Hiigaran AAR (RetreatUE)

[Twigster]

Appreciated Hattori Hanzo!

[Twigster]

Between mid-July and early October 2229 the Shakturi 12th Fleet was engaged by some fifty ships of the Hiigaran Hegemony (34 ships of the Hiigaran's Guardian Fleet, and 18 ships of the conventional fleet). The battle took place (for the most part) in the area shown in this picture; this is the Hegemony's home system.

Very shortly after the Second Intergalactic War began the Hegemony Supreme Command (HSC) realized that the Shakturi held an enormous technological advantage over the Hegemony's forces. The Shakturi ships were so much faster than the Hegemony's fleets that 5 of the newer colonies had been destroyed before all of the Hiigaran ships arrived at the Homeworld. Analysis of the earliest engagements had convinced the HSC that the only manner of engagement with the Shakturi that made any sense whatsoever was one in which as much firepower was massed as possible. This gave rise to the strategy of focusing all available forces at the Homeworld- this was a desperate bid to survive as long as possible. Mere weeks before the battle in question, all of the Hegemony's fleets had arrived for refueling at the Capital space port.

In mid-July 2229 the Shakturi 12th Fleet jumped into the home system and began bombarding the newly-founded Continental colony. The defense base in orbit did not posses sufficient firepower to fend off the attackers, and the 43 million colonists were all killed before help arrived. However, with the arrival of the Home Fleet and Guardian Fleet, together with the fighters of the five near-by mining stations, fifty-two ships and 194 fighters began engaging the 18 Shakturi ships. The Ancient Guardian technology of Hyper-Deny prevented the Shakturi fleet from making an early escape, so the fight consequently was a long running battle as the Shakturi sought to flee. By the time it was over, the Shakturi had lost 4 light cruisers, 2 destroyers and 2 troop transports- the defenders had lost a light cruiser, a Guardian escort and a total of 92 fighters.

Analysts point out several sobering points: the Shakturi were outnumbered two to one by Guardian ships possessing equal technology, the colony was completely wiped out, no Shakturi ship larger than a light cruiser was present, and not all of the system's defending ships were able to fully participate in the fight (as the Shakturi ships' sub-light drives were far faster than those of the defending conventional ships). On the other hand, the results of the battle were encouraging and, more importantly, convinced the HSC on the strategy of vastly improved orbital defenses combined with local fleet defenses able to respond to in-system emergencies more quickly.

[Twigster]

The battle cruiser (BC) design developed following the Battle of the Brus Asteroids in the Khulum system. The additional firepower was made possible by the installation of the newly-developed Fusion Reactors and the Tachyon Beams. Notice the extremely curtailed range, as this design was intended for in-system defense only. Re-designs of light cruisers, destroyers and escorts are currently in development. As no colony defended by orbital facilities of small space port size or above has s yet been attacked by the Shakturi, HSC has ordered that all existing colonies be provided with the soon-to-be developed large space port (LSP-B).

[Twigster]

I suppose, given circumstances, that it had to happen- sooner or later... it happened sooner.

Within two and a half years of the Shakturi war beginning, my home colonies were exploding due to the proximity of Shakturi World Destroyers. I am going to play the same scenario again, just to see if I can get the Refugees to spawn farther away from my home system.

All told, this game was fun and I still am really liking the Mod.