Your goal is the complete destruction of the enemy fleet

"We're not just here for the win, we're here to destroy or capture as much of their fleet as possible." Which meant they wouldn't just be doing the little range dance that these fights sometimes devolved into where ships barely entered engagement envelopes trading shots until someone called it quits. When they fought they'd be getting in range and staying there to inflict maximum damage, even if it meant the enemy got a few extra shots as well. Washi stepped up and tapped the table to get the details of the battle projecting. Everyone present should have already read them but a reminder didn't hurt when hashing out strategy.

"The **** term for this battle is five years. Each ship we destroy will see us with 15% of its crew in our hands. Any friendly LAC that is destroyed and recovered by our side will only lose 50% of its crew. It is likely that the enemy will have at least a single light carrier of their own and as such, we need to also prevent them from recovering their lost craft." Washi laid out. "At this time Authority intelligence has relayed the likely commander for the enemy **** to be Floatilla Commander Nyarai Adesina." Katla could see why they'd think that. Adesina was an experienced and well-regarded commander in the Directorate Navy, she'd been on the shortlist for Avalon as well. That was before the United Colonies had captured one of her three wives and two of her daughters in a supply convoy ambush. They'd been returning from leave and had the misfortune that one leg of their ride back was on an underprotected supply ship involved in an active battle zone. The ship had been boarded and taken resulting in them being prizes alongside the crew, their status as passengers irrelevant as all were Directorate officers. Adesina was currently too busy trying to secure their freedom without getting any new granddaughters to be leading the battle for Mwaro. That information likely hadn't caught up with Washi yet.

"If it is her, we will be evenly matched with heavy cruisers but she has a light cruiser as well instead of a carrier." Washi continued. That was good to know considering that even if Adesina wasn't going to be fighting she might lend out her assets to her fellow commander and a light cruiser could make things difficult for the LACs. "Combined with an unassigned carrier that will likely be assigned to her task **** we will want to focus on an aggressive alpha strike on that ship to open up the operating environment for our own LACs."

"Another possible opponent is Floatilla Commander Mara Attah." Katla chimed in, not directly overruling her fellow commander's likely wrong assessment. "She has a carrier in her task **** already that when combined with the other one would put them at only a three to two disadvantage. If we can take them out that would ruin their ability to recover LACs." As there was a habitable planet in the system it wouldn't count as a default kill of the LACs if they managed to disengage but it would make life harder for them as though carriers had little in the way of personal armament they were more durable than the small craft they deployed and could provide some level of coverage for a retreat.

"We are going to be drilling as we move into action, our corvettes will be split up with two preparing for screening and the other two preparing for aggressive action. Meanwhile our destroyers will be moving in aggressively and when there is blood in the water complete the kill. Our LACs will be drilling for independent action and alpha strikes intent on wiping out combatants at every opportunity. Finally our cruisers will form the iron core of the line of battle, trading the heaviest fire with the heaviest enemy combatants."

With the broad strokes decided that was enough for now. At least where the captains were concerned. There would be more meetings and refinements as the fleets got more comfortable working together en route.

As the captains exited Washi and Katla were left alone.

"Well that went better than expected," Katla noted, taking a seat and idly twirling around the representation of the fleet.

"I suppose it did." Washi agreed, pausing the spin for a moment, looking carefully at the image of the fleet. "I would like to test something though if you'd be agreeable."

"What might that be?" Katla asked, pretty sure she knew considering the way that some of the ships were lighting up red on the board.

"A practice battle. Your fleet against mine, it would do a great deal to clear the air as there was not one the last time they met and I could see it as a source of tension if not resolved." Washi explained, "Of course one of my carriers would sit out to match tonnage if you agreed."

Katla had a feeling this was more about personal pride than any kind of brewing 'tension' but the Authority officer would be loathed to admit it. Still, a live-fire exercise would be good practice for the fleet. It might lead to a little bit of boasting and bragging depending on how it went but that was inevitable in any joint venture.

"I... would also seek to add some additional realism, I understand that's common where you are from?" Washi added

"In other words, Saga's filled your head with lewd ideas," Katla said with a smile enjoying the brief flash of embarrassment on her fellow commander's face. "But I guess most of them are true. For back home anyway, with the Avalonians not so much." If two Viking ships or raid groups wanted to practice oral sex was the typical substitute for real stakes. That was likely as far as Washi was thinking though on occasion they did go further.