The TriStars: Uncommon Valour
Memphis is on the offensive, but the alien Tani have a secret weapon, a deadly ship-killer called the Terror!
Admiral Falcone was once considered the greatest Admiral in the Memphis Royal Navy. In the past year, though, he has been seceded in stature by the hero of the Battle of Memphis and the Battle of the Asteroids, Admiral Steven Olar. The martinet Falcone cannot stand to be second to anyone, especially the privileged son of a Duke, and is seeking any opportunity to engage the fleet of the enemy aliens of Tanis.
The rogue planet Tanis, which began this War of the TriStars, doesn’t have much of a fleet left. After two major defeats off Memphis and the colony of Alexandra, she is forced to rely on smaller frigates and gunships to support her Army. The Tani aren’t completely out of battleships, though, for new construction began before the war is creating a reborn fleet. The first is dubbed the Terror and the enemy wants to use the fearsome vessel to restore the initiative off Littoria before Memphis completes her own new battle fleet.
The invasion of Littoria is Memphis’ first offensive in the war. Marshal Buckingham, the Royal Army commander and his aggressive combat General Craven, are using Mark III gunships to blunt the Tani counterattack. The tide of war hinges on who is the victor on Littoria. Falcone has been criticized by Buckingham for not doing enough to support the land battle. The Admiral feels his two fast battle cruisers are better utilized searching for the rumored Tani raider battleship.
Upon commissioning the Terror is immediately sent to the war zone. She is of a new class of battleships now entering service, such as Admiral Olar’s Titan. Though slightly smaller than the Memphis dreadnaught, she possesses the same tough fortress shielding. Her armament is also less powerful, which includes blockbuster missiles and old style disrupter cannons. Terror is soon discovered entering Littorian space near a tiny planet called O’Rourke’s World, and Falcone eagerly deploys his fleet to intercept. Besides his 2 fast but thin-skinned battle cruisers, he is supported by 3 old battleships: Eagle, Sentinel, and Phoenix all built during the last war. This slow squadron is commanded by Commodore Mathers in Eagle, an old sailor saved from retirement by this new war with the Tani.
Ever the glory-hound, the Admiral refuses to wait for the slower ships and speeds toward the enemy. His own ships sufficiently outgun the Terror, but armor on his vessels is far weaker. Courageous, the flagship, opens fire first with all her 12 disrupters at point blank range. The destructive projectiles make contact in an awesome show, but with little effect. Memphis’ gunnery is excellent and Champion joins in the bombardment, while the seeming unhurt Terror launches a salvo of missiles.
Many of the rockets are intercepted by the starships’ defenses, but a handful explodes magnetically near the soft underbelly of the Courageous. Here are storage spaces for the giant cruiser’s own missiles and a catastrophic explosion ensues. A ball of fire mixed with molten metal flows throughout the proud ship. She is soon dead in space with the loss of her entire crew, including the brave but reckless Admiral Falcone.
There is little time for reaction as the enemy warcraft turns on Champion. This surviving battler cruiser is wounded as well, and doom seems inevitable. About this time Mathers arrives and his antique squadron joins in the fight. The captain of the Terror has little desire to take on 4 Memphis capital ships, and quickly withdraws into a nearby nebula on the outskirts of the system.
Despite his superiority in firepower, Mathers follows the enemy cautiously. In contrast to the careless and now deceased Falcone, the older man is a wary planner. Taking station around the spatial fog bank, the Memphen’s deploy to impede any breakout by the Tani raider. Mathers thinks the Terror is wounded which his why she retreated into the nebulae instead of heading for deep space. He imagines when temporary repairs are made; the Tani will make a dash for home.
To make things difficult for the enemy, the Memphen’s begin a slow and steady bombardment into the cloud bank. Though firing blind, there’s at least a chance for a lucky shot. Meanwhile the Commodore makes plans for when the Terror comes out.
The day after the loss of Falcone and Courageous, the raider battleship begins its run, while the Memphis squadron closes in to block her escape. Eagle pulls out ahead as is to engage the enemy in single combat. Terror is so intent on finding a gap between the encircling battleships she fails to grasp the situation until too late. Eagle closes in to point-blank range, fires her thrusters and crashes into the enemy dreadnought. The older vessel’s fuel and ammo erupts and engulfs the Terror. The two engines of destruction die together with the brilliancy of a small sun.
