FSS Alexander Davion, C&C
New Stevens System, Zenith Point
Chaos March
8th March 3068
Sitting in what was once the New Stevens system of the Terran Hegemony one jump from the Federated Suns the last thing anyone had expected to happen was for the Alexander Davion and the Unity City to encounter another WarShip let alone five! New Stevens had been one of the old Terran Hegemony’s jewels part of the Lockdale Region, another dead world, it had been the last world before the Core of the Hegemony. Kerensky’s army had torn through the world with no Fixed defences the world had fallen quick enough and become a supply world. However when the SLDF followed Kerensky’s Exodus the world became a target for the massed armies of the Federated Suns, Draconis Combine and Capellan Confederation as they all searched for equipment left over by the Star League armies. All three resorted to tactical nuclear weapons during the First Succession War inevitably the damage done was too much for the world to continue to be inhabited, by the end of the Second Succession War the world was completely abandoned.
Today however there was way too much life in this system for Victor Steiner-Davion, the sophisticated sensors aboard the two WarShips had identified the two front running vessels as a pair of Zechetinu-class Corvettes that had obviously gone rogue from the Free Worlds League. While the three slower moving vessels were a single Naga or Naga II-class Destroyer and a pair of early model Essex-class Destroyers. Since the Word of Blake was the only organisation known to field either type of vessel they had been labelled as Word of Blake vessels. The Unity City had sent a distress call out to all nearby HPG stations informing everyone of this attack against the First Lord however standing on the command deck of the Alexander Davion Victor knew that they were on their own.
“Fleet Admiral, I suggest you withdraw.” Victor said quietly to Andrea Petain, he hated to run from any fight but there was no point taking on five WarShips with the Alexander Davion. The Unity City was fast but it wasn’t well armed or armoured so Victor never even classed it as a fighting asset, which was why he had remained on the Alexander Davion with Danai and his two children. Victor was still getting used to having little Emma around and was slightly shocked that neither of his children had been born on New Avalon. He wished Jackson and the Black Watch had come to Outreach instead of returning to New Avalon, having a dozen DropShips with them and a Regiment of MechWarriors would turn the tide nicely here, that was not going to happen unfortunately.
“We cannot retreat from the system, sire, the Jump engine still needs another six hours of charging and I have ordered the sail taken in for more manoeuvrability.” She didn’t mention the vessel could use its reactors to hot-charge the engine a risky plan. Victor knew this and if he ordered it she would carry out his orders but she would not preside over the loss of the First Prince and his family.
“So what is your plan?” Victor asked he was lost in space, quite literally on the ground he could plan and fight a prolonged campaign but in space he knew nothing, even after the Campaigns against the Clans this environment was still alien to him.
“The two Corvettes are acting independently from the Destroyers.” She said pointing out their relative positions on the Holo-tank. “I want to draw them in along with their DropShips and use our superior firepower to take them out of the equation quickly. Then we could be looking at a slugging match against all three Blake vessels.” She said Victor didn’t like that idea.
“What of the Unity City? They are not equipped for slugging matches.” Victor said, thinking about it either was the Alexander Davion.
“They will hold back and hit the Corvettes at long range with their Naval Lasers while the First Royal Black Watch Wing will fight alongside our fighters. We outweigh the two Corvettes ourselves and our firepower is more than enough to take them.” Andrea said confidently, this vessel was the Flagship of the Federated Suns fleet, the most skilled crew and was named for the most influential First Prince in Federated Suns history she had rights to be confident. “It is these three I am worried about.” She said circling the three Destroyers nearly half an hour behind the two corvettes. “If our sensors are right and they are Essex and Naga-class vessels then they all weigh as much or more than us and the Blakists have probably upgraded them with all the most recent tech available on Terra. Also if they are equipped with aerospace fighter carrier DropShips we could face real trouble.” Victor nodded the Alexander Davion carried a pair of assault DropShips, one Claymore, one Avenger. These small but powerful vessels could eliminate almost any DropShip they might face but against massed fighters they would be overwhelmed and the Alexander Davion only carried twenty fighters of its own.
