Hell Rock Fights Again!

See Hell Rock.

Ferune's flagship, Hell Rock, was bombarded, battered and abandoned but remains in Avalonian orbit. When the Terrans attack the planet a second time, the wrecked flagship's automatic weapons open fire but she is so distant, and lacking in both ammunition and range, that she can easily be bypassed. The Terrans, falling into a second trap (see here), aim to land on the uninhabited Equatorian continent where they will build a bridgehead on the Scorpeluna plateau, which is isolated by air currents and surrounding mountains.

The outer planetary defense is fortresses of different sizes in hundreds of orbits and angles to the ecliptic, most automatic, all continually resupplied from the planetary surface but all now detected, and some destroyed, since the first Terran attack. Squadrons approach at high velocity and acceleration, enter range of a target, fire missiles, then flee at unpredictable vectors, making as many passes as necessary to destroy a fortress. Missiles rising through atmosphere against gravity from zero initial speed cannot hit such spacecraft and stop trying.

The Imperials destroy only those fortresses that would threaten their landing force but also bombard the moon, Morgana, where they destroy mountains, and hit the Avalonian town, Centauri, with radiation, thus diverting Avalonian resources into relief and rescue and preventing any counterattack from that quarter. Small Terran ships escort the landing craft, stopping missiles, then attacking their source, hitting negafields and bunkers with beams and torpedoes, completing the job on a second pass. The Terrans are down and in trouble.