Infinity War: Battle of Luyten 726

By: TheVirtu

The year is now 2299, The United Terran Galactic Organization has been in open war with the mysterious alien empire of the K’luth for over 35 years, and yet it continues. Many pilots have fought and died over these years, sacrificing themselves for the better of the imperial empire. But all is not well, what if the K’luth are hiding their power? Who will begin losing ground? Which empire will fall first? This is the story of the UGTO and their continuing war with the K’luth empire.

Chapter One: Decisions and Preparations

Battle for Luyten 726 – September 25th, 2279

"This is the UGTO missile cruiser, Nailan, we have taken heavy beam fire and reques…."

"Good god, the Nailan has been destroyed!"

The fight for Luyten began with these two communications sent from the Nailan and a UGTO Command officer. The K’luth began moving in on the system early in the morning, even in space for many of these brave warships’ crew and fighter pilots there was no morning or night, to them it was all the same thing. The nearby defense installation was quickly destroyed by K’luth Dreadnoughts and stations, early counter-strikes from UGTO fighters and destroyers proved futile against the battlegroup that had infiltrated Luyten.

Mycopia

Bridge of the UGTO Station, Dion

The whirling of alarms can be heard on every deck of the station as officers raced to their appropriate battle positions. Outside of the ship the humming of the station’s massive engines became louder as the station began shifting its position…

"Admiral Douglas, we await your order to move the fleet into position"

He began tapping the armhold of the chair, thinking to himself with great intensity. He thought of the pilots that served under him…he thought of the lives that would be lost if he gave the order to engage the K’luth fleet…and the lives that would be lost if he didn’t make this decision…he also thought of his dear wife who died on a refugee transport in a K’luth attack…many years ago.

"Prepare the fleet for the jump commander…"

"Aye sir"

The fighter bay of countless Dreadnoughts and stations filled with pilots on the decks wishing each other good luck, sure that a few of them might die, but they will die fighting for the good of the empire, they they were willing to take that risk. Specifically…two brothers served aboard the Dion as special operations fighter pilots, they were to be Epsilon Leader and Epsilon 2, they would be the fourth squadron deployed from the Dion when the engagement with the K’luth began.

" Good luck buddy" The brother said to the other and they exchanged salutes as they boarded into their fighters.

Epsilion Leader boarded into his fighter and placed his hands into the identification tray and the fighter began to hum with life, and then an image of Admiral Douglas appeared on the viewscreen…

|Speech to the 4th Fleet, Luyten by Admiral Michael Douglas|

"Good day my respected pilots and crew of the 4th fleet, today is a great and tragic day for the UGTO, tragic for the loss of the Nilan and the nearby defense installation, BUT IT IS GREAT BECAUSE WE WILL FIGHT BACK AND ACHIEVE ONLY VICTORY!"

*Echoed cheering of UGTO pilots and crew aboard the warships chanting Praise be UGTO! *

"As this war continues, the only deathtoll that should rise IS THE DEATHTOLL OF THE LOBSTERS! Praise be UGTO, Admiral Douglas out."

|End Speech|

"Order the fleet to engage subspace drives!"

The booming of Tachyon jump drives sounded the beginning of the UGTO counter-attack. This consisted of the UGTO station, Dion, five Battle Dreadnoughts, the Rouga, the Windsor, the Iotri, the Vincent, and the Mecross; nine cruisers, Igori, Quistius, Carnis, Distkorius, Lacinent, Tasim, Balmorri, Dakorim, and Prismient; over a dozen destroyers and countless fighters.

And they entered the field of engagement…

Chapter 2: War is Hell…

The massive blue flickering subspace portal opened at the debris of the installation that had just been destroyed. Fighters swarmed out from the fighter bays of the warships and began flying around the debris.

"Look at all this debris, something big must have attacked the installation." One of the pilots said.

"Yeah, it was probably one of those K’luth Hive station things, who knows what attacked this thing, we’re just low ranking pilots, we get told things on a "need-to-know" basis."

"You get that bullcrap too? I hear it all the time…hey…have you ever actually seen a Hive before…like up close?"

"Yes…" The pilot sighed, "We were fighting in Epsilon Ind once near the Luyten jump gate and we detected a flicking IFF signature that we couldn’t confirm…he flew over to get an ID on the signature…the hive uncloaked as it went into its weapons range…before he found out what it was…he was gone…"

"Oh…I’m sorry man…"

"Its all right…that was a long time ago"

"Stop the chatter and find those K’luth warships damnit,"The captain of the Windsor said over the comm.

Icarius Nebula (Luyten)

160400gu from the 4th Fleet

"Can one of you flyboys tell me why the hell we’re out in the middle of this nebula?"

