First Strike

Tyler sighed as the Phoenix rapidly approached it's exit point of the slipspace. He was supposed to drop off supplies to the new Chinese colonized world of Heming. However his contractors had told him there had been looters attacking the planet, so he might get shot. It wasn't much of a problem, but just to be safe he had sent the Phoenix ahead, and had his fleet make a jump to his position if necessary.

The computer beeped too tell him they were coming out of slipspace, and prepared himself for what might be, an unneeded storm.

The Defense of Henming
The captain of the cruiser Zhongtian was just receiving a report when he was alerted by a radar crew detecting a capital ship exiting slip-space.

"Alert Henming Command," he ordered. "Be prepared for anything."

The Zhongtian aimed its starboard cannons at the incoming vessel as the ship's communication crew attempted to hail it. MAC gun platforms were electronically directed to aim their guns at the ship, being unmanned stations. With the defensive measures prepared, all the captain could do now was wait.

Coming out of slipspace, the Phoenix was a magnificent sight, being one of the largest human made starships in existence. Tyler stared from the bridge of his ship at the armada that lay in his path. Sighing, he opened a communication link and said, "This is the Phoenix, inbound with supplies from the Chinese Space Embassy."

"This is the captain of the Zhongtian. Please stand by for boarding or be turned back," the reply was.

Sure enough, several K-Taikongs shimmered as their stealth systems were deactivated. Carrying heavy assault rifles, the special units hovered near one of the Phoenix's airlocks, waiting for admittance.

"Unfortunetely, my orders are to simply land planet-side and deliver them, so either clear a path for me, or I'll turn back and you can forget about your supplies," said Tyler, not wanting to be put at a disadvantage by being boarded.

"Because of recent pirate and smuggling activity, incoming vessels are required to be checked for illegal goods. It is nothing personal," the captain answered.

"Yeah well, guess I'm going to have to turn around and leave with your goods, because I'm not being boarded; I was not told by my employers to let you in, and really I'm not that desperate for cash..." Then the Phoenix began to turn around, along with Henming's precious supplies.

As the Phoenix turned to leave, the captain received an urgent report. Armed pirates and smugglers were attempting to run by his sector. The Henmingese quickly ordered a squadron of Huonian fighters to be scrambled to intercept them.

A communications officer inquired about the departing Phoenix, but his question was dismissed as not important. The MAC platforms were to monitor the ship until it left the planet.

The Phoenix however, then began to change direction, sending it on a direct path to the pirates. Tyler, from the bridge, had used the Phoenix's highly advanced sensors to tell that it was not so much a small flotilla of pirates, as a giant fleet.

It did, however, give the initial appearance of a flotilla, and the Huonian fighters were quick to enact regular procedures to deal with them. When the fleet exited slipspace, the squadron was overwhelmed and forced to retreat. Type-4 battleships were called in for assistance, though they had to travel some ways to make it to the site of the pirate fleet. The frigates and destroyers that were in the area proceeded to engage the pirates, despite being heavily pressed, and the MAC platforms in the sector opened fire when they had the chance.

The Phoenix stopped right in front of the fleet of pirates, as if to address the giant fleet that lay before it. Tyler sighed, and quietly pressed a button that sent out an encrypted code towards a far-away planet. Very few people would be able to understand the code, but those who did would respond immediately.

The Henming Defense Fleet was able to detect the code being beamed to some planet outside the system, though they were not able to decrypt the code. They did not fire upon the Phoenix, though weary of its role in the deteriorating situation. The pirate ships merely passed by the great battleship, speeding to engage the numerically inferior Henming fleet.

Tyler simply waited, and opened up a channel transmitting static in a coded sequence only certain beings would understand. He deciphered the replies and then began to turn the Phoenix around to point at the pirates and the Henming forces, charging cannons while in motion.

The warming of the weapons systems on the Phoenix were detected by the Henming Defense Fleet, but there was little they could do about it. Tangled in a chaotic fight, with reinforcements on the way, the defending ships fought the space pirates with what vigor they could muster.

The Phoenix's lasers flew, hitting and destroying one of the Armada's cruisers. Tyler watched as the armada began to target the largest threat to their safety. It wouldn't help them, as suddenly a giant circular hole in slipspace opened up, releasing a giant fleet of cruisers and fighters into the fray.