"Well, I captured Vani and the Decoy Drone Fab. I discovered that decoy drones are very useful indeed. They drain a lot of juice but they attract the enemies fire like nothing else.
I had decided to invest research in more defensive tech, as I felt that too many of my mobile forces were tied up defending wormholes.
I unlocked spider turrets and MK II turrets and began to position them. Meanwhile I began to group the forces thus freed up, in the Onnoco system as a preparation to raiding Thobo - A Class III that had been reinforcing for too long. I got some intel about a Cross Planet Attack of over a thousand ships massing. Having so many scouts about enabled me to watch the enemy's movements and I concluded that the main thrust of the CPA would be through Onnoco.
I was wrong.
While my attention was diverted to making sure that I didn't loose the Decoy Fab in the same way in which I lost the Advanced Lab, the AI forces rushed into Oripum. Over a thousand of them.
Desperately I tried to organise the defenses, but they were never going to do more than slow the AI down - I now had a thousand enemy ships just one hop from my home base. I ordered every ship that I had been massing for the raid in Onnoco to the defense of my base in Ginwig. Now every second was critical.
A good job I acted so decisively.
No sooner had my forces arrived than the AI was pouring through the wormhole.
Nearly 900 had made it through, the majority of them heading straight for my HQ.
Luckily my forces managed to intercept, but they outnumbered me heavily. Thank the stars for my MK II tractors and other turrets, not to mention the 15 spider turrets. All helping.
The decoy drone I had flown to HQ for inspection was a life-saver. It soaked up a million units of damage while my forces positioned themselves to defend. I noticed that, as usual during big battles there was a Regen Astro Train passing through.
Meanwhile the newly researched Riot Control Starship with it's full complement of state-of-the-art engine damaging weoponry slowed the AI further. The fight began to look a little more even. But I just didn't have the numbers to stop some bombers from getting within range of Command HQ.
The pictures speak for themselves. I admit that I thought it was all over. I think that if just a half a dozen more bombers had made it within range then me, this installation, and all the Earth DNA that is buried in the caverns below would now be dust.
I intend to re-take Oripum and beef up my defenses so this sort of close-call does not happen again.
One thing troubles me - despite all my scouting I have still no idea where to hit the AI. I have been betting on it having some important weakness somewhere. I must find it soon.
