Monsters over Frallia

BATTLE #19: Fralli vs.Just about Everybody

Stephen V. Cole, USS Texas

MONSTERS: Ice Monster, Ancient Space Dragon, Moray Eel of Space, Death Probe, Juggernaut,

Metamorph.

FRALLI DEFENSE FORCE

550 Administrative Shuttlecraft

 

"Somebody out there doesn't like us!" the Fralli Field Marshal exclaimed as he began the briefing. "We have six monsters bearing down on our planet, one from each direction. Star Fleet has pulled out the defense squadron 'for maneuvers' and the Federation Police have sent the local cutter to enforce handicap parking at Texmex. We're on our own.

"We have considerable forces available, but unfortunately, all of them are administrative shuttles," the Field Marshal explained. "At least there is some good news; we have five hundred and fifty administrative shuttles. So listen closely. Some of us are going to die, but most of us are going to look good.

"And looking good is what this is all about!

"We will divide our forces into eight squadrons," he explained, "each consisting of a carefully calculated number of shuttlecraft. The first six will each move outward to engage one monster; the last two will constitute a final reserve here at the planet itself.

"The First Squadron, with 80 shuttlecraft, will engage the Juggernaut," he directed. "Charge that thing head-on, timing the attack to arrive nearly at the end of a turn about 100,000 kms from the planet. He may have phaser-4s, but he can only kill a few of us at a time. The rest, probably about 70, will fire point-blank into his forward shield. That will generate about 265 points of damage, enough to score about 90 points of internal damage, enough to kick his teeth in! That should leave the Juggerhulk a flaming wreck tumbling toward our sacred planet. After that pass, send all of your shuttles back to the planet for final defense and leave the flaming wreck to the Seventh Squadron.

    

"Eighty shuttles assigned to the First Squadron leaves 470.

"The Second Squadron, with 200 shuttlecraft, is assigned to engage the death probe. Again, attack him head on and fire at point-blank range near the end of a turn about 100,000 kms from our planet. He will kill about 20 of your shuttles, leaving 180. Those will score about 700 points of damage, enough to leave him wrecked, blind, and bleeding! Then send all of your shuttles back to the planet and leave the stumbling wreck to the Seventh Squadron.

    

"Two hundred shuttles assigned to the Second Squadron leaves 270.

    

"The Third Squadron, with only 30 shuttlecraft, will engage the moray eel," the Field Marshal explained. "Your mission is not to destroy the monster, but only to delay him. Have one of your shuttles fire at the monster each turn. The moray eel will then turn to strike at the shuttle, destroying it. All you have to do is keep him busy for seven or eight turns, enough time to kill all of the other monsters. At that point, you can let him go and follow him back here. Once he arrives, we¹ll have enough shuttles from the other squadrons to score 880 damage points in a single volley, after which, teams of  a dozen shuttles can each score 44 points to trigger another death roll.

    

"The shuttles assigned to the Third Squadron leave 240.

    

"The Fourth Squadron, with 10 shuttles, is assigned to meet the metamorph and slow him down by a turn or two. I want to you slap his face and leave his cheeks a burning red! With any luck, you will buy me just enough time before the last of you die horribly in a burning wreck of a shuttlecraft.

    

"The metamorph should get here pretty fast, and we'll pay with the lives of you brave pilots for the information we need about his weapons and defenses. We need 880 damage points to kill it, which we can generate with a massed volley by about 240 shuttles. That should not be a problem as we'll easily have more shuttles than that here to meet him and give him a bloody nose and two black eyes!

    

"Ten shuttles assigned to the Fourth Squadron leaves 230.

    

"The Fifth Squadron, with 40 shuttles, is to engage the ancient space dragon," the Field Marshal explained. "I want you to twist his tail and poke his eyes. Just piss him off, and maybe -- just maybe -- he'll take time to kill you all before he comes to the planet. That should get him here right after the metamorph is killed, and the combined shuttles of the First and Second Squadrons can fire a massive blow to rip his ears off!

    

"Forty shuttles assigned to the Fifth Squadron leaves 190.

    

"The Sixth Squadron, with 100 shuttles, will move out to engage the ice monster. This is the hardest one to kill, so you will move out first and engage about 150,000 kilometers from the planet. Your mission is to keep the ice monster busy in a whirlwind of a dogfight for at least five turns. Given the rate at which he can kill your shuttles, you should make it, but score some damage while you're at it. We need you to wear him down, since he's the toughest monster to kill, needing 2,200 damage points. Assuming you lose about 10 shuttles a turn, you should be able to score at least half of the required amount before he gets bored and comes to the planet. I need you rip his hair out and break some of his teeth! I need you to delay him to the point that he arrives after the metamorph and dragon are killed. When you let him go, follow him back to the planet, firing every turn at whatever range you can. We need every point. We should have well over 200 shuttles left here when he arrives, maybe even 300, and with those we will need only two turns to break his neck!

  

"Once that happens, the Third Squadron can let the moray eel loose and it should flyright into our phaser-3 barrage.

    

"One hundred shuttles assigned to the Sixth Squadron leaves 90 to be divided between the Seventh and Eighth Squadrons.

    

"The Seventh Squadron, with 60 shuttles, will remain here at the planet as a final defense. They'll engage whatever monsters arrive in the order of their arrival, as reinforced by the returning shuttles of the First and Second Squadrons. Your job is to gouge their eyes out!

    

"The final 30 shuttles of the Eighth Squadron will be prepared as suicide shuttles at all available base facilities. These will be my final weapon, sent to kill whatever is left.

  
"But whatever happens, this is going to get ugly!"