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breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
#1: Feb 8th 2011 at 6:25:52 PM

So, there's this plot idea I've been working with but need some help on a key point.

  • I don't want orbital assistance for either side

Basically, an alien warlord secretly pays a large sum of iridium to a single-solar system state power. Through this it (alien has no gender) loads up some freighters full of troops, guns and such. They then sneak their force onto the planet and begin a siege of the only major starport on the planet.

This single-system state that is now under attack calls for aid from a local Hetman from the Commonwealth (the only big military force in the region). Since the Commonwealth is on a perma-crusade against the demons (the aliens), they would look bad to refuse the request. In addition, the hetman is a friend of the local duchess of the planet.

The starport is a big fortress with lots of gun batteries and defences and city gates. It's easy enough for them to shut down the demon space forces, since they're basically non-existent. The demons have to shut-down the hetman's ability to provide orbital assistance to any forces she deploys to the planet to protect the starport from falling into enemy hands.

She has a limited fleet and no backup.

edited 8th Feb '11 6:26:28 PM by breadloaf

BobbyG vigilantly taxonomish from England Since: Jan, 2001
doorhandle Since: Oct, 2010
#3: Feb 9th 2011 at 2:23:20 AM

hmmm, sounds tricky.

Maybe use the planet's orbital defence system against the enermy forces?

nuke them?

shoot all enermy fire out of the sky?

breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
#4: Feb 9th 2011 at 7:14:51 AM

Anti-aircraft weapons could work. If they land and land their freighters landside, then they could convert htem into giant gun batteries. If it includes sufficient anti-missile/anti-bombardment defence then it can ward off incoming missiles while push the Hetman's fleet out of orbit.

I don't have straight-up shields in this setting so overhead forcefield won't work.

If the aliens take over the orbital defences then I worry they could turn that on the Starport-Fortress city.

By shoot all enemy fire out of the sky, I assume you mean really good anti-ballistic defence. That's okay and I think combined with anti-aircraft gun idea it could work.

By nuke them, who are we nuking and how?

edited 9th Feb '11 7:15:00 AM by breadloaf

RalphCrown Short Hair from Next Door to Nowhere Since: Oct, 2010
Short Hair
#5: Feb 9th 2011 at 7:15:08 AM

The obvious strategy is a feint. Someone creates a small but noisy incident far away. While the air assets are busy there, the ground attack happens before they can get back. That gives you a deadline and adds suspense.

Under World. It rocks!
breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
#7: Feb 10th 2011 at 11:01:46 AM

Okay here's the current idea.

State A, State B, Hetman Rzewuski, Demon Warlord, Random Barbarian Horde

  • State A makes a payment of money to Hetman Rzewuski to aid her in a war against a Random Barbarian Horde
  • Rzewuski's fleet moves to assist State A
  • Demon Warlord makes a clandestine payment of money (iridium in this universe) to State A to hide their army inside trade freighters
  • Demon Warlord lands his force in secret onto State B
  • With their orbital defences bypassed, State B has to fall back on Surface-to-Surface defences, the best of which is their militarised starport (population of the planet is a lowly one billion), so all combat focuses on the starport
  • Rzewuski is friends with the leader of State B and so dispatches a small force to shore up the defences of the starport until she can pull her whole fleet to the aid of State B
  • Rzewuski's detachment slips through the anti-air siege around the starport and must survive for the few weeks until aid arrives

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