Log:Air Battle of Strong Badia
First Order and Rogue Squadron Fight over the Refuse Center
OOC Date: November 6, 2015 (Optional)
Location: Death Star
Participants: Jessika PAva, David Ironside, Tallie Lintra, Elrych Cometburn, Nova Korell
Not all deployments can be ones made of legend. Infact, most probably weren't - which is why our heroes would rarely ever see them. However, this is where a few of Rogue Squadron would find themselves. While the Waste Reclamation game had not been completely quiet, it would seem that things had really been settled. Because of that, rotations had slowly begun and that is where we now find these intrepid few. The CAP (or combat air Patrol) consisted completely of Rogue Squadron.
The Emissions of the waste management facilities was such that low altitude flights were required - as everything could get mixed up if they flew to high. The landscape would be one of disappointment as the various landfills and facilities to convert them back into renewable energy showed - thank god that the fighters were sealed and had their own pressurization.
<"This reminds me of Ord Mantell a little bit. Not as bad, but.."> Quipping over the comm, Major Jessika Pava keeps her snubfighter level with its horizontal situation indicator. The s-foils are currently closed, affording her craft the most speed that it's capable of thanks to lessened wind resistance. She's not relaxed, but she's... comfortable. Everything feels alright. Hand on flight stick and the other on the throttle, Jessika glacnes towards her multi-purpose color display to check the sensors again. She's on the lookout for indicators of unidentified or hostile craft, and she's not content to let Ailee warble a warning when the time comes. The lowered ceiling on the operation is the only thing that has her slightly uneasy. <"Keep it tight, Rogues.">
Flying support for sewage treatment plants and toxic waste dumps... well, Nova Korell has fought for less savory causes than proper waste disposal. Like the First Order, for instance, if only reluctantly. Rogue Eleven drops into atmo with the telltale glow of reentry, coming out of the dive at about angels three. That's close enough to see the landfills and reclamation facilities. <Rogue Eleven, have sighted the objectives. At least we don't have to smell them to protect them.>
Rogue Squadron, waste disposal unit. That thought is on David Ironside's mind as he flies the X-Wing designated Rogue 8, with his right hand on the stick and the other on controls. Mainly life support integrity, to keep the smell of said waste on the outside. <<"Rogue 8, reporting in. Cockpit sealed and safe from the stink.">> he comms in, a quick eye on a display to note that in fact his systems are all running and operational.
Green and Yellow ichor dribbles down the sides of many of the larger mounds of trash and debris. White and Blacksmoke billows from the various buildings that continue processing. During this time, it would be easy to miss the small specks in the distance - the sensors were definetly not doing Rogue Squadron any favors. However, in the very narrow distance - several specks can be seen. It would only be a few moments before these specks would be identified as First Order Tie Fighters.
A possible strike force just attempting to do some damage and stall Republic operations... It was a good thing that they had been noticed first or that would have hurt.
<"I've got them. Eight hostiles incoming, low. Watch your altitude and your speed. This garbage is just a crash waiting to happen."> Dipping her nose forward to gain some speed, Jessika vectors for the approaching craft. Ahead of the other Rogues, it means she's out front just like the lead TIE, and although TIE craft tend to be faster, the fact that she's dipped down versus the TIEs having to streak up gives her an advantage. The high ground typically affords them that. Triggering her s-foils, the craft's iconic wings lock into attack position. Jessika doesn't have to wait long before her targeting computer has a firing solution and she doesn't waste the opportunity afforded her. A quartet of red lasers lance out and while the TIE responds and manages to juke out of the way of the bulk of her shots, leaving them to impact against trash heaps, one shot does land and causes the TIE's shields to ripple.