“Well we will just have to hope there is help nearby.” Victor said quietly, they both knew that was not the case the closest vessel was the Hound-class Corvette FSS Proserpina in orbit of the world of the same name in the Draconis March at least four jumps away far to far for the vessel to be of any help while the leaders of the Capellan Confederation and Draconis Combine may be just as happy to see Victor dead. “How long?”
“Fourteen minutes.” Andrea said doing the calculations in her head quickly.
“Then I will go below.” Victor said quietly.
“You don’t want to remain?” Andrea asked surprised.
“This is your battlefield Admiral, you and the crew have my full support but I will be better placed out of the way to allow you to do your job. Good hunting.” Victor said leaving the Command Deck with Tigret, his bodyguard and two Royal Black Watch troopers.
“Thank you sire.” Andrea said watching Victor leave, the First Prince had just made her life ten times easier, turning back to her crew. “Right get this ship moving, full military thrust, launch all fighters and DropShips. Inform the Unity City of our move. Helm, I want to hit those two Corvettes as fast as possible then about turn and run like hell, we are not getting into a slugging match, not yet.” There were half a dozen ayes and the Alexander Davion began to move. The Fighters and DropShips of the Alexander Davion were quickly joined by forty fighters of the Black Watch and their Vengeance-class DropShip Carrier. “Have our fighters and DropShips concentrate on the port vessel the Black Watch on the right.”
“What of their DropShips and fighters?” the comm. officer asked after relaying the orders, Andrea guessed it was a question from her own fighter commanders. She remained silent for a moment looking at the range clocks.
“Weapons, forward Gauss rifles on those two DropShips.” She ordered answering the question the Alexander Davion’s two front-arc mounted Light Naval Gauss Rifles fired in unison the sound echoing through the vessel as the two weapons fired. The Light Naval Gauss was a upped sized version of the BattleMech mounted Gauss Rifle and the although the smallest capable of mounting on a WarShip it was still a very capable weapon. The weapon had awesome range and damage perfect for taking out the enemy DropShips in a single strike which they did shattering both vessels in an instant. “There’s your answer, the enemy fighters” she counted sixteen in total “are to be left for our gunners. Have to leave them something.” She said smiling the destruction of the enemy DropShips had lifted a weight off. The comm. officer was also smiling as he relayed the orders.
The two enemy corvettes returned fire with Naval Lasers causing some damage to the Alexander Davion’s forward armour but nothing critical. As the vessels closed the Alexander Davion’s forward guns four Naval Autocannons backed by four Naval Lasers and the two Light Naval Gauss Rifles opened fire almost in unison. At this range the weapons fire was not very accurate one of the autocannons did however hit and penetrate the armour of the port Zechetinu causing heavy damage and several decompressions along its forward-port area. All four Naval lasers also found points on the other vessel causing heavy damage but no penetration. The Unity City behind the Alexander Davion also fired into the starboard vessel adding its two Naval Lasers to the Davion’s unfortunately they were not coordinated with the Davion‘s and hit other areas causing more armour damage but noting crippling.
The two Corvettes returned fire with naval autocannons and laser fire however the Alexander Davion had engaged its Screen Launcher defence system and these weapons found their targeting data corrupted unable to find the Alexander Davion. One naval autocannon blast did get through however causing moderate armour damage to the Alexander Davion’s thick armour. At the same time the fighters from both sides engaged as did the DropShips on the Davion’s side. The two corvettes had tightly packed anti-fighter weapons and could cause lots of damage to the fighters however their gunners were showing their inexperience attacking the heavily armed assault DropShips and the Vengeance. One naval autocannon blast caught the Royal Black Watch’s Vengeance in the port side and the Star League’s fighter carrier DropShip vaporised in an instant as the WarShip showed what the smallest of Naval Weapons could do to a DropShip with a direct hit.
“Have the fighters and DropShips regroup with the Unity City” Andrea said knowing the enemy WarShips could eliminate large numbers of them quickly, she might need them later against the enemy destroyers which lacked significant anti-fighter defences. “Helm get us in broadside position.” She said the broadside was the most powerful shot a WarShip had it used three separate arcs of a WarShip’s weapons array to bring truly devastating firepower to bare.
“Which ship?” The head helmsmen asked.
“Both of them, I want to go right between them.”
“We could get a little toasty in there Admiral.” her executive officer warned from the weapons console engaging one WarShip in a Broadside battle was dangerous engaging two was fool hardy in most circumstances.
