Log:Resistance: Prodigal Daughter Pt I
Resistance: Prodigal Daughter Pt I
OOC Date: April 11, 2020
Location: Deep Space
Participants: The Resistance, Ektor, Callax Dalso, Elrych Cometburn, Karas Darkwing, Naome Naberrie as Erika Joduson
Republic spies had been hard at work decrypting what First Order data had been captured during the capture of Hanna City, and one particular detail was found to be especially time sensitive: scant hours before the Resistance sneak attack, a Kiltiran dungeon ship (the *Bulwark*) had collected political prisoners arrested on Chandrila, and had begun its slow hyperspace crawl to the next destination. Hundreds of suspected pro-Republic insurgents were reason enough to launch a rescue operation, but while the ad-hoc strike team was in hyperspace, a new wrinkle had been added: one of the prisoners (C11-05NE/60) was Lieda Mothma, the last surviving child of the still-mourned Mon Mothma.
The orders were: disable the *Bulwark*, keep it safe while the boarding team took control of the vessel, and get back to Chandrila before First Order reinforcements arrived.
The fighters and their landing craft (the Sentinel-class *Messenger*) emerged from hyperspace in the Corulas System- technically neutral, but a traditional Imperial bastion- moments before the First Order Dungeon ship and its escorts: a lancer-class frigate (the *Escutcheon*), and a squadron of TIEs. This would be a hard fight.
Four Gold Squadron Y-wings (two old S-3s with gunners on the ion turrets, and two newer single-pilot NR-2s) bank toward the First Order ships in a long diamond formation, the bomber on point being Gold 1. <<Arright, Goldies: everybody get a lock on the brig boat, one full volley of torpedoes oughta rekk up its shields.. Then ions to lock it down and we?ll see how the fight looks from there, yeah?>> He waits a long moment before adding, <<Holy drek, am I seriously in charge of this one? HA, we are REKKED. Arright, everybody who AIN'T in a bomber, uhh.. Blow up some eyeballs, yeah? Keep em off the wishbones.>>
Erika Joduson is seated behind Lt. Apollyon feeling refreshed and a bit more at ease. Her gloved hands flex, testing the tension of the coverings with a satisfied smirk on her face. "I'm ready if you are, Xer. Let's rekk these things up and head back for another drink. I'm /thirsty/." Her hand is brought out to the turret controls and she goes through the functions check, bringing the weapon online.
It's been a bit since Callax had seen special action like this; after the Battle of Exogol the pilot has been busy on less exciting duties, patrols and escorts, and naturally the constant moving of needed personnel and cargo between the various systems of the reorganizing Republic. Behind the stick of Black Ten once more, Callax keeps a ready hand on the yoke as the E-wing makes the sudden transition into realspace.
<< This is Black Ten, >> he reads calmly over combat frequencies as Ektor's orders filter in. << Moving to engage hostiles. >> An assertive whistle from Babo indicates he's ready to go as well.
Karas didn't know he was going to be leading this particular mission, he knows he has two people to thank for this honor, both their names was Poe and his brother Ektor. Oh well, he has led many other missions before joining Black Squadron, so he guesses it was about time. Order have been given out to the pilots on this mission, and as they waited for their targets to exit out of hyperspace, <<Alright people, we are live.>> he says as Black 5 screams out of hyperspace along the heels of Gold Squadron.
<<The rest of us fly cover, we need to hit hard and fast. No lolly gagging at all. I want to see clean flying and shooting.>> Karas says over the comms to the group of fighters with him. He settles in and get ready, <<Gold Lead, we got your back and we will make sure no one is taken down.>> Gripping the sticks of his controls, he shakes his head, <<Damn it, living up to my call sign.>> he says forgetting he was on his comms.
Black 12 appeared suddenly in real space, it's engines flaring forward as its pilot; Elrych Cometburn, shoved the throttle hard forward. S-Foils opened into attack position and shields went up. <<"Black 12 here, roger that hunting eyeballs.">>
Ektor grins as he flips fire control to torpedoes and gets a lock on the *Bulwark*. "I BET you're thirsty, yeah? Blowing drek up is thirsty work."
The convoy escorts must have been anticipating an ambush, as they respond swiftly, with the TIE squadron screaming to intercept the hostile fighters, and the Lancer frigate laying down a withering field of quad laser turret fire in front of the Dungeon ship. Ektor's smile sharpens as the lead Y-wing weaves weasily between the bolts of emerald cannonfire, but one of the trailing Y-wings (Gold 4) is hit both by a pursuing TIE, and by the broadsides of the Lancer. "Once the shields come down, light up the big boat, yeah?" he notes off handedly to his gunner. "Til then.. get you some, I guess."