"Jammer, designate the reclamation facilities as mission-critical and store them in the targeting computer," Nova says to her can-shaped backseater. "Use whatever numbers you have to, but monitor their status. We've got to protect those facilities." For the moment, she ignores the landfills themselves. The trash can take care of itself. Jammer blats and has the facilities marked and stored in moments. It's dull work, sort of like bean-counting, but it's far from beyond his capabilities, especially with a T-85 flight computer backing him up. Jessika's transmission comes a half-second before Nova's own sensors pick up the incoming TIEs. <Confirmed, both hostiles and the count,> she calls back. <Recommend we split those formations; then we might have a chance. Those facilities are too big to miss, even with the terrain hazards. I'm on the second ship...> Eleven rolls inverted and dives, picking up the second TIE's tail within moments. Three of her four shots connect, battering the FO ship's shields but not penetrating... yet. She pulls up to avoid a tall, teetery spire of refuse that topples in the wake of the two fighters. <Watch out, Rogues! Some of these guys aren't half bad!>
<<"Hostiles confirmed.">> David reports, hand flicking over the s-foils control to open the wings into attack position. "Ones, designate them one through eight and track the third for me." he instructs the astromech droid wired into all the systems. The droid is outside, but lacks stink receptors, so it works out. <<"Going after Three.">> he reports, and, putting his money where his mouth is, adds a couple of TIE wings to the waste wasteland. The cockpit not so much, it vaporizes almost immediately upon impact with the last of the X-Wing's laser blasts. <<"Aaaand scratch that one off your cards.">> the Naboo pilot reports. If you're playing along with space-bingo, that's the center column, bottom row.
<<"Hostiles confirmed.">> David reports, hand flicking over the s-foils control to open the wings into attack position. "Ones, designate them one through eight and track the third for me." he instructs the astromech droid wired into all the systems. The droid is outside, but lacks stink receptors, so it works out. <<"Going after Three.">> he reports, and, putting his money where his mouth is, adds a couple of TIE wings to the waste wasteland. The cockpit not so much, it vaporizes almost immediately upon impact with the last of the X-Wing's laser blasts. <<"Aaaand scratch that one off your cards.">> the Naboo pilot reports. If you're playing along with space-bingo, that's the center column, bottom row.
"Sensors at maximum, Fiver." Like the rest of the mixed flight, Commander Lintra is glad for pressurized cockpits and air filtration. Tilting the T-85 to port, she strains to see through the miasma above the facility, opens the S-foils, and pulls back on the throttle, relying on instrument readings. <<"Copy that Captain Pava.">>
Orange brackets stutter on the targeting computer until they have a lock. At the last minute the other pilot must feel the heat being directed on him and veers out from under her lasers
And battle was met.. As the Red and Green pulse lazers fired back and forth - they began to interweave with the fumes which would cause distinct colors of light blues, dark blues, Pink and Magentas, and more. It would be quite beautiful if one didn't consider it was ion weapons mixing with the waste of hundreds of different biologicals to create this putrid mist.
With Grunge Squadron taking a pretty hard beating, the Ties would break off and try to utilize the mounds of waste to keep an edge - vying for a better shot at the intrepid heroes.
<"Good shot, Rogue Eight!"> Within moments of the engagement, one of theirs has knocked a target out of the sky. After the merge, Jessika goes for the vertical again, looping up and around to help keep her away from the spires of garbage and not wanting to get into a rate fight on the horizontal plane just because that raises her chances of smashing into one. It'd be too easy to get concentrated on keeping her eyes on her target and wind up putting her nose where it doesn't belong in a more literal sense. Her target doesn't do the same. As the Leader weaves around a trash spire and aborts their turn, Jessika comes in from above, targeting solution acquired on the craft. Another squeeze of the trigger and this time there's not a single shot that misses. Grunge Leader comes apart in a burst of debris and an explosion that avalanches a nearby hill of trash. <"Rogue Three, splash one!">
<Way to take out the trash, Eight!> Nova coms, now in a scissoring match with the second TIE, whose hasty shot isn't even close. She notes two TIE Fighters moving to gang up on Tallie. <Just need a sec... and I can give you a hand, Six!> This time, the X-Wing lives up to its killer reputation and cheats a turn tight enough to get a sight picture with a TIE in the center. The TIE, notorious for its poor handling in atmosphere, nearly skids as it yaws to vector away; space-trained pilot, for sure. All four crimson bolts smash through deflectors and one solar panel, sending the doomed craft diving for the turf, where it cartwheels into one of the refuse fields. <Send that one for recycling!> Nova coms, soaring away from the kill site. <On my way, Six!>
David grins at the incoming congratulations, replying simply, <<"I'm moving on Four.">> with a sudden juke through a colorful column of smoke, trailing the purple stuff behind his craft for a moment. When the display tells him there's another TIE locked in, thanks to Ones listening in on his comms, his grin fades and his business-like demeanor returns. The craft emits a couple of blasts, sinking one in while the others are expertly dodged. <<"I'm sure those shields won't hold much more!">> he reports. He's unable to stay on the TIE, though, as it's in full 'do not get downed by David' mode.
