Background - Up until now, the gigantic Coral Nebula has been a convenient and natural border between you and one of the neighbouring powers. However, ever since war developed between your two expanding empires, control of this nebula has become an obvious and necessary first step to invasion.

You have been at war for almost a year now, but with little result. This gigantic natural border has become the source of a problem. Your fleets cannot get at each other due to the huge masses of drifting gas and dust. Operations within the nebula so far have been disasters, with huge drifting gas & dust storms hitting large fleets, with resulting damage, whenever they tried to force a way through the nebula.

Several months ago, a break in this stalemate occurred when a small patrol carrier escorting the 2nd fleet, managed to get in a powerful blow using fighters. The fighters had no trouble moving within the gaps in the nebula and striking at the enemy fleet while they cruised inside one of the great bubbles, free of gas & dust, that exist in great numbers within the nebula. Both sides have rushed all available carriers to the area, and have prepared to attack.

Setup - This scenario was designed as a multi player game, for tech 4 fleets, but can be used for any tech level, with the proper modifications.

The game works best if the players are in teams of two, with an equal number of teams per side. Each team gets 100 points to design a fleet, with the following restrictions. No ship with a mass greater than 6 (heavy cruiser) may have more than 1/4 of their mass dedicated to secondary batteries. Heavy crusiers may not have more than 1/2 their mass in secondaries. Smaller ships have no restrictions. Remember, this is a carrier battle, and multiple fighter types are recommended. You may, of course, use premade fleets, but do not allow any fighter killer ships (large ships with mostly secondaries).

You will require one 'table' per team. These tables (or whatever you have) should be 6 feet long by 4 feet wide, with dust clouds in the corners (see below). This represents one of the many giant 'bubbles' in the nebula. If you don't have this much room (or tables), use whatever you have, and remember to modify fighter movement during the game (see below). Each team now sets up their fleet in the center of their table. These fleets are assumed to be moving along with the 'bubble' even though the models don't actually move on the table. Due to thin dust in the bubble, and the need to have room to maneuver if attacked, no ship may come within 6" of another (but may be at exactly 6" to enable it to support its neighbours).

Operations - No ship may leave the approximate center of the 'bubble', but you may reposition ships by moving them a maximum speed equal to engine ratings.

At the beginning of the game, you know the location of your own teams, but not where any of the enemy fleets are. Each team has special, long range scouting fighters inside the nebula, searching for bubbles containing the opposing sides carrier forces. At the beginning of each turn, each team may roll a d6 per enemy fleet to see if any of their scouts have located enemy ships (ie: if 2 teams are playing per side, each team may roll twice per turn, once vs EACH enemy fleet). If you roll a '1' on the d6, then your scouts have located that particular fleet. These scout fighters have no other effect on the game, and may not attack or be attacked.

Fighter Movement - The table is designed so that normal tech 4 fighters will take 2 movement phases to get from the long table edge to the center of the defending fleet. If you are using higher techs, or smaller tables, modify fighter movement so that standard and fast fighters require 2 movement phases to reach their targets, slow fighters should take 3 phases. If you need to modify fighter speed to obey this rule, then pretend the thin layer of dust within the bubble slows down all fighters (ie: all fighters move 1/2 speed for a 1/2 size table).

You are allowed to set up with fighters already deployed around your carriers. Once you have located an enemy fleet, you may attempt to attack it. Any fighter that hasn't moved since launching, may head into the nebula (points 2 & 3). Any fighters that HAVE moved since launching, may not join the attack - NO fighter may enter the nebula without a full load of fuel. To refuel, a fighter must be recovered, spend one turn on board, and re-launch. Any fighter attacked by an enemy squadron is treated as moved. Fighter combat may not continue into the nebula.

Fighter squadrons should be moved as 'groups' of up to 6 fighter squadrons of identical type. On the movement phase a fighter group leaves the table, it is instead placed on the very edge and is considered to be in the nebula. During the next fighter movement phase, declare which bubble it is attacking (or returning to) and roll a d6. On a 1-4 the group is transfered to the location in the target bubble that corresponds with the number rolled (although it is still considered to be in the nebula). On a 5-6 the group is delayed, and doesn't arrive this phase (roll again next phase). On the next movement phase after arriving, the group may move normally.

Victory - The winner is the side that destroys the highest number of points in enemy carriers (any ship carrying fighters).

Optional - use the below options for a little extra complexity.

SCOUTING - If another team on your side has located an enemy fleet, your scouting roll to find them yourself increases by 1 (ie: 1-2 on a d6). If enemy fighters entered the nebula last turn, heading back to their own bubble after attacking you, your roll also increases by 1 (for this turn only).

LOOSING CONTACT - Each turn you must roll to see if you've lost contact with any fleets you already had contact with. Before scouting rolls, roll a d6, if you roll a '1' you've lost contact. This includes your own sides fleets. If you're out of contact with other teams, you cannot get the +1 scouting modifier (if applicable) and you cannot send them aid if requested. You can regain contact with the normal scouting rolls.