"Oh, this is going to be great." Erika declares, bringing the turret about. The auditory noise of her targetting computer fills the air of the cockpit as she tries to engage a passing TIE. "Rekking hells those things are fast!" Annoyed. "Roger, just tell me when to shoot at the big'un, yeah?!"
Karas checked his scopes as they engaged the First Order ships. He sees the TIEs coming in and turbo lasers firing into his flight. <<Alright split and move in. Call in if you need help. The clock is ticking people, nothing fancy, let's move!>> Karas grunts as his ship rock as he tried to go into evasive manuevers as he tries to escape the incoming fire. Blue energy cascades over his ship as his shields drop after taking the hits. "Drek!" he says under his breath and he pulls back on the control stick and as he does, he sees a TIE coming in towards him, he quickly snaps off a shot towards the fighter, but he watches as the TIE/FO evades his fire.
Black Ten is a powerful fighter, but beneath its thick shields, its hull is rather thin - and knowing that, his style is much more like a knife-fighter than a slugger. Passing the horde, Callax selects one of the passing ships; locking the target, his fingers flex upon the triggers on the yoke, bidding the fighter belch a hail of swollen, angry red lances into the First Order TIE. Heavy as they are, the energy fire tears apart the TIE's shields, burning through one wing and part of the hull - but somehow the ship manages to hold on. Barely. /Barely/.
"Oh, you're not getting away from me that easily, darling," Callax muses to himsef, bringing he ship back around for another sash...
"Oh Kriff!" Elrych exclaims, his usual swinging tunes heard over comms as background noise his microphone picks up. A TIE is shooting at him and so are othe uglies, a number of them and seemingly all at once. <<"Everyone likes to pick on me!.">> He takes a steep turn, coming on the tail of an eyeball, <<"Black 12 on Alpha Three...">> As soon as he gets a tone, his tongue out in concentration as he expertly maneuvers the craft, fe fires and hits the FO hard with crimson death. "Just a little bit more..."
"I mean, *yeah*, sure they come on real fast, but they ain't got no teeth-" Ektor is drawling lazily on the subject of TIEs, breaking off the comment as one of the myriad shots impacts his shields, rocking the light bomber slightly on its approach. "Heh. See? Tickles." The rookie bombers in formation behind the Tionese pirate are faring slightly less well, with Golds 2 and 4 taking significant hits to their shields. A warble from R2-G13, and Ektor goes onto live comms, <<Hey, Grip. Pal. Buddy. Remember when you said them TIEs wasn't gonna hit my Wishbones? Heh, good times. So, can you all do me a solid and get them eyeballs clear of my rookies, yeah? Starting my boom run, now.>
So begins their bombing run, though Erika is distracted by the loud beeping noise coming from up front. It was Xer's flight HUD showing the status of Gold Squadron, and they weren't looking so good. Normally Erika would provide comic relief or some sarcastic quip, but those were her friends in those other fighters and she was concerned. "Just hang in there guys..." She says, regripping the turret control and trying to focus through the action. Ektor indicated he was starting his run, she replied. "Ready when you are, Xer."
Certainly the TIEs don't have teeth as sharp as Callax's, at least not yet. His quarry savaged already, Callax releases another salvo of heavy laser fire into the lead ship, obliterating it now in a cloud of flame and fragments. << Black Ten, splash one, >> he calls over the comms, still as calm as can be allowed under circumstances. << Moving to new target. >> But calm as he may sound, there's no hiding the poisonous little smile blooming on his painted lips.
<<Yeah I remember.>> Karas says into his comm as Alpha 2 tries to get away but angry red energy beams strike against the TIE's shield. Rolling through jade green energy blasts as he is being fired upon, the -80 X-Wing banks left and following it's target not letting it get away. <<Alright, we need to tighten this up, Gold Lead we will cover you.>> he calls.
Elrych continues his seemingly inhuman maneuvering through green laser fire as he chases down Alpha 3. Two more scores from his laser canons now rip through the shields and spark against the hull of the TIE but the craft is not down yet. He can only hope it flees and gives up but sometimes TIE pilots could be... obstenant.
<<That's great, cause, uh... Yeah, The Hutt-suckers lighting up my squad are.. you ready to take notes? Alphas Nine, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve. NOT THE PILES OF DREK YOU'RE DANCING WITH.>> Ektor gripes over comms, even while carrying out a devestating attack run that visibly overloads one of the vessel's multiple shield generators. The rookies- even while taking heavy fire- follow up with volleys of proton torpedoes and cannonfire that knocks out the shields, and starts the ionizing process, but the Dungeon Ship *Bulwark* is still functional, and struggling to regain its shields. <<Gold One to Messenger, you best start your approach now, yeah? One more pass oughta do it.>> Over his shoulder he advises Erika, "Go HARD, yeah?"