“Not as toasty as they are going to get. Helm confirm course, flank speed.” Andrea said watching as the Alexander Davion began moving between the two enemy WarShips, both of them could Broadside the Davion but the Destroyer’s armour could take it, these light corvettes couldn’t that Andrea was sure of they were designed to engage fighters and DropShips in the support of heavier WarShips and were under armoured when it came to battling proper WarShips, a category the Davion-class comfortably fit into.
“Enemy vessels firing.”
“Deploy screens” Andrea said, they wouldn’t matter much at this range and the executive officer was about to say as much when the weapons console exploded in his face. “Secondary weapons take full control. Medical team to the Command Centre. Helm move it!” She said looking at the Alexander Davion’s damage schematic they had taken two Naval Autocannons, one on each side and two laser blasts on the port side along with dozens of small hits, nothing the damage control teams could not handle.
“In position.”
“Broadside both sides - Fire!” Andrea said raising from her chair because the vessel was under its own power there was quite a strong gravity in the command centre allowing her to move freely as two medics arrived to take away the injured executive officer. A tech began repairing the console even as they were engaged. He shouldn’t have bothered however as the Alexander Davion’s broadside guns four heavy and assault class Naval Autocannons backed up with conventional rotary autocannons, large pulse lasers and Short Range Missiles opened fire on both sides of the vessel with thunderous and devastating consequences. The port Zechetinu was cut in half by the autocannons as they tore through the vessel’s centre-line destroying crew quarters, bulkheads and the K-F Drive as they went snapping the ship's back. The starboard vessel’s command module was consumed with fire by the assault an Autocannons tore into the forward windows shattering them, the atmosphere was venting from both vessels and life boats were launching. The enemy fighters had not escaped either tagged by the Davion’s gunners as threats the conventional weapons fire had cut all but two of the aircraft apart and they were running, none of them had been prepared for such a devastating assault from one target.
“They’re finished sir” the secondary weapons officer said “no weapons firing from either vessel, escape pods launching and their distress beacons have activated.”
“Helm move us away, take us to the Stellar Mass near the system’s star, rendezvous with the Unity City, dock our fighters and extend refuelling lines for the Black Watch, looks like they will have to remain in their fighters until we work something out.” She said losing their carrier DropShip was a problem although she could see she had lost two of her own aerospace fighters however she would never fit the thirty-eight remaining Black Watch Fighters in the Davion and now would have to refuel them on the move, a risky operation also the pilots would be forced to remain with their fighters for long periods not good for morale or crew rest.
“What about the escape pods?” Someone asked.
“Leave them to their friends, they have more than twenty-four hours air, plenty of time.” Andrea said as the Alexander Davion began to move rejoining the Unity City and the fighters of both vessels. “I want a status check on the First Prince then readiness response from all decks.” Andrea said the easy part was over now they had bigger a far bigger fight to survive.
An hour later the three Destroyers, all confirmed as Word of Blake vessels, were moving into range in front of them an entire wing of fighters and four assault DropShips. Sitting in her command chair Fleet Admiral Andrea Petain knew her ship, her crew and her First Prince were not getting out of this alive individually the Alexander Davion could kill any of the enemy targets arranged against them even in its damaged state however against all of them at once one of the enemy ships would score a lucky hit then another and before they knew it the Alexander Davion would die and the Federated Suns would lose its First Prince to an enemy, the first time that had happened since the death of Victor’s uncle, Ian Davion, to the Draconis Combine on Mallory‘s World in 3013 long before any of the Alexander Davion‘s crews birth. “Admiral, the Unity City is breaking formation, they are going straight in! The Black Watch fighters are following them, full throttle they are not coming out of that fast.” The way space combat worked was you built up speed by going one way then had to turn round to slow down, the Unity City had huge engines and was capable of one of the fastest speeds ever recorded by a WarShip but that meant that if the vessel used its full thrust a breaking manoeuvre to stop the ship before it hit something would probably kill the crew.
“Get me Commodore Bey.” She said moments later they were linked “Commodore what are you doing?”
“Buying you time, there is no way that either of us are winning a straight up fight but if we slow them you can seek refuge in the Stellar Mass.”
