.  Until Clan Wolf gets a rep for lying their asses off like everyone else does, I'm going to accept you had nothing to do with it...but I'm still obligated to make you leave Tharkad.  fifteen minutes."

"Our intelligence says you refused to send aid!"

"That was when a usurper tried to coerce it.  I don't like the Archon, but she is the Archon.  Melissa called, we came.  Fourteen minutes."

"and if Melissa Steiner were to die?" Carns asked.

"Then I will follow my last order from her until her lawfully appointed heir changes those orders, Star Commodore Carns." Sharon said, "That is what it means to be a professional.  Thirteen minutes."

"If she ordered you to break off-even if you were winning?"

"I would obey my lawful orders, Star Commodore, and break off, why? do you have information I don't about the state of mind of the Archon?"

"Neg...but there is a headhunter star after her."

"My marines will deal with that." Sharon said, "Ten minutes."

"you will not break off this course, even to save your Archon?"

"Not a damned thing can i do on the ground from here, and there is a chain of command in case the top of the chain is decapitated.  Unlike you guys, my guys won't go home and sulk for year if you get lucky and I die, the command integrity remains without weak links...Eight minutes."

The dig did its job, the Clan officer on the other end, well aware of what happened when a pilot rammed the Dire Wolf during Revival, was momentarily speechless, and better still, looked doubtful.

velocity counters on her helmet's display matched the preplanned meeting velocity, range indicators were good, and the cutters were in position.

thrust cut, gravity became null. 

Sharon motioned to Emily, and the experimental system was deployed, but not activated.

we're entering the range of their improved naval ppc batteries.

"let's see if this works."

the Wolf officer cut the connection, and technicians stabbed controls.

we held a narrow, straight line vector.  They have to have us ranged by now.

she waited.

"Test system active! they've got targeting lock!!"

"stand by for damage control."


Exterior view...

the Wolf warship fired her Naval PPC's. Really the best choice, those don't cost ammunition and have the best damage-to-weight and damage-to-heat ratios.

the impact revealed a blue haze, cut in hexagons, drifting ahead of the Coast guard formation.  beyond it, the remnants of the charged particle beams were distorted, diverted, and diffused, blistering hull coatings and removing fractional tiles from the cutters and the Ia Drang.

"It worked!!"

"For the moment.  initiate attack plan Alpha, that's gotta have them confused!" Sharon barked.

[Cannonshop]

CWS Jerome Winson...[/b]

"that is not enough aspect change, are they really planning to engage us with only the forward guns?"

"I am more concerned at what they just did to our broadside of PPC fire!  Engage the enemy formation with ripple fire from Naval gauss and autocannons!"

"Lock..no lock...lock...no lock..savashri!!"

Star Commodore Carns spun and strode to the weapons station, "use manual controls!"

"Ovkhan! aspect change!!"

"Keep our broadside to them!"

the enemy ship was presenting a narrower profile, almost bow-on and evading.  contacts showed missiles lighting up behind the mysterious distortion,w hich was clearing away...

the Liberator class warship's hull vibrated with the activation of her heavy ballistic armament, and temperature readings showed power draw increasing from her laser batteries.

then the impacts started to register on the cruiser, as the Kowloonese vessels dipped within their fire-cone.

too many hits for a forward battery, and not small hits, either.

for the tonnage, they must be made of guns?  too many capital weapons for a ship that size, especially at such a narrow aspect ratio, and suddenly, the 'wrap around' rings made sense.

Turrets! the sheer technical complexity made such an arrangement something that Clan engineers scoffed at-the chance of mechanical failures was very high, and the complexity of the mechanisms meant that powerful heat-dissipation sinks, known as 'double' heat sinks, were impractical, while the potential benefits of such an arrangment were considered theoretical and marginal at best.  Only someone who didn't understand why it was a bad idea, would invest-and those someones didn't build warships.

Well, they do now.  a little extra fragility, in exchange for being able to apply a broadside from any angle.

Battlecruiser firepower, in a destroyer hull, with no loss of mission range.

"Oh founder...they targeted our point defenses!!"

"bring them up!!" her XO was screaming.

