The Skirmish in the Ulker asteroid belt was a minor engagement of the Cruentusian War. It occurred when a raiding force of the Taung Confederacy, making advancements into the system of the Sinyan Imperium, sent a small force into the local Ulker asteroid belt to harass Sinyan supply lines and facilities. However, owing to supposedly superior tactics under the command of the Jev Strayker, the Sinyans were able to repel them.
Prelude[]
With the Taung Confederacy launching an offensive out of its territory, focusing mainly on the Srav Federation, it had been launching raiding fleets elsewhere, including the Sinya system. Having already attacked the world of Mu Nae, and despite suffering a loss at the hands of the Sinya Defense Force on Axra Prime, the Taung in charge of the raiding forces refused to give up and began a sub-campaign to harass Sinyan space presence in the system while preparing for a larger full-on attack. Nevertheless, the Sinyans were anticipating this, and despite their supposedly inferior forces they began mustering a defense force for the Ulker asteroid belt, location of a number of facilities, as the Taungs launched a skirmish force into it.
The skirmish[]
Probing moves[]
The heart of the small Taung force was a single Storm-class frigate, which supposedly outclassed the modified freighters the Sinyans were using as warships in all respects. Launching fighters, the Taung began taking out Sinyan outposts and mining stations in the asteroid belt. Jev Strayker, the highest-ranking Sinyan officer in the area, took command by default, and ordered all Sinyan assets to retreat as deep as possible into the asteroid belt.
Proceeding forwards, the Taung found navigating the belt increasingly difficult the deeper they got, and some of their fighters got lost from the main group, allowing groups of Sinyan JAX-12 fighters to eliminate them. In order to further incite the Taungs further in, Strayker ordered his war freighters to perform hit and run attacks on the frigate.
Moving in[]
Aware that the munitions being used by the freighters were insufficient to cause serious damage to the Taung ship, Strayker ordered them to eliminate individual systems on the hull, such as weapons batteries and communications arrays. The freighters began launching their missiles from all sides at medium distances before pulling back into the thicker parts of the belt, causing damage to the Taung ship and preventing it from acquiring any specific target. Frustrated, the Taung commander ordered the vessel to fire at random areas of the belt from a distance, hoping to take out Sinyan positions via blindfire. Although a number of asteroids were shattered by mass driver and railgun projectiles fired by the ship, they failed to cause major Sinyan losses.
With many Taung fighter wings depleted as Sinyan forces isolated them and picked up off, the Taung commander recalled them to the ship to make up for lost weapons emplacements. Determined to eliminate the Sinyan forces, he ordered the Taung ship to advance into the heart of the asteroid belt despite it taking damage from asteroid collisions and stealth-equipped mines planted by the Sinyan freighters. On the way, the Taungs succeeded in destroying two freighters that failed to hit their target during their own hit-and-run attack, worrying Strayker.
Finishing touch[]
Approaching the central parts of the asteroid belt, the Taung frigate had taken moderate damage from asteroid collisions and was bearing down on the main asteroid mines. Strayker decided on a concentrated attack to finally stop it. He deployed unmanned freighters to divert their fire and attention while freighters assumed firing positions from all sides. Upon his signal, they fired their entire onboard ordnance into the weakened areas of the frigate, causing critical damage.
With the frigate partially disabled and floundering, Strayker ordered fighters to finish any defenses off while boarding crews were prepared. With the last of the Taung fighters eliminated, the Sinyan fighters were able to perform this task with little to no opposition. However, feeling that his honor was spoiled, the Tsung captain opted to commit suicide by overloading the frigate reactor, destroying the ship.
Aftermath[]
Feeling elated by the victory, the Sinyans had their morale improved, and Strayker was given a commendation for his work. Nevertheless, with the Taung preparing to strike at other locations regardless, the Sinyans continued on formulating and preparing their defenses.