Through the remnants of his victim, Callax steers his ship toward the fighters harassing the Resistance bombers. << On my way, Gold Leader, >> he calls out as he punches the throttle to full - and as ridiculosly fast as it is, the guns are still slow, thus his latest salvo does not make a purchase on Alpha Nine. On the other hand...the TIE has something else to worry about now.
Erika nods when Ektor tells her to go HARD. Even though her initial attack misses, she continues to fire her turret until finally the ion lances strike the prison boat, saturating its hull with an electrical current that causes it to flounder after they pass. "WOOOOO! I GOT IT XER!" Erika screams, trying not to get cocky. It was a BIG ship, and she did miss it the first time!
Hearing his brother getting pissed, "Shit this is taking too damn long." <<All craft, move in to take on the fighters on Gold Squad NOW! They are taking a beating, I'm not wanting no one getting shot down. Now MOVE IT!>> he calls into his comms and as he speaks, Black 5 pulls up and does a Split-S and begins going after Gold Squadron, pushing more power into his engines, the S-Foils of his X-Wing closes and it speeds towards Gold Squadron and behind the four Alphas attacking them. Karas doesn't even open the s-foils of his X-Wing he begins firing lighting up the lead TIE watching it break away, he doesn't stop he continues on the three remaining TIES, <<We got you Gold.>>
Whether or not Alpha 3 was evasive and fleeing or not would not matter as the urgent call for more pressing targets to be taken out would be answered by the Ace pilot and Jedi of Black 12. He angles in on the last of the Squadron, one after his own number, but his bolts zip pass, losing a tone just as he fires. It was close.
His Gunner's triumphant report gets a curt, "Great, good job, now HANG ONTO SOMETHING," as Ektor veers sharply away from the Kiltiran class Dungeon ship, as the blue lightning of ionization crackles over the black hull, leaving the vessel inert and drifting in the void. <<Black squad: keep the rooks up, yeah? I'll be RIGHT BACK, I got a thing to do- Gold squad: go full evasive, yeah?>> The lead Y-wing drives at full acceleration straight at the Lancer. Quad lasers fill the void around him, one of the many strikes, drawing a *shields failing* warning from the panicked Astromech. In a reckless maneuver, he manages to slip the angry frigate's shields, and in a stroke of luck and skill, skims the hull to drop a proton bomb squarely above the long warship's reactor. A chain reaction of explosions begin to cripple the mortally wounded vessel. <REKK YOU, HUTT-SUCKERS.>>
In Gold 2, Mekil Colez's porcine squeal of triumph turns to alarm as sparks erupt from his flight console. The light bomber is still flying, but only barely.
Meanwhile, the Messenger streaks toward the crippled *Bulwark*.
Erika is doing her damnedest to help here, but Ektor's crazy flying has her planeted firmly in her seat with her knuckles and fingers losing color as she tries to track and shoot at A-10, the fighter terrorizing poor Mekil. Her valiant efforts are wasted when the fighter enters an evasive patter avoiding her shots. "Rekkin PIECE OF DREK!" She screams at her console, glaring her console.
Avoiding Erika, Alpha 10 flies right into the path of Callax's heavy guns. << On your six, Gold Three, >> Callax calls over comms, squeezing triggers again - and a new salvo of lasers tears through the TIE, grim judges sending the craft and pilot straight to Hell. Weaving and spinning through enemy fire, Callax only has a moment to peel past the flash of the cruiser's death before moving on the next fighter menacing his allies.
Avoiding Erika, Alpha 10 flies right into the path of Callax's heavy guns. << On your six, Gold Three, >> Callax calls over comms, squeezing triggers again - and a new salvo of lasers tears through the TIE, grim judges sending the craft and pilot straight to Hell. Weaving and spinning through enemy fire, Callax only has a moment to peel past the flash of the cruiser's death before moving on the next fighter menacing his allies.
The S-Foils of Black 5 open finally, <<Alright, we got them. Gold Squadron continue as yoru Squad Lead stated, we are cover you. Black Squadron, move in and intercept and keep Gold Squadron covered.>> he calls out. As he says that he lines up a shot and fires on Alpha 11, but misses as the TIE goes evasive. "Shit, Spark patch up us." he calls to his droid. His shields are at half, but Karas knows that he will need them fully back up.