Sietha Carns took one look at the diagram, and a sickened laugh escaped her lips.

the interference field was gone, in its place,w as a wall of missiles coming, in a swarm. 

she didn't need ot see the mass readings, or the thrust ratios to know what kind, either.

"Brace for impact." she ordered.

[Cannonshop]

out of story

New Technologies.

Capital grade magnetic/particle shielding array 
Type: Limited use.
Rules: follows the vector and velocity it was released and activated at.  Coverage: 2 turns. replace 1 ton of capital missile munitions.  (may also be deployed by screen launchers from dropships.)

duration 2 turns, covers up to 3 hexes along a facing.

effect: Reduces accuracy and acts as an enhancement to warship grade ECM, also reduces PPC and Naval PPC damage by 1/3 per range band.  adds +2 per range band.  (Long +6, Medium +4, Short +2, Point Blank +0)


Warship Turret installations:

well you saw what it looks like.  effectively this DOES limit the amount of weapons a ship can carry, as well as limiting the type and size.  Warship turret installations work with Naval autocannon, Naval Gauss, and naval laser or PPC armament, increases bay tonnage by 25% over fixed bays, increases fire control weight by 15%.  Capital grade missiles are incompatible with this technology. (can't feed them through the complex structures).  turrets must contain not only similar weapon types, but identical weapons. mixed turrets are not technically feasible.  Ships mounting Turret weapons may not mount double heat sinks (even clan double heat sinks).  On a penetrating hit (see: Thresholding) each turret must make a roll of Piloting skill plus 3 or the turret jams, locking it at the facing of the last firing until it can be repaired.

Benefits: Rear mounted turrets may fire forward.  This effectively gives a 360 degree 'broadside' while enabling the use of narrow aspect ratio approaches or retreats. (effectively making the owning ship harder to hit while still delivering broadside firepower for as long as the turrets continue to function.)

Turrets replace Bay locations on the record sheet, and may be employed along side fixed bays.

Tech availability: Inner Sphere.  Period. the Clans investigated it and decided it was too fragile and expensive to pursue this technology, and the cooling/power draw issues were too significant to bother with.  (since compact and double heat sinks are incompatible!)

[Daryk]

Brace for impact indeed!  >:D

And I love "the Ngo will bring the Ngukes!"  :D

[JA Baker]

Brace for impact indeed!  >:D

And I love "the Ngo will bring the Ngukes!"  :D

Well, someone's been paying attention at least...

[Cannonshop]

KCGS Ia Drang...

"Damage report!"  Sharon asked.

"B turret is locked along the port-forward azimuth, we've lost three guns there."

"Transfer their ammunition feeds to Alpha and Charlie.  what else?"

"Hull penetrations along port forward, we've lost eleven percent structural integrity along that facing, and we're pumping fuel from the port side tanks to starboard lower.  Casualty reports indicate we've lost twenty seven personnel."  Falcone reported.  "On the whole, we're in better shape than we ought to be."

"What is the enemy doing?"

"They're still reacting to the free-fire missile strike, but four of their assault dropships are coming about to pursue."

"and the Jerome Winson?"

"Thermal indicates she's on fire, mum, course appears to be drifting, but the core structure appears to be mostly intact."

indicators on the tactical plot winked out as the pursuing pocket-warships of the Wolf force were jumped by cutters riding in on the wave of free-flight missiles.

"roll to braking thrust, and start laying down covering fire for our escorts." Sharon ordered, "Give our boys and girls a chance to make it back into formation."

"Aye Mum, brace for braking thrust!"

G-forces pulled sharon deep into the command seat, as the warship pulled an end-over-roll and the engines began firing, pulling her toward the deck of the CCIC at nearly three gravities.

"Subcap launch from the pursuing enemy units!"

"Point defenses up."

Antimissile systems kicked on, Sharon imagined tracers falling in patterns outward, submunitions spreading out to intercept antishipping warheads.

"Engage those pocket warships." Sharon said easily.

"Aye mum..."

the ship's hull vibrated with the barking of the main guns in A and C turrets, this was accelerated with the D, E, and F turrets-mounted aft and facing forward, joined in, creating a pattern of hypervelocity shells.  Two more of the Wolf assault ships erupted, creating patterns of high-speed debris as their hulls gave way to detonations.