"Because Command gave us orders to search for the K’luth battlegroup, Gamma 3"

"Oh yeah, leave us nowhere near the fleet to search for an enemy we can’t see"

"Turn your ECCM on then genius, that’s what we have them for"

"Still, if we find the K’luth…some of us are going back in body bags"

The fighter wing of four fighters continued flying through the thick, pinkish nebulae…not seeing more than 500gu in front of them…their only light the Luyten star cutting through the gas cloud. They were the only UGTO forces in a 50000gu radius…they were alone…or were they?

"’So…when do we go…"

"Cut the chatter! Sensors indicate an object 1800gu away, cannot determine weapons configuration"

"Oh damn…here we go…I guess we go check it out?"

The fighters faint light from their propulsion drives disappeared as they continued toward the object. 1000gu…900…. 800…700…they neared it and began to see it…it wasn’t a warship…it was debris.

"Gamma 2, scan the debris for ship type confirmation."

He scanned the debris for ship type and shivered.

"Oh my god…it’s a civilian transport…"Gamma 2 said.

"Look at the beam scorches on the debris…something really bombarded this thing"

"Okay guys…Gamma 4 contact command about the incident"

"Roger…. UGTO Command this is Gamma Wing, 73rd Silver Swords, UGD Platina…"

"*comm. static*"

"I repeat, UGTO Command, this is Gamma Wing, 73rd Silver Swords, UGD Platina, come in."

"Okay…this is too creepy for me…lets jump back to the fleet"

"Agreed comrade…lets get the hell outta here"

The fighters activated their subspace drives…and nothing happened…

"Something’s wrong with my jump drives…are you guys getting the same?"

"Yes….oh shit…does that mean?"

"LET’S GET OUT OF HERE!"

They began running with their drives at full speed through the nebulae…not knowing where the enemy they thought was there was… Little did they know was that they were flying right into their enemy…

"Incoming fighters!"

"Oh my god…EVASUIVE MANUVERS!"

The K’luth fighters launched their ordnance at the fighters…Gamma wing never had a chance…they were vaporized and became part of the nearby debris…

Then through the darkness of space, the bright red light of warships flew by the floating debris…

Chapter 3 – Advance to Nothing…

UGTO Station, Dion

Near Epsilon Ind. Jumpnode

Time - 17:03

"Admiral Douglas, fighter wings have failed to locate any sign of K’luth warships or fighter squadrons."

"Order the fleet to begin advancing on the Epsilon Ind. Jumpnode, no K’luth shall enter or leave Luyten!"

"As you wish Admiral."

The detachment of the 4th Fleet assumed formation and began advancing on the jump gate.

"Admiral, the advance force has detected a series of heavy emplacements surrounding the gate, they request fire support."

"Order the missile ships to acquire lock on the enemy platforms and fire at their disgression"

Since the massacre of the UGTO in the Battle of Epsilon Eri in 2274, scientists have been dedicated to Project Tsunami. Project Tsunami was the codename for the research of new long-range weapon systems to avoid close range combat with the K’luth fleets. These yielded long and medium range weapons like the Hellbringer Torpedo, the Antioch Anti-Cruiser Missile, and the Vindication 332 Missile.

The reasons that sparked the creation of this project were simple, it became true knowledge that it is suicide to engage these…aliens at close range, but engage them from long range and decimate their warships before they can even fire a volley. Since this occurrence, the only ships that would ever engage a K’luth from less than 400gu were fighters and Flux-Equipped warships.

Missile Destroyer Ixton

Command Bridge

"Begin core insertion, release the safeties on all missile batteries and prepare to fire on the platforms."

The antimatter core of the missile began to light the inside of the warhead as the safety features of the warhead deactivated. Alarms rang inside the weapons control room as the missiles were locking into their launch bay.

"Acquire lock on the platorms!"

"Lock acquired…core energy nominal…firing in 5…4…3…2…1…weapons stable…opening fire"

The launch bays of the missile destroyer opened up as a half dozen of Fusion Cruise Missiles. The other several missile warships launched their payload at the emplacements. The missiles cruised several kilometers to the platforms and the antimatter core detonated, vaporizing the objective.

"Oh yeah! Platform Objective eliminated Command!"

"Dion to all warships, begin advancing on the jump node, velocity preset Delta, Epsilon, Kappa.

And as the fleet marched upon the node…the K’luth weren’t where they thought they would be…and it may cost them dearly…

Chapter 4: Prelude to Impending Hell

Epsilon Ind. Jump Node

Time - 18:20

"This is Alpha wing, we have arrived at the provided coordinates, scanners show no K’luth hull signatures in the area."