The TIE running from Ironside's lasers that had left it in pain was befuddled. Tallie overrides the target she had intended to paint the confused pilot with more red. It disappears off the sensors behind a mountain of detritus, out of the game. <<One more for the pile, splash Grunge Four.">> "Okay, Fiver let's re-target."
- CHK* "...s i. ..w R....... ....a.d! .. .a.e ... ....l.. .......s .. .ou..! .... .r. c..... .n..r r...r .n. .l.... l.., .... ...e a ..a. .. ..e .. the r..l....... .it..! I..'. a .r.p!" *CHK*
A badly garbled message comes through the comms - barely able to be parsed out. The voice distinctly twi'lek in accent, it's hard to tell what was being said.
However, that is not all of their problems as Several of the Grunge Pilots make substantial hits on Rogue Squadron. The fighting is continuing on, but it would seem that Grunge squadron is outclassed.
As soon as her target is down, Jessika jukes. Getting a firing solution on one target and needing that one moment of having lead on the enemy to put it down means being vulnerable to someone else, and no sooner has that thought gone through her head than does she feel the subtle shudder of a minor hit pinging off her shields. "Bolster shields, Ailee." Jessika's juke puts her above plane of her last location, and from there she's quick to invert her craft by pulling a u-turn. She spins it back up to rightside up within moments, and angles her craft towards another of the TIEs trying to angle on them. She aborts her run on a TIE, though, when a garbled message starts to come through. Immediately banking up towards the sky, Jessika darts her attention towards her instrument panel and moves her hand off the throttle to start to interact with her radio. <"Unknown station on this net, repeat last. This is Rogue Three of Rogue Squadron."> It starts to get clearer, but Jessika isn't satisfied and shifts attention from adjusting frequency to boosting the signal reception. While Ailee gets her shields restored, Jessika concentrates on discerning the message. <"Rogue Three to Major Lintra. I've got an incoming message from New Republic command. Believe it to be about stealth fighters inbound. Attempting to clean up the message.">
Well, that's bound to confuse: The TIEs have suddenly all switched targets, and they're chasing after different X-Wings than before! So much for helping Tallie; Nova winces as her fighter shakes under a blast from one of those TIEs. <Inconsistent little backstabbers, aren't they?> she mutters. <Be with you in a sec, Six! I've got to deal with a problem of my own, all of a sudden...> That garbled transmission is puzzling, too. "Jammer, can you... never mind! We need those deflectors too bad," she orders, wincing at the staticky mess coming through her headset. She's a little busy trying to outmaneuver that stubborn TIE that just blasted her. Jammer whistles acknowledgement. Fix this, fix that... the chance to do something useful with /communications/ would've been a nice change! She finally pulls the old stand-by for atmosphere when you're fighting TIEs: Sideslip and hit the retros, and they'll fly right by. And the bogey designated as Grunge Six does exactly that, unable to sideslip in response because the ship would spin out of control and crash! Nova sideslips the other way and fires when the TIE slides into her sights, turning the FO marauder into a fireball. Thank the Maker for aerodynamics... and quad-linking! Still, she doesn't want to be there once that flaming wreckage hits the landfill below. So much incendiary waste gas... The deflector indicator suddenly fills up, accompanied by a triumphant bleat from Jammer. "Nice, little buddy," Nova replies, Immelmanning to get back to the fight over the landfills. "Hopefully Jessika's got that transmission puzzled out..."
David marvels at the tactics the TIEs are employing, switching their targets near effortlessly. It is that sudden shift that causes David to lose track of his target in the mess of TIEs, X-Wing and smoking columns. He tracks the TIE down, double-checking to make sure it's the same one he'd had a read on, and fires. The pilot is gone with the stinky wind, though, immediately juking to the side to avoid David's attack. <<"Dodgy ones, aren't they?">> he comments dryly.
The eight TIE's sent to protect the dump suffer under the barrage of lasers from Rogue Squadron. Grinning, she comments to her droid, "I only have three left on my scope, Fiver. What's with that?" With a roll to the left, Rogue Seven moves in to target one of the last left of the group. It too disappears from scopes as it skips off the top of a heap, scattering it in all directions.
