Storm up the line : Operation Rapture

[Frozen Critical]

On 6 June 71944, 34000 human pilots embark on a faithful mission, their average training : Mark II, none were optimistic of their survival, most expected not to return, and none though of actually managing through their ordeal

The AI occupied the euraop supercluster, Humanity launched the largest attack in space, consisting of nearly all of their forces, it targeted all of the galaxies in the supercluster, the most important Rapture, it was the best chance to take what the AI took, but for the pilots, even entering planets was a battle for survival

This is the Epic story of the 5 day battle for Rapture, a conflict that will test both warring faction's technologies and strategy, but however, despite powerful tactical devices and great strategies, humanity still holds the most powerful weapons of warfare, that they had brought with them from their land-faring era's : Leadership, and unpredictability

Operation Rapture, who survives, and who dies.......

(snake, all are given +300 for a epic battle)

[Frozen Critical]

Gathering forces at a small, undetected planet called Desrele, the attack plant was laid out : twelve transports, fully loaded, will be sent as the initial attack, with several staying back as backup, only one transport was loaded with Mark II fighters

As the transports approach the AI planets, the pilots start praying, most gaze into the endless fabric of space, sick and scared of the upcoming rampage, some bravely look out of the transport via the view ports of the transports, to estimate where they are safe from fire

When the transports went into the wormhole, the pilots know it's time for things to turn into a living nightmare, as the transports exit the wormhole, cannons, launchers and weapons get hot as energy bombs and lasers start flying, the transports take on the bulk of fire, mostly coming from the Autocannons, a feared weapon which fired shells at 1500 every minute, there was not one but 20 of them on the planet, which means that each transport might be taking 125 shells per minute, none of them destroyed, but will be once they unload

The gates burst open and orders are given, ships fly out of the transports, but almost all of them were destroyed before they could fire a shot, to survive, ships did what they were told never to do : fly out of the view ports, it reduced chances of getting blown up, by 3 percent, but they faced another problem : mines, that increases chances of death by doing what you are not supposed to, rising the death chances to 97%

Standard bomber pilot Las wrap :

"The firepower being shot at us was intense, if you wasn't blown up by AI shots, mines would go off, blowing you up, so it's either AI firepower, or mines, it's your decision, I recommend pressing the self destruct button while in the transports

Around me, fellow ships were going down in flames, some suffered the wraiths of mines, while most ate shots, if there is a hell, we are there, right now, right here"

All that madness, and they had not reached the hard part : the midway towards the command centre, a area that might of well had simply been a huge sign saying "DEATHZONE"

[jordot42]

Reading this makes me feel bad about sending my ships out on missions (especially the lower mark ones). 

"All you guys just stay in the space dock... ya."  Now I feel better.

[Orelius]

Technically speaking, all of the ships you use are remote-controlled.  They don't have pilots.

[Frozen Critical]

Fighters and bombers were still flying out of the transports, but AI fire cuts then down as fast as they could exit their transports, and mines make it even worst, those that went out the view ports and survived the mines met what other survivors were encountering : relentless waves of shells and bombs

But theres another problem : Forcefield bearers and shield boosters renders return fire incapable of doing damage, even support fire from Electric bombers sent in to assist were baffled

And to add insult to injury, autobombs bombarded the human attackers

The ships were trapped on the small breachhead, uselessly firing at the AI, with both range and the Forcefield bearers/shield boosters rendering their shots as efficient as punching AI ships while floating in space out of your ship

But there were a brilliant tactic to assist the troops : lightning missiles

The plan was to send in lightning rockets after the transports, at first, the AI focused on the helpless, trapped ships on the breachhead, but aimed at the missiles after they gained some ground, blasting them apart, while near the ships, which resulted in several blown up ships, but no heavy damage was done

With the lightning missiles gone, the pilots are now on their own, here are the words of the Mark II pilot Sean Trelesis :

"No words can describe the horrors there, horrendous swarms of shells were flying down at us, autobombs devastating entire squadrons, while Forcefield bearers rendered our weapons useless, pilots were crying for their mothers, horror gripped me, there was no way I could get out of this deathzone alive, your life hangs on everything you have, even your chair is your defense against shots that penetrate your ship, it's a suicide mission"

And that was the least of their problems : only 1/5 of the AI ships were actually firing, it's only a partial of the chaos about to be unleashed upon them

(yes, I know the ships are AI controlled, it's story purposes)

[Frozen Critical]

It's only ten minutes into the fight, and death numbers have already reached a thousand, the pilots managed to get a few feet in, they still hadn't reached the real part yet : the deathzone, where they would face the real firepower that was stored on that one planet

