The Doom Spheres: Part Three - Destruction Incarnate

Doom Spheres vs Imperium | Tim v Gill | Gothic | 63 | 118.997.M41

Battlefleet Valorax was on full alert. 

Intel had been gathered; reports analysed and decisions made. The Doom Spheres had to be stopped at all costs. With such destructive might at their command their was no telling what destruction they might wreck on Valorax Prime when they reached it. One Doom Sphere had been bad enough. Two was a force that could not be ignored.

A new Battlegroup was formed with tremendous firepower, incredible levels of potential destruction that couldn't fail to bring down the approaching spheres: A Retribution class battleship, two Mars battlecruisers, a pair of Gothics and two Dominators as well as a squadron of flitting Cobra Destroyers.

 They drifted through the void, scanning for contact against the static feedback of the irradiated asteroid fields.

Of greatest fortune was the lack of Ork contacts. The invasion fleet had obviously splintered and fled but the chance that they were still lurking in-system, using the distraction of the Doom Sphere approach to sneak past the cordons couldn't be entirely ignored. 

The ships pinged out their long range scanners and when they were starting to doubt the Doom Spheres existed, they flicked into view.

Admiral Phantos on the bridge of the Battleship paled as the image focused on his screen. There weren't two Doom Spheres anymore.

There were three.

And the newest one was over twice as bigger as either one they had seen before.

It wasn't just a Doom Sphere. It was a Battle Planet.

The Retribution let fly with its torpedoes and continued to close, charging up its lance batteries, but before it was even in range the Battle Planet pounded it from the fore with its violet lightning, crushing its shields and ripping into its bulkheads.

The torpedoes impacted harmlessly against its armour and Admiral Phantos fully realised what was happening, how utterly they had underestimated this foe, even while classing them as an omega level threat. He shouted to turn about so that he could bring his weapon batteries to bear but the Battle Planet fired again and his ship was atomised beneath his feet.

The asteroids were blocking nova cannon fire so the ships were forced to weave through, coming painfully close to the Doom Spheres. The Gothics rocketed in close to one of the smaller spheres but even locked on, their lances failed to break down the enemy shields and they took tremendous damage on the return volley.

There was only one gambit that might give them a chance of success.

All three nova-armed ships remaining turned toward the asteroid field between them and the Doom Spheres and, ignoring all proximity alarms forged straight through it. Gigantic rocks impacted the ships but they emerged on the other side and let fire with all their nova cannons, bringing down the shields on one of the smaller spheres and damaging it finally. 

But it was useless.

They were now far too close for a second volley and the Doom Spheres were at their ideal firing range. There was nothing to do but disengage again.

The Doom Spheres could not be defeated.

The Cobra Destroyers put themselves between the Spheres and the capital ships and were blown apart for their sacrifice. But their sacrifice paid off. The capital ships were able to disengage, pulling away from the Doom Spheres and powering out of their limited range.

The third battle had been lost and now little stood between the Doom Spheres and Valorax Prime.

Their only chance was for a final stand to be made there with every ship they could possibly muster.

If not, there was little doubt that Valorax was doomed!