Comms crackles with a message crossing her own, <<That's splash, Grunge 5. Coming around. Hold on. Copy that, Rogue 3. Good work. First one to get them on scopes, free drinks on me.">>
The sound of sultry yet quick music cuts through the static of Rogue Squadrons communications frequency. <<"Rouges... can confirm. Stealth Fighters in bound. Looks like thie group you wre tusstling with before were bait or a distraction. Keep your scopes up and your eyes open.">> Elrych Cometburn's voice was cock sure and lathered with a Corellian Accent. He had just arrived, his fast and agile E-Wing blasting through the sky towards the ongoing Dog Fight.
True to the words that had been spoken, In the distance - two different vessels could be seen. The Experimental stealth fighters of the First Order becoming quickly seen. Both of the vessels were coming in at a strafing run of the facilities, however at the arrival of Elrych and the apparent loss of the element of surprise - One of them peels off and begins making a bee line for Rogue Sqaudron. This leaves only one continuing on.
The last remaining Grunge Squadron Member continues fighting - though it seems this was a losing fight from the beginning - taking a shot on Tallie and missing.
<"Rogue Three to Rogue Squadron. Two craft incoming under radar from three-six-seven! One is breaking off to engage us, the other is going for a run on one of the facilities. I'm engaging."> Angling her X-Wing towards the facility and the stealth fighter, Jessika puts throttle to full to run an interception on it. "Ailee, work on deciphering the rest of that message. Something about a trap. I don't like it." She's fully aware that she could be going into a trap by pursuing, but there's also the possibility that this target is about to cause civilian or friendly casualties, and Jessika can't have that. Diving down gives her a lot of extra power for the intercept, and once her targeting computer figures a solution, she once againt doesn't hesitate. Just like her first target, she gets one ping off the target's shields and hopes that's enough to encourage it off its current course.
David breaks off pursuit of Seven with the news Elrych and Jessika pass on of the stealth fighters. <<"I'm on the second stealth fighter.">> he reports, meeting it head-on and blasting. Some stealth fighter, it's right there in plain sight! At least it's piloted by someone who knows what he's doing, as the fighter swivels left and right, eventually blowing straight past David's X-Wing. <<"I'm in pursuit!">> he calls out, turning the ship over, upside down and without throttle, before pushing the throttle forward again as the horizon levels out on David's displays again, although it's the wrong way around now. Parallel is parallel, and with that in mind, David corkscrews himself back with the correct side facing down again.
Leaving the stealth fighter in the excellent hands of the rest of the squadron, the completionist in Tallie wants to cross the t's. A loop brings her back into position to engage Grunge 7, but he slips out from under all four of her lasers. She keeps a careful eye on the incoming, wary of only seeing two on the scopes but expecting more.
Elrych spies Jess going after the stealth fighter moving in for the straffing run. He maneuvers the quick E-Wing to intercept along the port bow. He waits until David has his shot from behind before squeezing the trigger on his yoke. At least one Heavy lazer smashes into the shields. He passes the craft, turning tightly to come around for another shot, his music picking up in tempo as he does so.
While the hits are pretty distinct on Assassin Two, it attempts to return the favor. Ofcourse, Grunge 7 and Tallie continue to swap blows.. atleast attempting two.
Assassin one One is not detered, even if it is taking damage. The Computer Systems as well as the vectors confirm that the ship is lining up its shot to take out the facilities - paying no mine to Jessika - atleast for now.
Getting directly behind the craft, who is not supposed to move out of his attack vector during his run, Jessika's lead on the target is good, but the squeeze of the trigger results in nothing but shots missing the craft as it streaks towards its target with its missiles waiting for lock. Baffled at the situation, Jessika maintains her pursuit of the craft and sees another shot ping off the target's shields. Cursing under her breath, she accelerates her X-Wing as much as possible, hoping for the opportunity to engage the enemy again before it's able to engage the facility.
David swings away from Assassin 2, deciding instead to go for the stealth fighter that's making a bee-line for the facility. It's being assaulted by several Rogue fighters now, but it's still going. David frowns as he offers the fighter too much of a lead in his haste to catch up. <<"He's taking all of our hits!">> he calls out as he watches his own blast visibly dissipate on the shields of the fighter.
