Rex (Individual Lola III-class WarShip)
Sarna News
| Rex | |
|---|---|
| Vessel Profile | |
| Type | WarShip |
| Class | Lola III |
History
The Star League
When Stefan Amaris launched his coup in 2766 the Lola III-class destroyer Rex was serving as the SLS Rex, part of the Star League Defense Force black water navy, and one of four Lola III-class destroyers within the 568th Armed Transport Flotilla under the overall command of Admiral Amanda Braso. The Rex was one of eight WarShips within the flotilla; in addition to the other three Lola IIIs the 568th also contained a Potemkin-class cruiser, two Aegis-class heavy cruisers, the SLS E. Presley and the SLS Huston, and the lead ship of the flotilla, Admiral Braso's Black Lion-class battlecruiser. The remainder of the flotilla was made up of twenty assorted transport vessels and an undisclosed number of support craft. When the bulk of the SLDF learned of the coup, one division - the Thirty-Fourth Royal BattleMech Division - was strongly associated with the world of Epsilon Indi, and was determined to launch an unsanctioned attack to reclaim the Hegemony world. The 568th acted to support the forces of the Thirty-Fourth.[1]
The 568th divided their forces into two groups, one led by Admiral Braso and one led by Vice Admiral Mitchell Justin from the bridge of the E. Presley and arrived at the zenith and nadir jump points of the Epsilon Indi system at 0900 hrs on the 1st of July 2767. The two groups began the transit to the planet, and were challenged by the first Caspar drone from the local SDS network a day away from the planet. The drone refused to acknowledge the SLDF codes, and the best efforts of the crews of the various SLDF WarShips had no success in attempting to gain control of the drone ship's systems. Soon, all fifty-six Caspars assigned to Epsilon Indi were in formation, waiting for the SLDF WarShips to approach; Admiral Braso ordered Vice Admiral Julian to take his ships to the other side of the planet while her group engaged the bulk of the drone forces, in the hope that Julian's group would be able to deploy their contingent of the Thirty-Fourth unopposed. The Rex was one of the vessels that formed the group commanded directly by Admiral Braso.[1]
The Caspars coordinated their efforts precisely, inflicting heavy damage on the Star League WarShips and splitting into two groups as the SLDF troop transports made for the planet, one group attacking the deploying troops as the others engaged the WarShips and defending vessels. When the Rex attempted to break and run, several Caspar drones worked together to quickly destroy the isolated vessel; even as Admiral Braso's Black Lion managed to disable some of the drones through accurate gunnery, another Caspar rammed the Huston, destroying the heavy cruiser outright. The remaining ships of the 568th were destroyed shortly after, with only a fraction of the Thirty Fourth making it to the planet through the gauntlet of Caspar drones and ground-based SDS weapons.[1]