The UNF Deploys; Relief for Intaki Militia Arrives with Chaotic Opening
Earlier this morning, the pair of Chimera class carriers belonging to the United Neopian Federation and Valkyrie’s Curse - the Wellspring Shard and Gray Wolf respectively - deployed from the Intaki V - Moon 5 - Astral Mining Inc. Refinery to sit in orbit of Intaki Prime, in preparation for the deployment of landing craft to make landfall. However, there are several self-propelled multiple rocket launchers and anti-aerospace missile batteries added to the Kainta Yavaat Transorbital Launch facility’s defense complement, around which the LDPS is most heavily concentrated.
The VC Gray Wolf on the left, and UNF Wellspring Shard on the right, undocking with the fleet to meet in orbit of Intaki V.
While the missile emplacements pose little threat to the carriers, they do pose a minor threat to the cruiser and frigate escorts, as well as a serious threat to the landing craft themselves. The range of the AA means landing has to take place far from the front lines, though the infantry and mechanised support will bolster existing ILF static defenses, and make round-the-clock security less of a nightmare.
Before dawn, the carriers had entered orbit of Intaki Prime, but despite planning, their location put them before the Kainta Yavaat Transorbital Launch Facility, moving opposite of the planetary rotation. This meant that several hours had to be spent relocating the carriers at impulse speeds to avoid deploying above Kainta Yavaat.
The UNF Wellspring Shard and VC Gray Wolf guided by two escort vessels, the remaining ships directed towards space to prevent interception during landing operations.
As dawn was breaking over the horizon, an unidentified Stratios was spotted passing over the carriers and escorts at a high velocity, nearly colliding with the Wellspring Shard, having uncloaked by proximity to the fleet formation. The vessel’s trajectory lead it to enter a shallow dive into Intaki Prime’s thermosphere, where it lit up the morning sky and alerted the LDPS below to its presence.
The LDPS tracked but did not engage the vessel as it was out of range. However, several containers were ejected from behind the Stratios, alongside a number of drones, which were launched shortly after, and followed closely behind the falling debris to mask their signatures.
The debris and drones would not be within range of the AA for a few minutes, during which the Stratios pulled out of the thermosphere and begun to circle a ten kilometer area above the Kainta Yavaat Transorbital Launch Facility, likely monitoring the situation. The UNF/VC fleet passed within thirty kilometers of the Stratios, and begun engaging, confirming the vessel was not a part of their formation.
An unidentified Stratios, bearing iconography similar to that of the Guristas, with a few differences noted, but the significance of which has yet to be determined.
During this time the AA was able to engage the falling debris, and attempt to eliminate the drones. It is unknown at this time how many drones survived, but it appears that the LDPS suffered a few losses from a handful or so of drones that came within weapons range, causing some chaos.
The Stratios and UNF/VC escorts were still engaging during the skirmish below, with the Wellspring Shard deploying infantry and vehicle transports, and the Gray Wolf following suit a few minutes after, which bypassed the orbital skirmish and passed along the edges of Kainta Yavaat’s AA range, preoccupied with the drones, with one or two of the attacking drones pulling off of the assault to intercept the landers.
The landers reach the outermost limits of the ILF defensive line, and the drones and Stratios above all break off, the drones flying further west and over the horizon where contact was lost, and the Stratios broke target lock long enough to cloak, after which it is presumed to have warped to a wormhole in the system, as it was not seen taking any gates.
It is reported that the drones did damage a few of the transports before they entered ILF airspace, and rumors are circulating that the Stratios belonged to the Guristas, as several markings consistent with the organisation were seen on the hull by the UNF/VC escort pilots.
Whatever the case, the ILF’s allies have taken advantage of the situation and landed their assets ahead of schedule. Further developments will be reported on in the next few days.
Ryan Daveth, planetside war correspondent, Intaki Prime.
