Minotaur Destroyer – “Asterion-Class”

General Profile

Length: 620 m

Width: 160 m

Height: 80 m

Role: Heavy Escort / Line Breaker

Doctrine:

Hull & Defense

Armor:

The destroyer is reinforced with ferro-composite alloy plating, doubled in thickness around critical areas such as the power core, propulsion systems, and other vital sections. This ensures that even if outer sections are compromised, the ship’s essential systems remain protected.

Shields:

Outfitted with a Tier-2 superior mid-grade dual-layer shield, the system delivers significantly higher performance compared to standard shields of the same tier. Optimized to endure capital-grade weapon strikes, these shields can withstand sustained firepower from destroyers and even battlecruisers for extended periods, granting the vessel exceptional defensive resilience in fleet engagements.

Weapons

20 × Heavy Plasma Cannons

-Forward-mounted, ship-to-ship main weapons.

-Capable of piercing both shields and armor of cruisers with direct hits.

-Each shot launches a highly concentrated plasma spear that delivers devastating kinetic impact combined with corrosive thermal energy, making it effective against both armor and energy defenses.

40 × Medium Dual Pulse Cannons

-Fire in rapid burst sequences of condensed pulse energy.

-On impact, the bursts detonate with intense force, making them ideal for breaking up enemy formations and providing versatile mid-range defense.

120 × Flak Batteries

-Provide all-around coverage against fighters, drones, and incoming missiles.

-Together, they create an almost impenetrable defensive screen, highly effective against swarm tactics and significantly reducing vulnerability to light craft—even when facing ships of equal or higher class.

24 × Torpedo Tubes

-Capable of launching a variety of long-range ordnance, including plasma torpedoes and specialized warheads.

-Designed for anti-ship strikes, adding heavy firepower at range.

2 × Ion Disruptor Cannons

-Precision weapons designed to disable enemy subsystems on impact, crippling engines, weapons, or shield emitters to tip the battle in the destroyer’s favor.

[Note: This destroyer belongs to a weapons-focused class, designed to mount overwhelming firepower at the expense of many other critical systems. ]

“Grand Admiral, the Minotaur shields are down,” Eclipse reported. “But it seems that means little to them. They’re making their move—about four hundred steps out, approaching from both left and right, by my calculation.”

“Oh?” Ezra leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “Yes, I see it. Not only that, but their trajectory suggests they’re aiming straight for our flanks. And those starfighters they’re still launching… they clearly have a role to play. Most likely, the Minotaurs intend to draw our concentrated fire away from the fortress and redirect it toward these two flanks. Those frigates and destroyers—they’re using them as shields, with the fighters as little more than cannon fodder.”

He allowed a faint smile. “Looks like the Minotaurs are planning something.”

“My thoughts exactly, Grand Admiral,” Eclipse replied.

“No matter. Let them try. Their plan doesn’t harm us—it helps. I prefer it this way.” Ezra’s tone hardened. “Have our flanks focus on their two groups. Do not let them get too close to our lines. We don’t yet know what tricks those ships or fighters may be carrying, and I won’t have them breaching our formation.”

As his mind wandered to the video the Third Battle Fleet had sent him—along with the accompanying information—he couldn’t shake the image of that massive explosion erupting from within the Minotaur fortress.

The memory alone left his throat dry. A chilling thought crept in: what if those ships carried weapons of similar destructive power? Who knew what hidden dangers they might conceal?

That was why he was determined not to let any Minotaur vessels that weren’t part of his fleet draw too close. Only after settling on that decision did he continue.

“Meanwhile, the fleet will maintain course and speed. There’s no need to slow down.”

“Roger that, Grand Admiral,” said Eclipse. As she began giving the directive he had issued to the left and right admirals, she made them fully aware of Ezra’s orders.

Ezra gave a short nod, then opened the comms to his vanguard line. “Admiral Jacllime—be sharp. The Minotaurs are making their move. Now is not the time for any carelessness.”

“Especially focus on that dreadnought and its main weapon. If there’s even the slightest fluctuation of energy from it, I want your battleship’s main cannon ready to fire. Understood?”

“Yes, Admiral. I understand,” came the reply. “I’m already doing just that.”

“Good,” said Ezra. He switched the comm channel to another line.

