"Captain, the targets are assuming tactical formations. Looks like a flanking maneuver." An Ensign said, his voice calm, almost monotone. The Captain of the cruiser Raahe, Menshikov, studied a large transparent board in front of him, which displayed the positions of the vessels in his own strike force and those of the alien fleet.
'Thank you, ensign.' He punched some commands into his seats control panel 'Standard anti-flanking procedures to be issued to all ships. Inform the Captain of the Opyt to begin planetary descent A-SAP.' Several ensigns nodded and began busying themselves with their tasks.
The strike force began to move - the imperial warships formed two thick clusters to the right and left in the hope of repelling flanking attacks, whilst the smaller merchant ships, with three larger cruisers, assembled in the center but spaced further apart. This would make them harder to hit and enable them to rush forwards and move closely among the enemy vessels, not necessarily hoping to destroy but cause disarray, diverting enemy weapons and scrambling motion sensors. It was imperative that the reinforcements land, no matter what the cost.