The Battle of Corot

[Captain Gecko]

PART I - UNEXPECTED GUESTS

***

 

The Little Biesellite's Encyclopedia

Category: History

Date: 12/02/2462

Article: The Battle of Corot

 

The Battle of Corot (Also called the Corot-1155 Incident) is an event that unfolded on the 12th of February, 2462 CE, during which a space battle unfolded between five different sides, each with a small-sized fleet of its own. It is considered by Dominia to be one of the largest losses of naval ships in a single battle in recent history and seen by many abroad as an example of how complicated relations between Unathi pirate fleets can be. Observed by many specialists in space warfare, the Battle of Corot is often described as a "mess" where "any and all traces of even the most basic signs of military strategies were thrown out of the airlock" as one of the surviving members of the Zhao fleet that took part of the battle said^{(citation needed)}. In any case, between the high casualties on all sides (losses are only estimated as far as the pirate side goes), and losses in ships, the Battle of Corot is still one of the largest battles in recent...

...Corot-1155 is a system constituted by a single A-class star, three different asteroid belts orbiting it, as well as one noteworthy barren planetoid. While devoid of any noteworthy resources and riddled with electromagnetic storms preventing any large-scaled mining or even settling operation, Corot-1155 has been an extremely important system both to the Izweski Hegemony and the Empire of Dominia, being located just between the two nations' borders. It is considered by many to be a buffer zone, with both powers...

Geospatial location of Corot-1155

 

...The Fleets involved included multiple classes of ships, in considerable numbers. Their fleet composition were as followed:

- Kazhkz Privateers (Dominia):

• Trasus' Vengeance - Mimba-Class Destroyer
• Black Hand - Mimba-Class Destroyer
• Yzidian the Mighty - Guzari-Class Destroyer
• Three Frigate-sized crafts
• Six Corvette-sized crafts

- Zhao Fleet (Dominia):

• The Wall - Yastr-Class Cruiser
• Under the Blade - Treutduro-Class Destroyer
• Forged by Sorrow - Treutduro-Class Destroyer
• Ten Frigate-sized crafts
• Ten Corvette-sized crafts

- 4th Fleet (Hegemony): ...

***

 

Trasus' Vengeance - Kazhkz Destroyer

Krarhal Kazhk stood before the armored window of the bridge, staring intently at the infinite madness of the Great Blue. Rumors within Unathi Pirate Fleets told that staring for too long into Bluespace would make one mad... Krarhal didn't believe in such stories, but he liked to imagine that he was defying some sorts of evil spirits beyond, just by looking into these strange waves. If anything, the old captain proved to be quite the daring one, perhaps what had Salak make him the captain of this venerable Destroyer, one that served his clan even before they had met the Empire. The voice of a Bridge Crew interrupted the Captain's train of thoughts, however.

- "Speeds lowering, we're surfacing from Bluespace... Entering Realspace in three... Two... One..." He said in Azaziba, the only tongue Krarhal ever wanted to hear on his bridge. The waves of Bluespace vanished in an instant, soon enough replaced by a violent, blue flash... The Oldscales merely squinted, his eyes adapting to the brightness of quite a brutal electric storm, raging right above them. "Black Hand leaving Bluespace..." The Bridge Crew continued, "...Yzidian is following suit, the others will follow around twenty seconds... All systems nominal, so far."

- "Good." The Captain merely said, turning around and going for his seat. "While we wait for the others, give us a sensor sweep, find the traitors, I want us to break them as soon as we can." two days ago the fleet of Kazhkz privateers received a message, through fax, no-less, one using expired codes, ones that predated the days of the Kazhkz-Han'san fleet landing Dominia. Usually, such messages would be ignored, but the fact that such codes belonged to the pre-Dominia fleet, coupled with its content, a challenge, an invitation for a battle to the death, only meant one thing... These were Revanchists, Hiskyn's Revanchists.

- "Revanchist fleet spotted." Another Bridge Crew said, "Multiple signals, by that planetoid, Galactic North. They are burning towards us and will be in range of our weapons in around ninety seconds. There are also objects up there by the electric storm, slow-moving... Possibly stellar bodies orbiting the planetoid, or parasites on our sensors due to the magnetic perturbations of such a storm... In the advent that these are indeed rocks, we should pay attention to our surroundings, while slow, they are big and could hurt us real bad if we were to collide with one." the Captain nodded.

- "Good." He said once again. "Let us hold our position until the rest of our fleet arrives. Relzrik, ready get the gunnery team to ready the weapons. Gra'lzek, holopad, now... I want to see the face of the traitor I'm about to execute today."