“We cannot hide forever, if you are fighting so are we.” Andrea said the Unity City had forced her hand but she would prefer a straight up fight anyway, the Alexander Davion deserved to go in a blaze of glory instead of being picked to pieces, Andrea was certain that the First Prince would want them to go down fighting as well.
“Negative, we cannot win this fight, get the First Lord clear.” The Unity City’s commander said cutting the link. The Alexander Davion command deck crew were looking at Andrea none of them wanted to die and although all were willing Andrea could understand that if they didn‘t have to die they didn‘t want to, she was the same.
“Get us turned around release the fighters and the DropShips tell them to make a single pass on the enemy picking any targets of opportunity in support of the Unity City then rendezvous with us. All gunners make long range shots that are possible, if they have ammunition use it.” Her crew began to move and soon the Alexander Davion’s fighters and DropShips were joining the battle supporting the Black Watch and the Unity City as the Alexander Davion‘s forward weapons continued to fire in support of the charging Unity City at this range the fire was very inaccurate. The Unity City itself had taken down a dozen fighters on its own and two DropShips but the enemy WarShips were beginning to notice the Unity City didn’t care about fighting them directly. Andrea Petain had realized that when the Unity City began accelerating and for the Blakists it was too late the Unity City charged into the Blakist formatting at nearly five G’s acceleration and ploughed into the first Essex. The kinetic energy alone tore the Destroyer in half while the resulting explosion destroyed both ships and dozens of fighters all around all the Word of Blake WarShips and fighters were forced to turn away to avoid being caught in the debris field allowing Black Watch fighters to cause havoc before they were overwhelmed by the numerically superior Blake units. As the Alexander Davion began to retreat eight of their twenty fighters and the single surviving DropShip, the Claymore rendezvoused with them. Only three heavily damaged Black Watch fighters survived the Wing’s sacrifice. Andrea happily took them aboard treating them like her own crew as the Alexander Davion entered the densely packed Stellar Mass. “Note it in the logs that the Unity City crew died bravely and that they destroyed one of the enemy WarShips before dying themselves they sold their lives for the First Lord.”
A Stellar Mass was an rare sight outside Star Clusters, it was made up of fragments of malformed or failed solar systems and full of strange gravimetrical waves and thousands lumps of rock some as large as the Alexander Davion. One wrong move and the Destroyer would not survive a collision, then again fighting two enemy WarShips, their Fighters and DropShips would be just as suicidal.
FSS Alexander Davion, Gravity Deck Conference Room
Unnamed System, Stellar Mass Field
Chaos March
12th March 3068
After four days of cat and mouse fighting the Alexander Davion had taken a few more hits and hiding in the Stellar Mass was becoming more and more difficult, the fragments remnants of a destroyed moon during the formation of the system barely large enough to hide the Davion-class vessel. Their last surviving DropShip had been destroyed as had half their remaining fighters leaving them with four operation aircraft. First Prince Victor Steiner-Davion had called for a meeting with Andrea and her command staff.
“What options do we have?” Victor asked, he was not a naval officer but he liked to know what was going on around him.
“We could remain here and wait for a friendly WarShip to arrive continuing to use the Stellar Mass as cover.” The ship’s executive officer suggested, it was possible but dangerous and lengthy.
“Too risky boss, we are already getting weird readings from across the ship and micro-meteor hits are causing more and more damage. Its only time until weapons and structure integrity are affected.” The chief engineer reported.
“Could we jump from here?” Victor asked quietly.
“I’m afraid not, sire, the gravity distortions are too high in the mass, we need to get at least a million kilometres clear. Preferably two.” The helmsmen reported, Victor had said that rank did not matter in this meeting he wanted everyone snowballing ideas.
“We need to get clear and fast charge the drive.” Andrea said quietly getting startled looks from around the room.
“Admiral, the K-F Drive has been off-line since we came in here, if we power it up and then immediately charge it…” The chief engineer said his voice trailing off as he looked at Victor “it could have nasty consequences.” He finished looking at the deck no-one wanted to contemplate the demise of the First Prince and his family, including Victor already he had decided that in future he would travel with a minimum of two WarShips when outside the Federated Suns Star League Protocol be damned.
