Sigma
Inactive Member
June-September, YE 34
12th Standard Fleet, Hanako Cluster
Following the blooding that 12th Fleet received at HX-11, Taisho Kurita advanced from system to system in the Hanako Cluster slowly. Each time, he assaulted the star system with his entire military force. Each time, he had different results.
At HX-10, Kurita ran into another NMX defense force which was routed with far greater ease. His entire fleet simply outnumbered and outgunned the NMX force. After knocking out their single carrier, the remaining NMX space forces retreated immediately.
The planetary invasion was even swifter. Orbital assault by Legion XII put an end to the NMX evacuation in progress. The system, unlike HX-11, was not equipped with any sort of ground to orbit weapons. A single, damaged Ravager was the sum total of NMX resistance. Once it fell, Mindy-equipped troops captured the spaceport before it could be rigged with explosives.
Shocked by the swiftness of the NMX collapse, Kurita grew bolder with his next move.
He sent a single carrier squadron to HX-9 to confirm it was unoccupied while he took the rest of the Fleet to HX-12.
At HX-9, the Right Fang of 12th Fleet found a couple NMX transports loitering in the area which managed to escape before the Yamataian warships or starfighters could engage. Scans and surveys of the system and planets showed no sign of NMX activity. With orders to remain in the system as a monitor, the Right Fang stayed in HX-9, waiting for the rest of the Fleet to rejoin them.
The situation at HX-12 was stranger than HX-9. NMX forces in the system fled the moment the Yamataian fleet was detected. Before Kurita could even order the planetary invasion of HX-12 II, his sensors reported a nuclear detonation on the surface.
Shocked, Kurita and his bridge staff scrambled to understand what had happened. The area where the NMX spaceport was supposed to be was now a spiral of fire, with temperatures reaching into the thousands of degrees. The firestorm raging inside the tower of smoke and gas left no doubt that there were no survivors from the blast. "I think they committed suicide rather than be taken alive," Saito Takamori, the Taisho's aide, spoke finally. The gardener-turned-Admiral shook his head in disbelief. He didn't want, couldn't bring himself to accept that this was happening.
Without a word, the Taisho retired to his quarters and couldn't be contacted for the rest of the day. It was, therefore, decided to hold off sending troops to planet's surface until the firestorm died out and aerial reconnaissance had been carried out. If there was another such device, the Star Army would not want to trigger it by accident.
12th Standard Fleet, Hanako Cluster
Following the blooding that 12th Fleet received at HX-11, Taisho Kurita advanced from system to system in the Hanako Cluster slowly. Each time, he assaulted the star system with his entire military force. Each time, he had different results.
At HX-10, Kurita ran into another NMX defense force which was routed with far greater ease. His entire fleet simply outnumbered and outgunned the NMX force. After knocking out their single carrier, the remaining NMX space forces retreated immediately.
The planetary invasion was even swifter. Orbital assault by Legion XII put an end to the NMX evacuation in progress. The system, unlike HX-11, was not equipped with any sort of ground to orbit weapons. A single, damaged Ravager was the sum total of NMX resistance. Once it fell, Mindy-equipped troops captured the spaceport before it could be rigged with explosives.
Shocked by the swiftness of the NMX collapse, Kurita grew bolder with his next move.
He sent a single carrier squadron to HX-9 to confirm it was unoccupied while he took the rest of the Fleet to HX-12.
At HX-9, the Right Fang of 12th Fleet found a couple NMX transports loitering in the area which managed to escape before the Yamataian warships or starfighters could engage. Scans and surveys of the system and planets showed no sign of NMX activity. With orders to remain in the system as a monitor, the Right Fang stayed in HX-9, waiting for the rest of the Fleet to rejoin them.
The situation at HX-12 was stranger than HX-9. NMX forces in the system fled the moment the Yamataian fleet was detected. Before Kurita could even order the planetary invasion of HX-12 II, his sensors reported a nuclear detonation on the surface.
Shocked, Kurita and his bridge staff scrambled to understand what had happened. The area where the NMX spaceport was supposed to be was now a spiral of fire, with temperatures reaching into the thousands of degrees. The firestorm raging inside the tower of smoke and gas left no doubt that there were no survivors from the blast. "I think they committed suicide rather than be taken alive," Saito Takamori, the Taisho's aide, spoke finally. The gardener-turned-Admiral shook his head in disbelief. He didn't want, couldn't bring himself to accept that this was happening.
Without a word, the Taisho retired to his quarters and couldn't be contacted for the rest of the day. It was, therefore, decided to hold off sending troops to planet's surface until the firestorm died out and aerial reconnaissance had been carried out. If there was another such device, the Star Army would not want to trigger it by accident.
