  Result: Grand Fleet of the Chancellor annihilated | |
| Date: October 24, 2406 | Location: The Korolev Expanse |
| Nations/Groups Involved:
Imperial Reydovan Empire |
The Harbingers |
| Commanders: | Marshal Ethan Neill |
| Space Forces:
Grand Fleet of the Chancellor: Mothership Reydovan's Fist, two Constructor-class mobile shipyards, 25 Arakon-class frigates (all variations), one Sulaco-class carrier, seven Amistad-class destroyers, three Stryker-class battlecruisers, 20 squadrons of Orohaven-class fighters, 13 squadrons of Interdictor-class bombers |
The Fleet of the Harbingers: Mothership Harbinger of Vengeance, one Constructor-class mobile shipyard, two Sulaco-class carriers, 28 Arakon-class frigates (all variations), five Amistad-class destroyers, three Stryker-class battlecruisers, 15 squadrons of Orohaven-class fighters, ten squadrons of Interdictor-class fighters |
| Losses:
All vessels lost |
22 frigates, 6 squadrons of fighters, 8 squadrons of bombers |
The Battle of the Korolev Expanse was a space battle between the Grand Fleet of Chancellor Jeremiah Neill and the Harbingers led by his brother, renegade Marshal Ethan Neill. Numerically and tactically, thanks to his specialized use of fighters, the battle was almost entirely in Ethan's favor - and as a result, the Grand Fleet was completely annihilated within the span of forty-five minutes.
Head-on to Battle[]
In search of greater glory, Chancellor Jeremiah Neill rallied his Grand Fleet of the Chancellor - 30 of the best ships in the Empire, with several squadrons of fighters - and set a course for Earth, in an attempt to give aid to the Federation in its current crisis state. Without consulting the Emperor or his commanders, Neill immediately set out across the Empire and intended to cross the Korolev Expanse. With the second Mothership - known as the Reydovan's Fist - under his command, the Chancellor ordered his ships to go to impulse in order to cross through the Imperial Gate before moving on to the Federation...and that's where it all went to Hell, as the few survivors put it.
The Harbinger of Vengeance on the other side of the Korolev Expanse from the Reydovan's Fist.
Ethan Neill, on his way to his home base near the ruins of Defileron, sent the scout carrier Cardinal Richelieu ahead through the Imperial Gate to ascertain what Imperial forces he would encounter. When the Richelieu, and her sister ship Cardinal Mazarin, reported the Grand Fleet preparing to cross, Ethan sent the carriers, with an escort of frigates and a destroyer, to conduct a feint against the forward position of the Imperial fleet as it crossed the Expanse. His strength rested heavily on the carriers and the fighters and bombers they carried - and they proved to be the deciding element of the entire battle, most of all at the beginning, as it held the larger portions of the Imperial force at bay long enough for the Harbinger capital ships to assemble for their sneak attack.
The Imperial destroyer Shadowgarde, leading the forward elements of the Grand Fleet, was surrounded by the Harbingers' bombers. In an unrelenting assault that lasted a total of three minutes, the bombers completely destroyed the Shadowgarde and the frigates escorting her.
The carrier Cardinal Richelieu scouts ahead.
The Battle Is Joined[]
Both Neills, realizing that they would be facing his brother, immediately went to work in bringing their fleets into combat against one another. The Imperials, married to the idea of the "big gun", did not launch any of their fighters, believing them to be wasteful - even though they had numbers in fighters superior to the Harbingers. That was Ethan's strongest point - the dependence on capital ships in the past had led to bloody losses, but with fighter and bomber support, they would inflict far more damage against the enemy - and maintain their fleet numbers.
With the fighters engaging the forward element, Ethan decided to hit Jeremiah's fleet from behind. Instructing the Heart of the Harbinger (the psionic-cybernetic interface), Michael Davenport, to prep the fleet for a short-range fold jump, Ethan waited until the resistance became heavy against the carriers before exploiting the weakened rear of the Imperial fleet. Twenty minutes into the battle, the Richelieu reported that the resistance was growing too heavy. That was Ethan's opportunity - the order was given, and the remainder of the Harbingers' fleet made their short jump across the Korolev Expanse and took the Grand Fleet from behind.
The Harbinger's bombers ambush the Imperial destroyer Shadowgarde.
