Meerclaw at Zimdars

 Campaign losses have resulted in my being promoted; I am now Leader of the Second Flight of three assigned to the CVL Light Carrier Tempest. CVL is something of a misnomer in this case; it is a Light Carrier because it only carries nine fighters, but it also has the firepower of a Battlecruiser. Sr'esint is Squadron Leader.

We wait our turn in the fleet reserves as the Lyrans attack the planet of Zimdars, the last bastion between them and our home systems. The initial Lyran attack almost breaks through to the planet itself, but is only just beaten back. Attrition mounts as our pilots are fed into the defence in waves, until eventually, for the fourth engagement, the Tempest is assigned to the main line. We deploy together with a Fast Battlecruiser and the flagship, a fully-kitted Battle Tug, and set up well off to the port side of our defensive line. The Lyrans opposite us comprise a War Cruiser Squadron; the rest of their fleet is heading straight towards Zimdars. We are going to be very hard pressed to hold them this time.

The battle does not go well for us, with our main CVS Strike Carrier Group tangling with the ESGs and other weapons of the enemy command element; the carrier is crippled, while all of her fighters and both Escort Light Cruisers are destroyed. The last thing I remember is ejecting from my fighter when the War Cruisers turn their Disruptors and Phasers on our squadron.

I am picked up afterwards by a hospital ship when my escape pod reaches the fleet's pre-set rendezvous point. While recovering in sick bay, I learn that the Lyrans have now taken Zimdars and directly threaten Kzintai; I do not yet know how our forces are faring on the Klingon Front. We can only hope that we have inflicted enough damage to the Coalition fleets that when they attack our homeworld and other main planets they find the positional defences there too strong. The good piece of news is personal - like me, Sr'esint still survives, so we will still be working together on the Tempest.

It is at this point that we hear of the damage the Hydrans are inflicting in their part of the war. Apparently they have destroyed a Lyran Battle Tug and a Klingon C8 Dreadnought - very impressive! The rumour-mill has it that instead of refitting their ships like everyone else, they have instead uprated their Stinger fighters - and they were already the best in known space. This gives us hope; the enemy is not invincible.