Log:Sabers over Socorro-Sentinel Flight

Sentinel Flight's portion of the Socorro mission. Where Sentinel flight draws off the Tie/SF guarding the secret base allowing the other flights to attack.

OOC Date: October, 19th 2021
Location: Asteroid field around Socorro
Participants: Ax, Jax Greystorm

Saber Squadron had been assembled in the fighter hangar again in the fold chairs that were brought out for such things. There was a pot of caf on the side table but none of the snacks from C3PO or the local bakery. Jax had waited for most of them to arrive and settle down before he’d took to standing in front of the squad. The BB unit and mouse droid were back and being under his feet. “Alright listen up, New Republic Intel got us a mission. This is not a training mission or a blue milk escort mission. For the last several weeks, freighters have been disappearing in the Socorro system in the asteroids. It was chalked up to local pirates but the Chancellor’s office was asked to look into it as a favor from some of the locals. The Chancellor's office requested a NR Intell fly over to the area. What you’re about to see was recorded by the flyby.” %R %R The mouse droid holopro jected what looked like blue field of asteroids from the nose cone of an X-wing with a second X-wing over to the side. Flying through the asteroid field, all of a sudden the second X-wing explodes and followed by an explosion of the ship carrying the camera. Jax coughs, “For those of you without perfect vision droids allow. Let me play that for you a second time slower. As the X-wings go flying through the asteroid field, a large base of some type attached to a large asteroid is seen. Then moments later a Tie/SF appears out of nowhere as it blows up up the other X-wing. Then it seems to disappear and the camera goes wavey.

Jax coughs, “I’ll let that settle in for a moment. We’ve determined that a secret Tie production facility is set up in the asteroids. We don’t know who it belongs. It could be First Order, Sith, or some other player. Though disturbingly what you just saw was a Tie/SF with stealth capabilities. We see those with Tie Silencers and another older Tie model thought destroyed. We don’t know what’s going on there if these are prototypes or something about to come rolling across the galaxy.” Jax stops to take a breath before continuing. “ So our mission is to disable the defenses, infiltrate the base extract what information we can, and blow it up. Sentinel flight, we’re going to be jumping in and engaging the Ties. Trying to draw them off from the base. Guardian flight your mission is to hit the defenses on the base take out the shields and turrets. Vector flight, I’m sorry you guys got the short straw. You’ll be flying the Painted Guardian and landing to extract information and blow the base. I’ve got the charges loaded on the ship. They’re Kael proof. That being said Nerys don’t let him lose any fingers. We lift off in ten. You’re astromechs and the ship computers are being loaded with any more data. May the force be with you.”

The Aethersprites of Sentinel flight had came out along one of the old smuggler routes Ax had known closest to the base. Jax made some minor adjustments. << Alright Saber 3, you want to take the lead on this. Lets go stir up the gundark nest.>>

Socorro was where Ax grew up, this asteroid belt was where he cut his teeth in the cockpit. The pirates and smugglers of Socorro were his family, the blaster on his side was a Caeli-Merced, manufactured here, and even the crystals in his lightsaber were harvested here, made from desert glass, where lightning struck the black sands of the Do'aba wastelands and crystalized the sand. While his lineage might date back to Eshan, it was Socorro that the Echani pilot always knew as his homeworld. It felt good to be back. <<"Roger that, Saber Leader. If these bogeys are out here, I know how to get their attention. I'd suggest keeping your shields hot and try to keep up.">> Ax says. The fact that someone was building TIEs in Socorro space had him a bit miffed, this was home. He had family here, he'd be damned if the FO or the Sith were gonna hide a base here without him at least trying to do something about it.

Punching the throttle to full, Saber 3 is rushing straight for the asteroid field. <<"Buster will send you telemetry data for the movements of the asteroids. Just stick close and match my speed and you'll be good. Let your sensors focus on any anomolies.">> This was exactly where Ax took the Phantoms to test their capabilities, and he'd been flying these asteroid belts for decades. Opening himself up to the force, amplified by the headset on his Aethersprite, the pilot and ship were one as they zoomed dangerously close to floating rocks.

Jax laughs as Seventy makes a comment, "You best listen to him. He knows what he's talking about and Buster won't lie to us." Jax scan the scopes, << I hear you Saber 3. YOu're Pathfinder for sure. >> Jax falls in behind Saber 03. Then at a last moment, Jax pulls his ship back and throttle down just as a TIe fighter appears shooting between him and Saber 03. << Saber 01, We got company and I just lost him. You guys got anything?>>>

<<"Got a tail,">> Ax says over comms. <<"Three bogies total,">> he adds once he's focused his vision into a different spectrum. <<"Shift to an electromagnetic or gama ray spectrum with your vision if you can.">> he adds as the Echani goes into an offensive maneuver, unleashing a blast from the Aethersprite's rotary lasers into what would appear to most others as empty space.

