I humbly apologize for the delay, real life problems aside I had one of my recurrent episodes of total apathy, I hope that the players will continue to follow this LP as before.
However, in case someone has grown impatient with the LP's pace, this first installment of Wulfen's chronicles will be completed in another 4 or 5 updates, so just bear a little longer.
Burning Bright
Karhyen's defenders took advantage of the time at their disposal before the arrival of the bulk of the Jehnizar force.
They deployed Norian Dhen's battlecruisers around the planet, almost at sub-orbital distance to stay in the range of the atomic cannon on the surface, with Georian Sthar's assaulters at the forefront, while Wulfen's militia would have provided support against enemy' sorties.
The first to arrive were the 'vultures', their targets, the battlecruisers.
The energy shields managed to dissipate the first impact of the particle disruptors, while a powerful barrage of pulse blasts dispersed the assailants.
Immediately Wulfen's light astrocrafts began to chase the 'vultures'
The special multi-phase pulse cannons they employed easily passed through the enemy' shields and armor.
Thus the vultures' attack was effectively halted,forcing them to perform evasive maneuvers to survive.
But a greater menace was approaching Karhyen, 'condors', more massive than assaulters, armed with particle disruptors and laser bombs that released high intense light rays able to penetrate shields and armor.
Condors were the Jehnizars' best weapon due to their high maneuverability in comparison with battlecruisers.
They struck deep inside the Green Company's formation destroying one of the battlecruiser.
After this first attack they dived inside the planet' stratosphere with the intention of attacking from a more favorable position the astrocrafts sub-orbiting Karhyen.
In that moment pillars of raging atomic fire erupted from the surface burning through the atmosphere.
Completely surprised by that unknown weapon the Jehnizars frantically scattered, but only to become targets of the atomic torpedoes and the pulse cannons of the defenders.
Thanks to the atomic cannon their strategy doomed them, half of the 'condors' got annihilated in that first wave.
Despite this success, however, that continue onslaught was taking its toll on the militias, many assaulters had been destroyed and two battlecruiser were severely damaged without counting the one lost and the enemy battlecruisers were quicly approaching.
They should have been called space fortresses more than battlecruisers tho, they were deployed to attack planets after astrocrafts' protection had been eliminated or provided support for the Jehnizars' retreating forces, this was the first time that they were used for a direct confrontation with other astrocrafts, Norian Dhen wondered why they insisted so much after every move they made had been countered by Karhyen's defenders.
Is it possible that they are waiting for reinforcements, or there is some other reason?
This question was occupying the commander's mind while the battle raged on around him.
in the meanwhile Anton Brent, commander of the base on Karhyen, was reading the radar signal indicating the arrive of the new enemy astrocrafts.
"Is there a way to hit them with the atomic cannon even if they are beyond orbital range?"
He asked to the technical staff operating the remote controls of the atomic cannon.
"Well, fundamentally the cannon produce a controlled atomic explosion confined by a powerful magnetic field that also channels and directs it depending by how we narrow and extend the field with the electromagnets, we don't have the means to generate a field powerful enough."
The military engineer hesitated for a moment and then added:
"However we could try to use the full force of the field to confine the atomic explosion and then, by sudden inverting the polarity of the field, we can propel it beyond orbital range, but it's not very accurate and and even if it will work the cannon will resist only few shots in this way."
"That's not a problem, as long as we manage to take out two or three of their battlecruisers, proceed".
And they arrived, a swarm of 'hawks' preceded them, engulfing the defendants in a storm of rapacious warships, carefully positioning themselves, ready to explode a barrage of particle disruptors, laser bombs and missiles with vibroheads, a crude but efficient weapon to bypass energy shields, capable of demolish an astrocraft by inducing high frequency vibrations in its hull.
They watched how the Green Company astrocrafts retracted in front of them widening the distance among each other almost as Karhyen's defenses were about to collapse.
And then it was as a new sun dawned on the planet, filling the atmosphere of the planet with its luminescence.
Soaring through the sky into open space incinerating in its trail the lesser ships of the Jehnizars, finally exploding in its full glory in a blazing inferno, wiping out the shields of the first enemy battlecruiser, almost breaking it in two.
Four times this reddish aurora tinted the skies, and four times atomic fires erupted devouring the attacking ships.
The fifth time a white fire burned brighter that the others vitrifying everything around for kilometers.
Anton Brent, observed the signal of the instrument going out of the scale when the blastwave invested the base, effectively disabling their armaments.
"Gentlemen, it's time to retreat in the underground refuges, commence the evacuation procedure, for us the battle is over."
He said while calmly getting up from his seat.
Norian Dhen gave the order of a total assault against the enemy forces while thy were still in disarray, targeting the disabled enemy barrlecruisers.
For long minutes the battle raged on in a frontal confrontation between the opposing forces, when, what was a sensation at first, became an incontestable reality.
"They are retreating sir."
Communicated the officer to Norian Dhen.
Yes, the Jehnizars, after stubborning attacking, were fleeing the battle in an unorderly fashion.
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A)For the first time there is the possibility to capture an enemy ship, Norian Dhen should order Wulfen to pursue them and seize at least a "vulture" while he will tend to the wounded and preside Karhyen.
B)Prudence, the defenders should eliminate the remaining enemy astrocrafts, regroup their forces and be ready in case they receive a help request from Zhenar Xhan.
C)The full defending force must pursue the enemy both for trying to acquire enemy technology and to eliminate the residue of the Jehnizar forces.
This, however, will leave Karhyen defenseless.