Maybe the AI is just "playing possum"

[Texas_Fett]

Had a bit of a scare last night. It was one of those brief, exquisite moments when you'd swear it was Grand Admiral Thrawn at the helm of the Empire.

 

***

 

I had started a new game about a week ago as the Alliance, keeping a low profile and avoiding the tempting targets presented by the AI's typical strategic ineptitude. I hadn't even been given a system in the Corellian Sector, and I decided to stay out of it and leave it to the Empire, hoping that the AI would get smart and at least try to win over the remaining 8 systems it didn't control. I was happy when the AI didn't disappoint, completely converting the whole sector to the Imperial New Order.

 

Fast forward to day 900. I am in control of 4 of the 10 systems surrounding Coruscant, with Chandrila being home to a mammoth nine advanced shipyards and a sizeable defense fleet. All but three systems in the sector housing Carida were mine, as well as all but Capionril in its sector. Khomm & Firro continued their service to the Empire at the whim of Commander Antilles and the 1st Battle Group in their respective sector, and my invasion of Bffaash by Admiral Nunb and the 4th Battle Group completed my take-over of the entire Sluis Sector. My headquarters on Joiol had blossomed into an impetetrable fortress, with dual Gencore II's, an LNR II battery, eight advanced shipyards, two Golan-III's, and a growing "Home Guard" defense fleet. Denab and Ord Pardon completed my arsenal of "Ueber Shipyards", and were churning out capital ships at a rate that ensured that I could easily trounce anything the Empire threw at me.

 

Or so I though.

 

***

 

Day 937 began what I call "A month that shall remain in infamy". The 4th Transportation Fleet had been roaming the Rim, continuing the Alliance's colonization efforts in Hutt Space near Nal Hutta. The fleet consisted of two Gallofree Medium transports, a Marauder Corvette (the Moonshadow), and a Nebulon-B Frigate (the Gladiator) as well as a starfighter complement of two X-Wing/ one Y-wing squadrons. After dropping off an Alliance army regiment to garrison the uncolonized Nal Hutta, the 4th Trans was given a few days of R&R as they awaited orders for the next system they were to jump to.

 

By contrast, tensions were high at Ord Pardon as the shipyards there were wrapping up construction on a new Liberator cruiser to add to the already considerable fleet massing in orbit. Recent intelligence had revealed Imperial activities on Corfai, and the news was bad.

 

***

 

Being one of the first systems to succumb to the Empire (around day 280), Corfai boasted three orbital shipyards, and the Empire had seen fit to add to that total. With a new Advanced Shipyard enroute, Corfai now had eleven shipyards, three of them advanced, and was guarded by a large fleet of five Imperial Star Destroyers, three Victory SD's, two Carracks, two Nebulon-B Frigates, a Dreadnaught, a Corellian Corvette, two Interdictor cruisers, and a host of Interceptors and Assault Gunboats. The fleet was led by Admiral Daala, with Baron Soontir Fel commanding the starfighter garrison. Grand Admiral Thrawn was conducting ship research on the surface of Corfai, and General Covell was in charge of the eight Stormtrooper regiments protecting the facilities. But worst of all...the intel showed that the shipyards at Corfai were nearly two-thirds done in constructing a new Death Star.

 

Realizing that there was no time to waste, Rebel sector fleets began rushing portions of their assets to Bimmissari, the closest Alliance System in the Core, as Ord Pardon stepped up its production to ensure numerical superiority with both capital ships and starfighters in the coming conflict. Two MC80b's, five MC80's, six Nebulon-B's, two Assault Frigates, two escort carriers, three Blockade Runners, two Marauder Corvettes, three Gunships, three MC40a's and the new Liberator cruiser made up the assembled Ord Pardon "3rd Battle Group", fully stocked with a mixed batch of X-Wing, Y-Wing, A-Wing, and B-Wing squadrons. Admiral Bel Iblis and Commander Derlin prepared the ship's captains for battle as the days ticked by in preparation for a coordinated strike on Corfai with the forces gathering at Bimmissari.

 

That's when things began to fall apart.

 

***

 

A distress call came in from Nal Hutta on day 937 from the vacationing 4th Trans, indicating that a Imperial fleet consisting of two ISD's, a Nebulon-B, a Carrack and an Interdictor led by Admiral Daala and Commander Needa had dropped out of hyperspace. Badly outgunned but unable to flee, the 4th Trans was obliterated, and the Nal Hutta garrison was wiped out by a sudden Imperial Invasion.

 

The shocking news was met with anger, as Admiral Bel Iblis immediately ordered half of the 3rd Battle Group to depart for Nal Hutta. One MC80b, two MC80's, Four Nebulon-B's, an Assault Frigate, an Escort Carrier, three Blockade Runners and two MC40s departed with the Admiral taking personal command along with Commander Derlin. The 4th Trans would be avenged.

 

***

 

Admiral Bel Iblis' task force arrived at Nal Hutta on day 954. Encountering no resistance, they quickly bombarded the planet, destroying the garrison of Stormtroopers stationed there. After landing a regiment of Alliance Marines on the surface, the Admiral decided that the work was done, and that the task force needed to return to Ord Pardon to prepare for the assault on Corfai.

 

***

 

Day 957. An Imperial Fleet drops out of hyperspace at Ord Pardon. Led by Admiral Daala and Commander Needa, their fleet consisted of every ship Alliance Intelligence had placed at Corfai except for one Imperial Star Destroyer and the Death Star. Lacking a coordinated command structure, the Alliance forces are overwhelmed, but not before heavily damaging the Imperial fleet (only one Nebulon-B escaped damage) and destroying two ISD's, a Vicstar, a Carrack, the Corvette, and their entire starfighter complement. However, the Imperials are able to establish a blockade of Ord Pardon, which prevented the delivery of the second GenCore II shield generator from the construction yards at Xa Fel to the system. Given an opening to the planet's surface, the Imperials invade, taking control of Ord Pardon's nine shipyards.

 

***

 

And so the game awaits. Admiral Bel Iblis hurtles through hyperspace, unaware of the situation awaiting him at Ord Pardon. But will his task force be enough to break the blockade of the planet and restore the shipyards to the Alliance? And what of the Death Star undergoing construction at Corfai and the massing fleet at Bimmissari?

 

To be continued...

[Cain]

If you are so AI killer did you tried the AN III scenarios ?!

[ADarkJedi44]

Good story. Continue continue