“If we stay I’m just as dead chief.” Victor said quietly Andrea seemed to take this as authorisation.
“We charge out of here full thrust in the opposite direction than what we entered then run like hell. If we have a good lead on them we will charge the drive slowly making sure there are no spikes. If not, it’s been an honour to serve with and know you all.” Andrea said although the meeting went on for another half-hour the decision did not change the Alexander Davion would make a run for it.
Three hours past before they were in position to run what repairs and reloading that could be done were done and the fighters were ready to give what support they could. “Prep engines.” Andrea said quietly seeing Victor Steiner-Davion enter the Command Deck. “Sire?”
“If you don’t mind I will watch from here.” He said in the background Danai Centrella-Davion and the couple’s two children were disappearing into a conference room.
“Not a problem, give the order and we will be on our way.”
“To Oblivion and Beyond!” Victor said quoting the ship's motto loud enough so everyone could hear Andrea cut in the ship-wide speakers as well “this crew have preformed beyond the call for duty and when we get home you are all coming to New Avalon, the Federated Suns and the Inner Sphere will know of your duty and your professionalism.” Victor said it was a rarity that naval officers were honoured in the Federated Suns so it would be quite a treat. “Fleet Admiral Petain the order is given.” He said nodding to the Admiral who bowed in response raising with a smile on her face, once again Victor had made her life easier.
“Engines full military thrust. Take us out.” She said turning back to the main displays the Alexander Davion began accelerating quickly reaching three g’s acceleration, the whole crew were dragged down into their seats and onto the deck by the force of the acceleration. The Alexander Davion sped out of the Stellar Mass straight into the teeth of the waiting Blakists. Naval autocannon and capital missiles lashed out from both vessels while the Alexander Davion returned fire with Naval Autocannon, the Davion Block III could dish out a lot of damage but it could also take a beating, standing at the rear of the bridge Victor wondered just how badly the Alexander Davion was going to be pounded. As enemy weapons fire tore into the Davion the destroyer rapidly lost most of its starboard weapons array in the opening barrage “roll us over.” Andrea ordered and the Alexander Davion rolled over presenting the enemy with relatively fresh armour and new weapons. Again Naval autocannons lashed out but this time from the Alexander Davion causing telling damage on the two destroyers but not enough to stop them. A white shark capital missile slammed into the Alexander Davion hitting the first gravity deck near the aft of the craft, although the deck was in standby mode it still exploded as the deck decompressed bleeding away a portion of the ships speed now the enemy ships could stay within range. “Shut down all power to both gravity decks, vent them of atmosphere so we don’t have another breach.” Andrea ordered then hit the communication panel “Engineering we need more power, prepare to bring the K-F online.”
“Full power available in ten seconds Admiral, K-F online in the green so far.”
“Good news” she said quietly “Keep us posted chief.” She said looking up at the Holo-tank, the Alexander Davion was beginning to make a lead on the two Blakist Destroyers, which although were well armed and not badly armoured they were very slow. The Davion crossed the million kilometre mark and Andrea activated the comm. just as a pair of capital missiles slammed into the Destroyer’s rear shaking the entire ship. “Engineering! We need that jump engine now.” She said there was no answer, “engineering” again nothing “engineering” nothing “hell” she whispered noticing the ship was beginning to slow as well she could feel gravity on the command deck begin to slip, luckily the rear guns of the Alexander Davion were still keeping the two Blakist Destroyers at a distance.
“Admiral! Radiation surge!” The sensor operator screamed as a surge of radiation appeared behind the Alexander Davion “Another one to port one hundred thousand kilometres, all hands brace!” the sensor operator said again as two more WarShips entered the system, they were so dead.
“IFF?” She asked wondering if they would be friendly, she knew there was little chance of that.
“None.”
“Damn” she said looking over at Victor “prepare to offer our surrender” Victor looked to the deck then nodded his agreement there was no point in fighting four WarShips especially with no engines and half their guns gone.
“Admiral, the two ships are confirmed as Lola III-class Destroyers, they are moving away from us towards the Blakist vessels!” The sensor operator said unable to contain his excitement.
“IFF! Admiral it’s the Darius and Nelson.” The comm. specialist shouted.