Eyes still following the outcome of the hits on the two stealth fighters, Tallie relentlessly dogs Grunge 7. She loses him for a moment behind a discharge the size of a small mountain then gets him back on her scope. She flies in fast on his zenith. Two hits damage its shields but leave him in the game.
<<"Good, Rogue 8, they're tough.">
Assasin turns to follow Elrych as he means to come about and around to get an advantage on the fighter. The E-wing is fast and Elrych is even faster. He sees the bolts coming before they even leave the cannons. Maneuvering away from the streaking bolts of death, he notice Assasin one continuing on their straffing run. <<"Rogue Four comign to help.">> He turns in twoards the streight flying fighter. Lining up a shot, he squeezes the trigger of his yoke, three heavy laser canons streaking towards the craft.
As the combined forces of Rogue Squadron begin to lay down upon Assassin One - the Pilot veers off, not having what they call in the First Order a 'death wish'. The starfighter ducks under onto the ground - trying to make it even hard to get hit and begins to make their exist.
Grunge 7 - not reading the room all that well - continues his dogfight with Tallie.. Not noticing that he is standing alone.
Assassin Two moves to line up with Elrych, but as the Jedi decides to go for the other threat - an opening presents itself..
The Stealth Fighter comes aboutand does a twirl, firing off its rocket towards the facility. The Rocket dives right past the building proper, hitting one of the garbage mountains causing it to explode - sending up debris will into the atmosphere and setting the entire field on fire. The Mount falls onto the facility - causing damage. Emergency vehicles on the ground can be seen heading towards it. On the Open comms a rather snooty british voice can be heard, the signal traced back to Assassin Two.
<<When we were given this mission, we were told that Rogue Squadron was the best of the best. Glad to see they weren't wrong.. Not that it mattered. Resistance, New Republic. Doesn't matter what they call you - you failed the Hosnian System.. and you'll fail Carida..>>
<"Big talk for someone who is too afraid to stay and fight and can't even get in under the radar without being spotted. Cowards are always so full of themselves."> Jessika's as quick to fire off a rebuttal as she is to fire off shots at the initial target who has abandoned the run on the facility. <"You didn't even blow up the target. Do you guys miss EVERYTHING you shoot at?"> The laser cannon fire from her X-Wing hits the ground as Assassin One wildly maneuvers to avoid the incoming fire. She can tell the pilot is afraid from the erratic piloting. Almost dying will do that to someone.
<<"First Order training 101, claim victory as soon as you hit something.">> David notes with a slight smirk. <<"It's because it barely happens.">> he adds. And in this case it was a massive facility struck with a missile, not even a moving target! However, the explosion sends out a wave of disorienting smoke from the impact area outward, directly at David, and the stealth fighter vanishes into obscurity just as he fires. The lack of explosion is telling, and David reports as such. <<"Lost my target in the blast, be advised.">>
The scathing remark about the Republic couched in a compliment about their squadron elicits a whistle of disbelief from Tallie. "I'd like to get that one in my sights, Fiver. Never mind Grunge 7."
Pava's rejoinder was on target. <<"Good one, Captain. I'm surprised he has the breath to talk.">> Grunge 7 comes in their sights again but is an excellent dodger, juking out from her latest volley. <<"They take losing hard, Rogue 8.">>
Elrych turns his head to watch the missle explode into the mound of garbage. He purces his lips tightly together, perhaps grinding his teeth a little at the imperial accented voice that squaks at them over the comms. Jess talks back, but Elrych is all about the action. He brings the E-Wing into a tight turn to line up with the fighter and puts him under the guns, literally, as scarlet death rains from his escourt fighter! of course, it doesn't hit but still. <<"Come back here and face me you pleibian sack of drek.">>
The Objective was the Imperials was to cause maximal damage, if not completely eliminating, the refuse facility. It was not to give the workers a very bad day which ultimately would result in the stocks of Carida Alcoholic companis and Bar's to sky rocket... Their mission a failure that would only create a massive amount of work that would take weeks to fix for Caridian's lower echeleons.. The Imperials returned back to base. Though it would be unlikely that Rogue Squadron wouldn't see Assassin one and Assassin Two again.. Probably with enhanced stats because that's what happens when Arch Rivals are made on the fly after a specific Player Run Plot.