"How is our fighter escort doing?"  Sharon asked.

"Holding."

somewhere far, far away, nearly a full five light-minutes out, the rest of wave three was bringing assault landing forces to Tharkad's aid on the ground.

the math of the Tharkad invasion, had decidedly changed.

[Hairbear541]

always , pay attension to these stories .

[glitterboy2098]

It is doubtful she will arrive in time.  I need to dig up more information, as I was studiously AVOIDING Dark Age material after having paid for a copy of Ruins of a Book (I want the week I spent reading that thing back), and I'm largely not as current as I should be to be doing any material in this timeframe.  as such, I'm leaning heavily on Sarna.net entries to stage things, which is part of what is taking so long.  (Notably, the Falcons may have a slight advantage over their Wolf colleagues in that they've at least fought other warships in the last fifty years once in a while, and therefore may actually possess a warship doctrine better than "Drive me closer so I can hit them with my SWORD!!!"  also known as using billions of Kerenskies of warship as an improvised battering ram, aka Federated Suns Naval Doctrine, aka nearly everyone else's...)

considering that many of those engagements amounted to "declare ramming speed", probably not.  hell, by this point in canon they even did a ramming attack against a planetary target in 3135.. largely a petulant tantrum on the part of Malvina Hazen, who had already won the Jade Falcon Civil war at that point.

[Cannonshop]

Out of story

A physical description of Sharon Elizabeth Ngo...

Height: 5'9" tall

Weight: 350 pounds.

Build: Weightlifter/professional wrestler.

Ethnic derivation: Asiatic subtype homo-sapiens.

Hair: Black
Eyes: Blue/green/Hazel

distinguishing marks: Sharon is a 'big' girl.  Not overweight in the strictest sense, but extreme end of muscular, with around 5% body-fat.  Speculations about her include suggestions that her mother had an affair with a construction vehicle or possibly Clan Elemental (or person with elemental breed in their genetics).  this may have some supporting evidence.  The birth was by C-section.

Qualifications:

Certified operator: Powered personal armor and industrial exoskeletons.

Officer qualifications: combat diver, Deck officer (Maritime), Small unit infantry leader (Infantry), Submarine qualification, Aeropilot Qualification:Small Craft and Dropships, Navigation officer (Newtonian), Navigation Officer (Jumpship), Engineering Officer (Compact Core), Tactical Officer (Jumpship/Dropship) Gunnery Rating 4 (Nuclear ordnance certified).

Graduate: Vin Drin Lap Coast Guard Academy, Giap Island Naval Warfare School, Spider Moon Vacuum Operations Advanced Officer Course.

2 tours on the Quarantine Line (3129 and 3131).  Participation in the Quarantine Enforcement mission on Timehri in 3136 (Surface operation.) 

Frocked "Captain" (O-6) 3138, assigned Commodore Division 3 Coast Guard 3140, transferred to reserve status upon the assassination of her mother Amanda 3141, Commission reactivated at rank of Admiral, Coast Guard, 3143 (By order of Archon Melissa Steiner, dated January of that year).

The duchess of Kowloon has spent the bulk of her adult life under the discipline and traditions of the Coast Guard Marines, this makes her the first since her great-grandfather David Ngo to choose a life of military service over a life of civil duty.  Unlike many of her peers in the Commonwealth, her service has been largely very active service, and across several branches and conditions.

Uniform and appearance:  Duchess Sharon Ngo maintains KCGM regulation 'helmet' haircut-with no hair extending below the jaw line, and does not wear civilian attire except when explicitly off-duty.  when off-duty, she favors a 'dressed down' casual attire made of durable materials and athletic or work shoes.  While on Kowloon itself, she tends to live in the summer cabin on the Ia Drang plateau, enjoying such sports as swimming, fishing and long walks in the park-like wildlands.

Marital Status: Single, no children.

Relationship Status: Single/Divorced.  (Ex husband Frederick Howard currently acting as administrator of the Neumann Arcology on Winter.)

