Rebirth: Over the Horizon

Caliburn Battlegroup, Near Crown station, Zadaria System

The Imperial Grand Fleet is no less impressive the second time he lays his eyes upon it.

Adam knows that the enemy is not invulnerable. His last clash with the enemy force had proven that.

However, this time is different from the last engagement with the Imperial Grand Fleet.

This time, Adam and his allies go into battle with the hope of something other than a desperate defence in mind.

This time, they have a chance at victory.

This time, the defending group has nearly 80 fleets.

The Western Imperial forces arrayed in front of Crown Station is nowhere near as well-ordered or uniform as the Imperial battle squadrons facing it.

But the converted freighters converted starliners, and a handful of purpose-built warships mount heavy particle cannons.

Missile tubes are just as deadly as the ones carried by their enemy force.

Better yet, for this fight, his allies almost have 70% in comparison to the enemy.

The temporary HQ's Defense Committee has put every battlegroup, every patrol squadron, and every armed vessel into this battle.

With a crucial strategic objective like Crown Station and the approaches to the rebellion's core systems at stake, High Command has thrown together every battle-ready asset they could.

This is the best shot at victory they are ever going to get.

'Today is going to be a good day for bloodshed.'

Adam thought as his eyes burned with fire. 

He keeps one eye on the tactical display as the carriers of the advancing Imperial fleet begin to disgorge their payloads of combat armatures.

Within moments, they form into lances in front of their base ships.

The impies have learned their lesson from the last time. 

Today, the enemy mecha do not rush ahead. They also maintained their screening formation in front of the wall of defence.

This time, the Eastern Imperial ships and combat armatures will be able to protect each other with mutual fire. 

To hit the warships, Adam and his allies would have to fight through the enemy machines while braving the point-defence fire of the enemy fleet's guns.

He can imagine that the bloody nose his lance had inflicted on the enemy's fleet the last time might have had something to do with that.

The Imperial mecha begin arranging themselves in a curious formation. 

Some of the enemy machines stay close to the ships of their fleet's wall of battle while others take position further out. 

It doesn't take much time at all for him to discern the enemy's intentions. 

Conventional military doctrine demands that combat armatures assume the tightest formations possible for the attack to help concentrate firepower as they did at the last battle. 

For defence, however, commanders are supposed to spread out their mecha along all three dimensions.

To provide "depth" so that an attacker isn't so much attacking one line of defences as they are being enveloped by a cloud of enemies.

Despite the enemy's superior numbers and the better quality of their fleets, they've opted to keep on the defensive formation. 

As if to keep themselves from being entangled with his own fleet's wall of battle. 

'What could the Imperials be plotting?'

Before the enemy can engage Adam and his allies, Adam orders a quick pre-combat check on his unit-wide communication channel.

"Comet-Two here," Nicole reports. "Waiting for your call, boss."

"Comet-Four, ready for action."

"What? Oh! Yeah! Comet-Five, ready!"

"Comet-Three, I am doing great over here!"

"Comet-Six, I await for your command."

With every member of his lance reporting combat readiness, Adam turns towards his own status displays. 

Taking an especially careful look at the newly installed module on the Lionheart's control deck.

So far, it seems like the particle storm cannon is working just as advertised. 

All status lights read green, though Adam has no idea if they'll stay that way once he actually fires the damn thing.

By now, the advancing enemy machines have assumed their formation, their warships right behind them.

The forward lances of the Imperial force begin advancing at a faster pace, easily flying ahead of the vast majority of their forces. 

Perhaps a dozen of them are heading for his lance's position.

Valliers, the bravest of the enemy pilots, are spurred forward by a thirst for glory, or as the opening move to a grand strategic plan.

"Snipe at them from afar while keeping the distance." 

He gave out the order and comet Lance quickly moves into position around Adam, readying their particle rifles and autocannons as the first of the swift enemy machines comes into range.

Without a single break or hesitation, Adam picks up a target, levels the weapon, and pulls the trigger.

The particle storm rifle lives up to its name. 

A hail of blue fire lashes out from the massive weapon, tearing into the enemy formation in a deadly stream of exotic particles.

The fragile enemy machines stand no chance—his first long burst rips through three of the lightly armoured Valliers. 

Before they even figure out what's going on, leaving nothing but scraps of debris and clouds of superheated metal behind.

The remaining units press onwards. 

Though Adam cannot fault their bravery, he is becoming less sure about their intelligence—and their sanity. 

All along the battle line, other allie machines are opening fire on the rest of the enemy vanguard.

Tracers and charged particles light up the black of space with orange and blue fire.

Adam fires off another burst from his terrible weapon. 

Another two enemy machines explode into fragments under the formidable force of the sheer volume of fire.

The enemy machines stop their suicidal advance as self-preservation overrides courage. 

The remaining enemy mecha beat a hasty retreat before they even come close.

All along the front line, the enemy units disengage and return to the main bulk of their force. 

As the decimated forces of the Imperial fleet's first wave fall back, the main body of the enemy fleet moves up slowly to meet them.

Behind Adam, the fleets of the Western Imperial battle line advance slowly as well.

Adam's been in enough fleet battles to know what will happen. 

The two walls of massive fleets will meet head-on, exchanging volleys of missiles and high-powered particle weapons.

In the meantime, Adam and his fellow pilots will jockey and manoeuvre for advantage. 

A game of thrust and parry played with hundreds of massive fleet machines. 

Each side will attempt to break through the others' defensive screen and likewise, each side will try to protect their own fleet from their counterparts.

Sometimes, the battles end inconclusively, when both sides consider the risks of remaining on the field to be too high and withdraw.

Today, both sides are set on fighting this battle to a decisive conclusion. 

One side will leave this battle victorious, the other will limp away defeated, or be utterly d

estroyed.

~~~~

I took 10 days to complete this chapter and lay the base for the future story.

If anything is wrong pls do mention.

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