Elrych Cometburn looks towards the exploding lancer,<<"Drek Xer... you are a kriffin wizzard.">> That really was one in a million. He engages Alpha 12 once more, this time scoring a hit on its shields.
Ektor exhales sharply, his flash of anger mollified by the unexpected effect of the bomb. "Huh. Whatever that hit, it must been important." Erika's cursing brings him back around to the fight. In the time his old light bomber needs to swing back around into the spatial melee, he sees Black Squadron drive the worst of the heat off the bombers, adding a blast that chases one TIE clear of Gold 3. <<We go HARD, yeah?>>
The Messenger has docked, the boarding team has begun their own battle, and the TIEs have noticed; Alphas 7 and 8 break off the dogfight, screaming through the void toward the immobile *Messenger*.
Erika has her tongue sticking out slightly, her head hurting from the constant concentration as she focuses upon her targetting read out. When their ship shifts, and a fighter comes into range, she squeezed the trigger releasing a salvo of blue arch lances that collided against the TIE's shields. "HA! YOU PIECES OF REKKING DREK!" Erika screams in triumph, but the fight isn't over.
Another fighter killed and the nuggets warded off, Callax's expanded vision allows him to sight the fighters breaking off for the /Messenger/. Punching it again, Callax fires another salvo, but the heavy bolts hurl well past the TIE targeted. "Damn," he mutters to himself, "But maybe that will wake them up..."
Karas chuckles at his brother and he is impressed with the pilots on their side, <<Keep it together people. Wingman watch your leads wing, make sure we're covering one another.>> he says. Karas sees Ektor is going after Alpha 11. << I got that last TIE on your nugget and they should be clear.>> he says and as he speaks up he fires scoring a couple hits causing Alpha 6 to break off.
Elrych Cometburn is rocked by another laser as he angles in on the same tie he has been chasing for the last little bit. His R2 unit whirls and starts to repair. Just as soon as his shields were down, they were back up again. He maneuvers away from two other craft firing at him before taking one more shot at 12.. it goes wide. "Frell."
<< I see it, yeah? That's more LIKE it,>> Ektor crows over comms, baring his teeth in a sharp grin as his gunner tags one of the TIEs barreling down on the *Messenger*, and Ektor's cannons score the shields of the other, driving both off their attack run. "Nice *touch*, back there. Genius, make yourself usefula d fix up these shields, yeah? I'm tired of hearing the 'shields failing' buzzer." A binary suggestion that he stop getting shot is ignored. <<Let's wrap these Hutt-suckers up.>>
It's not long after Ektor's grinning yell of triumph that their ship goes into a bit of crazy flying. Unable to get a good lock, Erika simply held down the trigger of her turret making the blue lances chase after a TIE comically. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed from the back seat, desperately doing her part!
Karas keeps on the TIE he's dancing with, though as he does, he sees at a glance jade green energy flying towards him. Black 5 rolls away from one salvo but is hit hard by another. He quickly flip switches as he smells smoke within his fighter. <<Everyone call in!>> he calls to the fighter/bomber group. He is still on Alpha 6, he wasn't going to let this fighter get away as his shots miss completely.
With his comrades largely safe, it's of course Ektor who, at the last, is getting the pounding. << Coming your way, Gold Leader, >> calls Callax over comms, wheeling away to bring into his sights one of the TIEs that harass the Y-wing captain, stitching through the void with another string of red light. Alas, this time around, his guns do not find purchase, being avoided by the target. "Bloody H-shaped bastage," he mutters to himself, painted lips drawn into a rather inelegant snarl. "Get out of my sky!"
Elrych continues to chase the TIE even as it maneuvers to disengage and bug out. "That's right, run you yella sun of a nurfherder. Don't come back if ya know what's good for you." The shot he had fired at it was a clear miss. Eggsy, his droid, whistles the negative progress on getting the shields back up... and a little something extra. "What? Yes, I know they can't actually hear me... it's fine, they're running away..."
A laugh rises in Ektor's throat at the bowling Devaronian in the gunner's seat at his back. Guiding the nose cannons around to anticipate the fleeing TIE's movements, he pours laser fire into the First Order fighter until it detonates. "No lie? I like your enthusiasm," he drawls, before clicking comms live. <<Gold One, looks like the Eyeballs is bugging out- Heheh.. Everybody see what I did there?>> He goes off comm to get the rest of his amusement out. <<Arright, thanks for the backup there, Fancypants. Gold Squad, where you at?>> Golds 2, 3, and 4 report in, and the pirate in the lead Y-wing lets out a long breath and cracks a crooked smile. <<Who else is feeling thirsty?>>