Lohengrin Note: Allegations of spousal abuse remain unproven, however Frederick Howard does have an ongoing protective order mandating his ex-wife maintain no less than 2 kilometers distance.

[Daryk]

2km?  He's worried about her shooting him with a sniper rifle??  ???  ;D

Now just waiting for the coup de grace on the Winson...

[JA Baker]

2km?  He's worried about her shooting him with a sniper rifle??  ???  ;D

If not for the fact he lives in an Arcology, I'd be worried about orbital kinetic strikes

[DOC_Agren]

2km?  He's worried about her shooting him with a sniper rifle??  ???  ;D

If not for the fact he lives in an Arcology, I'd be worried about orbital kinetic strikes

remember she a different sort of Ngo  8)
I would have asked for an system minimum given the family history.

[Cannonshop]

Tharkad System...

Imagine a nice game of chess...or checkers, imagine being an accomplished player of chess, sitting down for a nice game of chess with a lesser player.

Now, imagine that lesser player calling in a ringer to play that nice game of chess instead...only instead of playing chess, the ringer they call in is trying to play forbidden rules rugby (you know, where punching for the giblets is considered fair play and half the players brought knives.)

This is the sensation the Clan naval forces in the Tharkad system are currently experiencing.

another way of looking at it, still retaining the sports metaphor, is attempting to play tennis while your opponent is running offensive Gridiron plays.

and not following excessive roughness rules.

CJF Jade Aeirie is...well, was a  battleship this morning, when she arrived with more than twenty jumpships escorting a Galaxy of forces diverted from the absolute, total and utter reaming of the Lyran Commonwealth, here to let the Wolves finish taking the local defenses apart before taking those victors apart and claiming the capital world of the Commonwealth for themselves.

That was this morning at around 1300 hours, prior to an urgent emergency meeting with the 2nd Squadron, 3rd Cutter Division of the Kowloon Coast Guard Marine.

She gave good account of herself, destroying eight out of the twelve cutters, another dozen shuttles, and twenty fighters.  Her own escorting vessels managed to divert or destroy 5 thermonuclear missiles.

The problem being, that was five missiles, out of 32 launched by the squadron.

in an instant, six billion Star League dollars (rounded up) of Black Lion class Capital warship was converted into 802,000 tons of radioactive razor-blades and assorted exotic gasses.

Technically, this could be seen as a successful heroic sacrifice, as most of the Jade Falcon forces (wisely) turned around and made for the jump points at best possible speed, escaping the Tharkad system with only the loss of a few trinaries whose dropships were intercepted and destroyed en-route to their transports, and one cluster command vessel that was simply chased down and obliterated by 3rd Squadron's 2nd patrol of cutters.

Nobody, apparently, told the Lyrans that they were supposed to not be able to, or willing to, use pirate-point and nonstandard jump point insertions to cross the system, nor did anyone apparently explain to the KCGM that they aren't supposed to use the most effective antishipping weapons available on Dropships, nor, apparently, on heirloom Warships  dating to the halcyon days of Star League.

Presently, a number of Falcon-and-wolf owned Pocket Warships are discovering that they no longer have the tactical manuever advantage, nor the strategic maneuver advantage in the Tharkan system, and the people coming after them don't seem to have the same 'sense of propriety' as they had enjoyed against LCAF forces thus far.

the Nerve on those people!

the Coasties focused not on the fighters, the  'real' combatants, but on their carriers and support ships, hammering and chasing carriers and gunboats, denying omnifighter crews places to land and refuel, forcing them to BURN their fuel.

steadily, the Clan Wolf control of Tharkan airspace began to degrade, as they lost the orbitals.

steadily, the Jade Falcon fighter pilots who hadn't made it to a friendly vessel ran out of fuel and were forced to drift, rendered 'hapless' by their small fuel tanks and large weapons compliments, combined with a lack of available refueling assets (because those were driven off or destroyed.)

a fighter with no fuel, even one as advanced as a Clan omnifighter, is worthless as a combatant, (though it does make a nice range target for calibrating your gunsights.)

In less than 12 hours, the Tharkad System belonged to the Lyran Commonwealth entirely.

and now, it was time to deal with the ground battle on Tharkad itself.