***

 

Red Rage - Revanchist Cruiser

 

The Holopad lit up as soon as it was pressed. A second later, the holographic image of an old Sinta was revealed. "Oh." He said, "Iari. It's been a while. You've grown into quite the man." He let out. Such words were met with an aggressive hiss.

- "You... Krarhal... I should've known that they'd send the weakest after us." Iari Hiskyn bellowed, "Not that the rest of you traitorous lot are much of a threat either."

- "Traitorous lot? As far as I know my crewmen and I still bear the name of our clan proudly. You left, you refused to follow your clan leaders, and you killed your brethren ever since. I only see one traitor here, and it is you."

- "And what will you do, then, Krarhal? Beg me to come and land on your frozen world so that I can be judged by your Human handlers? I've heard that this is how they deal with their traitors in there, by begging them to come back." Chuckling echoed through the Red's bridge. Dominians were weak... They were Humans after all. They were nothing, no matter how geneboosted they could get, compared to the might of a Unathi- and not just any... Free Unathi, true pirates, not weaklings that would bend the knee to the first Empire they'd cross... Or so Iari told himself.

- "No. No I won't. I am here to smite you, and your fleet, to make sure that your kin won't be spilling any more of my people's blood. I am merely contacting you to let you know that I thank you for your invitation... You spare us the waste of time of actually tracking you vermins down. Now then, let the best fleet w-" Krarhal's voice was interrupted by a stomp, Iari's foot nearly crushing the Holopad as he turned the damned thing off.

- "FULL SPEED AHEAD! WE WILL SHOW THESE HUMAN-LOVING, SCALE-LESS CRETINS WHAT REAL PIRATES ARE LIKE!" And so they went, the sudden acceleration of the Red Rage pressing its captain against his seat. The Kazhkz had more ships, but smaller ones. While barely including any Corvettes or Frigates, the Hiskyn pocket fleet had twice as many destroyers, and of course, the Red Rage itself, a small cruiser, but a cruiser nonetheless, one that could eradicate anything as bug as the usual Destroyer with ease in frontal, direct combat... Oh and there will be plenty.

Iari would not let this occasion go, he wouldn't make this just some victory, he would make this historical, a glorious fight of massive broadsides, beautiful formations, and of course, ramming. He would make this a tried and true, Unathi Battle, just like his father before him when he served the very same Clan he was about to fight. "They stabbed you in the back for daring to speak of the Revanchists." Iari mumbled, "... Well, I will break them in an honorable battle."

His eyes locked on the shining dots that slowly came to view, the Red Rage's Captain stared at the Kazhkz fleet like a predator at his prey. Thoughts of blood, of justice, of honor flooded his mind. This was his first battle as a proper captain, and he will bring the head of Krahrak himself back to Fer'is...

- "ENERGY SURGE, GALACTIC SOUTH! WE'RE BEING TARGET-" One of the Bridge Crew tried to warn, but not in time. A bright blue light flooded the Red's bridge for a few seconds, before vanishing... "That was..."

- "Laser fire... X-Ray." Iari bellowed... "KEEP THE COURSE! BUT LOCATE THE SOURCE! WHOEVER DARED SHOOT AT US IN SUCH A MOMENT WILL KNOW MY FURY!"

- "Captain... It came from... It's... It's Impossible..."

***

 

Trasus' Vengeance - Kazhkz Destroyer

- "Who did that?! Where did this come from?!" Krarhal growled, "I did not order any of our ships to fire! I will not tolerate any lack of discipline from my own men!"

- "It wasn't one of us, Captain..." One of the Bridge Crew said, "It came from..."

- "Look! The right by the Electric Storm!" Another one said, "Is that... A signal flare?" The Kazhkz Captain's eyes widened, he couldn't believe it. Between the blue of the storm, and the warm, orange light of a signal flare, the so-called signatures that floated in within the electromagnetic maelstrom became more and more pronounced... What all thought were mere asteroids suddenly became more... Angular... Artificial. And then... Lights turned on, engines spit flames of Blue... And they moved. Krarhal nearly stuttered, in sheer shock at what he just saw...

- "These... Are SHIPS!"

***

 

Notes:

Spoiler

The Forum cannot take posts that are too long, so I'll post this story in multiple parts... Also because I can't write this one thing in one go, really... There's... A lot. I hope you enjoy in any case...

 

Edited August 21, 2022 by Captain Gecko