First ships that appeared were a bunch of the Gallic fighter and bombers. Their hull, that used to be white, now is grey from long exploitation and lack of cosmetic repairs was marked by small black points. Right after them, the area around the breach in space and time has started to blur and a few moments later a large warship appeared from it. Several decks of it were breached like after torpedo or ram hit but no fire burning inside breached sections. White corpus of it was almost black from laser and plasma hitting but in general, the ship was not damaged so deadly. A few moments after the warship entered the Roussillon system, her engines begun to work, glowing with a mix of purple and blue, moving the warship forward, away from the jump hole.

Several minutes later another ship entered the system of Roussillon from the same jump hole. This one was almost three times smaller than the first that appeared from there. Her shape reminded a sculpture of a bird, with big beak, ready to strike upon the head of her prey at any moment. The ship looked damaged less than the bigger one.

After this one, two more ships appeared. Even smaller than the bird-like one, the cruisers had different damage: one had an engine tube outburned by a close explosion and several breaches around all the hull, including one broken side beam. Another one was in better condition: the hull was mostly undamaged except for several black areas where energy projectiles hit the ship.

Most of the damage they suffered was already compensated: the ships, at least, will not burn out with all crew inside it, turning into pieces of coat, because of reactor malfunction or running out of oxygen because of breaches or O2 storages on the ship.

It took them about ten minutes to establish the right formation before leaving the minefield. They had to be hurry - those who pursued them could follow even into the Roussillon, despite the threat from the local Enclave forces. However, they meet the luck and no one has followed them so soon the remains of the fleet, slowly and carefully moving through the minefield, leaving the zone and begins spreading around SOS signal on Enclave frequences.

Another day, another assignment in the Hebrides sector of the fallen Kingdom of Gallia.

RNS Ange Blanc is one of the few remaining Valor-type vessels within the Hebrides ever since the fall of the Kingdom of Gallia and rises up of Gallic Royal Enclave in the Hebrides - the ship was under construction and was finally launched days after Royal Enclave formed. Ever since that day - the crew and her pilots are being stretched thin as they continue to defend the Enclave territory from the Confederal Ships, Bretonian Armed Forces and the Crayter Republic, even if they're not interested in invading the Roussillon system.

It was one of these days again where they been sent out to watch and defend strategic points but in the Roussillon system, Delta Three sector - the crew could have finally taken a big sigh of relief as Crayter didn't execute so many raids as Confederal and Bretonian forces were doing. Commandant Aliisa Lemaire, Gallic Royal Navy and Intelligence Veteran was on her post on Bridge with the cup of coffee - than wine - to hold herself through the not slept nights. It was just a few hours ago that they received notification from headquarters on Planet Bordeaux that RNS Renaissance - a Charlemagne-class Battleship was coming to the Hebrides after escaping narrowly the Confederal attacks and was finally caught by enemy forces, almost destroyed in the process. Ange Blanc's directive was to watch over to Roussillon's Tau-44 jump hole connection from the range until Charlemagne-class Valor would arrive until the communication officer received some signals.

"Madame, we've detected signals coming from the minefield!" said the comm officer "They appear to be distress calls - it might be RNS Renaissance!" officer continued. Aliisa took a sigh, it could be a distress call of a Crayerian Battleship, a trap of both forces or their guests on the RNS Renaissance. "Set code yellow across decks, I want gunnery to be ready in-case of hostile engagement, navigation, move into the area where the distress call is." said Aliisa "Will be done, ma'am!" replied navigation officer as they plotted a course to the minefield. "Communication officer!" said Commandant "Yes, ma'am?" continued officer "I want our forces to be at the minefield as well so we don't get any surprises from Crayerian's or worse." said Aliisa looking at the officer "It will be done, madame." said officer before turning to communication section of the bridge and transmitting the following within the system:"This is the Battleship Ange Blanc, we are moving into the minefield to identify distress signals, Commandant Aliisa Lemaire is requesting forces to accompany our Valeur as we investigate, over."

Antonin was sitting in a captain chair on the bridge of his Charlemagne-class battleship, the Renaissance. The Captain and his ship have had a long story and both just passed a great competition: they managed to survive where many died. It was not right to leave the bodies of dead people and hulls of destroyed ships there, in the Tau-44, but they had no other choice. Antonin understands this, as well as that the vermins, settled in the system, already plundering this fresh graveyard in seek for anything to sell or use as "military trophy". The voice of one of the officers has turned him away from his grim thoughts.

"Commandant," the middle-aged woman in Royal Navy uniform with signs of an aspirant rank on her shoulders. She had short golden hair, small, almost non-existent breast and thus looked like a femme boy more than an actual woman. - "We are reading incoming large signature at the very edge of the scanner's range. Friendly IFF confirmed. It is the Enclave, commandant."

Lusignan looked at her. She, like the rest of the crew, was not looking tired: the adrenaline that came in battle does not leave their blood yet. But the Commandant was sure - soon they all will be sleeping like babies when adrenaline effect shall run out. However, before this shall happen, they have to reach at least Rodez and dock the ship to it for quick repairs.

"As soon as we leave the minefield or reach the range for stable communication - try to establish a channel with them." - he answered after a few moments, spent in thought. - "That's all, aspirant, return to your post."

She briefly saluted to him and went back to her place on the bridge. Meanwhile, the ships kept following the path from the data package, provided to them by the Roussillon patrol fleet, moving closer and closer to the edge of the minefield, leaving the dangerous place behind them.

Meanwhile, Antonin was thinking that he would not mind coffee or better a few hours to be spent in bed but as soon as they reach the nearest communication buoy he shall send the report about losses, they suffered in Tau-44 to Enclave command. Such a prerogative does not make him happy.