[Cannonshop]

Tharkad, 18 July, 3143...

Sharon stepped off the deck of the Mark VII landing craft in full armor.  The area was supposedly friendly, in friendly hands.

the officer who greeted her wasn't, in her estimation, bad looking.  "General Steiner." she stopped, and looked around, "I'd salute you but I don't feel like marking targets, sir."

"No need, Admiral.  there's a cease-fire with the remaining Wolf units on-planet."  he told her, "They're requesting assistance in leaving. I understand you're to blame for that?"

"They employed insufficient security on their transportation assets, sir." she told him.  "not unusual in these cases of attempted illegal immigration."

"Illegal immigration?" he asked, showing a little amusement.

"Yes sir.  That's what i'm writing it up as. attempted illegal immigration into the Lyran Commonwealth, along with domestic terrorism and anything else I can use to explain why a law enforcement agency  is out playing Navy, Sir. It was a stone bitch finding the necessary legal precedents to operate this far outside our jurisdictional remit.  As an agency of law enforcement, we do have a remit in cases of illegal immigration, and I can show we were invited by legitimate sister agencies.  So it's a joint immigration issue.  I can probably lay charges of piracy and domestic terrorism too."

"So...thoughtful.  why the cover story?" he asked, "It's kind of unnecessary-"

"No sir, it is completely necessary.  the rules of engagement for a vigorous enforcement action are looser than the RUNT allows."

"Victor didn't-"

"Republic Uniform Naval Treaty, sir.  I am given to understand that the Archon's successor has a kindly and friendly view of Devlin Stone's little personality cult.  If we were here as a military force, conducting military operations, our operations would class under that treaty as a war crime...but the RUNT doesn't apply to domestic law enforcement actions. Hence, the Wolves and their Falcon buddies are illegal immigrants and domestic terrorists, and we weren't working with the LCAF, we were working a joint operation with Lohengrin.  Obviously, my people won't have to process the paperwork for pressing charges, since this is Lohengrin's turf and not ours."

"You have an interesting perspective, ahm...Admiral."

"Thank you sir."

"is the armor really necessary?"

"It is comfortable, sir." she said, stepping with him up the stairs to the command post.

"you refused Brewer's requests." he noted.

"Brewer was a ****** usurper, sir." she said, "Mutiny is mutiny.  It's unprofessional and a mutineer is fit only for throwing out the airlock, sir."

she doffed her helmet as they walked into the complex.

"I take it you opposed our nation's ties to the Republic." He said.

"Yes sir." she said, "We caught some of his nasty boys trying to blow up the Boojum yard when I was an ensign, sir. I have neither love, nor respect for the Republic."

"Brewer opposed them as well-"

"Vedet Brewer is a mutineer." she said, "Please don't compare me to that sack of shit. he and his collaborators should be lined up and walked out into the black without suits." her tone dripped vehement contempt.  "Conspiracy to mutiny and high treason, barratry, abuse of office, high crimes under color of law, shall I go on?  My grandmother would have put him on a cross.  my Ancestor, Tranh Truk Ngo, would have put him on a stake. I would do the same and sing about my work...but that's politics.  The officers that collaborated with him deserve no less for dishonoring their nation, oaths, uniforms, and profession."

"And Trillian, that so-called 'stone lover'?" he asked.

"is the archon." Sharon stated.  "If she wasn't, i would not follow her, but she is.  I don't have to like her politics to follow her orders, I don't have to like her, or you, to be loyal to the nation and to know who gives me my orders.  My authority is derived from legitimacy, that legitimacy comes with certain expectations and professional standards.  not one of those standards will accept the idea of mutiny as a legitimate means for transfer of authority."  she stopped at the door to the inner office, and turned to the General of the Armies.  "I am a professional, sir.  if I catch someone plotting, much less attempting what that cabal of scum did with Vedet Brewer? I will kill the ones I can't subdue, and charge, try, convict, and execute the ones I can subdue.  We are not the ****** Clanners."

"The Archon's going to love you." he said.

"hope not.  I prefer a professional relationship based on respect and the chain of command."  she said, "Love is too complicated and has too many exceptions.  I have no use for it."