On board his new flagship Phoenix, Mathers breathes a sigh of relief. Eagle was guided by remote control, after it had been evacuated, to its final battle with the Tani. He is later criticized for this waste of a Royal Navy battleship, but exonerated by Admiral Olar for his ingenuity and quick thinking. This measure of respect from the Fleet Admiral will stand the Commodore in good stead for the long road ahead to Tanis and victory.
The Space Junction
Sci-Fi Art and Posters
The rogue planet Tanis, which began this War of the TriStars, doesn’t have much of a fleet left. After two major defeats off Memphis and the colony of Alexandra, she is forced to rely on smaller frigates and gunships to support her Army. The Tani aren’t completely out of battleships, though, for new construction began before the war is creating a reborn fleet. The first is dubbed the Terror and the enemy wants to use the fearsome vessel to restore the initiative off Littoria before Memphis completes her own new battle fleet.
The invasion of Littoria is Memphis’ first offensive in the war. Marshal Buckingham, the Royal Army commander and his aggressive combat General Craven, are using Mark III gunships to blunt the Tani counterattack. The tide of war hinges on who is the victor on Littoria. Falcone has been criticized by Buckingham for not doing enough to support the land battle. The Admiral feels his two fast battle cruisers are better utilized searching for the rumored Tani raider battleship.
Upon commissioning the Terror is immediately sent to the war zone. She is of a new class of battleships now entering service, such as Admiral Olar’s Titan. Though slightly smaller than the Memphis dreadnaught, she possesses the same tough fortress shielding. Her armament is also less powerful, which includes blockbuster missiles and old style disrupter cannons. Terror is soon discovered entering Littorian space near a tiny planet called O’Rourke’s World, and Falcone eagerly deploys his fleet to intercept. Besides his 2 fast but thin-skinned battle cruisers, he is supported by 3 old battleships: Eagle, Sentinel, and Phoenix all built during the last war. This slow squadron is commanded by Commodore Mathers in Eagle, an old sailor saved from retirement by this new war with the Tani.
Ever the glory-hound, the Admiral refuses to wait for the slower ships and speeds toward the enemy. His own ships sufficiently outgun the Terror, but armor on his vessels is far weaker. Courageous, the flagship, opens fire first with all her 12 disrupters at point blank range. The destructive projectiles make contact in an awesome show, but with little effect. Memphis’ gunnery is excellent and Champion joins in the bombardment, while the seeming unhurt Terror launches a salvo of missiles.
Many of the rockets are intercepted by the starships’ defenses, but a handful explodes magnetically near the soft underbelly of the Courageous. Here are storage spaces for the giant cruiser’s own missiles and a catastrophic explosion ensues. A ball of fire mixed with molten metal flows throughout the proud ship. She is soon dead in space with the loss of her entire crew, including the brave but reckless Admiral Falcone.
There is little time for reaction as the enemy warcraft turns on Champion. This surviving battler cruiser is wounded as well, and doom seems inevitable. About this time Mathers arrives and his antique squadron joins in the fight. The captain of the Terror has little desire to take on 4 Memphis capital ships, and quickly withdraws into a nearby nebula on the outskirts of the system.
Despite his superiority in firepower, Mathers follows the enemy cautiously. In contrast to the careless and now deceased Falcone, the older man is a wary planner. Taking station around the spatial fog bank, the Memphen’s deploy to impede any breakout by the Tani raider. Mathers thinks the Terror is wounded which his why she retreated into the nebulae instead of heading for deep space. He imagines when temporary repairs are made; the Tani will make a dash for home.
To make things difficult for the enemy, the Memphen’s begin a slow and steady bombardment into the cloud bank. Though firing blind, there’s at least a chance for a lucky shot. Meanwhile the Commodore makes plans for when the Terror comes out.
The day after the loss of Falcone and Courageous, the raider battleship begins its run, while the Memphis squadron closes in to block her escape. Eagle pulls out ahead as is to engage the enemy in single combat. Terror is so intent on finding a gap between the encircling battleships she fails to grasp the situation until too late. Eagle closes in to point-blank range, fires her thrusters and crashes into the enemy dreadnought. The older vessel’s fuel and ammo erupts and engulfs the Terror. The two engines of destruction die together with the brilliancy of a small sun.
On board his new flagship Phoenix, Mathers breathes a sigh of relief. Eagle was guided by remote control, after it had been evacuated, to its final battle with the Tani. He is later criticized for this waste of a Royal Navy battleship, but exonerated by Admiral Olar for his ingenuity and quick thinking. This measure of respect from the Fleet Admiral will stand the Commodore in good stead for the long road ahead to Tanis and victory.
The Space Junction
Sci-Fi Art and Posters
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