"Continue patrolling Alpha wing, the fleet will be arriving momentary."

"Roger that."

Soon after the massive bright blue subspace node opened and out came the fleet at the jump node. The Dion followed behind, jumping in slightly after the fleet did. They all assumed defense positions around the node.

Station Dion

Command Bridge

"Admiral sir, we do not detect any K’luth in the area, but there is something I want you to look at."

"What is it Trag?"

The admiral’s assistant pressed a small bluish-purple button on a control panel and a holographic image appeared in front of the Admiral.

"What is this?"

"About an hour ago we lost contact with one of our squadron’s wings. Gamma wing was sent to patrol this part of the Icarius nebula because of a recent disappearance of a transport about a day ago. We also assume Gamma wing has been lost."

"And this means?"

"Well Admiral…we think the K’luth have circumvented our defenses and entered the nebulae to prepare for an assault on something…we do not know what yet…whether it be us or something else."

"Deploy our fighter squadrons immediately for patrols, put our planet defenses on high alert."

Icarus Nebula

And the fleet was on the move again, making siluhetts in the sun’s light, the slight humming of their warships in unison making an ethereal sound. In the far distance there was a glowing dot in the sky…it was Zoca. The UGTO defense…had failed them.

Four Hours Later…

Chapter 5 – Damnation of the Fleets

And the advance of the great K’luth fleets continued toward the planet of Zoca. Surely the planet would be lost to the K’luth, and to make worse…they didn’t even know what was coming toward their planet. The humans had already had their fates determined…damnation by the K’luth was for certain. The sunlight off Luyten 726 may be shining its last light upon UGTO controlled planets and population, this damnation would cleanse the planets of human blood and bone and vaporize any human ship into dust.

And now the fleet neared Zoca and the UGTO will soon feel the fear from the fury of the almighty K’luth race. By daybreak in the Northern Hemisphere…the planet will no longer be populated by terrans…

Zoca High Orbit

Aboard the Defense Frigate Juliai

For a long period of time activity on this small 200 meter long frigate was non-existent, the quietness in the Zoca area was amazing as the massive 4th Fleet sat at the jump gate, only an hour away by subspace, looking for the K’luth. And the great fleets of the K’luth played their hand…and it had begun.

Alarms began to sound, as the frigate’s crew of two hundred became alert of what was happening. Screen panels throughout the ship suddenly showed an image of the captain.

"Attention all crew members of the Juliai, battlestations, K’luth scouts spotted 3000 clicks from our current position starboard."

4th Fleet

Epsilon Ind. Jump Gate

Station Dion Bridge

"Admiral, we have received a priority one message from the Juliai."

"Yes? What is it?"

"Transmission is as follows…" he began, "K’luth scouts spotted near Zoca flying in formation, they appear to be waiting for something, request immediate assistance!"

"Commander, order a detachment of the fleet to get to Zoca ASAP, get on it soldier," Admiral Douglas commanded.

Several ships began to shift their heading and prepared to enter subspace. The swirling vortex of subspace began to open…and suddenly shut.

"What the hell? We can’t jump out"

"Do a diagnostic on your jump drives pilots."

"Jump drives are 100%…something is wrong Command!"

And there was…as the pilot said these words, the fleets came…they appeared when they least expected it and now the UGTO would pay their debts in their own blood.

"Good god! The K’luth fleet just entered the engagement area, ENGAGE AND DESTROY!"

"Crew and pilots rushed to their stations in a mad panic as the battle began the K’luth outnumbered the 4th fleet threefold."

Beam and missile fire began being exchanged between the fleets. Fighters engaged in all-out dogfights right in front of the warships, some getting vaporized by AA fire from both sides. The battle was bloody and both sides had heavy losses…that was until the full K’luth fleet engaged the 4th Fleet.

"RETREAT! We cannot hold the K’luth!"

"We can’t jump out! The K’luth piercers have us!"

Station Dion

"We’ve taken critical hull damage…we’re about to go down!"

The bridge was on fire and sparks flew everywhere…

"We will fight to the end!" Admiral Douglas said

A K’luth hive fired a final volley at the Dion…and it began to shatter…those were the final words the Admiral will ever say…

And now 4th Fleet began to thin out as the great K’luth fleet cleansed the area of any hostile presence, only a few warships escaped…

Zoca High Orbit

And the other K’luth fleet now approached Zoca’s orbit, killing any resistance, and transports began flying in large groups to the surface of the planet. Hundreds of thousands of K’luth troops landed on the surface and quickly took the planet. It had now begun, even with one planet taken this would be repeated for the other planets…there was minimal help left in the system and surely this was the start of a massive invasion into UGTO territory. The K’luth had won the Battle of Luyten…