[kindalas]

Tharkad System...

Imagine a nice game of chess...

CJF Jade Aeirie is...well, was a Texas-class battleship ....... six billion Star League dollars (rounded up) of Black Lion class Capital warship was converted into 802,000 tons of radioactive razor-blades and assorted exotic gasses.

Whole bunch of snipping to get to my question.

I take it that the Jade Aeirie is a Black Lion and not a Texas?

[Cannonshop]

Hearing room, LCAF Field headquarters, ruins of the Triad, Tharkad...

"Have a seat, Admiral Ngo."  Trillian Steiner had read Sharon's Lohengrin file.  "You came as called."

"I was obeying the lawful orders of my superior officer, Highness."  Sharon said, "We were also assisting a fellow agency in the enforcement of Commonwealth Law."

"I overheard.  I have to admit I honestly forgot about that treaty."  Trillian said, "Among other things."

"Highness, you're a head of state, not a god." Sharon said it without emotion, "Your staff should have handled that. it's what they're for highness."

"but you remembered."

"It's part of my job.  Yours is to run the national government, make executive decisions, and not get killed, Highness."

"I intend to repudiate the Republic Uniform Naval Treaty." Trillian stated.  "How do you feel about that?"

"I believe that's called for in this situation." Sharon stated.  "The RUNT relied on enforcement by the Republic and voluntary compliance by the former member states of the Star League.  No Star League, the Republic's gone armadillo? repudiate the treaty-they've already done so.  that is my professional opinion."

"What if I said I wanted to roll the Coast Guard into the Navy?" the Archon asked.

"I would argue against it." Sharon said, "When the army becomes the police, the enemies of the state inevitably become the people they are supposed to protect.  rolling assets into the Navy, certainly is a different bucket of ore, but the Coast Guard's role, especially in the Quarantine zone, is fundamentally at odds with a strong Commonwealth Navy, and compromises national security."

"Assets...such as?" Trillian led.

"Third Cutter Division, KCGM Ia Drang and sufficient replacement units to bring it up to strength, would be a good beginning." Sharon suggested.  "Emily Falcone is a fine officer, and deserves a chance to shine in more formal military service, and you saw what a well-organized division of Cutters can do.  Beyond that, we have five hulls in progress at Boojum, with the next hull, the Landmark class Golden Lake set to leave the docking slip in August, she'll need a shake-down, and some doctrines will have to be rewritten by LCN's brass to account for technologies we used in designing her."

"And you?"

"If I had objections, I would simply tender my resignation. I've already done my five mandatory.  Where do you need me, and what do you need me to do?" Sharon asked.

"No bargaining?"

"Leave the core of the Coast Guard in place, let them continue their core mission, let us maintain our infrastructure without interference." Sharon said, "And you can do with me what you will."

"So, some bargaining." Trillian said with a smile.

"Highness, I do have responsibilities beyond my role as an officer." Sharon said, "I trust my Uncle to maintain order back home for a time, and I trust my ducal subordinates to do their jobs competently or I wouldn't have come here, but I do have those obligations,and among them, is protecting what my people have built."

"Not what I anticipated, Duchess Ngo." Trillian said.  "You're so unlike your mother..."

"thank you, Highness. I would have thought the extra hundred kilos would have been a hint."

It took Trillian a moment to process that.  "you...do have a sense of humour after all!"

Sharon shrugged, "A small one, highness.  Maybe the extra bulk makes me less...witty.  What is the job?"

"I'm not rolling the Coast Guard into the LCN." the Archon stated, "I am, however, taking your offer...with caveats.  The local units in the Quarantine have been building up? I want two Divisions of cutters, and every one of those destroyers you can build, and you."

"Highness?"

"Chief of Naval Operations for the Lyran Commonwealth.  Rebuild our navy, Sharon.  you have my backing, clear out the deadwood, we're losing wars on three fronts right now, you've proven you can muster and employ forces, evaluate subordinates, and recruit talent. I want it."

"By your command, Your Highness...I take it I'll be reporting to the General of the Armies?"

"I said 'chief of naval operations'." Trillian enunciated, "You will be reporting to me...or to Roderick in my absence."