Completely taken off-guard, the Imperials lost their fighter-carrying capabilities quickly without even launching a single fighter against the Harbingers. Their single carrier was destroyed by a lucky shot from the fleet command ship, the battlecruiser Azurewrath, whose twin heavy phaser cannons blasted right through the hangar, incinerating the unlaunched craft, and destroyed the engineering compartment, shearing the carrier in half. The shattered bow portion spun end over end until it crashed into another Imperial destroyer. The destroyer's core breach incinerated the remnant of the carrier, as well as the destroyer itself.
The Harbinger's bombers move away from an exploding Imperial destroyer.
Attempt to Retreat[]
Towards the battle's end, onboard the Reydovan's Fist, Jeremiah Neill realized that he was beaten - outmanuevered, outgunned, and now outnumbered, the Chancellor's chances were very slim. He was reduced to two severely damaged battlecruisers, the two Constructor-class mobile shipyards, and his command ship itself. Seeing that they were gunning for him, Neill ordered the fleet to pull back. But it was far too late.
The Imperial battlecruiser San Onofre taking fire from the three Harbinger battlecruisers, flanking the Harbinger itself.
The two battlecruisers, under the strain of the damage, exploded one after the other, their cores overloading and finally exploding from the pressure. Now the Harbingers focused on the jewels of the Imperial fleet - the Constructor-class shipyards. Manipulating the information in his possession, Ethan knew that the gigantic replicators on the starboard side of the shipyards were the weakest-shielded portion of the entire ship...so he ordered his fleet to direct fire against it. The Harbinger itself unleashed the final burst of fire against the second shipyard, causing its reactor to go critical - and eventually explode. At this point, the battle was over - only one ship standing against the superior numbers of the Harbingers. It was then that the end was decided...
The Harbinger opens fire on one of the Constructor-class shipyards in the Grand Fleet, destroying it.
The Endgame[]
Victorious, Ethan opened a hailing frequency and begged his brother to surrender, in order to spare his men from being destroyed. Ethan, despite the hatred he held against Jeremiah, did not wish to be the instrument of his death. But the Chancellor sneered at his brother and refused to surrender. The brothers sparred verbally for some time before Jeremiah cut the channel. Refusing to be shamed by surrendering to Ethan, Jeremiah ordered the battered Imperial Mothership to accelerate to full speed - on a collision course with the Harbinger. Realizing that the Chancellor's mind was made up, Ethan sorrowfully gave the order to open fire.
After Chancellor Neill is safely away, the Harbinger opens fire on the Reydovan's Fist, the severe damage causing its reactor to go critical.
The command crew of the Reydovan's Fist, realizing that the Chancellor had clearly lost his mind, mutinied against Neill. Taking the sword from the Chancellor's belt, the science officer clouted Neill in the head with the hilt of the sword, rendering him unconscious. Rallying in the interface chamber - which could be ejected as a lifepod for the command crew - the "sleeping" Chancellor and the command crew sealed it up and blasted away from the ship, just as the Harbingers destroyed the Imperial command ship.
Epilogue[]
The pod from the Reydovan's Fist reached the naval base on Korolev Prime, where the survivors were immediately taken to Reydovan Prime for debriefing with the Emperor, Kieran Devaneaux II. The Emperor was disturbed and outraged at Neill's actions, moving without authorization - and he was particularly incensed at the fact that the entire Grand Fleet, which was being proposed as the Imperial aid mission to send to Earth (being the only operational fleet left in the Empire, the remainder being refitted, repaired or built), had been completely wiped out. Joined by Joshua Underwood, who had been called to Reydovan Prime to advice the aid required for the Federation, the Emperor confronted Neill at Whitesoul Spire, where the Emperor accused him of being a gloryhound, and potentially seeking the throne himself. As a result, Kieran II charged him with high treason. Hysterical, Neill tried to explain he had no designs on the Imperial throne - though actually he did, but he was trying to save himself from being tried and executed by the kangaroo court of the Inquisitorate. Disgusted but unhesitant, Underwood recommended that Neill be spared, but that the Emperor strip him of his rank and titles - which he did.
At Underwood's suggestion, Emperor Kieran II has named August von Spee, Governor-General of Reydovan Prime and leader of the nonviolent Black Rose movement, as the new Chancellor, and Ethan Neill as the new Count of Easthaven and head of the House of Neill.