“That’s…” Andrea said looking at Victor Steiner-Davion then they both finished together “the Wolf’s Dragoons!” The two Lola IIIs were fresh and undamaged as they accelerated towards the Blakists destroying the Naga II quickly with a concentrated effort of forward weapons fire, with surprise on their side the Naga II crew had no chance whatsoever of avoiding the fire or surviving the Wolf‘s Dragoons assault. The Blakist force was surprised with the Dragoon’s arrival but they rallied and attacked the Darius with their full fury, with one Blakist DropShip ramming the Destroyer slamming into one of the cargo bay doors to cause heaviest penetration the impact caused several internal explosions on the Dragoon WarShip causing its K-F Core to overload and the destruction of the Dragoon WarShip. With one enemy destroyed most of the remaining Blakist fighters and DropShips all clustered around in a mess of moving metal. The Nelson seeing its sister ship destroyed so savagely moved closer to the remaining Word of Blake WarShip firing a Broadside into the nose of the Destroyer then as it moved into the vessel’s broadside arc rolled over and delivered another broadside into the stunned vessel. Finally as the Word of Blake crew aboard the Destroyer attempted to deal with the heavy damage caused by the attacks the Nelson pivoted on the spot and delivered another strike this time directed to the Word of Blake vessel’s rear area penetrating the engine room causing one of the fusion engines to loose containment and tear the vessel to shreds.
With the Word of Blake forces destroyed or disabled the Nelson then moved alongside the Alexander Davion beginning a joint rescue mission for survivors from the Darius and any downed Dragoon fighter. “Get a comm. laser on them.” Andrea said to the communication specialist who immediately set up a direct comm. frequency with the Dragoon WarShip. General Maeve Wolf appeared on the screen “General, you have my thanks and that of my crew, it was a surprise to see you.”
“We are sorry we were so slow, the message was slightly garbled. Where is the Unity City?” She asked since that had been the vessel that had sent the call.
“Destroyed by the Blakists.”
“Then you have my condolences, Victor Steiner-Davion was a worthy leader of the Federated Suns.”
“My thanks General, but as you can see I still live.” Victor said stepping onto the screen.
“The First Lord not travelling on the First Lord’s vessel” showing mock surprise on her face showing what she thought of the Artemis-class, “who could blame him?” She asked quietly smiling “this is a good day. The loss of the Darius is regretful but your continued survival would have pleased its crew, they knew their duty and finally the Wolf‘s Dragoons have been able to show our WarShips are not all for show that we still hold much of our Clan roots in WarShip combat.” Maeve said proudly over the years since the Wolf’s Dragoons had revealed their true origins and their WarShip fleet many had said the vessels would never be used and that the Dragoons would never be able to use them effectively if they were ever challenged to do so.
“General, whatever the Dragoons want, within reason, is yours. You have saved this ship, its crew and my family. I will not forget this.” Victor said stepping towards the centre of the bridge the crews of both vessels were looking at Victor and Maeve the discussion captivating everyone.
“My thanks First Prince Davion.” Maeve said slightly taken aback by the offer she had expected some C-Bills, technology or equipment but the First Prince’s offer was greatly appreciated, the Dragoons would not forget his offer. “We will collect later, for now can we offer assistance, you appear damaged.”
“Yes please, General.” Fleet Admiral Petain said looking to Victor who was leaving the command deck disappearing into the conference room which held his family. Twenty minutes later the Dragoons were aboard the WarShip helping bring the Alexander Davion back into a space worthy condition, although it was a temporary measure the destroyer would need months of refit. At the same time General Wolf used the Nelson’s HPG to call for more Federated Suns help. Within an hour the Hanse Davion, Melissa Davion and Intrepid were all in the system. The Melissa Davion taking Victor and his family back to New Avalon and the other two vessels assisting the Dragoons and the Alexander Davion’s surviving crew to make the vessel ship capable of making it to Galax for repairs. The Dragoon’s remaining vessel then returned to Outreach happy with the knowledge that they had secured their alliance with the Federated Suns and the Star League for years to come. Once back on Outreach the crew of the Darius were honoured and laid to rest on the Wall’s of Honour outside Harlech City, although the Dragoons did not have their remains they did have their codex data, a hold-over from their Clan origins, the crew of the WarShip would never be forgotten.