"understood.  I assume I am to begin immediately?"

"Yes, that would be preferred."

Sharon rose to her feet, in a position of attention, "Request permission to attend to my duties, Highness?"

"Permission Granted, dismissed."

Sharon saluted before leaving.

[Cannonshop]

Whole bunch of snipping to get to my question.

I take it that the Jade Aeirie is a Black Lion and not a Texas?

That was an 'oops'

Black Lion class.

[Cannonshop]

Creary's Club, Tharkad...

Opulence. the finest wood trim, silk wallhangings, expensive chardonnay and beautiful servants (both male, and female).  The Creary club is exclusive, members-only, and a frequent haunt for many of the senior officers in LCAF procurement.

Even during office hours..well, to be more precise, especially during office hours.  Their aides and  staffers being back at Headquarters.  It was in Creary's back rooms that discussions were had, deals were made.

Today, at 10:00 hours Triad time, in the morning, fifteen senior admirals and generals are present in the various opulent chambers of this exclusive retreat, enjoying the finest food, alcohol, and the company of beautiful women and men, many of them paid for by major contractors throughout the Commonwealth.

At 10:01, the front doors are knocked in by explosives, and an entry team dressed in light power armor, with assault shotguns and tear gas proceed.  It's not the only team, another one is coming through the back door, and the loading doors, and the store rooms, and the roof.

The Assault teams have the word "Militärpolizei" stenciled across their shoulders.  Panicked staff and civilians are rounded up, a few of the bouncers and security men wind up with mild injuries from applied fists and stun-batons.

and fifteen senior LCAF officers are dragged from their 'meetings' and forced to stand in the central atrium.

She walks in.  1.75 meters tall, 159 kilograms of solid muscle in her LCN Duty Dress uniform, (which despite the cut, seems entirely too tight around her biceps and thighs...) cap set over short, helmet-cut hair, the ranks of a Fleet Admiral glittering on her shoulders, a braid with three services: black, Blue, and silver indicating service in Infantry, wet-naval, and space.  There are very few ribbons on her uniform, but there is a nametag.

Ngo.

She examines each of these senior officers in turn.

"You may go, General." she said, "And you...and you...and you, Herr Colonel.  get out of here now, before I have to acknowledge seeing you, Herr General Steiner wishes a word with each of you."

she turned to the Naval officers remaining.

"You will not explain yourselves." she said, "You will not do so, because no explanation your feeble minds could concoct, will suffice."  she reached up and took the rank of a Vice Admiral in her hand, and with a single stroke, ripped it off.  "You are a disgrace.  a parasite.  You will sign this resignation letter, and you will clear your desk, or you will be cashiered and publicly humiliated.  You will do this today. Immediately after I have dismissed you."

she shoved teh torn fragment of uniform into his chest, causing a wheezing gasp.  she turned to the next one.  "You will submit your resignation as I have written it, you will clear out your desk, you will do this today, immediately and with no delay or hesitation.  The Commonwealth has no more need of your services."

She did this with each of eight senior LCN officers.  The ninth one, she back-handed, knocking the man to the floor, where he moaned around a broken jaw.

"Take this one into custody for summary courts-martial on the charge of treason.  once he has been found guilty, let him be found in orbit."

"Aye Mum. Orbit."  a pair of Chiefs grab the stricken rear admiral by his arms and haul him to his feet.  "question him?"

"No.  the evidence speaks for itself."

she turned to the others.  "You are dismissed.  Get from my sight."

[Cannonshop]

"in the beginning...we begin by removing the overtly incompetent.
This is followed, by removal of the criminal.
After the criminal has been removed, we remove the Traitorous.
With the Traitor removed we can examine for the lazy.
Only free of the corrupt, the incompetent and the lazy, do we begin the process of reform."

-Fleet Admiral Sharon Elizabeth Ngo, LCN

[Artifex]

Hoo boy,

that escalated quickly. I  like that proverb, sirrah, I like it a lot!

[JA Baker]

Sometimes you want a scalpel, and sometimes you want a chainsaw.

Ngo Industries just so happen to make some of the finest gardening equipment in the Commonwealth...