Feeling the force through him, Jax allows it to guide him as BB-70 screams that the Corellian is insane. The first and third shot misses but the middle one hits his shields glancing them. "Yeah I know, it's not bad flying for not being able to track the enemy." Then Jax using this sensor data provided by Buster and tracing Ax's line of fire opens up on one of the Tie/SF and scores a hit. <Clipped you're target. Just trying to help. I think there's about Six of them out here. Cause I"m getting a whole bunch of shots while you're targeting you.>> Lets just hopes it's six. He tries to shift to the electromagnetic spectrum, and there's nothing there but some distant tinges. << I think they're there but this jammer is good.>>

<<"Yep, there's more than 3,">> Ax says as he evades incoming fire. Them not showing up on sensors makes it tough, but with the asteroid field at least it was hard for the enemy to get a solid lock on the small snub-fighter while it was still flying at a high speed. <<"One down. More to go. I think only five, but who knows? All I have are visuals.">> And, the Echani is going evasive as he's banking around another asteroid.

As Ax kills one of the Tie/SF in a massive fireball. The other five move in to strike and miss the nimble jedi fighters. Jax's Aethersprite goes in a spin dodging around the asteroids. << Nice kill. Just remember we're keeping these guys busy for the other flights to do their missions.>> Jax says as he was trying to string along the Ties before he does a K-turn around an asteroid and opens fire on a Tie/SF, the pilot juking out of Jax's line of sight. << You're the hometown boy, Saber 3, got any ideas?>>

<<"Maybe get them to give chase? They're not as nimble as we are, maybe we can lead them on a chase until they crash?">> Ax says over the comms as he begins sliding between the drifting asteroids. <<"This is where the tractors on my Avenger are nice,">> he adds. No way he could use telekinesis, it wasn't his strongsuit and he'd not be able to focus on flying at the same time.

Jax lines up a shot with the rotary canons as one tries to swoop in to attack Ax. He connects with a shot causing the Tie/SF to roll to his right. It was the last move the pilot will ever make as there was an astroid there. << No dice. I don't know what these guys do for flight school but it's good. Let's just keep them occupied. I don't know if now's the time to talk about the superiority of Sienar ships, Tie guy. I'm going to pull a wounded duck maneuver. Fly a bit slower, have Seventy vent some gasses. Give you a clear shot.>> Jax says as he zips ahead and gets way too close to an asteroid looking like he gave it a kiss. Seventy complaints but vents atmosphere and Jax pulls back on his throttle a bit. << Would Wounded duck noises on open channel be too much?>>

Well, Ax's last plan didn't work, so he was up for suggestions. He'd even taken a hit causing his shields to flare up with a bright yellow glow. <<"Roger that, boss. Gonna post on your deep six and fire at anyone who tries to come after crippled prey.">> There's a bit of a sigh. "Buster, see if you can get those shields back to full if you don't mind. We might need them after all." And, when Jax pulls his stunt, it does as expected and lures in one of the TIEs for an easier shot. Ax of course takes advantage while his droid is working on refreshing the shields.

Ax stays on the tail of the same TIE that he'd shot before, <<"These things are damned tough,">> he says with a sigh, as he once again opens up with a barrage from his rotary laser. <<"Scratch another one. Persistant buggers, aren't they? And yeah, I wanna get one of these headsets installed in every ship I fly.">>

Buster fortunately is capable of handling the shields. "Thanks bud," he says to the droid. <<"Would be nice to make one of these guys bug out, just to see where they're coming from and how they've gone undetected. The locals would damn sure not put up with them being here.">>

The three Tie/SF open fire at the jedi fighters but quickly figure out it's been a losing battle with these fighters. Jax opens fire one last time causing the Tie/SF to explode. The two remaining fighters turn and run figuring out they're too far from base. They break off screaming back towards the base.

Saber 3 banks around another asteroid, letting the meteorite soak up the laser bolts from the enemy TIE/sf, and when he comes back around the asteroid, the two remaining TIEs are in retreat. No way he wouldn't get off a parting shot, and he lights up the ass end of one of the vessels before it gets out of range. <<"I want to give chase, but there's no way we'd be able to do so undetected. Hopefully Guardian and Vector will be able to get some better intel. Might want to make sure to let them know how to defeat the stealth.">> Granted, that was a more advanced ability, and Ax wasn't sure what members of the team could pull it off.

The two Tie go zipping off into the asteroid field and disappear off sensors and by the naked eye.. Seventy alerts Jax to the fact that Guardian flight just moved into position. <<Saber 05, this is Saber Leader. We thinned them down for you. There are two bogueys out there. So keep you're heads on a swivel. Transmitting what data we have to Ohno. If members can shift their senses to the electromagnetic spectrum it helps. May the Force be with you.>> Jax pulls into formation with the rest of Sentinel Flight. << Good work. Let's be ready to support the other flights.>>