“Star Division,” he called—the fighter division overseeing all fleet squadrons, commanded by Division Commander Maxtern Cornwell. “Maxtern, prepare the fighter squadrons for deployment on three fronts.

Also, ready the Sword Division for their mission. They are to be on standby for deployment at my command. For the rest, I leave it to you. Deploy them as the situation demands. The flow of this battle will be in your hands at least for the figther divison.”

“Sword Division?” Maxtern raised an eyebrow, his voice tinged with surprise. “Grand Admiral, are you certain? Those are the elite of the elites. This battle hardly warrants their deployment, does it?”

Ezra smirked at Maxtern’s confusion. “Do as I say. You’ll soon understand why I want them deployed.”

“…As you command, Grand Admiral,” Maxtern replied after a pause. “I’ll see it done. As for the other squadrons, I’ll handle their deployment according to the needs of the battle.”

“Good. Go, then,” Ezra said, closing the channel.

He immediately opened another, this time to his left and right flank admirals. “I leave your sectors of the battlefield to your judgment. I won’t interfere. Neither of you need report back for approval—command your flanks as you see fit. The left and right fronts are yours.”

“Just be cautious with every move you make,” Ezra warned. “There’s no telling if they’re hiding a weapon of mass destruction—one that even our ships’ shields might not withstand. At the very least, our corvettes and frigates wouldn’t survive such an attack.”

He leaned forward, his gaze hard. “Eclipse has already warned you of this, and I’ll say it again. You’ve both reviewed the footage sent from the Third Battlefield. The circumstances there were different, yes, but one thing remains clear: a Star Fortress can explode, just like the one in the Granthor system.

That was an internal power-core detonation, but there’s no guarantee the Minotaur haven’t acquired weapons capable of forcing the same outcome. We cannot afford to be careless.”

Ezra’s eyes moved between the projections of his two flank commanders, Admiral Michel on the left and Admiral Jasmin on the right. “Do you understand?”

“Yes, Admiral. We do,” they answered in unison, their expressions sober, bittersweet.

“All right then,” Ezra said, his tone softening just slightly. “Focus on your sectors. End this battle swiftly, but avoid inflicting unnecessary destruction—especially on those dreadnoughts and the Star Fortress. If push comes to shove, you have authorization to strike them, but only if there is no alternative. We’ll devise another plan afterward if we must.”

He waved a hand dismissively. “Restrain yourselves, but don’t risk your crews’ lives for the sake of restraint. Understood?”

“Sir, yes sir!” Michel and Jasmin replied together.

“Then off you go,” Ezra said, giving a final wave as their projections faded from the command bridge.

Meanwhile, as Ezra was issuing orders to his subordinates, the Vanguard flanking the First Battle Fleet neared their designated positions. Slowing their advance, they settled into deployment range.

On the left flank, one destroyer stood out—its hull marked with a distinct color scheme and a bull-like emblem painted in deep red across the bow. Clearly, it was the flagship of the Minotaur’s left battle group.

Inside its command bridge—surprisingly orderly given the chaos of battle—a towering figure sat upon the elevated command seat at the center. The Minotaur commander, nearly four meters tall and built like a living fortress himself, gazed through the vast viewports at the approaching wedge of the First Battle Fleet, only a few kilometers distant.

His eyes shifted to the tactical display floating before him. The map of the engagement revealed the scale of the fight: ten full squadrons of Minotaur starfighters had already been deployed—each squadron numbering fifty light-grade fighters.

In total, more than six hundred Ravagers swarmed protectively around two hundred ships forming his battle group.

He gave a single sharp nod, then issued his command:

“Lock our weapons on those enemy vessels there— they are likely destroyers. Target a handful of them for now. Let’s see if we can break their shields and tear a gap into their formation, we’ll force a breach.”

He paused, then continued with precision:

“Half of our medium dual pulse cannons are to be placed on standby across all destroyer-class ships. Their task will be to defend our flank from the incoming barrage we know that will be coming soon enough . The rest—every remaining weapon— have there fire be concentrated on the designated enemy destroyers. At Maximum output.”

Turning his gaze to the frigate captains, he barked another order:

“As for the Frigates class of ships , have them prepare to cover our destroyers class of ship. There shields will need to serve as protection when our destroyers rotate to recover their own shields integrity.”

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