[u][b]RCNS [i]Anna Karenina[/i]
New Columbia High Orbit[/b][/u]

As soon as the X’cor were in range, [i]Anna Karenina[/i] had opened up with her long range variant missiles, sending barrage after barrage at the encroaching ships. As the X’cor drew closer, she switched over to high evasion ion missiles, to out-maneuver their point defence and tear at their shields. Her gamma lasers opened fire, mostly invisible but for the occasional flash of violet. Last came the railguns, a broadside of metal that barraged the oncoming ships.

Wellesley chewed his thumb nervously. This was one hell of a tight spot they were in, outnumbered and outgunned. As a battlecruiser, [i]Anna Karenina[/i] was well equipped to pack a punch, but she was saddled with a diplomatic delegation that Wellesley was not keen to lose.
“Get the UFS Ambassador and our diplomatic personnel to a launch bay, prep an assault shuttle and tell them to stand by” he ordered. An assault shuttle would be better equipped to survive the firefight blazing across space, but it would still be perilous. Not that they would be much safer planetside, but better there than on an actively engaged warship.

Wellesley would have to do his best to create an opening for the shuttle, but he also had other responsibilities. “Prep 5 courier boats, 3 back to the Commonwealth and 2 to the nearest UFS systems. Load all missile tubes with ECM, and I want salvoes of mixed flak and beam attenuators from the port railguns. Ready all fighters for launch, and await my orders.”

A chorus of “aye’s” and “yes sirs” broke out in response. Wellesley waited patiently until the various stations reported in.
“The diplomats and the courier boats are ready to go sir.”
“All fighters prepared for launch captain.”
“ECM missiles and mixed defensive salvos ready sir.”
Wellesley nodded. “Launch!”

The battlecruiser exploded with activity. A full barrage of ECM missiles streaked towards the X’Cor, laden with jamming signals and decoys, scrambling sensors and generally causing confusion. A huge shell of flak erupted outwards, clearing away X’cor fighters and establishing a deadly perimeter of explosions between the oncoming hostiles and the Commonwealth battlecruiser, interspersed with EM flashes that scattered incoming energy weapons. Fighters were next, dropping from the ship’s main hangars and arching away beyond the flak shell to engage their X’cor counterparts. In the middle of all that, five courier boats and a heavily shielded assault shuttle broke away from [i]Anna Karenina[/i]’s starboard hangars. The shuttle blasted towards the planet at breakneck speed, while courier boats hightailed it to a safe warp distance.

“Couriers are away sir,” an officer reported.
“We’ve been granted access to the UFS tac-net Captain,” another said.
“Good,” Wellesley replied. “Helm, move us in to support the UFS carrier, coordinate our defensive fire and targetting with their CIC. Get our fighters in there, I don’t want any more boarders getting through. And open commms to the UFS."
The comms officer obeyed, and Wellesley addressed his battle-forged allies; "This is Captain Wellesley. I know we have yet to conclude any formal diplomatic negotiations, but my ship and my crew are with you to the end!"