Battles of Earthat

(Copied straight from .XML 'backup' file, needs formatting and corrections. ZM User (talk) 14:57, 22 April 2024 (PDT))

(Note that this is about the naval battles in Earthat space before Sa'arm landing attempts on Earth.  There is a separate page Battles for Earth for the actual landings.  This page is still in-work. -ZM)

First Battle of Earthat

(See "The Chinese Obligation" by Thinking Horndog)
   A small fleet was destroyed by the incomplete mine/missile shell.  One scout ship survived and returned to base.

Second Battle of Earthat

   One surviving hive ship from a large fleet landed in Central Africa west of Lake Victoria.  The defenders never did stop the Sa'arm expansion; all they could do was slow it down.  By the time of the 4th Battle of Earthat the Sa'arm had completely taken over Africa and were pushing into the Middle East.

Third Battle of Earthat

(See "Pyrrhic Victory" and "Fly-By" by Akarge)
   A large Sa'arm invasion fleet was completely destroyed but it got very near Earth; a triad of scouts landed in Texas but was soon destroyed by local forces.  Unfortunately, the defending Home Fleet was almost wiped out also.

Fourth Battle of Earthat

   Only a month after the 3rd Sa'arm invasion fleet was wiped out, a 4th invasion fleet arrived.  Home Fleet had not yet recovered and was not able to stop it.  Five different landings were successful, in Manitoba, Brazil, Siberia, India, and Australia.  A sixth damaged hive ship landed in Antarctica where it was destroyed.

Subsequent Battles

   There were at least two more Battles of Earthat, but none were successful in the sense of putting live Sa'arm on the planet.  The 5th was recognized by CN snoopers when it left its building system so Earthat's defenders were ready for them but the 6th was another surprise.

   SS has in his Einstein series that the big colony expedition is sent out early (in early Year 15) to get them out of the way of another incoming Dickhead fleet, the 5th to reach Sol.  The following was outlined for Ending This Mess and was accepted (or at least not argued over) by the email list, but didn't fit into the story so was dropped before publishing.  It cannot be considered 'Canon' until someone publishes a story that either supports it or says something else:

   The 5th Battle of Earthat will be a non-event for most defenders.  Home Fleet works over the escorts and tries to avoid close combat where the Sa'arm can reply, and only the Sa'arm transports with a few escorts make it to high Earth orbit.  With three reconditioned Heros sitting in ambush looking at straight-in no-deflection shots, the hive ships don't have a chance.  No one fires at them until they are inside the HEZ and trapped, so when the Heros let loose all the incoming ships can do is charge like the French knights at Agincourt.  With much the same result.
   Unfortunately, we lose four OWPs to Swarm escort-ship rammings.  The OWPs are clearly known to the gestalt as sources of trouble, and they don't have the mobility to get out of the way of the smaller Sa'arm scout ships.  We'll have to rethink that.  Either give the OWPs more mobility, or prioritize the smaller ships, or start shooting farther out when they can still escape into hyperspace.  None of those are appetizing.
   Oddly, we don't lose that many people.  After all, we designed, built, and manage the OWPs as special-purpose warships.  The safety-net force fields we use at all weapon stations protect the gunners, and anyone in their 'pod' apartment is also safe, if floating in space.  All we really lose from those four OWPs are those not at weapons or in their homes: The management, the fire control staff, and those walking around.  We should probably re-think their arrangements, too.}