But a plan was put into place to assist : Light starships to distract and damage the AI hiding behind the FF's, two of them had already been built, with another in production line, but a problem complicates their deployment : they are originally made to protect the small planet

After ten minutes of argument and opinions, the senior officers send out the final decision : send out the Light Starships

At first, they manage to disasemble a couple of fighters, but their distraction purpose became their bane, as large volume of fire were channeled right upon the starships, destroying them in seconds

But it gave the human pilots a advantage : without shells hitting them seconds upon seconds, they moved a fair distance, but this only increased the amount of shells flying at them, more bullets, more death

The distance they have to cross is legendarily impossible to manage, they have to cross 200 miles of empty space, then, face heavier fire as they cross 600 miles of midway, then the final 200 miles, where they would suffer the heaviest amount of shells, before they finally reach the "wire" where they would finally be able to attack the AI with their weapon's fullest potential

Bomber Mark II Pilot Uae Venguard is amongst the luckier ones :

"This isn't your everyday invasion, Imagine taking a Heavy Beam Cannon MKIV, toning their firepower up by a thousand, then putting fifty of them on one planet, now I know what our forefathers had to do when getting us out of the stranglehold of extinction, it's total nightmare"

[jordot42]

How many men were on each light starship?

[Ranakastrasz]

How many men were on each light starship?

I belive the technical term is "lots"

[Entrenched Homperson]

AHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAH

I lol'd hard

[Frozen Critical]

Internet Connections are real Suck-fests, Every time i write up a new one the Connection decides "Oh, what's it? Completed the chapter? Well, Not anymore, loser"

Anyways :

Looking Over the Battle Plans, Colonel Genell Notices something wrong, Either somebody thought that Birds can't past someone without knocking them off their feet mid-air and that too applies to fighter planes, or something else, there were only Mark I Fighters that were sent in numbers, bombers and Frigates only get one half-filled transport, and they were shooting at things 1000 miles away and missing every shot, While betting a hundred dollars that the French Resistance in the 1944's could destroy their fleet during their coffee break, he goes off to command the Stardocks to get a whole lot of frigates up and tell the Science Lab to research Mark III Fighters

Meanwhile, at the Frontlines, the Human pilots managed to gain ground, Venguard persuaded Headquarters to send in mobile Constructors to get a breachhead up, multiple turrets were set up to ensure ground gained isn't ground lost, A New Transport drops in, Fleeting Frigates to assist the Fighters, things are still going into the downward spiral that is Morale Loss, as More AI ships hunker down to unleash the Energies of Nightmares, The Frigates managed to destroy one line of ships, allowing the Fighters to advance up widening the Breachhead, but they still have their backs to the Wormhole, well, maybe not for too long, Genell has got that covered with a buildup of Mark III's and Bombers

(Cookie for anyone to get the Ninja Gaiden Reference)

[keith.lamothe]

things are still going into the downward spiral that is Morale Loss

Missed the Ninja Gaiden reference, but that's a clear DF tie-in right there

"Dr. Strangelove, a Missile Silo, is throwing a tantrum!"

[Frozen Critical]

Heh, I actually didn't purpose to make that DF reference

Well, here's a not-so-nonviolent chapter while I figure out what to do with those overflowing starship constructors :

A homeworld critical meeting is called, all major figures and starship captains are required to attend, It was on about the conflict at Rapture, they could go all-out, or not

It wasn't a pleasant scene, pro-war and anti-war supporters duke it out on the stage with words, it was not uncommon to see talkers go on stage multiple times, Insults are rampant, some even yelled serious death threats at the other side, security is concerned, critical figures are there, even General of the army Zelas R. Vergas is present

When the General steps up, he supports the pro-war side, the anti-ers were enraged

It was not known who threw the first punch, but the command centre quickly degenerates into a massive brawling arena, people took sides and started beating the other guys on the other side

But things were about to get worst : chairs were soon flying through the air amongst other objects, things hit the roof when Field Marshall Frozen Critical sucker punches Vice General of the army Russis Marakrov, whom he called "some Communist hippie that managed to get his position via illegitimate means"

The fight soon ends when Frozen pulls of his move, the crowds worrying about Russis's condition, fortunately, Russis suffers no permanent damages, but it just shows how things can get violent at a simple punch

(actually happened, a bunch of friends and I argued about going all out or conserving the troops, and before I knew it, punches were thrown and I execute my first suckerpunch

Yes, I will make cameos in the story, tho there are two : dreadnaught capt'n Frozen and Field Marshall Frozen, confused? So am I)