Note: Tomorrow my actual camera returns and picture quality should improve again.
Lt. Kirsten's Eagle - Lord Mercat
The Eagle kept moving, and aimed all available guns at the Darkstar's wormhole projector.
Unfortunately for them, the Eagle is known as a 'fighter-herder' rather than an anti-ship assault frigate and it's photon cannons didn't pierce, it also didn't help much that the other pilot crit-failed firing the turrets...
Col. Sharane's Darkstar - Ham
The missile flew on, the Mastercutor's turrets attempted to take it out...
To no avail, but luckily for the Prussians their cruiser came out unharmed.
The wormhole projector was fired by Sharane herself, and a seldom miss occurred
The Prussians had been warned.
Cpt. Victoria: "What was that weapon?"
Lt. Kirsten: "I don't know, I've been trying to destroy it."
Cpt. Victoria: "'If you don't know what it is, kill it', right?"
Lt. Kirsten: "Of course."
The main plasma weapon was fired on the Mastercutor...
I've been sucking at rolling damage the entire game.
The Darkstar's improved AI managed to take out a missile, while a Terrorkhan used the turrets to take out another. The resulting explosions were too weak to damage the ship.
Cpt. Axl's Dominator - RobotMonkey
The Dominator went rambo and turned, firing all it's guns on the Knight of Santiago.
Unfortunately for them the cruiser's high speed and another crit fail caused most shots to miss and the shields held off the rest. Now if the ion cannon had managed to hit the bridge, it would've been a different story, but alas...
Admiral Santiago's 'Knight of Santiago' - me
The missile was still on it's way to the Eagle, but found the Mastercutor on its way...
This time the anti-fighter turrets took it out in time.
"Admiral Santiago to damage control teams. Hurry up the repairs, we can't afford to have ourselves rely on one launcher!"
"Reparation successful. The launcher will be operational again soon, sir. This one, at least..."
Slowing to normal speed, the Knight went after the Mastercutor, but it's turrets turned to fire on the bothersome Dominator...
Admiral Santiago fired the main weapons himself!
The Mastercutor came out on top. Then, a pilot increased damage output however...
And ouch, ouch, ouch, the turrets dealt a lot of damage with my first (more than) proper damage roll of the game. One SP remains on the Dominator.
It survived a shot fired by the autolaser...
But then the fighters were sent out.
They swerved round and attacked. One was taken out by the tower before he could even fire, but the others proved to be more than enough...
"Abandon ship!"
Too soon.
At least the two fighters made it out in time (you still control these, RM).
"Captain, we've lost the Dominator!"
"Yes, this fight is definitely taking an unexpected turn. Still, we cannot possibly abandon our mission. Vorwarts! For Prussia!"
"Target eliminated. Let's wrap up the rest of these Prussian dogs."
"Excellent work commander."
Cpt. Victoria's Mastercutor - Theblackdog
The Mobhunters swerved around, avoiding the Darkstar's defense systems, and engaged the Immortal fighters, who quickly turned and attacked as well.
One Mobhunter hit home, but two were destroyed.
The Neo-Prussians weren't about to give up: the plasma howitzer was fired. An attempt to increase range backfired (-1").
It wasn't enough to harm the Darkstar, but the blast did kill two fighters. Luck at last.
Then, in true 18th-century warfare style, the Mastercutor flew right in between her enemies while firing her turrets at two sides. The pilot for the main turrets critfailed, but the large turret fired true...
A surprisingly good shot damaged the Darkstar's hull (-1 SP).
Another ship had crept onto the battlefield...
Marshal Grim: "FOR BRITTANIAAA! Forward boys, let's chase these piltoggs back to their mines!"
"Huzzah!"
Secret faction activated: Britannian Mothership 'Francis Drake' - commanded by mgb.
I didn't receive mgb's orders for this round, so the Brittanian vessel just kinda moved up, which is all it would've been able to do anyway, really.
Sharane: "More reinforcements. This looks like it can't go wrong. We-"
Seras: "Milady, yet another ship is coming out of hyperspace."
Sharane: "Hm. At this point it matters little which side it's on."
Secret faction activated...
Assyrian Venus-class destroyer 'Sargon II' (named after an old Assyrian emperor) - commanded by Natalya.
Major Skarr: "Alright men, we have a prime target here. Immortal peaches, can you believe it? Avoid conflict with the Prussians, they seem to be here for the same reason we are."
"Assyrians... Let's leave the diplomacy to the politicians and the fighting to the soldiers, boys. They're enemies of the Immortals, avoid fighting them unless they should prove hostile."
The Assyrians started by blasting one of their light super lasers at the Dragonhead, for it was (only just) in range.
The Knight of Santiago took a hit (-1 SP).
As the Venus flew past, it took out one of the surprised fighters.
Major Skarr: "All remaining power to the main weapon." (succesful feat, +1 damage)
The hyper phase cannon loaded...
... and struck the Darkstar, which amazingly avoided damage thanks to a good shield roll, if only just (it was equal). The Immortals had been warned though.
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