"Commandant," - it was her again. Antonin barely could remember her name, but clearly remembered surname - Truchon. - "We are in the range. The signature was recognize - this is the Enclave warship, Ange Blanc. We have sent them a request to open the communication channel and waiting for the response."

It was not long before Battleship moved into minefield, soon navigation followed with detection of two destroyers, an battlecruiser sized vessel and one battleship class vessel with several smaller signatures - from the bridge view, it was certain that is it RNS Renaissance with the escort, no doubt. As the battleship moved closer, Aliisa started to notice the damage on the hull of the warship - starting to question whenever if it's still operational with crew or not. It was soon that they started to receive request to open communications from the Renaissance. Needless to say, she ordered communication officer to establish communication channel with them to assert report over the damage of the vessel.

"Attention Battleship Renaissance - this is the Battleship Ange Blanc, we have been expecting you for sometime. Can report your current status? Over."

"Chef, Angle Blanc answered us but the signal is not stable enough for a proper channel. However, we are reading a minor node in coming to us. A fighter or bomber. We may use it to establish the signal with Ange Blanc. The communication channel is established and open", told the radio officer, Gabriel Lambert, - a young blonde man, about 24 years old, he probably joined the Royal Navy recently before the Kingdom's fall. Antonin liked his deep and pleasant voice but this was the only attractive thing the young man had. Grey eyes, skinny face and absolutely non-memorable appearance ruined all the first impressions about him.

"Send the fighter a signal and establish us the proper channel via his relay. I hope our long-range communication relays shall be repaired as soon as repairs began." Antonin shrugged and coughed before begun to talk. His voice was deep as well but not so pleasant as Lambert's. However, he had a more pleasant appearance and despite his 42 years still remained in good form and quite attractive for both sexes.

When the communication channel indicator changed from red to green and notice about the established communication channel was given, they received the first message from Angle Blanc.

"Attention Battleship Renaissance - this is the Battleship Ange Blanc, we have been expecting you for sometime. Can report your current status? Over."

"Commandant Antonin de Lusignan of RNS Renaissance is speaking to RNS Ange Blanc. We hear you loud and clear." He felt absolutely no pleasure to report about losses and understood that this is not the first conversation of such kind after the Tau-44. He will need to report the same to Enclave Command and they, for sure, will not give him a medal for losses of the ships and people in particular. Antonin made a short pause before proceeding.

"The status is following: all survived ships suffered damage begins from a medium, such as burned plates on outer hull and turrets damage and up to heavy like breaches in the hull structure, which caused sealing of the part of the rooms to avoid further depressurization and oxygen losses. We suffered losses. Exact numbers cannot be said right now but approximable numbers of the lost crew on Renaissance are about fifty souls, mostly equipage members, including no less than five junior officers. Losses of the other ships will be reported separately by their Captains. The status report is over."

Aliisa was surprised that the ship gotten out of the Gallic core worlds almost safely - but now it wasn't to focus on "surprising" part of her reactions still. As she heard from Commandant the report about damages raging from medium to heavy breaches, she knew it was was going on - the ship could easily go down if raid would show up and that's horribly bad, so it's better to say to get them moving than chip-chating around.

"This is Commandant Aliisa Lemaire - we've received your transmission Renaissance, your reports aren't good as I heard it myself - we need to move immediately to Rodez Outpost, if we wait longer - we might encounter a Crayter raid, which can come into Roussillon system to destroy you."

"Commandant, ships received the order to relocate to the Rodez outpost and ready to move. Let your people cover us, just in the case. I doubt the Crayter or any other forces we left behind shall come here. They are too busy with gravedigging the debris field left there."

All the ships began to move. Smaller ships formed around larger ships, being ready to protect the Renaissance and Ange Blanc from any threat that may dare to appear in the Roussillon system. Their cruise engines were shining like small stars in the darkness of distant red nebulas, surrounded the system from all the sides and fed it with this grim red colour. The larger ships kept charge their engines for a while and then all together directed to planet Toulouse and Rodez outpost, that orbited it.

Since the war with Bretonia and her allies begun to take more and more of time, the necessity of regular basic supplies became crucial for the Royal Navy. The war has spanned several star systems and was raging across all the Taus back then. Now, the Enclave, even isolated, still facing similar issues as the Royal Navy faced before. The Issoudun was the Crown's project, designed as a mobile field drydock and repair facility, it was able to produce many spare parts of the Royal fleet, using resources located in the surrounding systems, thus circumventing some supply line issues.

The final nail, the glassing of Leeds, a madness that, however, was committed by just the soldiers that followed orders, made many Royal Navy members turn away from the Kingdom and betray it, joining the Duchy navy or retiring from the service at all. Many of these retired have found themselves in various security services that belonged to Gallic, more rarely - Sirius corporations. Some could not keep living after what they have participated in and committed suicide.

An ironic reversal of fortunes forced the Enclave into adopting a system of ship maintenance and recycling not unlike that of their nemesis in the former Council only a few years ago. Using these methods, Issoudun was rapidly expanded into a shipyard complex from all manner of repurposed hull panels and scrap from the billions of casualties from their ill-fated crusade to Bretonia.

A constant rotation of over-worked technicians, engineers and serfs from Bordeaux boarding, manning and departing the shipyard at all times to keep it near to full-efficiency at all times. The facility is almost always performing intensive repairs to at least one warship, while minor repairs can be performed outside the drydock or while the ship is moored to another facility in the Hebrides.

Large drydock held a battleship inside it: the ship had a huge hole in one of the sides and his once almost silver hull was painted grey, mixed with black, burned spots after energy weapon hits. The burned hull plates around the breach were removed and part of the outer construction could be seen now, sparking like miniature stars from time to time, when workers welded something around the zone, preparing it for mounting new plates over it.